Nine o'clock in the evening.
He stopped paying attention to the information on his phone and stopped thinking about the construction progress of the exhibition hall.
He must now clear his mind of all distractions.
Su Wei entered the bathroom.
Instead of using any scented shower gel, he took out the tan-colored deodorizing soap.
This soap can wash away most of the odor molecules on the skin's surface; preparations for hunting always begin well in advance.
Even if tomorrow's training is grueling, Su Wei must take it seriously.
Using this soap helps him eliminate odor, and when entering the wilderness, applying odor-eliminating agent on top of it almost completely prevents prey from detecting his scent.
The water washed over his body. Su Wei gritted his teeth; the water temperature wasn't very high, just around body temperature.
This temperature, in this kind of weather, can effectively stimulate his nerves to remain at a certain sensitive critical point.
After showering, he didn't put on his pajamas, but changed directly into clean, close-fitting, moisture-wicking, quick-drying clothes.
He lay on the bed with his eyes closed.
In the darkness, the wind seemed to grow stronger over Emerald Lake.
The pattering sound of the snow hitting the windowpane seemed to follow a certain pattern.
The long-awaited snow finally descended upon this wilderness once again in mid-to-late November.
Su Wei's breathing gradually became long and even as he forced himself into a deep sleep, gathering strength for the upcoming trial.
3 a. m.
The mechanical alarm clock on the bedside table made only a faint click, and before the alarm could ring, Su Wei's hand was already on the top of the clock.
He sat up instantly in bed, his eyes showing no trace of the confusion one might expect upon waking.
Su Wei quickly rolled over and got out of bed.
He didn't turn on the light, but instead walked to the storage room based on his memory.
He put on the hunting gear he had checked countless times, tightened his belt, and hung his hunting knife on his left side.
Finally, he sprayed a large amount of deodorizing spray on his armpits, cuffs, and shoe soles.
Now, he is practically invisible when it comes to smell.
Su Wei went downstairs to the kitchen.
He filled the Cotton Candy's bowl with dehydrated freeze-dried meat chunks and then changed the water.
Cotton Candy raised its head, looking at him sleepily. Su Wei reached out and gently tapped its forehead.
"Keep an eye on the house."
He picked up the Browning rifle that was behind the door, pushed the door open, and stepped into the darkness.
A strong gust of cold wind hit me in the face.
The snow intensified in the middle of the night, turning everything in sight into a vast expanse of white.
Su Wei took a deep breath, the icy air filling his lungs, making him feel as if he had drunk a mouthful of strong ice water.
The Ford Raptor sat quietly in the snow.
Su Wei started the engine, and it roared to life.
He didn't rush off, but waited for the water temperature to rise.
He checked all the equipment inside the carriage and confirmed that nothing was missing.
The dashboard lights illuminated his silhouette.
3:20
Su Wei shifted into Drive, the four-wheel drive system engaged, and the tires crushed the thick snow, producing a heavy squeezing sound.
The car headlights cleaved through the wind and snow.
The snow had already covered half of the tires, Raptor's massive body bounced up and down in the mud and deep snow.
The wheels crunched and creaked as they rolled over the frozen grass.
Su Wei stared intently ahead, his hands firmly gripping the steering wheel.
On Starlink navigation, the small green dot representing the target bounces several kilometers away.
That was Black's house.
That man known as the Old Devil might be standing in the snow right now, timing his appearance.
The car struggled to climb a small hill.
The road conditions ahead became extremely poor.
Due to the heavy snow, the branches on both sides drooped very low, and the accumulated snow weighed down many dry branches, which were scattered on the road.
Su Wei had to slow down.
Fortunately, his newly purchased Ford Raptor had been equipped with snow-weather features, allowing it to drive safely even in such heavy snow.
Of course, we need to be careful.
Three forty.
The navigation system shows that there are only five kilometers left to reach the destination.
This is a dirt road in the woods on the shady side of the Pillar Mountain, with a steep mountain wall on one side and a bottomless ravine on the other.
The Raptor's high beams stretched forward, illuminating a jarring horizontal line.
Su Wei slammed on the brakes.
The tire slid for two meters on the slippery snow before finally coming to a steady stop.
By the light of the lamp, Su Wei saw a huge Sitka spruce lying diagonally in the middle of the road, its rough bark covered with snow, and its dense branches forming a natural barrier.
The car door opened.
A sudden gust of wind, carrying ice pellets, rushed into the carriage, sweeping away the last bit of warmth.
Su Wei jumped out of the vehicle, his hard-soled tactical boots crunching as they hit the snow.
The beam of the flashlight shone on the tree trunk.
This is a mature spruce tree with a diameter of over 80 centimeters, its dense foliage completely blocking the already narrow forest path.
Su Wei walked to the tree roots.
There was no soil uprooted, nor any torn texture caused by the wind.
The beam of light is focused on the cross-section.
The cut was clean and smooth, with even a few specks of pale yellow wood shavings remaining on it, untouched by the wind and snow.
These are marks left by a chainsaw.
Su Wei turned off the flashlight.
There were no other fallen trees around; this tree must have been deliberately felled here.
At this time and in this place, only one person would do such a thing.
Black.
This was a test for him.
Su Wei glanced back at the road conditions under the car headlights.
To the left is a steep rock wall, and to the right is a dark, deep ravine.
There was no room to detour.
To clear the passage, the only option is to move these several-ton roadblocks.
Su Wei quickly returned to the front of the car.
He reached down, grabbed the clip below the front bumper, and pulled hard.
Click.
The winch cover pops open.
Inside, a red Warn Zeus series heavy-duty winch was visible, with a 30-meter-long synthetic fiber cable wound around it.
This model has a pulling force of 12,000 pounds, enough to tow a heavy truck stuck in the mud.
Su Wei put on heavy, non-slip gloves and shifted the clutch lever on the side of the winch to the free release position.
He grabbed the heavy hook at the end of the cable, turned and rushed toward the fallen spruce tree.
The snow was knee-deep, and every step required tremendous effort.
Su Wei dragged the heavy cable, carving a deep ditch in the snow.
He reached the middle section of the spruce.
This is where the tree trunk's center of gravity is located.