"Obviously, I won't let that happen. I'll snipe it from a distance. If that doesn't work, I'll leave rather than continue taking the risk."
"Hunting brown bears is my goal, but it's not a choice I'd make to risk my life for."
Black squinted.
"You considered the wind and snow, the terrain, and the weapons."
The old hunter stood up and walked to the map on the wall.
It was a more detailed topographic map, covered with numerous red crosses and circles.
But that's not enough.
Black tapped his finger heavily on a point on the map.
Do you know who this Missing Ear is?
Su Wei shook his head.
"A few months ago, a rich kid from Texas wanted to hunt bears. He brought three guides and five dogs. And here he is."
Black's finger pointed near the area marked by Su Wei.
"They ran into this bear. That idiot's first shot went astray, grazing the bear's skull and only taking off one ear."
"That bear went berserk. It charged through the firepower of three men, killed two dogs, and smashed half of the rich kid's shoulder."
Black turned around and stared at Su Wei.
"It's not only big, but it also holds grudges. It knows what gunshots mean. An ordinary bear might run away when it hears a gunshot, but this beast will pinpoint your location immediately upon hearing a gunshot and then begin its hunt."
"It came with anger."
"It's not that no one's interested in it, but this brown bear is surprisingly cunning."
Silence fell over the room, broken only by the crackling of the firewood in the stove.
Su Wei looked into Black's eyes, his mind racing.
A brown bear with combat experience and hatred towards humans is a completely different level of danger.
If you don't understand this situation and try to predict its escape route using conventional logic, you might very well be outmaneuvered by it.
"Thank you for the information."
Su Wei took a deep breath and did not back down.
"If that's its personality type, then my Plan B needs to be adjusted."
How to change it?
"We can't fight head-on in open areas."
Su Wei stood up and walked to the map.
"Since it'll come following the gunfire, let's set a trap for it. I won't be the sniper; I'll be the bait."
He drew a line at the mouth of the V-shaped valley on the map.
"This is a pile of boulders. There's only one narrow passage. If I fire from above to lure it away, it will inevitably have to pass through this narrow passage once it charges."
Su Wei made a cutting motion with his hand in the air.
"I will set up an ambush above this pass beforehand. When it charges in, it will be attacking uphill, and its speed will be reduced to a minimum due to the loose rocks."
That's my killing zone.
Black stared at the map, remaining silent for a long time.
He took a puff of his cigar, the smoke masking a hint of approval in his eyes.
What's in your medical kit?
Black suddenly changed the subject.
"Tourette, two; hemostatic granules; bandage; and one vial of morphine."
Su Wei answered without hesitation.
"I also have broad-spectrum antibiotics and sutures ready in case I get scratched."
"Sew it yourself?"
"It's better than bleeding to death."
Black finally smiled.
"It seems you did your homework; you weren't just going to your death."
Su Wei breathed a slight sigh of relief, and her tense shoulders slowly relaxed.
But that's not enough.
Black suddenly changed the subject.
He put down his cup, walked around the long table, and stood in front of Su Wei.
Blake was half a head taller than Suvy, and his imposing figure exuded a strong sense of oppression.
"The theory is perfect. But in the wilderness, the unexpected always comes before the plan. When that wild beast roars ten meters away from you, when your scope is fogged up by your breath, when your hands are too frozen to pull the trigger, none of what you just said can save you."
The firelight cast flickering light on Black's cold, hard face.
He didn't say anything more, but bent down and pulled a heavy canvas bag from the wicker basket at his feet that smelled of fish.
"Catch it."
The canvas bag traced a parabola through the air.
Su Wei raised his hand to catch it, and then lowered his wrist.
It's quite heavy, at least twenty pounds.
Even through the rough canvas, a strong smell of blood assaulted my nostrils.
Inside is freshly cut bone-in venison.
"If you want to be the bait, you must first learn how not to become the prey."
Black whistled.
The black-backed male dog named Caesar immediately stood up.
It shook its fur, walked up to Su Wei, its eerie green eyes fixed on the canvas bag, and let out a longing growl.
Give it the bag.
Su Wei released his grip.
Caesar bit down on the handle of the canvas bag, but didn't rush to eat. Instead, he turned to look at Black.
"Go."
Black pointed to the dark, snowy outside the door.
"Find a place to hide. This is your 'prey'."
Caesar let out a low growl, turned around, smashed open the heavy wooden door, and disappeared into the windswept night.
The cold wind took the opportunity to rush in, only to be cut off as the door closed.
"It's four-fifteen now."
Black sat back down on the sofa and picked up the cigar he hadn't finished smoking.
"I'll give it twenty minutes. After twenty minutes, you go out and look for it."
The rules are simple.
The old hunter exhaled a puff of smoke.
"Don't bring a gun. Just bring your knife and your eyes. Find it, and sneak to within fifty meters of it. Remember, this is only possible if it hasn't spotted you."
"If it barks, or if it lunges at you."
Black flicked his cigarette ash.
"You've lost. Those who lose don't deserve to feed the bears on the north slope."
Su Wei didn't say anything, but silently tightened the collar of his windbreaker.
Caesar was Black's best hound, with a sense of smell and alertness even more acute than a lone wolf in the wilderness.
In the territory of the Missing Ear brown bear, failing to stealth means death.
His defeat at Caesar's hands meant he could never hunt a brown bear alone again.
Time passed by, minute by minute.
The only sound in the room was the ticking of the wall clock.
4:35.
Su Wei stood up, put on the wool beanie that had no odor, pulled up the windproof mask, leaving only his eyes exposed.
He pushed open the door and stepped into the wind and snow.
The beam of the flashlight could only travel a dozen meters in the swirling snow before being swallowed by the darkness.