Two minutes.
Su Wei did not look up; he was waiting for the verdict.
"Stand up."
Black turned off the flashlight.
"I drank it."
A bottle of water and a vacuum-packed piece of beef were tossed into Su Wei's arms.
Su Wei struggled to unscrew the bottle cap, and the warm water poured down his throat, almost making him choke, but his body greedily absorbed the moisture.
Black stood before him, looking down at the young apprentice.
The disheveled young man, covered in mud, was struggling to tear into the piece of beef, his eyes showing no pleading, only the instinct to eat.
"That bear on the north slope is very cunning."
Black's voice suddenly became calm.
Su Wei suddenly looked up.
"It's not stupid. It knows that the pipes humans hold can breathe fire. So it will circle around behind and use the terrain to ambush."
Black turned around, his back to Su Wei, and walked towards the warm wooden house.
"Don't expect me or Aruk to rescue you. Going into the mountains this time of year is like signing a death warrant."
The old hunter stopped at the doorway and placed his hand on the doorframe.
"Good luck."
Bang.
The wooden door slammed shut.
Su Wei sat in the snow, holding the half-eaten piece of beef in her hand, and paused for two seconds.
Then he smiled.
My lip split open, which aggravated the wound on my face, causing some pain.
"Good luck".
This is the pass.
[Pass the Trial of Legendary Hunter Black ]
[ Hunting Module Experience +45]
[Current Hunting Module LV2 (275/300)]
25 more experience points to level up.
Su Wei braced himself against the ground and pulled himself out of the snow pit.
My legs were still shaking, but a weight had been lifted from my heart.
10:00 AM.
A black Raptor pickup truck drove into the Emerald Lake territory.
The construction site of the exhibition hall was deserted; it had snowed quite a bit today.
Matt and his construction crew did not come.
Su Wei had anticipated this.
The heating in the carriage was on full blast, but it still couldn't dispel the bone-chilling cold.
Su Wei pushed open the door of the wooden house.
"Eek!"
A white shadow sprang up from the sofa and pounced on his legs.
Cotton Candy stood up, its two front paws tugging at Su Wei's trouser legs, its fluffy tail swaying like a propeller.
It keenly smelled the blood and gunpowder on Su Wei, its little nose twitching incessantly as it leaned closer, emitting worried whimpers.
"I'm fine. I'm not hurt."
Su Wei bent down, scooped up the little guy, buried his face in the warm, soft fur, and took a deep breath.
A faint scent of pine and the distinctive body odor of wild animals.
My nerves, which had been tense all night, finally relaxed completely at this moment.
He carried the fox to the sofa and sank into the soft cushions.
The Cotton Candy nestled obediently against his chest, licking the scratches on his cheek with its warm tongue.
"Buzz"
The phone that was lying to the side suddenly vibrated.
Su Wei's sleepiness was interrupted.
He frowned and reached for his phone.
The name displayed on the screen made him pause for a moment.
Emily.
So early?
Su Wei answered the phone, her voice hoarse.
"Hello."
" Su Wei..."
" Su Wei..."
The voice coming from the receiver was crisp and melodious, filled with undisguised joy.
Su Wei's fingers tightened slightly as she gripped her phone.
The red marks on his knuckles were still visible from dragging sandbags in the snow, marks left by the rope cutting into his flesh.
The burning pain in my throat hasn't completely subsided.
He opened his mouth, as if to say something.
"I am here."
His voice was terribly hoarse.
There was a noticeable pause on the other end of the phone.
Emily didn't immediately notice the fatigue behind the voice; her excitement was still surging forward with inertia.
"Guess what happened."
The girl's voice rose slightly with excitement, and it sounded exceptionally clear through the receiver in the quiet wooden cabin.
Su Wei adjusted her posture, letting her somewhat stiff back sink completely into the soft sofa.
Cotton Candy lay on his chest, her beady black eyes fixed on her phone, her ears twitching sharply.
"Did you pass the paper?"
Su Wei asked.
He tried his best to control his breathing rhythm, preventing the heavy panting from reaching him.
"Bingo! You answered correctly, but there's no reward."
Emily laughed, and her laughter was infectious.
"That old-fashioned advisor finally relented. He just sent an email saying the data is correct and the argument is logically sound. The defense, which was originally scheduled for next month, has been rescheduled for this Friday."
Su Wei's lips twitched slightly, forming a very faint smile.
Although the bruises on his cheeks creaked faintly from the movement, the sense of relief that welled up from the bottom of his heart was real.
"Congratulations."
He spoke very slowly, each word sounding as if squeezed out from his lungs.
"This is a big deal. Have they already started celebrating in Anchorage?"
"It can't be that fast. I haven't even told my parents yet, and you're the first person I've called."
I could hear the rustling of papers and the scraping of a chair on the floor; Emily seemed to be pacing around the apartment.
"You wouldn't believe it, the head of that research group was livid. He held back two months' worth of my data, and I just ran the model again myself, completely overturning his conclusions. Just now in the lab, he looked at me like I was a monster."
Su Wei listened quietly.
He could picture that scene.
Emily, wearing a white lab coat and with her hair tied in a neat ponytail, stood in the brightly lit laboratory, holding a thick data report in her hand.
Even just listening to these trivial campus struggles, Su Wei could feel a long-lost sense of everyday life.