This is different from the Kodiak.
Here, there are no data models, only wind direction and trajectory.
There was no tutor's signature, only Black's cold, hard face and an exam with only two options: life or death.
" Su Wei?"
Emily's voice suddenly lowered, as if her initial excitement had been abruptly cut off.
Why aren't you saying anything?
"I'm listening."
Su Wei cleared his throat, trying to cough up the gritty feeling.
"Cough..."
But the cough couldn't be suppressed, aggravating the injury to the lungs, turning into a series of muffled low coughs.
Are you sick?
Emily's tone changed instantly.
That initial elation vanished without a trace, replaced by anxiety and uncertainty.
"Your voice sounds off. It's not just hoarse, it's also... you're panting? What were you doing just now?"
No wonder he studies animal behavior.
She is far more sensitive than the average person to capturing breathing rate and vocal patterns.
Su Wei moved the phone away slightly, took a deep breath, and calmed the rise and fall of her chest.
"Just finished training."
He put the phone back to his ear, trying to keep his voice steady.
"You know that old man, Black. He suddenly decided on a special training session today."
"Special training?"
Emily clearly wasn't buying it.
"What kind of special training could exhaust you like this? Su Wei, don't lie to me. You sound like you just finished a weighted marathon."
It was indeed a weighted marathon.
Three hundred-pound sandbags, snow, five kilometers.
Su Wei glanced at his thigh muscles, which were still trembling slightly.
"More or less."
Su Wei avoided the main issues and focused on the trivial ones.
"If you want to learn real skills, you have to pay tuition. That old guy may have a bad temper, but what he has is genuine. I'm so tired right now I don't even want to move a finger, I just want to lie down."
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.
Are you hurt?
Emily's voice was soft, tinged with a hint of caution.
"No."
Su Wei answered very decisively.
The bruises on the face and the marks on the shoulders are not considered injuries. In this line of work, as long as the bones are not broken and the blood has not been drained, it is considered not injured.
"Real?"
"Really. Cotton Candy is lying right on me. If it were hurt, it would have cried out by now."
Su Wei reached out and ruffled the little fox's hair.
Cotton Candy cooperated with a soft "ooh" and rubbed her head against the phone.
Hearing the little fox's voice, Emily seemed slightly relieved.
"That old hunter... he's skilled, but his training methods are too torturous. Take it easy, don't really treat yourself like a machine."
I know what I'm doing.
Su Wei changed the subject.
Now that the thesis has been approved, when is the graduation ceremony?
The topic was successfully shifted.
When graduation was mentioned, Emily's emotions rose again, but with a greater sense of solemnity than before.
"December 15th. That's the final ceremony. There will be a degree conferment ceremony and a graduation ball in the evening."
Emily paused for a moment.
There was only a slight static noise coming from the receiver.
Two seconds later, that voice, tinged with both anticipation and trepidation, rang out again.
Will you come?
Su Wei looked at the wood grain on the ceiling.
December 15th.
It is now mid-November.
There's still a month until that day.
During this month, he had to fulfill Laurent's request and engage in a battle with a 400-kilogram brown bear in the blizzard on the north slope.
If he wins, he can get the funds to start the manor plan and go to Anchorage with glory and spoils.
If we lose... then there are no "ifs".
"Go."
Su Wei gave a promise, a single word, but it carried great weight.
"Really? No taking it back."
Emily's voice suddenly brightened.
"I've reserved the best seat for you. It's in the first row of the family section, next to my parents. I also need to get you a formal suit; your old one definitely won't fit anymore, your shoulders are much broader than before..."
She started making plans in a very detailed and rambling manner.
From itinerary planning and clothing selection to choosing a restaurant for the celebration dinner.
One by one, words brimming with the spirit of modern cities popped into Su Wei's wooden cabin, which reeked of pine and gun oil.
Su Wei listened quietly without interrupting her.
This feeling reminded him that beyond the wilderness, a warm and bustling world awaited him.
"Oh, right."
Emily seemed to have gotten tired of talking and stopped to take a sip of water.
"What are your plans after graduation? Will you stay at the research institute in Anchorage?"
Su Wei asked this question.
This is a topic I've been avoiding, but I'll have to face sooner or later.
Previously, Emily's answer would most likely have been yes.
But this time, a soft laugh came from the other end of the phone.
That was my original plan. My advisor did indeed offer me a position to stay on.
Emily kept everyone in suspense.
"But... things may have changed a little."
"Change?"
Su Wei raised an eyebrow.
"Remember that topic I talked to you about before, about ecological balance and commercial hunting? My advisor is a consultant there."
Emily's voice held a sly quality.
"Recently, it seems that the authorities intend to re-evaluate the hunting grounds in each region. This is especially true for established hunting areas like Kodiak Island, which has always been a subject of much controversy."
Su Wei sat up a little straighter.
Hunting ground rating is a big deal.
It directly determines the number of business quotas each year, and also determines how many wealthy people will flock here with US dollars.
If it's a re-evaluation, it means an official inspection team will be sent down.
You mean...?
Su Wei had a vague idea of what was going on.
"Shhh€€€€"