"No, Su Wei."
"That $100,000 is just the price of the bear's carcass."
Laurent leaned forward slightly.
"I hope you won't miss the whole bear feast the day after tomorrow."
"Don't be a supplier."
"As my special consultant, or co-chef of the Chart Room."
Laurent stretched out his right hand, which hovered in mid-air.
"That old guy loves hearing true stories about the Alaska wilderness."
"The appearance fee is $20,000, payable in cash."
"Furthermore, I promise you an unconditional right of first refusal to purchase all the top-quality ingredients in the future Chart Room."
The air quieted down, with only the sound of the oven's cooling fan whirring.
All eyes were on Su Wei.
Su Wei did not look at Laurent's hand, which was suspended in mid-air.
He pulled the metal lighter out of his jacket pocket and started turning the gears.
Click.
A crisp metallic sound rang out.
Orange flames shot out, illuminating Su Wei's profile.
He looked at the firelight reflected on the stainless steel countertop and pressed his thumb down on the lid.
Chapter 166 Professionals Should Do Professional Things (Please Subscribe!)
Click.
A crisp metallic sound rang out.
Orange flames shot out, illuminating Su Wei's sharply defined profile.
His deep eyes reflected the firelight as he casually pressed the cap off the lighter.
See you the day after tomorrow.
Su Wei put the lighter back into his down jacket pocket.
He reached out and shook hands with Laurent, and the agreement was made.
"US$20,000 in cash, with the right of first refusal effective immediately."
Laurent stood behind him, making a solemn vow.
This is a great deal.
As Su Wei pushed open the metal door to the kitchen, he was quickly making calculations in his mind.
The $20,000 appearance fee is just a bonus.
The private banker from Seattle was his primary target for this trip.
He wants to establish a top-tier private hunting club on Kodiak Island, and he needs to secure his first group of high-end clients in advance.
The dining table in the Chart Room was his best calling card to the elite circle of the wealthy.
A cold wind blew into his collar, dispelling the grease smell clinging to his body and instantly invigorating Su Wei.
A black Raptor pickup truck was parked quietly in the unloading area.
The truck bed was thoroughly cleaned with a high-pressure water gun, leaving no trace of blood.
This was clearly Laurent's arrangement; the Michelin chef's attentiveness was impeccable.
Just then, my phone in my pocket vibrated for a long time.
Su Wei opened the car door and got into the driver's seat. The cold leather seat radiated a chill. He took out his phone, and a multimedia message from Matt popped up on the screen.
I opened the message, and a photo took up the entire screen.
That was the construction site in the Emerald Lake territory. The messy, potholed mud had been completely leveled by heavy machinery.
A concrete base measuring 500 square meters has been poured.
In the morning light, the smooth ground was coated with a hard, reflective sheen.
Below the photo is a short sentence. "Su Wei, the road is paved, the foundation is poured, and we are ready to begin the main construction."
Matt's progress is ridiculously fast.
This shows that the Polar Solid Shield Engineering Team did not slack off because of the blizzard; on the contrary, they were working overtime like crazy.
Their efficiency in this awful weather is not only a testament to their professionalism, but also to their eagerness to get paid as soon as possible.
Su Wei started the engine, which emitted a deep roar and spewed out thick white smoke from the exhaust pipe.
He shifted the car into Drive and stepped on the gas.
The black pickup truck drove out of the narrow alley and merged into the Kodiak Town.
The car's heating system started working at full power, and my icy fingertips gradually warmed up.
With one hand on the steering wheel, Su Wei calmly checked his bank account balance on his app while waiting at a red light.
[Current available balance: 2,858,200 USD]
The $100,000 payment for the bear meat is already in the account.
That long string of zeros exudes a sense of security unique to capital.
Combined with the income from selling fish previously, this money is enough to support the initial infrastructure upgrades of the territory.
The initial $300,000 advance payment was just the starting point.
Now, he has the confidence to control the overall situation.
The green light turns on.
The Raptor pickup truck drove away from the town and sped along the highway towards Pillar Mountain.
The large off-road tires crushed the snow, sending white waves of snow flying to both sides.
Two hours later.
Su Wei gradually reduced his speed, turned on his right turn signal, and drove off the main road.
The scene before him was breathtaking; the place had undergone a complete transformation.
The muddy forest path I remembered has completely disappeared.
In its place, a standardized gravel road, six meters wide, has been built.
The bluish-gray gravel was compacted so tightly by the road roller that there were almost no gaps.
The road surface is slightly raised in the center, with shallow drainage ditches reserved on both sides to guide meltwater.
The loose snow on the road surface had been cleared away, revealing the rough texture of the road surface.
Su Wei drove the pickup truck steadily onto the gravel road.
The intense jolting sensation of the past was gone.
The friction between the tires and the gravel provided a subtle and consistent road feel.
The shock-absorbing chassis smoothly glided across the road, with only the low hum of the engine audible.
This road stretches for two kilometers from the fork in the road all the way to the Emerald Lake.
Like a giant gray dragon, it proclaims the boundaries of the territory.
Su Wei recalled the planning blueprint in his mind.
To receive top-tier tycoons driving luxury cars, a smooth and wide road is the most basic requirement for maintaining decorum.
Matt did a flawless job in this regard.
Ahead, the outline of the territory's wooden house gradually became clear.
The open space next to the wooden house now resembles a small heavy industrial base.
Three yellow excavators and bulldozers were parked there. Two concrete mixer trucks covered in mud were parked at the edge.
Twelve workers, dressed in heavy winter clothing, were scattered around the newly poured foundation.
It is noon on Kodiak Island.
The workers sat in twos and threes on piles of insulated boards, holding simple tin foil lunch boxes in their hands.
The faint warmth that had just drifted out was instantly dispersed by the cold wind.
The Raptor pickup truck came to a smooth stop in front of the garage.
The car door had just been pushed open.
" Su Wei!"
Matt's loud voice rang out from not far away.