He pressed the engine start button with his right hand, and the dashboard screen lit up instantly.
The engine emitted a deep roar, and a slight vibration occurred inside the carriage.
The various self-test indicator lights will turn off sequentially after three seconds.
The water temperature gauge needle also stopped at the lowest mark.
In extremely cold weather, the engine oil is very viscous, so Su Wei did not press the accelerator.
He sat quietly in the driver's seat, watching the tachometer.
He waited a full minute before the engine speed slowly dropped from the initial 1500 RPM to 800 RPM.
The heating system began to blow out a weak, warm breeze.
He reached out with his right hand, grasped the knob below the center console, and turned it to the 4H position, locking in the high-speed four-wheel drive mode.
He pressed the brake pedal with his right foot and shifted the gear into Drive with his right hand.
After releasing the brake, gently press the accelerator with your right foot.
The massive black vehicle moved forward.
The large off-road tires crushed the surface ice and snow, embedding themselves into the permafrost below.
The Raptor pickup truck sped out of the yard.
Two blinding beams of LED headlights tore through the darkness ahead.
The blizzard appeared as dense horizontal lines within the beam of light.
The windshield wipers were wiping at maximum frequency, pushing the snow powder that kept adhering to the windshield to both sides.
The vehicle speed was maintained at 50 kilometers per hour.
Su Wei kept his hands firmly on the steering wheel.
Based on the subtle feedback transmitted by the tires, he continuously made small directional corrections.
The suspension system beneath the chassis moved rapidly, absorbing the vibrations from the road surface.
Fifteen minutes later, the vehicle crossed the bridge in the middle section of the Pilan Creek.
Looking out the car window, Su Wei saw that the surface of the stream was completely frozen.
The ice surface had a dark blue hue.
After crossing the bridge, they entered the edge of the primeval forest at the foot of Pillar Mountain.
The road became even more rugged, with many broken branches lying across the middle of the road.
Su Wei slowed down, turned the steering wheel to the right, and turned onto a narrow dirt road.
Ahead lay a clearing surrounded by giant trees.
Black's log fortress appears within the headlights' illumination range.
The main wall, made of thick, dark brown logs, appeared extremely heavy in the night.
A layer of snow half a meter thick had accumulated on the sloping surface of the roof.
The outer barbed wire fence was covered with icicles, which gleamed with a cold, hard luster under the car headlights.
The firewood neatly stacked in the corner of the yard was mostly covered by snow.
The chimney was spewing out grayish-white smoke.
Apart from the sound of the wind, there was no other sound from living things; the environment was much quieter than usual.
Su Wei parked the Raptor next to the Dodge, put it in Park, and pressed the electronic parking brake.
After the engine was turned off, he opened the car door.
My right foot stepped on the snow, and the snow crunched under my feet.
Su Wei left the rifle inside the car and closed the door.
The cold wind whipped against the windbreaker, making a rustling sound.
He followed a narrow path that had been cleared towards the door of the wooden house.
He didn't knock.
Black had already instructed that we could go straight in upon arrival without any formalities.
Su Wei took off his right glove and stuffed it into his pocket.
His warm palm pressed against the cold brass doorknob.
Applying downward force, the heavy solid wood door opens inward.
A sweltering wave of air, mixed with the smells of burnt pine, blood, and bodily fluids, surged out instantly.
Su Wei stepped over the threshold and into the entrance hall.
He pushed the door shut behind him, cutting off the wind and snow outside.
The motion-sensor light in the entryway is not on.
The only source of light in the house was the huge stone fireplace in the center of the living room.
The thick logs crackled and popped in the flames, casting flickering shadows on the walls.
Animal skulls and old hunting gear hanging on the wall were partially visible in the firelight.
Su Wei's gaze swept past the sofa area.
The ammunition boxes that were originally there have been moved to the open space to the right of the fireplace.
Instead, the area was covered with a thick layer of dry straw.
Three clean, old military blankets were placed on top of the straw.
Black crouched at the edge of the blanket.
He was still wearing that dark gray windbreaker with badly worn cuffs.
The hem of the clothes was stained with large, dark red, damp patches.
The old hunter didn't turn his head, holding a rough linen towel in both hands.
In the center of the blanket, Bella, the mother dog, lay on her side.
Its once robust body was now visibly shrunken, and its abdomen rose and fell with its rapid breathing.
A faint, disordered murmur echoed in the air.
The towel in Black's hand was wrapped around a sticky puppy.
His rough fingers, through the towel, slid down the puppy's spine from neck to tail, peeling away the amniotic sac and mucus clinging to its fur.
His movements were extremely smooth, and his strength was controlled with great precision.
He completely avoided the puppy's vulnerable abdomen and umbilical cord.
Su Wei stopped two meters away, avoiding getting the snow water from his shoes wet the blanket.
Based on Bella's breathing rate and the degree of relaxation in her hind limb muscles, Su Wei judged that the delivery was over and there was no risk of prolapse.
The puppies were larger than expected.
Five small, fleshy lumps, each the size of an adult's fist, were pressed against Bella's abdomen, wriggling instinctively.
This Old Devil, who demands absolute power and discipline, is now displaying a rare patience.
There were no instructions or reprimands inside the room.
Black's deep, rough voice echoed in the room, where only the sound of firewood crackling could be heard.
Five.
He gently placed the last puppy, which he had wiped clean, next to Bella's belly.
The puppy flailed its limbs wildly and quickly plunged into the jostling of its siblings.
"Three males and two females."
Black straightened up, his knees making a slight clicking sound.
He threw the blood-stained towel into a rusty iron bucket two steps away.
He pulled a deflated cigarette case from the breast pocket of his down jacket, took out an unfiltered cigarette, and put it between his lips.
He pinched a match between his left index finger and thumb and quickly ran it across the rough fabric on the outside of his trouser leg.
Sizzle.
The match head ignited, illuminating the deep, knife-like nasolabial folds on his face.
Black turned his head, lit a cigarette by the flame, took a drag, and exhaled a thick cloud of gray smoke.
"Can we choose now?"
Su Wei broke the silence.
Black's hand, which was holding a cigarette, fell to his side.
"No rush."