Emily unzipped the top of her winter coat to let out a breath.
My gaze fell on the huge camera equipment case in the back seat.
"You even brought a drone and a professional film camera?"
"Don't tell me you're planning to create art on a mountain ridge where it's minus twenty-five degrees Celsius."
Su Wei placed his hands on the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the snow-covered road ahead.
This is not art.
This is a business order.
Emily stopped adjusting her gloves.
She turned her head, her azure eyes staring straight at Su Wei.
"What's the meaning?"
"Three orders received yesterday."
"I'm skiing today, so I'll just film some videos and appear on camera; it'll be a natural product placement."
One of them is a heat patch.
Su Wei calmly stated the arrangements.
"In addition, there are shots of a portable pour-over coffee machine, and a real-world test of a high-calorie chocolate energy bar."
"A base cooperation fee of $150,000, plus commission based on increased viewership."
Emily leaned back in her chair.
She was unable to process this astonishing number for a moment.
As an academic who relies on guild quests and project bonuses for a living, she was astonished by the speed at which she was making money.
"So, you turned down those high-risk hunting commissions that endangered lives?"
"And then, during a relaxing ski trip, he casually earned a down payment on a property in a prime location in Kodiak Town?"
That's roughly the logic.
Su Wei tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.
"The audience of lifestyle accounts needs a genuine, down-to-earth feel."
"Nothing stimulates their consumption desires more than actually enjoying a hot cup of coffee in an extremely cold region."
Emily was silent for two seconds.
Then, her shoulders began to tremble slightly, and a clear laugh rang out in the carriage.
"When you're making the pour-over coffee later, could you cut my braised beef and potatoes into the sauce too?"
"It deserves a close-up shot worth ten thousand dollars."
Su Wei glanced at her, a slight smile playing on her lips.
"If you're willing to pay for advertising, I wouldn't mind highlighting it."
He gripped the thick gear shift lever with his right hand.
Shift into drive.
The Raptor's engine roared.
The massive black vehicle started moving at the gravel entrance to the winding mountain road.
The large all-terrain tires gnawed at the ice surface, kicking up a meter of snow.
The front of the car pointed directly at the Pyramid Mountain in the distance.
Chapter 211 Ski Resort
The Raptor's engine maintained a deep roar as the vehicle rolled over the last stretch of icy slope.
The wide snow tires cut through the ice, and a screeching sound of ice shattering came from beneath the chassis.
The black Raptor landed steadily in the open-air parking space at the ski resort.
When the engine is turned off, the vibrations stop.
Su Wei pushed open the heavy car door.
The sub-zero wind, carrying tiny ice crystals, blew straight into the collar of his windbreaker.
He pinched the zipper buckle with one hand and pulled it up, pulling the windproof collar down to his chin, where the high-density fleece inside blocked the cold wind.
The passenger door popped open.
Emily braced herself with both hands on the edge of the leather seat and nimbly leaped off the side step.
She quickly adjusted her snow skirt around her waist, pulling hard on the nylon straps to tighten the Velcro straps.
Professional ski boots with metal buckles stepped onto the frozen mud.
The hard rubber creaked against the crushed ice, producing a dull crunching sound.
A dozen or so family SUVs were parked side by side around it, most of them with bright yellow, bright red and other vibrant paint colors.
Among this group of rounded family cars, this Ford Raptor, with its chassis covered in ice shards and matte black paint, looks like a heavy armored vehicle that has wandered into an amusement park.
Su Wei walked around the wide front of the car and opened the heavy rear door.
The residual warmth inside the carriage overflowed and collided with the dry, cold air outside, creating a cloud of white mist.
He leaned forward and gripped the handle of the snowplow bag with one hand.
The bag contained thermal supplies and filming equipment, weighing a full thirty pounds.
His forearm muscles tensed, and he yanked the sack out of the carriage.
He placed the pannier bag steadily at his feet and turned his gaze to the black insulated aviation cooler in the corner of the back seat.
In the center of the double-layered pure wool blanket at the bottom of the box, a white blob rose up.
Cotton Candy curled up deep inside the wool blanket, her body huddled together, her four paws tightly clutching her fluffy tail.
Su Wei pushed open the metal grille door of the flight case.
His right hand, clad in thick, cold-weather gloves, reached into the box, pinching the albino red fox's nape fur with three fingers, and then exerting force with his wrist.
A ball of white fur, resisting the cold, was pulled out.
The cold wind outside swept across the fur.
The Cotton Candy immediately emitted a long string of fine, rapid cries.
Its four short legs kicked wildly in mid-air, trying to break free and return to the warm box.
Su Wei didn't give it a chance.
He reached for the front of his windbreaker with his left hand and unzipped a hidden zipper about 20 centimeters long.
The jacket has a temperature-controlled compartment inside, designed specifically for carrying small animals or delicate equipment.
He grabbed the ball of fluff and shoved it in forcefully, pressing the Cotton Candy inside.
Pull the zipper up smoothly, leaving only a three-centimeter ventilation gap at the top.
The temperature-controlled chamber was pressed tightly against Su Wei's chest, and his body heat was quickly transferred to him through the quick-drying lining.
The Cotton Candy stopped kicking.
It twisted and turned in the narrow space, finding a comfortable position.
Then, a wet, pink nose peeked out from the zipper gap, twitching and testing the air outside.
Emily walked over carrying two all-terrain snowboards.
She looked at the bulge on Su Wei's chest, stretched out her index finger, and gently poked the tip of her pink nose.
Cotton Candy quickly pulled her nose back and let out a low, dissatisfied snort.
"It's so cute, but Su Wei, aren't you spoiling it too much? It looks so chubby now."
Emily shifted the heavy snowboard to her right shoulder and adjusted the position of her windproof mask.
"That's normal, it's winter now."
"Once its skeleton is fully developed and it reaches adulthood, I will train it properly."
Su Wei patted the temperature-controlled compartment on his chest and closed the back door behind him.
He pressed the remote key, the Raptor's headlights flashed, and a crisp mechanical locking sound rang out.
He bent down, picked up the snow pack with one hand, and grabbed the carbon fiber ski poles with the other.
The two walked side by side toward the all-wooden ticket hall fifty meters away.
The original wood-colored exterior walls were covered with a thick layer of white frost, and transparent icicles of varying lengths hung from the eaves.
Before we even got close to the gate, the noisy chatter of people could already be heard on the wind.
Pushing aside the heavy, double-layered windproof curtains in the lobby, a stench of cheap instant coffee, damp woolen hats, and inferior antifreeze hit you.
The indoor temperature is nearly 20 degrees Celsius higher than the outdoor temperature.