This was his hope of making a start on paying off his thirty-thousand-dollar debt.
As long as he made it down the mountain alive...
Fatigue washed over him, and his eyelids began to droop.
Just as he was about to fall asleep.
A faint sound, utterly unlike the wind, suddenly came from outside the door.
Outside, the little white fox was nearly buried in the snowstorm. Its small but somewhat chubby body shook vigorously, brushing away the snowflakes pelting it.
It whimpered softly, its cries sounding somewhat panicked.
It hadn't expected this. It had only smelled a familiar scent on that humanoid creature and wanted to follow him to see if it could find its way home.
Yes, it had been living comfortably in a cave before. That was its home.
On a dead tree outside the cave was a cluster of mushrooms that smelled of old wood.
That was its favorite smell. Whenever it returned from foraging, it would climb the tree and take a sniff.
But it hadn't expected that, a couple of days ago, while out looking for food again.
A vicious humanoid monster chased it, and it ended up running into a forest it had never visited before.
It had left its familiar range and, for once, gotten lost.
It could have found somewhere else to live, but it couldn't bear to part with the smell of those mushrooms.
Besides, it had only lived there for a few weeks. It was very comfortable, and it didn't want to move just yet.
That was why, on its way home, it had suddenly caught that familiar scent.
It found Su Wei, but he was a vicious humanoid monster.
The little white fox hesitated, only to find that the humanoid monster was like a fool, knowing only how to chase it.
Finally, after seeing him leave, it hesitantly followed.
It had thought Su Wei might head toward its home, but instead he went farther and farther away, until it got lost again and was shut outside the cabin in the snowstorm.
Only then did it belatedly realize it was in danger!
The trees here were sparse, and the ground was open. Apart from snow, there was nothing but the cabin before it.
If it couldn't find a suitable place to hide in time, it might become one of the rare foxes to freeze to death!
"Scratch... scratch, scratch..."
It sounded like some animal's claws, gently but somewhat urgently scratching at the heavy wooden door.
The sound jolted him fully awake, banishing all traces of sleep.
Su Wei sat bolt upright, every muscle in his body instantly taut.
What was it?
A bear?
Impossible. The sound was too faint.
A wolf?
He snatched up the Browning rifle beside him, and its icy body helped his mind regain its calm.
Holding his breath, he moved silently to the door and pressed his ear against the rough wood.
The wind and snow howled so loudly that the faint sound came and went.
Just as he thought he'd imagined it.
A faint whimper, tinged with grievance and urgency, rose above the roar of the storm and reached his ears.
"Whine... whine..."
That sound...
Su Wei's pupils contracted slightly.
It was that blue-eyed white fox!
Had it really followed him all the way here?
What did it want? Why had it followed him??
Several thoughts flashed through Su Wei's mind.
Su Wei couldn't make sense of it, his eyes full of astonishment.
The whimpering outside continued, one cry after another, sounding unusually clear against the howling wind and carrying an indescribably pitiful note.
An even more absurd thought came to him.
Was it asking for help?
Asking a human who had wanted to capture it alive not long ago for help?
Su Wei was utterly stunned. He hadn't expected this.
The fox was actually asking a hunter sheltering in a cabin for help in the middle of a snowstorm?!
But soon, a new thought surged to the surface.
Eight thousand dollars!
No matter what, eight thousand dollars was right in front of him!!
Su Wei let out a breath and carefully unlatched the door. The wind and snow pounded against it, making a dull thudding sound.
A powerful blast of cold air swept in, followed by a white lump.
Before Su Wei could open his eyes wide enough to get a clear look.
He felt something warm press tightly against his leg.
Chapter 6: Was This Really an Animal That Should Have Been Wary?
The wind and snow swept inside.
A streak of white charged in with the storm.
Su Wei instinctively narrowed his eyes and felt a weight on his lower leg. A furry bundle was clinging tightly to his pant leg.
Su Wei lowered his gaze and met a pair of ice-blue eyes.
They were full of fear, with a hint of pleading for mercy.
It was the blue-eyed white fox.
It was soaked through, its white fur covered in ice crystals and plastered to its small body.
It trembled nonstop, yet its claws gripped Su Wei's pant leg with all its strength, refusing to let go.
Su Wei's head buzzed, and his mind briefly went blank.
Eight thousand dollars.
The figure popped into his head, instantly eclipsing the cold and exhaustion.
This cunning prey that had run him around in circles had actually come knocking at his door?
What did that mean in the Alaskan wilderness?
It was a miracle!
It was also an overly absurd scene.
Or perhaps the gods of Huaxia had taken pity on a Huaxia boy reincarnated in Alaska??
It was so bizarre that Su Wei couldn't find any explanation for it.
But no matter what, eight thousand dollars had come knocking at his door!
Su Wei reached back and grabbed the doorframe, braced his shoulder against the wooden door creaking in the wind, and shoved it shut.
The door slammed, and the latch clicked into place.
The world fell quiet again.
Outside was the blizzard. Inside were the fire and this strange standoff.
Firelight illuminated Su Wei's profile and the little white bundle trembling at his feet.
Su Wei slowly sat back down beside the stove, his legs a little weak.
The white fox hesitated, then released its claws and shuffled over after him.
It curled up on the bare floor at his feet, neither too close to nor too far from the stove.
It was a good spot: it could stay warm and still make a quick getaway.
Of course, it couldn't get away anymore.
The little creature began licking its soaked, matted fur.