Chapter Summaries

Su Wei decided to buy an additional eighty acres near Pilan Creek, bringing his private land to a hundred acres and moving closer to building his own estate. After returning to his cabin, he warmed up, comforted Cotton Candy, and began cooking venison.

• Su Wei asked Black to arrange a meeting with the seller of the eighty-acre property.
• Su Wei drove back to his cabin, where Cotton Candy kept its distance from the bear covered in oilcloth.
• Su Wei promised to have the bear sent away and restarted the fireplace to warm the house.
• Su Wei selected Black's black-tailed deer backstrap and sliced and seasoned it for dinner.
• Su Wei prepared napa cabbage and soybean sprouts, then heated chili bean paste in a wok.

Su Wei cooked water-boiled venison, shared plain meat with Cotton Candy, and planned to acquire Old Sam’s land to control the valley entrance. The next morning, he woke and found the King of the Island’s hide-and-skull bundle still in the living room.

• Su Wei prepared spicy water-boiled venison and fed Cotton Candy a separate portion of plain venison.
• Su Wei ate the meal with rice and rested with Cotton Candy after clearing the dishes.
• Su Wei marked his cabin and Old Sam’s land on a map, deciding he needed more income to buy the territory and develop it.
• Su Wei carried the sleeping Cotton Candy upstairs and fell asleep as the storm eased outside.
• Su Wei woke at six the next morning and saw the King of the Island’s hide-and-skull bundle in the living room.

Su Wei brought the enormous hide and skull of the King of the Island to Old Hope, Alaska’s renowned taxidermist, who became engrossed in examining the exceptional specimen. After measuring the hide, Old Hope asked Su Wei what pose he wanted for the mount, and Su Wei shook his head.

• Su Wei loaded the enormous bear hide, bear skull, and Roosevelt elk king’s head and antlers into his Raptor and drove to Old Hope’s workshop.
• Old Hope initially doubted Su Wei’s claim, but rushed to inspect the bear hide when he saw its size and condition.
• Old Hope examined the bullet holes and fur, concluding that the hide was almost completely intact and insisting that only he could mount it.
• Su Wei and Old Hope carried the hide into the workshop, where Old Hope measured it and recorded its dimensions for half an hour.
• Old Hope suggested several poses for the mount, and Su Wei shook his head.

Su Wei brought Old Hope a king Roosevelt elk’s antlers, and Old Hope recognized their rare, intact crown and began cleaning and treating the skull. As Su Wei watched his precise work, he considered learning the taxidermist’s techniques.

• Old Hope examined Su Wei’s antlers and discovered a hidden point, confirming that they formed an exceptionally rare, symmetrical crown.
• Old Hope explained the antlers’ age, patina, and value, then carried them into his workshop.
• Old Hope cleaned the skull and learned that Su Wei had done the cutting under Black’s direction.
• Old Hope treated the antler tips while Su Wei closely watched his quick, precise movements.

Su Wei offered to help Old Hope prepare the bear hide and antlers so he could learn taxidermy and save money. Old Hope tested him with a rotten beaver carcass, and Su Wei’s precise work began to impress him.

• Su Wei asked how long Old Hope would need to finish the antlers and bear hide, then offered to help in exchange for staying at the workshop.
• Old Hope warned Su Wei that the work was filthy and dangerous, then agreed to let him stay if he could strip most of a rotten beaver in half an hour without vomiting.
• Su Wei chose a small crescent-edged scalpel and began separating the beaver’s rotten flesh from its bones with careful, clean cuts.
• Old Hope watched Su Wei reach the ribs, then dropped ash from his trembling cigarette as he saw the young man’s skill.

Su Wei scrubbed Old Hope’s corpse-boiling pot despite its foul grime and stench. After Su Wei finished, Old Hope inspected the clean pot, leaving his response unspoken.

• Su Wei poured scalding water into the pot and began scraping its greasy sides with a wire brush.
• Su Wei kept scrubbing steadily despite the overpowering smell while Old Hope listened from his workbench.
• Su Wei rinsed away the grime and told Old Hope he had finished.
• Old Hope examined the pot and wiped a finger across its bottom.

Su Wei learned taxidermy under Old Hope, then absorbed the skills in Hopkins's Anatomy Notes and unlocked the Crafting Module. He began repairing a badly crushed kestrel skull, with Old Hope expecting him to fail.

• Old Hope gave Su Wei damaged birds to clean and taught him to handle their fragile bones.
• Su Wei practiced removing flesh from bones for two hours, improving under Old Hope's precise instructions.
• Su Wei studied Hopkins's Anatomy Notes and unlocked the Crafting Module along with Basic Taxidermy, Bone Cleaning, and Preservation Treatment.
• Su Wei returned to the workbench to attempt repairing a crushed kestrel skull while Old Hope watched skeptically.

Su Wei used his newly activated [Touch of X-Ray Vision] and [Bone Cleaning LV1] to preserve and clean a shattered kestrel skull, astonishing Old Hope with his precision. Old Hope gave him a treasured set of skinning knives and ordered him to return at six the next morning.

• Su Wei saw the kestrel skull’s internal structure in his mind and carefully cut its fragments free without letting them collapse.
• Su Wei cleaned the cranial cavity by touch, removing the tissue without damaging the bone, and presented the intact skull to Old Hope.
• Old Hope examined the skull and realized Su Wei’s work was far beyond a beginner’s ability.
• Old Hope unlocked his cabinet and gave Su Wei his handmade German skinning knives.
• Old Hope ordered Su Wei to return at six the next morning, then told him to leave.

Su Wei paid Old Hope for mounts of the rare brown bear and Roosevelt elk antlers, then considered helping make them to improve his taxidermy and test the Crafting Module’s blessing. Black told him that Old Sam had agreed to negotiate over the land, but could not attend, leaving Su Wei to handle the meeting himself; Su Wei decided he would have to ask Old Hope to postpone his morning lesson.

• Su Wei decided not to risk making the valuable bear and elk specimens himself, paid Old Hope the remaining fees, and realized he could ask to help with the work instead.
• Black told Su Wei that Old Sam had agreed to meet at the Old Captain Seafood Restaurant at one the next afternoon to discuss the land.
• Black warned Su Wei that Old Sam was deeply in debt and desperately needed money for a liver transplant, and said he could not attend because he had to guide assessors into the wilderness.
• Su Wei told Black he would handle the negotiation and explained that he planned to learn taxidermy from Old Hope.
• After realizing the meeting conflicted with his six o’clock lesson, Su Wei called Old Hope to ask for time off.

Su Wei postponed his first taxidermy lesson with Old Hope because he needed to buy land, then returned to his cabin and mapped out a growing list of plans. He left the chapter focused on four priorities: buying land, rebuilding the cabin, training, and learning taxidermy.

• Su Wei told Old Hope he could not attend their lesson in the morning because he had to buy land, and Old Hope agreed to reschedule while working on Su Wei’s bear hide and antlers.
• Su Wei returned to his dark cabin and was greeted by Cotton Candy, whose affection helped him relax after a demanding day at Old Hope’s workshop.
• Su Wei fed Cotton Candy and wrote a list of plans, including buying eighty acres, rebuilding the cabin, starting hunter training when Black returned, and learning taxidermy from Old Hope.
• Su Wei added ideas for a separate taxidermy room, a large workshop, a display hall, road improvements, and possibly a seaplane, then decided to prioritize his four main projects.

Su Wei met Old Sam to negotiate for his eighty acres, including the timber and water rights, while Old Sam pleaded that he needed money for a liver transplant. The chapter ended with Old Sam demanding six hundred thousand dollars, and Su Wei had not yet responded.

• Su Wei reviewed his finances and prepared for the negotiation with Old Sam.
• Su Wei met Old Sam at the Old Captain Seafood Restaurant and listened as he recalled their families' past connection.
• Old Sam revealed his failing liver, his debts, and his need to sell the land to pay for surgery in Seattle.
• Su Wei asked Old Sam to state his price, and Old Sam demanded six hundred thousand dollars for the eighty acres, timber, and water rights.
• Su Wei remained motionless as Old Sam waited for his answer.

Su Wei negotiated Old Sam down to $400,000 for his Pilan Creek land and brought him to a law firm to transfer the property. The lawyer found $2,400 in overdue property taxes, and Old Sam tried to make Su Wei pay them.

• Su Wei rejected Old Sam’s $480,000 asking price and offered $400,000, citing the land’s poor condition and flood risk.
• Old Sam accepted Su Wei’s offer, and Su Wei paid for a meal and king crab legs before they left.
• Su Wei brought Old Sam to Kodiak United Law Firm, where William reviewed the sale documents.
• William found two years of unpaid property taxes totaling $2,400 that had to be paid before the transfer.
• Old Sam claimed he had no money and insisted that Su Wei should cover the overdue taxes.

Su Wei bought Old Sam’s eighty acres, expanding his property to a hundred acres and gaining ownership of the birch forest and a stretch of Pilan Creek. He rode into the forest to survey the new land, where the Gathering Module identified a mature Alaska paper birch.

• Su Wei insisted that Old Sam’s $2,400 in unpaid taxes be deducted from the $400,000 purchase price before signing the land contract.
• Attorney William finalized the sale, and Su Wei secured the ownership documents for Old Sam’s eighty acres.
• Su Wei reflected that the purchase expanded his property to one hundred acres, including the birch forest and a stretch of Pilan Creek.
• Su Wei returned to his cabin and rode his snowmobile across the former boundary into the newly acquired birch forest.
• The Gathering Module triggered and identified a mature Alaska paper birch.

Su Wei explored his newly acquired land, imagining future facilities and hunting tourism, then returned to the cabin and celebrated with a tomahawk steak. He fed Cotton Candy separately and settled in for a meal at home.

• Su Wei inspected the birch forest and Pilan Creek, considering their value and the possibilities for bridges, cabins, a shooting range, and an airstrip.
• Su Wei returned to the cabin and comforted Cotton Candy, who had been left alone and was hungry.
• Su Wei lit a fire and chose a M5 Angus tomahawk steak to celebrate acquiring a hundred acres from Old Sam.
• Su Wei cooked the steak and prepared chicken and egg yolk for Cotton Candy, who ate its meal beside him.

Su Wei settled into his newly acquired land and planned its development before waking early to begin apprenticing with Old Hope. He arrived at the workshop and found Old Hope already scraping a hide at the worktable.

• Su Wei ate dinner, stored the deed for his twenty acres in the safe, and planned roads, a smokehouse, a shooting range, and a helipad.
• Su Wei set his alarm for five and resolved to learn taxidermy from Hope so he could make a living and defend his land.
• Su Wei woke at five, fed Cotton Candy, and drove through the snow to Hope's workshop with his custom dissection tools.
• Su Wei entered the foul-smelling workshop shortly before six and saw Old Hope scraping fat from a hide.

Su Wei asked Old Hope to let him help process his brown bear hide and elk antlers, despite being a taxidermy beginner. He explained the trophies’ personal importance and his wish to leave his mark on them, and Old Hope began to reconsider his request.

• Su Wei arrived on time at Old Hope’s workshop and was assigned several small animal carcasses to skin for practice.
• Su Wei asked to help process the brown bear hide and elk antlers he had brought, including their skinning, fleshing, tanning, and shaping.
• Old Hope angrily refused, warning that Su Wei could ruin the valuable trophies and ordering him to work on the small carcasses instead.
• Su Wei recalled that making the specimens himself might trigger a special Blessing through his system’s Crafting Module.
• Su Wei explained that the bear hide and antlers commemorated important hunts and said he wanted to help preserve them rather than leave the work entirely to Old Hope.
• Old Hope continued to breathe heavily, but his contempt softened as he appraised Su Wei.

Su Wei passed Old Hope’s test of taxidermy knowledge and was challenged to prepare three hides by noon. As Su Wei began skinning a hare, the Crafting Module’s Touch of X-Ray Vision activated, revealing the carcass’s internal structure.

• Su Wei explained the steps for making a shoulder mount, impressing Old Hope with his technical knowledge.
• Old Hope gave Su Wei until noon to produce hides from three animals at least ninety-five percent intact, warning him not to touch the bear hide unless he succeeded.
• Su Wei accepted the test because he needed to work on the bear mount himself to trigger its special attributes.
• Su Wei picked up a scalpel and touched the hare, triggering Touch of X-Ray Vision, then began making the first incision with a steady hand.

Su Wei demonstrated exceptional taxidermy skills by preparing three difficult hides, impressing Old Hope enough to pass his test. After Old Hope criticized minor flaws, Su Wei offered to cook lunch in the workshop kitchen.

• Su Wei carefully removed the snow hare's hide with its delicate features intact, then skinned the thickly furred otter without damaging its hide.
• Su Wei painstakingly cleaned and repaired the damaged red fox hide, finishing all three animals as the clock struck twelve.
• Old Hope examined the hides, criticized a few small flaws, and told Su Wei he had passed while claiming he was still far from being allowed to work on the bear hide.
• Su Wei received Crafting Module and Basic Taxidermy experience for completing the work.
• When Old Hope's stomach growled, Su Wei offered to cook, and Old Hope let him use the kitchen in the back.

Su Wei impressed Old Hope with his beef-and-egg fried rice and earned responsibility for making lunch, but their brief moment of warmth ended when Old Hope put him to work fleshing an otter pelt on a dangerous machine. The chapter left Su Wei facing the spinning blade after pressing the pedal.

• Su Wei used his Cooking skill to make beef-and-egg fried rice from the ingredients he found in the kitchen.
• Old Hope devoured his serving, criticized the food to hide his enthusiasm, and assigned Su Wei responsibility for lunch.
• Old Hope demonstrated how to remove fat and connective tissue from an otter pelt with the fleshing machine and warned Su Wei about its danger.
• Su Wei stood before the spinning blade, took a deep breath, and pressed the pedal.

Su Wei gained Old Hope’s approval after mastering hide fleshing, and Old Hope agreed to teach him skeletal assembly the next day. Back home, Su Wei received a call from Matt about surveying his land for reconstruction, but the proposed appointment conflicted with his work at Old Hope’s factory.

• Su Wei processed three hides under Old Hope’s supervision and increased his taxidermy proficiency.
• Old Hope told Su Wei to return the next day to learn skeletal assembly and asked him to bring beef for lunch.
• Su Wei returned to his cabin, where Cotton Candy greeted him, and he reflected on earning the chance to work on the brown bear king’s hide and crown deer antlers.
• Matt from Polar Strong Shield called to arrange a preliminary survey for Su Wei’s house reconstruction project.
• Su Wei said he would be away the next morning, and Matt warned that the next available appointment might not be until next Wednesday.