Chapter Summaries

Su Wei and Aruk fought to bring two enormous halibut up from the seabed, and Su Wei’s fish finally surfaced beside the boat. Aruk gaffed it through the gill cover, securing their first catch as the struggle continued.

• Su Wei recognized the fish as halibut and taught Aruk to pump their rods to haul them up.
• Su Wei and Aruk endured the exhausting fight as the two fish made a final powerful run.
• Su Wei judged that his halibut was tiring and ordered Aruk to prepare the gaff.
• Su Wei pulled a massive Pacific halibut alongside the boat and told Aruk to hook its gill cover.
• Aruk drove the gaff into the halibut’s gill-cover bone and began lifting it aboard.

Su Wei and Aruk hauled two giant Pacific halibut aboard, earning a Fishing Module upgrade and discovering a research tag on one fish. Su Wei then spotted a dense school of valuable black cod and sent down a baited rig to catch them.

• Su Wei and Aruk teamed up to land a halibut weighing at least 250 pounds, and Su Wei killed it with his Ka-Bar knife.
• Aruk rushed to his rod, and the two men hauled a second halibut weighing close to 200 pounds onto the deck.
• Su Wei’s Fishing Module leveled up to LV2 and upgraded Water Condition Perception to detect fish within fifty meters.
• Aruk found a 2009 Fish and Game Department research tag on the first halibut and said the two fish could be worth more than three thousand dollars.
• Su Wei detected a dense school of black cod and told Aruk to switch to fine hooks and squid bait.
• Su Wei lowered a five-hook rig toward the school, and the line counter reached the 300-meter seabed.

Su Wei and Aruk turned back with the Wavebreaker dangerously overloaded with fish and began retrieving their crab pots. They hauled the first pot from the hundred-meter-deep water, leaving its catch unrevealed.

• Su Wei stopped fishing for black cod when the crowded deck and low gunwales made it unsafe to keep loading the boat.
• Aruk turned the Wavebreaker toward the crab pots while Su Wei stacked the black cod on the halibut to clear a little deck space.
• Su Wei spotted an orange buoy and guided Aruk into position as the boat rocked in the swells.
• Su Wei hooked the buoy’s rope and fitted it into the hydraulic hauler.
• Aruk operated the hauler, and the first crab pot rose from the water and struck the gunwale guard.

Su Wei and Aruk hauled crab pots in Alaska, sorting and keeping legal male snow crabs while returning females, soft-shell crabs, and undersized ones. They finished with a full load of snow crabs, halibut, and black cod.

• Su Wei and Aruk found the first crab pot nearly empty and returned its starfish and undersized crabs to the sea.
• They hauled up a second pot packed with large Alaska snow crabs and kept only the legal male crabs.
• Su Wei and Aruk worked through the remaining pots, storing their live crabs in circulating seawater.
• After hauling the thirtieth buoy, Su Wei counted forty-two legal snow crabs, two large halibut, and nearly three hundred pounds of black cod.

Su Wei and Aruk hauled in a valuable catch, then carefully brought the dangerously overloaded Wavebreaker back to St. Paul Harbor. Old Kash and the fishermen saw the enormous haul as Su Wei secured the boat.

• Su Wei’s fishing system reported 42 Alaska snow crabs and increased his Fishing Module to LV2.
• Su Wei warned Aruk that the Wavebreaker was dangerously overloaded and ordered him to return at ten knots while steering into the waves.
• Aruk piloted the Wavebreaker through rough seas as Su Wei watched the cargo, and they reached the shelter of St. Paul Harbor.
• Su Wei tied the Wavebreaker at the dock, where fishermen noticed it riding low in the water.
• Old Kash inspected the catch of enormous flatfish, black cod, and snow crabs before Su Wei greeted him.

Su Wei protected a tagged Pacific halibut from George the Vampire’s attempt to buy it illegally, and Laurent Laroche offered better prices for the rest of the catch. The fish still had to be inspected by the Fish and Game Department before Laurent could buy it.

• Old Kash offered Su Wei a cigarette and praised the crew for bringing in a strong catch despite the weather.
• George offered low prices for the catch and tried to persuade Su Wei to remove the tag from the 250-pound halibut for an extra five hundred dollars.
• Su Wei refused, cleaned the research tag, photographed it, and said the fish had to go to the Alaska Fish and Game Department for data collection.
• Laurent Laroche praised Su Wei’s principles and offered to buy the tagged halibut if officials released it, while bidding higher prices for the other fish and crab.
• Su Wei calculated Laurent’s offer as George protested that he had arrived first.

After selling most of their catch to Laurent, Su Wei and Aruk celebrated a profitable trip. Laurent then offered Su Wei $100,000 to hunt a large adult brown bear within two weeks, and Su Wei left the dangerous commission undecided.

• Su Wei sold the black cod, snow crabs, and halibut to Laurent’s restaurant, splitting $4,240 with Aruk.
• Laurent gave Su Wei his business card and asked how good a shot he was, explaining that he wanted fresh game for wealthy guests.
• Laurent offered Su Wei $100,000 to bring down a well-fed adult brown bear weighing over 400 kilograms within two weeks.
• Su Wei weighed the dangers of hunting bears in worsening mountain weather and said he would answer Laurent by six the next day.
• Old Kash warned Su Wei that bears were especially dangerous as they guarded their last food before hibernation, and Su Wei agreed that the money would not be easy to earn.

Su Wei brought a huge halibut to the Fish and Game Department and gave Sarah detailed information about its capture. Sarah identified it as a tagged research fish and awarded Su Wei five hundred dollars, with an official letter of thanks to follow.

• Aruk offered to join Su Wei's bear hunt, but Old Kash scolded him and Su Wei put him to work loading the fish.
• As they drove through Kodiak Town, Su Wei considered the costs and risks of hunting a large brown bear near Pillar Mountain or farther into the wilderness.
• Su Wei, Old Kash, and Aruk wheeled the halibut into the Fish and Game Department, where Sarah examined its research tag.
• Su Wei provided Sarah with precise capture details, including the location, depth, equipment, and fight duration.
• Sarah found that the halibut had been tagged near Unimak Island in 2011 and awarded Su Wei five hundred dollars, promising an official letter of thanks.

Su Wei sold his giant Pacific halibut to Daniel’s research institute and received a research reward, then Sarah registered his unrecorded hunting points. The guild raised Su Wei to professional hunter LV2 and unlocked new job and cross-region hunting permissions.

• Su Wei agreed to sell the halibut’s complete skeleton and otoliths to Daniel’s institute for a premium, receiving a total of $4,100 including the research reward.
• Aruk refused to split the institute payment, saying Su Wei had earned it, and Old Kash agreed.
• Su Wei considered Laurent’s $100,000 brown bear commission and his plans to hunt independently and become a guide.
• Sarah told Su Wei that his points for hunting a brown bear, assisting with a moose, and attacking the King of the Island had not been registered.
• Sarah registered 24 points, raising Su Wei from LV1 to LV2 and unlocking medium-sized commercial commissions and eligibility to apply for cross-region hunting.

After earning enough points to become a level-two professional hunter, Su Wei accepted Old Kash’s invitation to dinner, hoping to learn more about Laurent’s lucrative bear-hunting order. Martha welcomed him warmly at the family home, where Aruk joked that Su Wei was treated like the real son.

• Sarah told Su Wei that he had earned twenty-four points and advanced to level two, while Aruk received twelve.
• Su Wei declined Aruk’s dinner invitation at first, but Old Kash persuaded him to come and discuss Laurent’s order over dinner.
• Su Wei followed Old Kash and Aruk through Kodiak Town to their home in the Alutiiq community.
• Martha welcomed Su Wei warmly and brought him inside, while Aruk’s younger siblings admired his hunting gear.
• Su Wei gave Aruk’s younger brother a piece of chocolate, and Aruk joked that his family treated Su Wei like their real son.

Su Wei joined Aruk’s family for a warm dinner after returning from the cold, and he used his cooking knowledge to help prepare their catch. The family gathered around the table and began eating, while Su Wei settled into the comfort of their home.

• Martha welcomed Su Wei into the house and sent Aruk to help him warm up by the fireplace.
• Isaac asked Su Wei about the bear king, and Su Wei described how enormous it had been.
• Su Wei advised Martha to bake the snow crabs for twelve minutes so they would stay tender, then helped prepare the side dishes.
• Old Kash, Aruk, Martha, Su Wei, and the children gathered around a feast of venison stew, snow crab, and black cod.
• Aruk blushed when everyone noticed him eyeing the food, and Old Kash announced that they could eat.

Su Wei discussed Laurent’s dangerous brown bear hunt with Old Kash and insisted on facing it alone to build his reputation as a hunting guide. After dinner, he asked Old Kash for help finding workers to collect birch sap in spring, but Old Kash warned him not to go to the labor market east of town.

• Su Wei told Old Kash he planned to hunt Laurent’s bear alone, despite Aruk and Martha’s concern.
• Old Kash warned Su Wei about a huge, dangerous bear with part of its right ear missing on the area’s northern slope.
• Old Kash praised Su Wei’s clear plans and urged him to look after Aruk, and Su Wei called him Uncle Kash for the first time.
• Su Wei asked Old Kash for extra hands to collect birch sap in spring and said he planned to check the labor market east of town.
• Old Kash told Su Wei not to go to the labor market.

Su Wei learned from Old Kash that he could hire reliable Alutiiq workers through Aruk, then discovered that Black had won a season of Alone. Inspired by the show’s popularity, Su Wei decided to use Aruk’s GoPro to begin filming his own hunting and wilderness videos.

• Old Kash warned Su Wei about theft by transient workers and offered to have Aruk find local Alutiiq men for the job.
• Su Wei agreed to pay the workers ten percent above the market rate, with daily payment.
• Su Wei recognized Black on an episode of Alone and learned that Black had hunted a musk ox during the hundred-day challenge.
• Su Wei decided to start his own channel with hunting and food videos rather than compete on Alone.
• Su Wei asked Aruk for his old GoPro and left with food Martha had packed for him.

Su Wei returned to his cabin after leaving Aruk and began considering filming Laurent’s commissioned brown bear hunt. The next morning, he researched commercial birch syrup production and started planning how to use the birch grove on his property.

• Su Wei declined Aruk’s offer of a ride, collected his fishing tackle, and said he might record the hunt for Laurent as a calling card.
• Su Wei drove through the snow to his cabin, where Cotton Candy waited at the door.
• After sleeping in, Su Wei made breakfast and shared a piece of bacon with Cotton Candy.
• Su Wei researched commercial birch syrup production and noted that roughly 110 gallons of sap yielded one gallon of syrup.
• Su Wei considered the forty-acre white birch grove on the eastern side of his property.

Su Wei calculated the equipment and labor costs for producing birch syrup on his estate, then went to Kodiak Town to find workers. After rejecting the labor market’s unreliable applicants, he drove to the Kodiak Industrial Rental Center to look for equipment.

• Su Wei estimated that forty acres of birch trees could yield enough sap for nearly 700 gallons of syrup, but industrial equipment would cost about $35,000 and require skilled workers.
• He decided to explore renting or buying secondhand equipment rather than purchasing new machines for a three-week season.
• Su Wei told Cotton Candy to stay home and drove to Kodiak Town’s northern labor market.
• He rejected a group of applicants whose skills and behavior seemed unsuitable, despite their offers to work for lower wages.
• Su Wei left the labor market and drove to the Kodiak Industrial Rental Center.

Su Wei rented birch-syrup equipment and planned to recruit reliable workers through Aruk’s community. Matt then arrived with heavy machinery to begin construction on Su Wei’s exhibition hall, and the story left off as he greeted Su Wei at the property.

• Su Wei reserved a used birch-syrup equipment set for $5,500 a month and paid a deposit after inspecting it.
• Su Wei decided to ask Aruk for help finding trustworthy workers from his community.
• Matt told Su Wei that his crew and construction machinery would arrive the next morning to start work before a blizzard.
• Matt’s crew arrived at Pilan Creek Valley at six in the morning, and Matt greeted Su Wei beside the cabin.

Su Wei redirected Matt’s crew to rotate the exhibition hall’s foundation fifteen degrees west so the winter-solstice sunset would illuminate his prized trophy. As excavation began, Su Wei planned to craft the hall’s furnishings himself from materials tied to his hunting and the wilderness.

• Matt arrived with his construction crew and prepared to excavate the exhibition hall’s foundation before worsening weather arrived.
• Su Wei stopped the excavator and showed Matt a sketch calling for the foundation’s central axis to rotate fifteen degrees west.
• Su Wei explained that the change would align the winter-solstice sunset with the living room window and the wall reserved for his top-tier prey.
• Matt accepted Su Wei’s decision, ordered the surveyors to reset the stakes, and started the excavation.
• Su Wei planned to make custom furniture and decorations using his crafting skills and materials from the forest and his hunts.
• Matt’s bulldozer struck a huge granite boulder and pushed it out of the foundation pit.

Su Wei watched the exhibition hall foundation take shape and realized that construction costs required him to find new income. He decided to build an online brand around his Alaska estate, then ordered a durable access road and began sketching the hall’s interior.

• Matt finished excavating the five-hundred-square-meter foundation pit and told Su Wei he could begin laying rebar the next day.
• Su Wei held Cotton Candy and calculated that the exhibition hall would require far more money than he had budgeted.
• Su Wei decided to earn income and attract high-end clients by creating social media content about Alaska, wilderness survival, food, hunting, and Cotton Candy.
• Matt warned Su Wei that heavy trucks had ruined the access road, and Su Wei approved a high-standard rebuild with drainage and crushed stone.
• Su Wei stayed at the construction site and began sketching the exhibition hall’s core interior using knowledge from the Crafting Module.

Su Wei planned a rugged stone fireplace centered on a massive red deer antler and told Matt he would build it himself. After Old Hope called about the bear hide and antlers, Su Wei agreed to come learn taxidermy and began briefing Matt on the construction work he would oversee while Su Wei was away.

• Su Wei designed a fireplace using glacially smoothed stones and a complete red deer antler, then told Matt he would handle the craftsmanship himself.
• Old Hope called Su Wei, complained that he had been away, and warned him to take the taxidermy lessons seriously.
• Su Wei agreed to arrive at Old Hope's workshop at ten the next morning and bring his tools.
• Su Wei told Matt he would be away for two days and unfolded a blueprint to mark the construction stages Matt needed to supervise.

Su Wei gave Matt precise requirements for the house’s fireplace foundation, floor outlet, and flue before leaving the construction site. At Old Hope’s factory, Su Wei finished cleaning the deer skull and antlers, and Old Hope began inspecting the right antler.

• Su Wei ordered Matt to reinforce the fireplace foundation, protect the floor-outlet wiring, and position the flue precisely, warning that Matt would have to pay for any rework.
• Su Wei left Cotton Candy at home and drove to Old Hope’s factory the next morning.
• Old Hope lifted the cleaned deer skull and antlers from the heating vat and told Su Wei to remove the protective wrapping and polish the skull.
• Su Wei used dental grinding tools to clean the antler bases, and Old Hope examined a fork in the right antler with a focused flashlight.