Fatal Strike: Paladins Mercenary Road

Chapter 754 Extravagance and Expectations

Razer, a legendary hunter in Alaska and a veteran member of the Arctic Fox, has seen all sorts of things and possesses exceptional abilities...

As he rode his snowmobile in a curve following the mountain eagle, passing through the village of Wynne and finally stopping in a cave in the valley pasture, he realized just how magnificent the mountain eagle truly was…

The valley ranch is managed by the indigenous 'Pegasus', who has been to Texas and, upon his return, is eager to find opportunities to raise cattle and sheep around the tribe.

The valley's unique topography, along with the half-collapsed cave below, gave him an opportunity.

So Mountain Eagle Investment purchased equipment and hay, and Pegasus was put in charge of managing the few hundred cattle and sheep that formerly belonged to Dimension Card Company.

In Razer's view, both livestock farming and agriculture in Alaska are incredibly ambitious feats, and the Mountain Eagle has actually accomplished both.

If animal husbandry and agriculture represent the "extravagance" in the minds of Razer's native inhabitants, then the high-quality amethysts piled up in the sheltered cave, along with a considerable amount of gold dust, represent "extravagance" in the secular sense...

They've got such a prime location, and they're using it to graze cattle and sheep...

In particular, when Razer learned that the Mountain Eagles were willing to open up the surrounding land so that the indigenous people could enter the area in an orderly manner to collect gold dust and amethyst to supplement their income during difficult times, it was a great relief.

Furthermore, he would also buy the collected gold sand and amethyst at market price himself, saving the indigenous people the trouble of selling them. Razer finally had a complete impression of this young man, Mountain Eagle.

Razer may not understand business, but it understands human nature...

If in the past, Mountain Eagle was still seen as a promising young man who could continue the glory of Arctic Fox, then now Mountain Eagle's image is undoubtedly much more impressive.

While the mountain eagle was taking Chakdi and the sled up the mountain to install the radar and weapon launchers, Razer circled the valley and discovered that the vast valley not only contained cattle and sheep left behind by the Dimension Card Company, but also a large number of wild animals...

Moose, reindeer, mountain goats, musk oxen, gray wolves, jackals, and many other small animals roam the mountains on both sides...

The indigenous cowboy "Pegasus" and his crew are thriving here...

The cattle and sheep would go out for a stroll every day on their own, and then, without the cowboys having to drive them, they would return to their caves to avoid the cold.

The cowboys' only task was to drive away the wild animals that wanted to take over their nests. The rest of the time, they would enjoy good food and drink while patrolling the valley, recording the number and changes of wild animals in the valley. Occasionally, they would need to hunt down some overly greedy gray wolves to prevent them from indiscriminately killing animals and causing a riot among the wild animals in the valley.

This situation was unprecedented in Alaska, and Razer, as an old Inuit, was extremely envious of the fact that they could eat fresh food without hunting in the winter.

All of these things that Razer envied happened after the Mountain Eagle arrived, which made Razer wonder if bringing the Mountain Eagle to its home location for a period of time would bring about similar changes.

Leaving aside the exorbitant costs of greenhouses, there are similar valleys in Razer's home region...

In recent years, with climate change, population loss, and the increasing difficulty of hunting and fishing, life has become more challenging for the Inuit people.

It's not that they lack money, but rather that either they have the money but can't buy the right things, or the things are too expensive due to transportation issues.

The brown bear camp's influence has a limited reach and cannot help the indigenous people further north, especially during the winter.

Razer, seated on the sled, reached out and accepted the large platter of high-calorie food that Pegasus had so eagerly offered him. He sniffed the meat on the plate, picked up a glistening piece with his fork, and popped it into his mouth. As he chewed, he nodded in satisfaction and said, "This is seal meat. Where did you get it from...?"

In Alaska, only Inuit people are entitled to hunt seals; you Native Americans aren't!

No man in Alaska doesn't idolize a legendary hunter. 'Pegasus' sat down next to Razer with a plate in his hand, glanced at Razer's shotgun, and then said with a smile, "Last month, a group of Inuit flew from Koyuk to the Brown Bear Camp. They brought several seals as trade goods and also bought a lot of supplies."

It is said that the harvest in Inuit villages near the Arctic Circle was not particularly good this year, and many families did not have enough meat stored up to last through the winter. As a result, many people had to move to towns to live temporarily when winter came.

Some people no longer needed seal blubber to survive the winter, so after hunting seals, they gave them to their kin who were planning to stay behind. Those kin then took the surplus seals to the brown bear camp for trade.

Razer sighed after hearing this, nodded slightly, and said, "Life isn't easy anywhere these days..."

You're lucky to have encountered a mountain eagle. Even if you don't hunt enough prey, these cattle and sheep should be enough for you to get through the winter.

Pegasus grinned and nodded, saying, "Actually, we can do even better..."

The temperature in the valley was a bit higher than I expected. In fact, if we had stored enough fodder, we could have raised North American bison. Those big guys can withstand the low temperatures, unlike these cattle and sheep, which have to go into caves to avoid the cold at night.

The cave can only hold about two hundred cattle and a little over one hundred sheep. In the summer, most of the surrounding valley pastures are wasted.

Razer glanced at the 'Pegasus' who was acting innocent despite getting a good deal, and said irritably, "Do you really expect to make a fortune herding cattle in Alaska?"
If you raise too many, who will you sell them to?
"People are having a hard time because of the weather and transportation. If you raise a few hundred more cows, will that problem disappear?"

Pegasus wasn't upset by the criticism. He chuckled and said, "That's what the boss said too, but I still think it's always good to raise more cattle."

There are about a dozen North American bison outside, I don't know where they came from, and a herd of musk oxen. I'll try to capture a group of them in the summer and then try to breed them myself...

Anyway, it doesn't cost the boss much money, so it's always good to try something new! Looking at the powerful initiative born of hope in 'Pegasus,' Razer thought of his lifeless village back home and sighed deeply…

Just then, a noise came from the entrance of the cave...

Mountain Eagle, Sled, and Chakdi, their heads covered in snow, entered the cave...

As the mountain eagle passed by, Razer deliberately let out a heavy sigh...

The mountain eagle paused for a moment, then walked to the campfire and sat down. Brushing the snow off his body, he smiled and said in Mandarin, "Why do you sigh, sir?"

As he spoke, Mountain Eagle turned to look at the bewildered Thunder Serpent and said with a smile, "When men sigh deeply in front of other men, it's usually because someone is waiting for them to ask 'why'?"
Dude, you're a legend in Alaska, and a senior figure among Arctic foxes. Just say what you need…

Razer glanced at the clearly clueless Pegasus, then thought of his own tribe members who were probably even less capable than Pegasus, and said with a touch of helplessness, "I envy the situation here..."

The mountain eagle paused for a moment, then understood, and said with a smile, "What's there to envy?"

As he spoke, Mountain Eagle looked at the several curious half-grown calves that had gathered around, as well as the herd of cattle huddled deep inside the cave, and said with a smile, "Don't be fooled by the fact that there are cattle and sheep here. In terms of output ratio, this is actually a losing business."

Razer shook his head and said, "Survival isn't a business. In Alaska, any effort that improves the quality of life is valuable."

The mountain eagle took a bite of the food offered by an indigenous person, then shook its head somewhat uncomfortably...

Seal meat, considered a high-quality food by the indigenous people, has an indescribable greasiness and fishy smell. Mountain Eagle couldn't get used to it, so he asked Chakdi to boil a pot of water and prepare some noodles and side dishes to eat.

Faced with Razer's expectant gaze, Mountain Eagle thought for a while and then shook his head, saying, "If we follow my opinion, under the current circumstances, it is not economical for the Inuit people in the Arctic Circle to stick to their land and live their lives."

Of course, I have no right to criticize anyone's lifestyle; I simply feel that the living environment and cost of living near the Arctic Circle are just too high.

Razer shook his head and said, "But once we give up our land and move to an unfamiliar place, we will face more challenges."

Not everyone can get used to it; once those energy companies take our land, we'll lose our leverage...

Nobody knows whether the Alaskan government subsidies can be sustained in the long term…

Mountain Eagle understands this concern and the game it involves...

When land is in the hands of Indigenous people, state governments and energy companies need their consent to do anything, which has led to the creation of seemingly lucrative subsidy programs.

However, once the indigenous people lose control of the land, no one can guarantee what the future holds. The history of the founding of the United States is a history of suffering for the indigenous people. The massacres during the westward expansion were less than a century ago, so it is normal for Native Americans and Inuit people to be wary.

Mountain Eagle could roughly guess the reason for Razer's sudden sigh, and he knew what he wanted. He thought for a long time, and finally shook his head and said, "Now is not the time to discuss this issue..."

We've discussed this before; if you're willing, you could certainly mobilize the local indigenous people to build a relatively high-quality running track...

I have a C-27A transport plane, whose cargo capacity is sufficient to meet your needs for supplies.

Actually, as long as you establish healthy channels for transactions and communication, improving your lives is not difficult at all for you!

Razer nodded and said, "I've already spoken to my son about the runway. We'll start construction as soon as summer arrives this year."

Razer said with a somewhat conflicted expression, "Mountain Eagle, the Brown Bear Camp is very nice, but the real winter in Alaska is further north."

After we've dealt with your enemies, would you be willing to bring your family to visit me?
"We have great lakes, valleys, tundra, and even more extreme climates and landscapes..."

Mountain Eagle nodded indifferently. He observed the enemy's position through his tactical goggles, then turned his attention to the boiling iron pot in Chakdi's pot...

"The enemy is about 30 kilometers away from here. We only have 4 hours to rest. We'll set off at dawn tomorrow..."

If all goes well, we can make it back for a hot meal!

As he spoke, Mountain Eagle looked at Thunder Serpent, whose face was full of expectation, and said with a smile, "If I'm a guest, I have to listen to my wife's opinion."

To be honest, it takes some courage to take your wife and kids to a place where the temperature is minus forty or fifty degrees Celsius in the dead of winter.

Upon hearing this, Razer immediately said, "So, if I can convince Mrs. Lee, you're willing to go and take a look, right?"

Mountain Eagle nodded and smiled, saying, "Of course, being stuck in one place all winter is indeed exhausting..."

(End of this chapter)