American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 110 Officer Cage's Visit
That night, instead of returning to their rented cabin, they chose to stay in the warm tent.

Lin Yu-an needed to adapt to the day-night rhythm of this land as soon as possible, while David and Mike were driven by a strong creative impulse; they wanted to record every moment here.

With the soft crackling of the fire and the howling wind outside the tent, the three of them crawled into their warm sleeping bags and lay down on their cots.

Before falling asleep, David kept replaying the scenes he had witnessed during the day in his mind.

He had a feeling that this Alaskan trip would be more exciting than any reality show he had ever directed!

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Lin Yu'an was the first to wake up.

They checked the nearly extinguished fire and added more firewood, bringing warmth back into the tent.

Then I tiptoed out of the tent; the air outside was still a bit chilly in the early morning.

When David and Mike were awakened by the aroma of coffee brewing in the pot, Lin Yu-an had already surveyed the campsite.

"Good morning."

Lin Yu'an handed each of them a steaming cup of instant coffee.

After having a simple breakfast of bread, the three of them arrived at the construction site of the wooden house chosen by Lin Yu'an.

This is a relatively flat area with the highest elevation.

Lin Yu'an did not rush to start any machinery. He found a long tape measure and a spool of thread in the pile of supplies.

Seeing these things, David asked curiously, "Lin, what are you going to do with this?"

"Today, our first task is to determine the foundation."

"Before using any heavy equipment, I must know where I want to build the house, how big it is, and which direction it faces."

"Precise marking can avoid all unnecessary trouble later on."

Lin Yu'an forcefully hammered a wooden stake into the frozen soil as the first reference point.

He asked David to help hold one end of the measuring tape and began measuring the length and width of the cabin, following the dimensions he had drawn in his notebook the day before.

"Let's mark the outline of the main house first."

"Front width: 12 meters; side depth: 8 meters."

"It's a relatively compact but very practical size, big enough to accommodate all the core functional areas."

As he spoke, he used a wooden stake and a rope to quickly draw out a clear rectangle.

"Now we need to determine the house's orientation and right angles."

"The main entrance should face south to maximize the use of precious winter sunlight. The main entrance should be located away from the north-facing winds to reduce heat loss."

David looked at the rectangle, compared it to the design in his mind, and asked, "Lin, this rectangle looks simpler than your drawing. What about the location of the small room on the side and the fireplace you designed?"

"This is the next step. I must first define the main structure, and then plan to add auxiliary parts based on that."

As he spoke, he walked to one side of the rectangular outline of the main house and picked up the measuring tape and wooden stake again.

"Now, it's the side wing, which extends four meters from the main wall and is five meters wide."

Using the same rigorous method, he quickly marked a smaller rectangle next to the main house, and the two combined to form a clear "L"-shaped foundation outline.

Lin Yu'an then walked to the other side of the L-shaped outline and took measurements again.

At the designated location on the wall, a separate area protruding outwards, measuring three meters square, was marked.

"This is the base for the fireplace and chimney."

He pointed to the center of the area with his foot: "I want to build a huge stone fireplace, and its foundation and chimney must be as solid as the foundation of the main house."

“It needs to be planned separately from the beginning to ensure that it can bear the weight independently without affecting the structure of the main house.”

Ultimately, a complex shape consisting of a main house, side wings, and a chimney base, with its undulating contours, was clearly outlined by the rope lines.

Lin Yu'an then marked the locations of the main supporting pillars of the porch on the front of the house with wooden stakes.

For the first time, the complete outline of this home's location was truly imprinted on this land.

David exclaimed sincerely, "So professional, Lin! No wonder you have a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree, you've considered every step very thoroughly."

He had Mike meticulously record this complex outline, which contained every detail, because he knew that these hardcore facts were exactly what the audience wanted to see.

After the surveying work was completed, the work of clearing the foundation was officially put on the agenda.

David looked at the area, covered in snow and bushes, and asked, "Alright, Lin, now we need to face reality."

"This area is so large, it's impossible to clear it by manpower alone. Do you have any good plans?"

A smile appeared on Lin Yu'an's face as he walked towards the "mountain of supplies".

"This is my plan."

Amidst their puzzled gazes, he ripped off another, larger waterproof plastic sheet covering the core area of ​​the supplies pile.

Beneath the tarpaulin, a yellow "little behemoth" exuding a sense of steely power was clearly revealed!
It was that XCMG XC760K skid steer loader!
"WTF, my God! You even got a mini excavator!"

David's gasp almost pierced the sky as he rushed over, gazing at the brand-new machine as if it were a work of art.

"I thought that three-wheeled motorcycle was crazy enough, but you also hid an excavator! Lin! How did you do that?"

A tricycle might be understandable, but the appearance of a genuine heavy construction machine in this isolated place completely overturned his understanding.

Lin Yu'an jumped into the driver's seat. Living up to his title as a mechanical engineering graduate, he skillfully performed the pre-start checks and then turned the key to start the engine.

"Boom—buzzing—"

With a deep and powerful engine roar, this domestically produced behemoth awoke for the first time in a foreign land!
“In Alaska, time is the most precious resource, and I have no intention of cleaning it by hand,” Lin Yu’an’s voice came from the driver’s seat.

He drove the loader and began the formal clearing operation.

The compact machine moved nimbly through the forest, each bucket lift and drop precise and efficient.

It cleared away the thick snow, low shrubs, and scattered stones one by one.

David and Mike diligently carried their equipment, capturing the powerful and industrially beautiful scenes from different angles.

Sunlight filters through the sparse woods, illuminating the yellow machines and the swirling snowflakes, creating a scene of man and machine conquering nature.

The roar of machinery carried far through the quiet valley, inevitably attracting the attention of the local residents.

Around noon, just as Lin Yu'an was working hard, the sound of a snowmobile engine came from afar.

Lin Yu'an immediately stopped the loader and looked warily in the direction from which the sound came.

Soon, a snowmobile with police markings came into view.

The driver was wearing a police uniform and a helmet, but judging from his tall and burly figure, Lin Yu'an immediately thought of the name Stan had mentioned.

The snowmobile stopped a dozen meters away from them. The driver took off his helmet, revealing a sharply defined, unsmiling face. His sharp eyes sized up Lin Yu'an.

My gaze finally settled on the yellow XCMG loader.

“My name is Cage, and I’m a police officer in the town of Wiesman. I heard the noise and came to check it out.” His voice was deep and authoritative.

This opening statement is direct and pragmatic, full of the style of frontier law enforcement, without any formalities, only confirmation of the event.

"Hello, Officer Cage."

Lin Yu'an jumped off the loader and stepped forward, showing no sign of nervousness.

“My name is Lin Yu’an, you can also call me Herman, and I am the new owner of this land.”

Lin Yu'an took off his gloves and extended his right hand.

Cage scrutinized him for a moment, then took off his gloves and shook his hand firmly: "I've heard Stan mention you before. You're the Chinese guy?"

"Yes."

“Is this your land?” Cage asked, pointing to the wooden stakes marking the foundation.

“That’s right, it’s our family’s land. The procedures have been completed. This is the preliminary agreement for the land title.”

Lin Yu'an took out a folded copy of the document from his backpack and handed it over.

Cage took the document, quickly glanced through it, and after confirming the plot number and Arya's name, nodded and returned the document to him.

His expression softened somewhat, but remained serious.

"Looks like you're ready to make a big splash."

Cage glanced at the loader: "Nice machine, rented from Fairbanks?"

“No, this is my own equipment,” Lin Yu’an replied.

Cage raised an eyebrow, clearly somewhat surprised.

He took another look at the unfamiliar machine and the pile of supplies from China next to it, and made a new assessment of Lin Yu'an's capabilities.

Lin Yu'an didn't offer any further explanation, but instead extended an invitation: "It's very cold, Officer Cage. Would you like to come to my camp for a hot coffee? It's over there."

Cage hesitated for a moment, but was filled with curiosity about this young man whom Stan had treated with special regard.

"Okay." He nodded.

Inside the warm tent, a hint of surprise flashed in Cage's eyes when he saw the huge cast-iron furnace burning.

He took the hot coffee Lin Yu'an handed him and warmed his hands.

“I heard from Stan that you plan to stay here for a long time?” Cage asked bluntly.

"Yes, with my wife and two newborn children," Lin Yu'an answered just as directly.

He handed the architectural design drawings to Cage.

Cage stared at the renderings on the blueprints, along with the clear layout and plan, and remained silent for a long time.

He could tell that this was not a spur-of-the-moment pastime, but a well-thought-out, long-term plan to settle down.

"Good plan."

Cage put down his laptop and took a sip of coffee.

"But this land won't be kind to you just because your plans are thorough. If you're going to build such a big stone chimney, you need to be careful when you're looking for stones, because some sections of the river are protected areas."

"Thank you for reminding me, Officer Cage."

Lin Yu-an answered seriously, "I have studied the local regulations, and I plan to mine from the foot of the mountain on the east side of my land."

"The rocks there are gneiss, which is hard and very suitable for building materials. This is within the scope of my land ownership and is legal."

Cage was satisfied with Lin Yu'an's answer. This young man was not only capable, but also had a strong sense of rules and law, which was especially valuable in the border region.

He asked a few more questions about waste disposal and hunting licenses, and only after receiving satisfactory answers did he get up to leave.

“Welcome to Weissman.” Cage extended his hand and shook hands with Lin Yu’an again.

"If you need any help, you can come to town to find me. Don't be shy, here, neighbors are meant to help each other."

After Cage left, the setting sun bathed the snow in a golden glow.

After a full day of hard work, a huge, flat area has been clearly visible on the land that was originally covered by ice and snow.

David stepped forward, deeply moved by his experience today: "Lin, I feel that the way people communicate in Weisman is very special, direct, yet full of meaning."

"Yes." Lin Yu'an nodded.

"Everyone here has to rely on themselves to survive, so what people respect is strength and action, not empty words."

"But at the same time, we need to rely on each other to live better, so rules and community identity are more important than anywhere else."

Looking at the scene before him, David timely posed his next question.

"Lin, the foundation has been cleared. Is the next step logging? How many logs with a diameter of that size do you need to build such a big house? This sounds like a much larger project."

Lin Yu'an's gaze fell upon the endless spruce forest, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

“That’s right, but luckily, I have enough century-old spruce trees on my land.”

"I also have some knowledge of logging, so this huge project should be relatively easy."

The next morning, the air was a bit warmer than the day before.

Before engaging in any physical activity, Lin Yu'an did not rush to pick up the chainsaw, but instead returned to the warm tent and took out his notebook and pencil.

"A clear, quantifiable plan is essential before embarking on a massive project."

Lin Yu-an said to the camera and to David, who looked on with curiosity, "This helps me clarify my daily goals and gives me a clear understanding of how difficult this work is."

"Based on my precise calculations last night, we need to build the wooden house that we planned yesterday."

"We also need to consider the losses during actual construction, the redundancy in timber selection, and the materials used for the internal partition walls. It will probably require about 120 trees."

"Among them, the logs used for the walls are the largest part, requiring about seventy standard spruce trees with a diameter of about 30 centimeters."

"Secondly, there are the floor beams and roof rafters on the second floor. This part requires about forty straighter but slightly thinner timbers."

"Finally, and most importantly, is the core structural timber, including the eight giant pillars that support the porch and balcony, as well as the ridge beam that serves as the 'keel' of the roof."

"This part requires us to find at least ten giant trees that are over a hundred years old in the forest to meet the requirement."

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(End of this chapter)