American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 289 The Vision of an Arctic Kingdom (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)
A relieved silence fell over the meeting room.

Director Fisher and Mr. Jenkins, with smiles of relief on their faces, stood up to shake hands with Lin Yu-an and McCorz, exchanging pleasantries of congratulations and anticipation for future cooperation.

Lin Yu'an simply dealt with it politely; to these bureaucrats, it was merely a successful resolution of a public relations crisis.

But for him, this was only the first step in a long journey.

He now faces two urgent matters.

First, complete the acquisition of the Giant Rock River Heritage Ranch as soon as possible, and truly take that kingdom into our own hands.

Second, immediately launch the construction plan for the habitat he named the December Arctic Home.

He looked at McCormick beside him. Her blue eyes still held the shock of the fierce confrontation, but more than that, they held a longing for the future and a hint of... uncertainty.

Lin Yu'an knew she was worried about the future. After all, building a home for December was not as simple as setting up a shed or shelter; it was an extremely complex system engineering project.

He said to Fisher, "Director Fisher, now that we have reached a consensus on cooperation, I would like to sign a one-and-a-half-year venue rental and cooperation agreement with you immediately."

“It will need to temporarily use your research center’s quarantine facilities until its new home in Wyoming is completed in December.”

He added, "We will pay the research center for site rental and equipment usage fees in accordance with the highest market standards."

"At the same time, I will invest additional funds to carry out a comprehensive upgrade and renovation of the existing quarantine facilities."

"I need you to immediately replace the cooling system with a more powerful one, expand the area of ​​the deep pool, and add more natural enrichment facilities."

“I will cover all the expenses. I have only one request: that the quality of life here in December must be the best it can offer before it leaves.”

These words left Fisher speechless. Not only had the other party solved their biggest problem, but now they were also willing to spend money to upgrade their equipment. He had no reason to refuse.

When they finally finished processing the initial agreement and returned to McCormick's office, Lin Yu-an began to describe to her the complete vision in his mind.

He pulled up a satellite map of the Great Stone River Heritage Ranch directly on the huge touchscreen whiteboard in McCormick's office.

“Look here, McCormick.”

His finger pointed to a vast, flat area nestled against a mountain range beside a sapphire-like mirror lake on the map.

"This is the location we've chosen for our December Arctic Home."

“I know that building such a top-notch indoor and outdoor habitat takes time. I have consulted the top architectural firms, even with unlimited funding and the green light for all approval processes.”

“From scratch to a fully functional venue, the most optimistic estimate is that it will take twelve to eighteen months.”

He said sincerely, "You'll need to work hard during this time. You'll need to stay in Anchorage as the chief guardian and behavioral mentor for December."

"Personally oversee its life here and be responsible for the upgrading and renovation of the venue. This is the most critical transition period."

“I’m fine with it.” McCormick nodded immediately; it was her profession and her responsibility.

Lin Yu-an continued, "And I will begin to deploy the entire massive project, assembling a world-class team in Wyoming to complete this fifty-acre project!"

Upon hearing this number, even McCormick, a top Arctic biologist, couldn't help but gasp.

"Fifty acres?" she asked incredulously. "Lin, do you know how big fifty acres is? That's equivalent to thirty-eight standard football fields!"

“No enclosure for polar bears in the world can even reach a fraction of this scale! It’s too extravagant, and you could even say it’s unnecessary.”

Lin Yu'an shook his head. "No, McCormick, it's necessary."

He pulled up a satellite map of the Giant Stone River Heritage Ranch and zoomed in on the area located on the north bank of Mirror Lake.

“You see, the fifty acres I mentioned are not a single, enclosed building.”

Lin Yu'an's eyes softened, as if he could already see the future.

"What I want to give it is a world where it can chase the morning light at sunrise, feel the impact of live fish in the stream, and roll around and frolic on the grass."

"It is a complex, miniature Arctic ecosystem-simulating December-only territory."

"It will consist of three main parts."

"In the first part here, the existing alpine meadows and some woodland landforms will be preserved intact. I will ask the best ecologists to introduce some cold-resistant Arctic plants from Alaska."

"For example, we use Arctic cotton rock rose and some lichens and mosses to create a landscape that is closest to the real Arctic tundra."

"As for isolation, I will use the three-layer composite deterrent fence that is most commonly used in top wildlife reserves."

He began to draw a cross-sectional diagram of the system on the whiteboard.

"The outermost layer is a high-strength woven wire mesh about three meters high, which is mainly used to prevent small and medium-sized animals (such as wolves and coyotes) from accidentally breaking in."

"It also serves as a preliminary physical barrier. Then, twenty feet inwards is the core protection, a twelve-wire high-voltage pulsed electric grid."

"It is not continuously electrified, but releases a high-voltage, low-current pulse of up to 10,000 volts instantaneously when an animal touches it."

"This feeling is extremely painful, but it does not cause any real harm to the animal."

“Any large animal, including a bear, will develop an instinctive fear after experiencing it once or twice, and they will learn to go far away from it.”

"The innermost layer will be a visual isolation trench, three meters deep and five meters wide, dug along the inside of the power grid. This trench will be almost invisible to tourists."

"But it will be the last physical barrier preventing December from approaching the power grid."

"At the same time, the entire 50-acre territory will be covered around the clock by a vibration fiber optic intrusion detection system and thermal imaging surveillance cameras."

“Any unusual approach or intrusion will trigger an alarm in the security center immediately.”

"Therefore, this multi-layered, three-dimensional defense system, composed of physical networks, energy fields, terrain barriers, and electronic eyes, will allow December to see an endless expanse of free wilderness."

"In spring, summer and fall, as long as the temperature in Wyoming is suitable, you can run, explore and even conduct simulated hunting in this vast territory in December."

“We regularly release live fish into the streams in this area, or hide some food, to stimulate its exploration and foraging instincts. This is its spring hunting ground.”

"While ensuring its freedom, its security will forever remain within the invisible Great Wall we have built."

Next, he drew the second area connected to Mirror Lake.

“I will demarcate a natural bay on the north side of Mirror Lake using an underwater barrier net. This bay will become a private bay exclusively for December.”

"In summer, you can swim and dive to your heart's content here, just like in the real Arctic Ocean."

"We will also build an artificial iceberg platform here, so that it can rest and sunbathe on it. This will be its summer swimming pool."

Finally, he drew the third, and most technically demanding, part.

"Then comes the last part, the all-weather polar pavilion. The building covers about two acres, and this is our real core project."

“Wyoming’s summer temperatures are deadly for polar bears, so a summer palace is needed to help them survive the summer.”

"This indoor venue will have a deep pool connected to the outdoor lake, with an artificial ice floe area above it supported by top-of-the-line German equipment, which can make ice continuously all year round."

"The venue will be kept below zero degrees Celsius year-round through a powerful cooling and air circulation system, and will also feature artificial icebergs and snow caves."

"When summer temperatures rise, in December, one can swim into this ice palace from the outdoor lake bay at any time through an underwater passage, where it will have an impeccable living environment."

"This is its winter sanctuary and its air-conditioned room in the hot summer. Therefore, the design of this venue is of paramount importance!"

He picked up a pen and drew three clear modules on the whiteboard.

"Therefore, I plan to adopt a joint design model between China and the United States for the design."

“I will invite PGAV Destinations, the American company that designed Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in Zhuhai, to be our chief concept designer and animal welfare consultant.”

"They are responsible for ensuring that the design concept of the entire project is world-class and fully compliant with all U.S. laws, regulations, and animal welfare standards."

He then changed the subject: "However, I will entrust all the detailed design and construction drawings to the Chimelong Group Design Institute in China, which also has experience with the Chimelong project."

"Americans are responsible for thinking about what is the most legal to build, while Chinese are responsible for thinking about how to build the most efficient."

His gaze turned to her, filled with trust. “And you, McCormick, will be the chief scientific advisor. All designs must be approved by you. You have veto power over research requirements.” “Wyoming winters are extremely harsh for construction, and the effective construction period is only a few months each year. All Americans consider this an insurmountable obstacle.”

"But in my opinion, this is not a problem at all."

Lin Yu'an's lips curled into a confident smile: "Because the main structure of this venue will not be built in Wyoming at all."

McCormick paused for a moment: "Then...where should we build it?"

"China."

Lin Yu'an wrote the name heavily on the whiteboard.

“We will break down the entire indoor venue of the Arctic Home into hundreds of modular steel structures and precast concrete units.”

"These modules will be manufactured in advance in factories in China with industrial precision, just like the production of automobiles."

"When Chinese workers have finished producing all the steel beams, walls, and even glass curtain walls, the construction site in Wyoming may still be a frozen wasteland."

"Once the ice and snow melt and the foundation work is completed, these hundreds of modules will be transported to the Port of Seattle by ocean freighters and then delivered to our ranch."

"At that time, we will stage an infrastructure construction frenzy in the fields of Wyoming that the whole world has never seen before!"

“What would take Americans a year to complete the main structure construction, the Chinese team could do in just three months.”

This revolutionary idea thrilled McCormick, but it also immediately brought to mind a very real obstacle.

She raised her concerns, "Lin, this plan is too crazy, but there is one crucial problem."

"How do you precisely transport those prefabricated super modules from the Port of Seattle, thousands of kilometers away, to this ranch deep inland in Wyoming?"

“Regular road transport may require hundreds of trucks, and the timing is not fixed. It’s uncertain how long it will take for them to arrive one after another.”

"No." Lin Yu'an smiled, a confident glint in his eyes.

“We don’t need to use trucks for transportation because the roads are already there.”

He turned to the last few pages of the information about the Great Stone River Heritage Ranch, to the appendix about history and heritage.

The Great Stone River Heritage Ranch was originally founded in 1888 by Patrick Connery, a railroad tycoon and mining mogul in the late 19th century.
The ranch was initially established to provide meat and timber supplies for his North Pacific United Mining Company.

In order to efficiently transport silver ore from the mine and supplies from the ranch.

In 1902, the Connery family invested heavily in constructing a five-mile-long siding along the main BNSF railroad line, leading directly to the heart of the ranch.

He pulled up a faded black-and-white old photo on his tablet.

The photo shows an old-fashioned steam train billowing thick black smoke, fully loaded with timber, slowly pulling out from under a beautifully designed stone archway bearing the words "Connelly Ranch".

Lin Yu-an continued, "With the depletion of the mines and the rise of road transport in the mid-20th century, this railway siding was gradually abandoned."

"Until the previous owner, an oil tycoon from Texas, bought the land ten years ago and carried out a complete modernization of this old railroad."

"The rails were replaced with 136-pound heavy rails that can bear the maximum tonnage, the roadbed was reinforced, and the turnouts and signaling systems connected to the main line were upgraded to computer control systems."

Michaels stared at the modern satellite image of the railway and gasped in surprise: "So... there really is a private railway station on the ranch that can accommodate modern freight trains?"

Lin Yu'an's eyes were filled with appreciation for this land. "Yes. This is the meaning of heritage. It is not just a piece of land, but also the accumulation of the wisdom and capital of generations."

He walked to the whiteboard in the office, picked up a pen, and drew a clear logistics route map.

"Now, look again. These hundreds of super modules, precisely numbered in Chinese factories, will be transported from Shanghai Port to Seattle Port by ocean-going freighters."

“At the port, they don’t even need to go through complicated dismantling and transshipment. They are directly hoisted onto the flatbeds of the BNSF freight train that are already waiting there.”

"Then the full train will travel eastward, through the plains of Washington State, and over the mountains of Idaho."

"It doesn't even need to stop at any public freight yard; it goes directly from the BNSF mainline onto our ranch's dedicated rail branch line."

"We will deliver these hundreds of modules precisely to our construction site on the south bank of Jinghu Lake!"

Lin Yu'an looked at McCormick and continued, "The third is the global centralized procurement of core equipment."

"This is your area of ​​expertise. I need you to create a global technology map for me."

"The core of our life support system, the ultra-large water filtration and protein skimmer, was custom-made by Xylem in Germany."

"For the main refrigeration unit and precision environmental control system of the venue, we use military-grade products from Trane in the United States."

"As for those high-power water pumps and pipeline valves that are extremely cost-effective and reliable, I will find the best suppliers in Shandong and Jiangsu, China."

"Money is not a problem. What I want is to use the most advanced and reliable parts on the planet in every position."

He paused for a moment, looking at the grand blueprint on the whiteboard, which was jointly designed by China and the United States, manufactured in China, and procured globally, his voice filled with boundless aspirations for the future.

“McCoz, imagine it.”

"One year later." He directly reduced the original one-and-a-half-year construction period by one-third.

“Just one year from now, an Arctic home spanning more than fifty acres will rise in our kingdom.”

Looking at the diagram on the whiteboard showing an ecological loop consisting of forty acres of tundra, eight acres of lake bay, and two acres of polar pavilion, capable of seasonal cycles, Lin Yu'an summarized:
"So, McCormick, do you understand now? This habitat won't be a cage."

"It's a miniature version of December that I forcibly recreated in the temperate region, its own Arctic!"

“What I gave it was not a venue, but a territory. An ideal country where it could unleash all its nature, while being absolutely protected by us.”

He turned to look at McCormick, who was listening intently, and said with a smile, "And you will no longer be a scientist bound by the bureaucracy and left helpless."

"You will have your own state-of-the-art Arctic biological research base. You can invite colleagues from all over the world to conduct collaborative research."

"You can publish the most impactful papers; you can turn our December relief efforts into a great scientific example that can change the entire industry's mindset!"

These words completely shocked McCormick.

She looked at the grand blueprint full of imagination on the whiteboard, then looked at Lin Yu'an, her blue eyes sparkling with an unprecedented excitement, admiration and complex light.

As a scientist who has dedicated her life to Arctic biological research, the future that Lin Yu-an described to her is her ultimate ideal!
However, after only a few seconds of excitement, a much stronger, colder sense of reality instantly pulled her back to reality.

The flame that had just ignited in her eyes was quickly replaced by a trace of loss and helplessness.

“Lin…” Her voice was a little hoarse, “This…this idea…it’s too grand, and too…perfect. But…”

She spoke with difficulty, uttering the most fatal word: "...money."

“I just did a rough estimate, and the construction and equipment costs for that two-acre all-weather polar pavilion alone may be between twenty and thirty million US dollars.”

"Add to that the vast outdoor area, the operating and maintenance costs of the life support system for the next few decades, the salaries of the top veterinary team, the procurement of food... the total budget for this entire project will be an astronomical figure."

"The $40 million you promised may sound like a lot, but it's probably just a drop in the bucket when faced with such a bottomless pit."

She looked at Lin Yu'an with worry in her eyes, "I can't let you carry such a heavy burden for my ideals, a burden that could potentially ruin everything you have financially."

This is McCormick; even in her most excited moments, her first consideration remains the scientific feasibility and the logic of reality.

However, Lin Yu'an just smiled when he saw her worried expression.

He spoke slowly, "McCoz, you're right. You accurately estimated the costs, but you seem to be using the wrong dimension of thinking."

"Hmm? What dimension?"

"You're still thinking about this project with a mindset focused on spending money."

Lin Yu'an walked to the whiteboard, picked up a pen, and wrote a brand new name next to the title "December Arctic Home".

December Global Polar Conservation and Research Foundation.

(End of this chapter)