American Landowners: Starting with Hunting in Alaska

The wind and snow raged through the streets, scattering the glow of the streetlights.

Suwei mounted the assembled snowmobile, and the engine emitted a muffled roar.

He didn't rush to twist the accelerator; instead, he pressed his hand against the pocket on his chest through his gloves.

There were two things there: a newly issued professional hunter's license and a business card from the Fish and Game Bureau examiner.

He put on his windproof goggles, and everything in front of him turned amber.

According to the plan, he was supposed to go to the supermarket to replenish some daily necessities and then return to the wooden house at the foot of the mountain.

But Blake's suggestion made him change his mind; catching the poachers would take time, possibly a day or three days.

The wooden house at the foot of the mountain is too far away, and going back and forth would be a waste of fuel.

Aluk's house is too noisy, with too many people talking at once.

After much thought, Emily's apartment is still the most suitable.

It's close to the fishing and hunting bureau, the environment is quiet, and you can always find out news from the town.

But this requires a reason, or rather, a new rent.

Su Wei twisted the throttle, and the tracks kicked up snow.

Instead of heading to his usual chain supermarket, he lowered the car and turned towards the dock.

The seafood market is located on one side of the pier; it's a semi-open-air tin shed.

Normally, this place is filled with the smell of fish and the sounds of haggling, but today, because of the blizzard, most of the stalls are empty, with only a few dim lights still lit in the corner of the sheltered wall.

Suwei parked his motorcycle in a less snowy spot, brushed the snowflakes off his shoulders, and went inside.

The air smelled of cold seawater mixed with a hint of diesel fuel.

"Stop looking, it's time to pack up." A stall owner wearing a heavy rubber apron said without looking up as he shoveled ice. "In this awful weather, even the seagulls are hiding in the chimneys."

"I need it urgently." Su Wei walked to the stall, took off his gloves, revealing a pair of long, strong hands.

The vendor paused in his shoveling of ice. He glanced at Su Wei, then looked at the dilapidated snowmobile behind him.

"They're in those boxes over there, pick one yourself. They were all just unloaded, haven't had time to go to the cold storage yet." The stall owner pointed to several blue insulated boxes next to him, his tone softening. "Cash only, no cards."

Suwei nodded and walked to the styrofoam box.

The passive effect of [Cooking Skill LV3] makes his judgment very sharp.

In his eyes, he could vaguely sense the quality of these marine creatures.

The first box contained spotted shrimp.

It is very large, with a reddish-brown body and irregular white spots on its shell.

A few were still twitching their whiskers slightly in the ice shards.

Su Wei reached out and picked one up.

The shell is hard, the meat is firm, and the connection between the shrimp head and body is very strong.

This thing can sell for fifteen dollars apiece in a high-end restaurant in Seattle, but here it's just an extra that fishermen casually scoop up.

Make some stir-fried prawns—crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, with a rich sauce—perfect for this kind of weather.

"I'll take all these shrimp." Su Wei swept the pile of shrimp into the bag.

The stall owner was somewhat surprised, but didn't ask any further questions. He simply took out an old-fashioned spring scale from his pocket.

Suwei continued to examine the second box.

Inside were more than a dozen squid, not tiny squid the size of a palm, but hook squid, a species unique to the Kodiak Sea.

This type of squid has very thick walls, and if not handled properly, it can feel like chewing rubber. However, if cooked properly, it has a very crisp and tender texture.

He pressed the squid's body.

The rebound was rapid; the pigment cells on the epidermis were still shimmering, and the suction cups were firmly attached to the ice cubes.

This is proof of freshness.

Make some squid rings, coat them in flour, fry them, and serve with lemon juice and tartar sauce—it makes a great snack.

While watching TV, Emily can eat a whole plate by herself.

"And these too." Su Wei picked out the two largest ones.

Finally, his gaze fell on a slice of salmon.

This is a sockeye salmon; the flesh is dark red, and the fat marbling is very fine.

Compared to the oily king salmon, sockeye salmon has firmer flesh and a richer flavor.

It's snowing heavily outside, and even with the heating on, the air inside feels dry. Making a salmon and tomato soup is a great idea; it's sweet and sour, appetizing, and warming.

Most importantly, lycopene and Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial for wound healing.

Suwei pointed to the piece of fish meat in the middle.

"That one will be much more expensive." The stall owner frowned and glanced at the dilapidated snowmobile again.

"I'll take it, cash," Su Wei said calmly.

Without saying a word, the stall owner picked up a sharp fish-cutting knife and, with a "whoosh," neatly sliced ​​off a large piece.

When it was time to pay the bill, Su Wei counted out a few crumpled banknotes.

Carrying the heavy plastic bag, Suwei remounted his snowmobile.

The way back was more difficult than the way there; the wind direction had changed, and the crosswind made the motorcycle sway violently.

Su Wei had no choice but to lower his body and use his weight to stabilize the vehicle.

Twenty minutes later, he parked his car downstairs at the apartment building.

Shaking off the snow, Suwei carried the bag upstairs.

The hallway was well-heated, which warmed his frozen face somewhat.

He stopped in front of room 302, took a moment to catch his breath, and took out his key.

This is the spare key Emily gave him this morning.

The sound of the latch turning was particularly loud in the quiet stairwell.

The door opened.

The room was lit by warm yellow lights, and a noisy talk show was playing on the television.

The air is filled with a faint scent of lily of the valley, mixed with the warm aroma of sandalwood.

A fresh and delicate fragrance.

Emily was slumped on the sofa, her injured leg propped up on a pillow.

A white fluffy ball was purring on her stomach—it was a marshmallow.

Upon hearing the door open, both the human and the fox turned around simultaneously.

"Hey, you're back." Emily's eyes lit up instantly, her previous boredom vanishing.

She tried to sit up straight by supporting herself on the sofa armrest, but she aggravated her injured leg and winced as she gasped for breath.

Marshmallow is much more agile than her.

The little guy let out a soft "ooh," jumped off the sofa, and ran to the door with tiny steps. He circled around Su Wei's trouser leg, his nose twitching incessantly, clearly having smelled the seafood in the bag.

Suwei gently rubbed the cotton candy's belly with her toes, then closed the door behind her to shut out the sound of the wind outside.

"Don't move." He placed the bag on the entryway cabinet, changed out of his snow-covered boots, and said, "Don't you want your legs anymore?"

"I can temporarily sacrifice my legs as long as I can eat something delicious," Emily said with a grin, her eyes fixed on the still-dripping plastic bag. "Let me guess, this tastes...like seafood?"

"You have a good nose." Su Wei took off his heavy windproof coat and hung it on the hanger.

He walked over to the sofa and glanced at Emily's legs.

There seemed to be more graffiti on the plaster, and there was a half-eaten bag of potato chips next to it.

"How did the exam go?" Emily asked cautiously, her face smiling, but her fingers unconsciously gripping the blanket beneath her.

She knew Suvido needed this license.

If he fails, then his debts may run into some problems again.

Hunting is his greatest hope right now.

Suwei did not speak.

He took the still-warm plastic card out of his shirt pocket and gently placed it on the coffee table with a soft "snap".

The holographic anti-counterfeiting label on the card flashed a golden light under the light.

[Hunter Rank: LV1]

Emily grabbed the card, looked at it twice, and even scratched at the stamped lettering with her fingernail.

"Ha, I knew it!" She slapped her thigh excitedly, completely forgetting that her leg was still broken. "I knew you could do it! Suwei, now you're a legal assassin!"

"It's a hunter," Suwei corrected. "And besides, that's your leg. Do you want it back?"

"No difference, they're both cool." Emily shoved the card back into Suvi's hand, her smile more dazzling than the snow outside the window. "So, to celebrate our new professional hunter, shouldn't we have a big meal tonight?"

Seeing her expectant expression, Su Wei's hesitation dissipated.

He sat down on the sofa, leaning slightly forward, with his hands crossed on his knees.

"Emily, there's something I need to discuss with you."

Emily paused, her smile fading slightly. She keenly sensed that Suwei's tone had become serious.

"What's wrong? Did Blake give you a hard time?"

"No," Su Wei shook his head. "I took a job. It's a commission from the Fisheries and Hunting Bureau to catch the poacher who killed the doe."

Emily frowned. "That's dangerous. And that's the Bureau of Fish and Game's business."

"The pay is very high," Su Wei said, "and it reduces the guild's cut, which is very important to me."

Emily was silent for a few seconds.

She knew Suwei well; once this decision was made, not even a bulldozer could pull it back.

"What do you need me to do?" she asked.

"I'd like to stay here for a few more days," Su Wei said frankly. "The cabin at the foot of the mountain is too far, and going back and forth would be a waste of time. That cabin... isn't suitable for preparing for battle. I need a warm place to organize my equipment and rest."

He paused, then added, "Of course, I'll pay the rent. You'll need to..."

"make a deal."

Emily interrupted him.

She pointed to the seafood bag that was still dripping water in the entryway, and then to her own stomach.

"That's the rent. You buy the ingredients, cook, and feed the marshmallows three meals a day." She raised her chin like a shrewd landlady. "If you dare burn the shrimp, I'll kick you out to sleep in the hallway."

Su Wei couldn't help but twitch his lips as he looked at her feigned fierceness.

"This price is very fair." He stood up, rolled up his sleeves again, revealing his muscular forearms. "Since the landlady is so generous, I can't be stingy either."

He picked up the bag full of seafood and skillfully tied a knot.

"Just wait. Fried prawns, crispy squid rings, and salmon tomato soup."

Emily cheered, flopped back onto the sofa, and grabbed the remote: "I want to watch that cooking show! To keep an eye on you!"

Su Wei didn't turn around, but just waved her hand with her back to her.

He walked into the narrow but fully equipped kitchen.

He turned on the tap, and the icy water washed over his hands, completely bringing him back to his senses from the cold outside.

This place isn't as desolate as the log cabins in the mountains.

The kitchen smelled of food, the living room had the sound of a television, and someone was waiting for dinner.

Su Wei felt much more at ease.

Su Wei tied on an apron, a pink apron with a cartoon cat printed on it.

It looked a bit comical on his 1.8-meter frame, but he didn't care.

He pulled a chef's knife from the knife rack and lightly ran his thumb along the blade.

[Cooking Module LV3, activated.]

At that moment, Su Wei's aura changed.

His focused gaze made him look nothing like a hunter, but rather like the master of the kitchen.

With a flash of the knife, the vein of a spotted shrimp was precisely removed.

Closing the sliding door seems to shut out all worries.

Now, all that's left is cooking.