American Landowners: Starting with Hunting in Alaska

Chapter 81 The Only Spot, the Best Business

The roar of the engine tore through the frozen silence of the early morning.

A thin layer of frost had formed on the windproof goggles, blurring the edges of my vision.

He reached out and tore off the thin film on the surface, and his vision became clear again.

Su Wei released the accelerator, and the snowmobile glided forward under inertia, finally coming to a steady stop at the bottom of the steps in front of the Hunter's Guild.

I looked up at my watch; it was 7:55.

Five minutes early.

On the main road in the distance, two orange heavy snowplows flashed their warning lights, their bulldozer blades scraping the road surface with a sickeningly loud sound.

A "sizzle" sound.

The snow was blown to the roadside and piled up into a snow wall half a person high.

The entire town of Kodiak is awakening from the suffocating blizzard, like a giant beast that has just emerged from hibernation and is shaking off the dust.

Su Wei took off his goggles and hung them on the handlebars; his breath instantly turned into white mist.

The modified heavy-duty tracked vehicle was already parked at the entrance.

The large exhaust pipe sputtered out white smoke, clearly indicating that it had been preheating for quite some time.

Blake Anderson was standing next to the car.

He was still wearing that faded, slightly frayed dark gray Arc'teryx jacket, his hands in his pockets, his back ramrod straight.

He wasn't using his phone or smoking; he was just staring intently at the snowplows in the distance, as if he were studying a complex military operation.

Hearing the snowmobile stop, Blake turned his head.

His sunken eyes swept over Su Wei, then he raised his wrist to look at the badly worn military watch.

7:56.

Blake lowered his hand, his voice hoarse and deep, "You're four minutes earlier than agreed."

"It's better to be early than late." Su Wei got out of the car and stomped his numb feet. "After all, some people have lost their jobs because they were a minute late. I don't want to be the next one."

This is not a very funny joke.

Blake's weathered face remained expressionless, except for a soft hum from his nose.

I don't know if it's agreement or sneer.

"Regardless of the outcome of today's operation," Blake said without further ado, turning to walk towards the heavy windproof curtain. "I'll keep my promise to you."

Su Wei was taken aback, then quickly followed: "Now?"

"In this business, what's in your pocket is what really matters. I don't like being in debt, especially not to a newcomer."

Blake pushed open the door, and a wave of heat mixed with the aroma of coffee and the warmth of the air conditioning hit him.

The windproof curtain fell, shutting out the cold air from outside, and warmth surged into the body.

The lobby was empty, with only a few staff members chatting and getting water from the hot water dispenser.

Behind the reception desk, Sarah was holding a cup of hot coffee, staring blankly at the computer screen.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up.

The capable-looking woman paused for a moment when she saw the two people who entered one after the other.

"Good morning, Mr. Blake." Sarah put down her coffee cup, her gaze sweeping between the two men, a hint of inquiry in her eyes. "And—Suvi? You're here so early?"

Blake made no small talk.

He walked straight to the counter, bent his fingers, and tapped the thick table twice with his knuckles.

"Pull up his file," Blake said, pointing to Suvi behind him. "Modify his access level."

Sarah was a little confused, but she still put her hands on the keyboard.

"Is this to add temporary enforcement powers?" Sarah typed in Suwei's name while expertly bringing up the template. "I've already prepared the commission contract for that poaching case. All I need to do is sign it—"

"No."

Blake coldly interrupted her.

He pulled the black professional hunter's certificate from the inside pocket of his jacket, slammed it heavily on the counter, and pushed it over.

"Give him access to internal privileges."

Blake paused for a second, his gray eyes fixed on Sarah, and added, word by word, "Reduce the guild's cut of prey recovery from ten percent to five percent."

There was a two-second silence in the hall.

Only the faint hum of the heater remained.

Sarah's fingers, which were typing on the keyboard, suddenly froze in mid-air.

Her eyes, which always wore a professional smile, widened instantly, and she even stood up from her chair, disregarding her manners.

"Five percent?!"

Sarah's voice rose several octaves, drawing the attention of the cleaning staff mopping the floor in the distance. "Blake, are you sure you're not crazy?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Blake asked expressionlessly.

"But—" Sarah looked at the calm Blake, then at the bewildered Suvi standing to the side, her face filled with disbelief.

She took a deep breath.

"Mr. Black, according to the guild's charter, only senior professional hunters of level six or above are qualified to share their rights with a newcomer through an apprenticeship relationship."

"One."

Sarah held up one index finger and waved it in front of Blake, her tone serious. "This is your only apprenticeship spot."

"In Kodiak, how many people want to give their kids to you? Last year, someone even offered $200,000 for the spot for his nephew, and you just told them to get lost."

She stared at Blake, her gaze complex. "You're going to give this only spot to—Suvi? A newcomer who just got his license yesterday?"

Su Wei stood to the side, his hands clenched tightly in his pockets.

It felt like my heart had been struck hard by something.

He originally thought that Blake's "half-cut commission" was just a way to use his status as an examiner or a high-level hunter to open a backdoor in the system.

It's like a supermarket manager giving a discount card to an acquaintance.

But after hearing these words, the meaning completely changed.

The only spot.

Two hundred thousand US dollars.

A wealthy person who was rejected.

This isn't just a discount card; it's a long-term meal ticket, or even a privileged gold card granting access to Alaska's top hunter circles.

Blake did not speak.

He just kept his eyelids down, his fingers tapping lightly and unconsciously on the table.

Once, twice, three times.

The silence created a somewhat awkward atmosphere.

Sarah sighed; she knew this stubborn old man all too well.

Once he's made up his mind, not even ten brown bears could change it.

She turned her head to look at Su Wei, the shock on her face slowly fading into a complex envy, and even a hint of jealousy.

"Suwei, it seems you still don't understand what this means."

Sarah sat back down in her chair, crossed her arms on the table, and said solemnly, "The so-called apprentice benefits are not just about halving the cut you get from the prey you sell to the guild. It means that you will inherit half of Mr. Blake's permissions in the guild in terms of system privileges."

As she operated the computer, she listed out the enviable benefits as if reciting a menu.

"Aside from a low 5% commission, you get a 10% discount on all guns, ammunition, vehicles, and outdoor gear purchased from the guild's directly operated store, including those high-end items."

"You can attend all the advanced courses offered by the guilds for free, including polar survival, battlefield first aid, and even helicopter rappelling."

"And—" Sarah paused, then dropped the final bombshell, "You'll also get a share of the guild's annual quota of low-priced meat procurement rights allocated to high-ranking hunters."

With each word Sarah spoke, Suvi's heart pounded harder.

Buy guns at a 10% discount.

Free courses.

Low-priced meat.

If hunting was something you had to do before to pay off debts, now it's a shortcut to wealth.

Su Wei's brain was working at lightning speed.

Only the commission from the prey is considered.

A fully grown male Roosevelt deer would sell for about $30,000 to the association.

The normal commission rate is 10%, which would deduct three thousand US dollars.

Now, it only costs 1,500.

For every deer hunted, you earn an extra $1,500!

Ten heads would be fifteen thousand.

One hundred heads is 150,000.

Anyone can do this math, let alone Suwei, who is now burdened with huge debts and sensitive to every penny.

No wonder someone would spend $200,000 to buy an apprenticeship spot!

In the long run, this is incredibly profitable!

He turned to look at Blake.

The man known as "Old Devil" remained expressionless, but the frequency of his tapping on the table seemed to have increased slightly.

Is he nervous?

The thought flashed through Su Wei's mind.

Blake was waiting for his answer, or rather, for an attitude.

This is not just a simple exchange of benefits.

In this place, it is a very serious contract—a master-disciple relationship.

This means that Blake has staked his reputation, experience, and even part of his career on Suvy.

Why?

Because of those two shots yesterday?

Or was it that calm dissection again?

Or perhaps he saw a reflection of his younger self in himself?

Su Wei did not dwell on this issue for too long.

Adults don't have that much time to be sentimental; there's no reason not to turn down benefits that are offered to you.

Whatever Blake saw in him, this was the best card the Soviet Union could currently hold.

It is also the fastest shortcut to pay off the debt and keep that land.

Moreover, he didn't dislike this stubborn old man; in fact, he held him in some respect.

His character and his abilities both deserve Soviet respect.

Although he was an old man who was extremely strict about the hunter's code.

However, Su Wei did not think this was a bad thing.

In a sense, they share the same values.