American Landowners: Starting with Hunting in Alaska

Chapter 87 A Rare Compensation, A New Life? (Bonus Chapter)

Jennifer didn't finish her sentence.

But the words "claims process initiated" were like a bullet, piercing straight through his head.

Su Wei was stunned and stood there for a moment, unable to open his mouth.

I don't know how to answer.

My head was still buzzing, and the voice from the microphone seemed to have become blurry and distant.

"Are you listening, Mr. Su?"

The woman's voice on the other end of the line remained professionally calm.

There's no emotion, just procedures.

"I suggest you make a note of this; it's the final solution that the union's legal team secured for you."

Su Wei stood beside the tracked vehicle.

His right hand, stained with dried deer blood, gripped the phone tightly, his knuckles turning bluish-white from the force.

The cold wind blew in through my collar.

But he couldn't feel the cold.

They can't even feel their own bodies.

Only that voice, traveling along the electric current, drilled into his brain, echoing repeatedly, trying to bring him back to his senses.

"Okay, go ahead."

Su Wei finally came to his senses. He took a deep breath and tried to speak calmly, but his voice still trembled slightly.

"Let me briefly explain the situation to you. Please listen carefully and it would be best if you could take notes."

Jennifer's voice remained flat, without the slightest emotional fluctuation. She was like a competent machine, completing her assigned task.

"First, basic crew personal accident insurance. This part is undisputed, based on the latest compensation standards of the Anchorage Maritime Court."

The only sound was the crisp sound of paper turning.

"Mr. David Sue, $800,000. Ms. Veri Young, $800,000. Total: $1.6 million."

Su Wei lowered his head.

At my feet was a piece of hard ice crushed by the conveyor belt, which reflected a blinding light under the sunlight.

One million six hundred thousand.

Only the first item.

He was somewhat dazed, but his hand still gripped the phone tightly.

The crab fishing boat that had devoured the lives of parents like a steel monster finally spat out the bones it had swallowed at this moment.

"Secondly, personal commercial life accident insurance. The coverage amount is relatively low, and the claims process has been completed."

"Two policies, each worth $100,000. Total: $200,000."

Jennifer spoke at a very steady pace.

For an insurance company's massive cash flow, this is nothing more than a string of figures that need to be allocated, a financial expenditure that must be executed.

But for the Soviet Union...

This is the last umbrella that parents held up for their son who remained in this world, risking their lives in their final moments.

Two hundred thousand, US dollars.

"Finally, and this is the core of the negotiations, the determination of liability for gross negligence."

The woman's voice paused.

Even she herself seemed somewhat surprised by the result.

"Given that the black box recordings confirmed that the fishing company forced them to go out to sea illegally under the pretext of withholding bonuses, the legal team used this as a breakthrough. In order to avoid a jury trial and public outcry, the other party agreed to sign a punitive damages agreement."

Suwei's breathing stopped.

The thing Aunt Tessa mentioned.

The insurance company claimed that the risks had been clearly stated in the weather forecast, but the fishing fleet still chose to go to sea, and ultimately refused to pay compensation.

Finally, due to the severity of the accident, the public opinion impact was enormous.

In order to fight for their rights and to protect their reputation, the fishermen's union, under the collective appeal of the victims' alliance, hired a legal team.

Key evidence has been successfully found.

That iron box that recorded the capitalists' continued greed even in the face of a storm.

Ignoring the risks, they chose to go overseas.

Ultimately, Su Wei's parents perished in a sea voyage.

This accident was unrelated to the fleet's crew.

Rather, they are the fangs of capitalists, dripping with filth and blood.

"US$600,000 per person. That's a total of US$1.2 million."

"In addition to funeral subsidies, emotional distress compensation, and union-provided subsidies for families in dire need —"

"After deducting legal fees and related taxes, the final amount recorded is..."

Jennifer emphasized her words, making each one crystal clear: "Three million two hundred and fifty thousand US dollars."

The sound of the wind seemed to have disappeared.

The world is silent at this moment.

Su Wei raised his head blankly, his mouth open unconsciously, as if his throat was stuffed with a wad of wet cotton, unable to make a sound.

He desperately wanted to shout something, but his throat felt like it had lost its vocal cords.

No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't make a sound.

Three million two hundred and fifty thousand.

Three million two hundred and fifty thousand!

Three million two hundred and fifty thousand!

He mentally processed the number, then swallowed it.

Converted to the bank debt of 160,000 that kept him up at night and forced him to survive in the wilderness like a stray dog.

Twenty times.

This amount of money is enough to flatten the mountain weighing down on his head twenty times over.

Not even a trace was left.

Having been reborn, I now struggle to survive in those damned deep mountains.

And yet, I keep striving because of this damn debt!

Now, it's ending in a way we never imagined!

Suwei's mind stopped thinking at that moment.

His adrenaline overload caused a burst of intense tinnitus and physiological tremors.

All those plans and efforts about how to survive the winter, how to hunt or gather expensive plants, seemed so insignificant and ridiculous at this moment.

Poverty is a disease.

It makes people short-sighted, humble, and waste all their vitality on maintaining the most basic breathing.

And now.

The medicine has arrived.

A powerful remedy.

A potent medicine unlike anything he had ever imagined!

Now, he has arrived.

Su Wei also survived.

"Mr. Su?"

Su Wei remained silent for a long time. Jennifer tentatively asked, "Do you have any objections to the amount? If so, we can continue—"

"no."

Suwei interrupted her.

His voice was dry and rough, as if he had a mouthful of sand in his mouth.

His Adam's apple bobbed violently as he forced himself to swallow a mouthful of saliva.

He looked down at the broken ice beneath his feet, then turned his head to look at the snow-covered mountain range.

Finally, a difficult answer.

"I have no objection."

"very good."

The sound of keyboard typing came from the other end of the phone. "Please bring your identification and bank account information to the Kodiak Fisheries Union office at 10:00 AM tomorrow to sign the settlement agreement."

"The payment will be received in a lump sum within three business days after the agreement is signed."

"Disposable?"

Su Wei repeated it subconsciously.

This struck him as unbelievable; was this the efficiency America was supposed to have?

Yes, disposable.

Jennifer gave another affirmative answer.

Suwei raised his head.

The sky in the distance was a deep gray-blue, the afterglow of the sun after the snow clouds had dissipated following the blizzard.

That wooden house that must be protected.

That barren yet vast land.

And that wonderful life he once dreamed of.

The road is open.

No more walking a tightrope.

He can use the best fertilizers, build the largest greenhouses, and buy the most advanced agricultural machinery.

The log cabin was renovated and transformed into a luxurious mountain villa equipped with a state-of-the-art heating system, large floor-to-ceiling windows, and opulent furnishings.

They could even buy the entire barren mountain, along with the surrounding valleys.

Create a manor that is entirely your own.

"Can."

Su Wei's voice finally steadied, and that youthful vigor returned to his spine.

He finally straightened his back and stood up straight.

His tone carried an unprecedented ease and confidence.

"I will be there on time."

"Alright. Finally, although it's not very normal to say this, I wish you a pleasant life. Mr. Suvy Yang."

The sound of turning pages stopped, seemingly followed by the light touch of a pen tip on the paper, and Jennifer's slightly hesitant voice came through.

"beep-

—

The call was disconnected.

Su Wei maintained the posture of holding up his phone, the off screen reflecting his slightly stiff face.

He put down his phone and looked at the call record that had changed his life.

Four minutes and thirty-two seconds.

These short four and a half minutes completely turned his life upside down.