Landlord in the Arctic

Chapter 361: Chapter 277: Setting Out_2

With a wave of his hand, Feng Shan and his four men jumped onto their snowmobiles, ready to depart.

Not far away, Jenny and a few other women, having heard the news, hurried over. Their faces were etched with anxiety and worry.

The women approached, their expressions deepening with concern as they saw Feng Shan and his men, all heavily armed. Jenny was the first to speak. "Feng, where are you all going?"

Feng Shan knew better.

If he told Jenny the truth, she would only worry more and might even try to stop him from going. So, he answered evasively.

"I’m heading to Noiksoth Village. They’ve got a little dispute that I need to go investigate."

’A dispute?

One that requires this many weapons?

Does he take me for a fool?

The guns and gear these four have on them are more than enough to rob a bank, let alone settle a dispute.’

The more Jenny thought about it, the more something felt wrong. Her intuition told her that whatever Feng Shan was going to handle, it was no simple dispute.

But seeing that Feng Shan clearly didn’t want to say more, she couldn’t bring herself to press him. The worry on her face only deepened, her brow furrowed tightly.

The other women, just like Jenny, watched Feng Shan with anxious faces. The atmosphere grew heavy.

Feng Shan sensed the tense atmosphere. He glanced down at his own gear, then forced a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

"It’s really just a small dispute. The reason we’re all geared up is because this is the first security contract the Crown Territory has taken on. We need to make a show of strength for outsiders and scare off any bad guys with ill intentions."

"Really?" Jenny still looked skeptical. She wasn’t so easily fooled, and her eyes were filled with clear distrust.

"Really. Have you ever heard of a large-scale shootout happening in the Far North Tundra? If you don’t believe me, ask Maria," Feng Shan retorted.

Listening from the side, Maria subconsciously nodded.

She really hadn’t heard of any large-scale shootouts.

Indeed, in this vast and relatively desolate Far North, people generally went about their own lives. Fierce gunfights like the ones in movies were rare.

The only incident of note was the shootout during an arrest in Tanano Town.

At the time, the state government wanted to build a highway through the area, but some of the town’s residents opposed the plan, believing it would destroy the local environment and disrupt their way of life.

Later, the opposing residents actually set up an ambush on a small road and shot a state trooper dead. The incident blew up, drawing in a massive law enforcement response to hunt them down. It had a pretty big impact on the entire state of Alaska.

"Then you be careful," Jenny said, though her heart was still filled with worry.

But she also understood that as the Chief Sheriff of the Far North Tundra, Feng Shan had a responsibility to protect the Tundra’s Indigenous People. There were some things he simply had to do. So, she bit her lip and let him go.

Feng Shan sensed her worry and nodded. "We’re off!"

With that, he led his fully armed men away. The engines of the three snowmobiles roared to life, and they sped off in the direction of the camp.

Along the way, they ran into Director Roland, who was walking alone across the terrain.

The snowmobiles slowed to a stop. Seeing he was by himself, Feng Shan asked, puzzled, "Director, why are you alone?"

"They’re practicing their horseback riding. I’m heading back to camp on my own," Director Roland answered with a smile. As he spoke, his gaze was drawn to Feng Shan and his men in their full tactical gear. His eyes filled with curiosity, and he couldn’t help but ask, "Feng, where are you all headed?"

"Oh, just going to handle a law enforcement case," Feng Shan replied simply. He figured there was no need to give Director Roland too many details, as the matter was rather complicated.

Unexpectedly, Director Roland’s eyes lit up when he heard this. His face flushed with excitement. "Can you take me with you?" he asked hurriedly. "I’m sure it would be great material for the film! Maybe we can even add it to the script. It would add an element of justice to your character in the movie."

The more he spoke, the more excited he became. Director Roland could already see a spectacular movie scene playing out in his mind. This was a rare opportunity he couldn’t afford to miss.

’An element of justice?’

Feng Shan had no idea what that meant, but he suddenly recalled what Frank had said before: he should communicate more with Director Roland, as it would help the movie and, in turn, promote the Crown Territory.

At this thought, Feng Shan hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. "Get on. Just don’t get too close when we’re there."

"Don’t worry, I know the drill." Hearing Feng Shan agree, Director Roland was ecstatic. He practically bounded over to the back of Feng Shan’s snowmobile and settled in securely.

Just as he was about to start the engine again, Feng Shan remembered something. He turned back to Paine. "Baldy, head over to the RV camp and pick up Frank. We might need him later."

"Got it!" Paine responded crisply. The man on his backseat nimbly hopped off, then quickly walked over to the snowmobile Yves was riding and squeezed on.

With everything arranged, the remaining two snowmobiles started up again and continued speeding toward the airfield.

Meanwhile, Nash was standing in front of the hangar, wearing his usual cold, unapproachable expression. A Type 56 carbine was slung over his shoulder.

Yves taxied the P-750 out of the hangar and onto the runway to perform pre-flight checks.

The temperature outside was low, over 40 degrees below zero. Such cold was a considerable test for the aircraft’s performance and equipment.

If he didn’t check everything carefully, a mid-air malfunction would have unimaginable consequences.

Soon, the P-750’s engine started up, its propeller letting out a deep, powerful roar.

Yves opened the cockpit window and waved to the others outside, signaling that they could board.

Just then, Paine arrived at the airfield, having rushed Frank over. Frank had just hopped off the snowmobile and hadn’t even had a chance to say a word.

Feng Shan was already walking toward the plane, leading the way into the cabin.

Seeing this, the others followed, each finding a seat inside.

The distance from the Crown Territory to Noiksoth Village was about 274 kilometers. With the P-750’s cruising speed of around 300 kilometers per hour, they would reach their destination in less than an hour.

"Sir, when we land, should we secure the high ground first? Do we need to draw up a combat plan?" Paine asked in a low voice. Before his discharge, he had served in a Ranger combat unit and had extensive combat experience.

Because of this, he had naturally become the combat team leader among the three veterans.

"What did you call me?" Feng Shan, who had been leaning back in his seat, sat up slightly. He tapped the badge on his chest that signified his status as Crown Land Chief, his eyes carrying a hint of a reminder.

"Oh, Mr. Sheriff." Paine reacted instantly, a sheepish smile spreading across his face.

He had subconsciously used the military term out of habit, having not yet adjusted to his new role.

Everyone in the cabin now was part of the mission.

So there was no need to hold back.

Feng Shan felt it was necessary to let everyone know what had happened in Noiksoth Village, so he directly explained the case and his general plan for handling it.

"We don’t need the army playbook for this. The village chief said an oil worker stationed there assaulted a local woman. We’re needed to handle it."

"I’ll meet with the village chief first, and then we’ll decide on a course of action."

"That piece of trash oil worker. Why didn’t he just go to a club in the city to find a woman? He should go to Hell," the Mexican, Calio, cursed under his breath.

When Frank heard this, he assumed it was some huge, complicated case.

He’d been rushed over by Paine on a snowmobile in such a panic.

But hearing it was just this, he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry and began to mock them mercilessly.

"Boys, you need a lawyer of my caliber for something this small? My God, are you all babies? Just grab your guns and arrest the guy."

"An oil company is involved. We can’t just go in like cowboys, guns blazing. We need you to negotiate first," Feng Shan replied.

Feng Shan silently rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Fine. Let me get some sleep. Wake me when we get there!" Frank said with a look of disgust, feeling he had nothing in common with these people.

In his eyes, they were just a bunch of inflexible brutes. Talking to them—including Feng Shan—was a complete waste of breath.

With that, he walked straight to the back of the cabin, found a spot, and lay down. A few moments later, the sound of soft snoring could be heard.

Time ticked by, second by second.

「About 50 minutes later.」

Yves, flying the plane from the cockpit, turned and shouted back into the cabin.

"Boss, we’re over Noiksoth Village now."

...