Landlord in the Arctic

Chapter 363: Chapter 278: Landing, Part 2

"The oil company. I’ll see if they’re worth my attention."

Hearing this, the Ijiku Village Chief glanced at Frank, his eyes filled with confusion. He clearly didn’t know who this man was.

He quickly turned to Feng Mountain, his eyes silently asking, ’Who is this?’

"He’s the legal consultant for the Crown Territory, specializing in difficult legal cases," Feng Mountain said, giving Frank the title without his consent.

’An introduction like this should put the chief’s mind at ease,’ he thought, ’and it gives Frank a legitimate reason to be involved in this matter.’

The moment the words left his mouth, he was met with a series of eye-rolls from Frank.

Frank complained internally. ’This kid didn’t even ask me before assigning me a job.’

’An unpaid one, at that.’

The Ijiku Village Chief, however, looked on with admiration.

’Now *that’s* what I call professional.’

’This is how it’s done.’

’Bringing a lawyer along just to investigate a case.’

"It’s an equipment service company, a subsidiary of Finnex Operating, LLC. They’re stationed in Noiksoth Village and are responsible for winter maintenance of the oil and gas pipelines."

Finnex Operating, LLC?

Feng Mountain furrowed his brow slightly.

He muttered the unfamiliar company name under his breath.

He had clearly never heard of it.

Subconsciously, he turned to look at Frank.

His gaze was questioning.

’Frank is well-traveled and knowledgeable; he should know something about this company.’

Upon hearing the name, a look of contempt crossed Frank’s face.

He hawked and spat on the ground, his disdain even more apparent as he spoke dismissively.

"A private exploration and production company with interests on the Alaska North Slope. They own a partial stake in the Kuka Oil Field. They’re nothing special."

Frank’s tone was incredibly dismissive, as if such a company wasn’t even worth mentioning.

When he casually said they were "nothing special," he was speaking from his own perspective.

After all, as a top lawyer, he was famous throughout Alaska.

He usually dealt with influential, powerful corporations or complex legal matters, so his standards were naturally high.

However, to Yijiku Village, situated in the Far North Tundra, a company like that was a major enterprise. Most of the villagers worked for them.

So, when he heard Frank’s comment, the Ijiku Village Chief remained silent, but he was inwardly surprised. ’To think that in this lawyer’s eyes, a company like that is considered nothing at all.’

Once Feng Mountain had a general understanding of the oil company’s situation, a plan immediately formed in his mind. He knew what to do.

He looked at the Ijiku Village Chief and asked with a serious expression,

"Chief, what about the perpetrator? Where is he now?"

The Ijiku Village Chief shook his head helplessly, his face filled with worry. He sighed and said,

"We don’t know. Five hours had already passed by the time we found Lina. Some villagers say the Fierce Beast ran back to the company compound, but others say he escaped by plane. We can’t confirm either story right now."

"Let’s go see the victim first, then,"

Feng Mountain said after a moment of thought.

’As long as I have my divination, it doesn’t matter if the culprit is hiding in the compound or fled by plane. He won’t get away.’

’The priority right now is to follow procedure and understand the victim’s condition.’

"Okay."

The Ijiku Village Chief agreed and turned to lead Feng Mountain and his group into the village.

As they passed the villagers, a crowd immediately gathered around them, everyone talking over each other as they pleaded with him.

"Sheriff, sir, you have to catch the perpetrator! Don’t let that monster get away with this!"

"You have to get revenge for Lina! That poor woman, to suffer such a terrible thing."

Some of the men were even more agitated, raising their hunting rifles and shouting that they should storm the compound and kill all the white men.

The scene verged on chaos. Shouts rose and fell, and it felt as if they were just waiting for someone to lead the charge before they took action.

’If you’ve got the guts, then go. All you do is stand here and yap.’

Feng Mountain watched the shouting men with utter disdain.

’I can’t stand people who are all talk and no action.’

’If these villagers just swarmed them, even if there was trouble later, the state police wouldn’t dare make mass arrests. There’s safety in numbers; they might not even get convicted.’

’But no, they just stand here shouting slogans. Not a single one dares to take that step. Fucking pathetic, holding those useless guns.’

"Shut up! The oil company compound is right over there, so go on!"

Seeing the chaos, the Ijiku Village Chief grew frantic. He pointed toward the compound and roared at the shouting villagers.

The chief’s roar actually worked.

The villagers who had been clamoring just a moment ago instantly fell silent.

They exchanged glances, their earlier defiant energy vanishing without a trace.

The area fell silent, leaving only the sound of their footsteps.

Feng Mountain smirked, the corners of his mouth turning up in a barely perceptible arc. His contempt for these Indigenous People deepened.

’These people get bullied by the white government all the time and don’t dare to make a peep.’

’Now that something’s actually happened, all they do is run their mouths with no real action.’

’There’s a reason they get bullied so badly.’

The group walked silently into the village, winding their way along the small paths until they finally arrived in front of a wooden cabin.

Many children, women, and elderly people were standing around the cabin.

Their faces were etched with righteous indignation.

Their eyes were a mixture of anger and sorrow.

Some of the women were sobbing quietly, while the children, looking both confused and frightened, clung tightly to the adults.

It was clear that everyone was heartbroken and outraged by what had happened to poor Lina.

"Lina is inside the cabin. With so many of you..." the Ijiku Village Chief said, glancing back at Feng Mountain’s group.

His expression was hesitant and troubled.

’It wouldn’t be good for so many people to go in at once; it might frighten the victim.’

’After what she just went through, Lina’s state of mind must be incredibly fragile.’

"Nash, Frank, you’re with me. The rest of you wait outside."

Feng Mountain understood the chief’s concern—that the victim wouldn’t be able to mentally handle seeing so many people—and made arrangements on the spot.

’Nash is steady and reliable; having him with me is an extra precaution.’

’And as our legal consultant, Frank can provide immediate professional advice if any legal questions arise while we assess the situation.’

"Copy that!" Paine replied.

He held his rifle in a professional, low-ready position and dispersed with the other veterans.

As for Director Roland, he was just a bystander at this point.

Holding his mini-camera, he prepared to record what he saw and heard, quietly observing from the sidelines in hopes of gathering some useful material for his film.

The three men followed the chief into the house and were immediately hit by the oppressive atmosphere.

Hearing their footsteps, several Indigenous women emerged from inside. Their eyes were red and swollen, and tear tracks still stained their faces.

When they saw the sheriff’s badge on Feng Mountain’s chest,

they said nothing, simply stepping aside with tears in their eyes.

Their gazes were filled with hope that Feng Mountain would bring justice for Lina.

Everyone’s gaze followed the women’s movement and soon fell upon a wooden bed in the corner of the room.

On the bed lay a woman whose face was black and blue. What should have been a healthy complexion was now a mess of bruises, a truly heartbreaking sight.

On the part of her neck not covered by the blanket, a dark, blackening strangulation mark was clearly visible.

The mark was like an ugly centipede winding around her neck, a shocking and horrifying sight.

One couldn’t help but imagine the horrific treatment she must have endured.

’The rest of her body under the blanket is probably covered in injuries, too.’

Feng Mountain stared at the scene before him.

The memory of what Maria had once suffered surfaced in his mind.

It was a similarly heartbreaking past, so much like Lina’s current situation. The hatred in his heart for the perpetrator flared up once more.

"Lina, can you speak? The Sheriff is here."

The Ijiku Village Chief knelt gently by the bed. His face was full of concern as he asked in a low voice, afraid that anything louder might startle the injured woman.

Hearing the chief’s voice, the woman slowly opened her eyes.

....