HUN Chapter 114: Cabin Construction in Progress

Lin Yu'an used his XCMG loader to steadily place a four-meter-long debarked log on the band saw's tracks and secured it firmly with specialized clamps.

Then he started the Honda GX390 engine, and the massive band saw blade instantly reached extremely high speed, emitting a "buzzing" sound!

He gripped the main head's control lever and pushed it forward steadily along the tracks.

Accompanied by a series of linear "hissing" cutting sounds, a uniformly thick board was completely cut from the log!

David rushed forward and ran his hand over the smooth cut surface, "Wow! This speed is simply incredible."

Lin Yu'an shut off the machine, also looking at the result with satisfaction.

After testing the band saw, the three of them sat around the fire in their rented cabin with the entire plan's blueprints spread on the table.

"Lin, so what's our next plan?" David asked, holding hot coffee and speaking with anticipation.

Lin Yu'an pointed to the structurally complex foundation diagram that Old George had drawn.

"To achieve this foundation construction, we still need to prepare materials and a spiral drilling attachment. These can't be found in Wiseman."

"Moreover, another container I ordered from China has now cleared customs and been transported to a rental warehouse in Fairbanks for storage."

"I need to go open it and first take out some things we urgently need, then transport the whole thing after the thaw period ends."

He pointed to the pile holes on the foundation diagram, "Also, I need to equip my XCMG loader with a spiral drilling attachment to drill through the frozen soil here. This can only be rented from a professional company in Fairbanks."

"Finally, and most importantly, the materials needed for the foundation, cement, steel bars, sand, and gravel, all need to be purchased at once from Fairbanks."

Lin Yu'an stood up and straightened his clothes, looking at David, "So, let's go. First we'll go to Old George's house to borrow his pickup and trailer."

"Then to Fairbanks to first rent equipment, then buy materials, and finally go to my warehouse to pick up goods and transport everything back here."

When the three of them arrived at Old George's house, the old man was in his rocking chair by the living room window, bathing in the precious morning sunlight of the far north.

Like all gun-loving Texas old cowboys, Old George would also fiddle with firearms during his free time.

He held an oiled cloth in his hands, carefully wiping his Remington 700 rifle, the stock already polished to a shine from his handling.

"Hey, young man, looks like you're ready to set off?"

Old George saw them and asked with a smile. He didn't get up, just gestured with his eyes toward the empty seats nearby.

"Yes, George. I came to borrow your vehicle."

Lin Yu'an got straight to the point, which was the most comfortable way of communication between him and Old George.

"Of course, no problem."

Old George stood up, steadied his beloved rifle against the wall, took out a keychain with brass accessories from inside the house, and casually tossed it to Lin Yu'an.

"Keys to my old Ford. I filled it up yesterday. That dual-axle flatbed trailer behind the yard, remember to check the tire pressure. That guy hasn't been on a long trip in a while."

With Old George's help, they worked together to hitch the huge dual-axle flatbed trailer to the rear of the old Ford.

The heavy "clang" of metal hitting metal when connecting the hitch marked the official start of this procurement mission!

"George, goodbye, we're setting off."

"Goodbye? No, I'm going with you. I should also visit old friends in the city."

The Dalton Highway was currently at its muddiest period, with an uneven road surface like an old carpet full of patches.

But experienced old drivers knew where it was safe to drive and where they wouldn't get stuck.

Old George drove his old Ford at a moderate but extremely steady speed. His decades of driving experience allowed him to easily handle every hidden pothole.

After arriving in Fairbanks, Lin Yu'an didn't rest and headed straight for the industrial district in the suburbs.

Their actions proceeded completely according to Lin Yu'an's previous plan.

The first stop was Fairbanks' largest construction equipment rental company.

Old George was obviously a regular customer here. Using his decades of experience, he skillfully bargained with the rental company manager.

"Hey, Bob, don't give me that routine. This price is prepared for those suckers from the mainland."

Old George patted the counter, "My friend here, he's building a real home in Wiseman, not coming for vacation! You need to give him a fair price."

Finally, thanks to Old George's connections, they rented a spiral drilling attachment with two extension drill rods at a very reasonable package price.

When going to the warehouse to pick up goods, David asked curiously, "Lin, are you sure this attachment's dimensions match your loader?"

"Of course, XCMG loader attachments use international standard sizes. It will match perfectly with my XCMG."

They used a forklift to load the heavy drilling attachment onto the flatbed trailer.

Lin Yu'an took the list that Old George had helped him perfect and contacted the building materials supplier through Bob's phone.

"Hello, I need to purchase a batch of materials."

"I need four tons of 425-grade Portland cement, from the newest batch."

"Construction-grade threaded steel bars, 16-millimeter and 20-millimeter, totaling over two thousand kilograms."

"Also screened dry river sand, eight tons, and well-graded crushed stone aggregate, twelve tons."

"Additionally, I need some high-density extruded polystyrene boards for pile foundation insulation and thermal blankets for concrete curing."

The supplier listened to this list and mentally calculated that this was a very standard individual house foundation order quantity.

He asked, "Sir, how do you want to arrange transportation? These bulk sand and stone materials, do you need our company's dump truck service?"

"Yes, I need you to arrange your best-performing heavy dump truck to transport everything at once to near milestone 115 on the Dalton Highway."

"If possible, I hope you can package everything in nylon bags because your truck definitely can't get to my place, so you can only leave the building materials by the roadside."

The sales manager calculated the total price and high transportation costs, then quoted a total price of tens of thousands of dollars.

After Lin Yu'an paid online, all that remained was patient waiting.

Then they came to Lin Yu'an's rental warehouse and used keys to open the container that had been transported from Haines Port with complete legal documentation.

David and Mike's cameras immediately followed inside. The container contained neatly stacked wooden frames, plastic boxes, and wooden crates.

Lin Yu'an pointed to a wooden crate, "This contains a silent diesel generator with 20 kilowatts of power."

"As the weather gets hotter, food storage will need refrigerators, and daily use of lights, appliances, kitchen equipment, and more power tools will increase."

"Places needing electricity will become more and more numerous. Just relying on those few solar panels won't provide enough power."

"Wow! This guy is really a big fellow!" David exclaimed.

After moving out the generator, Lin Yu'an took several well-sealed engineering plastic boxes from another corner of the container.

"What's this?"

"Seeds."

Lin Yu'an opened a box with packages labeled cold-resistant Chinese cabbage, black soil green beans, and highland purple-skinned garlic.

"I also prepared some vegetable seeds. It's now late April, and May planting season is coming soon. This timing can't be missed either."

After completing this whirlwind procurement and pickup, everyone set off on the return journey.

The flatbed trailer now only carried the spiral drilling attachment and the diesel generator.

Three weeks passed, and it was early May.

The polar day had also arrived, and the ground was experiencing peak snowmelt, becoming completely muddy.

Lin Yu'an's hundred-day plan was progressing rhythmically, but the impact of the melt period was quite significant, seriously affecting his efficiency.

On this polar night evening, after finishing a day of exhausting work, he promptly dialed the weekly routine video call.

On the screen, Aliya's beautiful face quickly appeared. She was holding their daughter Olivia, who was already getting sleepy.

Seeing her husband in the video who was obviously thinner and showing fatigue on his face, her eyes were full of heartache.

"Honey, you look too tired."

Aliya's voice was full of concern. She tried to make her tone sound calm, but her care overflowed.

"You can't keep pushing yourself alone like this. You'll exhaust yourself! The plan can go slowly. We're not in a hurry. Summer is still very long."

"Don't worry, I'm fine. Everything is going according to plan."

Lin Yu'an smiled and adjusted his posture, trying to make himself look more relaxed.

"It's just that the workload is really heavy, but seeing more and more wood piling up near the camp every day gives me a great sense of accomplishment! Today I completed two more trees."

Just then, in the video background, a burly figure suddenly squeezed into the frame. It was Aliya's eldest brother Wyatt.

He took over the phone, the screen shook, and then second brother Garrett, third brother Bo, and fourth brother Clay all crowded over. Four distinct faces instantly filled the small phone screen.

"Lin, stop being stubborn."

Wyatt spoke, his voice as steady and powerful as always.

"You work every day, and Aliya worries about you every day. We've already discussed it with her."

Lin Yu'an was somewhat puzzled, "Discussed what?"

The most hot-tempered second brother-in-law Garrett directly took over, shouting loudly at the screen.

"We McKinley men don't let our brother-in-law suffer alone in the wilderness!"

Third brother-in-law Bo also chimed in, "We've already arranged the work on our respective farms. Each of us has made time for a full two weeks. Next week, we're flying over to help you."

Looking at the non-negotiable expressions of his brothers-in-law on screen and Aliya's reassuring smile beside them, a huge wave of warmth instantly surged into Lin Yu'an's heart.

He originally wanted to say "I can handle it myself."

But when the words reached his lips, they became the simplest and most sincere two words, "Thank you."

A week later, at Fairbanks International Airport.

Lin Yu'an stood at the exit and quickly saw those four extremely conspicuous figures.

Wyatt, Garrett, Bo, and Clay were each wearing thick work jackets and jeans, with indestructible Timberland boots on their feet.

Each carried a large backpack, and when they walked out of the corridor, that powerful aura belonging to real working tough guys made the well-dressed tourists around them unconsciously make way.

David and Mike excitedly recorded this scene of the lumberjack team assembling.

David said excitedly to Mike in a low voice, "Zoom in! Film their expressions! This is real family reality TV! Not those fakes acting in Beverly Hills!"

"Hey! Hermann!"

The brothers-in-law saw Lin Yu'an and quickly walked forward. Without excessive pleasantries or small talk, each gave him a solid hug.

The other brothers-in-law also came forward and punched him, with force that made even Lin Yu'an wince.

They patted his back heavily, then let go and looked him up and down, "You kid, you really did lose weight, but you still look pretty solid."

"You did well, Lin. But now, leave the heaviest work to us!"

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