HUN Chapter 100: New Wilderness Rules

Stan's recognition was like an official seal stamped on Lin Yu'an's choice.

Jack and David exchanged a glance, both seeing relief and excitement in each other's eyes.

"So, it's decided? Plot A?" Jack confirmed.

"That's it."

Lin Yu'an's tone brooked no argument.

He had his own considerations. His most important reason for choosing Plot A was being near the river, which could give his future development and survival more possibilities.

Of course, no fishing enthusiast could resist the temptation of living by a river.

"I'll contact the real estate agent immediately to start the purchase process!"

Jack immediately took out his phone to handle the subsequent matters.

During the few days waiting for the transaction process, Lin Yu'an didn't idle.

He made a request to Stan, hoping to understand more deeply this land that would soon belong to him.

And to learn about the new wilderness rules of this region.

Stan didn't refuse. This silent old hunter seemed to have developed genuine interest in Lin Yu'an, and he agreed.

Early the next morning, they set off again.

This time, their team was more streamlined, just StAn’and Lin Yu'an, each driving a snowmobile.

Director David gave Lin Yu'an a small action camera that could be mounted on his helmet, instructing him to keep it running throughout as much as possible.

The two traveled one behind the other, entering that vast snow forest again.

Today's purpose was no longer macro site selection, but micro resource exploration.

Under Stan's guidance, Lin Yu'an learned about the composition of this forest.

"Look over there."

Stan pointed to a stand of straight trees, "Those are white spruces, with hard wood, the best material for log cabin main beams."

"You're lucky, there are quite a few big fellows over a hundred years old on this land."

He then pointed to some white birch trees with mottled bark, "And these. Although their wood isn't as solid as spruce, they're the best fuel."

"There are plenty of snowshoe hares, ptarmigans, and moose here, all rich protein sources. They'll be your main targets for storing meat for winter."

"Of course, there are also wolves, bears, and lynx here. This is never a place where you can let your guard down."

Just as they were deep in the forest's interior, Lin Yu'an's snowmobile suddenly made an unusual sound, then power dropped sharply. After sputtering a few times, it completely died.

The surroundings instantly returned to pin-drop silence, with only the wailing sound of cold wind through the treetops.

Stan, following behind, slowly stopped but didn't immediately come forward. He just sat on his vehicle, watching Lin Yu'an quietly from a distance of over ten meters.

Lin Yu'an showed no panic whatsoever. He calmly got off the snowmobile and opened the tool box.

He first checked the fuel line, ruling out fuel problems.

Then he listened carefully, trying to recall the source of that unusual sound. It had been brief and muffled, not like an internal engine explosion.

His gaze finally locked on the transmission system.

He brushed away thick snow with his glove and quickly found the problem, the transmission belt had broken.

In such extreme cold weather, rubber and composite materials become very brittle, and high-intensity operation can easily cause them to break.

"The belt broke."

Lin Yu'an called out to Stan, his voice unusually clear in the open forest.

Stan still didn't move, just nodded, seemingly saying, "I know, so what?"

Lin Yu'an found a spare belt and specialized tools from the tool box.

Replacing the transmission belt was technical work, especially outdoors in minus twenty-plus degrees weather. Metal tools were bone-chillingly cold, and finger dexterity was greatly affected.

He didn't remove his gloves but began dismantling the transmission system's guard with extremely steady and precise movements.

Every screw, every turn, appeared unhurried.

Stan just watched, watching this young man methodically remove the remnants of the old belt, clean away debris, then carefully fit the new belt onto the transmission wheel.

About twenty minutes later, Lin Yu'an reassembled the guard, stood up, and turned the ignition key again.

The snowmobile let out a crisp roar, its power restored. Lin Yu'an mounted the vehicle and looked toward Stan.

On Stan's weather-carved face, there finally appeared a barely visible expression that could be called a "smile."

"Not bad. I deliberately put that old belt on this snowmobile. This is your first lesson."

"When going out in Alaska, the first thing to do is check all your equipment and prepare backup solutions."

He waved at Lin Yu'an to follow, then turned his vehicle around and continued forward.

This small incident made Lin Yu'an's standing in Stan's mind a few points heavier.

In an open area near the riverbank, Stan suddenly raised his arm and clenched his fist.

This was a silent gesture meaning "stop advancing and stay quiet."

Lin Yu'an immediately understood, slowly stopped the snowmobile, and immediately turned off the engine.

The surroundings instantly returned to pin-drop silence, with only the wailing sound of cold wind through the treetops.

Stan pointed to a willow thicket not far ahead.

Following his finger's direction, Lin Yu'an saw an awe-inspiring scene.

A huge female moose was leading a half-grown calf, struggling through waist-deep snow.

The adult moose was even taller than a fine horse, with highly muscled shoulders that conveyed a sense of primitive power.

Stan continued explaining in a low voice, "You need to know that in Alaska, what troubles you most often isn't bears or wolves, but these guys, especially mother moose with children."

"They're the most emotional animals in this forest, more unpredictable than the most irritable grizzly bear."

He taught Lin Yu'an how to judge a moose's mood by observing its ear posture and lip movements.

"When her ears stand naturally like this, it means she's relaxed."

"But if her ears suddenly fold back against her head and her lips start constantly smacking, that's the final warning."

"You must immediately, right away, without hesitation, back away. Otherwise, she'll attack."

This kind of local experience was more profound thAn’any book knowledge.

They quietly waited for nearly ten minutes until the mother and calf slowly disappeared into the forest's depths.

Over these few days, Stan gradually took him to many places in the surrounding area, and Lin Yu'an gained a general understanding of the environment.

On the fourth day, the real estate agent called Lin Yu'an via video.

Lin Yu'an opened his phone, and a woman in a business suit appeared on screen. She was the real estate agent hired by the production team, Susan Miller.

"Good news, Lin! Things went much more smoothly than I expected!"

Susan smiled and explained the current process progress to Lin Yu'an.

"Lin, we've submitted a full-cash 'Letter of Intent to Purchase' to the seller, and it's been accepted. We now have a legally binding 'Purchase Agreement.'"

"After that, we deposited an 'earnest money' amount equal to 5% of the total price into a third-party title company's escrow account."

"Now the title company has begun the most critical title search, ensuring this land has no legal defects."

"At the same time, we'll hire a licensed surveyor to precisely measure the land boundaries."

"After all investigations and surveys are complete, Miss Aliya can remotely sign documents in Montana and wire the balance to the escrow account."

"Finally, we wait for the deed to be registered with government departments, and this land will officially belong to you!"

Susan's explanation was clear and thorough, making a complex legal process understandable.

After hanging up, Lin Yu'an looked toward the forest and valley covered with white snow outside the window, and an unprecedented sense of anticipation gradually rose in his heart!

That evening, Lin Yu'an again made a video call to Aliya.

He described in detail the land he had selected, describing the river, forest, and that beautiful moose.

"It's perfect, Aliya. I can feel that's our place."

Aliya held daughter An’an and listened quietly, her eyes sparkling.

"I trust your feeling, darling. Whatever place you choose is the best place."

On screen, little An’an waved her tender little fists and made babbling sounds, as if cheering for her father's decision.

After hanging up, he noticed the dark sky outside seemed a bit different. He walked out of the cabin and looked up at the night sky.

Just then!

A pale green band of light, like a muse's skirt, silently appeared on the northern horizon.

Then the light band began dancing, transforming, expanding into a huge, flowing, brilliant pink and green interweaving.

In an indescribably magnificent posture, it covered the entire sky!

It was the northern lights!

Lin Yu'an was completely shocked by the scene before him. He looked up, feeling this beautiful and spectacular natural scenery.

The cabin door was pushed open, and Stan also came out.

He didn't look at Lin Yu'an but, like him, gazed up at that dancing starry sky.

"The elders say this is the souls of departed ancestors performing a torch dance in heaven."

"They're welcoming new family members."

Stan's voice sounded particularly deep in the silent night.

Lin Yu'an didn't speak, just silently felt this land's gentlest welcome ceremony.

The scouting trip's mission had been perfectly completed, with only waiting for related procedures to finish remaining.

The night before departure, Jack prepared a sumptuous dinner in the rented cabin and invited Stan.

Unexpectedly, Stan not only came but also brought a gift.

A package of moose jerky and a small bottle of birch wine he had brewed himself.

For Stan, who was always serious, this was undoubtedly the highest level of courtesy.

Lin Yu'an raised his glass, "Thank you, Stan. To our future survival."

Stan also raised his cup and lightly clinked it with his, "To this land."

The dinner atmosphere was unprecedentedly harmonious.

The next day, Lin Yu'an's group set off back to Fairbanks.

At the starting point of the Dalton Highway, they bid farewell to Stan again.

"See you in spring, Stan." Lin Yu'an extended his hand.

This time Stan didn't hesitate and firmly grasped his hand, saying in a deep voice, "Kid, when you come back, bring your best energy. This land has endless work to be done."

Lin Yu'an nodded heavily.

On the plane back to Montana, Lin Yu'an looked at the continuous snow mountains outside the window, his heart full of anticipation.

In his mind, he had already outlined a clear blueprint. In spring, he would return here with Aliya and the children.

On this vast and primitive land, he would build a home that belonged to him!

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