HUN Chapter 98: The Dalton Highway

"Hermann Lin?"

The man proactively extended his hand with an astonishing grip strength.

"I'm Jack, the local coordinator for 'Life Below Zero.' Welcome to Fairbanks, Alaska welcomes you!"

"Hello, Jack." Lin Yu'an shook hands with him firmly.

"There's a car waiting for us outside." Jack led him outward.

"The rest of the scouting team won't arrive until tomorrow. Today I'll first take you to the hotel to get settled, and we can chat about the upcoming itinerary."

"If nothing unexpected happens, tomorrow morning we'll set off, traveling north along the Dalton Highway to Wiseman!"

Walking out of the airport, a modified heavy-duty Ford F-350 pickup truck sat quietly by the roadside.

Those massive tires and raised chassis silently proclaimed it was a beast capable of conquering this land.

Jack skillfully drove this steel beast, traveling smoothly on the snow-covered roads.

Fairbanks's cityscape was completely different from mainland American cities.

The buildings here were generally not tall, with practicality far outweighing aesthetics. On the shop signs along both sides of the streets, patterns of sled dogs, brown bears, and northern lights could be seen everywhere.

"How does it feel, Lin? Is this the same as you imagined?"

Jack broke the silence, his voice carrying a trace of the roughness and enthusiasm unique to Alaskans.

"It feels more primitive than I imagined." Lin Yu'an looked out the window and said sincerely.

Jack burst out laughing, "Primitive, that's a good word! Just wait, when we get on the Dalton Highway, you'll know what truly 'primitive' means!"

"Tomorrow, traveling with us, besides the scouting team's director and photographer, there will also be a true local legend, Stan Zurawski."

"Stan Zurawski?"

Lin Yu'an had some impression of this name, seeming to have seen it in the materials Richard had given him.

"That's right." Jack's eyes revealed a trace of respect.

"Stan is one of Wiseman's most famous hunters and trappers, and also the most experienced guide."

"He has lived on this land for over forty years and knows every stream and forest in the Koyukuk River basin like the back of his hand."

"Richard specifically paid a high price to bring him out of retirement to serve as your early guide. With him there, your site selection process will go much more smoothly."

Lin Yu'an nodded, feeling more anticipation for this journey in his heart.

The pickup drove into the city center and finally stopped in front of a wooden structure called the "Northern Lights Hotel."

The hotel wasn't large, but it was full of warm frontier atmosphere. A warm fireplace burned in the lobby, and many black and white old photographs hung on the walls, recording Fairbanks's gold rush history.

Jack helped him complete the check-in procedures and handed him an itinerary and several documents.

"This is tomorrow's specific departure time, along with detailed information about those plots of land. Richard showed them to you before, you can study them again."

"Rest well and adjust to the time difference. Tonight you can try the reindeer burger at the hotel restaurant, it tastes very authentic."

Jack patted his shoulder, "Tomorrow morning at seven o'clock, I'll come pick you up."

After seeing Jack off, Lin Yu'an entered his room. The room wasn't large, but it was cleAn’and tidy, with a window facing the frozen Chena River.

He didn't rush to rest but first took out his phone and made a video call to Aliya.

The screen quickly connected, and Aliya's face appeared in the frame. In the background was the familiar living room of the McKinley house, and she was holding Ethan, who was quietly sucking his finger.

"Darling, you arrived?" Aliya's smile was still so gentle.

"Just arrived at the hotel, everything went smoothly." Lin Yu'an turned the camera toward the window, letting her see the scenery here.

"It's very cold here, but very beautiful."

"How are the babies? Are they being good?"

"They're being good." Aliya pulled the camera closer so Lin Yu'an could clearly see their son's little face.

"Look, Ethan sleeps after eating his fill. An’an was just taken by Mom to be coaxed to sleep. Everything at home is fine, don't worry."

Looking at his wife and children's faces on the screen, Lin Yu'an felt a warm current surge in his heart. They chatted about family matters for a while until Aliya urged him to rest, and only then did they reluctantly hang up.

After hanging up, Lin Yu'an spread the several land documents Jack had given him on the table and studied them carefully.

Each document came with detailed satellite maps, topographical maps, soil analysis reports, and historical transaction records.

He focused particularly on the two plots of land Richard had mentioned.

Plot A: 50 acres, adjacent to a tributary of the Koyukuk River, with riverfront access and abundant timber resources, but relatively low-lying terrain.

Plot B: 30 acres, higher elevation with open views, close to the Dalton Highway with convenient transportation, but with relatively fewer available timber resources, and water supply would need to be solved through deep well drilling.

Lin Yu'an slowly traced his finger across the map, already beginning to construct the blueprint of his future homestead in his mind.

Knowledge gained from books is shallow after all. The final choice would still require seeing and stepping on that land with his own eyes and feet.

That night, Lin Yu'an slept deeply.

Early the next morning, while it was still dim, Jack appeared punctually at the hotel entrance driving that F-350.

Lin Yu'an opened the car door and found two people already sitting in the back seat.

One was a gentle-looking director wearing glasses named David. The other was a photographer named Mike. They exchanged simple greetings.

Jack started the car while saying, "Stan is waiting for us outside the city. He doesn't like the hustle and bustle of town."

The pickup drove out of Fairbanks city center. At the starting point of the Dalton Highway, a weather-beaten old Chevrolet pickup was parked by the roadside.

A man was leaning against the front of the truck, smoking a hand-rolled cigarette.

He appeared to be about sixty years old, lean but exceptionally sturdy, wearing a faded canvas hunting outfit, his face covered with deep wrinkles.

Even from a distance, Lin Yu'an could sense the powerful aura about him that seemed to merge with nature!

"This is Stan Zurawski."

When Lin Yu'an got out of the car, Stan extinguished his cigarette, his deep gaze sweeping over him like he was evaluating prey.

Stan spoke, "You're that Chinese kid who survived a bear's mouth?"

Lin Yu'an calmly met his gaze and extended his hand, "Hello, Mr. Stan, you can call me Lin."

Stan didn't immediately shake hands but sized him up for a few more seconds before extending his calloused hand and gripping it firmly.

He said concisely, "Just call me Stan. The road is long, kid. Let me see if you really have what it takes to survive on this land."

After Stan finished speaking, he turned around on his own, pulled open the door of his old Chevrolet with crisp, efficient movements.

Jack shrugged at Lin Yu'an, indicating he shouldn't mind, then called for everyone to get in their respective vehicles.

Lin Yu'an got back into the Ford pickup's passenger seat. Director David leaned forward from the back seat and handed him a small lapel microphone.

"Lin, from now on, I hope you can wear this at all times." David's voice was gentle.

"We want to capture the most natural and authentic reactions and conversations. You don't need to deliberately speak to the camera, just act like we don't exist and communicate normally with Jack and Stan."

Lin Yu'an took the microphone, expertly clipped it inside his collar, and nodded.

The two pickups, one behind the other, officially drove onto the legendary Dalton Highway.

This road, one of North America's most remote and dangerous, stretched like a gray ribbon across the endless white wilderness, pointing straight north.

On both sides of the highway were continuous black spruce forests, and further away, the magnificent Alaska Range stood majestically and silently on the horizon.

Photographer Mike had already set up his equipment, with the lens focused on Lin Yu'an's profile, capturing the fleeting expression in his eyes as he gazed out the window.

Director David simultaneously observed every subtle expression on Lin Yu'an's face.

As an experienced reality show director, he knew very well that a character's charm was often reflected in these authentic first reactions to new environments.

Richard's evaluation of this Chinese man was extremely high. One of David's purposes on this trip was to verify that evaluation.

"Do you see that?"

Jack pointed to a massive silver pipeline running parallel to the road in the distance.

"That's the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. You could say this Dalton Highway was built for it! For the next several hundred miles of our journey, it will accompany us."

"How's Stan's driving?" Lin Yu'an asked seemingly casually.

Jack laughed, "Don't worry, he's driven more miles on this road than all of us combined."

"Look at his old Chevrolet. Though it looks worn, the chassis, suspension, and tires have all been modified. He's much steadier than those of us driving new cars."

The convoy continued north, and the scenery outside became increasingly desolate and magnificent.

They crossed the Yukon River Bridge and made a brief stop for rest and refueling at the roadside "Coldfoot Camp."

This was an important supply station on the Dalton Highway and one of the last outposts of civilization.

At lunch, everyone sat around a long table. Stan ate a large plate of stew covered in gravy by himself, completely ignoring the film crew's cameras.

David seized the opportunity to guide the conversation, "Lin, how does it feel to set foot on Alaska for the first time? Compared to your previous experience at Chilko Lake, what's different?"

Lin Yu'an took a sip of hot coffee to warm himself, thought seriously for a moment before answering.

"The wilderness at Chilko Lake was lonely. It tested individual survival in extreme environments."

"But the wilderness here feels more grand, more with a sense of 'neighborliness.'"

"Neighborliness?"

This unexpected word made both David and Jack pause.

"Yes."

Lin Yu'an explained, "Although sparsely populated, the people here, like Mr. Stan, like Jack, and those drivers operating heavy trucks, everyone is part of this land."

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