Landlord in the Arctic

Chapter 338 - 266: Buying Guns (Part 2)

"Whether it’s for handling freeze-thaw cycles, withstanding extreme weather, or lowering future maintenance and repair costs, gravel is the best option."

"Besides, modern construction techniques and machinery are far more advanced. If we’re just paving a gravel road without having to build any bridges, a simple project like this can be completed in two months, tops."

Two months.

That was three months faster than the five-month timeframe Jeff had given.

Feng Shan narrowed his eyes. "Elder Li, no empty boasts now. If you can guarantee you’ll get it done in two months, I can give this project to you."

"Really?" Old Li shot to his feet, his eyes wide.

Even though he was retired, you don’t just forget the field you’ve dedicated your entire life to.

The domestic construction market was booming, sure, but the profit margins were too low. Overseas projects, on the other hand, were often much more profitable. They could also boost a construction company’s brand image and international influence, laying a solid foundation for future growth.

"Of course it’s true, as long as you can guarantee it’ll be built in two months." Feng Shan patted his chest. "I’ll hand the project over to you."

"Just you wait!" Old Li quickly pulled out his phone and stepped out of the shooting range.

He returned a short while later.

His aged face was beaming with delight.

"It’s all set! They’re sending someone to the Crown Territory to discuss it in person."

BANG BANG BANG!!

The three old men at the shooting range were having a blast.

The Glock 17L Combat Master was designed for high-end competition shooting. Both its trigger and frame had been lightened to reduce recoil and improve the overall experience. It felt exceptionally easy to handle, especially for women and the elderly.

One old man fired the gun while the other two loaded magazines.

Having finished his business, Old Li eagerly joined them. The collector’s edition Beretta, meanwhile, lay forgotten in a corner.

Feng Shan’s heart ached for the gun barrel.

Firing at such a high rate was very damaging to the barrel.

’I’ve never been willing to put it through this kind of abuse, but these old men are just holding down the trigger without a second thought. It’s easy for them to go wild; it’s not their gun, after all.’

Anyway, he’d asked everything he needed to. Feng Shan hurried forward, snatched back his beloved Combat Master, and packed it away in its case.

"Hey, Xiaofeng, I only got through one magazine! What are you doing?"

"Let us play with it some more. This gun’s a lot of fun."

"Don’t pack it up! Let us shoot it a bit more."

The old men started shouting when they saw this. He was packing up the gun before they’d had their fill; what the hell was the point of that?

"Hehe!" Feng Shan grinned, clutching the gun case to his chest. "This barrel is very expensive—it’s custom-made. A single one costs 1,000 US Dollars. If anyone wants to shoot it, give me the money, and I’ll place a custom order just for you."

Hearing the price.

The four old men immediately went silent.

1,000 US Dollars—that’s equivalent to 6,000 or 7,000 RMB.

For that much money, you could do all sorts of things. You could empty several whole magazines from an AK-47 for that price.

"If you won’t let us shoot it, then get it out of here. For a big boss, you’re as stingy as Scrooge," Old Liu grumbled.

Old Li was so furious his goatee trembled. "Talk about ungrateful! You get what you want, and then you just toss us aside. It’s like tearing down the bridge right after you’ve crossed it!"

After being thoroughly scolded.

Feng Shan wasn’t angry. He just chuckled, hugged the gun case, and left the shooting range.

This was just their dynamic. One was willing to dish it out, and the other was willing to take it.

...

Back at the cabin, he put the two guns in the armory and looked at the empty gun racks.

Feng Shan thought to himself, ’Now that the cabin has internet and I’ve got some free time, I might as well buy some more guns to fill up the armory.’

With that thought, he eagerly headed back downstairs to the first floor.

He turned on his computer and used Google to search for the official websites of the gun modification companies Jeff had mentioned.

The first one he opened was the official website of TTI Taran Tactical Innovations Company.

He found the firearm sales page.

Inside, there wasn’t just the STI 2011 Combat Master, but also the TTI JW3, JW2, and TTI M4. Every gun was meticulously modified.

The more Feng Shan looked, the more he liked what he saw. He immediately started placing orders.

He bought almost every firearm and tactical accessory in the store. He even bought several of some guns, and a good number of custom magazines.

Sometimes, when men go shopping, they get even more carried away than women.

All the little things he bought added up to a staggering 330,000 US Dollars.

Buying the Carnation had only cost 270,000, and now he’d spent this much just on a pile of firearms.

But he couldn’t bear to part with a single one, so he simply hit ’confirm payment’.

Receiving the debit notification from his bank, Feng Shan felt a pang of pain.

He quietly reminded himself, ’No more reckless spending, no more impulse buys.’

But then he opened the gun modification sites for Deep River Customization, Wilson Combat, Night Hawk Customization, Turnbull Restoration, and American Gunsmithing.

Feng Shan completely forgot the reminder he had just given himself and once again fell into a frantic buying spree.

He emptied one shopping cart after another.

The bank’s debit notifications came in one after another.

At the same time, customer service representatives from these companies started calling to confirm the orders. After all, most customers bought a single firearm or a few accessories at a time; no one else tore through their inventory like Feng Shan, who was treating their websites like a supermarket sweep.

He’d already bought them, so naturally, Feng Shan wasn’t about to cancel the orders.

After he confirmed the orders over the phone, the customer service reps immediately maxed out his client status. They promised to notify him first of any new firearm releases or special events in the future.

Just as Feng Shan was lost in the uncontrollable joy of his shopping spree, a travel-worn Zhang Kai walked into the cabin.

"Brother Feng, I’m back!"

"How did the site survey go?" Feng Shan stood up and gave Zhang Kai a hug.

"Not bad. It’s a good thing you have so much pull around here. Otherwise, the Inuit wouldn’t have given me the time of day." Zhang Kai sank into the sofa, clearly exhausted.

A week ago, Zhang Kai had landed in the Crown Territory with a tour group. The very next day, he’d headed off without stopping to Kivalina Town, Point Laya Village, and Kaktovik Town for an on-site tourism survey.

Kivalina’s main attractions are fishing on the Ice Sea and whale watching.

Point Laya Village’s main attractions are walrus viewing and polar ice skating.

As for Kaktovik Town, its specialties were naturally up-close polar bear viewing and whale watching tours.

Of course, that was only because Feng Shan had called ahead. If Zhang Kai had just shown up trying to enter their villages, the Inuit wouldn’t have been so friendly, let alone welcoming.

"Brother Feng, I’ve already worked out the photography and hospitality arrangements with the local village chiefs. They’ll have guides ready to accompany the tourists as soon as they arrive. I’ll add it to the promotional posters once I’m back home."

"Safety comes first. Try not to bring anyone who isn’t in good health—like the elderly, for instance," Feng Shan suggested pointedly.

Zhang Kai immediately understood who he was referring to.

The thought of those four characters made his head ache.

Right after getting off the plane, he was stopped by the four old men, who said they weren’t planning to return home with the group and were preparing to stay in the Crown Territory for a while.

This kind of situation gave Zhang Kai a huge headache, especially since it had a big impact on the travel agency.

Because tourism law stipulates that outbound tourists must not illegally overstay abroad, and tourists traveling with a group must not separate from or leave the group without authorization.

Furthermore, if a tour leader failed to report such an incident promptly, the authorities could suspend their license. The agency itself could even have its license to operate outbound tours suspended.

The group departed with 50 people, but would return with only 46.

’Where did those four people go? Why aren’t they coming back? Could this be an intentional attempt to immigrate illegally? Was the tour group complicit?’

Just thinking about all the reports he’d have to file when he got back made Zhang Kai’s head throb.

’If I’d known this would happen, I never would have let them join the tour in the first place.’

Feng Shan seemed to guess Zhang Kai’s predicament, patted his shoulder, and consoled him.

"Alright, don’t worry. Elder Liu and the others have already talked to their people back home. They’re in the process of getting their visas sorted out."

"Let’s not talk about them." Zhang Kai’s expression was one of resignation. "Anyway, the next tour group is already in the planning stages. I’ll bring a few new people over to introduce to you. From now on, I’ll be responsible for organizing the groups from our company back home. Running back and forth like this is taking a toll on me."

Feng Shan nodded. "Okay, just let Feng Jun know before the group departs. From now on, he’ll be in charge of all tour group matters."

"That kid’s great, he’s a real smooth talker." Having spent some time with him, Zhang Kai had a good impression of Feng Jun. "As for the tour fees, we’ll stick to the old arrangement: they’ll be deposited into the company’s domestic account, and I’ll settle up with you based on the current US Dollar exchange rate. You should probably get an accountant, though. It’s best to keep clear accounts, even between brothers. I don’t want money to come between us."

Converting US Dollars to RMB would definitely be a loss for Feng Shan.

But for now, it was the only way.

After all, the scale of the operation was still small. If it got bigger, he could set up an offshore tourism company.

"Let’s have Xiaohua handle it. She used to be an accountant. I might have to go back at the end of the month, so we can talk about this when I’m back home."

Since Feng Shan already had someone in mind, Zhang Kai dropped the sensitive topic.

"Okay, I’ll give you a welcome-home dinner when you get back."

...