Chapter 607 - 400: Landing

Chapter 607: Chapter 400: Landing

The group left the runway and followed Old Tom into a house made from converted shipping containers.

The moment he pushed the door open, a wave of heat carrying the scent of pinewood washed over them.

Firewood CRACKLED in the fireplace, its flames licking a copper kettle on an iron rack. The rising steam blurred the frost flowers on the windowpanes.

"Honey, we have guests! Go make some coffee!" Old Tom yelled up to the second floor at the top of his lungs.

The sound of high heels clicking against metal steps came from the staircase.

A brown-haired woman descended gracefully, one hand on the carved banister. A red cashmere dress hugged her exquisite figure, and crystal icicle earrings swayed with her every step.

She planted a kiss on Old Tom’s cheek.

Her lipstick left a bright mark on his rough skin. As she turned to look at Feng Shan, her gaze was flirtatious. "I’ll go make the coffee now."

Feng Shan watched the woman’s retreating figure and asked in a low voice, "New girlfriend?"

Old Tom immediately puffed out his chest, his fingers brushing against a gleaming gold watch. "A temporary girlfriend! A successful man can’t be tied down by a woman."

Then, he leaned in with a conspiratorial wink, his breath reeking of alcohol and Cigars.

"Nancy is the top girl at the Polaris Sun Club. Her fireplace at home cracked from the cold, so she’s crashing here for a few days. But hey, she’s got a few friends who are more captivating than the Alaskan aurora. I’ll take you to a party with them sometime."

Right.

Feng Shan sighed helplessly.

He didn’t approve of Old Tom’s messy, freewheeling relationships.

But he couldn’t be bothered to say anything.

After all, with his own unresolved messes with Natasha and Jenny, who was he to judge anyone else?

"Have you bought your plane ticket back home yet?" Old Tom took a coffee cup from Nancy. The cup and saucer clinked together as he set it down in front of Feng Shan, splashing a bit of the brown liquid onto the log tabletop where it spread into a stain.

Feng Shan picked up the cup by its handle and took a small sip. The scalding coffee, mixed with the rich aroma of cream, slid down his throat.

"Booked it before Christmas."

"If it weren’t for the cold snap, I’d probably have landed by now. There’s a flight this afternoon I can still make."

Old Tom sank deeper into the sofa, his fingers tracing the rim of his cup. He lowered his voice. "Bringing any... special gifts back for the family? I can help you with the customs paperwork."

The flickering firelight made the wrinkles on Old Tom’s face dance between light and shadow, making him look just like a wily old fox hiding a secret.

As a local powerhouse who’d been rooted in Fairbank for decades, he naturally had his own special channels, specifically for serving the wealthy. ℴ

Just the other day, Brother Kai took quite a few nice things back home.

And it was Old Tom who provided a set of legitimate customs documents for him.

Feng Shan gazed at the snow falling outside the window, his fingers unconsciously scratching Coca-Cola’s chin.

Coca-Cola squinted in comfort, its fluffy tail curling around his wrist.

"No need. The only family I have back home are Xiaohua and the other two. But Coca-Cola has to fly as cargo, and I don’t want to put him through that."

Speaking of which, it was impossible not to think about that incident seven years ago.

Not only did his own life and circumstances completely change,

it also made Feng Shan see people’s true nature.

He was content that he still had three of them left now.

Old Tom, sensing the shift in mood, sat up straight, his down jacket rustling. "Hey, buddy, you’ve still got me! I’ll handle the Coca-Cola situation. We can file a special application!"

Feng Shan glanced up at him, the corner of his mouth pulling into a humorless smile. "The last time you ’handled’ paperwork for Brother Kai, he got interrogated at customs for half an hour and almost had everything confiscated."

"That was a fluke! It absolutely won’t be a problem this time!" Old Tom’s expression turned awkward, and he added sheepishly, "I know the deputy director of the Animal and Plant Quarantine Bureau. I’ll go sort it out in a bit!"

The flames in the fireplace licked the copper kettle, and the scent of roasting coffee beans drifted through the steam.

As the group chatted idly, Feng Shan’s phone suddenly rang.

He answered it, and Jeff’s slightly anxious voice came through the phone. "Buddy, I hear you’re heading back home?"

Feng Shan got up and walked to the window, the frost flowers on the glass shattering at his touch. "Yeah, afternoon flight. I’m at Old Tom’s flight school now, getting ready to head to the airport."

Before he could finish, the RUSTLE of flipping papers came from the other end of the line.

"Don’t take a commercial flight. I’ve already got the Petroleum prepped and waiting for you on the tarmac," Jeff said quickly.

Gazing at the tarmac, which was blurred by the wind and snow, Feng Shan tapped a steady rhythm on the windowsill with his fingertips.

’The Petroleum, a Gulfstream G650, really is the height of luxury. You don’t feel tired at all on long-haul flights.’

’The last flight from Alaska to Texas was fantastic.’

’But international routes are different from domestic U.S. flights. You have to file a separate application with the air traffic control authority, and the process is unbelievably complicated.’

After a moment’s thought, Feng Shan ultimately declined Jeff’s kind offer. "There’s not enough time. We’re leaving this afternoon. International routes require advance filing."

Jeff let out a smug laugh. "Don’t worry, I already filed for the route on Christmas Eve. Just waiting for you to leave."

He quickly added, "If you don’t take it, the Chief will definitely chew me out. So just do me a favor, okay?"

"Tsk, tsk, a Gulfstream G650. That’s ten times more comfortable than a commercial flight!" Old Tom said with an envious look, then nudged Feng Shan’s shoulder lightly. "Don’t turn it down. In this day and age, someone willing to let you use their private jet for free... that’s a deep connection."

Feng Shan sighed.

’He was right. Refusing again would just be pretentious. He had to accept.’

The moment he put down the phone, Xiaohua was already jumping for joy. "This is amazing! I’ve never been on a private jet before!"

And the eyes of Hu Zi and Black Hide also sparkled with anticipation.

「Half an hour later.」 Old Tom’s Pickup Truck crunched over the snow and stopped at the private jet tarmac of the international airport.