Chapter 622 - 407: Interview 2

Chapter 622: Chapter 407: Interview 2

Feng Shan’s heart skipped a beat as he silently wondered.

’Could there be more to this?’

He quickly brought his attention back. Although he felt a little embarrassed by how Brother Kai had introduced him, Feng Shan knew it was perfectly normal for her to be wary during their first meeting.

After all, his appearance didn’t exactly scream "successful, suit-and-tie executive."

"President Feng, my apologies." Ouyang Xue seemed to realize her attitude had been inappropriate. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks as she stepped forward and extended her hand, a hint of apology now in her eyes.

"It’s nothing."

Feng Shan smiled and gave her hand a light, brief shake before pulling back. The gesture was natural and gentlemanly.

That small gesture...

...couldn’t help but stir a flicker of goodwill in Ouyang Xue.

The suspicion she held toward Feng Shan quietly began to fade.

"Alright, let’s sit and chat! No need to be so formal. We’re all part of the same company, yet you’re acting more distant than I am."

Zhang Kai looked between them, continuing his role as the icebreaker with a hearty smile.

He picked up the phone on his desk and spoke into the receiver. "Have the assistant bring in a pot of tea."

He hung up, then gestured toward the nearby sofa for them to sit.

The three of them took their seats on the sofa. It was soft and comfortable, creating a relaxing atmosphere.

Ouyang Xue gently smoothed her skirt and sat perfectly upright, exhibiting her usual professional poise.

Feng Shan, on the other hand, leaned back slightly, his posture relaxed yet still respectful.

Zhang Kai sat between them, leaning forward slightly, radiating enthusiasm.

Moments later, an assistant entered with a pot of tea. They placed it on the coffee table, poured each of them a cup, and then quietly withdrew.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the office once again lapsed into an awkward silence.

Feng Shan and Ouyang Xue sat facing each other, the air between them thick with silence. It seemed they truly had nothing to say.

They would occasionally glance at each other, only to quickly avert their gazes. The situation was growing a little awkward.

"Say something, you two! Seriously," Zhang Kai said, looking at them with a helpless expression. "This is your company, President Feng, but you’re acting like a guest." He was trying his best to liven things up, but it felt like a losing battle.

Just then, Ouyang Xue began to discreetly size up the company’s big boss before her.

’Just like President Zhang said,’ she thought to herself.

’He really is a quiet one.’

After a moment’s thought, she decided this couldn’t go on. They might actually end up sitting there in silence indefinitely.

So, she decided to take the initiative and break the ice.

"President Feng, I’ve heard Alaska is currently experiencing a severe cold snap and blizzards. I was wondering if that will affect tourism. I’ve already confirmed several tour groups on my end, so if there are any changes, I’ll need to adjust their schedules."

"Yes, it’s had an impact, but not a major one. When are you planning to send the groups out?" Feng Shan felt a sense of relief at her question. Now that they had a topic, he knew how to carry the conversation.

He sat up a little straighter and looked at Ouyang Xue intently, waiting for her reply.

Seeing that the two of them were finally talking, Zhang Kai let out a quiet sigh of relief from the sidelines.

A pleased smile spread across his face as he lifted his cup for a sip of tea. He listened quietly to their conversation, chiming in now and then, and the atmosphere in the office gradually began to thaw.

Ouyang Xue opened the folder she had brought with her and spread it out on the table, her slender fingers tracing across the page.

"Around mid-January of next year. We currently have three confirmed tour groups, totaling 124 people. Since this is a high-end tour package, the clients are very particular about every detail."

’Mid-January...’

Feng Shan rubbed his chin, lost in thought. Outside the window, the clouds had sunk lower at some point, casting his profile in a stark contrast of light and shadow.

’That’s still almost twenty days away. It shouldn’t be a major issue.’

’The River Beach’s continuous operation can replenish the Soul Power of the tribe’s Fire Seed, which will bring life back to the Mossy Wasteland.’

’Yves has already started purchasing cattle and sheep from Horned Ranch, so the livestock issue is taken care of.’

’Food and lodging for the tourists won’t be an issue for now. The only problem is the plantation.’

’When the cold snap and blizzards passed through a few days ago, all the vegetables and strawberries in the plantation froze.’

’Even if we replant immediately, twenty days isn’t enough time for the seedlings to mature enough for harvesting.’

Feng Shan’s fingertips tapped unconsciously on his knee. He considered whether he should buy organic produce from elsewhere at a premium as a stopgap, but he worried that would undermine the Crown Territory’s key selling point as a self-sufficient, high-end destination.

Ouyang Xue noticed a flicker of difficulty on Feng Shan’s face. She tilted her head slightly, and after a moment of thought, she asked softly, "President Feng, is there a problem at the camp? I can communicate with the tour groups to push the date back a bit. Postponements due to unavoidable natural disasters are permissible in our industry."

"No need to postpone. It’s not a major issue. We can proceed as planned." Feng Shan shook his head, his gaze firm and confident. "I’ll have the camp ready as soon as possible. It won’t affect the tourists’ arrival time."

Ouyang Xue nodded lightly, a flicker of admiration in her eyes. But then her brow furrowed slightly, as if she still had other concerns.

"That’s good to hear. Our agency is the only one in the country offering this Alaska tour itinerary, which gives us a huge advantage. However, many potential clients are hesitant because they’re worried about safety. After all, Alaska’s crime rate is among the top three in the United States."

As if to emphasize the gravity of the issue, Ouyang Xue added, "We have to find a way to alleviate the tourists’ concerns, or it will affect the company’s future growth."

The safety issue!

The corners of Feng Shan’s mouth curved into a confident smile. "You don’t need to worry about that," he said, his tone firm. "In Alaska, the Crown Territory *is* safety. Anyone who comes looking for trouble with the Crown Territory will find trouble coming for them instead."

However, his words only made Ouyang Xue’s brow, which had just begun to smooth out, furrow even more deeply.

She had been in the tourism industry for many years and had dealt with her fair share of local strongmen.

Unpleasant memories flashed through her mind.

Sometimes, you’d negotiate everything in advance with these local players, only for them to renege on the deal the moment the tourists arrived, jacking up prices for everything.

If you refused to pay, they’d send people to harass the tourists, throwing the entire trip into chaos.

Back home, when faced with such situations, you could usually resolve it by paying up. The tour group would take a small loss, grit their teeth, and move on.

But this was an international tour. They were in a foreign land, and the situation was far more complex.

Sure, the company’s promotional posters were plastered with photos of the boss hunting and crab fishing.

Judging by those photos, the boss certainly seemed to have some standing in parts of Alaska.

But Alaska was a vast place, an enormous territory.

Who could guarantee he had influence everywhere?

What if they ran into some unreasonable foreigners who refused to show him any deference?

Even as the boss, he would probably be powerless in that situation.

However, Ouyang Xue was completely unaware of the true extent of Feng Shan’s influence in Alaska.

She had no idea that, aside from a few government-designated restricted zones, Feng Shan could move through Alaska virtually unimpeded.

As the Chief Sheriff of the Far North Tundra Region’s Indigenous Alliance, Feng Shan wielded significant law enforcement authority.

Across the vast expanse of the Far North Tundra, his name alone carried more weight than a police intervention.

The Indigenous People there held him in the highest regard. A single word from Feng Shan was enough to settle disputes and resolve intractable problems.

In central Alaska, the Wild Bull Tribe was the largest Indigenous Tribe, and the Athabasca people were widespread.

And in the eyes of Uerta, chief of the Wild Bull Tribe, Feng Shan was revered with a near-spiritual awe, as if he were a force of nature itself.

For Feng Shan, any trouble was a trivial matter that could be resolved with a single word.

As for the southern coastal region, while Feng Shan hadn’t delved deep into it, he was quite familiar with Saint Paul Island.

But now with Lengwan in the picture, any gangs thinking of starting something had to think twice.

Lengwan’s presence served as a powerful deterrent, ensuring that no reckless fool would dare to cross Feng Shan.

In official circles, he had the backing of Frank, a little old lady nicknamed "the Viper."

All in all, whether in the criminal underworld, legitimate society, or the gray areas in between, no one dared to mess with the Crown Territory.

Seeing the blatant disbelief on Ouyang Xue’s face—she all but had the word "Braggart" written across her forehead—Feng Shan felt a little helpless.

He decided it was time to enlighten this woman, who clearly didn’t know him at all...

...about the true extent of his formidable power in Alaska.

.....