Chapter 712: Arrangements (Part 2)

The first time breathing fresh air freely, without needing a gas mask.

The first time touching soft green grass without thinking about digging a trench.

The first time twisting open a party popper without looking for cover.

The first time feeling the joy of a musical rhythm instead of covering my ears.

The first time falling asleep peacefully, without nightmares, no longer needing to grip a pistol at all times.

Experiencing so many firsts, the tears suddenly started to fall.

‘So I can still be moved after all.’

….

“Boss, we’re over here!”

A veteran saw Yves and Paine walk into the bar and shouted, raising his beer bottle.

Yves and Paine followed the voice and found the veterans.

Each of them grabbed a beer from the table and took a long swig.

The cold beer flowed down their throats, chasing away some of the morning chill.

After drinking, Yves casually wiped the beer foam from the corner of his mouth. Then, he pulled a stack of envelopes from his pocket, slapped them on the table, and said, “From the boss. They have names on them. Grab yours.”

SWOOSH!

The veterans whistled excitedly as they each found the envelope with their name on it.

Full of curiosity, they opened the envelopes to find only a cashier’s check inside.

To be honest, the veterans didn’t really care how much money Feng Shan gave them.

After all.

Having their debilitating PTSD treated in Crown Territory was already the greatest gift God could have given them.

No amount of money, they knew, could buy a healthy body.

Let alone mend a family that had been torn apart.

“Fuck, Boss, did you grab the wrong ones?!” a veteran with a buzz cut asked, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at the amount on the check.

“How much is it?”

Yves didn’t know how much money the boss had given them.

However, knowing the boss, he was always generous and definitely wouldn’t be stingy about something like this.

“Ten thousand US Dollars.”

The other veterans, having finished looking at their checks, spoke up in similar astonishment, their voices full of disbelief.

One of them was so excited he held his check high in the air and yelled toward the bar.

“Mary, bring out the best booze in the bar! It’s on me tonight!”

“Fuck!” Yves remembered the boss’s specific instructions and quickly shouted to the bar, “Sorry, Mary! This idiot’s already drunk. Just bring us some beers.”

Paine’s expression turned serious as he looked at the veterans. “The boss said you have to send this money to your families. No wasting it at the bar. Anyone who dares to squander it will be sent to the Bear Tribe to collect cow dung.”

The Bear Tribe camp had a long-standing tradition of using cow dung as fuel.

However, collecting cow dung was no easy task.

You had to carry a basket and search carefully through the pastures where the cattle grazed.

And you couldn’t use fresh dung; you had to wait until it was semi-dry or completely dry before you could pick it up.

The thought of searching for cow dung all over the Mossy Tundra, braving the cold wind, was not exactly appealing.

Upon hearing they’d have to go collect cow dung at the Bear Tribe, the veterans deflated like popped balloons and slumped back into their seats, dejected.

Although they were a little disappointed, they understood the boss’s good intentions.

This money was a gesture of care from the boss to their families and couldn’t be squandered.

“Alright, so are your families planning to come over?” Yves asked with a gentle smile as he pulled out a chair and sat down.

Hearing this question, the veterans gathered around the table immediately opened up.

They all started pouring out their troubles.

One veteran was the first to speak, sighing with a worried look on his face. “Sigh, my wife wants to come, but my kid is still in school. The problem is, there’s no school at the camp. What about his education?”

“My wife has high blood pressure and needs to go to the hospital for check-ups every so often. But there’s no hospital at the camp. It’s too inconvenient to have to travel so far every time,” another veteran chimed in, his expression full of concern.

Then, another veteran frowned and waved his hand in resignation. “And there’s the issue of work. Even if our families come, what can they do? They can’t just stay cooped up in their log cabins all day.”

After hearing the veterans’ problems, Yves thought for a moment.

“I’ll bring these issues to the boss. The school and hospital should be fine. Teacher Lucy has already been invited over, and the hospital is under consideration. As for jobs, we’ll have to wait a bit on that.”

….

Meanwhile, in the restaurant next door, Feng Shan was leisurely eating breakfast while seriously discussing the matter of establishing a school with Teacher Lucy.

Lucy, for her part, had no problem with teaching in Crown Territory.

The conversation naturally turned to the topic of salary.

Feng Shan had done his research beforehand and knew that the average annual salary for a teacher in Alaska was around sixty thousand US Dollars.

However, Crown Territory was in a relatively remote location, and its conditions were a far cry from those in a city.

After careful consideration, Feng Shan made a very sincere salary offer.

A monthly salary of 6,000 US Dollars, plus a moving allowance, a signing bonus, round-trip airfare from Crown Territory to Anchorage, a cost-of-living adjustment, and more.

Lucy mentally calculated the total.

With a package like that, it would basically add up to 8,000 US Dollars a month.

For Lucy, this salary level was indeed quite attractive.

Furthermore, Feng Shan specifically promised Teacher Lucy that if she agreed to teach, she would not have to pay any taxes to Crown Territory.

Although Alaska has no state income tax, federal personal income tax—including Social Security and Medicare taxes—still had to be paid normally.

However, Feng Shan could provide things like subsidized housing, a cafeteria, and a medical expense plan to help Teacher Lucy reduce her taxable income.

This was a particularly attractive point for Lucy.

After all, no one is the Holy Mother Mary. People have to live and face all sorts of living expenses.

A large part of her reason for considering a teaching job in Crown Territory was the considerable income.

According to the terms Feng Shan was offering, she could earn 79,000 US Dollars a year in Crown Territory.

In Lucy’s view, this was a very tempting offer.

However, after thinking it over and weighing her options, Teacher Lucy still looked troubled and brought up the immediate problem.

“Mr. Feng, the terms you’re offering are indeed very attractive, and I’d be more than willing to become the teacher for Crown Territory. But the problem right now is that you don’t have an established school here, not even a decent classroom. Even if I agree, I have no place to work.”

‘A school?’

‘A classroom?’

To Feng Shan, this didn’t seem like a particularly difficult problem.

There weren’t many children in the camp right now. There was no need for an entire school; building a single classroom would be enough.

Feng Shan made a decision on the spot, promising to have the classroom built within a week.

All Teacher Lucy needed to do was prepare a list of supplies the children would need for class.

After settling matters with the teacher, Feng Shan didn’t delay for a moment. He immediately went to find Mova.

As soon as they met, Feng Shan skipped the usual pleasantries and got straight to the point. “What do you think of Crown Territory?”

“It’s fantastic. The air is so fresh it’s like it’s been filtered, and the hot springs are absolutely wonderful. Soaking in them feels like it washes all the fatigue away.” A hint of fondness flashed in Mova’s eyes before her tone shifted. “But it does have some shortcomings. It lacks recreational facilities, and the overall atmosphere is more suited for rest and recuperation. From a tourism perspective, it’s not ideal for tourists who are looking for fun and entertainment.”

Feng Shan nodded slightly after hearing Mova’s assessment.

“I’m working on changing the things you mentioned,” he said, his tone then taking on a note of resignation.

“Until the highway is completed, we can only maintain the status quo for now. I hope you won’t limit your focus to just Crown Territory. Alaska is vast and has more than enough scenery. We can absolutely incorporate those areas into our travel packages to let more people experience the charm of this region.”

“I understand!” Mova nodded.

As a top student who had graduated with a degree in Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality Management, she naturally understood the importance of expanding one’s tourism horizons and integrating various resources for the development of the industry.