Chapter 736 - 464: Construction Site (Part 2)

Chapter 736: Chapter 464: Construction Site (Part 2)

He raised a hand against the howling blizzard as he approached the plane.

Feng Mountain reached out and pushed open the cabin door.

The moment his feet touched the ground, a bone-chilling cold rushed over him.

He had grown accustomed to the relatively warmer temperatures of the Crown Territory.

Feeling the true, severe cold of the Tundra again, he couldn’t help but shiver.

"Hey, buddy! Welcome to Sagewang!" Amidst the snowstorm, Sam pulled off his face mask and goggles, revealing his signature beard. He opened his arms and shouted, his voice partially muffled by the wind, but his enthusiasm undiminished.

"Buddy, what are you doing here?"

Feng Mountain smiled and opened his arms as well, returning Sam’s enthusiastic greeting.

The blizzard raged between them, but it couldn’t dampen the joy of old friends reuniting.

After they embraced.

Sam gave Nash a friendly nod by way of greeting.

Then he pulled Feng Mountain toward a Pickup Truck, leaving a trail of deep footprints in the snow.

"Buddy, get in! It’s too damn cold out here. I hate the Tundra weather. It’s as awful as my wife’s fruit pie—totally terrible."

Feng Mountain cracked a smile at Sam’s complaint and climbed into the Pickup Truck.

Soon, the truck’s heater kicked in. A gentle warmth slowly seeped into his body, and feeling gradually returned to his slightly numb limbs.

Of course, as the heat started working, the cabin filled with a mixture of smells.

The scent of engine oil, sweat, and something else unidentifiable.

But in this frigid environment, he didn’t have the luxury of worrying about such things.

Just having a warm place to be was good enough.

Sam started the Pickup Truck.

He drove along a muddy dirt road, the wheels struggling to turn in the slush and kicking up splashes of muddy water.

Along the way, all sorts of machinery could be seen at work outside the window.

Excavators swung their mechanical arms, digging into the frozen earth bit by bit. Loaders shuttled back and forth, moving construction materials. There were also workers braving the cold wind, busily operating various pieces of equipment.

This desolate land was now, thanks to all the busy machinery, filled with life and vitality.

The Pickup Truck reached a fork in the road.

A traffic controller in a reflective vest stood in the middle of the road.

He waved glowing wands with both hands, directing traffic.

Seeing this, Sam slammed on the brakes. The Pickup Truck’s wheels skidded for a moment on the snow, and he couldn’t help but start muttering and cursing under his breath.

It was hard to make out exactly what he was saying, but his face was full of impatience.

A convoy of fully loaded heavy trucks with their headlights blazing roared past in front of the Pickup Truck.

The RUMBLING shook the body of the Pickup Truck slightly.

The muddy water kicked up by the heavy trucks splattered across the Pickup Truck’s windshield like a wave, instantly blurring their vision.

"Fuck! These damn trucks! Don’t they know to slow down at an intersection?!"

Sam’s cursing grew louder now as he angrily slapped the steering wheel.

He swore as he quickly turned on the windshield wipers.

The wipers swung back and forth, but the mud mixed with snowflakes just smeared into crooked, arching stains on the windshield, making their view even blurrier. Sam got so angry he spat out a few more curses.

"Calm down, buddy. We’re not in a hurry!" Feng Mountain quickly tried to soothe Sam’s temper. ’It seems all drivers in Alaska, young or old, have a bit of road rage.’

’Old Tom was like that, and so is Frank.’

’It’s like every other vehicle on the road besides their own is a goddamn bastard.’

’If they don’t curse a few times, they feel uncomfortable all over.’

Once the convoy of heavy trucks had passed, the traffic controller finally waved the Pickup Truck through.

The road, having been repeatedly crushed by the fully loaded trucks, had become a muddy mess. The sludge was nearly half a meter deep.

The mud felt like it had a powerful suction, trying to drag the Pickup Truck to a halt.

Sam cursed the heavy trucks while slamming his foot on the accelerator.

The Pickup Truck’s engine let out an angry ROAR as the wheels spun wildly in the mud, struggling to move forward.

The truck shook violently, every meter gained a monumental effort. Mud splattered continuously against its sides.

They finally managed to drive out of the muddy section of the road.

The Pickup Truck turned onto a narrow path and drove uphill, following the terrain.

Sitting in the truck, Feng Mountain couldn’t help but feel puzzled. ’Where is he taking me?’ he wondered.

The next moment, the view suddenly opened up before them.

A massive construction site appeared in their line of sight.

Rows of workers’ sheds were neatly arranged. Dozens of excavators, their headlights on, worked tirelessly, their giant mechanical arms fighting against the darkness.

Heavy trucks transporting gravel formed an endless line, waiting in an orderly fashion to unload.

The site was a hive of activity. The roar of machinery blended together, composing a unique symphony that echoed in the cold night sky.

"This is...?"

Feng Mountain’s mouth fell open in astonishment. In disbelief, he leaned toward the windshield, his nose almost touching the cold glass.

"Buddy, you can get out and take a look. This is the worksite for the Sawu Highway." Sam couldn’t hide the look of pride on his face as he enthusiastically beckoned for Feng Mountain to get out of the truck.

Stepping out of the Pickup Truck, Feng Mountain felt as if he had stepped into another world.

He stood on a hillside as the cold wind howled, making his animal-hide coat flap loudly.

Not far away was the bustling, feverishly active construction site.

Just by a rough count, he could see dozens of excavators at work.

They were like steel behemoths, waving their massive arms, digging and loading.

Various other machines supported the work—loaders and bulldozers moved about methodically, emitting a deafening ROAR.

Under the bright illumination of various lights, a wide highway came into view.

This highway was elevated above the ground, like a great black dragon snaking its way into the dark, profound depths of the Far North Tundra.

「At that moment.」

A piercingly cold wind suddenly swept over them.

As the gale raged, snowflakes were whipped up, dancing wildly in the pitch-black night sky.

"Buddy, this is the starting point of the Sawu Highway. Look, we’ve already successfully built 20 kilometers. And we expect the highway to be open to traffic on February 15th, a full half-month ahead of schedule." Sam’s face beamed with pride as he enthusiastically described the project’s progress.

However, when he mentioned the opening date, he intentionally stressed his words, as if hinting at something.

"That fast?"

Hearing the completion date was moved up, surprise flashed in Feng Mountain’s eyes, and he subconsciously raised his voice.

Old Li’s plan at the time was for the Sawu Highway to be completed in three months—which, of course, included the section from Umiat to the Crown Territory that had been built incorrectly. He never expected it would be finished in just two and a half months.

Sam shrugged helplessly, spread his hands, and complained in a slightly exaggerated tone.

"Buddy, the construction efficiency of the engineering team from your country is ridiculously fast. I’ve really seen it all now. They advance a conservative 5 kilometers every day. No wonder you guys can build a whole skyscraper in a week. According to Mr. Li, building this kind of highway is as easy as child’s play for them."

’Child’s play??’

Feng Mountain quickly understood what was going on.

It turned out that the construction efficiency of the Dahua Construction Company had stunned these foreigners.

He immediately chuckled and said.

"Let’s go. Take me for a tour of the site. I’d like to meet the engineering team while I’m at it."

Sam nodded in agreement, and the three of them got back in the truck.

The Pickup Truck started slowly, pulling away from the high slope and speeding toward the brightly lit construction site.

After entering the construction camp, the Pickup Truck stopped in front of an insulated work shed.

The moment he pushed the door open, a cold wind carrying fine snowflakes gusted into his collar. Feng Mountain shivered and tightened the animal-hide coat around him.

「Just then.」

Old Li’s powerful roar echoed from within the work shed. The sound pierced through the thick walls, reaching Feng Mountain’s ears clearly.

"Speak! Why is the road paving for Section Two a full two hours behind schedule?"

"A thick layer of warm permafrost?"

"You encountered a thick layer of warm permafrost, so you didn’t think to drive steel pipe piles? That’s the most basic countermeasure! Do I still need to teach you that?"

"The piles are stuck in traffic? Use your brain! Contact the North Slope Petroleum Company and have them immediately reserve a dedicated transport lane for the piles! I want those two hours back!"

Listening to the roars coming from the work shed, Feng Mountain couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration for the old man, who was over seventy.

’For a man his age...’

’He still has some impressive lung capacity.’

...