King of the Wilderness

Chapter 100: Chapter 98: Dalton Highway

”Herman Lin?”

The man proactively extended his hand, his grip astonishingly strong.

”I’m Jack, the local coordinator for ’Life Below Zero’, welcome to Fairbanks, Alaska welcomes you!”

”Hello, Jack.” Lin Yu’an shook his hand firmly.

”There’s a car waiting for us outside.” Jack led him out.

”The rest of the reconnaissance team will arrive tomorrow; today I’ll take you to the hotel to settle in and discuss the upcoming itinerary.”

”If everything goes as planned, we’ll head out early tomorrow morning, traveling north along the Dalton Highway to Wiseman!”

Exiting the airport, a modified heavy-duty Ford F-350 pickup truck was quietly parked by the roadside.

The massive tires and lifted chassis silently announced it as a beast capable of conquering this land.

Jack skillfully drove this steel beast, smoothly navigating the snowy roads.

The cityscape of Fairbanks was vastly different from cities in mainland United States.

The buildings here were generally low, with practicality greatly outweighing aesthetics. The store signs along the streets frequently displayed patterns of sled dogs, grizzly bears, and the aurora.

”How do you feel, Lin? Is it as you imagined?”

Jack broke the silence, his voice carrying a touch of the unique ruggedness and enthusiasm of Alaskans.

”It’s more primitive than I imagined.” Lin Yu’an said sincerely, looking out the window.

Jack burst into laughter: ”Primitive, that’s a good word! Just wait, once we’re on the Dalton Highway, you’ll know what truly ’primitive’ means!”

”Tomorrow, besides the director and cameraman of our reconnaissance team, we’ll also have a truly legendary local figure, Stan Zulavsky, accompanying us.”

”Stan Zulavsky?”

Lin Yu’an was somewhat familiar with the name, having seen it in the materials Richard had provided.

”That’s right.” Jack’s eyes showed a hint of respect.

”Stan is one of the most famous hunters and trappers in Wiseman and also the most experienced guide.”

”He’s lived on this land for over forty years and knows every stream and forest in the Koyukuk River Basin like the back of his hand.”

”Richard paid a considerable price to have him lead you initially. With him, the process of selecting a site will go much more smoothly.”

Lin Yu’an nodded, feeling even more anticipation for this journey.

The pickup truck entered the city and eventually stopped in front of a wooden structure called the ”Aurora Hotel.”

The hotel wasn’t large but exuded a warm frontier atmosphere. A cozy fireplace burned in the lobby, and the walls were adorned with numerous black-and-white photographs chronicling Fairbanks’ gold rush history.

Jack helped him complete the check-in procedures and handed him a schedule and several documents.

”Here’s tomorrow’s exact departure time and detailed information on these plots of land, which Richard has shown you before. You can study them again.”

”Get a good rest and adjust to the time difference. Tonight, you can try the reindeer burger at the hotel restaurant, it’s quite authentic.”

Jack patted his shoulder, ”I’ll pick you up at seven tomorrow morning.”

After Jack left, Lin Yu’an entered the room. It wasn’t large but was clean and tidy, with a window overlooking the frozen Chena River.

Instead of resting right away, he first took out his phone and made a video call to Aliya.

The other end quickly connected, and Aliya’s face appeared on the screen, set against the familiar background of the McKinley family’s living room. She was holding Ethan, who was quietly sucking his fingers.

”Dear, did you arrive?” Aliya’s smile was as gentle as ever.

”Just got to the hotel, everything went smoothly.” Lin Yu’an turned the camera to show her the scenery outside the window.

”It’s cold here, but very beautiful.”

”How are the kids? Are they behaving?”

”They’re being good.” Aliya brought the camera closer so Lin Yu’an could clearly see his son’s little face.

”Look, Ethan sleeps after eating, and An’an was just taken to sleep by mom. Everything at home is fine, don’t worry.”

Seeing his wife and children’s faces on the screen, a warm current surged through Lin Yu’an’s heart. They chatted about family until Aliya urged him to rest, and they reluctantly ended the call.

After hanging up, Lin Yu’an spread out the land documents Jack had given him on the table and began to study them carefully.

Each piece of information was accompanied by detailed satellite maps, topographical maps, soil analysis reports, and historical transaction records.

He focused on the two plots Richard had mentioned.

Plot A: 50 acres, adjacent to a tributary of the Koyukuk River, with a riverfront and abundant timber resources, but relatively low-lying terrain.

Plot B: 30 acres, higher terrain with a wide field of view, close to the Dalton Highway, with convenient access, but fewer available timber resources, and water source requires deep well drilling.

Lin Yu’an traced the map slowly with his finger, already starting to envision the blueprint for his future home in his mind.

Ultimately, the choice must be based on seeing and treading on the land personally, as knowledge gained from books is always superficial.

That night, Lin Yu’an slept deeply.

Early the next morning, when it was still barely light, Jack arrived punctually at the hotel entrance driving the F-350.

Lin Yu’an opened the car door and found two people already sitting in the back seat.

One was a bespectacled, gentle-looking director named David. The other was a cameraman named Mike. They greeted each other briefly.

As Jack started the car, he said, ”Stan is waiting for us outside the city; he doesn’t like the city noise.”

The pickup truck drove out of Fairbanks city center, and at the start of Dalton Highway, an old, weathered Chevy pickup was parked by the roadside.

A man was leaning against the hood, smoking a hand-rolled cigarette.

He looked about sixty or so, slender but exceptionally robust, wearing a faded canvas hunting outfit, with deep wrinkles etched across his face.

Even from a distance, Lin Yu’an could feel the powerful aura he emitted, a fusion with nature!

”This is Stan Zulavsky.”

When Lin Yu’an got out of the car, Stan extinguished his cigarette, his deep gaze swept over him as if assessing a prey.

Stan spoke, ”Are you the Chinese kid who survived a bear’s mouth?”

Lin Yu’an calmly met his gaze and extended his hand, ”Hello, Mr. Stan, you can call me Lin.”

Stan didn’t shake immediately but observed him for a few seconds before extending his calloused hand for a firm handshake.

He succinctly said, ”Just call me Stan. The road is long, kid. Let me see if you truly have what it takes to survive here.”

After speaking, Stan turned around decisively, opened the door of his old Chevy, with much agility.

Jack shrugged at Lin Yu’an, indicating not to mind, then instructed everyone to get in the car.

Lin Yu’an sat back in the passenger seat of the Ford pickup, while director David leaned forward from the back seat and handed him a small clip-on microphone.

”Lin, from now on, I hope you wear this all the time.” David’s voice was gentle.

”We want to capture the most natural responses and dialogues. You don’t have to speak intentionally to the camera; just act as if we’re not here and interact normally with Jack and Stan.”

Lin Yu’an took the microphone, skillfully clipped it inside his collar, and nodded.

The two pickups set off on the legendary Dalton Highway, one after the other.

This road, one of North America’s most remote and dangerous highways, extends like a gray ribbon through the endless white wilderness, pointing towards the North.

On both sides of the road are endless stretches of black spruce forest, with the majestic Alaska Range towering silently on the horizon farther away.

Cameraman Mike had set up his equipment, pointing the lens at Lin Yu’an’s profile, capturing the fleeting look in his eyes as he stared out of the window.

Director David simultaneously observed each subtle expression of Lin Yu’an.

As a seasoned reality show director, he understood well that a character’s charm often lies in the genuine reactions during their first encounter with a new environment.

Richard had highly praised this Chinese man, and one of David’s goals for this trip was to verify that praise.

”Do you see it?”

Jack pointed towards the distance at a massive silver pipeline running parallel to the road.

”That’s the Trans-Alaska pipeline; you could say this Dalton Highway was built for it! For the next few hundred miles, it will accompany us throughout our journey.”

”How’s Stan’s driving?” Lin Yu’an asked seemingly casually.

Jack laughed, ”Don’t worry, he’s driven more miles on this road than all of us put together.”

”Look at his old Chevy; it may look worn, but the chassis, suspension, and tires have all been modified. He’s steadier than those of us driving new cars.”

The convoy continued north, with the view becoming increasingly desolate and majestic.

They crossed the Yukon River Bridge and made a brief stop and refuel at the roadside ”Winter Foot Camp.”

This is an important supply station on Dalton Highway and one of the last civilized outposts.

During lunch, everyone sat around a long table, and Stan focused on eating a large plate of gravy-covered stew, oblivious to the crew’s cameras.

David seized the opportunity to steer the topic: ”Lin, how does it feel to be in Alaska for the first time? How does it compare to Chilco Lake?”

Lin Yu’an took a sip of hot coffee to warm himself, thoughtfully considering before answering.

”The wilderness of Chilco Lake is solitary, testing an individual’s survival in extreme conditions.”

”Whereas this wilderness feels grander, with a sense of ’neighborhood.’”

”Neighborhood?”

The unexpected word caught David and Jack off guard.

”Yes.”

Lin Yu’an explained, ”Although sparsely populated, the people here, like Mr. Stan, Jack, and those truck drivers, are all part of this land.”