Alaska Gold Rush Diary

Chapter 174 Hunter Base

Chapter 175 Hunter Base

As we move into mid-to-late September, the temperature is getting cooler day by day.

On rainy days, the temperature at night can drop to only two or three degrees Celsius, making it feel like winter.

This means that their gold rush season is nearing its end.

If the temperature is normal, they may have another month or so, but if the weather is abnormal, they may have to stop working in another week or two.

During this period, gold production remained relatively good, but difficulties soon followed.

After several months of high-load operation, even though Edward always performed timely maintenance, the frequency of machine failures still increased.

This was inevitable, since they bought second-hand machines and, unlike other large gold mining teams, did not have several sets of spare core components.

If it weren't for Edward's exceptional mechanical skills, which allowed him to promptly maintain and repair parts that showed signs of malfunction, this problem might have already surfaced in early August.

"The jig must be disassembled for a thorough overhaul, and our old chutes are no longer adequate for our current needs; they must be replaced with new hydraulic rifling," Edward said with a helpless expression.

"About how many days will it take?" Zhou Xin asked seriously. If the work stoppage lasts too long, this year's goals might not be achieved.

Edward thought for a moment: "If I work overtime, it will probably take two days."

"Okay, let's do it for one day then, and work a little overtime." Zhou Xin immediately made the decision.

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Edward:

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Edward was the only one in the mine who knew anything about machinery; everyone else could only help out.

As a result, Zhou Xin had an extra day of rest.

He decided to take this opportunity to visit the hunter base next door.

After parting ways with the girl Sophia that day, she would send a message to Zhou Xin almost every day or two to ask if he had time to come over.

If Zhou Xin hadn't told Zhang Jianing about his encounter with Sophia after returning that day, Zhang Jianing might have suspected that he was having an affair.

His desire to go to the hunter base was partly due to his promise to Sophia.

Another, more important reason was that during his bear-riding patrol that day, he discovered that Sophia and her group's land also had relatively rich gold reserves, making it very valuable for mining.

Their land is already nearly half-mined, and it can only support one more gold rush season at most.

If we can rent nearby land and develop the site before this land is fully developed, it will be much easier to build a new mine.

Adjacent land means that the distance for transferring equipment is very short, which can save a lot of money and time.

Of course, he wasn't sure if people would be willing to lease out their land for mining, but he always wanted to try if the opportunity presented itself.

He already knew from his previous conversation with Sophia that the land belonged to his father, and the only way to contact his father was to go to the hunter's base.

The Hunter's Base is actually just a few buildings that Sofia's father built in the forest.

Her father had many hunter friends, and they would often gather there. Over time, more and more hunters got used to meeting there, and it became known as a hunter's base.

Zhou Xin took his pistol and enough bullets and drove alone to the location of the hunter base that Sophia had sent him.

The road leading to the hunter's base is also a rugged dirt road, which must have been dug out by an excavator a long time ago. After being washed by rain and driven over by cars for a long time, the road condition has become extremely difficult to travel.

Fortunately, Zhou Xin's Dodge Mammoth had a high enough chassis and plenty of power, making it more than capable of handling this kind of road.

The car traveled along the forest path, flanked by towering spruce trees, and the surroundings were serene.

After a bumpy ride of more than half an hour, Zhou Xin finally saw several buildings made entirely of wood.

The buildings are all exquisitely constructed, especially the central triangular wooden house, which is very eye-catching. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows on both sides, you can see the simple yet sophisticated interior decoration.

There were four or five cars parked on the open space next to the building, so it seemed to be quite lively here.

The sound of the car engine quickly attracted the attention of the people in the building. A smiling girl ran out of the triangular wooden house; it was Sofia.

At the same time, two men and a woman also came out of the wooden house next door.

"Mr. Zhou, you've finally arrived!"

Sophia jogged over to Zhou Xin, who was getting out of the car, her face beaming with a bright and happy smile.

"Sorry, the mine has been incredibly busy lately. If the equipment hadn't broken down, I probably wouldn't have been able to come today!"

Looking at the smiling girl in front of him, Zhou Xin seemed to be infected by her smile and felt his mood improve as well.

"Welcome, our neighbor!" A middle-aged man in his forties or fifties came over and extended his hand to him.

"This is my father. He has been looking forward to your arrival," Sofia introduced.

"I'm Zhou Xin," Zhou Xin said, extending her hand to shake his. "It's an honor to be here. Your base looks fantastic."

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"Thank you, I'm Bell," the man smiled. "I heard about the mine that opened next door a few months ago, and I've been wanting to say hello to my neighbor ever since, but I just haven't found the right opportunity."

They exchanged pleasantries as they walked toward the base, and Bell introduced the other people to Zhou Xin.

"I heard from Sophia that you are a very mysterious and skilled hunter. I didn't expect you to be so young," Bell said.

Zhou Xin chuckled awkwardly, "I repeatedly emphasized to her that I am just a professional gold prospector, not a hunter."

Sophia chimed in, "No, I think the abilities you've displayed are more than enough to qualify you as an excellent hunter."

After leading Zhou Xin to sit down in the living room of the triangular wooden house, Bell went to prepare coffee for everyone.

At this moment, a male hunter named Wyatt approached Zhou Xin and said, "Sophia told us that you actually tamed a Kodiak brown bear and rode it like a horse. I really doubt what she said."

As he spoke, he looked at Zhou Xin with a strange expression, clearly not believing a word Sophia said. He thought either the two of them were bragging together, or Sophia had been deceived by him.

Zhou Xin replied noncommittally, "Those are all minor matters, please don't take them to heart."

Hearing Zhou Xin's words, Wyatt became even more convinced of his judgment, believing that Zhou Xin's words were a sign of guilt.

"I knew it! How could anyone in the world possibly tame a wild Kodiak brown bear and use it as a mount?"

“I’m not lying to you, I saw it with my own eyes,” Sofia said anxiously. “Mr. Zhou was riding a huge Kodiak brown bear.”

Another huntress named Windsor laughed and said, "Sofia, did you have a dream and then start to believe it was real?"

Sophia's pretty face flushed red, and she exclaimed, "I'm not a child, how could I not distinguish between reality and dreams?"

Wyatt laughed heartily: "Perhaps you mistook his car for a brown bear. I must say, his car is indeed very nice."

Sophia glanced at the group of people laughing heartily, then at Zhou Xin, her face showing a hint of grievance.