Feng Shan, who was watching the spectacle from the side, almost burst out laughing.
"Um... well, you've gotten prettier. I didn't recognize you for a second," Frank said with an awkward chuckle. He immediately pulled Feng Shan beside him to use as a shield. "Sorry, I've got to use the restroom. This gentleman needs a new phone card, please tell him about the plans."
With that, he fled the awkward scene.
In contrast to Frank's roguish charm, Feng Shan stood quietly in his fur coat. His features were chiseled and distinct, like the steep and majestic cliffs of the Bruce Mountains.
When he wasn't speaking, he seemed to exude the biting wind of the Far North Tundra's desolate wilderness—a coldness that was unconsciously captivating.
However, it was precisely this unique disposition that was devastatingly effective on women.
The beautiful saleswoman's eyes burned as she looked at Feng Shan. She asked in a soft voice, "Sir, what kind of... um... phone card do you need? Do you have any special requests?"
Special requests. She had put heavy emphasis on those two words.
It seemed to be a loaded question, and it was unclear if she was referring to the phone card or herself.
Feng Shan frowned slightly. 'What's with this woman? Her voice was strong and clear when she was talking to Frank, so why does she sound so breathless with me?'
"I need a phone and a phone card. I'll be making frequent long-distance calls abroad."
The saleswoman immediately pulled a new phone from the counter.
"In that case, I recommend AT&T's GoPhone plan. It's a pay-as-you-go plan, which is good for customers who don't make many calls. Text messages are $0.10 each, and calls are charged by the minute. However, you might lose signal in the Far North Tundra Region and the Brooks Mountain Range."
"Plus, if you sign a two-year service agreement, you can get the newly released iPhone 7 Plus for just 199 US Dollars."
Feng Shan took the phone and played with it for a bit. The new device had a clean interface and ran smoothly. Compared to his own dead "senior phone," it completely crushed it in every function, aside from having a slightly lower volume.
"Alright, I'll take this GoPhone plan," Feng Shan decided after a moment's hesitation.
The senior phone he'd brought from China couldn't use a US SIM card, and if he kept making calls on roaming, the bill would be just as expensive as buying a new phone.
The joke about a single night of data roaming costing as much as an apartment wasn't just for laughs.
Happy to be making a sale, the beautiful saleswoman smiled radiantly and took out a registration form.
"Okay, sir. I'll need your driver's license. Will you be paying with a credit card or debit card? We also accept checks."
"I don't have a driver's license. Will this work? I'll pay with cash!" Feng Shan pulled out his still-warm green card and his wallet.
He had a final thousand US dollars left in his wallet. This was his emergency fund, his getaway money in case he couldn't make it in Alaska.
'No driver's license?'
The saleswoman took the green card and registered his name and information. She wasn't surprised to see the wad of cash. There were plenty of Indigenous People who drove without a license, and most of them preferred to pay with cash.
But it was rare to see an Indigenous Person so handsome and masculine. Many were scruffy and unkempt, going months without bathing and reeking of a foul odor. In the summer, you could even see flies dancing around them.
"Sir, let me install the SIM card and activate it for you." As she spoke, the saleswoman reached for the phone in Feng Shan's hand, and their hands accidentally touched. The saleswoman instantly shivered, her watery eyes sending a silent invitation.
Feng Shan had no reaction to this. He just thought there was something wrong with the saleswoman. She was either shivering or blinking excessively. 'If she's not feeling well, she should take the day off,' he thought. 'What if I catch whatever she has?'
Once the new phone was activated, Feng Shan took it, said thanks, and immediately dialed Black Hide's number.
It rang a few times on the other end before the call was disconnected.
He kept calling, but it was disconnected again, several times in a row.
Finally, on the last try, the call connected. Before Feng Shan could speak, Black Hide's impatient voice came through.
"I swear, are you people sick? First, the Chinese numbers don't work, and now you're using foreign numbers."
"I'm not signing up for anything! I'm so broke I'm about to sell a kidney, where would I get the money to sign up for a card?"
"Black Hide, it's me!" A bitter feeling welled up in Feng Shan's heart. If it hadn't been for helping him cover his losses, Black Hide wouldn't be drowning in debt.
SCREECH!!
An ear-piercing brake squeal came from the phone, followed by a passenger's cursing and Black Hide's apologies.
After a moment, Black Hide's excited voice came on the line again.
"Brother Shan! You finally called! Hu Zi, Xiaohua, and I thought you'd been captured by savages and forced to be their son-in-law."
"How's it going over there? Are there tons of foreign girls? When are you gonna bring back a foreign sister-in-law for us?"
"Do you have enough money? I'll wire you some more in a couple of days. Don't skimp on food and drink, don't short-change yourself."
Listening to Black Hide's concerned words, a wave of bitterness washed over Feng Shan.
'I'm a real piece of work.'
He was out here, fed and fine on his own, while his three friends were suffering back home.
Suddenly, an idea he had previously abandoned resurfaced in his mind.
They agreed on a time to talk again that night. After a few more hurried words with Black Hide, Feng Shan hung up. He took the box and the free gifts from the saleswoman and turned to find Frank.
Gazing at Feng Shan's back as he pushed his cart away, the saleswoman reluctantly pulled her eyes away, hoping only that he would find the note she had slipped into the packaging.
Feng Shan called Frank's phone.
"Where are you? I need to talk to you about something."
"So this is your new number. I'm in the beverage aisle. Hurry over, and don't let that woman see you."
"Such a chicken, but you love to play the field. Serves you right!"
After hanging up, Feng Shan found Frank sitting in the rest area drinking a soda, with help from an employee. Feng Shan let Prince and Coca-Cola out of the shopping cart to stretch their legs.
"Ha, a brand-new phone, an Apple? Did that woman not invite you for a 'deeper understanding' tonight?" Frank asked, winking as he saw the phone's packaging.
"You think I'm like you, wanting to jump into bed with every woman I see?" Feng Shan scoffed. Finding the bag cumbersome, he took out the free accessories and the contract and stuffed them into his pockets.
A pink slip of paper fluttered out of the box.
With lightning reflexes, Frank snatched the pink note out of the air and quickly scanned its contents.
"And you said she didn't ask you out! Room 618 at the Forest Hotel tonight."
Feng Shan didn't even glance at it. "If you want to go, then you go. I'm definitely not going!"
"Then I'll go?" Frank asked eagerly, stuffing the pink note into his pocket. He placed a Coke in front of Feng Shan and asked casually, "So what was it you needed to talk about?"
Feng Shan thought for a moment. "I'm thinking of taking out a loan against the Crown Territory!"
"What?" Frank shot upright, the playful grin gone from his face. His expression turned grave. "What happened? A loan against the Crown Territory? How much are you planning to borrow? And can you pay it back?"
How much to borrow?
Pay it back?
Feng Shan hadn't actually considered any of those questions.
...