Chapter 754 - 473: The Building 2

Chapter 754: Chapter 473: The Building 2

The Point Chief, Old Pete, hurriedly agreed, "That’s right. We arrived three days early."

"We can rest easy now that you’re here," another chief added.

"Exactly. The future safety of the Far North Tundra is all on your shoulders now." The other tribal chiefs all started talking at once, their voices filled with trust and expectation.

The unfamiliar Indigenous People standing a short distance away didn’t crowd around.

They just cast their gazes over from afar, occasionally pointing and whispering amongst themselves.

Feng Shan’s mind was in utter chaos. He was completely and utterly bewildered.

’So many tribal chiefs are actually waiting for me? What in the world is going on?’

He quickly looked toward Chief Welta, who was walking out from the crowd, and asked in bewilderment, "Chief, what’s happening?"

"Come, child." The Elder Chief didn’t explain directly. He just patted Feng Shan’s shoulder with a kind expression, then took his arm and started leading him toward the group of Indians.

"Wait!" Seeing this, Louise quickly stepped forward and grabbed Feng Shan’s other arm tightly. "Feng is one of us from the Far North Tundra," she said angrily. "Why should he go with the Indians?"

"That’s right! The Crown Territory is in the Far North Tundra. Feng should be with us." Several other Inuit Chiefs from the Far North Tundra chimed in, their emotions running high.

"Feng, don’t go with them! We’re your family!" someone shouted.

"Don’t go! There are no good Indians," another voice followed, filled with hostility toward the Indians.

Hearing this, Chief Welta’s eyes shot wide open. The wrinkles on his face deepened as he glared at the Inuit Chiefs from the Far North Tundra.

"Eskimos, have you forgotten our agreement?"

"Of course not. But Feng is one of the Tundra People, and you can’t change that." Robert, the chief of Tovik Town, replied firmly, standing up straight and looking the Elder Chief right in the eye without a trace of fear.

The whole scene instantly grew tense.

The air was thick with tension, and a confrontation seemed ready to erupt at any moment.

Seeing things were getting out of hand, Feng Shan quickly stepped between the two groups and said loudly, "Everyone, please, stop. I’ll stand right here. I’m not going anywhere. Can someone just tell me what’s so special about today?"

HMPH!!

It was as if the Chieftain Leaders on both sides had planned it.

They all snorted coldly in unison, and not a single one was willing to enlighten Feng Shan.

Then, in perfect sync, they all turned and strode away, leaving a stunned Feng Shan standing there alone.

"..." Feng Shan was speechless.

’What is this nonsense?’

’They dragged me here for no reason, but no one will explain what’s going on. They’re just messing with me.’

Just then, from the group where the Indian Tribe chiefs were gathered, a middle-aged Indian man wearing a strange, pot-lid-like hat and a black and red fringed cape, holding a wooden staff decorated with long fur, began walking unhurriedly toward Feng Shan with a steady gait.

When he reached him, the Indian Chief sized Feng Shan up for a long time. His gaze was sharp and profound, as if trying to see right through him. Then, he spoke slowly in a peculiar accent.

"You are Feng? The emissary of the Spirit of All Things? Can you summon the ravens? Can you speak with the tribal ancestors?"

"???"

Feng Shan was completely baffled.

The questions were so bizarre he had no idea how to even begin answering.

In this awkward moment, Jeff hurried over, smiling, to help Feng Shan out. "Feng," he said, making the introduction, "this is Rosita Chief. He’s from the Raven Tribe of the Tlingit Race in the southeastern panhandle."

"Hello, Rosita Chief. You may have misunderstood. I don’t know what you were talking about just now." Feng Shan finally snapped out of his daze and gave a polite nod, tactfully answering the earlier questions.

Rosita Chief slowly shook his head, his expression suddenly turning desolate.

"I have my doubts about what Chief Welta said, but I hope you are the real one. The Tlingit Race has been without its Guardian Spirit for too long... so long that the name Tlingit itself is on the verge of disappearing."

He paused for a moment, then added with determination in his voice, "However, I will honor my promise and help you complete this appointment."

With that, Rosita Chief raised his wooden staff high.

After circling the long fur on the staff over Feng Shan’s head a few times, he turned and walked away with somewhat heavy steps.

Once Rosita Chief was a good distance away, Jeff leaned in and whispered in Feng Shan’s ear, "Don’t take it to heart. The Raven Tribe wasn’t originally planning to attend this meeting. It was only because Chief Welta intervened that Rosita Chief reluctantly agreed to come."

"Buddy, what exactly is this meeting today?"

Feng Shan asked again.

A strong premonition was telling him that whatever was happening today was going to be huge.

Before Jeff could answer, another large motorcade rolled into the parking lot.

It was a fleet of black Mercedes-Benzes, their bodies reflecting a cold light under the pale sky, looking exceptionally grand.

After the motorcade came to a stop, the car doors opened one after another, and men began to step out.

They were dressed in exquisitely tailored suits, their leather shoes gleaming, their ties perfectly knotted. Every gesture exuded an air of the elite.

"They’re the official representatives of the thirteen Alaska Indigenous Companies. See that white-haired old guy with glasses? His name is Posey. He’s the representative for the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, and he’s my boss."

From the tone of Jeff’s introduction, you could hear a faint trace of disdain for his boss.

Feng Shan followed Jeff’s gaze.

The representative from the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation originally wore an arrogant expression.

But the moment his eyes met Chief Welta’s, his expression changed in a flash, arrogance instantly turning to humility.

As if he’d become a different person, he hurriedly trotted over to Chief Welta.

’Representatives from all thirteen Indigenous Companies are here?’

The more Feng Shan saw, the more shocked he became. The turmoil in his heart grew more and more turbulent.

He was no longer the ignorant rookie he’d been when he first arrived in Alaska.

During his time living here, he had used various channels to gain a deeper understanding of the status of the Indigenous Companies in Alaska.

These thirteen Indigenous Companies had a significant influence on Alaska’s economy.

Taking the 2016 financial data for example, their revenue accounted for an astonishing 26.7% of the State of Alaska’s annual GDP.

Moreover, the scope of these companies’ business was extremely broad, covering multiple sectors such as oil and gas, construction, tourism, natural resource development, and government services.

Their business operations extended to nearly every corner of Alaska.

You could say they permeated every aspect of residents’ lives.

In 2016 alone, 22 of the top 49 highest-earning corporations in the State of Alaska were Indigenous Companies and their subsidiaries.

This statistic fully demonstrated their immense power within Alaska’s economic landscape.

Today, the representatives of these thirteen companies were all gathered here.

Feng Shan felt more and more certain that the significance behind today’s meeting was far greater than he could have ever imagined.

"Don’t mind them. These guys might dress sharp, but they’re really just working for us Indigenous People."

Jeff curled his lip and lifted his chin slightly.

His eyes revealed a hint of contempt; to him, these people in their suits and ties were nothing special.

Ever since he entered the upper echelons of the Wild Bull Tribe and learned some inside information, the company executives he once had to look up to were now just dogs wagging their tails.

This interruption almost made Feng Shan forget his question, so he asked again.

"Buddy, you still haven’t told me what this meeting is about?"

"You’ll find out in a bit!" Jeff remained secretive, giving no answer.

Just then, a woman in a suit appeared on the steps of the Parliament Building.

The woman descended the steps with an elegant, unhurried gait, walked directly up to the chiefs, and said something in a low voice.

Immediately after, the Indigenous Chieftain Leaders and company representatives who had been standing in the parking lot all began to walk toward the steps.

As the Indigenous chiefs gradually departed, the vast, once slightly crowded parking lot became empty in the blink of an eye.

Only Chief Welta and the Inuit Chiefs from the Far North Tundra remained, standing quietly in place.

Seeing this, Jeff urged, "The chiefs are all waiting for you. Let’s go."

Having no other choice, Feng Shan could only brace himself and follow behind the crowd of chiefs.

He stepped onto the stairs of the Parliament Building.

....