Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
According to Li Du’s knowledge, Steve was somewhat backward when it came to feelings.
He was comfortable watching people’s drama. However, when matters of the heart fell onto him, he was stumped instantly.
Vika was especially stubborn and passionate. She gave up on Li Du and fixed her eyes on Steve. When Steve realized what was going on, he tried to explain himself quickly. He said that it was all a story spun by Li Du.
The red-haired lady told him very honestly that she understood the situation. However, Li Du already had a fiancée; she could not be with him. As Steve did not have a fiancée and was a suitable candidate to be her husband, she was happy to proceed.
Steve was stunned and looked at Elson pleadingly.
Elson wanted to help Steve get out of the situation but Li Du said easily, “Based on Steve’s background, it is hard for him to find someone who would be interested in him for other things than his fortune and status. This is an opportunity that’s hard to come by.”
Hearing that, Elson considered before nodding. “Perhaps… this lady is pretty decent. Let Steve learn more about her. He is also at an age when he should be dating.”
The group of them left swiftly like the wind and walked off to have their meal in the restaurant. They left Steve behind alone, to deal with Vika.
They stayed in Vorkuta for one week and Steve had connected with a cargo ship that had arrived at Arktur Port. The port was located to the North of the city, facing the Kara Sea. By traveling northeast, they would be able to arrive in the Northern Islands.
The port was only open during the summer and autumn. Now, the port had just opened. Li Du and his group arrived at the port and then brought their cars and things onto the ship. They boarded the ship and headed for the Northern Islands.
When they set off, Li Du saw that there was another lady in Steve’s car. He had brought Vika along.
Seeing that Li Du was eyeing his companion, Steve walked over and asked, “What kind of expression is that?”
Li Du elbowed him and smiled, “Seems like Cupid has struck someone.”
Steve glared and him and said, “What nonsense are you spouting? I employed her to help take care of Kuafu. Vika’s great grandfather was a trainer in a circus. She has had interactions with animals since she was young and is very experienced in that area.”
After stopping for a minute, he added, “Besides, wasn’t it because of you that I had to interact with her at all? Sh*t, I have to stay away from you next time. I swear, I will keep my distance from you.”
Li Du said, “Why do you have to keep a distance from me? Didn’t I help you find a trainer?”
Steve punched him lightly and rolled his eyes before turning around to get into his car again.
An area of the Arktur Port was near a small town close to the Arctic Ocean. It was sparsely populated, had little resources and was barely a speck on the map.
There was no highway linking Vorkuta and the small town. Hence, they had to travel in their SUVs; otherwise, there was no way they would be able to go forward.
From the time they had set off until they arrived at their destination, Li Du did not see any other vehicles. There were not many households in the town and only a few multi-purpose stores were open.
One of those shops was a post office, convenience store, hotel, and restaurant in one. However, there were not many things inside. There were too many people in Li Du’s group and one trading point didn’t hold enough supplies to feed all of them. Hence, they had to split up and go into two of those shops.
After arriving in town, Li Du did not unpack immediately. He continued driving in the car, towards the coast.
There was a tourist spot in Arktur Port. Due to lack of transport and the harsh environment, there were rarely any tourists. However, if people visited the place, they would not miss the famous spot. In addition, people who visited gave raving reviews.
That place was named Diamond Beach.
The car drove by the ocean and the cold wind blew from the Arctic. Even though it was already May, the weather was still freezing. When it blew against their skin, it felt like the cut of a penknife.
There were no sandy shores by the freezing ocean. Most of the beach was made up of bare, rough reefs. The tall waves hit against the beach and the rocks, splashing onto the stone.
As there was no pollution, the sky was very blue, and the ocean water was very clear. The waves were practically transparent.
The sunlight was gentle and the golden light shone upon the earth. The light fell onto the beach, causing it to reflect silvery sparkles. Li Du looked more closely and in a short time, his eyes hurt from the gleaming and he could not bear to continue looking.
He turned his eyes on the far end of the ocean. Icebergs floated on the surface of the water. Further away, glaciers were moving slowly with the current of the water.
Those glaciers were the creators of diamond sand beaches. The shimmering of the beach was from countless pieces of fine, broken ice. Because of their shape and clarity, they looked like sparkling diamonds.
There were glaciers on the ocean. The giant ice layer of the glaciers was constantly breaking off due to the wind and waves. Then the fine ice was washed onto the black beach by the current. Eventually, the crystal-clear ice shattered into even finer pieces that covered the shore.
There were many pieces of ice around the beach. The reason why the place was named Diamond Beach was that the pebbles and sand on the beach were all black. That caused the ice to look even clearer and shine even brighter.
The black pebbles came from a volcanic eruption from hundreds of thousands of years ago. When they met with the ice, it created a unique sight.
Sophie captured a series of photographs and indulged in the beautiful sight of the beach. She said, “This is too beautiful. How nice would it be if we could build a house here? We could stroll along the beach every day; wouldn’t it be like stepping on diamonds?”
Li Du fidgeted in his coat and said, “No it wouldn’t, this is too cold.”
There was ice all around the beach, and the Arctic Circle was right before them. Even if it were the height of summer, such a place would still be cold.
However, a holiday in midsummer there was a pretty good idea. The summer in Phoenix was too warm and if they could stay in a pure, untouched, cold area for a couple of weeks, it would be actually pretty good.
The town’s harbor was not too far away. A cargo ship that had been spray-painted snow white was anchored by the coast. The tonnage of the freighter was not large. Of course, the harbor was not a deep-water port. Big ships would not be able to stop there.
This was the ship that would send them to the Northern Islands. There were few ships willing to go through that route. That was because the conditions of the Arctic ocean were far from ideal. There were icebergs above and dark reefs below the water. There were even pirate ships.
It was the truth. Pirates still operated in some areas of the Arctic. They were mostly some fishermen from the nearby shores that treated sea robbery as a part-time job. They did not kill anyone, only plundered ships. They often escaped unpunished.
That was because it was inconvenient for the police to enforce law and order in the remote ocean, and even more inconvenient to conduct investigations on land. Hence, the police and the government were helpless in that area.
Fortunately, only a handful of ships traveled such a route. Most of the ships that would venture out to the Northern Islands were prepared for the worst. In addition, there were not too many cases of ship plunder in a year, and even fewer when anything significant was taken. The police were lazy to even care.
After having their lunch in town, they drove the car back onto the ship and started to unpack their luggage and check if everyone was on board. All of them had boarded and they started to get ready for the work they would have to do in the Northern Islands.
The captain was a man with a big mustache and blue eyes. He sat in his cabin, and a hunting rifle hung on the wall next to him.
When he welcomed Li Du, Steve and the rest, the captain was optimistic. He smiled and said, “There are so many of us, and we are all men. We should be able to dispense with using the rifle. I believe that our sail will be very successful.”
