HLM -Chapter 1172 Driving Away Ice and Snow

The sense of novelty faded quickly—perhaps it lasted no more than an hour.

Like other Arctic regions, Anchorage’s urban area accounted for only a small portion of the land; most of it was wilderness and barren hills, all now blanketed in snow.

From a thousand mountains no birds take flight; On ten thousand paths, no human trace remains.

As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but desolation and blinding white, and an instinctive feeling of bleak loneliness rose in Wang Bo’s heart.

Tony’s voice came through the headset. “Hey, buddy, don’t run so fast. Being the lead dog isn’t easy. Leaving aside the endurance it takes, just facing that kind of loneliness requires real courage. Can you handle it?”

“Don’t worry,” Wang Bo replied. “I can.”

He soon regretted saying that, because once Tony heard it, he felt reassured enough to turn off the radio, leaving Wang Bo alone to face the dull, snowbound landscape.

The snowfield felt oppressive and dim—only because Wang Bo had brought sunglasses. Without them, staring at the white expanse for too long could cause terrifying snow blindness.

The dogs no longer barked. Apart from the occasional shout from Zhuang Ding, all Wang Bo saw was the endless snow slipping away behind him, and all he heard was the swish, swish of paws, sled runners, and snow rubbing together.

They were running too fast. There wasn’t a single sled behind them.

The lead was enormous—abnormally so. He took the initiative to turn on the radio and called Tony. “I don’t think this is right, buddy. There isn’t a single dog behind me. Did I take a wrong turn?”

In fact, he hadn’t gone the wrong way at all. Besides the livestream app, his phone also had a map open, and according to it, Wang Bo was on the correct route—still running along the main road, no less.

Tony’s voice came through. “Listen to me, Wang. Being the lead dog really isn’t easy—I have to say it again. They’re isolating you, and that’s a perfectly normal tactic. Let the one in first place face the ice and snow alone, while the guys behind are probably drinking and chatting right now.”

Dale chimed in, “Brother-in-law, don’t be so silly and just keep running. Wait for them—wait until the others catch up and let someone else be the lead dog. Then, in the second half of the course, you can really push.”

Tony added from the side, “Yes, that’s the right idea.”

But Wang Bo hardened his resolve. “It’s fine. As long as I know what’s going on, that’s enough. Aren’t they playing isolation tactics? A true warrior won’t be defeated by loneliness!”

“Well said, Wang,” Tony praised sincerely. He took those words at face value, because Wang Bo had always left him with the impression of being a true hero.

And so, Wang Bo once again had to face solitude alone.

He had briefly thought about bringing out the little parrot—whether it was the Army Commander or the Political Commissar, either of them could ease his loneliness. Both already possessed a third-level Soul Heart.

But that wouldn’t do. Judging from the livestream comments, plenty of people were still watching him. If he suddenly conjured a bird out of thin air, that would be downright miraculous.

Time slipped by quietly, and soon a town appeared.

Calling it a town was generous—it was really just a settlement, with only about a hundred households.

After checking the town’s information on the map, Wang Bo decided to head in and take a break.

After all, there was still no sign of pursuers behind him. He had been running hard for four hours straight, covering at least a hundred kilometers and leading the other sled teams by at least fifty kilometers.

That wasn’t his own estimate—it was Tony who told him so.

The town was called Fuldiras. Around midday, the weather was warmer, and some townsfolk were out basking in the sun or chatting over hot coffee.

Wang Bo had already eaten lunch, and the dogs had rested earlier as well, but he decided to eat again and let the dogs rest a little longer.

As he drove the dog team into the town, two children playing at the entrance immediately ran after him. The boy shouted as he ran, “Are you here for the sled dog race?”

Wang Bo stopped the sled and let them climb on. Since he was carrying supplies, the sled was wide enough to seat two more children.

The dogs slowed to a trot. He said, “Yes, I’m here for the race. Do you like dogs?”

The boy nodded, then shook his head. “We like them, but we like reindeer even more.”

Fuldiras raised reindeer. Locals used reindeer as their means of transportation—something that set them apart from other parts of Alaska.

“It’s a pity there’s no reindeer sled race,” the little girl beside him said regretfully. “Otherwise, our town would produce lots of champions.”

Wang Bo smiled and gently patted her head. “Of course, of course—you’re the kings of reindeer.”

The boy said excitedly, “Yeah! That’s right, we’re the kings of reindeer! I like that title—we’re also the kings of the North!”

When they reached the town’s café, Wang Bo parked the sled. He first led the dogs to a sunny spot, spread out a wide, thick wool blanket, and let them lie down to rest and warm up.

Then he took out their bowls and poured spiritual spring water into each one in turn, letting them drink their fill. Replenishing water was the most important thing.

Only after finishing all this did he walk into the café. “One hot coffee, please. Anything’s fine, as long as it’s hot and fragrant.”

“I’d recommend a hot cocoa,” said a chubby middle-aged man with a friendly smile. “Julia, give our lead dog a hot cocoa—put it on my tab.”

The “lead dog,” of course, referred to Wang Bo. They clearly knew who he was, which was only natural—even the children had guessed he was here for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Wang Bo took the large mug of hot cocoa and raised it toward the man. “Thank you for your generosity, sir. God bless you. God bless Fuldiras!”

“God bless Fuldiras,” the man replied, raising his coffee cup in return.

More people soon gathered in the café. Someone asked, “Are you an Eskimo?”

“No,” Wang Bo said. “I’m Chinese. Like the Eskimos, we’re also yellow-skinned.”

“Oh, China—we know China. Our electric heaters are made in China. But there are very few Chinese who take part in this race. Everyone says China isn’t cold enough.”

Wang Bo laughed. “You know, China is vast—actually a bit larger than the United States. Just like the U.S. has warm places like Miami, we also have warm regions. But if we’re talking about cold, our Heilongjiang region is even colder than your Alaska.”

People clearly didn’t believe him, but they didn’t feel like arguing over it either. They smiled vaguely, taking his words as a joke.

The café owner leaned over the counter with interest and said, “You’re impressive, buddy. It only took you four hours and fifteen minutes to get here. In the past, it usually took at least seven or eight hours for anyone to arrive.”

“But running like this isn’t right,” someone else added. “This isn’t a hundred-meter sprint—it’s a marathon. There’s no need to start so fast; what matters is endurance.”