Lin Yu’an conducted a final check on the enclosed stove constructed with soapstone slabs, ensuring the connection between the firebox and the flue was perfectly sealed.

Everything was ready, just waiting for the weather to improve slightly tomorrow to begin the first official cold smoking operation.

In the evening of the polar region, under the cover of a blizzard, there was no trace of any natural light source.

The sky and the earth were completely merged by a violent white vortex, creating a kind of darkness where you could hardly see your hand in front of your face.

Only the high-intensity headlamp Lin Yu’an was reluctant to use cast a bright beam of light from his forehead, piercing this boundless snowstorm.

The wind had increased by at least one level compared to when he first came out in the afternoon. Snowflakes swept madly at almost a horizontal angle, hitting his windbreaker with a dense crackling sound.

Lin Yu’an glanced in the direction of the shelter, the building half-buried in the snow was faintly visible at the edge of the headlamp’s glow. Staying outside was no longer an option.

"Alright, today’s work ends here," he shouted into the GoPro camera, his voice almost torn apart by the roaring wind.

"The main structure and supporting facilities are all completed, and now it seems this blizzard will last at least all night."

"The smoking operation must wait until tomorrow; until the wind decreases so that the furnace fire and smoke can be controlled more precisely. Now, the most important thing is to return to the shelter."

He took one last look at his new creation, the white hemispherical building standing quietly in the snowstorm, with only one arched entrance and a reserved flue opening.

Under the beam of the headlamp, its outline appeared mysterious and powerful, like a probe from another planet, full of sci-fi beauty. The more he looked at it, the more he liked it!

Facing the fierce wind, he trudged step by heavy step toward the shelter. Every step was extremely difficult, the wind like an invisible wall forcefully pushing him back.

Though less than a few hundred meters away, it felt as if he had trekked for a century.

When he finally touched the shelter’s heavy wooden door, slid open the latch, and slipped inside, the whole world seemed to have the mute button pressed, quieting down.

Warmth, mixed with the dry aroma of burning wood and the faint milky scent from December, instantly enveloped him.

Lin Yu’an took off his ice and snow-covered coat and hat, hanging them near the fireplace to roast, feeling the tips of his nose and cheeks had numbed with cold.

He walked to the hearth, stretched out his hands, feeling the heat from the flames, and slowly regained sensation in his stiff fingers.

"Awoo?"

A voice, curious and child-like, came from the corner.

Lin Yu’an turned his head and saw December climbing out of its wolf-skin bed, tilting its head to the side, looking at him with eyes pure as obsidian.

It seemed a bit curious and uneasy about Lin Yu’an’s recent "disappearance."

"I’m back, little guy." Lin Yu’an’s voice trembled a bit from the prolonged cold, but the tone was exceedingly gentle.

December, hearing his familiar voice, immediately relaxed, waddling with its now much steadier little legs, pattered to Lin Yu’an’s feet.

Rubbing its furry little head affectionately against his pants, it made a contented "hmm hmm" sound, as if welcoming his return.

Lin Yu’an chuckled at its clingy demeanor. He sat down, hugged December into his arms, and the little one’s warm body felt like a tiny furnace, dispelling the last of the cold from him.

He gently scratched December’s chin and behind its ears with his fingers, and the little one contentedly squinted its eyes, purring like a satisfied kitten.

"Alright, I know, you must be hungry." Lin Yu’an estimated it had been more than four hours since the last meal, just the feeding interval suggested in the Guide.

"The wind outside is roaring and terrifying, right?"

Cradling it, Lin Yu’an softly said while moving toward the supply box, "But it’s okay. Let’s fill our bellies first; once we’re full, we fear nothing."

Skillfully, he began preparing December’s dinner, first placing the pacifier in the UVC sterilization box for a quick clean.

Then he set the iron pot to melt the accumulated snow, precisely controlling the water temperature around 39°C, proceeding everything in an orderly manner.

Taking out the electronic scale, he accurately measured 50 grams of milk powder and 200 grams of warm water, then gently swirled them into a perfect dinner bottle.

"Dinner’s ready, little greedy bear."

He gently placed the rounded silicone nipple near December’s little mouth.

With the morning’s experience, December showed no hesitation this time, immediately opening its mouth and latching onto the nipple.

When the first mouthful of warm, sweet milk flowed into its mouth, it immediately let out a satisfied whimper.

Once December was full, he held the content little guy, picked up the electronic recording device, ready to complete another important task of the day— the afternoon’s vital signs data collection.

"Well, it’s time for our daily check-up. Let’s see if, after eating and drinking your fill, you’ve grown any bigger today."

First up was the simplest, taking the body temperature. He opened the animal-use non-contact infrared thermometer, pressed the measurement button on the inside of December’s relatively sparse ear flap.