Li Pu didn't care what Nikolai wanted to do in the future, but for this bear hunt, they had to listen to him.
Because they had to accommodate Nikolai and his group's pace, he and Broly deliberately slowed down. From morning until past 3 PM, they had only walked a little over ten miles.
Li Pu's main reason for bringing little Broly along was that he considered it a good opportunity for little Broly to interact with various people, so he wouldn't be unaccustomed to living in a crowded place later.
He wasn't sure if his son understood his Old Father's painstaking efforts, but he felt that little Broly was indeed very happy today.
But the other people in the team might not have been so happy—
"Dad, I really can't walk anymore!"
Dimitri, Nikolai's second son, was on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion and finally couldn't help but complain.
Sergei pulled him, trying to remind his younger brother not to be foolish, after all, their dad's beatings really hurt.
"If you think your backpack is too heavy, give it to me, I'll carry it for you." Sergei wanted to lighten Dimitri's burden.
However, Dimitri simply plopped down on the ground, not only ignoring his backpack but also tossing aside the 'children's model' hunting rifle his dad bought him.
"No, no, I really can't walk by myself, I want someone to carry me." Dimitri began to throw a tantrum.
Because of this sudden small incident, the hunting party had to stop as well.
"Dimitri! As a man, how can you just throw your gun aside!"
Nikolai walked back from the front of the team, his face livid, and subconsciously reached for his belt, but found nothing.
Because he was going hunting, he was wearing a hunting suit, and his pants were held up by an elastic waistband.
Little Dimitri was indeed a bit 'clueless'; he didn't get the 'Seven Wolves' education, and he didn't even understand the meaning of his dad's gesture.
"Didn't that green-haired kid in front not bring a gun either? Besides, you all brought guns, so it doesn't matter if I don't have one!"
Hearing this kid bring up Broly's hair color again, Li Pu also walked over from the very front of the team. As he passed a cedar tree, he casually broke off a tender, newly sprouted branch.
"What's wrong, little one, can't walk anymore?"
Li Pu feigned a 'kind' demeanor.
"It's alright, we've actually reached where the bears are now. You can see bear paw prints on this animal trail.
Since the little one can't walk anymore, we might as well set up camp and rest, then continue our activities at night.
Anyway, in summer Alaska, Brown Bears and Black Bears are more active at night, and true bear hunters also hunt at night."
Li Pu first pointed around with the tender cedar branch, explaining that they were on an animal trail in the forest, and then 'subtly' dropped the branch at Nikolai's feet.
Then, he deliberately 'flexed' a bit: "I remember when little Broly was only two years old, he followed me around here at night and we hunted down a male Black Bear. My son and I had a bear meat barbecue that night, and the taste was absolutely fantastic."
After speaking, Li Pu turned and walked away with a flourish.
Not long after, a 'cracking' sound echoed through the forest, interspersed with a child's wailing.
Clearly, someone was testing the toughness of a summer Alaska cedar branch on a disobedient child.
Li Pu had no opinion on this; it wasn't his son getting beaten.
He was idle anyway while camping and resting, so beating a child for entertainment was understandable, he thought.
Moreover, the kid getting beaten wasn't a good sort either, having twice brought up little Broly's hair color in just a few hours.
Little Broly clearly hadn't provoked him, yet Dimitri insisted on speaking ill of him. Who would believe that the child wasn't doing it on purpose?
When one child speaks ill of another, the purpose is usually to make others isolate the child being slandered, and this is often the beginning of 'bullying'.
Li Pu was a protective father; not slapping Dimitri, that bad kid, was already showing great restraint.
Anyway, that kid had his own dad. As long as the fire was stoked properly, whose beating wasn't a beating?
Li Pu wanted to teach this bad kid a lesson, to let him know the sinister nature of adults' hearts—not everyone in the world was his father, how could everyone indulge him?
How ridiculous... Li Pu counted, the branch only lasted four or five hits before breaking.
He was still too kind, picking a thin, dry cedar branch.
Since there was no more fun to watch, Li Pu began preparing a nutritious extra meal for little Broly again. He took out two homemade venison sausages and dry flatbreads from his backpack, making several hearty roujiamo for the child and himself.
Compared to him and his son, Nikolai's group only brought some high-calorie military rations like those of the U.S. Army—eating enough wasn't a problem, but whether it tasted good was another matter.
They rested from past 3 PM until dark. After dinner, Li Pu and little Broly even took turns sleeping for a while.
At 7:30, it was little Broly who thoughtfully woke up his Old Father. After finishing the leftover roujiamo, they went to call Nikolai and his group to prepare for the night hunt.
In Li Pu's opinion, the bodyguards Nikolai brought were nothing special, just for show.
After finally having a few hours of rest, this group didn't think to take turns napping. The people who were relieved from guard duty actually had the leisure to play cards and chat with their companions.
However, Li Pu didn't want to say much about it; he had no such obligation, and the fee Nikolai paid didn't cover this part.
"Alright, we're going hunting."
Li Pu clapped his hands to get everyone to look at him and listen to what he was about to say.
"In a moment, no matter what sounds you hear or what you see, don't overthink it."
"Don't be fooled by those 'Discovery Channel' documentaries. Bears may look clumsy, but they are actually very cunning, especially adult solitary Black Bears."
"So, general hunters usually set traps and lure bears during the day. Hunting them at night is still relatively dangerous."
"Although bears are omnivores, they also try to prey on any living thing they see, including their own kind and other bear cubs."
"Humans are definitely on a bear's diet. Even if hunting them is difficult, they will actively try when food is scarce."
"They not only stalk and kill like predators but also mimic human movements, and can even imitate some sounds similar to human speech."
"So, if you see strange figures or hear strange sounds later, don't be afraid."
"Also, you must keep an eye on the two children, keep them in the middle of the team and don't let them wander off."
"We have many people. As long as we don't get separated, highly suspicious bears definitely won't risk approaching. And once we find an adult male Black or Brown Bear, we can go hunt it."