Live Streaming: Great Adventure in the Wilderness

The Three Fools of the sled are three types of working dogs that are quite excellent in extremely cold areas.

This is mainly because the extremely harsh local natural environment is not suitable for other animals that can serve as labor, nor is it suitable for wheeled vehicles.

Using sled dogs as a means of transportation can be seen as adapting to local conditions as well as a last resort. Read exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire

The dog breeds mainly include Siberian Dogs (Huskies), Alaskan Dogs, Greenland Dogs, Samoyeds, Norwegian Elkhounds, etc.

These sled dogs all share one common feature—they have double-layered coats, which allows them to maintain their body temperature in the snowy, cold weather.

However, Bi Fang also loved to exploit; he generously took out his own food reserves—a few frozen fish and two plump puffins.

Almost as soon as Bi Fang had unzipped his bag, the Three Fools caught the scent of blood, leaped excitedly, and threw themselves onto Bi Fang, nearly knocking the burly man down.

Bi Fang was so excited that he couldn't make cooked food, so he had to feed the Three Fools raw.

As soon as he tossed it down, the Three Fools leaped into the air and caught all the fish in their mouths, enjoying their meal, which showed how long they had been hungry.

After gathering some dry grass nearby for firewood, Bi Fang kept half a puffin and after stewing it, it became his breakfast for today.

Well, even though it was still dark, it was indeed breakfast.

After the meal, Bi Fang packed up his things, checked the belt buckles of the Three Fools, and after confirming that although they were a bit worn, they were still usable, he tied the three together with a rope.

After that, he tied the supplies to the three dogs separately, giving the restless Husky the backpack, the Short Spear to the Alaska, and the remaining sundries and sled to the Samoyed; Bi Fang only kept a Spear and a dagger on himself for emergencies.

The Three Fools, well-fed and watered, had no aversion to doing some work; they were work dogs who loved to be busy, and with a carefree demeanor, they seemed to regard Bi Fang as their new master.

Having shed his burden, Bi Fang felt much lighter; he grabbed the lead rope in one hand and hit the road with the Three Fools.

Bi Fang originally wanted to use the Three Fools to pull the sled, but then he thought better of it; he was now hunting, and if he used the dogs to pull the sled, the speed might be too fast and he could easily miss a lot of hunting information, so he decided to walk instead.

Once they got into the rhythm, the Three Fools were actually quite well-behaved, holding back their frolicsome nature and not running wild; if they did, Bi Fang might not have been able to hold them on his own.

On the snowy ground, Bi Fang was in a good mood; after all, he had gained three free working dogs.

It's just that they eat a bit much; however, as long as he could catch musk oxen, none of that would be a problem.

"Do you guys still remember the story I mentioned at the beginning, about the two adventurers who had vowed to see who would conquer Antarctica first?"

[Oh, I remember, Amundsen and Scott!]

[Who won in the end?]

[I know, it was Scott!]

[....You must have listened in solitude; it was clearly Amundsen, Scott froze into an old ice lolly and is still buried in Antarctica]

"That's right, it was Amundsen, and one of the very significant reasons for the difference in their fortunes was actually caused by these guys behind us."

The audience glanced skeptically at the Three Fools in front of Bi Fang—how could these three critters be of any use?

The drone flew next to Goudan, who had never seen such a thing before and was somewhat surprised, his pale blue eyes staring intently.

Er...

Quite spirited.

Guoba woke up early to watch the live broadcast and twitched the corner of his mouth.

"Back then, Scott and Amundsen chose two completely different types of work animals; the former used ponies, while the latter used Eskimo dogs, which are a type of sled dog."

"Compared with sled dogs, ponies were completely outmatched under extreme conditions. Ponies required fodder and their cold resistance had not been proven in polar conditions. In the later stages, Scott's team could only rely on manpower to move forward, which undoubtedly set the stage for tragedy in the harsh environment of nature."

"The blizzards they later encountered and the kerosene leak were just adding insult to injury. Additionally, the number of frostbite cases were severe in Scott's team, as they had not used traditional fur for warmth in large quantities—their preparation for insulation was inadequate."

"Moreover, after Scott failed to become the first person to reach the South Pole, his mental blow, combined with injuries and illness on the return journey, also lowered their will to survive. Even if they had managed to return alive, most would have been permanently disabled; such is the cruelty of polar exploration."

"In contrast, Amundsen brought a far greater number of Eskimo dogs than he actually needed. Excess dogs were continuously replaced to conserve the strength of the pack, and those that could not keep up were killed for food for the people and other dogs."

[Eh, as food?]

[Wouldn't cannibalism lead to gastric virus infections...]

[They're really going all out, huh.]

[They are working dogs... It can only be this way.]

[Just because the wrong draft animals were chosen, the final outcomes were worlds apart.]

"That's right."

Bi Fang gave an affirmative answer.

It was an aspect no one had anticipated that had decided the two men's fates.

Ponies or Eskimo dogs?

For explorers, in the vast expanse of the Antarctic Continent, survival elements such as food, temperature, and supplies all hinged on one thing—the choice of transportation method.

Given that other conditions and the competition were not much different, what should have been a fair fight turned into a cruel joke played on Scott by fate.

Eight years prior, Scott had actually been to Antarctica, where he likewise used Eskimo dogs to pull sleds for exploration.

However, he believed that on the extremely food-scarce Antarctic Continent, the high activity level of the Eskimo dogs and their corresponding high food demands were unsustainable.

Therefore, in the choice of transportation, he virtually ruled out Eskimo dogs and instead brought a large number of sturdy and drought-resistant purebred Siberian ponies, three fuel-supplying crawler tractors, and his superstitious secret weapon: man-hauled sledges.

For Amundsen, an expert dog trainer himself, his knowledge of and affection for dogs were unparalleled.

In his previous polar explorations, Eskimo dogs had almost been like a wall that he relied on for offense and defense. For the expedition towards the South Pole, he brought nearly 100 well-trained sled-pulling Eskimo dogs.

As the most important means of transportation for residents living in the polar regions before mechanization, the dogs' dense fur, remarkable cold resistance, loyal and strong demeanor, and reliable working capabilities were, in Amundsen's view, undoubtedly reliable companions. This was true even when compared with sturdy ponies.

Within a similar timeframe, Amundsen and Scott set off one after the other.

The two expeditions set off across the icy, snowy landscape of the Antarctic Continent in a competition for honor that allowed no turning back.

No one knew what lay ahead, and on the unforgiving Antarctic Continent, life and death were the norms.

Ice and fire, glory, and dreams.

But in the end, Scott lost everything.