First Cow

It's the early nineteenth century in the wilds of the Oregon Territory. Otis Figowitz works for a trapping company, he hired as the cook - hence his nickname "Cookie" - for a group of trappers, who continually threaten violence against him if he doesn't provide them with food, it his job to trap, kill or forage for much of that food. King-Lu is a Chinese immigrant who has traveled the world and is thinking about staying in the area in he seeing it as one of the last untouched parts of the world he has seen. In trying to evade Russians who are after him for accidentally killing one of their compatriots, Lu meets Cookie one evening in stumbling onto the trappers' camp as a place to hide. After Lu believes the Russians are no longer after him in having left the country, the two men meet again by chance at the regional trading post and strike a friendship in discussing their dreams for the future. They believe they may be able to make a small fortune in the short term by going into business together to provide a highly demanded product with virtually zero supply otherwise, that product, however, contingent upon the secret use of the sole dairy cow in the area, it just recently brought in and housed/owned by the Chief Factor. With Lu the tactician and Cookie the technician, Lu specifically realizes that they are entering into a potentially dangerous game, and one that has a short window of opportunity before others may be able to cash in on such business. Thus they have to figure out how long they can keep the business going either before the market is flooded or that they are caught in the illegal aspect of what they are doing.