"Ah, it's so hot..."
Sitting in the shade of a tree outside his villa, Jiang Hai let out a long sigh and muttered under his breath.
The villa itself was cool thanks to the air conditioning, but once the AC was on, the windows had to be shut. After staying inside for a while, Jiang Hai began to feel stuffy and restless. Yet outside, the heat was nearly unbearable.
Looking up at the blazing sun overhead, which seemed to be getting hotter by the minute, he sighed again. Even though Jiang Hai's physical fitness had improved greatly, it wasn't at the level where he was immune to heat or cold. He still felt the bite of winter and the scorch of summer.
"This July heat is really something else."
Feeling the rising temperatures and seeing the usually energetic Xiaobai and Xiaohuang sprawled listlessly on the cool stone ground, Jiang Hai couldn't help but complain.
Ever since returning to Winthrop after the Chinese New Year, Jiang Hai had barely rested. He came back in March and jumped straight into planting fruit trees and harvesting fish.
In April, he attended the beef cattle exhibition. At the end of that month, he went to the Mâcon Wine Competition, followed by the Brussels Wine Awards in May, and also made a stop at the Azalina auction. By the time he returned, it was already June. He spent just over ten days at home before heading out again—just when it felt like he was about to level up. That trip lasted nearly twenty days.
Jiang Hai only returned the day before yesterday—July 3rd. That night, he spent some quality time with Qi Jie, Qi Ya, Feng Yunchen, and Ai Xiaoxi. The next day, he headed to the manor to catch up on recent developments.
While he was away, the manor had been peaceful. Nothing major had happened.
The cattle were being raised as usual. Pra Walton and Zhang Dehai would occasionally call Robbins Garcia to tell him how many cows they needed and when they'd come to pick them up. Since they had worked together last year, they were already familiar with the entire process. If it wasn't them calling, it was Du Famen's or Luke Sean's people, coordinating with Robbins Garcia about feed orders and pickup times. Everything was already in motion.
Although Jiang Hai had acquired a lot of new land, he hadn't reclaimed it yet. When he did, he wouldn't immediately put it to use. First, he'd need to fence the land, clear the existing vegetation, and replant high-quality forage. He had no interest in growing common grass varieties—his goal was to sell premium feed.
Currently, the manor didn't have the right seeds or supply to grow such grasses on a large scale. Still, he was determined. He would only plant two types: King Bamboo Grass, known as the emperor of grasses, and alfalfa, widely regarded as the best forage in the world.
However, alfalfa was notoriously difficult to grow, with strict requirements for humidity, temperature, and altitude. That's why, despite its nutritional value, it wasn't commonly used for grazing. But Jiang Hai had an advantage others didn't—his spiritual energy could break through those natural limitations.
He firmly believed that with these two grasses, not only would his cattle thrive, but the cattle raised by his partners—Luke Sean and Du Famen—would also see significant benefits. Of course, that was all in the future. For now, the new ranch land hadn't even been developed.
Robbins Garcia had everything under control, and Edward Anderson's side was running smoothly too. The new fishing boat had arrived, and Edward had split the fishermen into two teams.
He and Maren Rupert served as team captains. When one team went fishing at night, the other rested and got up early to deliver fish. They alternated daily. This schedule ensured the crew wasn't overworked and remained productive. Most importantly, the income was excellent.
The fish raised in Jiang Hai's estate had been selling like crazy.
Not only did Pra Walton's Sam's Club buy them, but now nearly all of Boston's top seafood restaurants had switched to Jiang Hai's seafood.
Thanks to the excellent taste and quality, word had spread, and tourists visiting Winthrop also flocked to try it.
Originally, Jiang Hai mainly sold lobsters. But now, he sold a variety of seafood. Unlike cattle slaughtering, fishing wasn't an exact science—there was usually a surplus. Each day, they caught about a hundred extra kilograms of fish. After fulfilling orders for the restaurants and Pra Walton, nothing was left.
Besides feeding the manor staff, local restaurants and tourists would line up early in the morning at the gate, waiting for the fish truck. Whatever was available was snatched up on the spot.
As a result, Edward Anderson had been doing very well financially. Since Jiang Hai priced his seafood at three to four times the market rate, the crew's end-of-year bonuses looked very promising.
Robbins and Edward were thriving, and Dulles Gerard was even happier. After winning two major international wine awards, European buyers began coming to purchase Jiang Hai's red wine.
However, as Jiang Hai insisted, only limited quantities were sold. Most of the wine was still aging in the cellar.
Although profits weren't massive just yet, Dulles was already satisfied. He had proven his skills.
Jiang Hai didn't want to sell all the wine now. If he did, he could easily make tens of millions. But he preferred to wait—another year or two of aging would increase the value substantially. Even if he sold it for $2,000 a bottle, it wouldn't be unreasonable.
The vineyard produced over 40,000 bottles annually, close to 50,000 if fully optimized. At $2,000 per bottle, that would bring in nearly $100 million. While it still lagged behind beef sales, it was essentially pure profit—no labor, no major costs. It was easy money.
Currently, Jiang Hai's estate was earning $1.5 billion annually from beef and another $1.5 billion from fish. With wine sales, that bumped up to $3.1 billion. Add another $900 million from grass sales, and the total reached $4 billion.
And once he scaled up fish production, that number could jump to $5 billion or more annually.
According to his calculations, a $5 billion annual income wasn't far-fetched at all. And that's without Jiang Hai even trying too hard. After taxes, he'd still have over $2 billion left.
Thinking about it made Jiang Hai laugh.
Money, after all, was just paper. No matter how much he spent, he'd make it back. That said, just two years ago, all his assets combined were worth less than 20,000 yuan.
He was always realistic—what he said, he meant.
"Jiang Hai, we're going to the beach! You coming?"
Just as he was daydreaming about future profits and sweating under the heat, a cheerful voice called out.
He didn't even need to look—it was Qi Jie.
Sure enough, there she stood in the doorway, wrapped in a towel, wearing an orange bikini with little white polka dots and oversized sunglasses.
"Of course I'm coming!" Jiang Hai jumped up from the lounge chair eagerly.
"Then come help us pack." Qi Jie waved him over.
Smiling, Jiang Hai stepped into the villa—and was immediately stunned.
It was a sea of swimsuits.
Qi Jie had mentioned going to the beach, so of course, she wasn't the only one going. Everyone was. And the sight inside was dazzling.
Qi Ya wore a black-and-white one-piece, looking slightly shy. Ai Xiaoxi sported a white swimsuit with a prominent triangle up front and barely-there coverage in the back. Feng Yunchen's choice was even bolder—strapless with a front buckle and floral-patterned bottoms.
Afra and the others, who weren't at Grape Manor today, were also dressed in stylish swimwear—most of them gifts from Pra Walton. Though Jiang Hai gave them plenty of money, they rarely spent it. Still, they looked stunning.
Darlene and Marianne were more reserved. Their bikinis were modest and cute, with heart-patterned white tops and small skirts for bottoms. Jiang Hai considered them his "daughters" and wouldn't allow them to wear anything too revealing.
Naturally, Azalina, Galina, and Wallis-Shelley were going too.
Azalina wore a sleek black bikini that gave her an air of mystery. Wallis, having the most fun, wore a Squirtle-themed swimsuit. Though it had more fabric, her bust made it eye-catching in its own way.
Then there was Galina, who wasn't even in a bikini—just a midriff-baring top.
"Where are your clothes?" Jiang Hai asked, amused, leaning toward her.
"In my room..." Galina blushed, clearly understanding his teasing.
"You're wearing this to the beach?" he laughed.
"What's it to you?" she huffed, wrinkling her nose and storming off.
Though the beach technically belonged to Jiang Hai, the group didn't treat it casually. Qiya and the others had packed food, sunscreen, folding chairs, and other supplies. Jiang Hai was in charge of bringing the umbrellas.
After changing into his swim trunks, Jiang Hai headed out first—he needed to grab the umbrellas from the dock.
Xiao Huang and Xiao Bai, riding alongside on four-wheeled ATVs, followed him all the way.
At the dock, Edward Anderson and the others—just returning from delivering fish—were cooling off. Seeing Jiang Hai, they greeted him warmly and helped him load the umbrellas. Together, they headed to the only flat, sandy beach nearby.
This spot was ideal: soft sand, a gently sloping diving area that stretched nearly fifty meters into the sea, and a shady forest behind. There was a breeze, but it wasn't strong—just enough to keep things cool.
This wasn't Jiang Hai's first visit here. Once they arrived, umbrellas were set up every two to three meters. After everything was arranged, Edward and the others tactfully left.
They knew all too well—these were Jiang Hai's women. Not the kind of people they should be ogling.
Jiang Hai waited on the beach for over ten minutes before the sound of a motor signaled the arrival of the girls.
(To be continued.)