"Hey, what are you doing..." Jiang Hai, who was sleeping groggily, felt something unusual in the early morning. After opening his eyes in a daze, he found that Qi Li, who should have been sleeping beside him, was working hard at pleasuring him. Noticing Jiang Hai's waking gaze and seeing that he was already prepared, Qi Li stood up and straddled him. With a low moan, certain indescribable things entered the most indescribable of environments.
"Hey, no way, didn't we fight for nearly the whole night?" Jiang Hai said somewhat helplessly as he looked at Qi Li.
"I don't care! You baddie, pervert, hateful bastard! You actually took in both of my younger sisters. My status is becoming more and more unstable. I want to do it as much as possible before you leave. If I'm not the first to give birth to a child, won't my status with you get lower and lower?" Qi Li said angrily while moving, slapping Jiang Hai's chest. Hearing her words, Jiang Hai couldn't help but rub his forehead speechlessly.
Last night, he had spoken with Qi Li about Qi Jie and Qi Ya. It was also the first time Qi Li learned some of Jiang Hai's secrets. Of course, he didn't mention the secret of the Dragon Pearl, but he did tell her about his ability to heal.
When he first met Qi Jie, it was mainly because of Afra and the others. After Qi Jie learned about Afra's situation, she threatened Jiang Hai to help her treat her sister—not Qi Ya, but another one. At that time, Jiang Hai didn't know the identities of Qi Jie and Qi Ya.
Later, feelings developed over time, and the relationship between the three became a tangled mess. After being 'counter-attacked,' Jiang Hai accepted their presence. However, it wasn't until he went home for the New Year last year that he realized these two were actually his sisters-in-law.
Qi Li still believed the words of this fool, Jiang Hai. She had to admit her two sisters were bold enough—knowing he was her man, they still went ahead and seduced him?
Given that Jiang Hai originally didn't know who they were and that it happened before his confession to her, Qi Li really couldn't say much. What? Leave Jiang Hai? If she wanted to leave, she would have left long ago; why wait until now?
Now that Jiang Hai had made things clear, she was certainly angry and resentful, but there was also a trace of mysterious self-blame. If she had figured things out sooner, maybe they wouldn't have been involved. So, after the explanation, Qi Li pushed Jiang Hai down.
She pushed Jiang Hai three times. Needless to say, Jiang Hai's physical constitution was incredibly strong. He went three times, so there was no telling how many times Qi Li went. In the end, she finished purely on willpower before falling into a deep sleep. As a result, she hadn't slept for long before she woke up again. It seemed her determination to give Jiang Hai a baby was becoming firmer.
Before, she was content to let nature take its course—if it happened, it happened; if not, she'd wait. Now, she was becoming a bit impatient.
In her world, the company was important, but Jiang Hai was equally important. She didn't want to give up either, so she naturally had to find a balance. Just like in ancient times, a mother's status was elevated by her child; that was the reality.
"Your body won't be able to take it," Jiang Hai said helplessly to her while caressing Qi Li's slender waist.
"I know my own body. Even if I really can't take it, can't you heal people? You can just heal me then!" Hearing Jiang Hai's words, Qi Li leaned down and spoke with a smile. Hearing her, Jiang Hai sighed helplessly. Sometimes she was just this stubborn, and there was nothing he could do. The only way was... "Don't blame me if you can't get out of bed!" Looking at Qi Li, Jiang Hai flipped over and pinned her beneath him again.
"I wouldn't have it any other way!" Qi Li chuckled and said with a serious face.
The war started so inexplicably. Throughout the fourth day of the New Year, Jiang Hai barely left the room, only coming out at noon to eat and rest for about two hours before being pulled back into the room by Qi Li... Once a woman like her sets her mind on something, it's really quite a handful. Even Jiang Hai felt like his eight-times-normal physical constitution was starting to struggle. The night passed in silence, and life on the fifth day was much the same... Waking up in the morning, Jiang Hai went to set off a string of firecrackers, which counted as 'Po Wu.' New Year customs vary from place to place.
In some places, the New Year isn't over until after the fifteenth. Jiang Hai had heard such sayings since he was a child.
The New Year is only truly over after the fifteenth. In some rural areas around here, you often see vegetable vendors and the like only starting to set up their stalls on the sixteenth or seventeenth.
But with today's fast pace of life, very few people wait until after the fifteenth to go to work. Basically, after the fifth—the so-called Po Wu—people go back to work on the sixth or seventh. Jiang Hai used to be the same.
So after setting off firecrackers on the fifth, the New Year was considered over. Jiang Hai planned to fly to the Imperial Capital tomorrow and then return to Winthrop the day after. After making a call to the CIA, he would finalize his team and head to Antarctica.
This matter had been delayed for so long that Jiang Hai felt he had to go see it for himself no matter what.
Knowing Jiang Hai was leaving tomorrow, Qi Li didn't pester him today. Instead, she accompanied him to go shopping.
They naturally went to buy local specialties from Ice City, like Red Sausage, Dry Sausage, Char Siu, and so on. Jiang Hai would buy these things every time he returned; it was one of his hobbies! After all, he couldn't get these flavors in Winthrop.
On the evening of the fifth, Feng Yunchen returned. Qi Jie and Qi Ya decided to leave later to prevent Qi Li from finding out about their relationship with Jiang Hai, but they didn't know that Qi Li already knew... Ai Xiaoxi also sent word; she would take a train to the Imperial Capital tomorrow to meet up with Jiang Hai and the others, and they would fly out together the day after.
As for Qi Li, she planned to stay home for a while longer. She wanted to go back and properly 'discipline' Qi Jie and Qi Ya. Those two actually dared to seduce their brother-in-law behind her back; in her eyes, their intentions were truly damnable.
Time passed quickly. Naturally, Jiang Hai belonged to Qi Li on the night of the fifth, and no one had any objections to that.
After all, it was hard for Qi Li and Jiang Hai to see each other. Of course, during the night, Qi Li gave Jiang Hai a break and told him to go comfort Du Ning, who had accompanied Qi Li this time... Early the next morning, excluding Qi Li and Du Ning, as well as Qi Jie and Qi Ya who stayed at home, Jiang Hai took a group of girls in the rented minibus toward the airport. There wasn't much to say at the airport; they checked in and went through the VIP channel. Even for a flight from Ice City to the Imperial Capital, Jiang Hai flew first class.
After arriving in the Imperial Capital, they found a good hotel to stay in. In the afternoon, Ai Xiaoxi arrived. She didn't come alone; she also brought Jiang Hai some Crab Sauce made by her mother. Jiang Hai could only chuckle at that, but it was a good start, wasn't it? At least the mothers of these girls seemed to like him quite a bit.
While Jiang Hai prepared to return to Winthrop the next day, Qi Li also returned to her home. Naturally, she came with a mission.
Qi Jie and Qi Ya were completely overwhelmed by her. They also knew their secret was out. While secretly cursing Jiang Hai for his loose lips, they could only sign many humiliating treaties; ceding territory and paying indemnities were a given.
Originally, Qi Jie had always been utterly defiant toward Qi Li because they only shared half-blood relation. But now, she had no choice but to submit to Qi Li's overbearing authority. At least until she got pregnant before Qi Li, she had no power to resist her. As for Qi Ya, who was already afraid of her eldest sister, she was even more terrified now.
To think she could guess their relationship with Jiang Hai just from an anklet—this eldest sister was truly terrifying.
However, although the three sisters made quite a fuss, they didn't disturb the old lady. For them, Jiang Hai wasn't someone they couldn't share; they were just more concerned about their status as sisters. Now that there was a leader, things weren't so troublesome... Jiang Hai didn't know how Qi Li was dealing with her two sisters.
He only knew that after a night's sleep in the Imperial Capital, he boarded a plane the next day to return to America. He still went to New York first and then back to Winthrop. After more than ten hours of flying, the plane landed at the airport in New York.
As soon as Jiang Hai landed, the CIA's call came through. Their monitoring of Jiang Hai was thorough.
Jiang Hai didn't care about this. If they wanted to monitor him, let them. He didn't mind letting these people know where he went because sometimes, letting them know was safer than keeping them in the dark.
It was like in ancient China when emperors liked to bestow servants or beauties upon certain ministers. Did you really think those people were just servants and women? They also carried heavy responsibilities!
And these ministers would generally be very happy to have such a person in their home because it put the emperor at ease, knowing they had no intention of rebelling. People have flaws—greed, lust, desire for power—and those in power can tolerate these flaws, but they cannot afford not to know what these points of leverage are doing.
Although Jiang Hai wasn't a subject, letting the Americans know what he was doing was also a move to put America at ease.
Of course, they could only monitor him. If they dared to cross the line, Jiang Hai was not someone to be trifled with. (To be continued.)
The CIA is Monitoring
"Mr. Jiang, hello, do you still remember me?" The call was answered, and a familiar voice immediately sounded from the other end of the line. However, last time this person spoke English, but this time, he was speaking Chinese, albeit with a thick, unnatural accent.
"Louis Cazard, if I'm not mistaken!" Hearing his words, Jiang Hai replied calmly. Hearing that Jiang Hai still remembered him, Louis Cazard on the other end chuckled.
"Mr. Jiang, I specially learned this Chinese for you. How is your trip to China going?" After Jiang Hai finished speaking, Louis Cazard laughed and continued. These guys really know how to act familiar; he spoke as if they were old friends. Fortunately, Jiang Hai knew deep down that this guy was up to no good.
"It's alright. May I ask what Mr. Cazard is calling me for this time?" So Jiang Hai answered him indifferently. Hearing that Jiang Hai wouldn't fall for his approach, Louis Cazard didn't seem embarrassed. As an employee in his line of work, being rebuffed by his target was nothing new; their skin was extremely thick.
"It's about this: we recently agreed to go to Antarctica. I wonder if you still plan on going?" Ignoring Jiang Hai's lack of courtesy, he continued to ask Jiang Hai.
"Of course. It's just that I only returned today, so I haven't decided on the travel route yet." Hearing his words, Jiang Hai replied seriously. In March, after the spring flowers bloomed, Jiang Hai would become busy. Although Jiang Hai had been replenishing seaweed seeds and fish fry since he started selling fish last year, the batches were not very large. March was the time for Jiang Hai's largest batch of fish replenishment.
Unlike typical Americans, Americans dislike fish farming because they view it as increasing costs.
Therefore, over 70% of American seafood is naturally grown and then caught by deep-sea fishing vessels.
In their view, both the Atlantic and the Pacific are their backyard gardens; they can go fishing whenever they please.
They don't care that fishery resources have gradually decreased over the years; instead, they continue to increase the number of fishing boats.
But Jiang Hai is different. He comes from China, where fish farming started a long time ago. Almost the opposite of the US, 70% of China's fish comes from aquaculture. There's no helping it; China simply has too many people.
Thus, Jiang Hai also has the habit of farming fish. Only he knows how much money his fish sold for last year.
This year, Jiang Hai plans to raise some even more awesome fish. The fish Jiang Hai raised originally weren't meant for ordinary people; American Redfish sells for forty USD per kilogram, which translates to over twenty USD per pound. This price is already more expensive than retail salmon.
Farmed salmon in the US retails for about $8.99 per pound, while wild salmon goes for $14.99 per pound, and skin-on salmon is $7.99 per pound. Small tuna is $13.99 per pound, whereas live American Redfish only sells for $8.99 per pound. Jiang Hai sold his for nearly three times that price, which was indeed a bit unscrupulous.
Therefore, in order to capture more of the high-end market, and based on last year's experiments, Jiang Hai and Edward Anderson studied the possibility of raising silver pomfret and small tuna this year. Even the smallest tuna is more valuable than cod or redfish; it's a matter of lineage. Originally, tuna couldn't be farmed because they couldn't be raised in net cages; they roam constantly throughout the year. However, as Jiang Hai's spiritual energy increased, he found a way to keep these fish living within his fishing grounds, even staying through the winter, just like the tuna he had already attracted.
Currently, the tuna population in Jiang Hai's manor is quite significant. Although Jiang Hai hasn't counted them carefully, Edward Anderson once estimated that there are at least 1,200 bluefin tuna in Jiang Hai's manor. Jiang Hai knows there weren't this many originally; many swam over from Cape Cod after he expanded his fishing grounds. What Edward Anderson doesn't know is that many of these fish have already spawned. According to Jiang Hai's estimation, next year he will have at least 30,000 bluefin tuna. Of course, this is not the number of adult fish, even if Jiang Hai's spiritual energy is super awesome.
But at most, it can only accelerate the growth rate of these fish, not allow them to grow in one year to the size they would normally reach in twenty years.
However, reaching the size of a twenty-year-old fish should only take about four or five years.
Besides bluefin, there are also many yellowfin, albacore, bigeye, and Pacific bluefin tuna in Jiang Hai's manor. There are about ten thousand yellowfin, including over three thousand adult fish. The number of albacore, Pacific bluefin, and bigeye tuna exceeds thirty thousand. It is precisely because none of these fish leave Jiang Hai's fishing grounds during the winter.
That's why Edward Anderson dared to propose raising tuna. Otherwise, he wouldn't have suggested it. Jiang Hai's fishing grounds have no surrounding nets, and if they raised tuna and the fish swam away, they would have nowhere to catch them.
Of course, they would start by raising smaller tuna. They were not planning to farm bluefin, yellowfin, Pacific bluefin, bigeye, or albacore initially, but rather a small type of tuna, namely skipjack.
In addition, Jiang Hai plans to raise silver pomfret next year. Silver pomfret is found both domestically and internationally, in both the Atlantic and the Pacific. It is divided into freshwater pomfret and marine pomfret, and Jiang Hai will be raising the marine variety. This fish is relatively expensive both in China and abroad. Here in the US, frozen silver pomfret sells for $13.99. Considering Jiang Hai's "black-hearted" pricing strategy, selling this fish for $50 per kilogram is perfectly normal. As for skipjack, he and Edward Anderson have set the price at $80 per kilogram. Raising more valuable fish and pursuing a high-end route—that is Jiang Hai's intention.
"Since you still plan to go, you might want to look into the details these next few days. Will you travel with us, or go on your own and meet us at the border?" Hearing Jiang Hai confirm his attendance, Louis Cazard spoke seriously.
"Let me hear what you have in mind first." Hearing Louis Cazard's words, Jiang Hai asked him.
"To get to Antarctica, we currently have two possible routes: one is Tierra del Fuego in Argentina, and the other is Cape Horn in Chile. Of course, you could also take a boat directly from the state of Mexico if you prefer; it mainly depends on your schedule." Hearing Jiang Hai's question, Louis Cazard laughed and explained. Hearing what he said, Jiang Hai looked toward Azarelina.
He hadn't been heavily involved in these matters; Azarelina was primarily responsible for researching them.
"Tierra del Fuego." Seeing Jiang Hai look at her, Azarelina nodded and stated seriously.
If they had researched it themselves, they would have chosen Tierra del Fuego anyway, mainly because Argentina's political situation is more stable, and the relationship between Argentina and the United States is better. South American countries have always been America's backyard.
The only country in South America explicitly at odds with the US is Cuba, which pursues domestic socialism, following a similar path to the Soviet Union and China. However, under the influence of the Soviet Union and China's divergence, some South American countries have developed alternative ideas. Brazil's largest importer is China, yet they still lean toward the Western world (though the Western world doesn't just mean the US). Other countries are somewhat ambiguous. In South America, there are only two nations that openly serve as America's little brothers: Puerto Rico and Argentina.
Compared to going to Chile, Argentina's Tierra del Fuego is naturally a more suitable destination for Jiang Hai and those holding US visas.
"Tierra del Fuego." Hearing Azarelina's confirmation, Jiang Hai told Louis Cazard.
"Alright, I will arrange a boat here in Tierra del Fuego. If you need anything, you can contact me anytime." Hearing Jiang Hai confirm the route, Louis Cazard smiled and hung up the phone. The next step was planning the itinerary.
"Since Tierra del Fuego is confirmed, we need to figure out how we're going and who will be joining us." After hanging up, Jiang Hai looked at Azarelina and asked her. He definitely had to go on this trip, but deciding who else should go required consideration. Qi Jie certainly couldn't go this time, especially since American military personnel would be among the travelers.
Furthermore, people must be left behind to guard his home, and he also needs staff dedicated to protecting Zheng Jin. The number of available personnel might be insufficient.
"This time, Rerise Carter will stay behind to protect Zheng Jin. Belyakov, Valentina, and Aral Sala will guard the house. You, I, Wallis Shelley, Galina Vasikova, along with Bell Leicester and Connorsen Peters, will go together. Oh, and Little Huang and Little Bai too." Hearing Jiang Hai's question, Azarelina detailed the list they had prepared.
Ever since Jiang Hai decided to go to Antarctica, Azarelina and the others had been studying who should go and who should stay home.
Since the CIA was involved this time, they had to be cautious, so everyone going was a skilled operative.
Moreover, this trip was to Antarctica, unlike last time when they just looked for a cave. Therefore, they needed people to carry equipment and luggage and manage logistics; they couldn't rely on the CIA. Thus, Connorsen Peters, nominally Jiang Hai's bodyguard and the biggest "meat shield," would also be useful. As for Bell Leicester, having a sniper on the team was essential.
Listening to Azarelina's arrangements, Jiang Hai nodded. Every profession has its specialization; Jiang Hai didn't fully understand these details, so he let the experts decide. (To be continued.)
The Approaching Wealth
"Boss, you're back!" After leaving the airport in New York, Jiang Hai arrived at the parking lot. Waiting there were Edward Anderson and Robbins Garcia, who had naturally come to pick him up.
Since there were quite a few people returning with Jiang Hai, they had specifically rented a minibus. Jiang Hai was also considering whether he should buy a luxury coach for the estate in the future, as the number of people on his estate was growing.
"You've worked hard. Has anything happened recently?" Walking over, Jiang Hai patted the two men on the shoulders and asked with a smile.
"It's only been a few days, what could happen? Haha, we're all old hands at this, very familiar with these routines." Upon hearing Jiang Hai's words, Robbins Garcia and Edward Anderson replied with a laugh.
"We'll talk more after we get back. I might not stay long this time before leaving again. This next trip will probably take nearly a month." Hearing their response, Jiang Hai said as he walked towards the vehicle.
Hearing that Jiang Hai was leaving again, although they didn't know what he was going to do, they still needed to give their report.
The car slowly headed towards Winthrop, in the direction of Jiang Hai's estate. On the way, Jiang Hai listened to the updates from Robbins Garcia and Edward Anderson. Actually, Jiang Hai had left the estate in early January to attend meetings in Washington.
So basically, after the Christmas holiday ended, it was Jiang Hai's crew who began working autonomously.
Since the area was still in the grip of ice and snow, there was very little that could be done on Jiang Hai's estate.
At the vineyard, the main task was basically clearing snow, and it was the same for the vegetable plots. The daily routine for the cattle herd remained unchanged: letting them out to run every day. Even in winter, they couldn't be allowed to put on too much fat, as that would affect the meat quality. Of course, they couldn't be all muscle either; that wouldn't do either.
Everyone knows that good beef needs marbling. The so-called marbling is fat, while the rest is the lean meat of the beef, representing muscle. So, raising cattle, especially high-quality cattle, can't be all lean meat, nor can you just let them get fat. There needs to be a certain proportion of fat, with the lean meat enveloping the fat, only then can it command a high price.
Of course, in some parts, like the shank or brisket, there's only lean meat and fat, and there's nothing to be done about that.
It's like trying to train a brain into muscle—it's unscientific, and no one has a solution for it.
Robbins Garcia and the others were seasoned Cowboys, so they were very skilled in these matters. Earning such a high annual salary from Jiang Hai, they naturally wouldn't slack off. They let the cattle out every day to run for a while.
Since, in winter, the cattle couldn't graze while exercising, the timing of the exercise had to be carefully managed.
As for Edward Anderson, he still took the boat out to fish. The fresh fish caught daily were no longer transported by truck to Boston. Instead, Jiang Hai had purchased a spot at the Boston pier—yes, purchased, not rented.
Jiang Hai was just that wealthy. Every evening, the crew would go out to sea, fish through the night, and deliver the catch to the pier the next morning. Naturally, Pula Walton's people and the procurement staff from the high-end Western restaurants that had contracts with Jiang Hai would be there to purchase according to their agreed-upon quantities.
It has to be admitted that initially, when Jiang Hai's fish were first brought in, although many people looked, few actually bought.
But now, just like the beef, it's completely in short supply. Almost every high-end Western restaurant must have Jiang Hai's seafood.
Now, high-end Western restaurants in Boston, New York, and other parts of the Northeast have a special menu, just like the one Jiang Hai had in Washington—seafood from the mysterious waters of Winthrop. There's nothing more to say; the taste is simply excellent.
It's a complete, overwhelming superiority in quality, just that simple. It's like those farming-themed novels Jiang Hai used to read, where they'd grow a cabbage so delicious people would buy it at any price. Of course, Jiang Hai wasn't that miraculous.
But his seafood was just delicious. No matter what type of seafood, the meat was remarkably firm and chewy, indicating sufficient exercise. Generally, farmed fish have loose meat, but Jiang Hai's fish were just like wild-caught.
Moreover, they had that special sweetness unique to saltwater fish, and this sweetness was particularly intense, making the taste exceptionally good.
Some busybodies even suspected Jiang Hai's fish were laced with something to taste so good.
They even went as far as to have them tested. When the results came out, they were dumbfounded. Not only were Jiang Hai's fish completely free of any issues, but their content of beneficial elements for the human body also far exceeded that of other saltwater fish.
Of course, in some people's eyes, having no flaws was itself a flaw. But more people could accept this.
You can't make everyone like you, and Jiang Hai was no exception. So he never bothered to please anyone. No matter what outsiders said, he kept selling. If you had the guts, don't buy—that was his approach.
Of course, besides the fish and beef, Jiang Hai's sheep, pigs, and other animals, having settled on his estate,
were eating and drinking well. With ample spiritual energy, these creatures had undergone some changes, at least in terms of meat quality, becoming much tastier than when they first arrived. Jiang Hai's Texas Donkey, Nine-Jin Yellow Chicken, Congjiang Fragrant Pig, Ujimqin Sheep, etc., now had a taste that could be described as overwhelmingly dominant. You couldn't find such delicacies even in the US, let alone back in China.
What Jiang Hai enjoyed most was donkey meat. After stewing it in sauce and slicing it, the texture was truly excellent.
Mutton was basically only eaten in hot pot. As for chicken and pork, it didn't matter; there were many ways to prepare them.
"Boss, do you remember those fry you brought over from China?" After briefly updating Jiang Hai on the estate's situation and confirming everything was fine, Edward Anderson suddenly changed the subject and asked Jiang Hai.
"Hmm? Of course I remember." Hearing Edward Anderson's words, Jiang Hai's eyebrows raised slightly. He remembered bringing back mainly two types of fry from China: the Long-gilled Anchovy, also known as the yangtze river knife fish, and the Large Yellow Croaker, commonly called the big Yellow Croaker. Although they were farmed fry, Jiang Hai believed that raising them himself and selling them as wild-caught would be no problem at all. Moreover, Jiang Hai didn't do wholesale for these. They were directly caught, quick-frozen or iced, and shipped to his restaurant in the capital to sell. The price? He set it, simple as that.
There was also the Yellow Croaker. Only eight were brought over, specifically to avoid inbreeding.
But the numbers were still low, not yet ready for harvesting.
"Recently, the smaller type of fish you've been raising has started migrating to spawn. I remember this type of fish spawns only once in its lifetime. I think it's about time to start preparing for the catch." Hearing that Jiang Hai remembered, Edward Anderson said with a smile.
"Oh? They're ready for harvest already?" Hearing this, Jiang Hai's eyes lit up, and he spoke with some surprise.
"Spawns only once" means this type of fish can only spawn once in its entire life.
Most migratory fish are like this. Take the Chum Salmon or Whitebait, for example. They grow up in rivers, go out to sea as adults, then return to the river to spawn, dying after spawning.
The Long-gilled Anchovy, or yangtze river knife fish, is the same, which is why farming them is so difficult.
Although Jiang Hai had spiritual energy to nourish them, preventing them from dying immediately after spawning, he couldn't make them live much longer either.
Jiang Hai had initially acquired 100,000 Long-gilled Anchovy fry. It had been over a year now, so the timing was about right.
If some fish had already started migrating, Jiang Hai needed to prepare. Around March or April each year, these fish would migrate and spawn in large numbers. Calculating the time, it should be about right.
After these fish finished spawning, Jiang Hai needed to catch them immediately, then ice or quick-freeze them and ship them to China. This required perfect timing, something Jiang Hai had been waiting for a long time.
As for the new generation, there was no need to worry. The nourishment from the spiritual energy and the protection of Jiang Hai's freshwater river would allow the fry to grow rapidly. One Long-gilled Anchovy could produce 30,000 eggs. By Jiang Hai's conservative estimate, with the spiritual energy and his intentional environmental management, at least 10,000, and at most 30,000, of the 100,000 Long-gilled Anchovy could successfully spawn. If only one-third of the 30,000 eggs per fish grew to maturity, that would be 10,000 multiplied by 10,000. In other words, Jiang Hai would have at least 100 million Long-gilled Anchovy next year.
Considering the domestic price of this thing, wouldn't it be reasonable for Jiang Hai to sell it for $800 per pound? In restaurants, $1,000 per pound wouldn't be unreasonable, right? Assuming three fish make a pound, how much would 100 million fish be worth? $24 billion! And that's in US dollars.
Of course, it can't be calculated that way. The reason this thing is valuable is because it's rare. Jiang Hai flooding the domestic market in such large quantities would definitely cause an impact, something Jiang Hai had naturally factored in.
Even if sold at half the price, that's $12 billion, still in US dollars! Halve it again, $6 billion. Halve it once more, $3 billion!
Now that's what you call truly valuable. At $100 per pound, roughly 600 rmb, it's still worth $3 billion!
Of course, that's all for next year, or even the year after. For now, with Jiang Hai's 100,000 fish, even if he can harvest 80,000, that's a baseline of 24,000 pounds, worth nearly $20 million.
Recently, Jiang Hai was a bit short on cash, so he wouldn't go easy on this money.
"We'll handle everything after returning from Antarctica!" Thinking of the approaching wealth, Jiang Hai's eyes narrowed. (To be continued.)
Target: Antarctica!
Returning to Winthrop, which was still in a state of ice and snow, Jiang Hai did not stay at home for very long.
To be precise, he was indeed in a bit of a rush... So, after returning to Winthrop, he held a small meeting at home.
He made arrangements for how the manor should operate while he was away for a while.
After everything was settled, Jiang Hai found Bell Lester and Connerson Peters to explain that he wanted them to accompany him.
These two naturally had no objections; Connerson Peters could leave at any time, but Jiang Hai gave Bell Lester three days off, agreeing that he would leave after his vacation was over.
At the same time, Jiang Hai and his team had to prepare the equipment needed to go to Antarctica; yes, Jiang Hai had to prepare this equipment himself in advance.
You couldn't expect the CIA to prepare Jiang Hai's equipment for him.
The most important thing was cold-weather gear. Although Jiang Hai was born in Ice City and now lived in Winthrop...
But anyone who has been to Antarctica knows that it is on an entirely different level. Not to mention Antarctica, most people cannot even handle the Arctic. As the coldest place in the world, the Antarctic region is divided into two areas: the coastal zone and the inland region.
During the warm season in the coastal zone, the average temperature is between 0 degrees and minus 20 degrees, while the average temperature in the inland region is between minus 35 degrees and minus 20 degrees; that is to say, minus 20 degrees during the day and minus 35 degrees at night.
Actually, it looks barely acceptable, which is why people can go at this time; it is called the warm season.
As for the cold season, the coastal zone is between minus 30 degrees and minus 5 degrees, and the inland region is between minus 70 degrees and minus 40 degrees.
This is the reason why even the world's most cutting-edge technology cannot allow one to stay outdoors in Antarctica for a long time.
Of course, there is another more important reason. The warm season in Antarctica actually lasts for five months, starting in November and ending in March of the following year, a total of five months. But why is it that you can only go to Antarctica in January and February of each year? It is because of the wind there! Hurricanes are blowing in Antarctica at any time and any place.
There are three hundred days of high winds; only two months have less intense winds. Of course, the high winds mentioned here are different from high winds in the normal sense. In normal times, so-called high winds are level 5 or 6 winds, which counts as high winds. But in Antarctica, there are no level 5 or 6 winds at all. The minimum wind is level 8, nearly 20 meters per second.
It is only during these two months that the wind is level 8. Outside of these two months, it is basically level 10 or above, and at its strongest, it can even reach 100 meters per second; there is no way to calculate what level of wind that is.
When Jiang Hai was in school, the strongest wind he knew of was a level 12 wind, but in fact, above level 12, there are levels 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17. The maximum wind level defined by humans is level 17, which is over 61.3 meters per second.
Obviously, 61 to 100 is quite a gap, so when going to Antarctica, even in the Antarctic summer, Jiang Hai still had to take good cold-protection measures. A level 8 wind, combined with a temperature of minus 30 degrees—just thinking about it feels so intense.
Secondly, there is the issue of weapons. Ordinary weapons are naturally of no use in Antarctica.
A little wind blows, a little snow drifts; if snow gets into the gun, it will instantly freeze the internal components. Wiping it with oil is useless, as it freezes even faster. Therefore, in Antarctica, you must use fully sealed guns made of special materials. Although the power will be much smaller, at least they can be used. Of course, conventional weapons still need to be prepared, after all, some places are not that cold.
Third is the issue of direction and positioning. There are no landmarks in Antarctica, and compasses and such are unreliable—they stop working just like that. As for satellite positioning, you have to pray that the satellites are looking at you. So, identifying directions in Antarctica is also very important. Of course, there are many other third, fourth, fifth, and so on...
However, at the moment, these three things are the most important, and Jiang Hai had to resolve these issues during the few days Bell was resting.
Azalina was responsible for getting the guns, Wallis Shelley was responsible for positioning, and Jiang Hai had to go buy clothes and such.
Staying warm is extremely important in Antarctica, but fortunately, there is nothing in this world that cannot be solved with money, especially regarding clothes. Jiang Hai easily bought the best cold-weather gear in the world that he wanted through the American Express Company.
This cold-weather gear was jointly developed by China and Soviet Russia. Jiang Hai didn't know what high-tech materials were used, but it could release the sweat vapor from inside, keeping the inside dry while completely blocking out the wind and cold air from the outside.
Both the Chinese and Soviet Russian Antarctic research stations use it. Coupled with thin, inner-lining style clothes made in the United States, and a sweater worn underneath, it was enough to withstand the Antarctic weather. People like Jiang Hai who live in the north are well aware of this.
When it's cold, wearing too many layers is useless because if there are too many layers and they are too thick, it actually doesn't keep you warm, because your own body heat cannot reach that distance. So often people wear a lot but are still very cold, because the outer layer of clothing cannot hold the warmth. You should wear a warm piece of clothing inside, and then wear a down jacket or fur coat outside; that would be quite warm. So Jiang Hai just bought such clothes, a total of eight sets. He, Azalina, Wallis Shelley, Galina Vasikaya, Bell Lester, and Connorsen Peterson—a total of six people, one set each, and two spare sets, one men's and one women's. He also specifically bought a special vest for Little Yellow and Little White each; these two dogs would also play an important role after they went there.
After his clothes were delivered, he chartered a plane, preparing to fly directly to the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires, at that time. So even though it looked like Jiang Hai was responsible for a lot, he was actually the one who resolved his tasks the fastest.
In two days, Jiang Hai was already done, and on the morning of the third day, Wallis Shelley finally walked out of her room, carrying some positioning equipment; this counted as resolving the third difficult problem. In the evening, Azalina finally returned, carrying a box of weapons.
These weapons were all made of rubber, although it was possible they were made of something else; it was just that Jiang Hai didn't recognize them.
But they felt very much like rubber. Jiang Hai tested them, and the power of the weapons was only about half of the original. The pistols could only shoot 30 meters, and the rifles had an effective range of just under 100 meters, but this was already quite an achievement.
Bell had his own sniper rifle; this had already been discussed before he left, so Jiang Hai didn't need to worry about it. Azalina was also happy about that, otherwise where would she go to find such a sniper rifle made of special materials? That would really be asking too much.
Looking at this equipment, Jiang Hai took one of the pistols from there, one of the rifles from there, and his own desert eagle. He thought for a moment and took out the compound bow he had bought a long time ago when he went into the mountains; this thing might come in handy later. After everything was settled, Jiang Hai also told the current managers of the house, namely Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi, to pay attention to any disturbances nearby. He also told Belyak, Valenjina, and Aler-Sala, the three people staying behind at home, that if there was anything wrong, remember to protect the people first and run—if the manor was gone, he could build it again later.
But if people were gone, Jiang Hai would be heartbroken for a long time if even one was missing. After everyone had been instructed...
On the fourth day, Bell Lester returned, looking a bit unsteady on his feet. It seemed he hadn't stayed obediently at home during these three days. But that didn't matter; Jiang Hai didn't care what shortcomings his subordinates had—having no shortcomings was the most terrifying thing. After the group of six was fully prepared, Aler-Sala drove Jiang Hai's MVP and took them to the airport in Boston. Upon arriving at the airport, Jiang Hai and his group boarded the plane through a special passage, although the plane was not his.
But it was chartered by him, so there was nothing wrong with bringing dogs and weapons onto the plane. As for Argentina, the CIA had already made arrangements. With an order from the control tower, the plane carrying Jiang Hai and his group flew off into the sky.
At the same time, Aler-Sala also followed Jiang Hai's request and, after they took off, made a call to Louis Cazade; the CIA personnel needed to meet them in Argentina.
After confirming this, Aler-Sala drove back to Jiang Hai's manor, and at the same time, hung a "Do Not Disturb" sign at the entrance. While Jiang Hai was away these days, all operations at the manor would be suspended. Except for the normal sale of beef and fish, the place would not accept any visitors, and those who would come to visit at this time probably didn't have good intentions.
In fact, this was indeed the case. Less than half an hour after Jiang Hai's plane took off, many people already knew that Jiang Hai had gone to Antarctica. However, these people did not act rashly now, because Jiang Hai had not yet entered the Antarctic region and had no signal. He was currently flying in the sky, and where he was going now was only Argentina.
If any problems arose at his home at this time, he could come back at any time. Valenjina, who was guarding the house, also discovered that although there were already quite a few people watching Jiang Hai's house, in just this short while, the number had increased by nearly double. These people included Americans, Europeans, black people, and naturally, Caucasian men, and of course, yellow race people.
And they could also confirm that these yellow race people came from at least three countries: China, South Korea, and the island nation. (To be continued.)
Arriving in Argentina
"So this is Argentina!" Stepping off the plane, Jiang Hai took a long breath as he looked at the scenery outside and spoke with a smile. Hearing his words, Azalina and the others also scanned their surroundings; however, they weren't just looking at the scenery, but were also checking for potential threats. Still, they were quite satisfied with the climate here.
Argentina is located in the southern part of South America. The Southern Hemisphere is different from the Northern Hemisphere, with the four seasons being exactly reversed. When it is autumn here, our minds think of it as spring; when it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere, it is actually summer here.
Although geographically and latitudinally speaking, Argentina is quite far south, the temperature here is actually quite pleasant. Jiang Hai and his group were currently in the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires. The temperature outside was about twenty-four degrees Celsius, the most comfortable temperature for humans. One could wear a thicker short-sleeved shirt, or a thin jacket or a sweatshirt would also suffice.
Looking at the Ministro Pistarini International Airport in front of him, which was not much worse than New York's airports—well, this airport name is certainly a good way to pad a word count, but unfortunately, Jiang Hai likely wouldn't be saying it very often.
After the plane came to a steady stop, Jiang Hai and his group disembarked first. Because they had dogs and guns with them this time, they couldn't enter the airport through the jet bridge; someone had to lead them. These people had already arrived as soon as they got off the plane.
"Mr. Jiang, you've had a long journey. My name is Jidard Mode, and I am with the CIA. I'm here to pick you up. Mr. Cazade has already prepared the hotel and dinner." Shortly after Jiang Hai and the others got off the plane, a small airport shuttle drove over from not far away. A young woman was on the vehicle; after the shuttle reached them, she stepped down and spoke to Jiang Hai with a smile.
"Oh, hello. I thought Cazade would be waiting for us here. Never mind, let's go!" As he spoke, Jiang Hai sized up the woman. She looked to be in her twenties and appeared to be a Caucasian woman with very sharp features, brownish-black hair, and was about 1.75 meters tall. She wore a women's business suit, and certain indescribable areas were remarkably prominent. She also wore a pair of glasses; a'spectacled beauty' type—she really was quite a selling point.
He had to admit, American agents certainly had their charms, but unfortunately, Jiang Hai didn't really fall for that sort of thing.
After hearing her words, Jiang Hai and the others brought out their belongings. Seeing the things they had brought along with the two dogs, the woman named Jidard Mode naturally understood the situation. With a wave of her hand, two airport shuttles drove over from the distance. After securing their items, Jiang Hai and the others boarded the vehicles and headed out.
Taking a special passage, Jiang Hai and the others left the Esse... well, let's not say the airport's name; anyway, they left the airport.
Outside the airport, two vehicles had been waiting for a long time. One was a luxury minibus for Jiang Hai's dogs and his subordinates, and the other was a stretch Lincoln for Jiang Hai himself.
After putting away their things, Jiang Hai and Azalina got into the stretch Lincoln, while the others boarded the minibus.
Once everyone was seated, Jidard Mode spoke a few words into her headset, and the cars slowly started moving. After leaving the airport, Jidard Mode began introducing the situation in Argentina to Jiang Hai.
As everyone knows, for Argentina, samba and football are the most important things.
But not many people know that they are a major agricultural power. Argentina's beef cattle farming is perhaps second only to the United States and China in the world, even leaving some European countries far behind. Moreover, because there are no rainforests like the Amazon in this region, public security is slightly better than in places like Brazil.
The government is a federal republic, somewhat like the United States. The full name of the U.S. is the United States of America, where every state is a separate independent entity. In Argentina, the situation is somewhat similar, though it doesn't follow the U.S. model perfectly.
Argentina is a presidential federal republic composed of twenty-three provinces and a federal capital.
It is the third-largest economy in Latin America; the largest is Brazil, the second is Mexico, and they are the third.
And Buenos Aires plays a very important role in South America and Argentina. Unlike some large countries where the capital isn't necessarily the largest or best city—like the U.S., where the best is New York followed by Los Angeles, and Washington D.C. doesn't really rank—in developing countries like this, the capital is absolutely the best.
It's like China in the eighties or even the early nineties; the capital was the best place in all of China. After all, it is the capital of a nation, the face of the country, so it must be well-maintained to showcase the character of a great power.
However, China has developed very quickly recently. Looking at the housing prices, one can tell that while the Imperial Capital is still the best city, it now has to be called 'one of' the best. Cities like Shenzhen, Guangzhou, the Magic City, and Hangzhou also shine brightly alongside it.
But current Argentina cannot be compared to China; right now, only its capital is the most beautiful part.
The city has over eighty thousand industrial enterprises, and its total industrial output value accounts for two-thirds of Argentina's total. It could be said that just like South Korea, more than half of Argentina's forty-three million people depend on Buenos Aires for their livelihood.
"Actually, Buenos Aires was just a small city when it first became independent, but since the implementation of Europeanization and modernization policies, a large number of Italian and Spanish immigrants flooded in, which played a very important role in its development," Jidard Mode explained to Jiang Hai while introducing the street scenes.
"There are a lot of Italians here? I know this used to be a Spanish colony, so Spanish people aren't surprising, but what's with the Italians? Did they come here to start a Gray Gang?" Jiang Hai asked with some confusion after hearing Jidard Mode's words, then he laughed. Indeed, Italy has left many symbols and calling cards on this world.
For example, Rome, the Vatican, the Mafia, the 'Little World Cup' of football, the fashion capital of Milan, and for example... their army is quite useless... ahem, that was just something Jiang Hai remembered when he thought of the Nazis.
"You guessed one-third right. Those people did indeed come to organize the dark forces here, but besides that, they also took an interest in the flesh trade. For example, the Boca district is where these people gather; it's filled with brothels and opium dens, and over ninety percent of them were opened by Italians from Genoa." Hearing Jiang Hai's words, Jidard Mode shrugged. Beneath the surface of any city, there are undercurrents surging.
Especially in a country like Argentina, there are definitely many people watching them. There are some dark forces that Argentina cannot resolve. In South America, this is the primary situation; it really is quite ironic when you think about it.
There are many special organizations that are not just organizations; they have the shadows of certain countries behind them, so Argentina simply cannot afford to offend them. These organizations also don't leave their own districts, which can be considered a tacit understanding between the two sides.
The CIA has massive influence even in the U.S., and in pro-American Argentina, they naturally have a very high status. On the road, some patrolling police cars even took the initiative to make way for Jiang Hai and his group.
"If you're not in a hurry to leave, you can have a good time playing here for a few days. Buenos Aires has many interesting places. The opera and ballet performed at the Colón Theatre are very tasteful. Plaza San Martín commemorates their War of Independence, and there's the Obelisk and July 9th Avenue. This street is currently the widest road in the world at 140 meters wide, named to commemorate Argentina's independence on July 9, 1810. There's also the National Congress Building and the Congressional Plaza."} After introducing the things to watch out for, Jidard Mode continued to introduce the city.
"There's also Caminito, Plaza de Mayo, the Casa Rosada... Buenos Aires is quite fun." Seeing that Jiang Hai didn't speak, she didn't stop and kept telling him about the local customs, while Jiang Hai continued to listen.
One introduced and the other listened. Before long, the two cars arrived at a famous hotel in Buenos Aires. Jiang Hai couldn't tell what it was called because it was in Spanish; Spanish and Portuguese are somewhat similar, but different from English.
So Jiang Hai really couldn't recognize it. He only knew the hotel looked quite good, about thirty stories high, with the Río de la Plata behind it and a green park in front. Both the natural environment and transportation were quite good.
After Jiang Hai and the others got out of the car with their things, Louis Cazade, whom Jiang Hai had met twice before, came out from the lobby to greet them with a face full of smiles. In the CIA, he was definitely a powerful figure with real authority, but unfortunately, that meant nothing to Jiang Hai. In America, the wealthy are the first class; these officials don't dare offend the rich.
An old Chinese saying goes: 'The poor do not fight the rich, and the rich do not contend with officials.' But in America, it's 'the poor do not fight the rich, and officials do not contend with the rich.' Wealth is the primary standard for measuring a person's social status, not how much power you hold.
Of course, if an official reaches the absolute peak, then even the wealthy have to be a bit cautious. People like the President, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, or the Director of the IRS—Jiang Hai would be afraid of them too. But a minor figure with some authority in the CIA wouldn't dare act arrogant in front of Jiang Hai. (To be continued.)