It is better to use money to illustrate just how important Jiang Hai's existence is.
The year before last, Walmart had just begun cooperating with Jiang Hai, but the partnership had not yet formally launched. That year, their revenue was 482.13 billion USD. Although the revenue was over 480 billion USD, the profit was quite small, only about 16 billion USD. This profit is what the shareholders divide. This low profit margin is a point often criticized by many self-proclaimed economic experts. There are many voices in China arguing that when profits are low, companies will try every means to increase earnings and cut costs. Since many of Walmart's suppliers are Chinese enterprises, and Walmart is a major buyer with strong bargaining power, it inevitably drastically lowers the prices paid to Chinese suppliers. This leads to low profits for Chinese companies, leaving them struggling to survive, preventing workers from getting raises, and stifling development funds... In summary, the existence of Walmart is seen as a form of suppression against Chinese enterprises.
All Jiang Hai could do was scoff at this, as these people were purely spouting nonsense.
Why is the retail industry called the retail industry? It's because the margins are slim. If a supermarket's prices aren't cheaper, or the quality isn't better than what's available elsewhere, why would people go to the supermarket instead of the local market? That's illogical.
Supermarkets operate on volume, so their earnings are naturally low. If a spoon sells for 5 units outside but 20 units in the supermarket, would you buy it? Yes, this would mean more money for the supplier—maybe they used to sell it for 2 units and now sell it for 10 units. But the core issue is that the raw material for that item is only worth 2 units, and the selling price is 5 units. It's that simple.
If you insist on raising the price, the cost of the iron used to make the spoon will inevitably rise. When the price of iron rises, the prices of all ironware and alloys will increase. While people's incomes might rise, their overall expenses will be much higher. This is called inflation. Everything has its appropriate cost, and this is exactly what the government regulates annually.
What's the point if you end up like Japan and South Korea, where you go out with ten thousand units of money and can't even afford a single meal?
Although Walmart's profit margin isn't high, one of its greatest strengths is its high cash flow velocity.
You never hear of someone buying groceries at a supermarket using an IOU, or delaying payment to settle accounts monthly, quarterly, or annually.
When Walmart sells a bottle of soda, it immediately receives the cash for that soda. Therefore, even if it didn't earn much profit on that single bottle, the money is genuinely secured in its pocket. The 16 billion in profit goes straight into the shareholders' wallets.
Shareholders can use this money however they wish—spend it, invest it, whatever. This revenue stream exists year after year, and there is absolutely no need to worry about not receiving the funds, or that the amount will fall or decrease. This is unlike shares in high-tech companies; while those shares are worth a lot, they are often tied up within the company and cannot be easily moved.
This is precisely why shares in the Walmart Group are so valuable.
However, even though this money is being earned steadily, who would ever complain about having too much money?
Before Jiang Hai joined, their annual revenue was over 480 billion USD, and their annual profit was 16 billion USD, equating to 160 million in cash per share (a figure that is, of course, subject to tax).
In the two years since Jiang Hai joined, Walmart's revenue last year soared to 520 billion USD. Of the 40 billion USD increase, nearly 26 billion USD in sales were driven by Jiang Hai's beef and seafood. Another 10 billion USD came from other items people purchased incidentally after buying Jiang Hai's products, as they wouldn't go to the supermarket just for meat and fish.
Of that 26 billion USD, 15 billion USD goes toward the cost of Jiang Hai's beef and seafood, 2 billion USD is for Teng Long Company's logistics, and the remaining 9 billion USD is their gross profit. After deducting store rent and employee wages, they earn at least 7 billion USD annually purely from Jiang Hai's beef and seafood sales, and this doesn't even account for the profit generated by the extra 10 billion USD in incidental purchases.
Including these earnings, Walmart Corporation's annual profit is nearly 30 billion USD, meaning one percent of shares is worth 300 million USD.
The entire Walton family holds 48% of Walmart's shares. Jiang Hai alone brings 14.4 billion USD in annual revenue to the family. Of course, after taxes, they are left with only about 8 billion USD, but that is eight billion!
Jiang Hai himself earns just over eight billion after taxes in a year, and the Walton family earns eight billion thanks to him.
How could they possibly treat Jiang Hai poorly? How could they neglect him? In their eyes, Jiang Hai is clearly a God of Wealth. Furthermore, thanks to Jiang Hai, Pula Walton, who manages Sam's Club, also received a 5% stake from the family. This means her annual income is 1.5 billion USD, and she knows that all of it was given to her by Jiang Hai.
Not only did she gain money, but she also gained a significant voice. For Pula Walton, an ambitious woman, this was naturally the best possible outcome. Besides finding Jiang Hai attractive, she is also attracted to women, so marriage between them was impossible. Jiang Hai also had no obligations toward her. The other family members, however, were lamenting why they didn't have a beautiful daughter.
If one of them had managed to get involved with Jiang Hai, perhaps the Walton family would be listening to their suggestions now.
"Jiang, welcome, welcome! When did you arrive?" Seeing Jiang Hai and Pula Walton walk in, Robson Walton smiled and came over to greet them. Compared to their last meeting, he was much more enthusiastic this time.
Looking at the elderly man before him, Jiang Hai smiled and shook his hand. Given his relationship with Pula Walton, it wasn't appropriate to be too casual, and Robson could certainly be considered an elder.
Seeing that Jiang Hai's attitude was appropriate, Robson Walton smiled back happily.
It must be admitted that Robson Walton was quite the showman. His silver-white hair was impeccably combed, and he wore dark-tinted sunglasses even while indoors. His suit was smooth and slick, giving him a look that was both fashionable and serious. However, when facing Jiang Hai, he was clearly delighted. A man who could generate so much wealth for him and his family was naturally the focus of attention wherever he went.
"I just arrived a little while ago," Jiang Hai replied courteously upon hearing Robson Walton's question.
"Tonight is a family banquet. Everyone here is either a family member or a very close friend, so please feel free to relax," Robson Walton said with a chuckle, patting Jiang Hai's shoulder.
Jiang Hai smiled at his words. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Robson Walton, the family patriarch, went off to greet other guests. Before leaving, however, he specifically instructed Pula Walton to ensure Jiang Hai was well looked after. Pula Walton would have done so anyway. Once Robson was gone, Pula Walton led Jiang Hai toward the cold buffet table.
She knew Jiang Hai disliked business networking; he preferred to eat something rather than waste time chatting with those people.
Having reached the table, Jiang Hai didn't stand on ceremony and immediately began to eat. He had exerted a significant amount of energy earlier, and he could imagine he would expend even more later that night, so he needed to quickly eat something to replenish his strength.
But for the protagonist, wherever he goes, there is always someone who looks upon him unfavorably—just like what happened now.
"Hey, a bumpkin is a bumpkin. Eating like that in this kind of setting—haven't you ever eaten good food before?" Hearing the voice, Jiang Hai frowned, raised his head, and looked toward the source. In his line of sight, a man who looked to be in his twenties was standing in the distance with a few men his age, gazing at Jiang Hai with a mocking expression.
"Shut up, Brett. Do you want me to tear your filthy mouth off?" Hearing the man's words, Pula Walton looked at him disdainfully and spoke with remarkable calmness.
"What did you just say, you wild brat?" the guy named Brett shot back when he heard Pula Walton.
"I said I would tear your filthy mouth off, you piece of trash, Brett." Hearing him yell, Pula Walton sneered and repeated herself with a serious expression. Hearing her declaration, the man named Brett couldn't help but take a step forward. Jiang Hai naturally stepped in front of Pula Walton. If the guy dared to lay a hand on her, Jiang Hai wouldn't mind teaching him a lesson.
"Brett, what are you doing!" Just then, a man in a suit walked over from a distance. This man looked to be over thirty, bore a resemblance to Brett, but was clearly much more composed.
"Big Brother, they..." Seeing the man approach, Brett trembled slightly and tried to whisper something, but he was interrupted before he could even start.
"Mr. Jiang is an honored guest of our family, and he is not someone you can afford to offend. Now, immediately, apologize to Mr. Jiang and then get out of here," the man said to Brett with a calm, indifferent expression.
"S-sorry..." Hearing the older man's command, Brett reluctantly muttered an apology to Jiang Hai, and then retreated with his group of friends. He knew he couldn't afford to offend the people here, so he chose to avoid them.
"Hello, my name is Cooper, Cooper Walton. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Jiang." After the others departed, the man smiled slightly and extended his hand in a friendly gesture. Jiang Hai shook it lightly. Since his name was Walton, he must be related to Pula Walton's family. That meant the earlier troublemaker, Brett, was also a relative.
The Situation of the Walton Family
"This is Cooper Walton, my third uncle's eldest son, and my cousin." Seeing Jiang Hai's gaze, Pula Walton introduced the man in front of them. Hearing her introduction, Cooper smiled.
"It's my first time meeting Mr. Jiang. To be honest, I'm very hopeful that we can become friends." Cooper Walton said with a calm expression. Hearing his words, Jiang Hai smiled somewhat awkwardly and shook his hand.
"My relationship with the Walton Family is quite close. We're already friends, aren't we?" Looking at Cooper Walton, Jiang Hai spoke with a smile. Hearing Jiang Hai's somewhat perfunctory words, Cooper Walton also laughed along.
After a few pleasantries, the man left. Jiang Hai and Pula Walton took some food and went to a corner. While eating, Pula Walton began to explain the current situation of her family to Jiang Hai.
The founder of the Walton Family, Sam Walton, had four children. The eldest is Roberson Walton, full name Samuel Robertson Walton; the second was John Walton; the third is Jim Walton; and there is also a daughter, Alice Walton. Originally, the old man favored the second son, John Walton, the most, but unfortunately, he passed away in an accident. This led to the struggle for the chairmanship between Roberson and Jim.
John Walton's wife and children inherited his estate, but they basically only care about collecting their share of the money and aren't very invested in the company.
Alice Walton, Pula Walton's aunt, is now divorced and has no children. Her life can be summed up in one word: play.
With a net worth of over thirty billion dollars, she has nothing to do but enjoy herself. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her the female version of Jiang Hai.
Now, the second generation of the Walton Family is basically getting up there in years, mostly around sixty. So, the Walton Family is now embroiled in an internal power struggle, much like those melodramatic TV dramas.
The main factions are Samuel Robertson Walton's family and Jim Walton's family. Samuel Robertson Walton has three children: two sons and one daughter. The eldest is Jack Walton, the second is Pula Walton, and the third is Austin Walton.
His current wife—well, she can't really be called his wife anymore since they're divorced—is the mother of the third child, Austin Walton.
Jim Walton has four children: three sons and one daughter. The eldest is this Cooper. To be honest, he is the most capable person in the third generation of the Walton Family besides Pula Walton; in terms of pure ability, Pula is no match for him. The one named Bright from earlier is Jim Walton's youngest son.
He also has a second older brother named Hope Walton and a third older sister named Bertha Walton.
The children of her second uncle's family had already left the Walton Family's line of competition long ago after her second uncle passed away.
This business is just that cruel. America is a society where money is paramount. Losers don't have the same kind of moral baseline as people back home; they have no baseline at all. Currently, her second uncle's family can still live very well.
This is entirely because they only want money and have no desire for power. Without seeking power, they become a primary target for everyone to win over, so no one goes out of their way to make trouble for them. If they were pushed to the other side, it would be disastrous for the aggressor. These people are very smart and wouldn't do such a thing.
In Cooper's eyes, Jiang Hai was also such a person. He only came over to build some goodwill. If there were an opportunity in the future, he naturally hoped Jiang Hai would support him, but Jiang Hai's words just now had been very clear.
He was close to Pula Walton, which is why they were friends. In other words, if Pula Walton didn't want him to be friends with them, then they wouldn't be friends.
Because Jiang Hai's words were so firm, Cooper only smiled and left. He wasn't like Bright. As mentioned before, he was one of the most outstanding people in the third generation. He naturally knew that regarding the cooperation between Jiang Hai and Walmart, while Walmart seemingly had the bargaining power, one could actually say Walmart was the one begging for the partnership.
Jiang Hai's beef had already moved past its initial unknown status. If he opened a specialty store in every city now, he could make a fortune and completely bypass the Walmart Group. In Cooper's view, the reason Jiang Hai hadn't done so was partly for stability and partly to give Pula Walton face, given their relationship.
Of course, if Jiang Hai knew what he was thinking, he would be very surprised and say, 'Wait, I can do that?'
Don't call Jiang Hai an idiot; he really hadn't thought about it that way, and his mind wasn't entirely focused on making money.
To Jiang Hai, although money was important, enjoying life was actually the most important thing.
He was unwilling to busy himself with opening stores even if it meant earning an extra billion or even several billion dollars a year, because it would be too much trouble. Just the initial market expansion and construction would be enough to leave him physically and mentally exhausted. He was the type to enjoy life and had no real ambition. Moreover, as long as Walmart wanted to keep making money, they had to maintain a good relationship with him.
The number one company in America was no joke. Protecting Jiang Hai was absolutely no problem, provided that Jiang Hai, like John's son, only wanted to make money and didn't care about anything else.
"Bright, I heard you got messed with by someone?" While Jiang Hai and Pula Walton were eating, a guy with slicked-back hair walked over from a distance. He looked like a version of Roberson Walton but decades younger. Everyone present except Jiang Hai probably knew him.
Austin Walton, the youngest son of Samuel Robertson Walton, and the son said to resemble him the most.
However, his life lately had been quite difficult. Don't forget that Pula Walton had a grudge against him. Pula Walton had suffered a lot of abuse from this side of the family when she was young; even her fear of men and preference for women was due to this family.
Later, after she demonstrated her abilities, she made Austin Walton's biological uncle—who had bullied her—disappear.
Since then, her relationship with this family had reached a freezing point. Roberson Walton didn't want internal fighting in his family, so he kept the two sides apart. In truth, he felt that Pula Walton, an illegitimate daughter, wasn't as important as his youngest son, so he had been protecting this family. But after Pula Walton's relationship with Jiang Hai improved and was made clear, he had to watch Pula Walton suppress her brother in order to win her over.
Austin Walton's days had been quite bad recently; in fact, they hadn't been good for the past two years.
The company he opened under the protection of Walmart had lost tens of millions in the last two years. Although Roberson Walton had money, it was his money, and he wasn't willing to just throw it away to fill his son's financial holes. Moreover, Pula Walton and her eldest brother, Jack Walton, would object. They weren't from the same mother, so where would the brotherly love come from?
So when it came to giving money, he wasn't happy about it, especially with constant losses. Last year, he directly told Austin Walton to file for bankruptcy. What use was a company that kept losing money?
After the bankruptcy, the only money Austin Walton had to spend was his small allowance, which was very little to him.
This guy's personality was somewhat like Qi Zhengtao's—constantly defiant and resentful—but he was even more flamboyant. However, Pula Walton was much more ruthless than Qi Li. Although she wouldn't kill Austin Walton, she made sure he didn't have a single peaceful day. After his company went under, he went to a bar to drink because he was in a bad mood, got beaten up, and the culprit couldn't be found. He went street racing and got caught by the police. He threw a party at home with some 'indescribable' substances and got raided by the FBI. You could say the detention center had become his second home lately; he spent more time there than at home. Once in the detention center, no one gave him face as a young master of the Walton Family; he was beaten and cursed at as deserved. Roberson Walton wasn't stupid; after once or twice, he knew someone was targeting him.
At first, he thought it was Jim Walton's family, but after investigating and finding out it was Pula Walton, he kept quiet because he couldn't afford to offend this daughter now. After bailing Austin Walton out of the detention center again, he directly confined his son to the house, absolutely forbidding him from stepping foot outside the villa.
It was almost like solitary confinement. He wasn't allowed to drink, throw parties, or contact his fair-weather friends. If it weren't for the family's annual meeting today, he probably wouldn't have been able to show his face.
So it was impossible for him not to hate Pula Walton, but the biggest problem now was that he couldn't beat her. Even if Pula Walton broke his leg right now, he would have nowhere to seek justice.
Samuel Roberson Walton was a businessman, a true businessman. Although he liked Austin Walton, his shares would inevitably be split three ways after his death. All three children would get some, and Pula Walton might even get more because she had shown her value. Precisely because he knew this, Austin Walton sought out Bright.
A Display of Intimidation
"It's you. What gives you the free time to come look for me?" Britt Walton said with a hint of disdain, looking at Austin Walton approaching. The families of Rob Walton and Jim Walton were structured similarly.
They had elites and they had wastes. The original elite of the Rob Walton family was Jack Walton. He currently managed all of Walmart's supermarkets in the southwestern United States. His strength was considerable, and he was known for being low-key, having perfectly inherited Sam Walton's personality. He was also the most favored candidate to take over the Walton family.
Currently, Pra Walton was subtly stealing his thunder, but the relationship between the two was more cooperative. Pra Walton had also stated that she would not join the board of directors, so she and Jack Walton were considered semi-allies.
The waste, of course, was Austin Walton. But there was no helping it; the saying, "The youngest son and the eldest grandson are the lifeblood of the old man and woman," held some currency even in the US.
In the Jim Walton family, the elite was naturally Cooper Walton, the standout among the third generation. He managed the Walton family's business in the Southeast and Central regions. In fact, in terms of actual strength, he might even be stronger than Jack.
The second son, Hope, went into politics and was currently a state assemblyman. If he could make it into the Senate or the House of Representatives later, his influence would be immense. The third son, Britt, was a waste, much like Austin. The fourth child, Bertha Walton, was simply a pampered young lady, so calling her a waste wasn't entirely inaccurate either.
And wastes are mostly the same: they aim high but execute poorly, believing themselves invincible and only suffering from bad luck. They assume they can naturally accomplish anything others can, completely ignoring reality. They only think, and if they think it, it must be so.
Therefore, Austin and Britt, these two wastes, often called each other wastes and held each other in extreme contempt.
The fact that Austin would actively come and look for him now made Britt somewhat confused, but the disdain on his face remained strong.
"Nothing much. I just heard you got humiliated, so I came to take a look." Hearing Britt's words, Austin's expression wasn't great either, but he suppressed his anger and looked at Britt with a forced, insincere smile.
"Hmph, that's only because I didn't want outsiders to laugh at us..." Britt was needled by Austin's statement, and he retorted defensively. Hearing this, Austin couldn't help but laugh. Who could possibly provoke Pra Walton now?
"Alright, stop pretending. I know exactly what your situation is. Have you thought about revenge?" Hearing Britt's words, Austin leaned closer and spoke seriously. Hearing him, Britt's face changed, and he looked at Austin with alarm.
"Austin, if you want to die, don't drag me into it. If even one hair on their heads is missing, your dad and my dad will beat us to death." Britt said sternly, looking at Austin. Although they were wastes, they knew that Jiang Hai was the family's most important business partner, without exception. Substitutes could still be found for other products.
But Jiang Hai's fish and beef were unique—one of a kind in the world. Only he had them. If they dared to provoke Jiang Hai under these circumstances, their fathers would truly tear them limb from limb.
After all, no one turns away money, especially in a place like the United States, where the idea of money supremacy is deeply rooted in the American psyche. Maybe in China, some people might forgo money for the sake of family, love, or friendship, but that is rare in the US; everything can be measured by money.
If they dared to provoke Jiang Hai, their two fathers, even if they didn't sever the paternal relationship, would certainly give them a severe beating, or might even hand them over to appease Jiang Hai. This was the biggest difference between China and the United States.
"Heh heh, I'm not crazy. How could I provoke him? What I mean is, look how arrogant that guy is. I was thinking, could we make him lose a little face?" Austin smiled, looking at Britt. Although he was a waste, he wasn't stupid. He knew that currently, he was far less important than Jiang Hai, so under these circumstances, he would never provoke Jiang Hai.
But instead of causing trouble, just giving him a display of intimidation—their fathers would probably be quite happy to see that.
"Make him lose face?" Hearing Austin's words, Britt's eyes lit up. If it were possible, they could certainly try.
"Tomorrow is the official cocktail party. I'll have some friends coming. We can..." Seeing that Britt was interested, Austin began to whisper... However, Jiang Hai was unaware of any of this. He only knew that the food prepared by the local chefs tasted quite good.
Although the ingredients weren't as good as those from his own ranch, the skill was excellent. Even though Qi Ya had learned a lot from Pierre Gagnaire, that level of culinary experience couldn't be mastered in a single day, so Jiang Hai ate quite happily.
The meal quickly ended. Just as the other guests wanted to introduce themselves to Jiang Hai, he and Pra Walton had already left. Given Jiang Hai's status, no one was qualified to demand anything of him. He hadn't come seeking cooperation; people sought him out, never the reverse.
Naturally, after he finished eating, he left immediately, and no one dared to stop him. As for what happened after they returned to Pra Walton's room, that topic ends here... Due to relevant national regulations, certain things cannot be described. Jiang Hai often does these things, but they cannot be described, and there is nothing to be done about that. However, since it was still early after returning, it seemed there would be time for sleep tonight... "Boss, why didn't you ask him about the European and Middle Eastern sales rights for his wine?" Watching Jiang Hai and Pra Walton leave just like that, a man in the distance walked up to Rob Walton and whispered.
If Jiang Hai had been there, he would have recognized this man immediately: it was Doug McMillon, the CEO of Walmart, the same person who had previously tried to marry Pra Walton. Ever since Jiang Hai ruined the engagement ceremony, Doug knew his chances with Pra Walton were over, and his original status had also begun to shake.
Previously, he was the third most influential person in the company, after Rob Walton and Jim Walton. When those two were absent, he represented the company. He could help the company make money, so the shareholders would listen to him.
But now Pra Walton was even better at making money, plus she was a member of the Walton family and had Jiang Hai supporting her. Therefore, her existence was more important than his. After all, he was replaceable, while Pra Walton, even if only because of Jiang Hai, was indispensable. Understanding this, his role instantly shifted.
The former third-in-command instantly became a professional CEO. It was no easy feat to become the CEO of the Walmart Group; at the very least, his intelligence was more than sufficient. While managing the company well, he also stayed close to Rob Walton. Although the decision to invite Jiang Hai this time was Rob Walton's, Doug had also offered advice.
He suggested asking Jiang Hai why he gave the wine sales rights to Basileon Martin, considering they were partners.
However, upon hearing his words, Samuel Rob Walton chuckled slightly. He naturally knew why Jiang Hai gave the sales rights to someone in Europe. Although he wasn't close to Jiang Hai, Pra Walton had discussed this matter with him.
The only reason Jiang Hai sold the sales rights to Basileon Martin was that they weren't making money selling it.
They didn't have the capacity to develop the market for this product. Unlike the beef and fish, which had clear fixed prices, wine relied more on reputation and consumer taste. Walmart wasn't set up for that kind of marketing.
But Basileon Martin was an expert in this field. Moreover, according to Pra Walton, how many Walmart stores were there in the US compared to Europe and the Middle East, and what was the difference in the selling price?
If Basileon Martin really managed to sell his wine for $2,000 a bottle, as Jiang Hai envisioned, the Walton family would earn far more than before. Most importantly, Jiang Hai's temperament meant he would not tolerate any questioning or dissatisfaction. If you were unhappy, you had to bear it; if you couldn't bear it, the cooperation would end. It was precisely because they understood this point.
That's why Rob Walton simply invited Jiang Hai over and didn't mention the wine issue once. If mentioning the wine made Jiang Hai unhappy and he stopped selling them beef and fish, then they would be in a serious predicament!
They absolutely could not sacrifice the major for the minor; this was a consensus among them.
Because of this, when Jiang Hai arrived today, Rob Walton had no complaints. Even Jim Walton, standing far away, didn't ask anything. He didn't even come over to greet Jiang Hai, merely raising his glass in a distant salute.
But what they didn't know was that their two prodigal sons were currently preparing to give Jiang Hai a display of intimidation!
The night passed without incident. When Jiang Hai, holding his lower back, got out of bed the next day to eat lunch, the guests invited by the Walton family had begun arriving in succession. Although the banquet was scheduled for the evening, no one would arrive exactly on time.
Playing Tennis?
The Walton Family's dinner party still carries considerable prestige among America's top-tier families. Although they gather three times a year, which some elite families find a bit excessive, sending a representative is still a must whenever the event is held.
The Walton Family is also famously low-key. It doesn't matter much to them whether the big shots themselves attend or just send a message; they don't place too much importance on formalities. Even so, the Walton Family dinner is a gathering that everyone in the United States, and even the entire Western world, would give their right arm to get into.
However, as mentioned earlier, the Walton Family is very low-key. Unless you are a guest invited by a family member, outsiders trying to get in through connections simply won't make it.
Americans, or more precisely, Westerners in general, love social gatherings because they are a way to build and maintain relationships.
Apart from the opportunity to curry favor with the Walton Family, such gatherings are also a chance for attendees to network with each other and seek potential partners. Even some celebrities, whether from the entertainment industry or the sports and cultural world, would find a way to attend.
After all, opportunities to rub shoulders with such immense wealth don't come around often.
Since they're here to make friends, they naturally wouldn't arrive right on time, attend for just an hour or two, and then leave. You wouldn't meet anyone that way. So, many people arrive quite early.
Generally speaking, those with lower status or those who are more eager to meet people tend to arrive the earliest.
Of course, they wouldn't come in the morning, but after finishing lunch, people start trickling in around two or three in the afternoon.
The Walton Family isn't hosting this kind of banquet for the first time and is well-prepared. Besides the main banquet hall, there are several auxiliary reception rooms stocked with nuts, cold dishes, and the like, providing a place for these early arrivals to mingle.
Just like how children greet guests at a senior's birthday celebration back home, a banquet naturally requires hosts to welcome guests. This duty falls to the Walton Family's third generation. Originally, everyone except Hope was supposed to participate.
Hope, being a congressman, is on a political career path, so he wouldn't take on such hospitality duties. He hasn't even shown up today to avoid any appearance of impropriety. It's worth noting that the U.S. has a high-salary-for-integrity system, and charges like corruption carry severe penalties that could land you in prison for life. Therefore, those in politics absolutely cannot afford to give anyone any leverage.
Even when seeking political donations, it has to be done discreetly. Who would dare to do it openly? Especially at an event like this.
Under these circumstances, the person in charge of greeting these guests every year is essentially Cooper Walton, Jim Walton's eldest son, leading a group of his younger siblings to welcome the external guests.
In the past, Pula Walton naturally had to participate as well. However, starting last year, she was exempted. Who told her she became so capable? In such a family, the one who makes the most money has the most clout. Still, she can't just show up at the last minute; she needs to arrive somewhat early. So, after having lunch, Pula Walton spent a few more intimate hours with Jiang Hai in the room. Around 4 PM, she changed into an evening gown and, together with Jiang Hai in his suit, went downstairs to one of the reception rooms. Even though she doesn't have to play host, she definitely needs to make an appearance.
"Wait here for now. I'll go greet these people and then come back to find you," Pula Walton said to Jiang Hai with a smile after they entered the room. Jiang Hai understood that while American and Chinese social customs differ, as the hostess, she still needed to go around and ask if people were enjoying themselves or if they needed anything. This is a universal practice, whether in China or the U.S. So, Jiang Hai just nodded without saying anything.
Seeing Jiang Hai's agreement, Pula Walton walked over to some people she recognized in the room. These individuals were all here through invitations from the Walton Family, so essentially, each family member looks after their own invited guests.
If you don't know someone, there's no need to go up and say anything. Even if you're just acquaintances, it's fine. It feels quite relaxed and free.
Watching Pula Walton flit into the crowd like a butterfly, Jiang Hai found a spot and sat down.
Although he ate a lot at noon, his energy expenditure was high. So, as soon as he sat down, he started eating again.
Just as he was happily eating, a few people walked over and, seemingly unintentionally, stopped in front of Jiang Hai.
Jiang Hai looked up and realized he recognized one of them—the guy who called him a country bumpkin and got scolded yesterday. What was his name? Blair or something? He couldn't remember. The other two looked somewhat familiar, but he didn't know them.
Seeing the looks in their eyes, Jiang Hai frowned and tossed a cookie into his mouth.
"Can I help you?" Jiang Hai asked, chewing the cookie, his tone not exactly friendly as he looked at the group before him.
"Oh, nothing much. Just came to see you. I don't think I've met you in person before. Bright said he'd seen you, so I asked him to bring me over. These are my friends," an unfamiliar man said with a chuckle. Hearing this, Jiang Hai raised an eyebrow. Something about the way this guy spoke made him uncomfortable. 'Came to see you'? Was he some kind of animal on display? Yet, he couldn't quite pinpoint what was wrong with the statement.
"Seen enough? I'm going to keep eating. Any problem with that?" Hearing the man's words, Jiang Hai shook his head, deciding to ignore him, and lowered his head, ready to tackle the cake in front of him again.
But these people hadn't come to watch Jiang Hai eat cake. Seeing Jiang Hai about to brush them off, the man leaned forward, placing his hands on the table where Jiang Hai was eating, looking down at him from above.
"I'm Austin Walton. Pula is my sister. I heard Mr. Jiang is quite athletic. Interested in some activity before the dinner? It might help you eat more later," the man said with a thin, insincere smile. Hearing him, his hangers-on all chuckled along.
These guys weren't exactly good people to begin with, so naturally, they wouldn't pass up a chance to mock Jiang Hai.
Of course, these fellows only dared to laugh a little. Jiang Hai's current status was far beyond what they could afford to provoke.
As second-generation heirs, bullying people is one thing, but you have to know if you can handle the consequences of picking on someone. Anyone who can attend a Walton dinner and is close to Pula Walton—honestly, as long as they aren't fools, they'd only dare to laugh a bit.
"Excuse me." The laughter quickly drew the attention of the entire room. Pula Walton also noticed the situation. When she saw Jiang Hai surrounded by those people, her eyes widened. She apologized to the person she was talking to and walked straight over, wordlessly positioning herself beside Jiang Hai and glaring coldly at the group.
"Are you looking for trouble? How dare you provoke him? Don't you know who he is?" Placing a hand on Jiang Hai's shoulder, Pula Walton spoke icily without any preamble. Her words sent a chill through the onlookers.
Anyone in this circle would know of Pula Walton's existence. This 'iron lady' isn't as easy to get along with as one might imagine. Though beautiful, she's a poisonous rose. Provoking her isn't just about getting pricked by a thorn; it could be fatal. Instantly, these people began to back down.
"Ahem, Sister Pula, no need to be so tense. We mean no harm. We were just asking Jiang Hai if he's good at sports. If he is, we could go out and have some fun. If not, forget it... We're just trying to build rapport," Bright had already stepped back, and Austin said with an awkward smile, speaking softly.
"It's fine. I'm decent at sports. What do you want to play? You can tell me," Jiang Hai patted Pula Walton's hand. Although he didn't know what these guys were up to, playing along with them was fine; he was getting a bit bored anyway.
"I heard you've played basketball and are quite good at it. So, how about we play tennis today!" Hearing Jiang Hai's response, Austin's eyes lit up, and he said with a grin.
Yes, he had already looked into Jiang Hai. He knew Jiang Hai was strong at basketball, even having tried out for the NBA. If Jiang Hai weren't so incredibly wealthy, he might have debuted in the NBA. So, playing basketball with him was definitely out of the question.
However, among his friends was a tennis expert, whom he had specifically invited today.
"Tennis? With you? Alright, let's go!" Hearing him, Jiang Hai thought for a moment. Tennis... he had played it before, but only once, many, many years ago. Back then, an anime called "The Prince of Tennis" was very popular. After watching it, he found it interesting and went to play at his school's tennis club. Honestly, though, he didn't have much talent for it.
He just learned the rules, that's all. But it didn't matter now. With his physical fitness, except for games like billiards that require strategy and where brute force isn't a guarantee of success, he could handle anything else without a problem.
"No, no, no, don't misunderstand. We're playing tennis, but the one playing against you isn't me—it's him!"
Fantasy Tennis Arrives!
"Playing tennis with you is playing tennis, but your opponent isn't me, it's him!" As Austin Walton stepped aside, a foreigner in a suit walked over from a distance with a smile on his face. Seeing his smile, many people around him gasped, and even Pula Walton's expression turned ugly.
"Novak Djokovic, this guy is currently the number one player in the tennis world," Pula Walton whispered, tugging at Jiang Hai's sleeve. Hearing her words, Jiang Hai also looked at the man.
"This is my friend, you can just call him Novak. Novak, this is your opponent for today." Looking at Pula Walton's serious face, Austin Walton said triumphantly. He indeed had reason to be smug; at least no one would think that Jiang Hai could be a match for the current world number one in tennis.
"Austin, what is this? You're bringing in a professional to compete with Jiang Hai. What's the point of winning?" Pula Walton walked up to Austin Walton, crossed her arms, and looked at him indifferently.
Hearing her words, the people around also realized it. Indeed, Djokovic was currently the world number one in tennis; winning against Jiang Hai, who was just a novice, would be an unfair victory. What was there to compare?
A professional playing against a novice—Djokovic would probably be embarrassed to even mention it!
The reason he was here was simple: he knew that although he was currently in his prime, athletes were still athletes, and their careers were limited. Now at thirty, he needed to consider his future after retirement.
Similar to Beckham, his wife, Jelena Ristic, was also a formidable woman.
It was through a friend of hers that he got in touch with Austin Walton, and when Austin Walton asked him for a favor, he found it hard to refuse. He could only bite the bullet and come. Hearing these words now, he felt even more awkward.
But there was no way around it; it seemed Austin wasn't going to back down just because of a single sentence from this woman.
"Hey, Pula, you're making a mountain out of a molehill. We're just playing, just playing. It doesn't count as winning or losing, right, Jiang? Or are you scared?" Austin Walton said in an extremely childish manner upon hearing Pula Walton's words.
Hearing what he said, Jiang Hai really wanted to give him the middle finger. What kind of mess was this? Why was it so melodramatic and childish? Whether it was the arrangement of events or the dialogue, were these guys' IQs all below eighty?
The plot of purely slapping faces for the sake of slapping faces was a trope from five years ago; how was he encountering it today?
If he were to say now, "Yes, how could I possibly beat the world number one? I'll just eat instead!" would Austin and the others be very embarrassed? But Pula Walton would probably also feel a bit awkward.
After thinking for a moment, Jiang Hai suppressed the urge to say, "I'm not playing anymore," and instead looked at his opponent.
To be honest, he was also quite awkward at the moment. Seeing Jiang Hai look over, the man also gave an embarrassed smile.
"Come on, let's play a game for fun." Seeing his awkward expression, Jiang Hai smiled. It didn't matter. Since they liked this awkward vibe, he would play along for a while. Anyway, he had nothing else to do.
"Alright, there's a tennis court upstairs. Anyone interested can go take a look." Hearing Jiang Hai agree, Austin and Brett exchanged glances and then said with a smile, as if they could already see Jiang Hai being defeated.
But even if Jiang Hai lost, it didn't matter. Jiang Hai didn't need fame, nor was he in professional sports. He wouldn't lose a limb. The things that excited these guys were somewhat inexplicable, and Jiang Hai found it hard to understand.
"Let's go!" Hearing their words, Jiang Hai shook his head inwardly. If they wanted to play, then let them play. But to be honest, he really hadn't played tennis since he got the Dragon Ball, and he was a little curious himself.
"Do you want to change clothes?" Seeing Jiang Hai and Austin walk out, Pula Walton immediately rushed over and whispered in Jiang Hai's ear. Jiang Hai moved a bit; it was indeed a little uncomfortable, a bit tight, but it didn't matter. Wasn't Djokovic also in a suit? Why was he so formal?
The news of Jiang Hai playing against Djokovic quickly spread throughout the hotel, thanks to eager gossips.
Not only many attendees of the banquet came to watch out of curiosity, but even hotel staff came, and some were even recording. When Jiang Hai and Djokovic stood on the court, the crowd grew excited.
The foundation of tennis in China wasn't actually very strong. Although many people played, it was still far from being a national sport like basketball or football. Even though Li Na emerged from China, very few people actually played it.
However, in the United States, tennis was quite popular, given that it hosted the US Open, one of the four Grand Slams.
Moreover, many ATP Masters tournaments were held in the US, so tennis had a strong public following there. The screams from the sidelines when Djokovic entered the court were a clear indication of this.
As for Jiang Hai, to be honest, his favorite sport was basketball. Tennis was purely because he watched an anime when he was younger.
He had mostly forgotten what was in the anime now, as he stopped watching after it turned from regular tennis into fantasy tennis. However, he still knew some basics: serves had to land in the small front box on the opponent's side, and lines were in, unlike basketball where touching the line meant out.
And serving postures and such, even though he hadn't touched a racket in a long time, he still had some memory of them.
"Let's play best of three, first to two wins. You serve first." Perhaps feeling a bit awkward with everyone watching, Djokovic threw the tennis ball to Jiang Hai as soon as they both got on the court, then whispered, wanting to end the match quickly. Jiang Hai naturally had no objections; he didn't know how strong he was either, did he?
Jiang Hai and Djokovic's playing style wasn't like what you'd see on TV, with six games and tie-breaks. It was a very simple game, with a total of three service games. For example, 15-0, 30-0, 40-0, and then winning a game. That counted as one game. Best of three, very simple, and wouldn't take long, at least from his perspective.
"Alright." Hearing his words, Jiang Hai smiled, then took the tennis ball and walked to his service area. Compared to Djokovic, who had his own exclusive tennis racket, Jiang Hai's was much simpler: just a randomly picked one with tight strings.
Then he stood in position, tossed a tennis ball high into the air, and instantly, all his strength concentrated in his right hand. Aiming at the ball in the air, he unleashed a powerful, overhead smash-like serve, sending it flying!
With a loud "smack!" that was anything but a good sound, the tennis ball shot out like a cannonball. No one could clearly see the ball; they only perceived a blur, like something out of an anime. The ball instantly vanished upon impact, then a phantom appeared, followed by a loud bang. The ball was gone, but a small crater had been gouged into the ground in front of Djokovic, and behind him, a tennis ball was embedded directly into the wall, only slowly falling out a moment later.
"What... what was that?" Looking at the fallen tennis ball and the craters in the ground and wall, everyone couldn't help but fall silent. How could such a thing happen? This ground and wall were made of concrete, concrete! What kind of probability could cause two craters in concrete ground and a wall? How fast was that serve just now?
Many people who were recording immediately started rewinding their videos, because they truly hadn't understood or seen what happened.
This happened right before their eyes; it couldn't be a movie special effect. What was going on?
"15-0..." Perhaps the sounds of the people behind him startled the temporary referee awake, who shouted and then gestured for Jiang Hai to serve again. Hearing his words, Jiang Hai bounced the ball once more.
As for Djokovic, he shook his head, forcing himself to calm down. He truly hadn't expected his opponent to be such a heavy hitter.
In the world of tennis, heavy hitters were quite common. They had great talent at serving, were tall and powerful, but these people weren't usually very agile, so he might not necessarily lose. Although it seemed Jiang Hai's serve might be even stronger than the world's best heavy hitters, for the sake of his future, he was still prepared to give it his all.
"Hmm, 20% power, not bad. Now let's try 40%." Hearing the referee finish, Djokovic also reacted. Jiang Hai then said with a smile, and under Djokovic's disbelieving gaze, Jiang Hai tossed the tennis ball high into the air, then struck the ball with even greater speed!
"Whoosh, smack, smack!" This time it was even more terrifying. The tennis ball didn't even leave a blur. The moment Jiang Hai's racket hit the ball, the ball actually disappeared. Then came two sounds. By the time Djokovic and the crowd reacted, they saw that the small crater from before was now deeper, and nearly a quarter of the tennis ball was embedded in the wall. This time, it took even longer for it to slowly fall out...