"Two billion?"
Hearing Pravolton's words, Jiang Hai stroked his chin and smiled. A livestock company with a market valuation of over two billion dollars was no small player in the global market. And this was just market value, not total assets.
If someone intended to acquire it, the price would likely go up—probably to around three billion.
There were only a handful of livestock companies in the world with valuations in the billions. In the U.S., the undisputed giant was the Cargill Group. Beyond that, there weren't many big enough to truly challenge Jiang Hai.
A so-called "small company" valued at two billion was still far beneath him. Why should he be concerned?
"I'm still very grateful to you. I'll handle the rest."
Though he wasn't worried, Jiang Hai wasn't arrogant either. As the medical team had told him: Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will never be defeated. Jiang Hai was never the type to forget favors. Since this man had helped him, he would make sure to express his gratitude.
"You're welcome. From your complexion, I'd guess you're Asian?"
The middle-aged man smiled as he looked Jiang Hai over.
"Yes, I'm Chinese," Jiang Hai replied with a nod, curious in return.
"I thought so. My name's Liu Lecheng—also Chinese. I run a ranch in Texas now. This is my wife, Xia Zhiliu, and my son, Liu Rongxuan."
Hearing Jiang Hai confirm his heritage, the man beamed and introduced the two people behind him: a white woman about the same age as Liu Lecheng, and a mixed-race teenage boy who looked at Jiang Hai a bit shyly.
"Nice to meet you. Have you settled here?" Jiang Hai asked.
"Yes. It wasn't easy back in China. I went to college here, and after graduation, I thought about going back. But the job market there wasn't great. So instead, I used the 200,000 yuan my father had saved for me to find work, came back here, bought a piece of land, and started farming. Honestly? It's a much better life than I would've had working back in China."
Liu Lecheng laughed as he spoke, though it was clear his path hadn't been easy.
Jiang Hai understood. Two hundred thousand yuan over a decade ago was a significant amount. Not enough for a house in Beijing, perhaps, but it could have bought a decent home in cities like Harbin. Investing it abroad had taken guts—Liu Lecheng clearly had vision and courage.
"Brother, you're truly enterprising."
Jiang Hai gave him a sincere thumbs-up.
"Haha, not as much as you think. I only ended up here because I went to college nearby, so I was familiar with the area. But you—are you here for the cattle exhibition too?"
Liu Lecheng smiled modestly. He never considered himself exceptional, but being acknowledged felt good.
"Yes, I own a ranch in Winthrop. If you ever have time, brother and sister-in-law, you're welcome to visit. My place is by the sea," Jiang Hai replied warmly.
"Sure, maybe someday."
Liu Lecheng smiled again, but Jiang Hai knew what that meant. In China, phrases like "someday," "next time," or "when there's time" were usually polite refusals. But here in the U.S., people often took such words at face value.
Although Liu Lecheng didn't seem moved, his wife and son's eyes lit up at the mention of a seaside trip—clearly, the idea of visiting appealed to them.
After bidding farewell to the Liu family, Jiang Hai returned with his group to prepare for the day. They were heading to check on the cowshed.
Although the cattle had been moved into the shed the previous night, they hadn't had time to inspect the setup properly. Now that it was daylight and no one could sleep, they figured it was a good time to look around.
As for Pravolton, she had left earlier—she had her own responsibilities. As a manager for Sam's Club, her job wasn't just to coordinate with Jiang Hai; she also had to manage her store.
Attending the National Beef Cattle Show wasn't just about promoting Tenglong Manor's name. She was also here to scout meat suppliers. After all, Jiang Hai's ranch raised over 10,000 cattle annually.
With an average of more than 400 kilograms of beef per cow, that came to over 8 million pounds of meat. Even if spread across the U.S., it wouldn't be enough for everyone. Of course, Jiang Hai's beef wasn't meant for the masses.
His high-end product was targeted at the rich, but even then, it wasn't enough to last a full year. Sam's Club would still need mid-range beef from other sources. As for the low-end stuff, they could leave that to Walmart.
For now, Pravolton had to split her time: recruiting staff locally and returning to Jiang Hai in the evening. She had been holding back for too long and was now entirely captivated by Jiang Hai.
So was Cheryl Lee. With both women vying for his attention, Jiang Hai's nights were anything but quiet.
Later that day, Jiang Hai drove with Connorson Peters to check out the cowshed. Only three cowboys had come along on this trip, each working one of the three shifts per day. With such a tight rotation, Jiang Hai had to step in to give them breaks.
When they arrived, Robbins Garcia was already busy with the cattle.
Seeing Jiang Hai, he smiled and waved him over. Jiang Hai took a good look around—he had to admit, this National Livestock Expo was impressively organized.
Each participant had their own section of the cowshed, tailored to the number of cattle they brought. Larger exhibitors with commercial goals were placed in more remote areas with wide spaces. Contestants like Jiang Hai, who brought only a few top-quality cows, were given premium spots with better facilities.
Their shed stood about three meters high, built from colored steel panels with reinforced concrete flooring. It was well-ventilated, windproof, and included drainage systems, feeding troughs, and even air conditioning to regulate temperature.
A small lounge was built nearby, about three or four square meters, with a bed, table, and a few chairs—a decent resting place for the staff.
When Jiang Hai arrived, Robbins was brushing the cows. Normally, cattle didn't need daily grooming like horses. Jiang Hai's ranch didn't bother with it either.
But this was a competition. A sleek coat could make a big difference in appearance, potentially earning more points from judges.
"Hey boss, over here!" Robbins called out with a grin.
"Not bad. This setup's much better than the one at the New York Beef Show." Jiang Hai looked around approvingly.
"Of course. This is Texas—cowboy paradise. Back in the day, I worked here for a while. In Massachusetts, especially in Winthrop, there's hardly anyone who can outdo me. But here? I'm just above beginner level."
Robbins chuckled and shook his head. Texas and Montana truly were havens for cowboy culture—and their people were ridiculously skilled.
He estimated there were at least 8,000 cowboys in Texas at his level. Here, he wasn't special.
Still, Jiang Hai had no plans to hire locals. Texas cowboys were notoriously bad-tempered. Living close to the border gave the area a tough edge. If Russians were born fighters, Texans weren't far behind.
Here, people could brawl over the smallest thing. They were also fiercely rooted—most wouldn't leave their home state, even if it meant staying poor. So hiring real talent from here was unlikely.
Besides, Jiang Hai had full confidence in Robbins—not just in his cowboy skills, but in his rare management abilities.
After touring the shed, Jiang Hai decided to stay and chat with Robbins. He didn't plan to return at night—he had his hands full with Pravolton and Cheryl. But during the day, he was happy to help.
Robbins appreciated Jiang Hai's company. Though they had an employer-employee relationship, they were friends as well, with plenty to talk about.
During their chat, Jiang Hai brought up Du Famen's ranch.
Robbins frowned.
"Using helicopters to herd cattle is a bad idea. The noise is way too loud—it scares the animals. Even if they get used to it, the stress affects their growth. No fat, no marbling. Even with our grass... it won't work."
Jiang Hai blinked, caught off guard. He'd been too dazzled by the dramatic sight of helicopters swooping over grasslands to consider the consequences.
Now he realized—if he couldn't produce marbled beef, that first shipment of grass he'd sent would be wasted. He needed to call Du Famen and talk this through.
Just as he reached for his phone, a mocking voice called out from across the shed.
"Tsk. Pretending like you know what you're talking about."
Jiang Hai and Robbins turned. A few young cowboys were chatting by the opposite stall. One of them had spoken, and when they looked over, he sneered.
"What did you say?"
Robbins narrowed his eyes. Being accused of faking expertise? After decades of experience? That couldn't stand. Tapping his pipe against his hand, he stepped forward, calm but stern.
"I said you're pretending to know, old man," the cowboy repeated, cocky and unafraid.
"Alright, Dundee, don't waste time on outsiders," one of the other cowboys said, laughing.
"Oh? You think I don't know what I'm talking about? Then prove me wrong. Tell me where I'm mistaken. If not—this won't end here."
Robbins stood tall. To him, face and pride mattered. Especially in front of Jiang Hai, he couldn't afford to be disrespected.
To be continued...