"What's wrong? Can you tell me about it?" Jiang Hai asked gently. Hearing his words, Cheryl Lee looked up in confusion and addressed him.
Jiang Hai looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, then shook his head.
"Actually, it's nothing serious. Didn't I offend those cowboys earlier? I was always on guard, telling Bell and the others to be careful, but they still got to me today." Hearing Cheryl Lee's words, Jiang Hai sat up and spoke slowly. When she realized Jiang Hai had been tricked, Cheryl immediately came closer, concern flashing in her eyes.
"It's nothing. I'm just disgusted by them," Jiang Hai said with a faint smile, patting her hand. No matter how lawless those people were, they wouldn't dare come directly at him—but today's behavior was truly disgusting.
He then recounted the day's events to Cheryl Lee. After hearing the whole story, she was stunned.
"How can they be so shameless?" she exclaimed in disbelief.
"Exactly. They're unbelievably shameless," Jiang Hai agreed with a nod. Such people were infuriating beyond belief.
"This is really not easy to deal with…" Cheryl Lee sighed, rubbing her temples. These people couldn't be beaten, and scolding them wouldn't help. After all, they had thrown cow dung at Jiang Hai today, and he didn't believe they'd stay quiet tomorrow.
Thinking about it, Cheryl Lee felt helpless. She didn't know what to do.
The two sat silently on the large hotel bed, staring at each other, unable to come up with any solution.
"My name's MT, a body of copper walls and iron walls…" Jiang Hai's phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the caller ID—Ai Xiaoxi. They called each other every night, and now was the time.
"Hey, Jiang Hai, have you eaten yet?" Ai Xiaoxi's crisp voice came through, followed by greetings from others.
"Not yet," Jiang Hai smiled. Hearing their voices, he felt somewhat relieved.
"Is it that late already? Are you busy?" Feng Yunchen interrupted.
"It's okay if you're busy, but I've got some things bothering me…" Jiang Hai sighed. He wasn't the type to only share good news—he shared the bad as well. Today's problem was vexing, and he hadn't figured out a solution alone. Talking to Ai Xiaoxi and the others might not solve it, but it could ease his mind.
Without prompting, Jiang Hai told them what happened. After he finished, the line went quiet.
"How's it? Is it really that troublesome?" Jiang Hai asked, feeling a headache coming on from the silence.
"It's not so bad…" Ai Xiaoxi suddenly said something that made Jiang Hai freeze.
"What do you mean 'not so bad'? How do you suggest breaking this situation?" he asked anxiously.
"Actually, it's quite simple," Ai Xiaoxi explained. "In my hometown, there are people like that—not cowboys, but hooligans. They eat, drink, gamble, smoke every day. Many are addicted to flour and other stuff, losing their families' fortunes and ruining their health, but they still need money to fuel their habits. So they blackmail the rich and throw dead mice, cats, and other disgusting things into their yards. You can't beat them. Physically, one punch would put them out for half a year, and then you'd have to support them during recovery."
Jiang Hai frowned at the thought. If someone like that were near him, he'd want to beat them to death—but it wouldn't be worth the loss.
"This sounds similar to my situation, but maybe not as bad," he said.
"What's the solution then?" Jiang Hai asked skeptically.
"There are two," Ai Xiaoxi said. "One, find the local police. If you have good connections, get them to arrest these guys. Once they get roughed up in jail, they'll stop bothering you. But the premise is that you don't bother them first. The other is to confront them head-on. If they dump cow dung on you, dump cow dung on them right back."
Jiang Hai was stunned. Of course! Give them a taste of their own medicine.
"But you have to know exactly who's behind it," Ai Xiaoxi warned. "If it's just a bunch of little cowboys, it might be better to have someone rough them up. And if that's not enough, you can try croton…"
At this, Qi Jie, known as Bernice, chimed in with a strange tone.
"Croton?" Jiang Hai was puzzled. Isn't that a diarrhea remedy? What did that have to do with this?
"Find those who harmed you and slip them some croton," Qi Jie explained. "Don't worry, it can't be detected here in the U.S. The medical system is pretty useless; they won't catch food poisoning. At worst, the victim gets prescribed anti-diarrhea meds, but you'll feel much better about it."
Jiang Hai stroked his chin thoughtfully. Not a bad idea.
"But the key is to figure out who's targeting you," Qi Jie added seriously. "You can't take on the whole state. You need to find the ringleader."
"Got it," Jiang Hai said. After their brainstorming, an idea formed in his mind. He was never one to play by the rules—if they messed with him, he'd mess with them back. He was no saint.
With that, Jiang Hai left the hotel, heading straight for the bullpen.
Less than half an hour later, Pra Walton returned. Seeing Jiang Hai wasn't at the hotel, she paused. After Cheryl Lee explained what had happened, Pra couldn't help but laugh.
She made a call, and the man on the other end sounded anxious.
"Ms. Walton, is Mr. Jiang willing to meet about a possible cooperation?" the man asked urgently.
"Jiang Hai's out right now, but I can take you to the exhibition hall tomorrow to meet him. You can also check out his cattle. How does that sound, Mr. Sean?" Pra replied with a smile.
"Of course, no problem!" Sean agreed immediately.
After hanging up, Pra looked at a somewhat puzzled Cheryl Lee and smiled.
Blinking, Cheryl Lee didn't understand how it was all resolved, but she trusted Pra.
Meanwhile, Jiang Hai had no idea Pra had handled the problem for him. He was busy planning—buying croton and other things. He knew a Haishang supermarket was nearby, indicating a Chinese settlement. Buying croton wasn't difficult here. As long as no one died, it was just a minor matter.
Finding out who was against him—Patton—was key, and for that, he needed help.
Robbins Garcia had been present during the conflict, so it wasn't convenient for him to poke around. Burke Dahler was too dull for detective work. Bell Lester was the best choice.
Young and lively, with a smooth way of speaking thanks to time in the Delta, Bell was perfect for the job.
Arriving at the bullpen, Jiang Hai talked to Bell Lester, who left to change clothes and then set out to find a cowboy bar in Texas to infiltrate.
Cowboys are a Texas symbol, so cowboy bars are popular. But the term "cowboy bar" can have a double meaning in the U.S. Sometimes these bars cater to a special kind of crowd.
Bell, who was very straight—straighter than steel bars—knew to pick the right one. He paid the entrance fee, courtesy of Jiang Hai, and stepped inside.
He sat at the bar, ordered an expensive glass of wine, and sipped it while listening to music. His arrival drew attention—especially from women.
Bell was attractive—fair-skinned, clean-cut, with a fit body often shown off by tight shirts. His special forces ID hung around his neck. Years in the military had left him with a distinctive crew cut. Bars and nightclubs were his turf, and he was quite the catch.
A wild, handsome white boy and ex-soldier like Bell could easily drive women wild.
Despite the attention, Bell was on a mission. After finishing his first glass, he ordered another, then looked to the bartender.
"Man, the music here's great," Bell said, shaking his head.
"Of course! The music, wine, and beauties here are the best in San Antonio," the bartender replied excitedly, glancing at a beauty dancing nearby.
Bell remembered the woman had signaled him earlier and smiled. This guy was about to get played.
"I've tasted the music and wine—now time to try the beauties," Bell said, tossing a Franklin into the tip jar. He wove into the crowd and soon returned with an arm around a beauty, winking at the bartender.
The bartender's face fell—one of the beauties Bell was holding was his goddess.
Seeing the bartender's reaction only confirmed Bell was on the right track.
"Hey, ladies, I saw a funny scene at the exhibition today," Bell joked, after some pleasantries and drink orders. "Some guy hurt his hand and threw cow dung everywhere. Cow dung! Haha."
The girls laughed, more interested in Bell than the story, but Bell's joke amused them.
The bartender, jealous and nursing his wounded pride, finally spoke.
"Injured hand? Hey, you don't know the whole story!" he said, wiping a glass.
"Oh? What's the secret?" Bell asked, feigning interest.
"The guy who overturned the car is Willy Patton. See him over there?" The bartender grinned smugly, pointing to a guy dancing hard on the floor...