"Nothing, I just came to see the strength of one of the largest livestock companies in Texas. This exhibition hall is indeed much bigger than mine," Jiang Hai said earnestly in response to Roland Shalid's words.
"Haha, it's definitely bigger than yours. After all, we're a proper company here. Oh, sorry, I heard you're also a company now—Tenglong Company, right? Haha, sure, a 'company,'" Roland laughed mockingly.
As his words trailed off, Jiang Hai's expression darkened.
"Don't be so smug. It was you who dumped cow dung in front of my exhibition hall yesterday!" Jiang Hai narrowed his eyes, staring coldly at Roland.
Roland's eyes also narrowed at the accusation, but he didn't back down.
"Oh? I don't know what you're talking about. Sure, we've had our differences, but I'm still a businessman. Businessmen make money. What would I gain from dumping cow dung in front of your exhibit? Surely, you're not naïve enough to think your cows have a chance of winning!" he said with a smug smile, lightly stroking the ring on his hand.
"Stop playing dumb, Willy Barton!" Jiang Hai snapped, stepping forward.
"I really don't know what you're talking about." Roland shrugged, feigning innocence—but his expression said otherwise: Yeah, I did it. What are you gonna do about it?
"You're pretending to be stupid!" Jiang Hai hissed. Without another word, he suddenly grabbed Roland by the collar and lifted him clean off the ground.
The crowd instantly surrounded them, but Roland raised a hand mid-air to stop them.
"Don't come closer. Get your phones out, start recording, and call security. Let's see if he really dares to hit me," he ordered calmly.
Although hesitant, the crowd complied, pulling out their phones to record the scene.
While everyone was focused on the commotion, no one noticed Bell blending in with the tourists and sneaking into Roland's exhibition hall. Using the distraction, he made his way to the water dispenser hidden from the cameras. Quietly, he removed the water jug, pulled out a pouch of brown powder, and poured it into the water. The powder dissolved instantly. He then replaced the jug and began heading toward the back door—only to freeze halfway.
He had just spotted Willy Barton entering through the rear.
Bell's smirk widened, and he silently followed.
Back outside, Jiang Hai released Roland in apparent frustration as his phone began to ring. He checked the screen—it was a call from Pravolton. He shot Roland one last glare and stepped away to answer.
"Hello? Why are you calling me now?" he asked.
"I just got to your exhibition hall and didn't see you, so I figured I'd give you a call. Also, someone local wants to discuss a business deal with you. If you're free, come back," Pravolton replied.
Jiang Hai glanced toward the exhibition hall, wondering what kind of surprise was waiting for him now. Smiling faintly, he headed back.
Meanwhile, Bell continued to tail Willy Barton, curious to see what he was up to.
Unaware of the pursuit, Willy made his way cautiously through the venue, eventually arriving at the cattle shed—the same one where the cows stayed overnight.
"Hey, Willy! Over here!" someone called from within.
If Jiang Hai or Robbins Garcia had been present, they'd have recognized the voice as belonging to the cowboy who'd previously clashed with them. Clearly, these men had joined forces. It was no surprise—after all, Jiang Hai had become the common enemy of Texas ranchers.
"Is the stuff ready?" Willy asked anxiously.
"Yeah, all prepped. Cow dung from the past few days—plus a few extra ingredients. We mixed in a lot of our own stuff, heh," the cowboy replied with a sickening chuckle.
"This time we'll teach those outsiders a lesson! Ugh, the smell's unbearable—I'm pushing it out now," Willy grumbled. But as he raised his voice slightly, he accidentally inhaled the stench and immediately gagged. Coughing violently, he fumbled for a mask, put it on, and pushed the cart out of the shed.
Bell sneered from the shadows. This time, let them reap what they've sown.
Back at Jiang Hai's exhibition hall, the environment remained clean and welcoming, still drawing a steady stream of visitors. Among them were Pravolton and her team. Standing before her were two men—one around sixty, the other in his forties. As Jiang Hai entered, Pravolton waved and smiled.
Jiang Hai approached while the researchers nearby stepped forward.
"Mr. Jiang Hai, I must say—your cattle are even more impressive than last year's. Truly remarkable!" the elder researcher gushed. "This is the finest Angus I've seen—perfect coat, bone structure, muscle tone, and even a glimmer of intelligence. Exceptional."
"I hope the judges feel the same," Jiang Hai replied with a smile before walking over to Pravolton.
Noticing his glance toward the others, she straightened up and reined in her casual demeanor.
"Let me introduce you. This is Luke Sean, one of the largest independent ranchers in Texas. He's also an investor in major companies like Microsoft and Google. And this is his son, Anthony. Gentlemen, this is Jiang Hai," she said, stepping aside.
"Mr. Jiang Hai, I've heard a lot about you," Luke Sean said, shaking his hand. Anthony followed suit.
Jiang Hai returned the greetings but remained curious about their intentions.
"Pardon my bluntness, but we're not exactly acquainted. What is it you want to discuss?" he asked.
"Well, Mr. Jiang Hai," Luke said with a smile, "to be frank, we're here to talk about buying fodder from you."
"Fodder?" Jiang Hai raised an eyebrow. "May I ask—what for?"
Until now, only Du Famen had known about his fodder business. How did this man find out?
"The Dubai royal family recently started a ranch—you might know more about it than I do. They've been using your fodder. Apparently, their technical team grew curious and sent samples to various labs around the world for analysis. Coincidentally, our company was among them. The results were astonishing. With your fodder and some careful raising, it's possible to consistently produce marbled beef. That's why we're here."
Jiang Hai blinked in surprise. Then, inwardly, he cursed Du Famen.
Is he insane? Doesn't he know how to keep a low profile? Why didn't he use a domestic lab for testing? Now the whole world knows!
He shook his head and chuckled bitterly. He'd definitely call Du Famen later to give him a piece of his mind.
"I'm open to selling fodder, in principle," Jiang Hai said at last. "But there are conditions. I need to prioritize feeding my own cattle first. Dubai has already placed large orders, and I have to calculate my reserves before committing to new clients."
"Understandable. We're here today merely to express our interest in a potential collaboration. When would be a good time for a formal response?" Luke asked.
He could tell Jiang Hai hadn't rejected the proposal—just wasn't ready to commit. That alone was promising.
In fact, Luke's earlier phrasing had been strategic—subtly casting doubt on Dubai's trust in Jiang Hai by mentioning the global testing. If there was any friction between Jiang Hai and Du Famen, Luke had just planted a seed.
Clearly, Luke Sean was a shrewd operator.
Old hands like him never make a move without a backup plan.
To be continued...