What Pra Walton said was very interesting, and for both Jiang Hai and Qi Li, it carried different meanings.
For Jiang Hai, there were indeed new guests, as the first to arrive were Pra Walton and Selena Gomez.
However, for Qi Li and the others, since they didn't know each other, the arrival of new guests was expected.
But in Qi Li's ears, these words carried a hint of assertiveness. It was clear that she didn't consider herself an outsider, referring to them as "new" guests, which indicated she was treating Jiang Hai's place as her own territory.
"Jiang Hai, we can talk about our business later. Who is this? Can you introduce her to me?" Qi Li sat up straight as she looked at the woman in front of her. She had been lounging in a recliner, but despite there being no support, she straightened her back with pride, resembling a peacock. She narrowed her eyes, exuding an assertive energy towards Pra Walton.
"This is Pra Walton. She's here to buy my cows. This is Qi Li, my friend from Hua Xia," Jiang Hai said after hearing Qi Li's question. He didn't want to air any personal matters between him and Qi Li, so he kept the introduction brief. He spoke in English, introducing both parties.
"Walton? The Wal-Mart family?" Qi Li's eyes widened, immediately recognizing the name. While Jiang Hai had failed to make the connection, Qi Li was quicker to react.
"Oh? You know me. Hello," Pra Walton chuckled when she heard Qi Li was familiar with her last name. She didn't mind Jiang Hai saying she was here to buy cows, as that was indeed the case. But her eyes kept darting between Jiang Hai and Liu Li. Her sixth sense told her there was more to their relationship, and she could sense Jiang Hai's wariness of her. This made her more intrigued by the dynamics between the two.
Despite only having met Jiang Hai three times, she had a good sense of his personality. He was a young, overconfident man.
When he first entered the New York Beef Show, with no knowledge of the competition rules, he had the audacity to spend over a million dollars to compete. Luckily, he won and became famous, but only they knew how lucky he had been. Without Selena Gomez or her help, Jiang Hai would never have even made it past the first round. While his beef was good, his confidence had been excessive.
At the same time, Jiang Hai was also young and naïve. He had shown up in outdoor attire to an NBA All-Star cocktail party, a rare sight indeed. This mixture of traits formed the first impression of him: stubborn, with a second impression of being obsessive. Once he set his mind to something, he would follow through, which bordered on paranoia.
It was hard to imagine someone like him being afraid of anything, but it was clear Qi Li had sent a dangerous signal, making him wary of her, which only intrigued Pra Walton further.
"Hello. How could I not know the famous Walton family and Wal-Mart Group? But I'm a little surprised. If you're just buying beef, wouldn't it be unnecessary for you to come here in person?" Qi Li straightened her clothes, her expression serious. Despite feeling a bit pressured by the other woman's status, she held her ground.
"If it were ordinary beef, I wouldn't need to come personally. But your friend's beef is not just ordinary beef. If I don't inspect it in person, I think our group would have reservations," Pra Walton replied lightly. Although their voices were low, a subtle tension lingered between their words.
Jiang Hai, who had been standing between the two, felt the air growing unbearably heavy. If this were an animated world, he imagined the sky would crack under the weight of their intensity. He was just musing, of course.
The two continued exchanging words, each smiling but with an underlying competitive edge. Jiang Hai tried to interrupt a few times, but every time he opened his mouth, the conversation resumed with even greater intensity.
In this verbal sparring match, Jiang Hai felt completely outclassed, but to his surprise, Qi Li held her own. Given that Pra Walton managed Sam's Club and came from the Wal-Mart family, it was clear she was no ordinary woman. Yet Qi Li had only been in charge of her family business for a year, and in that time, she had managed to match Pra Walton's strength. This impressed Jiang Hai.
Just then, Selena Gomez excitedly approached, holding a sea urchin in her hand.
She had taken advantage of the group's break to go snorkeling.
The sun shone through the water, casting a golden light over the beach. Underwater, the colorful coral reefs and dreamlike marine life were stunning. Although Selena could swim, she wasn't an expert, so she only managed to collect a sea urchin before surfacing.
In Europe and the U.S., sea urchins aren't typically eaten. They're often used as feed for lobsters, crabs, and some fish like parrot fish. However, on Jiang Hai's coast, they were not something he liked either.
"You don't like these, do you?" Jiang Hai asked, noticing Selena Gomez holding the sea urchin.
"Of course not! I prefer meat," she replied with a smile, dismissing the thought.
"By the way, it's getting late. What would you like to eat? I'll get it for you," she added, suddenly more excited. Jiang Hai, who had been caught up in the conversation, realized he hadn't planned on spending much more time here. With Qi Li around, he probably wouldn't have the opportunity to watch the girls play. It was better to go and find something to eat.
"I came here to check your beef, so of course, I want beef," Pra Walton said with a smile.
"No problem, what about you guys?" Jiang Hai looked around at the others.
"I'm trying to lose weight. While beef is great, it's a bit high in calories. If you have fish, that'd be perfect," Selena Gomez said, smiling. As a public figure, she had to keep an eye on her physique and couldn't indulge in heavy meats.
"I don't care," Qi Li said with a shrug. Since she didn't know what Jiang Hai had on hand, she was indifferent. Jiang Hai couldn't help but curl his lips. Indifference was often the hardest attitude to handle.
"Alright, you all relax here. I'll go get the food. You can drive my four-wheeled motorcycle back. Afra and the others know the way," Jiang Hai said as he made his exit.
Once Jiang Hai left, the two women, who had been conversing lively while he was around, fell silent.
Pra Walton pointed to the clothes she had left on the lounge chair, but Qi Li didn't move them. She simply shifted to the side. Understanding what was implied, Pra Walton chuckled and picked up her clothes and towel, settling into Jiang Hai's lounge chair.
The two women lay there, motionless, gazing at the blue sky, white clouds, the sea, and the golden beach. Selena Gomez, slightly overwhelmed by the tension, returned to Afra and the others to join them. Qi Li's assistant wasn't so lucky, standing by Qi Li, clearly uncomfortable under the pressure of being around these two powerful women.
Jiang Hai didn't care about the assistant at that moment. He was too busy enjoying the discomfort of the woman who had once looked down on him.
At the dock, Jiang Hai boarded his boat and headed out to the coral reef near the fish farm. Once there, he dived into the sea.
As Jiang Hai entered the water, a black figure swam toward him. Since his upgrade, he had become less cautious with the spiritual energy in his scales. He had even given some of that energy to his pets—Xiao Huang, Xiao Bai, Jiu Jiu, Ban Ya, and Xiao Xia—and two more to his bodyguard Da Sha, who would be helping with treasure hunting in the sea.
The sand tiger shark, which was once only four or five meters long, had grown to over eight meters and was now more formidable than an average great white shark. With spiritual enhancements, it was faster and more powerful. In the ocean, the only creature that could rival it was the killer whale—not because the orca was stronger, but because it was a social animal.
Jiang Hai patted the shark's head and, without playing with it, paddled deeper into the sea. (To be continued.)