"Hey, boss, what did you buy?" Jiang Hai returned to the parking lot and saw Robbins-Garcia smoking in the distance. As soon as he spotted Jiang Hai, Robbins stood up and smiled.
Nine out of ten cowboys in the United States are old smokers. Unlike sailors, who are often bored and spend their time fishing or dealing with stormy weather, cowboys can't drink too much because they have to let the cattle graze, clean the cowshed, and watch over the herd every morning. While they enjoy drinking, they prefer beer, which doesn't get them drunk easily.
Cowboys are still bored when herding cattle, but they can't leave the animals. So, most cowboys enjoy smoking—though they don't smoke filtered, boxed cigarettes. Throwing cigarette butts around is problematic. If a cigarette butt is thrown on the grassland, a light breeze could turn it into a time bomb.
That's why cowboys prefer smoking pipes. It's not that tobacco is cheap—good pipe tobacco costs as much as boxed cigarettes, especially for Robbins. Jiang Hai's salary is the highest among cowboys, so the tobacco they buy is of great quality.
As for the ashes left in the pipe after smoking, they carry a bag to collect them, making cleanup easier.
"Look, I got some sea charts." Hearing Robbins' words, Jiang Hai raised the stack of papers in his hand.
"Damn Valente, you dare to cheat my boss? Hold on, boss, I'll get justice for you." Robbins frowned upon hearing Jiang Hai. Like Bob George earlier, Robbins is an old-timer in town and knows the guy who sells sea charts.
If the man cheated outsiders, no one would care. But cheating Jiang Hai is another matter entirely.
"I know these ships can't be salvaged because they're too deep. Someone's already told me that. I just bought the charts to take some photos on my boat. Don't get so upset," Jiang Hai said with a smile, stopping Robbins from going after the man.
Robbins frowned but didn't protest further. He couldn't say anything if Jiang Hai and the seller were willing to fight and suffer the consequences. He just nodded helplessly.
The two got in the car and headed to Jiang Hai's manor. On the way back, Jiang Hai looked over the charts.
These 17 charts cover the Atlantic Ocean. Three are from the Arctic, six are from Europe, three are from the Gulf of Mexico, and five are from the Caribbean Sea. Jiang Hai isn't interested in the Arctic for now. It's too far, too cold, and he doesn't have the proper equipment to sail there. He also isn't keen on going to Europe, given the many complications there. Particularly, the sunken ships in these sea charts may have been involved in piracy—pirates in the Middle Ages often had government backing. They openly robbed ships from all countries, but secretly, they paid tribute to other nations for protection. Britain, which started as a pirate nation, became the dominant naval power over Spain and the Netherlands.
As a result, any salvaged ships related to these countries are highly contested. Even if Jiang Hai doesn't salvage ships, if he attempts to sell any recovered items, these countries might take issue.
The Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, however, remain attractive. As Jiang Hai looked at the charts, a smile spread across his face. He'd already made up his mind to visit these places—it was just a matter of time.
With his newfound wealth and free time, sailing for fun seemed like a good idea. Jiang Hai is impulsive and tends to act on his ideas. His heart raced with excitement at the thought of hunting for treasure in the tropics.
But he knew it wouldn't be easy. First, his boat couldn't make the journey alone, so he'd need a crew—sailors who could keep quiet. Secondly, safety was a concern, especially traveling along the east coast.
As Jiang Hai continued to ponder, the car arrived at his manor. After entering the gates, Jiang Hai parked in front of the villa. As he got out of the car, Xiao Huang and Xiao Bai, who had been playing outside, ran over.
Hearing the dogs, Darlene and Marianne also came out of the house.
After patting the dogs' heads, Jiang Hai walked into the villa. He looked around but didn't see Qi Li or the others.
"Where is everyone? Did they leave?" Jiang Hai asked curiously, looking at Darlene and Marianne.
"Pra Walton went to the winery, Selena Gomez went to the beach, and Qi Li—your so-called wife—went to the cowshed. Is she really your wife?" Darlene asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.
"Yes, but there's no love between us. Let me tell you about it." Jiang Hai sat on the sofa, motioning for Darlene and Marianne to sit next to him as he began sharing his past with them.
Meanwhile, the four women were enjoying themselves. After spending the day playing yesterday, Afra and the others had to work today to take care of the vines. Pra Walton, who had been watching Selena Gomez, decided to join the others at the winery, even though her presence was more of a hindrance than help. Despite being a wealthy woman, Pra Walton didn't know much about grapevine care.
Selena Gomez, having escaped Pra Walton's attention, went to the beach alone. Though she had only been at Jiang Hai's manor for a day, she had already fallen in love with the place. The breeze was pleasant, the sand was fine, and snorkeling revealed colorful corals. The natural environment was well-preserved, and to top it off, there was even wifi. Selena was enjoying herself immensely, sipping drinks, playing games, and occasionally snorkeling or riding a four-wheeled motorcycle back to the villa for a rest and some food. Life felt perfect.
As for Qi Li and her assistant, they were at the cowshed, listening to Philemon enthusiastically explain Jiang Hai's cattle farm.
Philemon, unaware of the relationship between Qi Li and Jiang Hai, assumed Qi Li was a potential buyer. He praised the cows endlessly, though it was true that Jiang Hai's cows were indeed some of the best in the world. They were famous for their low popularity but could easily surpass others in terms of quality.
Qi Li and her assistant had spent the entire morning there, enduring the smell at first, but eventually adapting to it after the wind shifted. Despite the initial discomfort, they could accept it. After all, this was Jiang Hai's cows. Anyone else would have fainted from the stench.
"I didn't expect Jiang Hai to be so successful. This manor and these cows are worth almost as much as our entire company." Qi Li's assistant said with lingering awe as they rested on a small hill overlooking the more than 10,000 cows.
At first, the assistant had looked down on Jiang Hai, thinking he wasn't worthy of someone like Qi Li. But in the past six months, everything had changed. The man she had once dismissed now seemed to be someone worth respecting.
"Yes, the total value of these cows is around 3 billion. If Jiang Hai sold them all, the money he'd earn would surpass the total output of our company. And don't forget—it's only been half a year. If he keeps this up, one wave of 3 billion could become 30 billion, then 300 billion. This is truly a golden goose." Qi Li reflected, her tone laced with admiration.
"I never realized our son-in-law had such skill." The assistant said with a pout.
"Yes, Jiang Hai is a mystery. Now, I'm more interested in him... and his cows." Qi Li said, her curiosity piqued.
(To be continued…)