The late spring or early summer sunshine spills over the earth.
Everywhere you look, there's green. Small animals occasionally emerge from the grass, but there are more flying insects, signaling that summer is approaching. A super sports car roars down the national highway in Boston, speeding along.
In the world of supercars, true enthusiasts don't drive Porsches, Ferraris, or the like, as they consider them somewhat embarrassing. The "Big Bull" Lamborghini, once very popular in China, is also seen as the choice of the nouveau riche in the United States.
Instead, cultural supercar aficionados often prefer cars that are less well-known in China.
Take Koenigsegg, Pagani, and Gumbert, for example. These brands are unfamiliar to many in China, but are highly sought after in the U.S. In the wealthiest areas, driving a Lamborghini, Bugatti Veyron, or similar cars might even invite disdain. The car speeding down the road now is a Rezvani, a niche brand car from California. The company isn't publicly traded and initially didn't sell to the public.
This small company only accepted reservations and built cars by hand. Despite its size, it gained popularity among the wealthy.
However, some people weren't willing to wait months for a custom-made car. To survive, the brand launched its first car that didn't require a reservation: the Buster, also known as "The Beast." Once released, this model made a successful entrance into the supercar market.
But the car before us now is not the Beast—it's one personally crafted by a private individual.
Two women sit inside this two-seater supercar. The woman at the wheel is Pra Walton, whom Jiang Hai has met twice.
Though Jiang Hai may not recognize her, a quick Google search yielded no results about her. In reality, Pra Walton is quite famous in high society in the United States.
Globally, there are many retail giants, but when it comes to true giants, only one stands out: Walmart.
Though people in Bingcheng used to harbor some prejudice toward Walmart, there's an old saying, "The descendants of the dragon go to the dragon tower." Despite some skepticism, Walmart remains a global force, having topped the Forbes list among the world's top 500 companies last year.
The Walton surname belongs to the founders of Walmart, and Pra Walton is the daughter of the current head of the Walmart family and his second wife.
At 31, Pra has overseen Sam's Club, a boutique brand under Walmart, for several years. Sam's Club is known for its exclusive range of high-end products, which is why Pra has been eyeing Jiang Hai's beef for some time.
Since the New York Beef Show, she's wanted to discuss purchasing beef from Jiang Hai's family. However, as a deacon of Sam's Club, she had to approach the matter carefully, considering the company's interests.
After discussing things with her father and convening a board meeting, she secured a $1 billion deal. If she wants to increase the offer, she can—but that will require careful thought.
Once the formalities were taken care of, Pra hastily set off to meet Jiang Hai, bringing along Selena Gomez.
Selena had been feeling down lately. Her ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber had been spreading negative rumors about her, and other rising stars were using her name to fuel their own publicity. Her new DJ also seemed unreliable—despite rejecting his private invitations, he wasn't focusing on her music, which made her feel even more upset.
When Pra invited her, Selena agreed immediately. She needed a break.
"The weather in Boston is so much better than in New York. It's so cool here," Pra remarked as she drove, clearly in a good mood.
"Yeah," Selena replied weakly with a chuckle, though she couldn't deny that the weather was indeed lovely. Boston's bay location makes the summers bearable and winters mild. Now, at the end of April and the start of May, temperatures hovered around 20°C, warmer than many other places, with a slight difference between day and night. The breeze from the sea made it perfect for wearing a short-sleeve shirt and a coat.
"Don't think about those messy things. Aren't we here to have fun? Relax," Pra said with a light laugh, sensing that Selena wasn't entirely happy. She gently placed her hand on Selena's thigh, causing her to shudder but still return the gesture. Seeing her discomfort, Pra shrugged and pressed the accelerator, speeding toward Jiang Hai's address.
Soon, a gate appeared before them. Jiang Hai's manor was originally called Green Forest, but after he arrived, he reported to the local government and officially renamed it Tamron Manor. While locals still referred to it as Green Forest, Tamron was now the official name, and Jiang Hai had even upgraded the gate.
They installed an electronic switch and had a Chinese dragon carved into the gate. When they first carved it, they almost made a mistake, as the contractors expected a Western dragon, which is often viewed as evil in Western mythology. Fortunately, Jiang Hai clarified the misunderstanding before they carved a fat lizard on his gate.
"We're here," Pra Walton announced, honking the horn.
The TV at the gate lit up, and Jiang Hai's face appeared on the screen.
"Hi, Jiang, it's us," Pra greeted, raising her voice, even though Jiang Hai didn't immediately recognize her voice. However, since they had spoken on the phone just yesterday, he quickly opened the gate.
As the car rolled into the manor's parking lot, Jiang Hai stepped outside from the villa.
"I thought you might bring a few more cars. Is it just the two of you?" Jiang Hai asked, surprised to see only the two women stepping out of the car. Were they really bold enough to visit his manor so openly?
"You don't seem like a bad guy. What should we do first?" Pra asked excitedly, pulling her sunglasses up into her hair as she walked toward Jiang Hai.
"Aren't we here to check out the cows, or the beef?" Jiang Hai replied, a bit puzzled. Hadn't she come to discuss business? But something seemed off in her tone.
"Why rush? If you spring a surprise inspection on us, I'll cry if I buy it back. We plan to stay here for a few days. Your manor is so big, surely there's room for us?" Pra replied, leaning against the car with a playful smile.
"Wait, what do you mean?" Jiang Hai asked, still not entirely sure what she meant, though he had a guess. Were American women this forward?
"We'll play first, then talk business. You invited us to relax, right? You won't regret it!" Pra laughed as she pulled Selena Gomez along, heading toward Jiang Hai's villa.
Seeing that the two women seemed determined, Jiang Hai couldn't help but grin. In China, people would arrange to meet casually, but these Americans were straightforward. While he wasn't used to having unexpected guests, he was usually bored at home, so he didn't mind.
"Alright, as long as you're okay with it, I'll prepare two rooms for you," Jiang Hai said with a shrug. After all, he had invited them to come over and was happy to have company, so he agreed right away.