"How's the investigation going?"
Back at Tainlong Manor, Jiang Hai had barely slept. Rising before dawn, he made his way to the study, where five of his returning agents were waiting. The moment he saw Wallis Shelley, he nearly lost his temper—but fortunately, Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi had exhausted him the night before, helping him keep his cool.
"We've got most of it figured out. These are the files on the three targets," Galina said, stepping forward and handing Jiang Hai a stack of documents.
He skimmed the first one—Roslin Carlette, someone he already knew.
Roslin Carlette
Gender: Male
Position: Director, Carlette Corporation; President, External Affairs Department
Details: Oversees Carlette's international operations. Son of the current chairman. Holds 3.7% equity and receives a share of company profits.
Jiang Hai barely glanced at it before setting it aside. Nothing new.
His attention shifted to the other two profiles.
Akita Shinkichi
Gender: Male
Age: 43
Position: Director, Akita Corporation
Details: Holds 11.2% equity. Descendant of the Akita family—the largest exporter of Wagyu beef in the island nation. Enjoys considerable autonomy and government support.
Jiang Hai tapped the file lightly. So this was their supply source.
Then he opened the last dossier.
Mayan Smith
Gender: Male
Age: 39
Position: Chairman, Smith Venture Capital
Details: Holds shares in 17 publicly listed companies, including Colorite. Owns over 50% of Smith Manor, a Texas ranch, which houses second-generation Wagyu beef in partnership with Akita.
Jiang Hai recognized the name. When he competed at the national beef cattle competition in Texas, he had swept the top honors. But this ranch had also placed well. Clearly, they had had their eyes on him for a while.
"Have we figured out why they want to buy the plots around my estate?" Jiang Hai asked, frowning.
"We've got clues, but no solid proof," Galina replied. "They're likely interested in studying the mutations in your cattle and grass. Their original plan was to quietly acquire land near your estate. They didn't expect you to buy it first. Their research fund is the core financial backing—coming mostly from Roslin and Carlette. Since they're not as well-funded as you, they partnered with Christian Edis, funded his casino, and used it to trap you."
Galina's voice was calm. "None of this is particularly difficult to uncover. And really, evidence or not—does it matter?"
Jiang Hai chuckled. Lawsuits weren't his style.
"If they're so eager to play dirty, then we'll just return the favor."
Setting the documents down, he waved Galina and the others off for some rest. He, too, returned to his room.
The next morning, after breakfast, Jiang Hai issued new assignments to his team.
Galina, the strongest, remained at the estate to bolster high-level security. Wallis Shelley also stayed behind to serve as a liaison.
The others—Aler, Valentina, Lelis Carter, and Belyakov—were sent to his logistics and public relations company in Boston. Their main mission was to protect the company and investigate the three men. But their top priority was uncovering information about the dragon emblem.
As for Du Ning, he had a separate assignment—return to China and protect Qi Li.
Before, Jiang Hai had little to worry about; he didn't have any enemies who would target her. But now that he had antagonized the islanders, Qi Li's safety could no longer be ignored.
That evening, Jiang Hai spent a warm, passionate night with the newly returned girls.
The next morning, they left for their respective assignments. Some went to the Boston company. Zheng Jin had already been informed and welcomed the added security. Though she held no shares, Jiang Hai's company was valued at over $100 million. If she were kidnapped, it would cause serious problems. So she didn't object.
Back in China, Qi Li's reaction to the news of a bodyguard surprised even herself.
Whether Jiang Hai had sent Du Ning to monitor her or protect her, the fact remained—he was thinking of her. The thought warmed her cold exterior, and for once, she smiled as she agreed to the arrangement.
With all that settled, Jiang Hai didn't rest. He set out with Bell Lester and Robbins Garcia to visit Cotton Harris's ranch. Today, they were scheduled to negotiate a potential purchase.
Everything was unfolding according to plan.
Meanwhile, at Carlette Corporation, chaos reigned.
The mysterious death of Yofanai Fadrik—the vice president—had shaken the company. Though police ruled it a suicide after a day's investigation, many within Carlette weren't convinced.
The footage showed him entering the hotel alone, using his own ID. The front desk confirmed it. He smelled strongly of alcohol. Nothing in the room had been disturbed. The clothes were dusty but not obviously tampered with. The body was found in a bathrobe. Most likely, he had taken a shower, gone to close the window barefoot in the cold night, slipped—and fallen to his death.
The injuries were consistent with a fall. No external wounds. No signs of struggle. The only anomaly was a slightly elevated blood alcohol level.
When police questioned the man's colleagues, they confirmed he'd drunk heavily the night before—eleven tequila shots, plus beer, and danced with a woman. Everything matched the narrative.
As far as the police were concerned, it was a tragic accident or suicide.
But his family didn't accept that. They demanded answers from Carlette, not the police. And since everything appeared legal, the authorities had no reason to intervene.
For two days, Carlette was buried under pressure from the deceased's family. The board was in turmoil. And Roslin Carlette, under fire for his failed schemes and the death of his deputy, was on the verge of collapse.
As for the other two—Mayan Smith and Akita Shinkichi—they remained holed up in a Boston hotel, plotting.
They weren't giving up.
To Akita Shinkichi, Jiang Hai was a mortal enemy. Destroying someone's fortune was no different from killing their parents.
Once, Japanese Wagyu was the world's only premium beef. Akita Corporation had profited enormously. But now, Jiang Hai's beef had taken over the American market. It was richer in flavor, more tender, and far more affordable due to domestic production. He was unstoppable.
Worse still, Jiang Hai had sold mutated grass to Luke Shawn and Dufarman, two livestock giants. Though they had only 10,000 cattle now, they could rapidly expand. And unlike Jiang Hai, they had millions of cattle. Even if only 5% became top-grade, it would flood the market.
The competition couldn't keep up. Japanese beef required shipping, higher costs, and was now quickly losing its appeal.
If America was lost, their entire global strategy would collapse.
To them, Jiang Hai had to be contained—by any means.
If they couldn't replicate his grass, they would destroy it—poisoning the soil, blocking irrigation, or contaminating groundwater.
This was America, after all—not their own country. They had no qualms.
Mayan Smith, on the other hand, was a pure capitalist.
And not in a good way.
In ancient China, merchants ranked lowest in the societal hierarchy. Why? Because in pursuit of profit, they often abandoned morality. While not all merchants fit this mold, Smith was the very embodiment of that stereotype.
For money, he would sacrifice anything—loyalty, dignity, principles, even his homeland.
He had meticulously planned everything—but Jiang Hai ruined it at the last minute. Now, Smith was furious.
Their Plan A had failed, but Plan B was underway. Jiang Hai had already bought over 8,000 acres of land. So if they couldn't take it—they would ruin it.
But Jiang Hai wasn't a fool.
He'd anticipated this. The bodyguards had their own missions. And Moses Adams—Jiang Hai's quiet legal and strategic mind—was already working behind the scenes.
Jiang Hai had just arrived at Cotton Harris's ranch.
As his War Shield came to a halt, Cotton emerged with his family.
Seeing Jiang Hai step out with Bell and Robbins, he smiled warmly and extended his arms in welcome.
Jiang Hai smiled back and returned the embrace.
To onlookers, they seemed like old friends.
But deep down, both men knew—they had only met twice.
Still, in Winthrop, Jiang Hai was a public figure. And familiarity came quickly when fortunes were involved.