"Hmm… Robbins, you've got good taste!"
After buying a mountain of supplies, Jiang Hai climbed back into the truck and looked at Robbins Garcia with a teasing smile.
Hearing that, Robbins' face immediately flushed red.
"Uh… Boss, it's not what you think," he stammered, his eyes darting away in panic.
Jiang Hai burst out laughing.
"If you've already set your sights on her, just go for it," he said, patting Robbins on the shoulder. "You're making more than most white-collar and gold-collar workers now—over a million a year with bonuses. Next year will probably be even higher. What are you worried about?"
Those words clearly boosted Robbins' confidence. He grinned sheepishly and, for once, didn't try to deny anything.
Sure enough, courage and money really did go hand in hand.
As the saying goes, when your pockets are full, your heart is steady.
These days, cash meant security.
The three of them laughed all the way back to the manor, each carrying their share of the supplies inside. They agreed to head into the forest after lunch to cut Christmas trees. As for the turkey, they could catch one the day before or even on Christmas Day itself.
It wasn't difficult anyway.
With almost no natural predators around, the forest's largest carnivore was the mountain lion.
Technically called the American cougar, it wasn't truly a lion at all. Even though Jiang Hai's own cougar had grown to an absurd size—bigger than an actual lion—it was still just a mountain lion by nature.
Unlike real lions, they weren't social animals. They behaved more like tigers, living alone and only pairing briefly during mating season.
As for food…
Well, there was no shortage of wild turkeys.
A wild turkey might not be as fat as a farm-raised one, but each still weighed around fifteen kilograms. They laid eggs frequently—eight to fifteen at a time—and the incubation period was only twenty-eight days.
Even more ridiculous, turkeys could reproduce parthenogenetically. Hens could hatch chicks without a rooster, though all the offspring would be female.
It almost felt like a matriarchal society.
According to Robbins' estimates, there were already more than five hundred turkeys roaming Jiang Hai's forest.
The only real threats to adult turkeys were the cougar, a few pythons, and the occasional crocodile. But cold-blooded animals barely ate during winter, and even a cougar couldn't possibly hunt one every single day.
Meanwhile, the birds reproduced like crazy.
In short, their numbers kept growing faster than anything could eat them.
Catching one for Christmas dinner would take less than half an hour.
No pressure at all.
Carrying several large bags, Jiang Hai returned home.
Qi Jie and the others had already been waiting. The moment they saw the supplies, they happily gathered around, sorting decorations, snacks, and ornaments, chatting excitedly as they prepared for Christmas.
After lunch, around two in the afternoon, Jiang Hai met up with Robbins and Philim again.
They drove the F750 with a flatbed trailer into the forest.
A Christmas tree was mostly symbolic. No one was going to chop down some towering giant. Trees around two meters tall were perfect—tall enough to look festive but still manageable indoors.
The forest was full of suitable pine trees anyway.
These trees had been growing wild for over a decade, completely untended. Normally, pine trees grew about a meter per year, but thanks to the faint spiritual energy that had seeped into the soil over time, the ones here grew even faster and stronger.
A one-year-old sapling could already reach nearly one and a half meters.
If scientists saw it, they'd probably lose their minds.
But to Jiang Hai and the others?
A tree was just a tree.
As long as it looked good, that was enough.
They quickly picked out a dozen or so two-year-old pines—enough for everyone celebrating at the manor.
Chainsaws buzzed through the quiet forest.
Within minutes, the trees were cut, loaded onto the trailer, and tied down.
Still, cutting them was only the first step.
They had to remove pests, trim excess branches, shape the canopy, and install bases so the trees could stand upright. It was careful, time-consuming work.
Since this was already Jiang Hai's third year doing it, he was pretty familiar with the process.
There was still plenty of time before Christmas Eve, so no one rushed. They worked slowly and casually.
That evening, Jiang Hai turned in early.
After all… his "schedule" at home had been quite full lately.
Tonight it was Afra and the others.
Tomorrow would be someone else.
At the very least, winter nights were never cold or lonely for him.
After resting for two days, Jiang Hai headed to Boston.
Moses Adams was returning soon, and there were business matters to handle.
As promised, Jiang Hai transferred five percent of Tenglong Company's shares to each of several trusted women—Relis Carter, Valerie Shelley, Beliac, Valentina, Galina, Aleur Sara, Azalina, and others.
However, they voluntarily gave up their voting rights, keeping only profit-sharing privileges.
The company still firmly remained under Jiang Hai's control.
Afterward, he contacted Zheng Jin to help purchase another batch of supplies.
Taraga had already contacted her tribe back in the mountains. To avoid any potential surveillance, she simply told the old chieftain that Jiang Hai had earned some money and wanted to send necessities.
The chieftain was delighted and provided a long list.
Winter clothes, coal, salt, seasonings, medicine, first-aid supplies, pots, pans—basic daily necessities.
Nothing luxurious.
Just the simple things needed to survive.
Living deep in the mountains was far harsher than outsiders imagined.
Seeing the list, Jiang Hai didn't hesitate at all.
These things were trivial for him.
Because helicopters had limited capacity and the snow made ground travel impossible, he prepared about two million dollars' worth of supplies for the first shipment. The rest could wait until spring.
With Tenglong Company handling procurement, such a large purchase wouldn't attract attention.
Before the holidays, Jiang Hai, Bell, Marlen Rupert, and Taraga loaded everything onto his large helicopter and flew toward the tribe.
When they arrived, the villagers were overjoyed.
Seeing Taraga standing beside Jiang Hai, speaking fluent English and acting confidently, many of the younger girls looked at her with envy.
Back when the chieftain had tried teaching English, only Taraga had taken it seriously.
Now, she was the only one who could step outside the mountains.
Some opportunities really did belong only to those who prepared for them.
(To be continued.)