Chapter 10

When Qin Yi saw it, he walked over, and the middle-aged man also saw Qin Yi. There was only one East Asian face here, which was very noticeable.

"Hello, I'm Yi," Qin Yi greeted.

"Hello, Yi, I'm Michael." Michael shook hands with Qin Yi warmly and continued, "Follow me, Yi, the car is still in the parking lot."

The two got into the car, and as Michael drove, he said to Qin Yi, "Yi, did you look at the ranch information I sent you yesterday?"

"I've seen it. The information is very detailed, and the pictures look great. I like the scenery there!" Qin Yi had searched for information about the Broken O Ranch after selling the snow ginseng in China, but there wasn't much available online, only some beautiful pictures.

"The Sun River flows gently, and I wander through the green wheat fields, in the lush alfalfa sea, where cattle and sheep graze happily." Michael was almost intoxicated by his own words!

Qin Yi smiled. The information Michael sent was quite detailed, and Qin Yi had read it carefully.

The Broken O Ranch is located near Augusta and took 25 years to build, forming a vast ranch that stretches 20 miles along the Sun River, spanning three counties. It is the largest irrigated ranch in Montana, with substantial water rights, producing 700,000 bushels of small grains and 25,000 tons of alfalfa hay annually. The Broken O Ranch is also one of the largest commercial cattle ranches in the Rocky Mountain region, with 3,500 cows, 800 heifers, and 175 ranch bulls.

Qin Yi thought about the information. Producing a large amount of alfalfa hay means the number of cattle would be reduced, but the current number was clearly too low. This was probably because the ranch was being sold, and a large number of beef cattle had already been sold. Of course, if there were tens of thousands of beef cattle, it would cost several billion dollars!

The ranch is being sold as a turnkey package, meaning that the machinery, equipment, staff, and business operations will all be transferred to the new owner. Additionally, the ranch has many recreational facilities, such as trout fishing, hunting, and wildlife viewing. The 10,000 square foot main house overlooks the Rocky Mountains and the Sun River and has an indoor swimming pool.

Qin Yi had known about the turnkey sale when he searched online in China, which is why he had the idea to buy such a large ranch. A turnkey sale means that after buying the ranch, Qin Yi wouldn't have to worry about its operation. He could entrust it to the ranch manager and gradually familiarize himself with the work, focusing on managing the finances.

The two chatted casually as they drove for nearly two hours, passing through Augusta and arriving at the ranch.

First, they arrived at the 104,000-acre livestock area, with the remaining 20,000 acres being the agricultural area in Choteau. Choteau, like Augusta, is a small American town with a population of less than 10,000.

Since the main house and recreational facilities, such as the stables, are in the livestock area, Michael led Qin Yi to see this part first. They turned off the main road and continued along a small road toward the ranch. After a while, they reached the ranch gate, which was a huge archway spanning the road with the ranch's name and logo. Inside the gate, they saw vast fields of purple-flowered alfalfa. Looking into the distance, the view was boundless, the scenery was vast and natural, making one's heart broaden.

The alfalfa didn't grow well, which Qin Yi thought might be due to the drought.

"This area is planted with purple alfalfa, and there's also a section of yellow alfalfa. The drought this year has affected the growth of the forage," Michael explained, regardless of whether Qin Yi recognized it or not. "However, Yi, you should know that the forage at Broken O Ranch is still good. The Sun River flows through the ranch, and even with the drought this year, the water supply is still decent, as it is the largest irrigated ranch in Montana."

They drove and stopped to look around, taking about half an hour to reach the main house.

The two-story main house had yellow walls and a brown roof, luxurious yet understated. On one side were several tall green pines, their colors contrasting vividly. At first glance, Qin Yi liked this main house with its relaxed and pastoral atmosphere.

Michael led Qin Yi to tour the main house, explaining and praising it: "The main living area and interior decoration were designed by professionals, with a simple and clean style suitable for the agricultural environment in Montana. Of course, as the main house of a 124,000-acre ranch, the interior decoration is also luxurious and exquisite. Follow me, Yi, let's go see the rooms."

Qin Yi didn't say much, just followed Michael inside. This wasn't the time to give opinions; it was better to see more.

The entrance to the first floor was a 3-meter-wide porch. Inside was the living room, with a hardwood floor covered by a red and yellow wool carpet. In the center were wooden sofas and a coffee table, with deer heads and oil paintings on the walls and small animal figurines and fierce animal sculptures in the corners. On the right were the large kitchen and dining room, where you could see complete and exquisite tableware and kitchen utensils through the transparent glass. On the left was the indoor swimming pool, which Qin Yi checked out. A 1-meter-wide wooden bridge divided the rectangular and semi-circular parts of the pool, with the water flowing through the bridge's arch. On the edge of the semi-circular pool were several yellow lounge chairs, complemented by green potted plants, creating a soft and pleasant atmosphere.

The main house had 22 rooms, each with an independent bathroom and shower, and the master bedroom had a walk-in closet. This multi-room building was perfect for a family to live in and gather. On the second floor were several terraces, each with three lounge chairs. Sitting there to enjoy a drink and the distant scenery would be very relaxing. To the east of the main house was a small building with a garage and storage room on the first floor and guest rooms on the second floor, connected to the main house by a corridor.

After seeing the main house, Qin Yi had already decided that if there were no other issues with the ranch, he would buy it. Yes, Qin Yi had fallen in love with the place.

Qin Yi followed Michael deeper into the ranch. The condition of the forage didn't matter much to him since he had a spirit spring, and the forage would likely grow well in the future. The main focus was on the number of cattle and the irrigation system.

The winding and wide Sun River flowed through the ranch, with numerous small streams and ditches crisscrossing. Although the Sun River wasn't full, the small streams and ditches were not dry, confirming that the ranch's reputation as the largest irrigated ranch in Montana was well-deserved. They saw several herds of cattle grazing leisurely. Qin Yi wasn't very knowledgeable and didn't know how much the drought had affected the cattle, but the number of cattle didn't seem very high.

"Michael, how many cattle are there on the ranch now?"

"According to the information I sent you yesterday, there are over 4,000 cows, heifers, and bulls, which are used for breeding. Besides these, there are about 2,000 calves and 2,000 sheep. The sheep are grazed on a small hill in the northwest corner of the ranch, watched by a shepherd," Michael explained in detail.

Hearing that such a large ranch had only this many cattle and sheep, Qin Yi was a bit disappointed. But then he thought, if there were tens of thousands of cattle, it would cost several billion dollars. The 124,000-acre ranch was listed for $132.5 million, and it definitely wouldn't have tens of thousands of cattle.

Qin Yi then went to check the machinery in the warehouse. There was no need to see the workers' quarters and stables, as the stables were just ordinary ones, not worth the time. The warehouse had various large and small machines, such as mowers, seeders, hay balers, and rakes, all in good condition and usable for several more years.

With no issues, the ranch tour was complete. Qin Yi followed Michael to the farm in Choteau. There was nothing special to see in the fields, so they went straight to the warehouse to check the farm machinery. There were seeders, harvesters, and a small agricultural plane, which Qin Yi found exciting. He was about to have a plane, even if it was mainly used for pesticide spraying...

The ranch looked quite good, and Qin Yi was satisfied: "I'm satisfied with the ranch. If the price can be negotiated, I'll take it."

The tour took a lot of time, and it was almost 5 PM. They had just had a quick lunch of burgers at the main house. Doing business in the U.S. was different from China. In China, they would definitely go to a hotel for a big meal before looking at the ranch; otherwise, people would say you didn't know how to socialize, and the deal would likely fall through!

Michael took off his hat and held it, inviting Qin Yi to the farm house: "Of course, Yi, the price is always negotiable! Why don't we sit down and have a cup of coffee to discuss it?"

They sat in the living room, and Qin Yi glanced around. The decor was simple and rugged but very tidy, as if no one lived there regularly. Michael brought two cups of coffee and sat down. "This used to be the home of the farm manager, Evan, but he resigned a few months ago. The drought and the sale of the ranch have caused some unrest among the staff."

Qin Yi took a sip of coffee, "That's a shame."

It seemed that hiring staff would be necessary after taking over the ranch. Qin Yi couldn't do much about it; a change in ownership always made people uneasy.

Michael shrugged and continued, "I stay here for a few days when I bring people to see the ranch. The main house is empty. Well, Yi, let's talk about the ranch. $132.5 million is a very reasonable price, and many people are interested." Many people were interested, but unfortunately, no one had made an offer. Damn drought!

Qin Yi smiled. He didn't care how many people were interested. This was a $100 million investment, and while many were interested, more were likely hesitant.

"Spending over $100 million on a ranch requires a lot of courage, Michael. I understand that many would prefer to invest in IT rather than buy a ranch during a drought."

Back and forth, Qin Yi genuinely wanted to buy, and Michael was eager to sell. They finally reached an agreement. Qin Yi would pay $112.5 million to buy the ranch as a turnkey package. The transaction amount would not be disclosed, and they agreed to sign the contract formally the next day with their lawyers present. After the discussion, Michael took Qin Yi back to the main house, where they had dinner before Qin Yi left to rest.

Qin Yi called the Montana law firm to send a well-known lawyer to handle the contract terms the next day. After the call, looking at the beautiful house, Qin Yi felt energized. Despite the long day, he didn't feel tired, thanks to the Blood Spirit Fruit and Spirit Essence Grass, which had strengthened his body and mind. This level of activity was just a small case for him.

He took a small basket to the spirit field, picked some fruits, and remembered that Lai Pi was still tied up for observation. He went to check and found that Lai Pi was just staring at the fruits with big, watery eyes, with no other issues. It seemed that the Blood Spirit Fruit had strengthened Lai Pi's body, and eating apples as the main food was fine!

"Alright, you can eat whatever you want from now on!"

He untied Lai Pi and brought him out of the space. The two of them enjoyed the delicious fruits and slowly wandered around the room.

The next afternoon, Qin Yi took Michael to the airport to pick up the lawyer.

Qin Yi could drive, but he didn't have a U.S. driver's license. Even though a small town like Augusta had few police, getting caught would be troublesome. The U.S. was strict, and Qin Yi didn't want to break the law right after arriving!

Michael, of course, didn't mind. This was a big deal, and he would earn a substantial commission upon completion.

PS: Yesterday, I went to rent a house and got bitten by a dog. The protagonist has become a wealthy landowner, while I, the author, am still a poor guy. This is the difference between me and the new protagonist, a rich tycoon... Please recommend me, dear readers!

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