Chapter 11

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Xiaoming and his companion brought the middle-aged lawyer named Peter back to the ranch. Both parties drafted a contract, which was then reviewed and confirmed by their respective lawyers. After everything was in order, Xiaoming signed his name and wrote a check for $112.5 million to Michael, officially finalizing the deal.

Xiaoming was very grateful for the severe drought that had swept across the western United States; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to secure such a ranch at this price. Both parties were pleased, and Michael even opened a bottle of champagne to celebrate. After a toast, Michael and the lawyer left the ranch. Now that the ranch was finally in his hands, the first step of his plan was taken, bringing him one big step closer to the idyllic life of horseback riding, cattle herding, fishing, and picnicking. Xiaoming was very happy.

However, Xiaoming knew that it wasn't time to relax yet. There were many things to do after buying the ranch. First, he needed to meet the ranch manager and reassure the cowboys. Then, he would assess the ranch's condition to decide whether to purchase more cattle. Currently, the ranch only had a few thousand cattle, which was a waste of such a large ranch.

Before leaving, Michael had given Xiaoming the contact information for the ranch staff. Xiaoming called the ranch manager, Ryan, and decided to meet him first to discuss the ranch's operations and make plans.

According to the records, Ryan was an old cowboy who had lived in Montana all his life and had never left. He had little education but was very experienced in ranch management. He was also very active in his work, and his family of four were all cowboys on the ranch, so they were unlikely to leave easily. Therefore, Xiaoming decided to reassure Ryan first to ensure the ranch's normal operations, and he would deal with the other cowboys later.

Soon, Ryan rode over on a brown horse. He dismounted a short distance from the main house, patted the horse's rump to let it graze, and walked over with a steady pace. Ryan was 1.9 meters tall, broad-shouldered, and wore a typical cowboy outfit. He was in his fifties, with slightly graying hair under his cowboy hat, but his bright eyes showed that he was very energetic.

Xiaoming invited him in and offered him a seat, then went to pour some coffee. "Ryan, let's get acquainted. I'm Qin Yi, you can call me Yi."

Ryan had rarely seen the previous owner, Moore, as the ranch was managed by the manager. Therefore, he was a bit nervous during this meeting, not because of the typical employee-boss relationship, but because he didn't know Qin Yi's personality and how to interact with him. He took the coffee, thanked him, and took a sip before getting straight to the point. "Thank you, Yi. What are your plans, or what should I do?"

Ryan really wanted to continue working on the ranch. His family was together, and the job was stable, which was great. However, he wasn't sure if the new owner would replace the staff.

Xiaoming smiled. "Do what you usually do. Ryan, I've read your file."

Xiaoming paused, seeing that Ryan was listening attentively, and continued. "The file shows that you do an excellent job, which I'm very satisfied with. Your current salary is $2,000 a month. I'll raise it to $2,500 a month, and the other cowboys' salaries will remain the same."

Ryan was immediately reassured and smiled brightly. "Thank you, Yi. You know, I really like working on the ranch, and I'll do my best."

Xiaoming waved his hand with a smile. "That's settled, Ryan. When you get back, reassure the cowboys and keep the ranch running as usual. We'll discuss other matters later."

Xiaoming then thought, since the ranch was now his, it was time to change its name. "Oh, Ryan, one more thing. Take down the old name and logo. I want to rename the ranch!"

Ryan was interested in the new name. "Sure, Yi. I'll take them down right away. What will the new name be?"

Xiaoming scratched his head, thinking for a while but couldn't come up with a good name. Finally, he decided to call it Sun River Ranch.

"Let's call it Sun River Ranch, and the logo will be the Sun River under the sun."

Ryan thought it was a good idea. The Sun River meandered through the ranch, forming the basis of its irrigation system. Calling it Sun River Ranch was fitting, and no other ranch used this name. Ryan went back to work, and Qin Yi, having nothing else to do, went to check the garage.

Now that the ranch was secured, he needed to get his driver's license, as it would be very inconvenient without one.

The garage had two pickup trucks, a GMC sedan, and a four-wheeler. These were all left by the previous owner and were included in the sale. They were now Qin Yi's property. The most noticeable was the GMC, which was suitable for large family gatherings due to the many rooms in the main house. However, it would be stored for now, as Qin Yi didn't need it.

One pickup was a red Ford F-150, and the other was a silver-gray Dodge Ram. The F-150 was lighter and more fuel-efficient, while the Dodge Ram was powerful, both suitable for ranch work. Qin Yi didn't know much about these vehicles, as he had never owned a car in China and had never paid attention to them. He had to look up the information on the spot!

He also studied American driving knowledge, practicing on the small roads to familiarize himself.

A few days passed, and Qin Yi focused on learning American traffic rules and driving skills, unaware that many journalists and paparazzi were waiting outside the ranch, hoping to get a photo of the new owner for a substantial reward! Unfortunately, Qin Yi was too focused on practicing and never went out, so their wait was in vain.

In recent days, the topic of the $112.5 million ranch deal had been very popular. The news spread on the day the deal was completed, and the next day, all U.S. newspapers related to agriculture and the economy reported it. The buzz continued for several days, but neither party disclosed specific details. The media only knew that the new owner was Chinese and the transaction amount, but it was definitely a deal worth over $100 million, which attracted a lot of media attention. The 124,000-acre ranch had a new owner, which was big news.

The media speculated widely. Some believed it was a wealthy Chinese person who saw the potential for the ranch's future appreciation. Others suggested it was a representative of a powerful Chinese family, making the transaction to transfer wealth. More outrageously, some speculated it was a move by the Chinese government to use wealth to occupy American soil!

Ordinary people might comment on the news, saying, "They must be very rich," and then continue with their lives. Those who were truly interested were the wealthy individuals or agricultural companies who had previously been interested in the ranch. Most of them mocked the investment in a drought-stricken ranch, waiting to see Qin Yi's failure. The Moore family privately expressed their doubts about the ranch's future in the drought and were relieved to have shed the burden.

Qin Yi didn't pay much attention, as it was expected. Once he finished the initial tasks of taking over the ranch and used the spirit spring to cultivate new grass, they would be envious! As for the Moore family, he would announce the success of the ranch's improvement, claiming the grass grew naturally, hoping they wouldn't be too upset!

Starting from the day after his conversation with Ryan, some cowboys began to resign.

When the first cowboy resigned, Ryan called Qin Yi, feeling somewhat guilty, thinking he hadn't reassured the cowboys well enough. Qin Yi didn't say much, only telling him to focus on his daily work and not worry about the resignations. If more cowboys wanted to leave, he should settle their pay and let them go. As a newcomer, Qin Yi had the staff information but didn't know the cowboys' specific thoughts. By not visiting the workers' quarters, he wanted to give the cowboys who were unsure a chance to leave on their own.

Currently, the ranch had about 6,000 cattle and 15 cowboys. In the past few days, 7 cowboys had resigned. Ryan had informed Qin Yi that they needed to hire more cowboys as the ranch was short-staffed.

The next day, Qin Yi thought it was time. No more cowboys had resigned, indicating that those who stayed genuinely wanted to continue working. He was going to Augusta to take his driver's test and asked Ryan to drive him to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and then hire more cowboys.

On the way, Ryan, driving and smiling wryly, said, "Yi, the boys have been working themselves to the bone. 15 cowboys' work is now done by 8."

"Those who stayed are good boys. I'll give them a bonus to thank them."

Ranch work was already tiring, and Qin Yi was very satisfied with the cowboys who stayed. He planned to reward them with a bonus.

Ryan was pleased, thinking the new owner was starting to manage the ranch seriously. "The boys will be thrilled to hear that."

Thinking about hiring more cowboys, he asked for Qin Yi's opinion. "Yi, do you have any requirements for the new cowboys? What about their salaries?"

Qin Yi waved his hand with a smile. "The salary should be the same as the current cowboys. Hire 7 or 8 good, hardworking cowboys. I trust you to do a good job!"

Qin Yi planned to keep Ryan as the ranch manager to manage the cowboys, making his life easier. He would hire a manager and accountant when the cattle herd expanded.

"Of course, Yi. I'll select some good cowboys. I've lived here for so long and know the character of the local cowboys."

They chatted casually and arrived in Augusta. Ryan got out of the car and headed to the cowboy bar in town, as the town was small and the car was needed for Qin Yi's test.

The test began with a pre-test, checking the brakes, turn signals, etc. Then, the examiner asked Qin Yi to point out the windshield wipers, headlights, rearview mirror, foot brake, etc. The actual road test started with lane changes, parking, and the most challenging part, a left turn at a green light. After about half an hour, the test was over. The examiner gave him a passing grade and took him to get a temporary driver's license. The official license would be mailed to the ranch in a few days.

Qin Yi was in a good mood with his temporary license, which was enough for his needs in the city. He didn't plan to drive around much, as the ranch had many tasks. After the test and getting the temporary license, about an hour had passed. Qin Yi quickly drove to the cowboy bar, hoping Ryan had already found the cowboys.

This was Qin Yi's first visit to the cowboy bar. He had only passed through Augusta before and never explored it.

The bar was simply and roughly decorated, with a few high stools in front of the bar and several tables and a small stage inside. Peanuts and other nuts were on the tables, and a few cowboys were sitting around, occasionally raising their beer glasses for a drink. Country music played softly in the background, and the cowboys either chatted quietly or sat silently, watching a few older cowboys dance casually on the stage, enjoying their rare leisure time.

When Qin Yi entered, Ryan was dancing to his own choreography. He raised his glass to greet Qin Yi and continued dancing with a smile.

Qin Yi nodded with a smile, not minding. The culture was different; in China, employees would immediately come over to greet their boss if the occasion allowed. However, this was better, as it made interactions more relaxed, as long as the work was done well.

As he approached the bar, the owner and bartender greeted him with a smile. "Hello, sir. I'm Isaac. You must be the new owner of Sun River Ranch. Oh, sorry, I saw Ryan greet you. What would you like to drink?"

He shrugged, looking at Qin Yi curiously, but with no ill intent, just out of curiosity about the new wealthy ranch owner. In recent days, the news of the Broken O Ranch changing hands and being renamed Sun River Ranch, with a Chinese owner, had piqued the interest of the townspeople.