Chapter 39

After the guys from Salt Lake City got rid of Bieber, they directly stuffed him into a burlap bag and threw him under the big waterfall. Despite the many tourists, who would go down to the bottom of the water for no reason!

Of course, none of this escaped the great detective's investigation. After Qin Yi found out, a strange thought arose in his mind: at least Susa, his only relative, wouldn't have to deal with Bieber's body!

Not bad, right? Dealing with the body of someone who wanted to murder you, how awkward could that be!

Originally, Qin Yi had planned it like this: find evidence, report to the police, have a court trial, and finally get him sentenced to several decades or even life! He never thought it would end like this.

Qin Yi told Susa and Susie, and both couldn't help but sigh. Although Bieber was a jerk, his sudden and unanticipated death still felt somewhat unreal.

Especially for Susa, her feelings were the most complex. A cousin who wanted to murder her, and she had also tried every way to send him to prison, but now he was suddenly dead, leaving her with indescribable feelings!

Fortunately, Susa didn't dwell on it too much. Perhaps from the moment he decided to kill her, the family bond was already gone!

Bieber's matter ended like this, which Qin Yi didn't expect, and many others didn't expect such an outcome either. They were just ordinary cowboys, not like the cowboys in Western movies who kill at the drop of a hat. After all, it's just a movie!

Everything returned to normal. At Angel's request, Susa stayed at the ranch for two more days before finally returning to her own little house, despite Angel's pouting lips when she left!

Susa was also a bit reluctant. Here, she didn't have to worry about anything, spending her days tending the vegetable garden with Susie, feeling relaxed and fulfilled. But she and Yi were just good friends, and staying at a friend's house all the time wasn't right!

In short, Qin Yi was back to his leisurely life. On this afternoon, when he was alone, Qin Yi drank coffee, gazed at the distant Rocky Mountains, and slowly fell asleep.

Fortunately, the boring days didn't last long.

The next day, Qin Yi received a call from Ryan. The rye grass seeds had been delivered to the farm's barn, and the temporary workers he had hired had already plowed the farm over the past two days, ready for planting. Qin Yi didn't wait any longer and had Ryan arrange the work, starting the planting immediately.

With something to do, Qin Yi couldn't sit still and drove to the farm. This was the second major action since taking over the ranch, though to outsiders, it was the first, as they didn't know about the improved pasture grass.

Although there were rumors in Augusta that the Sun River Ranch's pasture grass had mutated, the new variety was drought-resistant and nutrient-rich, and livestock gained weight quickly, but since no one had seen it, the rumors were exaggerated. People just marveled at the new ranch owner's good luck and didn't pay much attention.

The pasture grass planting began, and the irrigation work was also underway. On the day of the call, the manager of Giant Force Company, Bill, had already notified the technical and engineering personnel to come to the farm for preliminary surveys and design of the construction plans.

Qin Yi had already discussed his requirements for the irrigation channel with Bill. The channel would connect the lake and the river, and the water in the channel must not flow back, to facilitate the addition of spring water. Otherwise, adding a little spring water would just flow out of the ranch, which would be like doing work for others!

No letting the good water flow to others!

Upon arriving at the farm, Ryan, Burke, and the Cooper brothers were all there. The temporary workers were already driving the planters, rumbling across the vast fields. This time, 5 temporary workers were hired, each with a large planter, running in sequence across the farm, a truly impressive sight!

"Ryan, is the lunch and beer ready? We need to reward our young men well!"

"Don't worry, Yi!" Ryan's face was beaming, "I've arranged everything. Grilled meat, salad, and beer. I'll have Susie bring it over at noon. For the Giant Force team, I've sent meat and vegetables; they'll be staying for a while and can cook for themselves."

Qin Yi nodded, saying no more. Ryan was an old cowboy and had managed the ranch for many years, so he was very capable in these matters.

After watching for a while, Qin Yi drove to the Giant Force camp. The work was about to start, and Qin Yi wanted to check the plans.

Bill was also there. This was a big project, and such projects were rare, especially in Montana, which was mainly agricultural and pastoral, unlike other industrial states where roads and subways were frequently built.

"Yi, hello." Bill, hearing that Qin Yi had arrived, hurried over to greet him, "Oh, God, your ranch is truly beautiful. Look at that rippling lake, and those undulating mountains. Riding a horse under the blue sky and white clouds must be a great pleasure. I like it here!"

"Thanks," Bill was really exaggerating. The farm was like a wasteland, what was beautiful about it! But Qin Yi wouldn't expose his flattery, "Bill, how's the irrigation channel planning coming along?"

"It's almost done. Come, Yi, let's take a look."

Qin Yi followed Bill to a large tent, where there were tables, chairs, and computers, and a single folding bed, all arranged neatly.

Bill picked up the engineering plans and showed them to Qin Yi. Qin Yi couldn't understand much, so he just glanced at them. The final effect was already agreed upon in the contract, and if the inspection failed, Qin Yi wouldn't pay the remaining funds.

Bill told Qin Yi that they would use small excavators, as they were sufficient for building the irrigation channel and more suitable. Work would start the next day, with 20 excavators working simultaneously at multiple sites, as per Qin Yi's request to shorten the construction period.

After a quick tour, everything was proceeding according to plan, and Qin Yi had nothing to worry about. He returned to the ranch and resumed his leisurely life.

While Qin Yi was enjoying his leisure at the ranch, things outside were getting lively. The news that the Sun River Ranch's farm was being converted to a pasture, with the pasture grass already planted and the irrigation system being improved, had spread.

This news reignited the already fading buzz about the change of ownership of the large ranch. Qin Yi's photo was also circulating, and many people now knew that a young Chinese man named Qin Yi, the owner of the Sun River Ranch, was implementing a controversial plan.

Many newspapers and media outlets mocked Qin Yi for not understanding management, criticizing his major actions during a severe drought as a terrible and foolish move.

The Texas Weekly put it this way: "Oh, my God, is a 124,000-acre ranch a child's toy? I really doubt this young Chinese man knows how to manage a ranch. In a year of severe drought, he is making such a major change to the farm, especially when the farm's annual income is very stable. I wonder if it's his courage or his foolishness!"

The Washington Post commented even more harshly: "Qin Yi, a spoiled young man, a whimsical investor, a foolish ranch owner leading a 124,000-acre ranch to decline!"

Once the news broke, many agricultural investment companies and individuals were shocked, and most were openly or subtly mocking Qin Yi, as if they could already see the failure of the farm improvement plan, the huge losses from the ranch investment, and Qin Yi selling the newly acquired ranch in disgrace!

Of course, some people seriously analyzed the feasibility, such as Professor Bradley David, a livestock expert at Montana University. After studying the water levels of the rivers and lakes at the Sun River Ranch, he believed that the drought's impact on the ranch was minimal and could fully support the farm improvement. Moreover, after the improvement, the ranch could be managed uniformly, integrating resources, saving costs, and forming a larger scale effect, making the Sun River one of the most influential commercial beef cattle ranches in the West!

Outside, the noise was intense, but the main character was busy in the kitchen. The ranch's affairs were being reported by various media, and Qin Yi knew about it even without going out, and his photo and name were already circulating!

He didn't know who took the photo, but he was wearing a cowboy outfit, driving a Dodge Ram on the streets of Augusta, looking quite handsome.

But Qin Yi didn't care anymore. It was bound to be exposed eventually. When the transaction was completed, the amount was not disclosed due to Montana government regulations for large ranch transactions. Hiding personal information was Qin Yi's decision to prevent the information from being overly interpreted by the media. After 20 days of buffer, the information was gradually revealed, and people had already formed a general impression. Now, revealing himself would reduce the curiosity significantly.

This time, the focus was on the farm improvement, and the attention was more on the event itself. Although Qin Yi would inevitably be criticized, who wasn't? Little Obama was also criticized every day!

Moreover, a destined success doesn't need much talk. On the day of success, those who criticized would slap themselves, and those who supported would prove their foresight.

Therefore, Qin Yi was very calm.

The snails he had caught a few days ago had been soaking in clear water for almost two days. Today, they were just right for stir-frying and drinking. Qin Yi was busy with this.

A sizzling sound, and the stir-fried freshwater snails were ready. Red peppers, brown snail shells, and white snail meat, sprinkled with cilantro, perfect!

Holding the stir-fried snails and two cans of beer, Qin Yi went to the second-floor terrace, looking at the nearby ranch and the distant mountains, eating snails and drinking beer. Oh, this life couldn't be any better!

Enjoying life always has its interruptions. After a few sips of beer, the phone rang. It was Ye Fang. He put the phone on speaker and threw it on the table; the phone shouldn't affect his meal, right!

As soon as the call connected, Ye Fang's characteristic laughing voice came through, "Little Yi, you're quite something. I just left, and you're already causing a stir!"

Qin Yi finished eating a snail before leisurely responding, "That's right. Love what you do, and I have a strong professional spirit. I'll definitely make the ranch the best!"

"You're just boasting!" Ye Fang on the other end of the phone smirked, thinking Qin Yi was joking, "Are you eating? What's good?"

"I stir-fried some freshwater snails, and they're really delicious. My cooking skills are getting better!" After a few sips of beer, he said slowly, "Sitting on the terrace, eating snails, drinking beer, enjoying the scenery, and the breeze, I'm at the center of the controversy but far from the noise. The outside world is in turmoil, but my heart is at peace!"

There was a brief silence on the other end, then a sudden shout, "You're just showing off! Ah ah ah!"

After shouting, he hung up the phone!

Qin Yi swallowed the snail, took a big sip of beer, feeling its smooth and refreshing taste, and looked at the distant mountains, a smile on his face!

Over the past two days, under Ryan's arrangement, the pasture grass planting on the farm was completed, and the small irrigation channel project, led by Bill as the project manager, was proceeding smoothly. These didn't require Qin Yi's special attention, so the ranch seemed busy, but none of it really involved Qin Yi!

It had been almost a month since he last ate leek dumplings, and he was really missing them. He was considering a trip home to bring some leek roots to plant in the vegetable garden, so he could cut them whenever he wanted. It should be great!

Was it a bit extravagant to make a trip just for leek roots, with a round-trip ticket costing a few thousand? Well, I'll also bring some chicks, ducklings, and puppies!

Qin Yi found a good reason. Alright, I'll go home to bring leek roots, and also chicks, ducklings, and puppies!

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