Chapter 9

The next morning, after the effects of the medicine had fully taken hold, Qin Yi’s parents looked more energetic than they did the day before. Although their wrinkles hadn’t diminished, it was expected that they would improve over time. After breakfast, Qin Yi drove his parents to his grandfather’s house, where they chatted happily with him. In the evening, they returned home and booked their flight to the United States.

On the third morning, Qin Yi left home and drove to Zheng City, boarding the plane at Xinzheng Airport.

Although his parents were reluctant to see their son leave after just two days, they understood that he was growing up and needed to venture out into the world. Besides, Qin Yi was busy with his career, and they couldn’t help him, so they didn’t want to hold him back.

Before heading to the airport, Lai Pi was once again placed in the space. This time, Qin Yi prepared some vegetables for Lai Pi, as he couldn’t take care of the little guy for over ten hours. He arrived at Xinzheng Airport at 2 PM, waited for two flights to take off, then transferred to a flight to Los Angeles. The entire journey took 19 hours, and when he arrived in Los Angeles, it was 8 PM local time. The bank and the ranch broker had already closed, so he had the night to adjust to the time difference.

Qin Yi came to the United States alone, but fortunately, he hadn’t forgotten his English. Although his pronunciation might not be perfect, he could communicate without any issues. After leaving the airport, he took a taxi to a five-star hotel, where he checked in. After a tiring flight, he had no interest in exploring Los Angeles at night. He ordered room service for dinner, fed Lai Pi, and went to bed early.

The next morning at 8 AM, after breakfast, Qin Yi called Charlie and took a taxi straight to Wells Fargo Bank. Charlie was a customer manager at Wells Fargo. On the day Qin Yi opened his account and deposited $161 million, Charlie had contacted him, informing him that he had become a VIP customer of Wells Fargo and would receive the best service at any time.

Wells Fargo is a full-service, customer-oriented bank that always puts customers first, aiming to meet all their financial needs and help them achieve financial success, growing together with them. This cultural philosophy is reflected in their product design, sales, and service, becoming the core concept and driving force of Wells Fargo.

Now, with its headquarters in San Francisco, Wells Fargo is one of the top three banks in the United States. It was precisely because of Wells Fargo’s customer-centric service philosophy that Qin Yi chose it as his preferred bank when applying for a U.S. bank account. At the bank, a sexy receptionist made a call, and Charlie came down within two minutes. With a deposit of $160 million, Qin Yi was a big client, and Charlie was eager to provide the best service. If he could secure a few investment projects from Qin Yi, it would be a great achievement!

Charlie extended his hand from a distance, "Hello, are you Mr. Qin Yi? I’m Charlie Smith, you can call me Charlie." Charlie introduced himself warmly.

"Hello, Charlie, you can call me Yi." Qin Yi extended his hand and shook Charlie’s.

"Alright, Yi, please follow me. We’ll go to my office for a cup of coffee and a chat. I wouldn’t want to neglect a distinguished guest." Charlie joked.

On the way, Charlie tried to create a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere with his humor. Once in the office, Qin Yi sat down, and an assistant brought two cups of coffee before leaving.

"Yi, are you interested in making some investments? We have many excellent investment projects at Wells Fargo." After a sip of coffee, Charlie began his enthusiastic introduction, speaking knowledgeably about IT, real estate, and finance.

Qin Yi listened quietly.

Before coming, Qin Yi had done his research and consulted Ye Fang, learning that many customer managers at U.S. banks could also handle financial management and had access to a large number of investment projects and contacts. This was why Qin Yi decided to meet Charlie as soon as he arrived in the U.S. Qin Yi needed Charlie to help him contact Swan Real Estate, the agent for the ranch he wanted to buy. If the bank customer manager made the contact, Swan Real Estate would know that the buyer was financially sound, and the process would be smoother.

Thinking about this, Qin Yi didn’t want Charlie to continue rambling, "Charlie, let’s talk about investments later. I just arrived in the U.S. and want to buy a ranch to get familiar with American life. Are you familiar with ranch transactions?"

"A ranch?" Charlie was surprised that this young Chinese man would want to buy a ranch. Few young Americans were interested in running a ranch! However, Charlie quickly recovered, "Of course, I’m familiar, but let me introduce you to someone more specialized. Yi, you know, real estate agents are more professional, and I’m sure they can provide better service."

Charlie picked up the phone to call a familiar real estate agent.

Qin Yi quickly stopped him, "No, no, Charlie, I’ve already chosen the ranch, BrokenO Ranch. I want you to help me contact Michael Swan from Swan Real Estate, okay, Charlie?"

Michael Swan was the ranch broker and sales representative. To buy the ranch, Qin Yi needed to contact him.

"BrokenO Ranch?" Charlie was shocked. He knew BrokenO Ranch was the largest irrigated ranch in Montana, officially listed for sale in December last year for $132.5 million. Although it hadn’t been sold by June, many wealthy individuals and investment companies had shown great interest.

But thinking about Qin Yi’s $161 million deposit, buying the ranch was entirely feasible. If this deal went through with his help, it would be a significant achievement, and he might even secure more business during the process. Charlie was excited, "Oh, God, you really want to buy this ranch? Oh, my, you’re really ambitious!"

"Of course, I’m interested, but I need to see the ranch first. Can you help me contact Mr. Swan, Charlie?"

"Of course, of course, I’d be honored! Yi, please wait a moment, I’ll call Swan Real Estate right away." Charlie finished his coffee, calmed down, and made the call.

The call was transferred to Michael Swan, and after Charlie explained the situation, Michael agreed to arrange a visit to the ranch at any time. Charlie sent Qin Yi’s email and contact information to Michael for the ranch details and scheduled a visit for the next day. After contacting Michael, the ranch matter was settled for the day, and the rest would be handled the next day.

After hanging up, Qin Yi thanked Charlie, "Thank you, Charlie, you’ve been a great help!"

"Don’t mention it, Yi. You’re a big client, and this is what I should do."

Charlie was pleased. Although helping Qin Yi seemed unrelated to banking business, it strengthened their relationship, which would be beneficial in the long run. Many banking transactions occur during other business dealings. After a moment, Charlie added, "Yi, if you plan to run a ranch and live in the U.S. long-term, I suggest you apply for U.S. citizenship. It will save you a lot of trouble, such as with taxes, laws, social security, and education."

Qin Yi had considered this, as he planned to live in the U.S. long-term, "I heard the review process is very strict after 9/11." Qin Yi didn’t have the right channels and planned to start with a green card, then make further plans later.

"Ha, Yi, those rules are for ordinary people. The U.S. government welcomes wealthy individuals, and with your net worth, it shouldn’t be difficult to apply."

Charlie’s expression made Qin Yi speechless. Despite cultural differences, some body language is universal. After the discussion, it was almost noon, and Qin Yi prepared to leave, inviting Charlie to lunch. Charlie declined, and Qin Yi didn’t insist. After leaving the bank, he took a taxi back to the hotel, ordered lunch to his room, and ate. Then he remembered Lai Pi, who he had tied to an apple tree that morning. He entered the spirit field space to feed Lai Pi.

When he entered, Qin Yi was stunned. The ground was covered with fruits—apples, pears, peaches, and plums. The fruits he had planted in the space had ripened, and the ground was littered with red, yellow, and purple fruits! The leaves on the trees were lush, and they would soon flower and bear fruit again. Qin Yi had thought it would take a few more days for the fruits to ripen, but they had grown quickly. It seemed the trees had spent a lot of time growing, and now they were ready to bear fruit.

On closer inspection, the fruits were larger and more vibrant than usual. Picking up a plum-sized jujube from the jujube tree, he wiped it and took a bite. It was crisp and sweet! Qin Yi thought, "If I sold these fruits, people would go crazy!"

Of course, he couldn’t sell them. The space was small, and he only had a few fruit trees, so he decided to keep them for his own use. He picked a few more jujubes and remembered Lai Pi. Looking under the apple tree, he saw the little guy munching on a large red apple. When Lai Pi saw Qin Yi, he chirped a greeting and continued eating.

Wait a minute, Qin Yi had read about rabbit care and knew that rabbits should only eat a small piece of fruit every few days. Too much could affect their health. But looking at Lai Pi’s round belly, how many apples had he eaten? Qin Yi quickly took the apple away and carried Lai Pi out of the space, ignoring his chirps. He hoped Lai Pi wouldn’t have any health issues. He placed Lai Pi on the sofa and re-entered the space to check the spirit grass, which still showed no signs of growth. The spirit spring, however, was half full and would be full in about two weeks.

He wondered if the spring would overflow when it was full.

He took a few fruits out and left the space to watch TV. Lai Pi watched him eat the fruits with envy, but Qin Yi ignored him, deciding to observe for a day before letting him eat freely.

At 2 PM, Qin Yi went to the immigration office to apply for U.S. citizenship. After showing his bank deposit, explaining his work in the U.S., and verifying his identity, his application was approved without any issues. The entire process took about an hour, and Qin Yi left the immigration office, feeling privileged. Despite his net worth of over $100 million, he was now part of the privileged class.

Back at the hotel, Qin Yi received a call from Michael, saying the ranch details had been sent to his email and asking him to review them. Michael would pick him up at Augusta Airport the next day to visit the ranch. Using his new smartphone, Qin Yi checked the email and reviewed the details to prepare for the visit.

The next morning, Qin Yi tied Lai Pi to the blood spirit fruit tree with a short rope, making him a bit uncomfortable for the day. He flew to Augusta alone, as Charlie couldn’t come due to work commitments.

After landing, Qin Yi followed the crowd to the exit. The airport was not crowded, and people who passed by curiously glanced at him. There were few Chinese people in Montana, so curiosity was normal, but no one stared uncomfortably. When someone’s gaze met his, they would politely smile, and Qin Yi would return the smile, maintaining his manners.

Leaving the airport, he saw a fit middle-aged white man in simple cowboy attire, holding a sign with "Yi Qin" printed in Chinese and a phone in his hand.

PS: Lai Pi is a super rabbit, just like how humans can’t compare to superheroes, rabbits can’t compare to Lai Pi! When raising rabbits, it’s best to follow the vet’s advice!