Chapter 17

Qi Ping's current life is full of flavor, comfortable and leisurely; especially after seeing the growth of those vegetables, his mood naturally became even better. It is clear that he has already achieved some success.

"Uncle Huang, the people from the Ministry of Agriculture who came yesterday will be coming again today. Just entertain them when they arrive; you have all the documents. If you can't find something, just go to my house and get it." Qi Ping, driving his pickup truck, was planning to continue heading to San Diego. He was still very busy.

"Mr. Qi, don't worry. We will definitely get the organic vegetable certification. Our soil has no pesticide residue, and we don't use chemical fertilizers or insecticides. It's just that those foreigners are making a fuss over nothing, worrying about genetically modified vegetables and such." Huang Siquing was actually quite proud, because the vegetables here were growing so fast that even the people from the Ministry of Agriculture found it hard to believe.

Qi Ping, of course, knew the reason—it was the effect of the array. With the array's enhancement, the vegetables were indeed growing very well, much faster than similar vegetables. So the investigation team from the Ministry of Agriculture was now starting to worry. Initially, they thought it was just an organic vegetable certification, but after seeing the specific data, it was clear that this was more than just an organic certification.

Humming a tune, Qi Ping drove wildly, though his singing was off-key and somewhat frightening, he really didn't care. With a very good mood, Qi Ping even ignored the four little rascals—Dong, Nan, Xi, and Bei—playing in the back seat. He couldn't leave these mischievous kids at home, or they would completely destroy everything.

"Qi, I didn't expect you to like dogs. But aren't there a bit too many?" Seeing Qi Ping get out of the car, especially the four chubby puppies following him, Steve joked, "I thought a wealthy person like you would prefer golden retrievers or Labrador retrievers, not German shepherds."

"Guy, you're the real wealthy one; I'm just a nouveau riche. I like them; they are very smart. Most importantly, I'm not one of those wealthy people with too much money to spend. These guys are hunting dogs and herding dogs; they need to work in my forest." Qi Ping thought Steve was really nice. The two of them, who were originally 'make-up exam' buddies, had gradually become good friends.

"Wait, there's one more annoying guy who hasn't arrived yet." Steve idly played with the puppies. He wasn't the type who liked pets; he didn't have the time.

"I know, we really need someone who knows the fun spots here. I hope your savior hasn't let you down." San Diego is a vibrant city and a lazy, peaceful town. It's not short of trendy bars and skyscrapers, and traditional buildings are everywhere. This is San Diego, a paradise for tourists. Qi Ping and his group needed a local who knew all the fun places.

"Guy, trust me. Amar is the most enjoyable person I've ever met. He knows this place very well. Our task today is to have some drinks and see the sights. I can do that, but Amar can show us some unique views." Steve was in a great mood and proud of his social circle. He knew many interesting people.

Qi Ping shrugged, basically agreeing with what Steve said. He was indeed a bit unfamiliar with the area, so it would be nice to have a good friend to explore with. Moreover, his family would be coming soon, and Qi Ping wanted to make sure they had a great time in San Diego.

"By the way, how's the preparation for inviting a few friends to my forest for the weekend? Hurry up; my family will be here soon, and we won't have enough rooms otherwise." Taking a sip of beer and watching the four little rascals—Dong, Nan, Xi, and Bei—circling around his feet, he decided to prepare a hot dog for them.

"I invited many friends, and they are all very interested. I think it will be this weekend, guy. It's going to be a very interesting party. By the way, are you sure it's your private forest? I mean, if we go hunting, will there be any problems?" Steve was actually quite excited. Although he was a second-generation rich kid, many in his circle were 'parasites' who still relied on their parents' pocket money to live.

"No problem, as long as you don't hunt protected animals or go into the national forest. I've already bought a hunting rifle, but it's a shame no one has been able to go hunting with me. I wouldn't dare to go alone." Qi Ping laughed heartily, thinking that he definitely wouldn't miss the chance to go hunting with Steve's friends.

Casually sitting in a small restaurant on the street, drinking some beer, eating simple food, and chatting was also nice. As for the guy Steve mentioned, who was supposed to be very fun, he seemed to be quite elusive. Americans are generally very punctual, but it was clear that this guy didn't have that concept.

"Guy, I think that guy is here!" They could hear the deep, powerful roar of an engine from a distance, a sound unique to a modified car. Steve shook his head, knowing that the annoying guy had finally arrived.

Qi Ping's eyes lit up; in America, modifying cars is allowed. Although he didn't like street racing, he definitely wanted his car to be a bit cooler. The car that drove in was a Volkswagen Touareg. Although this model has always been low-key, its flashy entrance was quite attractive.

"Hey, guys." A tall, thin black man jumped out of the car, speaking with a rap-like tone, "Forgive me, I should have been here earlier. But you know, there are always some old guys who think they can show off in front of girls with their sports cars, so I'm late. That old guy is probably eating car exhaust right now."

Street racers?!

Qi Ping laughed. It seemed that Steve's circle wasn't just full of second-generation rich kids but also some very interesting people.

"Amar, Qi and I have been waiting for you. Did you win the race? I think you can buy the drinks." Steve smiled and fist-bumped the black man named Amar.

"Qi Ping, from China. Nice to meet you. By the way, I really like your car." Qi Ping smiled and greeted Amar, genuinely liking his modified car.

"Hey, guy, you're a man of taste. When you have time, come to my garage, and I can guarantee to make your car the coolest in San Diego, the entire West Coast!" Amar perked up, perhaps because black people are naturally friendly, "I'm Amar James. I run a small garage, but I can guarantee my skills are the best in San Diego."

"Can you check out my pickup? I'm suddenly very interested. I don't need it for racing. You know what I mean, more power, a more comfortable driving environment; and I need it to work in the forest, so I need its stability and safety." Qi Ping and Amar seemed to hit it off immediately, and Qi Ping immediately pointed to his Ford pickup.

"Guy, that's no problem at all. In America, many people have pickups, and they have so many creative ideas for modifying them. But I think it's not the right time to continue this conversation; poor Steve has been forgotten." Amar was planning to continue chatting with Qi Ping but suddenly saw Steve, so it was better to be low-key.

Qi Ping and Amar high-fived in perfect sync. As for Steve, who looked rather unhappy at this moment, no one cared. He seemed a bit redundant and was being excluded.