Chapter 33

"This is our first collaboration, and I hope our cooperation will be pleasant. I am very grateful for your company's trust in my product." Qi Ping had the demeanor of a successful businessman, as he was now a wealthy man and was doing business.

Qi Ping was very happy, as it was finally time to start making money; although the lettuce had not yet fully matured, the time for the first batch to hit the market was drawing near. Qi Ping had already signed contracts with three sales companies, not including the sales company co-owned by Luo Yi, Douglas, and others, in which he had a stake.

Jingang, wearing a cartoon T-shirt with a big mouth, bared his teeth and grinned, happily munching on an apple. Life at the forest farm was enjoyable, and he and Qi Ping were becoming more and more默契 (in sync). Seeing Qi Ping's happy expression, Jingang was also very happy, purely and simply.

The time for the lettuce to hit the market was getting closer. Since this was their first collaboration, there was no immediate long-term or large-scale cooperation. Clearly, the high-quality vegetables had significantly increased the price of the lettuce, but this also meant it needed to pass more market tests.

Qi Ping felt it was still quite good, with the highest price being $1.23 per pound. This was a very good price for him, and it was within his expectations. This was indeed a reason to be happy, as it was time to start making money, and the time to make big money was approaching.

After discussing some matters with Huang Siqing, who was mainly in charge of the forest farm's work arrangements, including the planting of vegetables and the upcoming sales. It was still quite good, as three new helpers had arrived, and there was no shortage of manpower, which allowed Qi Ping to breathe a sigh of relief, as everything was proceeding in an orderly manner.

"Jingang, let's go home." Qi Ping patted the seat, and Jingang immediately grabbed the safety bar and spun into the passenger seat of the four-wheel drive off-road vehicle. Clearly, although he was still a little guy, for a gorilla, climbing was an instinct, especially with the abundant spiritual energy here, which was very beneficial for Jingang's growth.

Back home, he saw the four puppies rolling around at the door. These little guys were gradually growing larger, no longer the cute, round balls they once were, but they were starting to show the strong and robust features of German Shepherds. Of course, they still needed to grow further.

Jingang naturally played games with his good friends, while Qi Ping fed some food to Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai. These two little guys had grown a bit, and they could now stand at the edge of their nest, gradually shedding their downy feathers. They were starting to grow, and they would soon develop beautiful plumage.

Qi Ping was still very happy, as these were his achievements. The spiritual energy had now stabilized, and the forest farm was full of vitality. This was the greatest affirmation for Qi Ping, and it gave him a lot of hope. Clearly, everything was developing smoothly, and Qi Ping knew he was getting closer to the most perfect success.

"Brother Tycoon, your life is really too comfortable now, isn't it?" After logging into QQ, he popped up in the university classmates' group, immediately drawing attention. After all, Qi Ping's space was filled with many photos that made people envious. "You've been corrupted in America, the decadent life in a capitalist country has made you lose your original down-to-earth and hardworking spirit."

"Damn, are you all not sleeping now?" Qi Ping was surprised, as it was daytime in America and night in China. Was there no time difference?

"Various envy, jealousy, and resentment have made me lose my mental balance, and now I can't sleep at night." Some of the more talkative classmates started joking. Chatting and joking around was a common activity among classmates, especially after graduation when everyone was scattered across the country, and they mostly kept in touch through phone or the internet.

Qi Ping wasn't particularly outstanding during his university days, as most activities were centered around dormitories, and close friendships were mostly formed with dorm mates. However, for boys, even if they played more with their dorm mates, they still knew other classmates, just with varying degrees of closeness.

As for his connections with female classmates, Qi Ping had very few, as he wasn't particularly outstanding and had nothing to attract the attention of the girls. There might have been some conversations, but after graduation, they basically lost contact, and he didn't even have their phone numbers.

But now, the QQ message light was flashing; clearly, someone was trying to chat with him privately. In the group, some might feel uncomfortable chatting with him, as many knew that Qi Ping's relationship with most female classmates was average; no one paid much attention to this average-looking, talentless, and poor boy.

Now, Qi Ping's classmates mostly knew that he had bought a large forest farm in America, with a net worth of over a few million dollars. So, it didn't matter that he lacked talent or looks; what mattered was that his wallet was full.

Perhaps many female classmates were now regretting their past naivety; they had all liked athletic boys or those who were smooth talkers, completely overlooking Qi Ping, a super potential stock. If they had a deeper relationship with him back then, they might now be enjoying a life of luxury.

Not just his university classmates, but even some high school and junior high school female classmates who had little contact with him were now regretting it. Qi Ping still had some contact with some male classmates, both from high school and junior high school, which made his current situation a point of interest for many female classmates.

"Do you have a girlfriend now? I was thinking of introducing you to someone. I'm actually quite easy-going; OLs, lolis, anyone is fine as long as they're not married, and I don't do third parties." Qi Ping replied. This was the so-called class beauty from university, not a national beauty, but quite pretty.

"Sure, I'll introduce you when you come back to China. I might be going to America in a while, so remember to treat me when I get there." The class beauty quickly replied.

Qi Ping thought about it; he didn't really have much contact with this class beauty before, only recently had they started to chat occasionally.

"OK, no problem." Qi Ping was still very polite, and he meant it; even if their relationship was average, he would still be willing to treat his classmate if they came to America, as long as the conditions allowed.

Qi Ping was puzzled; he was now able to chat with several people at the same time. Thinking about it, apart from playing games with classmates during university, he had never really chatted with multiple girls at once, which was a new feeling.

He quickly popped up in the group and chatted a bit with some classmates. For many who were curious about Jingang, Qi Ping was happy to share. Clearly, he was the one who had been corrupted and fallen in a capitalist country, losing his spirit of hard struggle.

"I only have a pickup truck, an F150. Look it up, it's not that exaggerated. I bought the pickup truck for work, and sports cars are still far from me." This was a girl from high school who was considered fashionable and well-dressed, whose name Qi Ping didn't even remember. "I'm just growing vegetables here, I'm not a millionaire."

Qi Ping suddenly felt that he might really need to consider something; if he had some money, continuing to develop the forest farm was necessary, but he shouldn't neglect himself. Although he now had a pickup truck, it seemed insufficient, and Qi Ping felt he should reward himself.