Billionaire in Kingsman with a Marvel System

Chapter 229: Chapter 229: A Sure-Fire Deal



William was well aware of the reason for Chitu's closeness. Before approaching Chitu, he had cast a friendliness spell. Animals often have senses more sensitive than humans, and Chitu quickly understood that the magical aura around William was beneficial.

So, within seconds of their first meeting, Chitu nestled beside William, resting its head on William's shoulder. It showed no resistance when William mounted it; instead, it excitedly carried William and galloped at full speed. Man and horse raced around the ancient castle for over twenty minutes. William noticed the red hair on Chitu's neck soaked with sweat, making the horse's hair and skin appear even more vibrant, the deep red almost looking like blood.

This made William very happy. He patted Chitu's neck and, seeing the horse panting heavily, pulled the reins to slow it down to a steady trot. As he placed his hand in Chitu's mane, he cast a healing spell. Within seconds, Chitu's breathing returned to normal, and unexpectedly, the healing spell also restored its stamina. The healing magic silently took effect in Chitu's body. With a neigh, Chitu began to speed up again, leaving the distant trainers stunned. After sprinting for over twenty minutes, it only needed to trot for half a minute before being able to gallop again at the same speed as the first run.

After nearly thirty minutes of galloping, Chitu slowed down on its own. William let it trot for about ten minutes before pulling the reins to return to the stable.

As soon as William dismounted, the trainers from Dali Horse Industry and his own trainers rushed forward to take Chitu's reins. Both were professional trainers and naturally recognized quality when they saw it.

Seeing that Chitu wasn't very tired after running for so long, they knew from experience that this indicated Chitu had exceptionally strong endurance. Observing for such a long time, they also noted Chitu's impressive speed, estimating that it could cover a kilometer in just over seventy seconds. This speed was enough to win championships on some small tracks. With proper training, Chitu might even break the seventy-second barrier for a kilometer.

Breaking the seventy-second mark would bring it close to the record of sixty-seven seconds held by blood-sweating horses. As far as they knew, no blood-sweating horse had broken the sixty-eight-second mark in recent years. And Chitu was a stallion not yet three years old, so this speed was definitely not its limit.

With good training and its outstanding endurance, Chitu might even compete in the 2900-meter St. Leger Stakes in England in September. For the two relatively unknown trainers, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. They were determined not to miss it.

For William, becoming the owner of a champion horse would be a great honor. Many racehorses are more famous and influential than sports superstars. Whether Chitu could make it to the track could be determined with one test.

He threw the reins to his trainer, Neil Jordan, a sixty-something year old, chubby middle-aged man who had been in the horse training industry for forty years. He had worked in stables near London when he was young, and in recent years had been working at a medium-sized stable in Oxford. Because several generations of his ancestors had served the Devonshire family, William's mother hired him at 1.5 times his previous salary.

Although Neil Jordan was over sixty, he looked quite fit and had extensive experience. Under his training and care, the performance of Devonshire II had improved significantly, and William's mother was very satisfied with his work.

If William had to choose, he would naturally choose his own employee. He said to Neil Jordan, "First, train Chitu and then find an opportunity to officially test its speed and endurance. If the results are good, I will consider letting Chitu race."

"Understood, boss," Neil Jordan said happily, taking the reins.

Seeing a stranger approaching, Chitu snorted, its front hooves pawing at the ground, glaring at Neil Jordan, ready to charge if he came closer.

William patted Chitu's neck to calm it down and pointed at Neil Jordan. "He will take care of you when I'm not around," he said to Chitu. Chitu, proving to be very intelligent, quickly accepted Neil Jordan under William's soothing. Neil Jordan, delighted, led Chitu to the stable.

After a few steps, Neil Jordan turned back to William and said, "Boss, we have five new horses, and our staff is a bit stretched. We are short on stable hands. Do you want to hire more people, or should we cooperate with other horse industry companies and have them send trainers and jockeys over?"

"Collaborate with Dali Horse Industry for trainers. As for stable hands and other staff, try hiring people from around the castle first. If no suitable candidates are found, then recruit from the market. Dali Horse Industry will send dozens of horses over in a few days. Hire staff based on the need for fifty horses. You know the locals well, so you handle this. The salaries can be based on those in nearby Oxford stables."

"No problem, boss. The job of a stable hand doesn't require much skill, just attention to detail," Neil Jordan nodded.

Prioritizing hiring locals would enhance the Devonshire family's influence in the area, letting people know that the Devonshire family was thriving again. Many locals' ancestors had served the Devonshire family, so William naturally preferred hiring people from around the castle.

Having bought 3,000 acres of land around the castle, William planned to turn a significant portion into horse stables, converting the land into a farm and ranch complex. This would result in some agricultural workers losing their jobs. If those unemployed were willing to work in the stables, William would be happy to hire them, provided they were competent.

Fortunately, modern farms are mostly mechanized, so there aren't many workers. Additionally, many of them are unpaid for several months each year. The stability of a job at the stables might attract agricultural workers without William having to make much effort.

William followed Neil Jordan into the stable, patted Chitu's neck, and let it go with Neil Jordan for post-training care.

Raising horses, especially pedigree and speed horses, is quite troublesome. The hardware requirements are high, including the field, trainers, caretakers, medical staff. A single racehorse requires a team of three or four people.

A racehorse's diet can be more meticulous than that of a regular person. Its daily food costs more than feeding a family of five. Besides grass, it needs corn, oats, carrots, fruits, and even oil and salt. Some stables have their own secret recipes, mixing feeds to meet different horses' nutritional needs.

After training, racehorses need professional care. The first step is to remove the stirrups, lead the horse to a safe area, remove the saddle and sweat pad, loosen the girth by two notches, take off the leg protectors or bandages, clean the hooves, then ten minutes of long rein trotting, five to ten minutes of long rein walking, wading, as cold water quickly and thoroughly cools the joints, ligaments, and tendons. Finally, the horse is bathed, its coat brushed, and dried with towels.

Good stables can rival palaces, with racehorses living better than in five-star hotels. For William, a novice in horse racing, just hearing all this was a headache.

The only thing that made William happy was that magic worked on horses too. If he used magic to enhance the physical qualities of the best horses in his stable, even by just 5% to 10%, the top horses would immediately become elite. 

We all know that in speed races, the difference is often just a few seconds or even tenths of a second. A 5% to 10% improvement is a huge boost for speed horses. This would significantly increase the chances of his stable producing champion horses, and the value of all his horses would skyrocket.

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