My Manor

"The largest? Isn't my place the largest? Whether I can sell my cattle depends on their quality, not theirs!" Jiang Hai said with an unhappy expression after hearing what Burke-Daler said.

"Indeed, if we're talking about area, yours is the largest private estate in the region. However, if you want to sell cattle, you have to get permission from our Carlett Company." Hearing Jiang Hai's words, the man in his thirties, wearing glasses, sneered and arrogantly spoke to Jiang Hai in front of him. Seeing his attitude, Jiang Hai raised his eyebrows and walked up to him.

"Boss, here's what's going on..." Seeing that Jiang Hai seemed about to get into a conflict with the other party, Robbins quickly approached and whispered in his ear.

As for the estate's area, Jiang Hai's estate is number one not just in Massachusetts, but on the entire East Coast of the United States. However, the Carlett Company is not a place that raises cattle—it is a company that sells cattle. To be precise, it is a livestock company registered in the United States, headquartered in New York, and one of the more influential livestock companies in the country. However, they don't raise cattle; they only act as middlemen, collecting and selling cattle.

In the United States, there are three main ways to sell cattle. The first is the traditional method, where every year, meat quality inspection agencies conduct two random inspections of ranches. Once the ranch passes the inspection, the cattle can be sold. However, the beef sold this way is typically whole cattle and does not fetch a high price. Raising a cow costs about $1,500, and the price of a cow is typically around $1,000. The price of an adult cow is calculated by the pound, and the total sale price of a cow is usually between $3,000 and $4,000, which doesn't provide much profit.

The second method is for ranch owners who have their own shipping channels. After passing tests, the cattle can be sold directly to large shopping malls or Western restaurants, which is far more profitable.

However, neither Robbins nor Burke-Daler have the capability for such sales. While they are good at raising cattle, their sales abilities are far behind.

So, they chose the third method: participating in beef cattle competitions and exhibitions. At these events, if a merchant likes a cow, they inspect it and potentially make a purchase.

However, these large exhibitions are essentially games for the wealthy. The cattle showcased there are primarily from large companies, not small farmers and ranchers. In other words, while the cattle are raised by smaller ranches, to sell them at high prices at these exhibitions, they need to be registered under the name of a large company. For a small ranch, entry into these competitions and exhibitions is often prohibitively expensive, so most ranchers opt to register their cattle under the names of these companies. While one cow might be sacrificed, it's a small price to pay considering the remaining nearly 20,000 cows.

But Jiang Hai wouldn't agree to such an arrangement. While shipping channels are one thing, the real issue is that the cattle Jiang Hai raises are different from ordinary cattle. He has improved every pasture in his manor. After this winter, when the cattle are slaughtered next summer or autumn, their quality will be the highest.

Jiang Hai is confident in his cattle. At this point, he's unwilling to let others profit off his cattle. So, after hearing Robbins' words, he directly shook off Robbins and walked toward the other group.

"Let the cow go, or I'll call the police." Jiang Hai pointed at the workers in front of him, his face clearly showing displeasure. The workers were confused, and although Robbins and the others were also puzzled by Jiang Hai's approach, they stood behind him without saying anything. The sheer intensity of his demeanor made the other side even more uncertain.

"Hey, think this through. If you register under our company's name, at least..." Seeing Jiang Hai's actions, the man in front of him tried to speak again, but in his mind, Jiang Hai was just a young man reluctant to part with his cattle. He didn't believe a manor owner could challenge their company.

"Get lost. Our cows don't need to be registered with you, no matter what. What kind of nonsense is this exhibition? I won't participate, and I don't need you!" Before the man could finish speaking, Jiang Hai waved his hand impatiently and interrupted him.

"You know it costs money to participate in the exhibition. A booth costs millions of dollars!" The people around couldn't help but exclaim loudly. Millions of dollars is indeed a lot, and Jiang Hai is short on money, but he couldn't afford to lose face now.

"I just bought this manor for $280 million. Do you think one or two million dollars is a big deal?" Jiang Hai looked at the man with a provocative expression. After hearing Jiang Hai's words, the others realized they had miscalculated. They knew the size and value of the manor—$280 million is a large sum, though not astronomical. Still, the realization struck that Jiang Hai is a billionaire with a net worth over $100 million, making it clear that talking about money in front of him was a poor choice.

"Alright, you're rich, but don't forget, you can attend the exhibition by yourself, but if your cattle don't sell, don't blame us. Let's go!" The man knew he couldn't win over Jiang Hai in terms of money. The company's market value was only a few billion dollars—if the company went up against Jiang Hai, it would surely lose. However, there was no reason for the company to fight with Jiang Hai over such a small matter. If the company knew he had antagonized a billionaire, he'd probably lose his job rather than gain respect. So, after speaking harshly, he turned around and left. However, his words weren't just for show; he did have some leverage.

The area that the company controlled included the northeast United States, covering states like Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, and even Washington D.C. Over 80% of the merchants in these states were linked to their company.

If the quality of Jiang Hai's beef isn't up to par, these merchants may not give Green Forest a chance. While human relationships sometimes matter, in the end, business is driven by profit. Of course, if the quality of Green Forest's beef is far superior to the competition, those merchants wouldn't be fooled.

"Boss!" Seeing the workers leave, Harriman took the lead in returning the cow to the cowshed, visibly distressed. Robbins, feeling partly guilty and partly anxious, walked to Jiang Hai's side, eager to speak.

"Don't say anything. Have some confidence in the cattle you raise. Even if you don't have confidence in them, at least have confidence in me as your boss. Do you understand? Our cows will be the best!" Jiang Hai waved his hand and interrupted Robbins. Robbins smiled awkwardly; he wanted to ask where Jiang Hai's confidence came from, but couldn't bring himself to say it. After all, Jiang Hai was the boss, and if he was confident, they had to be confident too.

"When is the exhibition they're talking about?" No longer paying attention to Robbins' guilt, Jiang Hai turned to Burke-Daler. He wasn't going to let his cattle be sold at the price of ordinary cows.

The biggest difference between Jiang Hai and ordinary billionaires is that he has no connections. He is a nouveau riche with no upper-class social circle. After his wealth grew, he focused on investing in industries, not making connections or engaging in petty rivalries. With the second option unavailable, he was left to follow the third: attending the exhibition.