Accompanied by a brisk alarm, Joanna got up on time.
After breakfast, there was still an hour before James Feng's required work time. The time given by the boss was very flexible. Occasionally, she would do some physical exercises, take a shower, and put on a new outfit—a knee-length skirt with a matching hat.
After finishing, her Labrador named Lily had already been fed. She played with the dog briefly, then tied it on a leash. At that moment, seven-year-old Andy ran over wearing a baseball glove and said, "Hey, Joanna, would you like to play baseball with me?"
"Sorry andy, I have to go to work," Joanna replied.
"Just for a little while," Andy pleaded, looking pitiful.
"Can't you play with your father?" Joanna frowned.
"He's busy. Mom said I should play with you more. She also said you're my sister," Andy muttered.
"Sorry, but I have to go," Joanna said, opening the car door.
She let Lily jump in, then got in herself and drove away without looking back, leaving Andy behind pouting. After a while, his mother came over. He turned back to her and complained, "I don't like my sister."
His mom knelt on the lawn and helped tidy up his clothes with a smile. "Maybe she's just too busy."
"Are you sure? I still don't like her. She's always busy!" Andy mimicked Joanna's British accent, making his mother laugh.
After a ten-minute drive, Joanna arrived at James Feng's house. A Federal Logistics delivery truck was parked outside.
As she pushed the door open, Lily jumped out eagerly and ran into the yard to play with the patrol dogs. Joanna adjusted her hat and smiled as she followed.
James Feng emerged from the house with several couriers and greeted her. "Hi, Joanna! You look beautiful today. And good morning!"
"Good morning," she replied, then added, "In reverse order."
James smiled. "OCD, you have to get rid of it!"
Joanna shook her head. "This has nothing to do with obsessive-compulsive disorder. You spoke in reverse order. That's just not a good habit."
"Suit yourself. I have some things to take care of first," James said, hurrying off.
Joanna entered the living room and glanced at the list on the table—it contained various chemicals.
James returned ten minutes later, carrying a cardboard box filled with flasks and measuring cylinders. Joanna asked, "You bought all these chemical instruments?"
"Yes. I think it's time to do something serious," James said earnestly. "Come with me. I spent the past few days renovating the utility room."
Joanna knew about the renovation. After dismissing Henry, who had been pestering him to learn kung fu, James had learned online shopping from her and ordered a lot of equipment.
She hadn't known what he was up to, but now, as she walked into the converted utility room, she saw it had been transformed into a proper laboratory.
"How does it look? Beautiful, right?" James asked, clearly pleased with himself.
"You can't be serious," Joanna said, eyeing the newly furnished lab. It was evident he had put in a lot of effort, and it genuinely looked like a science lab. She recalled James bragging a few days ago that he was a biologist, chemist, and physics genius.
At the time, she thought he was joking. Now, she wasn't so sure.
"Of course, I was well-known in college," James boasted. "No one will check, and even if they do, they'll find out when I make a big invention. Then the university leaders won't be able to ignore me."
Joanna looked around and said, "This is unbelievable."
James wasn't acting on a whim. He had remodelled the utility room with a clear purpose—he was confident he could develop high-efficiency, low-pollution, or even pollution-free fertilizers. Additionally, future technologies could also be tested here.
He had dismissed the domestic plan Wang Le had presented to the so-called experts and subdivided it further. Fertilizers for tomatoes, potatoes, wheat—the machine brain had automatically provided the chemical composition ratios. All he needed to do was produce them.
According to his estimates, if he developed a universal fertilizer, he could charge a single patent fee. But by subdividing and creating specialized fertilizers, he could obtain multiple patents. He thought he was incredibly clever.
"So, you really plan to revolutionize the fertilizer market?" Joanna asked, both impressed and skeptical.
James wouldn't admit he had "Taken" from future technology. No one would believe him.
He nodded solemnly. "Just watch. In a few years, I guarantee the market will be using fertilizers based on my patents. Businesses, and even farmers, will have to pay me royalties."
Joanna pondered whether she should believe him or remain rational. Looking at James's youthful face, it didn't seem likely… but historically, many geniuses had made significant discoveries in their 20s or 30s.
James muttered to himself in Chinese, "No, no, the name 'Fertilizer King' is too rustic."
"What did you say?" Joanna asked.
"Nothing," James said, removing his gloves and making a gesture of invitation. "Shall we go for a walk, Miss Stanwell?"
"You learn quickly," Joanna remarked, glancing at her watch. "But, Mr. Feng, you've delayed our lesson by an hour."
"What? Chatting with me isn't a lesson?" James asked, feigning surprise.
"If that's how you want to count it, I don't mind," Joanna replied with a smile.
"You know I'm the best boss in the world," James said unabashedly. "Come on, continue teaching me about horse breeding."
Joanna was very knowledgeable about horse breeding. She explained that finding a good horse required patience. Whether buying online or visiting horse markets, one needed to personally observe the horses. Being a descendant of racehorses didn't guarantee strength or speed.
Her explanation made sense. James joked that he would hire her as his part-time equestrian coach, and Joanna agreed without hesitation.
It was clear she loved equestrianism. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and James felt inspired. After all, California was part of the west—he could fulfill his cowboy fantasy.
In the meantime, James successfully formulated three types of fertilizers. After repeated testing, he prepared the relevant documentation and searched the website of the U.S. Patent Office.
He wasn't interested in handling the application process himself, so he hired an intermediary to take care of it.
Since moving to the U.S., James had become more relaxed. He preferred to delegate tasks he found tedious.
After all, what's money for? He believed it was meant to buy time and convenience. He'd rather laze around all day than run errands.
Once the patent application was submitted, he sought a valuation. He called his secretary, "Lei, find someone to help evaluate the patent rights."
"Yes, the sooner, the better."
Though the patent hadn't yet been approved, the evaluation agency began its work. They assessed the potential market value and technological advancement. A week later, James received the report.
"After production, the new fertilizer could generate a conservative output value of over one billion dollars. Each patent transfer would cost at least three to four million dollars."
James was ecstatic. He exclaimed in Chinese, "Ordinary people like us are so lucky today! Time to buy a vineyard!"