"I didn't expect it to be so fast!" Jiang Hai muttered quietly, staring at the tattoo on his chest.
So that's why my chest felt hot this afternoon!
Recently, he'd often felt this way. It always happened when scales grew, but when he activated something with blood, it caused an uncomfortable sensation of palpitations. It was something he had gotten used to—the growth of scales—but what surprised him was the timing.
In China, it took five days for a scale to grow in Ice City, and eight days in the Imperial Capital. Things were slightly better when he arrived in the United States: three days in California, two and a half days in Oregon and Washington. He recalled that when he left Portland yesterday, the scales had only grown by two-thirds. Even with Boston's favorable feng shui, he expected it to take until the evening or the next day for the rest of the scale to grow. However, in just a few hours, one-third of the scale had already appeared. That was when he decided to buy this place.
The foundation of his future lay in the great snake. No matter what, this land was where the snake liked, so he had to make the purchase. Seeing Jiang Hai finally make the decision, Will Anthony and Robbins Garcia were visibly relieved.
They then returned to the residential area. To properly manage such a large estate, which served as a ranch, fishery, and wine estate, at least ten people were required.
The estate would also have to provide food and accommodation for these workers, and it was clear the previous owner had not lacked funds.
The residential area was well-built. The houses for the cowboys, fishermen, and winemakers were all one or two-story buildings with a half-story attic for storage. Each house had four rooms: a spacious living room, a basement, a bathroom, and a kitchen, all fully equipped. There were 15 such houses, likely housing 15 workers or families.
As for the owner's house, it was grand. Covering about half an acre, or 2,000 square meters, the first floor featured a large living room. Though empty now, the layout was impeccable. The square hall was about 200 square meters. To the left of the hall was a 50-square-meter public bathroom, presumably used for meetings or parties. Next to it was a 100-square-meter kitchen, which had been emptied but showed traces of its former grandeur. Adjacent to the kitchen was a 300-square-meter bathroom with a bathing area in the center. On the other side, there was a warehouse and several functional rooms, such as laundry areas, cold storage for vegetables, and another for meat.
At the end of the corridor, there were more rooms, some intended for servants, according to Robbins. Hearing this, Jiang Hai couldn't help but smile.
Servants? The servants' rooms had independent air conditioning, floor heating, separate bathrooms with showers and bathtubs, plus a cloakroom. Looking at the network cables and cable TV plugs, there was likely equipment for TVs and computers. These rooms also featured large bedrooms and living rooms. Jiang Hai estimated these rooms were about 60 square meters—certainly much larger than the 40 square meters of his family's house in Bingcheng.
On the second floor, things got even grander. Despite being mostly empty, the rooms on the second floor resembled hotel suites, with 12 rooms in total. There was a fitness room, a small study, a game room, a space for singing and movies, and eight bedrooms—one of which was the master bedroom, while the rest were guest rooms. The layout was nearly identical for all rooms, each with a 50-square-meter living room, a large bathroom, and a small room (about 15 or 16 square meters) to accommodate various furnishings. The guest rooms were about 40 square meters with a small bathroom, a kitchen, and an external balcony offering a view of the beach and sea.
These rooms were stunning, but also overwhelming. The guest room itself was 156 square meters—more space than a typical person could use.
Jiang Hai's interest grew when he entered the master bedroom, which was even more lavish. It featured a 30-square-meter cloakroom filled with wardrobes, a larger bathroom, and a massive bathtub capable of holding four people. There was also a separate study, a kitchen, two living rooms, and two small bedrooms. The master bedroom, about 80 square meters, boasted a four-meter-by-six-meter bed—more fit for wrestling than sleeping.
Jiang Hai, after exploring the lavish spaces, began to feel some comfort in his investment. He decided to purchase the house for 280 million and moved in right away after shopping for daily necessities in the nearby town. He hadn't forgotten why he had spent such a hefty sum—it was primarily for the snake tattoo on his chest. He wanted to see if the environment here could speed up his evolution. If it didn't work out, he could always back out before signing the contract the next day.
However, there was no chance for him to reconsider because by nightfall, another scale had grown on his chest.
"One scale every eight hours… This is amazing! So, three scales a day. With 1,080 scales in total, and 137 already grown, it'll evolve in less than a year!" Jiang Hai couldn't help but smile as he admired the tattoo, his excitement growing.
"Bang, bang, bang!" Just as he was admiring the scales, there was a knock on the door.
"Who is it?" Jiang Hai, startled, called out.
"It's me, Mr. Jiang," came Robbins' voice.
"Oh, wait a minute." Jiang Hai quickly threw on his clothes and opened the door to find Robbins standing there.
"It's late, Robbins. Is something wrong?" Jiang Hai asked, noticing Robbins was hesitant.
"Well, Mr. Jiang, I... I wanted to invite you to dinner. I know that Chinese people like to talk over meals. While you were out buying quilts this afternoon, I went fishing and caught some fish and beef. I'd like you to try my cooking," Robbins said, sounding a bit unsure.
"Oh? Alright!" Jiang Hai smiled. People from the Northeast were typically very straightforward, and as long as it was safe, he didn't mind sharing a meal.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Jiang Hai followed Robbins to his room.
Robbins' room was the only one still occupied out of the 15 small buildings. The atmosphere was a bit eerie as they walked, but neither paid much attention.
Inside Robbins' room, several dishes were laid out on the table. There was roasted beef cut into thick steaks, sizzling on the outside and tender on the inside, seasoned with black pepper. The smell made Jiang Hai's stomach growl.
In addition to the steak, there was a fish, its meat fried to a golden brown, and a large selection of salads—both fruit and vegetables. There was also a basket of bread with butter. For traditional rich people, such a layout might seem excessive, but for Jiang Hai, it was exactly what he enjoyed. Growing up in Bingcheng, he liked hearty meals—meat and fish in large servings.
Without hesitation, Jiang Hai dug into the steak, savoring the rich flavor as he enjoyed the hearty meal Robbins had prepared.