At the ranch gate, I made a call, and when Old Connor came in a beat-up pickup, he was a bit puzzled: "You’re Yan, the legendary tycoon?" New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on N0v3l.Fiɾe.net "To be precise, I’m the cattle magnate Yan Fei," Yan Fei said with a smile. "Money doesn’t mean much to me, I just want to buy more ranches to raise more cattle. I’m here to visit and talk about your ranch." "I’m not selling." Old Connor’s face immediately darkened, and he was ready to send the guest away. "One minute, give me one minute." Yan Fei held up three fingers. "Can I finish speaking?" Old Connor glared at Yan Fei, and Yan Fei stared back. The two of them stared at each other for a full minute before Old Connor spoke: "Just one minute." "No problem." Yan Fei smiled. "Three conditions. First, once the ranch is bought, you have a permanent pass here. Meaning, you can visit anytime." "Secondly, the ranch can be under your supervision, and if I don’t manage it well or change its use, you can buy it back at the original price, no matter how much the ranch has appreciated in the future." "Third, everything on the ranch, including several workers, will stay, and I’ll keep the cattle herd going too. In short, I’ll maintain things as they are, except that I need to set up an irrigation system and replace some pasture. There won’t be any major changes otherwise." After Yan Fei finished speaking, he looked at Old Connor without saying a word, and Old Connor just stared at him, remaining still. Based on Yan Fei’s understanding, Old Connor didn’t sell the ranch before partly because he thought they lacked experience in managing it well. The other two offers were because they were from tycoons who wanted to turn the ranch into a manor—although his ranch wasn’t large, it had a small lake and a river beside it. Conditions were much better than those at Yan Fei’s large ranch. Another minute of staring passed, and Yan Fei finally smiled and said, "Actually, you can consider me. Although I’m not a local, when I manage a ranch, it’s purely about the ranch, nothing chaotic. Maybe ten years later, when you come back, this ranch will still feel like home, and you can ride and herd cattle to reminisce about the past life." "Additionally, I can add one condition regarding your leg... I can help treat it. You may not have heard of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China. I have three small labs, and I hold shares in a pharmaceutical company over there. I won’t boast too much, but at the very least, I guarantee that within three years, when you come back, you’ll still be able to ride on horseback." Old Connor turned around, ready to get into his truck: "Young man, you’ve said too much!" Yan Fei laughed heartily: "Why not give it a try? If things continue as they are, in at most a year, your ranch will still be without a caretaker. Look at how Little Maxiu is managing—can you guarantee that after you pass away, this ranch will remain with your family?" Old Connor’s steps halted: "I want to try first." "But you need to sign a contract. My goal is to buy the ranch, not to be a doctor," Yan Fei insisted. Old Connor again puffed his beard out and glared. Yan Fei faced him with a smile, knowing the old man’s leg had been injured. His poor health was primarily due to that leg. He was hurt at the ranch, and because treatment was delayed, it hadn’t bothered him much in his youth but was problematic now that he was older—though he could still drive with effort, enduring horseback riding was out of the question. Yan Fei was particularly skilled with such conditions. So, when he decided to acquire the surrounding ranches, Old Connor’s was the first he chose. Looking at Yan Fei, Old Connor took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, his expression softening a bit: "Alright, maybe I should give you a chance. Come in and talk." Yan Fei chuckled, jumped into his pickup, and drove into the ranch. About an hour later, Yan Fei drove out of the ranch, grinning, as it was now nearly ready to change its name to Yan’s Ranch. In reality, the conditions he laid out, except for the one about treating the leg, mattered little. Once the ranch was sold, it would naturally be under the new owner’s control, even if Old Connor frequently visited, he’d eventually see Yan Fei hadn’t lied to him. As for riding circles, that was trivial. To put it bluntly, it was a matter of attitude. Now, given Old Connor’s worsening health issues, especially with the dropping temperatures intensifying his ailments—even though it seemed slightly underhanded—now was indeed a good time for Yan Fei to negotiate the purchase. Ultimately, there was little to discuss; Old Connor merely wanted the ranch to remain a ranch, which Yan Fei could ensure. As for his leg, he wasn’t holding much hope, but since Yan Fei offered, he might as well give it a try. In fact, even if reclaiming the ranch turned out to be impossible, his family wouldn’t agree. Overall, after Yan Fei made thorough preparations and gathered enough information, the first acquisition plan was considered successfully completed.