"Well... no words can describe it... better to just skip..." Hilda's low voice trailed off, and Jiang Hai, lying beneath her, couldn't help but tremble. As Hilda's body gave a slight spasm, she also lay weakly on top of him.
Seeing this, Becky, who was beside them, slowly climbed up to where they were connected. Noticing Jiang Hai withdrawing, she gently opened her mouth and helped him clean up the things that couldn't be described.
"Huh, I missed you so much." Hilda whispered softly as she looked into Jiang Hai's face. Then, she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, as if trying to merge herself with him.
"I missed you too." Jiang Hai's hand moved to hold Hilda's back, while his other hand lifted Becky and held her close.
After a few minutes of tenderness, Hilda looked at Jiang Hai with surprise. "I heard you're leaving town?"
"Did you hear the news too? Are you worried?" Jiang Hai asked, surprised.
"Worried or not... We're homeless people, but we believe you'll take us wherever you go. Still, I'm a little worried about you." Hilda hesitated, holding onto Jiang Hai.
"What? Has some rumor spread into our manor?" Jiang Hai frowned, puzzled by her expression.
After a brief pause, Hilda spoke carefully. "Didn't you go out with your friends today? A group of people came to our manor. They didn't look friendly. They said they were looking for you. When they found out you weren't home, they wanted to come in and wait for you. Miss Bernice told them it's a private manor and they're not allowed inside. They even tried to break in, but the nearby police patrolling the area drove them away."
Jiang Hai frowned deeply. He had no idea about this. Could someone really be trying to attack his manor?
Earlier today, while Jiang Hai was out horseback riding with Huang Yunfei and the others, Augustine had gathered a group to "negotiate" with him. Upon learning Jiang Hai wasn't there, they tried to enter the manor.
Jiang Hai didn't know their real purpose, but it was definitely not good. Thankfully, his side's alert was high. The police on patrol noticed the group gathering early on. When they attempted to attack the manor, the police intervened, causing them to disperse with threats to return tomorrow.
Jiang Hai glanced outside thoughtfully. He had originally planned to wait until after sending Fu Yuan and the others away before dealing with this, but the other side's actions were unexpectedly fast.
In fact, they had no time to waste. The longer this dragged on, the harder it would be for others to back out. If they didn't sign the contract, they'd be the ones losing sleep. Their goal was to build a factory here—and Jiang Hai was the biggest obstacle.
"These people are quite interesting," Jiang Hai whispered, squinting his eyes as he stroked the smooth backs of Hilda and Becky.
The two girls exchanged looks. They'd struggled over whether to tell Jiang Hai about this, but in the end, fear for his safety won out.
After all, Jiang Hai was their backbone. There was no one else like him, and they would never let him fall into trouble.
"Don't worry about it. I'll handle it," Jiang Hai smiled, patting both girls on the back again.
That night passed without much conversation. The next morning, they had planned to hunt in the Appalachian Mountains, but due to the unrest outside, Jiang Hai changed the plan and took them to hunt in his own woods.
For Fu Yuan and the others, hunting turkeys or wild boars was the same—they'd never hunted before.
Meanwhile, rumors in town shifted again, spreading quickly. What Jiang Hai and George had said had circulated widely, and people didn't misinterpret Jiang Hai's intentions.
They said Jiang Hai's cattle thrived because the environment was well protected here, and if that environment was destroyed, he'd give up Winthrop. That was exactly what Jiang Hai had said.
To Jiang Hai's supporters, this was simple: he'd never let his manor fall into ruin, so he would definitely oppose the chemical plant. As long as the plant didn't enter, everything would be fine.
But some people twisted his words. You have to admit, Americans sometimes pay close attention to language nuances, like now:
"Jiang Hai is selfish. He only wants to preserve the environment for his own estate. He doesn't care about the lives of the people of Winthrop. Developing the local economy would benefit everyone, but he blocked the chemical plant because of pollution. Tomorrow he could block other factories. He's going to destroy Winthrop's economy!"
"Winthrop is an American town. When did Americans start listening to a Chinese man? Maybe he's a spy sent by China! The Chinese threat has infiltrated the US, and you're all slaves to him, bought off with money!"
"The reason Jiang Hai's cattle make so much money is because the environment here is good. If that's true, why don't we drive him away and buy his manor? Then maybe we can make billions too! The chemical plant? That's another matter. The ranch making over 10 billion a year is the real prize!"
From early morning onward, these rumors dominated Winthrop's conversations.
They downplayed the chemical plant issue, instead attacking Jiang Hai's "humanity." Once seen as a savior, Jiang Hai's image shifted dramatically.
Previously, people saw him as generous. When the local school collapsed, Jiang Hai donated funds. When incomes were low, he invested in expanding the town. He'd poured hundreds of millions of dollars into Winthrop. It seemed fair for him to own some shares, so residents had viewed him kindly.
His prestige even surpassed Mayor Wallis's.
But now, those donations were labeled bribery, his tolerance seen as manipulation. Winthrop belonged to Winthrop's people—not Jiang Hai, who wasn't even one of them. Everything he did had an agenda.
He was a conspirator, playing everyone like pawns, a ruthless capitalist.
If someone else took his manor, they could become the "second Jiang Hai."
The attackers had a three-pronged strategy:
Jiang Hai isn't as kind as he seems. His generosity is just exploitation.
Jiang Hai is Chinese and cannot be trusted. Racial prejudice aside, he's not American. Anyone outside their race is suspect.
Jiang Hai succeeded only because of the good environment at his manor. If others took it over, they could surpass him.
Many in Winthrop were confused. Boston had long suffered from severe racial discrimination. Although recent years brought reforms, some deep-seated attitudes never changed.
In China, the idea of "insiders and outsiders" governs friendships. Helping a foreign friend in conflict with fellow Chinese could brand one a traitor. Not helping would seem inexplicable.
It's a twisted concept, but one that's often effective.
The US had long promoted the "Chinese threat" narrative, and it worked. Many people switched from supporters to opponents.
Compared to Jiang Hai—who'd been here just a year—people trusted their own country and kin more.
Except for Jiang Hai's close circle—his employees, familiar local restaurant owners, and friends like Old George—most residents were left confused.
The town's fiercest debate wasn't just about opposing the chemical plant, but about opposing Jiang Hai himself.
Once you label someone a scoundrel, a public enemy, their words lose credibility by default. This tactic was working perfectly—people dismissed Jiang Hai's existence and concerns, downplaying the chemical plant altogether.
Faced with this, Mayor Wallis and his allies were completely overwhelmed.
Celanese was a major corporation. When it came to these political games, the townspeople were no match.
(To be continued.)