Chapter 39: The Ranch and the Villa

The car left the city of Xinxian, heading southwest. One had to admit, the technology of the Wayne family was truly impressive; the ride was remarkably smooth, and any unexpected situations on the road were handled with remarkable skill.

After about half an hour, they turned onto a narrow path built along the foot of the mountain, the lush greenery on both sides adding a touch of charm to the road. Winding along the path, they circled around half the mountain before the view suddenly opened up—a vast pasture spread out before them.

They parked by a “villa” at the mountainside. The former archbishop stepped out and said, “This is the place I mentioned. The road may not be ideal, but the environment here is excellent. It’s a perfect spot for living.”

Ou Xiaolu also got out to take a look, finding the car parked beside a two-story wooden cabin at the foot of the mountain. The cabin wasn’t large—perhaps four rooms on the first floor, totaling about two hundred square meters.

But to Ou Xiaolu, this was already thrilling; the compensation he’d received for his car accident probably wouldn’t even buy a single floor of this cabin.

Letting the car park itself in a spot by the cabin, the former archbishop said to Ou Xiaolu, “Shall we go take a look?”

Ou Xiaolu nodded eagerly. This was private land—no one would care if he practiced lightness skills here, or even flew; no one would interfere.

With the archbishop leading the way, Ou Xiaolu first arrived at a trail at the foot of the mountain. Pointing to it, the archbishop said, “Walk up there and you’ll enter the forest behind. This mountain is part of the estate, though I only bought half of it, up to the summit. Beyond that, it’s not mine, which is a bit awkward.

It’s the same on the other side of the pasture—the mountain road there is even more complicated, and to this day it’s impossible to build a proper road. There are only two narrow paths, just wide enough for a person to walk.

But all the trees on the mountain belong to the estate. If you ever need building materials, you’re free to cut them down.”

Ou Xiaolu nodded, memorizing the paths. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something on the mountain was calling to him.

Following the road further down, after a short distance they came upon a rushing stream. “The water comes from the other side of the mountain, sourced from an underground river. The quality is quite good, and there’s enough to supply the entire farm.”

Ou Xiaolu stooped by the stream, scooping up a handful of the cool water. It instantly refreshed him.

They followed the stream for another kilometer or two, eventually reaching the lakeshore the archbishop had mentioned. It was called a lake, but in truth it was a large pond of about 200 mu. The water was so clear that fish and shrimp could be seen swimming at the bottom.

“This is a deep lake. Even though you can see the bottom from here, it’s actually quite deep. I once had people measure it; the deepest point is seventy-three meters.”

Ou Xiaolu merely nodded at the archbishop’s warning. With just a glance, he’d already spotted four or five beams of white and green light beneath the water. If the archbishop hadn’t been there, he would have jumped in to investigate.

By the lake stood a three-story villa, also built of timber and larger than the cabin by the mountain. Outside, wind turbines and solar panels had been installed.

Seeing these generators, Ou Xiaolu had a vague sense of unease. The archbishop seemed to sense it as well and explained sheepishly, “I never really managed this place, so we never ran power lines in. But it’s just sitting here anyway. When we get back, I’ll introduce you to a construction crew. They’ll fix up everything for you.”

Recalling the narrow mountain road they’d driven up, which at its tightest seemed only wide enough for a single car, Ou Xiaolu asked, “Will it be difficult to bring in building materials?”

“That’s precisely the point,” the archbishop replied with certainty. “It’s to protect the environment here. Don’t worry about materials—what do you think helicopters are for? Heavy-lift helicopters can bring in anything you need.”

Seeing the archbishop’s extravagance, Ou Xiaolu said no more. They strolled around the pasture, which, despite being called a pasture, had neither cows nor sheep. Instead, rabbits and foxes darted by their feet, utterly unafraid of humans.

At the center of the pasture was the third “villa” the archbishop had mentioned. If the previous two or three-story wooden cabins could be called villas, this was a small farmstead that looked like a tiny village.

Four or five wooden houses, none taller than two stories and the shortest only one story, formed a large circle. Ou Xiaolu examined them: everything was neatly arranged—besides the two-story dwellings, there was a kitchen, a granary, a tool shed, and even a stable.

Sadly, the place seemed to have been abandoned for some time, with little sign of life.

Looking at the “villa” before him, Ou Xiaolu couldn’t help but sigh, “I don’t even know what to say.”

“Why? Do you like it?” the archbishop asked with a smile, already reading the answer in Ou Xiaolu’s expression.

“It couldn’t be better,” Ou Xiaolu replied with certainty. “But I think I’ll need to make some major changes.”

“No problem. I’ll have my people coordinate with you. You’ll have a budget of thirty million—if that’s not enough, I can add another twenty million.”

“That’s more than enough,” Ou Xiaolu replied firmly. His poverty had limited his imagination; he couldn’t even conceive of what fifty million could do to transform this place.

Seeing how cooperative Ou Xiaolu was, the archbishop’s impression of him improved even more. He thought for a moment, then handed Ou Xiaolu a crucifix.

“This is my token. If you ever need my help, just write to me at the address on it.”

Ou Xiaolu examined the crucifix. Both sides were inscribed with writing. Looking closer, his knees nearly gave way—the surface was covered with quantum mechanics formulas. He recognized only the letters; the rest was utterly foreign to him.

“Well, you’ve seen the place. I need to go oversee the move of my research lab now. Will you stay here, or return to the city with me?”

“I’ll head back for now—there’s nothing here yet. By the way, if I want to buy horses, where should I go?”

“Horses?” The archbishop laughed. “That’s a great idea. Riding is the best way to get around the ranch. I’ll have my people take care of it for you.”

As they chatted, they headed back toward the villa by the mountain, their cheerful laughter echoing across the entire pasture.