After learning how the organization viewed her, Azarina was initially a bit confused. But in truth, this outcome couldn't have been better. The organization chose not to pursue her, and she could continue to stay safely at Jiang Hai's side—what more could she ask for?
The contact she met also shared some updates about the organization's current situation. In fact, even before Azarina defected, things weren't going well.
Anyone following international news would know that the situation in Wulan had become increasingly unstable.
Though geographically in Europe and nominally a Western-aligned country, Wulan still lagged behind even developing nations like China in many respects. Currently, the country was locked in a three-way power struggle: the government, remnants of Soviet influence, and opposition forces backed by the U.S. and other European powers. Daily clashes, protests, and unrest had turned the entire nation into a chaotic mess.
The KGB of Wulan—originally a state-run intelligence agency—had now become a bloated and controversial institution. Every faction wanted to control it to eliminate rivals, yet all feared what it might become in the hands of others.
The government, still technically in charge, saw it as a dangerous double-edged sword. It could hurt their enemies—or it could backfire.
So rather than risk internal chaos or global scandal, they decided to disband it.
Given the organization's agents were highly trained, they came up with a "solution." The country was on the brink of collapse, poverty had run rampant, and selling off their most "valuable" operatives—both male and female, mostly in their twenties—seemed like a profitable last resort. They hoped wealthy foreigners might be interested.
Originally, someone like Jiang Hai wouldn't have been considered eligible to participate. After all, while wealthy, his social standing wasn't particularly high—he was, at the end of the day, just a rancher.
But since he now knew of the opportunity, and with Azarina's connections, there would be no obstacles. She could handle the details.
As for why Azarina had brought this up, Jiang Hai guessed it had to do with someone she still cared about in the organization. But he didn't mind her private motives. After all, she meant no harm, and her help with ensuring the loyalty of those people was invaluable.
"When's the selection taking place?" Jiang Hai asked after thinking for a while.
"May 20th," Azarina replied.
Jiang Hai couldn't help but chuckle. "A recruitment photo session scheduled on a date known for love confessions? How fitting."
He shook his head, then reached out and pulled Azarina into his lap, casually kneading and shaping parts of her body like clay. She didn't resist or say anything—just looked at him quietly. If Jiang Hai had wanted her at that moment, she wouldn't have refused. In truth, she never had.
But Jiang Hai had never gone that far. Still, he took his liberties with her body freely, and she never minded. Unlike Afra and the others who traded their bodies for a place in the manor, or Feng Yunchen, Ai Xiaoxi, Qi Jie, and Qi Ya who might one day become the true mistresses of the estate—Azarina was different.
She was his bodyguard. Everyone else could be replaced, but not her. That was why she didn't care what Jiang Hai did—she had given him her loyalty and herself, without reservation.
"Alright, arrange everything. Once those people are ready, I'll head to Europe. I don't feel comfortable leaving Darlene and the others behind, so I'll bring everyone. After attending the cocktail party, we'll head there for the selection." Jiang Hai smiled as he patted Azarina's smooth belly.
Azarina nodded seriously. It was clear she was pleased Jiang Hai agreed. As Jiang Hai suspected, she still had people she cared about there—not blood relatives or dramatic reunions, but comrades. They trained, killed, and survived together. She had escaped and found peace, but now she had a chance to save them.
And this was her best shot.
If she could gather them, she would turn them into Jiang Hai's most loyal forces—mind, body, and soul.
With that thought, her heart stirred. She hugged Jiang Hai joyfully, then hurried back to her room. Watching her go, Jiang Hai smiled faintly.
"She really doesn't seem suited to be an assassin… too kind," he murmured to himself.
He shook his head and returned to his room on the second floor. Seeing the four women still asleep, he climbed into bed and pulled Ai Xiaoxi into his arms. He was genuinely exhausted.
Though his physical strength was several times that of a normal person—enough to stay awake for days—it wasn't something he felt the need to test just yet.
The morning passed in peace. When Jiang Hai woke up, it was already noon.
Shortly after lunch, the three newly hired cowboys and four sailors arrived. With the cowboys came extra horses, and they quickly began familiarizing themselves with the cattle dogs.
The four sailors moved into the workers' villa. Each room was shared by two people—something no one complained about.
Compared to most ranches, where cowboys squeezed into tiny 10-square-meter dorms with barely enough room for a bed and a chair, Jiang Hai's accommodations were luxurious: large rooms, private bathrooms for every pair, a shared kitchen and living room—it was practically a dream.
And for the fishermen, it was even better. Life at sea often meant sharing cramped, rocking cabins with seven others, enduring stale sea air mixed with sweat and foot odor. Now, they had spacious living quarters on land and didn't even need to go offshore. They were more than satisfied.
With the newcomers settled in, the manor grew livelier.
That afternoon, the cowboys joined the cattle-driving team. While cattle herding wasn't too difficult, having three more hands made the work even easier. According to Robbins Garcia, they could consider acquiring 30,000 more head of cattle this fall—or test some larger breeds with an initial batch of 10,000.
Jiang Hai just smiled and said, "We'll talk about it later."
The fishermen spent the day tidying the dock, since they wouldn't start night work until later. Edward Anderson split the eight sailors into two teams: his own, and Tommy Charles's.
Edward's team included Andrew Christian, Paul Raman, and Carlisle Cotton. Tommy's team included Enol Cece, Bill Zepheniah, and Bennett Rodney. Though the individuals differed slightly in strength, the two groups were evenly matched overall.
Since the new boat hadn't arrived yet, they operated on a daily rotation: one team would fish at night, and the other would collect and transport the catch the next morning. After a full day's rest, the roles would switch.
This kept fatigue at bay. Plus, with the manor's quality beef on their plates, they had no trouble maintaining stamina.
And if anyone needed time off, the second team could step in, or even Maren Rupert—who also piloted the helicopter—could lend a hand. The cowboys had enough manpower now to spare Bell Lester to help with flying duties if needed.
With both the cattle and fishery operations running smoothly, Jiang Hai finally felt at ease.
The next morning, after a restful night, Jiang Hai personally drove Dulles Gerard and O'Connor Murphy to Boston Airport. They were heading to Mâcon, France, to prepare for the upcoming cocktail party. They brought ten bottles of wine as samples—more would be delivered when Jiang Hai and the rest arrived.
They also informed him that aside from the Mâcon Wine Competition in late April, there was another major event in May: the Brussels International Wine Competition in Belgium.
Since he was already attending one, it made sense to attend both. Jiang Hai readily agreed, especially since it aligned with Azarina's plan.
On May 20th, they would head to Wulan—to find and rescue more of those trained girls. Girls who would belong to Jiang Hai in both body and soul.
After sending the two men off, Jiang Hai informed the women about their European trip. Unsurprisingly, they were all excited.
Of them, only Azarina had ever been to Europe, and even she hadn't seen much of it. Qi Jie, despite her wealth, had only been to Australia and America.
With the news out, everyone began researching destinations and packing. Spirits were high—it promised to be a rewarding trip.
Bell would stay behind to manage the manor, with Robbins Garcia and Edward Anderson providing regular updates. Jiang Hai was confident everything would be fine.
That night, he finalized the travel list: aside from himself and Connorson Peters, the fifteen women going were Ai Xiaoxi, Feng Yunchen, Qi Jie, Qi Ya, Darlene, Marianne, Azarina, Afra, Dina, Hilda, Becky, Sheila, Oshilia, Bridget, and Janice.
His Crystal Palace was growing… and that didn't even include Qi Li in China, or Selena Gomez and Pra Walton in the U.S. If he counted Pra, then Cheryl Lee and a few others also belonged on that list.
Somehow, what had started as a simple life had grown into a tale of more than twenty women connected to him. It was hard not to marvel at how things had changed.
Their itinerary was quickly set. First stop: France. After the cocktail party, they would spend three days in Paris—sightseeing, shopping, and exploring the Champs-Élysées.
Then it was off to Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, and finally Belgium. After attending the Brussels wine event, they would head to Wulan for the selection, then return to Boston together.
June and July would be relatively quiet for Jiang Hai. He might go goldfish fishing in early August, and by late August, it would be grape harvest season—busy until October. Winter would follow, but this time, he planned to keep himself busy.
For now, though, they were just waiting for Mayor Wallis's reply.
Three days later, Mayor Wallis arrived with three pieces of news: one good, one bad, and another good.
As Jiang Hai listened, he couldn't help but laugh. The old man had picked up the art of suspense.
(To be continued.)