My Manor

"It's truly a pleasure to work with you." Seeing Jiang Hai's agreement, the person in charge didn't hesitate. It was refreshing to work with someone like Jiang Hai, who was known for making quick decisions. Deep down, Jiang Hai wasn't the type to hesitate over amounts like $10,000 or $100,000.

If asked to spend this money on strangers, he might hesitate, but that wasn't the case here.

After all, there was a big plan unfolding behind the scenes, one that promised far more than the $300 million. That suit of armor had the potential to earn even more.

As they shook hands, a secretary had already prepared the necessary documents. After Moses Adams reviewed them and confirmed everything was in order, Jiang Hai signed. The person in charge of Phillips also signed and stamped the company's seal. With that, the transaction was complete.

Phillips had privately purchased Jiang Hai's jewelry for $300 million. Since it was a private sale, there was no need for a tax return, so Jiang Hai received the full amount. Of course, if Jiang Hai wanted to file a tax return, the authorities would have no objections. It was similar to private transactions in China, only the amounts were much larger.

As the jewelry was taken away in categories, Jiang Hai's phone vibrated. His Centurion card balance had been updated—there was an additional $30 million, bringing his total balance to $321.58 million. This was now his net worth.

The saying goes, "If there is food at home, the heart is at peace." With money in his pocket, Jiang Hai felt secure.

The next step was dealing with the armor. Jiang Hai had authorized Phillips to auction it off, with Phillips taking a 3% commission. In addition, there was a 35% national tax to pay. Normally, state taxes would apply, but Florida had an advantage—no personal income tax. If the auction had been in New York, Jiang Hai would have had to pay an additional 15%.

The savings were a welcome relief.

That meant, after deducting the commission and national tax, Jiang Hai would still receive 62% of the profits from the armor. Although one-third was taken off, Jiang Hai's heart surged with excitement.

After all, this was his biggest money-making opportunity. Experts estimated the armor to be worth $1 billion. This was just the starting price, and it was bound to rise. Even at $1 billion, Jiang Hai would walk away with over $600 million—a huge win.

After signing the commission agreement, Phillips began preparing for publicity. The armor's auction was scheduled for the following week.

Initially, Phillips had suggested auctioning the armor during the spring auction, similar to fashion week, which occurs in four seasons, while auctions only have one—spring. The best items are saved for the spring auction, but unfortunately, Jiang Hai couldn't wait that long.

They had no choice but to promote the armor for a week before going ahead with the auction. It was a shame, but in today's world, it wasn't difficult to let the wealthy know about valuable items.

Once everything was sorted, Jiang Hai and his team left Phillips' office. While they were all a bit sleepy, everyone was thrilled upon hearing about Jiang Hai's big earnings that night.

Looking out at the sunshine, Jiang Hai pulled out his phone. A few quick taps later, Moses Adams' phone rang. When he checked, he saw that $2 million had been added to his balance. Moses couldn't help but look at Jiang Hai with excitement. This was a substantial bonus.

"This is your share for this time. Keep up the good work." Seeing Moses' eager glance, Jiang Hai smiled. He'd just made $300 million, and there was an even bigger sum awaiting him. Two million dollars was a small matter.

After all, there were still many things to be done, and Moses would be needed again. Although Moses had been busy throughout the day, he had also made time to help out at Jiang Hai's request. This guy was undoubtedly one of the top lawyers in Boston, juggling countless cases every day. His willingness to rush over meant they shared a closer relationship, and for a friend like that, Jiang Hai didn't mind being generous.

Moses placed his phone down without hesitation. No one could turn down $2 million, and while their friendship was strong, business was still business.

Seeing Moses' smile, Jiang Hai returned it. They both understood without saying a word.

"Where are we headed now?" Marian approached them, tugging at Jiang Hai's sleeve with a slightly confused look. After hearing her, Jiang Hai rolled his eyes.

"Go back to sleep. You haven't rested properly for two days. Aren't you tired?" He patted Marian's head and smiled.

"You're going back now?" Marian pouted a bit. "I was hoping we could go to Disneyland today. You promised we'd go." Her face showed a mix of playfulness and longing. For her age, going to an amusement park was much more exciting than heading back to rest.

Jiang Hai chuckled. "Why rush? We're staying here for at least a week. We can go anytime this week. Orlando is just a short drive from here."

Jiang Hai was right. Orlando was only 300 kilometers away from Miami, about a three-hour drive. So there was no need to rush.

"Okay then." Marian nodded, a bit sleepy, but feeling reassured that Jiang Hai hadn't forgotten about their promise.

"Shall we leave now?" Aphra and the others were not as energetic as Darlene and Marian. They were tired after two days of not getting enough sleep.

"No, let's eat first. I'm tired of the hotel buffet. Let's try something different." Jiang Hai had been eating hotel meals every day except for the occasional lunch out. While the hotel buffet was decent, Jiang Hai, being a picky eater, couldn't have it every day.

Looking around, he noticed a food cart parked near an intersection. There was a Hispanic woman, her husband, and their two kids working there. Jiang Hai had a keen eye and spotted a variety of delicious food on the cart, including the famous Mexican tacos, hot dogs, and hamburgers. Feeling hungry, he told the others, "You guys go get the car. I'll go buy the food."

The others nodded and started to head off, but Afra hesitated. After a moment, she said, "I'll go with you. It's a lot to carry on your own."

Jiang Hai agreed. With twelve people, even if each person had two servings, it would be twenty-four servings—too much to carry by himself.

He took Afra along to the stall. When the man making pancakes saw them, he looked up with a smile and said excitedly, "Welcome! What can I get for you? Our pancakes are the best, and the sauces are imported directly from Mexico."

Jiang Hai nodded. The sauces were indeed authentic, unlike the ones found in local supermarkets. He had never tasted such authentic Mexican burritos before.

"We'll take twenty-four burritos, and please make them quickly." Jiang Hai placed his order.

"Sure thing!" The man chuckled. Twenty-four burritos was quite the order.

The Mexican burrito, or taco, is a traditional Mexican dish made by stuffing meat, vegetables, and other fillings inside a tortilla, similar to how hot dogs are made, but with tortillas instead of bread. The tortillas are thinner and crispier than regular pancakes, similar to a northern Chinese multi-grain pancake.

The man quickly set to work, picking up tortillas while his wife chopped ingredients. The fillings varied according to what each person liked, and of course, prices depended on the type and quantity of fillings.