My Manor

"Hey, boss, you're back!" Tommy Charles, who had been preparing to leave the dock, called out as he saw the boat returning. Hearing his voice, Jiang Hai smiled and took out a rope from the boat to secure it. He tossed the rope onto the dock, and Tommy Charles caught it, neatly tying it to a dock piling. As he finished tying it, Jiang Hai walked up from the boat, holding a large lobster.

Jiang Hai had never thought much about catching lobsters, but since he was here, it didn't matter. He had noticed that the number of lobsters on the seabed had been increasing recently, and they were growing bigger. These lobsters, along with other marine life, fed on the water plants Jiang Hai had cultivated with his spiritual energy over the past few months. The cold weather had kept growth slow, but now, as the weather warmed, the plants were flourishing—just like Dasha.

Of course, when it came to size, it was all about proportion. After all, those lobsters weren't one meter long—otherwise, Jiang Hai would have been bewildered.

At the moment, the coral reef around Jiang Hai's area was teeming with shrimp over half a meter long. You could spot them almost by simply turning over a few rocks, and you'd even see them walking along the seabed without the need to overturn anything. It was starting to resemble the scene when the Americans first came here—lobsters rolling onto the coast with the waves. Aside from the clear increase in size, Jiang Hai had also noticed that the lobsters had begun laying eggs. Lobsters, crabs, and shrimp all produced many eggs once they matured. Hundreds, if not thousands, were common. Although most of these eggs wouldn't hatch, after eating Jiang Hai's specially enhanced water plants, the survival rate of these shrimps had significantly increased. Additionally, the plankton they consumed was also infused with spiritual energy, further boosting their chances of survival. Of course, even if they survived, many would eventually fall prey to fish.

What had once been a few lobsters in a nest had now multiplied exponentially, thanks to the nourishment provided by Jiang Hai's spiritual energy. Now, when Jiang Hai dove into the water, he found the seabed full of small shrimp, crabs, and other creatures. The fish that once inhabited the coral reefs were also growing in number and size.

Looking back, he regretted spending money on buying those small seedlings; he should have bought only seaweed. But, of course, that was just Jiang Hai's thought. In any world, if you want to survive, you need a food chain. Fortunately, the food chain in his domain had not been disrupted.

Today, he had casually caught a large lobster, about 70 centimeters long. With his strength, if he didn't hold it firmly, it could still cause some panic. It looked like Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi would be having a great meal tonight.

However, when Tommy Charles and the others saw the lobster Jiang Hai had caught, they weren't impressed. Lobsters hadn't been valuable decades ago. When Tommy Charles and his generation were young, lobsters were considered insignificant. They were even referred to as "poor man's chicken." When the British ships arrived in the United States, they had never seen lobsters or turkeys and were initially hesitant to eat them. Eventually, the locals saw the Indians eating them, so they started too.

In Boston, lobsters were plentiful, and the price was lower than any other meat—chicken and turkey were more expensive. For the locals, lobsters weren't considered especially delicious.

"By the way, help me figure out what kind of shark this is!" Jiang Hai said as he came ashore and placed the lobster into a pre-prepared water-filled bag. While small crayfish could survive out of water, larger lobsters would perish quickly without it. To keep his catch fresh, Jiang Hai always made sure to store it in a bag.

After packing the lobster, Jiang Hai handed his phone to Tommy Charles.

"Oh, that's a porbeagle. They're quite troublesome, actually—kind of crazy and often attack humans or fishing boats without reason. Some small fishing boats hate them, but they don't pose much of a threat to larger ones like our dinghy. Even if they attack, it's unlikely to cause serious harm." Tommy Charles took a quick look at Jiang Hai's phone and easily identified the shark. For someone like Tommy, distinguishing between sharks was second nature, even though to Jiang Hai, they all looked alike.

"Oh, then we should be cautious when fishing. This shark is also one of my pets, and it's Dasha's girlfriend." Jiang Hai smiled as he spoke. Tommy Charles and the others had met Dasha when it was still young, so they were familiar with it. They were surprised at Jiang Hai's words. They couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for his ability to tame such creatures.

"By the way, boss, I heard our town is going to be developed into a tourist attraction?" Tommy Charles asked as Jiang Hai was about to leave.

"Yeah, that's right." Jiang Hai nodded, confused by Tommy's question.

Tommy, who had once seemed a bit opportunistic when they first met, quickly reassured Jiang Hai that he was happy with his current work. He explained that his wife and others were currently working at the manor, where Philemon's wife was in charge of the vegetable fields. They were looking for something else to do, as there was little to do besides sowing.

They had heard about the town's development plans and learned that Jiang Hai was the main investor, so they were asking if there might be any suitable jobs for them.

"Oh, that's no problem. I'm funding the construction of some beachside villas for tourists, so we'll definitely need cleaning and management staff. Even though I've handed over the management to the town, I can definitely insert a few people." Jiang Hai reassured Tommy, who was visibly relieved.

Tommy was overjoyed. Even if the pay wasn't substantial, it would provide a steady income for his family.

"I really appreciate it, boss!" Tommy said gratefully.

Jiang Hai smiled and put the lobster in the back of his car. He drove off toward his villa, but as he did, an idea suddenly struck him. There were still some issues concerning Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi. If they didn't pursue their current line of work, perhaps they could help out with the tourism development here. He could cover their expenses if needed. This idea seemed like a good solution.

When Jiang Hai arrived home, he found Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi playing a game with Darlene and Marianne. The game, called German Heart Attack, was a quick reaction game. Jiang Hai had played it with them before, and it had been easy for him to win since the game relied on fast reaction times and mental arithmetic, something Jiang Hai excelled at.

However, today, the others were having more fun. Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi, having shared some of Jiang Hai's spiritual energy, were occasionally winning, though they still couldn't match Darlene and Marianne's speed.

Seeing the fun they were having, Jiang Hai smiled and approached them. However, he didn't want to bring up the new job opportunities with Darlene and Marianne just yet, as the relationship between the three women was somewhat complicated.

"Okay, time's up! Darlene, Marianne, go get Xiao Huang and the others, and also fetch some beef for me. I'm going to cook. Everyone, come help out!" Jiang Hai directed the group.

Darlene and Marianne, who were used to this kind of task, quickly ran off to gather the others. Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi, curious about what Jiang Hai had in mind, followed him into the kitchen.

"I'll be clear—I'm not much of a cook. I can only help!" Feng Yunchen raised her hands as she entered the kitchen.

"Same here," Ai Xiaoxi added, as most girls of their age weren't proficient in cooking.

"You don't need to cook. I mainly want to talk to you. Our town is becoming a tourist attraction, and I'm investing in it. I wanted to ask if you'd be interested in a change of jobs!" Jiang Hai explained.