The farmer arrived at noon, and several people were feasting heartily.
"Mr. Liu, where did you buy this lamb? It's truly delicious." Xiao Lu said.
"It's good if you like it. As for where I bought it, I can't tell you. It's my secret." Guo Xuyang said with a smile.
"Are you afraid we'll steal your technique?"
"There's no need to worry about that. The main thing is the quality of the meat. Look, I basically didn't add any ingredients when I boiled the lamb, just pure water, and a little salt at the end."
"Oh, what is this? Why is it so fragrant?" a strong white man in his thirties entered and asked.
"This is the lamb we boiled. Who are you?" Guo Xuyang asked.
"I'm Vilto. Didn't you call me this morning about a potential acquisition?" the white man said.
"Mr. Vilto, hello. It was me who called you at noon." Xiao Lu quickly stood up upon hearing this.
"Hello, what should I call you?"
"I am Lu Buping, you can call me Mr. Lu." Xiao Lu said.
"Hello, Mr. Lu, are you the one who wants to buy my farm?"
"Yes, Mr. Vilto. However, this farm has been neglected for a long time, and the price is a bit too high."
"No, no, Mr. Lu, what you see is only on the surface. It's true that no one has managed this place for a long time. But this is fertile land. I'm just not interested in farming anymore; I've completely transitioned into the computer industry. This was left to me by my father, but I simply don't have the time to manage it."
"May I ask why your father didn't find someone to manage it?"
"He has gone to meet God. I really don't have the energy to take care of these things."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."
"It's nothing. How do you wish to discuss this?"
"So, this is your father's inheritance?"
"No. It's mine. My father gave it to me before he passed away," Vilto said.
"In that case, we can talk openly," Xiao Lu said.
"The market price is currently twenty-three hundred dollars per acre, and yours is less than one hundred sixty-five acres, totaling three hundred eighty thousand dollars. That's quite far from your online asking price of forty-five hundred thousand dollars."
"No, you can't calculate it like that. My farm is surrounded by mountains and water, with an elegant environment and fertile soil suitable for growing crops. The twenty-three hundred dollars per acre you mentioned is impossible. I know other farms are asking at least twenty-five hundred dollars per acre now," Vilto argued.
"Even if we use your figure of twenty-five hundred dollars per acre, it would be at most a little over forty-one thousand dollars. Your forty-five thousand is still a lot short. Moreover, this house is no longer habitable. If I buy it, I'll have to undertake major repairs, or even rebuild it from scratch," Xiao Lu said, pointing at the house.
"That's another significant investment. How about this, Mr. Vilto, I genuinely want to buy your farm. Let's both compromise. Forty-one thousand dollars. If you agree, we can proceed with the paperwork now. If not, we remain friends even if the business deal falls through. What do you say?"
"Your lamb is so fragrant, can I have some? I haven't eaten yet," Vilto asked, looking at the lamb in the pot without directly answering Xiao Lu.
"Yes, of course. Let me serve you a few pieces. I guarantee you'll want more after tasting it," Guo Xuyang said quickly. He realized that Xiao Lu and Sun Yue were not to be underestimated; they were both good at business.
"It's truly delicious. Do you have any more? Can you sell me some?" Vilto asked after taking a bite.
"It's all here. We bought it on our way here. If you want some, I can give you some. But we really don't have any more," Guo Xuyang said sincerely.
"Why is it so fragrant?" Vilto ate another piece.
"Eat more if it's delicious. There's plenty in the pot." Vilto ate five or six pieces before stopping.
"I've never eaten such delicious lamb before. For the sake of the lamb, forty-two thousand dollars, this is my bottom line."
"If we were to build a house on this land, what kind of procedures would be needed?" Guo Xuyang asked.
"That requires a certificate from the local government, followed by processing, designing blueprints, and hiring professional construction teams," Vilto said.
"Can a manor be built here?"
"I don't know about that. You'll need to consult the government."
"I see that your house is too dilapidated to live in."
"I know. Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to get it for less than forty-five thousand."
"Alright then, Xiao Lu, you go and sign the contract with Mr. Vilto. We'll take this farm." Vilto was a little surprised by Guo Xuyang's straightforwardness. Forty-odd thousand dollars wasn't a small sum to just hand over. Guo Xuyang also hadn't expected that a few pieces of lamb would save him thirty thousand dollars; he had been prepared to pay more to secure the farm. Since that was the case, he decided to secure it first. As for whether a manor-style villa could be built, he would let Xiao Lu handle all the proceedings later. After Xiao Lu and Vilto went to the lawyer for notarization and contract signing, Guo Xuyang transferred the entire five million to Xiao Lu to exchange at the bank. Xiao Lu was quite adept at this, as he often traveled between places. By the time everything was handled smoothly, it was already afternoon. Guo Xuyang and Xiao Lu signed an agreement, stating that the farm was Guo Xuyang's personal property, and he had only hired Xiao Lu for its management. Xiao Lu would be paid a monthly service fee of ten thousand dollars. Sun Yue and Wu Shuchen were also listed as secondary caretakers, each receiving a monthly service fee of five thousand dollars. Since Xiao Lu signed the contract with Vilto, this additional agreement was made in case anything unexpected happened to Guo Xuyang. Guo Xuyang knew that this agreement was temporary and that permanent ownership would require someone else to take over. After all, he had only known Xiao Lu for a few days and was not fully aware of his background. Although there was some risk, it was still within Guo Xuyang's control. After all the signatures were completed, Guo Xuyang asked Xiao Lu to take Sun Yue and Wu Shuchen back to school. "Don't go to bars anymore when you have free time. Also, you need to transfer schools as soon as possible. Someone at this school might be targeting you," Guo Xuyang reiterated to Wu Shuchen. "Yes, Mr. Liu. Thank you. I will complete the transfer procedures as soon as possible," Wu Shuchen replied. If the tuition fees were indeed over a hundred thousand dollars a year, as they had initially stated, transferring schools might not be that easy. However, this was no longer Guo Xuyang's concern. This was all he could do.