readease Chapter 219 Buying Cows
Chapter 219 Buying Cows
Chapter 219 Buying Cows
After Ernst's explanation, Massim's furrowed brows finally relaxed, and he reluctantly began to believe his story.
However, I still don't quite understand why a billionaire would choose to go to a bull market, a place full of cow dung, instead of enjoying his private jet and luxury yacht. Isn't this a classic case of asking for trouble and having too much money to burn?
"That's why I said you people don't understand what life is at all," Ernst said with a hint of nonchalance.
Massim scoffed, "Is this what you call understanding life? This is just plain stupid."
He had no interest in debating with the other party about whether the "smell of a bull market" aligns with high-end lifestyle aesthetics.
His tone abruptly shifted, becoming sharp and cutting, like a sharpened dagger aimed straight at a vital point: "Are you doing this on purpose? Don't play dumb with me!"
Ernst, as if he'd heard a funny joke, curled his lips into a playful smile, his tone light and airy, with a hint of deliberate innocence, "What are you talking about? I don't understand."
"Don't play dumb with me!" Massim's voice suddenly rose eight octaves, and you could feel his gritted teeth even through the phone line. "With your looks and resources, what kind of woman couldn't you have? Why would you be so desperate as to sleep with that little assistant Annie chose?"
Just as Ernst had predicted, his little assistant vanished without a trace the following night.
When she was found again, she was curled up in a foul-smelling ditch, as if she had never existed in this world.
"You didn't do any background check on that girl at all. I've already confirmed that with Annie. All the decisions about the assistant were made by her alone," Massim said, each word sharp and laced with coldness, his tone so harsh it could scrape away a layer of frost.
"Annie's personality is as innocent as a blank sheet of paper, making her the easiest to deceive. You know perfectly well that the people she chooses are nine times out of ten cunning individuals."
"So you knew all along that girl would be a problem."
Massim's voice carried a barely perceptible hint of weariness. "Since this all started because of Anne, we'll definitely step in. But you've chosen to stay out of it, just waiting to see her hit a wall, haven't you?"
Massim was right; Ernst had predicted it from the very beginning.
If her assistant suddenly disappeared, given Annie's naive and innocent nature, she would definitely be frantic and might even use her family connections to investigate.
He wanted to see Annie suffer a terrible setback, to make her realize that the world was far less gentle than she had imagined.
A long sigh came from the other end of the phone. Massim's tone softened, tinged with a helpless admonition, "Annie will likely become your future wife, whether you like it or not. Once you're in that position, you'll realize that only a marriage of convenience can truly get you accepted by the established conglomerate. Don't you think this is a bit too cruel to her?"
Ernst's eyes instantly turned cold, like a frozen lake, without a ripple.
Knowing Anne's future fate, he wanted her to see the truth of the world sooner rather than later. Rather than letting her be crushed by reality after marrying into the family, it was better to let her suffer now and learn a lesson.
That girl's princess syndrome was very unpleasant, so he didn't mind being the bad guy and disciplining her properly, turning her from a spoiled peacock into an obedient and sensible cat.
Moreover, this was also a silent protest against the Boston consortium, demonstrating his stance.
"To me, all women are the same; there is no difference between princesses and ordinary people." Ernst's voice was calm and even, yet it carried an undeniable air of authority.
"Annie still has six months of school to finish; she has to finish her studies." There was a moment of silence on the phone, and Massim seemed to be giving in.
"No problem." Ernst agreed casually, a knowing smile flashing in his eyes.
He could already imagine the earth-shattering changes that would occur when this spoiled young lady returned to his side.
The two chatted for a few more minutes about trivial matters before Ernst hung up the phone.
He had just put down his phone when he felt a figure appear beside him. Turning his head, he saw Bird leading a boy with a bright red nose...
The man standing next to him looked like he had just been frozen for half an hour, and he didn't even notice when the two of them had arrived.
"This is cattle broker Queville," Bird introduced concisely, his tone carrying a hint of familiarity.
Ernst raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself: What great broker? To put it bluntly, isn't he just a cattle dealer?
They're doing the same thing as those middlemen in rural China who go from street to street buying and selling pigs. It's just that they buy low and sell high, making a profit from the difference, only their dealings with animals have changed from pigs to cattle.
The number of calves purchased by Honghe Valley Farm this time is neither too many nor too few.
Ernst's plan was to raise a thousand cattle first, a number that simply couldn't be bought in a bull market of this magnitude.
The calves on display in the bull market are mostly culled calves from nearby farms and ranches; their numbers are scattered and their quality varies.
They came here for two main purposes.
First, select a few high-quality breeding cattle to lay the foundation for future breeding. Second, find a reliable cattle broker, since large-scale purchases like this require connections made by people in the industry.
In a bull market like this, what appears to be direct transactions between buyers and sellers are actually orchestrated by brokers behind the scenes.
Their network of relationships is denser than a spider web; they know exactly which farms have cattle to sell, whose cattle are of pure breed, and whose cattle are the strongest.
Paying a small commission can save you a lot of trouble.
Clearly, Bird had already finalized the details with Quivell, and bringing him here now was just to let Ernst make the final decision and write the check.
After a brief greeting and detailed explanation of the requirements, the group went to the nearby trading center. The staff quickly printed out the contract, which Ernst carefully reviewed. After confirming that there were no problems, he signed it on the spot and paid the deposit.
Queville, holding the deposit check, smiled so broadly his eyes narrowed into slits. After thanking him repeatedly, he left with light steps, probably rushing to contact Niu Yuan.
After Queville left, Bird looked at Ernst and said, "There are some decent pieces over there at the auction stage, all in good condition. Do you want to go take a look?"
"Of course I'll go," Ernst nodded in response, sniffing the air.
Perhaps it was because he had talked to Massim on the phone for a long time, but he actually felt that he had become somewhat accustomed to the smell of cow dung, hay, and sweat in the bull market.
Without another word, Bird turned and led Ernst, along with bodyguards Muller and Tom, toward the auction area.
After walking for a few minutes, the group arrived at a venue that looked like a small circus performance area. In the middle was a slightly raised platform, which should be the auction stage. Around the perimeter were benches for bidders to rest.
Ernst paid a deposit at the registration desk at the entrance and received a number plate numbered 18, which was his bid number.
The group found a relatively quiet corner with few people and sat down. As soon as they were settled, Bird leaned close to Ernst and introduced him in a low voice.
"The cattle auctioned here are basically of three types. The first type is high-quality breeding cattle used to improve breeds; the second type is a good herd of calves, with a group of about seven or eight to a dozen head; the third type is some special herds, such as rare breeds or imported crossbred cattle."
At this point, Bird added, "I heard that there will be four American Wagyu cattle up for auction today. If you're interested, you can keep an eye out for them later."
American Wagyu beef? Ernst's heart skipped a beat.
In the 90s, Japan lifted export restrictions on Wagyu beef, and the United States immediately imported a batch of Japanese Wagyu beef, which was then crossbred with local cattle to develop new breeds that suited American tastes.
Although American Wagyu, like Japanese Wagyu, is known for its delicate texture, with marble-like patterns visible when cut open, it is tender, juicy, and flavorful.
However, there are still differences between the two. Japanese Wagyu beef is known for its melt-in-your-mouth texture, higher fat content, and richer, creamier taste.
Americans prefer chewier beef, so American Wagyu cattle were specially bred with adjusted fat ratios to make the meat more elastic.
However, don't assume that these American Wagyu beef will be snapped up; the reality is quite the opposite—not many people are interested in them at all.
The reason is simple, just two points.
Expensive, and it's a semi-finished product.
The price of one American Wagyu beef is roughly equivalent to that of four Angus breeding cattle.
Angus cattle are the national breed of the United States, known for their high-quality meat, fast growth, and excellent value for money.
Paying four times the price for an American Wagyu beef is seen by most ranchers as a complete rip-off.
Regarding the issue of semi-finished products, Japanese Wagyu beef has only been introduced to the United States for a few years. The so-called American Wagyu beef has not been fully successfully bred yet. Although the meat quality is better than ordinary beef, it is still more inclined to the taste of East Asians and does not meet the American pursuit of chewiness.
For ranchers, buying these cattle is neither cost-effective nor easy to sell, so naturally no one is willing to make a move.
But Ernst's eyes lit up when he heard the news. He didn't think that the chewiness of Wagyu beef was a good thing at all. On the contrary, he felt that the melt-in-your-mouth texture of Japanese Wagyu beef suited him better.
"This trip was worthwhile. We must get these four American Wagyu cattle," Ernst said to Bird in a low voice, his tone filled with certainty.
Bird rolled his eyes, knowing that this guy was about to use his money again.
However, he wondered if anyone would try to take it from him.
Angus cattle are undoubtedly the top choice for American ranchers. In addition, Hereford, Brahman, and Charolais cattle are also very popular. These cattle all have one thing in common: a high slaughter rate, which means they can produce more meat.
Americans raise cattle like they build cars—it's all about rough and ready thinking, focusing only on quantity and not quality.
A group of people whose minds are full of how to raise beef quickly and how to get more meat, how can you expect them to take their time and do a good job of raising beef?
Taste is probably a foreign concept to them.
If Ernst weren't someone who pursues quality and doesn't care about money, he wouldn't have even mentioned Wagyu beef; raising it would have been impossible for him.
As the auction began, a series of cattle appeared on the stage, each one larger than the last, noticeably bigger than the cattle commonly seen in the outside cattle market, with firm muscles and glossy coats, clearly carefully selected.
Since Red River Valley Farm currently mainly raises Angus cattle, Bird took this opportunity to bid on several Angus breeding cattle of excellent quality, intending to use them to improve the breed of the cattle herd on the farm in the future.
He then photographed a herd of eight calves, which looked lively and healthy with bright, energetic eyes.
Finally, it was time for the grand finale – American Wagyu beef – to take the stage.
As soon as the four American Wagyu cattle were brought onto the stage, the scene immediately became lively. Many people craned their necks to stare at the cattle, their eyes full of curiosity, and murmurs rose and fell.
"This is American Wagyu beef? It doesn't look much different from regular beef."
"What do you know? This beef is absolutely amazing! I've heard it's almost like Japanese Wagyu, it melts in your mouth!"
"What's the point of it being delicious? It's so expensive, you can't even resell it for a good price, it's a complete waste of money!"
Despite the discussions, very few people were actually willing to make a bid.
Occasionally someone would call out a price, but it was only a tentative increase; they had no intention of actually bidding.
Following Ernst's instructions, Bird raised his paddle several times, each time increasing the price decisively, quickly raising it to a considerable level.
Those present turned to look at Ernst and his group, clearly not expecting anyone to be willing to spend such a high price to buy American Wagyu beef.
Even the owner of those four American Wagyu cattle stood below the stage, with an expression of disbelief on his face.
He originally thought that the four cows would most likely go unsold, but he never expected to encounter a fool who bought them all at once.
As the auctioneer brought down the gavel, announcing, "Buyer number 18, four American Wagyu cattle, sold!" Ernst's lips curled into a slight smile.
During this bull market trip, I found a cattle broker and even bought four Wagyu cattle, so I can say I've come back with a full load.