"Call me when you have the cash and papers ready," Old Greg reminded Mandy before leaving with his butler on his mini yacht to gather the remaining $2 million in cash before the afternoon.
Mandy nodded indifferently, her lips curving into a subtle sneer that didn't escape Ace's sharp eyes. Right now, though she wore a tempting sundress, she exuded a majestic aura that was reassuring to her allies but oppressive to her foes.
"Do you need me to arrange for the loan?" Dan asked Mandy, watching Greg sail away on his three-quarter-million-dollar mini yacht.
"No. I've got it covered," Mandy replied confidently. Dan nodded, commenting, "Your sister was worried over nothing."
"Danny wasn't exaggerating—you're too good. Even though I watched it happen, I still can't believe Old Greg agreed to sell his 25 acres to you for $800K. You made it seem so easy," Alwin expressed his disbelief praising Mandy for the mind blowing display of her skills.
Though he couldn't afford it, Alwin had been eyeing farmlands around his brother's ranch and tangerine orchard. Among them, Old Greg's 25 acres stood out as the cheapest because of its average soil quality and lack of a proper water source. However, the land was well-maintained and periodically used to grow fodder for cattle. He believed that with a little investment and proper water supply, it could be used for much more, making it a steal for $800K, especially given current inflation.
"Alwin, I need your help to turn the 35 acres into a plantation, just like you helped my brother-in-law back then," Mandy requested.
She knew that without Dan following Alwin's initial plans and proposals for the tangerine orchard, it wouldn't have been possible for him to secure the bank loan to buy the land and start the orchard, let alone make it the success it was today. Not to mention, there was also the paperwork and procedures required to secure government subsidies.
It was Alwin's extensive research that had given Dan the foresight to plant a tangerine orchard instead of following the avocado trend that Old Greg, Lansky, and the others in town fell for. Now, they were all struggling to meet the high water demands of their avocado orchards. Meanwhile, Dan had no such worries. Although avocados fetched higher prices, they required more investment and attention than tangerines.
Alwin had spent weeks on the road, juggling his city job while surveying and testing the soil of the 40 acres the brothers planned to buy. Based on his analysis of the climate and soil conditions, he concluded that the land would best serve a tangerine orchard. He sacrificed countless nights to prepare a proposal for a bank loan. In the end, everything was set, but his wife was unwilling to bet on him. However, his brother did, and the result of their decisions was evident to everyone today.
"Mandy, I was young back then. Even though my heart and mind both want this, I don't think my body can handle that kind of ordeal again," Alwin admitted, he was tempted by Mandy's request but ultimately turned it down because of age, also his responsibilities at work had increased while his pay scale barely kept up with inflation. He couldn't just take a leave and travel 3hrs to country on a moments notice.
"If that's your only concern, don't worry. With today's technology, you don't need to be here throughout the entire process—only when necessary. I'll do all the work and learn whatever I don't know. You just need to guide me and handle the paperwork," Mandy persisted. She could have hired an expert, but she and her intuition trusted Alwin over any other alternatives. As for Dan, as a veteran turned rancher he had his unique skill sets and she was already taking advantage of them.
"Then I'm in," Alwin agreed happily. He preferred the slow paced farm life which could be tough on body instead of his fast-paced city life which was tough on his heart and mind. If not for his overbearing wife and his responsibilities as a father of two, he would have exchanged his fancy city job for a farm life in a heartbeat.
"It looks like you'll be visiting us more often now," Dan said, excited by the prospect of Alwin and Mandy working together. Not only would he get to spend more time with his brother, but he could rest assured that Mandy was in good hands.
"About that, you guys need to keep this a secret until I find the right time to tell Mary," Alwin warned gravely, knowing his wife wouldn't be happy, especially since he made the decision without consulting her.
"Dad, relax. I don't think Mom will mind as long as you treat it like a hobby and not as your second wife," Ace quipped, believing his father's exaggerations about his mother had led his cousins to think of her as a typical city 'b-word.' He expected better from the renowned Mary whisperer.
"Sure, son. Whatever you say. You know your mother best," Alwin replied sarcastically, while his brother rolled his eyes and Mandy offered a tight-lipped smile to Ace. Clearly, neither of them thought his mother was as reasonable as Ace made her out to be, but they didn't dare to argue with him.
"Al, let's go find that butler and ask what's holding up my boat," Dan suggested, seizing the opportunity for him and his brother to escape the awkward situation with his nephew, leaving Mandy and Ace alone on the dock.
While Dan and Alwin walked away, Ace headed to the minibar to grab another soda. He turned to Mandy and asked, "Do you want anything?" Planning to keep his carb intake high enough to regularly generate a unit of curse energy using his Apex Earring's fat converter.
"You said you didn't have a girlfriend," Mandy brought up suddenly, sitting by the counter and resting her hands on it. Ace, who had ducked down to retrieve a soda from the mini-fridge, froze at her unexpected question. Fetching a soda and placing it on the counter, he looked Mandy in the eyes and answered, "Yes, I don't."
"Then who were you chatting with earlier?" Mandy pressed, locking eyes with him. After all, eyes don't lie.
"Nobody," he dismissed, breaking eye contact to open the soda. He finally knew why Mandy previously grew angry at him. Her intuition was scary.
His action made him seem guilty to Mandy, who wasn't ready to let it go and further inquired, "Was it a girl?"