"Hey, what wind blew Uncle Wallis here? Hurry up and come in," Jiang Hai said with a smile as he watched the car slowly pull up in front of his manor. Unfortunately, he couldn't park in his own lot this time—there was a construction crew working right there. Hearing Jiang Hai's words, Mayor Wallis shot him a sharp look before parking the car a little farther away, stepping out, and walking over.
"Busy lately?" Mayor Wallis asked with a smile as he looked around at the construction site.
"Not really. I mostly just watch over things. Honestly, I'm the only one idle around the manor these days," Jiang Hai shrugged. Mayor Wallis chuckled at that.
Jiang Hai sighed inwardly. Leisure time always seemed fleeting, and the manor had definitely become busy.
Since March began, Jiang Hai's manor had been a whirlwind of activity.
First, with the snow melted, plans to build a parking lot and a greenhouse were put into motion.
The greenhouse was easy enough—it could be built quickly. But the parking lot and the roads were a massive project. Two roads needed to be constructed: one from Jiang Hai's villa to the dock, with a halfway path branching to the airport and the cowshed; the other along the river, designed to block streetlights and other disturbances. Just these two roads were enough to cause headaches.
Jiang Hai wasn't stingy with money and didn't care about the costs, but the project was time-consuming and took nearly a month to complete.
Then, with spring arriving, Jiang Hai and his friends had to start farming, and the vineyard would begin a new round of cultivation.
This meant the eight from Afra were practically living at the winery and hadn't been around the manor much lately.
Qi Jie and Qi Ya took Darlene and Marian to plant vegetables. Since many of the women had gone to the beach villa, the responsibility for planting vegetables fell to them. They worked mostly at night and early morning. In truth, they were the main workforce, while Qi Ya and the others mostly supervised or watered.
Even then, someone had to keep watch. The two bodyguards, Azarina and Connorson, weren't idle—they were busy cutting grass. After all, Jiang Hai and Du Famen still had business to handle, leaving no time for distractions.
Everyone had their tasks; only Jiang Hai was free, so he took on the role of supervisor.
The greenhouse would be finished in a few days—no problem there. Jiang Hai wasn't planning a huge structure. But the parking lot and the roads would take much longer. Jiang Hai had insisted on the best materials: a steel-reinforced base, cement and steel columns filled with gravel, and an alloy roof. The entire passage was incredibly sturdy. Hurt Charles, the project lead, confidently said that snow, rain, or even a tornado wouldn't damage the parking lot.
He was so confident that he promised free repairs for five years if anything happened. The warranty was supposed to be three years, but he dared to stretch it to five. Jiang Hai trusted him and, without fussing over details, work had begun immediately.
Three days passed, and the parking lot was slowly taking shape—a good sign.
"Since you're busy here, I probably shouldn't have asked, but... you're the backbone of this place now, so I think I better ask—will you be participating in this year's Poseidon Festival?" Mayor Wallis hesitated but decided to ask. After all, this wasn't just about Jiang Hai—it was about the town's situation.
"Poseidon Festival?" Jiang Hai's mind drifted back to last year. The day after he dealt with the mountain lion incident, the town held the Poseidon Festival. Back then, he wasn't familiar with many locals and simply joined the parade.
But that event had its perks—he had copied some useful things like treasure maps of sunken ships, which were pure gold.
This year, though, he had no plans to dive around shipwrecks again. He was swamped with commitments: fishing at the end of March, harvesting tea in early April, attending the New York Beef Show (where he won last year) in mid-April, then going to France for the Macon Wine Competition at month's end. In May, there was the Brussels International Wine Competition, and June's schedule was still uncertain. Early summer wasn't great for sea excursions anyway—storms were common.
July meant lobster harvests, August was for tuna—and of course, more fishing. Late August brought a new grape harvest, with winemaking starting in September. October marked winter's return. The year rolled on like this, and although Jiang Hai appeared laid-back, his calendar was full.
The train runs fast because every carriage has a power source—well, it's not a motor car, it's a train. Speed depends on the locomotive.
Though Jiang Hai didn't physically do much, he was undeniably the locomotive of the manor.
He couldn't work on the project himself, but he had to be there. Listening to Mayor Wallis's words, Jiang Hai realized this year's Poseidon Festival wasn't just a parade. This made him uncertain about what to do. After some thought, he decided to ask directly.
"So... is it mandatory? You know, I don't really know much about it," Jiang Hai said, scratching his head. Mayor Wallis explained, echoing what Robbins-Garcia had told him last year: the Sea God Festival was largely a superstition.
People prayed for abundant fish, calm seas, and so on. Last year, Jiang Hai hadn't really fished—just caught a few fish casually—so participation didn't matter much. But if he planned to fish this year, skipping the festival wouldn't be wise.
Jiang Hai called Edward Anderson to confirm—and just as he thought, if they wanted to fish this year, they had to take part in the Sea God Festival.
After hearing this, Jiang Hai looked at Mayor Wallis and said seriously, "Uncle Wallis, we'll participate. Just tell us what you need—money or anything else."
Though he didn't believe in the superstition, some traditions and desires still deserved respect. Plus, Edward Anderson insisted on participation, so Jiang Hai wouldn't disappoint his second-in-command.
"You don't have to pay, but your status has changed. You can't just blend in like last year. This year, I plan to have you hold the Gift of the Sea God," Mayor Wallis said, nodding with satisfaction.
"Hold it?" Jiang Hai was stunned. He knew what the Gift of the Sea God was.
Last year, he had seen the Atlantic Sea God Slug but had been kept at arm's length from it. Mayor Wallis had said only the mayor could hold the gift. So what did it mean that this year, Jiang Hai might hold it?
"Each year at the Sea God Festival, only three people can hold the gift: one, the revered elder; two, the envoy of God with noble status; and three, the hero. As mayor, I'm still considered a convincing elder, though it's a bit embarrassing to say. We have no envoy of God, and there was no hero until now... but things are different this year," Mayor Wallis said with a laugh, seeing the doubt in Jiang Hai's eyes.
"Different how?" Jiang Hai asked, checking the three titles. None fit him.
He was definitely not an elder, and certainly not a hero. And the envoy of God? That was even more unlikely. If he were from the East, maybe—it helped he had a dragon tattoo—but this was America. Their dragons were big winged lizards. What kind of envoy of God was he?
Mayor Wallis laughed again and said, "Because you're the angel leading the town's people to a better life, you're also an envoy of God."
Jiang Hai instantly pictured himself dressed like a priest, telling a beautiful nun, "Come, child of the Lord, here's the trumpet of heaven—take it in your mouth lovingly..." He chuckled inwardly at the absurd image.
"Uh, can I just pay the money and follow along like last year?" Jiang Hai asked hesitantly. He really didn't want the hassle.
"That's impossible, or the townspeople wouldn't have spared me! Haha. Don't worry—it won't take much of your time. Just two days. I'll come to you early and take my place the first day, and the festival happens the second day. Just do as I say," Mayor Wallis replied firmly.
Jiang Hai reluctantly agreed. Mayor Wallis didn't want to push him unnecessarily but also wouldn't let him off easily. He patted Jiang Hai's shoulder and left it at that.
Later, though a little downcast, Jiang Hai drove off happily. That evening, when he told everyone, he expected resistance—after all, this would delay the construction.
But unexpectedly, Robbins-Garcia and the others were thrilled. To them, the annual Poseidon Festival was sacred.
It was like carrying the Olympic torch. Some people might see it as thankless work, preferring to stay home or mind their own business.
But to many, it was the highest honor. Holding the Gift of Poseidon during the festival was the pinnacle of recognition in Winthrop. Edward Anderson and his friends would never touch the fish tank in their lifetimes. The tank symbolized Winthrop's supreme honor.
Edward Anderson remembered a childhood friend who, out of curiosity, sneaked into the room where the gift was kept and accidentally broke the fish tank. He was expelled from town and never seen again.
That showed how important this role was.
Now Jiang Hai was going to hold the fish tank!
To them, this wasn't just a fish tank—it was practically the Holy Grail.
"Don't worry, boss. I'll get my wife to come help watch the construction. No problems there. You've got to practice hard!" Philemon Turner said eagerly and seriously, even planning to ask his wife to take leave.
Hearing this, the others in Winthrop nodded enthusiastically. This matter couldn't be taken lightly.
Seeing their enthusiasm, Jiang Hai was speechless and could only smile awkwardly. But he was also curious about the mission ahead.
As time passed, Du Famen sent people to collect the first batch of fodder, and the greenhouse was fully covered and ready. Once seedlings were planted, the fertile land helped them grow strong despite winter damage.
With the temperature rising to around ten degrees, the annual Poseidon Festival was beginning again.
The day before, Jiang Hai had left home, busy from dawn till dusk, traveling the route between town and seaside at least twenty times.
He'd memorized all the requirements and endured Mayor Wallis's constant nagging.
Thankfully, the most nagging day was over—the next day, the Sea God Festival would finally begin!