446: Chapter 446 The Promised Land

A week later, three versions of "We Are the World," each featuring different lead singers, were released on global music platforms.

All platforms offered free streaming, while downloads cost between $1 and $2 depending on the audio quality.

"Tomorrow Will Be Better" was simultaneously released domestically, also free to stream, with downloads priced at 9.9 RMB, and lossless master tracks at 19.9 RMB.

The two songs, not counting revenue from streams, surpassed ten million downloads on their release day alone.

The participating singers, while promoting the releases, also announced charitable donations.

Chen Cheng, using Chen Jianan's pseudonym, also donated $100,000.

Zhencheng Hong Kong had already completed the liquidation of its gold positions.

The three major exchanges had collectively invested $2.5 billion in margin, holding positions worth $87.5 billion.

Normally, a position of that size would have been completely devoured by short sellers, leaving nothing behind.

Unfortunately, the short sellers were utterly insignificant in the face of the overwhelming trend created by the economic stimulus bill and unlimited quantitative easing.

Zhencheng's average entry price was $1,500 per ounce, and they liquidated at $1,700 per ounce.

Profit: $11.66 billion, with a net return rate of 466%.

If you factor in the prepared but unused margin, the net return rate was actually only 194%.

Chen Cheng distributed $160 million to the traders, averaging over $10 million per person.

Against the backdrop of ten billion in profits, the leftover sixty million from this round seemed almost negligible.

We must increase the stakes!

The gold market trend was far from over.

Chen Cheng gave Aks instructions: if the price falls below Zhencheng's highest liquidation price of $1,750, go long in New York, London, and Hong Kong markets, with a maximum of $10 million per day.

The hype driven by policy sentiment had temporarily peaked.

What followed would be a genuine, bloody battle between bulls and bears.

At times like these, you have to enter the village quietly, without firing a shot.

Ten million dollars is practically invisible in a market with a daily trading volume of two to three hundred billion.

Lay low slowly, wait for the next wave of policy, and continue to reap the harvest.

That day, after authorizing Aks from the plane,

Chen Cheng was somewhat dazed looking at the total of $18.2 billion across a pile of accounts.

That sense of unreality shot straight to the crown of his head.

Relying on his advantage of rebirth, he had worked like a laborer for five or six years.

Yet, he hadn't earned as much as he did by catching this one economic crisis.

No wonder they always say, when you're standing in the right place at the right time, even a pig can fly.

With the U.S. government creating such a powerful wind, not just pigs, even elephants could take flight.

After finishing his business in New York, Chen Cheng flew back to Angel City with Anna.

He asked a farm broker to recommend several farms in California.

The day after arriving in Angel City, he prepared to go take a look.

Right now, Chen Cheng was on a helicopter with Anna and Zou Yu.

The farm was in Santa Barbara, about 150 kilometers from Angel City.

It wasn't that far, but Chen Cheng wanted to see the entire farm from the air, so he simply hired a helicopter.

Looking down at the endless plains of the Central Valley beneath his feet, Chen Cheng sighed, "The Promised Land, this is the Promised Land."

Although there were plenty of sour grapes back home.

In Chen Cheng's view, the descendants of Yan and Huang should spread their branches and leaves far and wide.

Whether it's through buying, or any other means. As long as you acquire land, it counts as expanding territory.

If you manage to get enough of it, they should even start a separate family lineage for you back in the village.

Zou Yu understood the meaning behind his words and twitched the corner of her mouth, "Since when did you become such a radical patriot?"

The wind noise was loud, but they were all wearing headsets, so Chen Cheng heard her. He shot her a look, "I am a socialist youth with Four Haves and Five Goods, okay?"

Zou Yu had initially raised an eyebrow, thinking more highly of him.

But then, thinking of his pile of girlfriends and lovers, she shuddered.

You're telling me you have the Four Haves and Five Goods?

Where's your shame?

Upon reaching the airspace above the farm, the impeccably suited real estate broker began introducing the property.

This was a coastal ranch facing the Pacific Ocean.

It was a valley between two mountain ridges, extending 5 kilometers inland along the two ridgelines, and 3 kilometers wide along the coastline.

It included one and a half mountains within its boundaries, with one mountain needing to be shared with the neighboring farm along the ridgeline.

The area exceeded 3,500 acres, which is about 22,000 Chinese mu.

It included a cattle ranch, a 285-acre avocado orchard, a 12-acre persimmon orchard, and approximately 1,100 acres of pastureland.

There were five reservoirs, 13 wells, and a creek flowing down from the Santa Ynez Mountains, running through the center of the valley.

Electricity was provided by a small photovoltaic power station and diesel generators.

Two of the three manor villas faced the sea, with green mountains at their backs.

There was another one inside the valley, which from the air appeared to have a tennis court.

Inside the valley, there were also numerous barns, agricultural machinery warehouses, a ranch office, worker housing, and other structures.

Price: $110 million.

For ranch land, this price was a bit high.

But it wasn't so much the land; the three lavishly decorated manor villas accounted for the bulk of the cost.

The helicopter landed on the helipad behind the entrance villa, and they disembarked.

After the broker showed them around, Chen Cheng stood in the courtyard, gazing at the endless Pacific Ocean, lost in thought.

Not long after, Zou Yu and Anna came out.

Chen Cheng turned his head and smiled, "What do you think?"

Zou Yu pursed her thin lips in thought, "It seems more suitable for a vacation. For growing things, the soil here looks average. Probably only the areas in the middle of the valley with more abundant water sources would be decent."

"The output from cattle, avocados, and persimmons would probably just be enough to cover the workers' upkeep and the following year's agricultural inputs."

"If you're not pursuing economic benefits, then this environment is quite suitable as a self-sufficient, independent world for a large family."

Chen Cheng nodded; her opinion was very fair and aligned with his own thoughts.

He then turned and asked for Anna's opinion in English.

Anna, the silly girl, had seen the two manor villas on the mountainside and absolutely adored them.

After listening, Chen Cheng's mouth twitched. If he really let her manage it, they'd be guaranteed to lose money.

Chen Cheng didn't make an immediate decision. He subsequently looked at several farms and ranches on the periphery of the Central Valley, in places like King City, Gonzales, and Carmel.

In the end, he used an investment company with Anna as the legal representative to purchase that coastal ranch in Santa Barbara.

He also bought a farm and ranch in King City.

The one in King City was actually larger: 7,600 acres, with 750 acres of agricultural land and 6,850 acres of pastureland.

But it was cheaper, only $31 million, because the houses were small—just a 200-square-meter ranch house, a worker residence, and some barns, sheds, livestock pens, and the like.

The specific transaction process was handled by Chen Cheng's lawyer.

Chen Cheng stayed at each farm for half a month, helping Anna get familiar with the operations.

Chen Cheng paid an additional sum for this year's harvest and the livestock on the land.

The workers' base salaries were increased by 10%, and all were retained.

By the end of May, Chen Cheng finally received approval to return to China.

Anna had recently started experiencing morning sickness. Chen Cheng hired a female private doctor and arranged for a hospital.

The house in Beverly Hills now also had a Chinese auntie and two African-American maids.

Chen Cheng's entire Bodyguard team was left in Angel City, temporarily serving as Anna's Bodyguards.

With eight people plus Anna's original two female Bodyguards working in shifts, it was practically a semi-vacation for them.

Only then did Chen Cheng feel assured enough to return to China.