198: Well taken care of

Ever since purchasing Snow Flame in the Imperial Capital and spending 1.1 billion to acquire this horse ranch at the foot of Green Mountain, Lei Jun hadn't had much quality time to spend with Snow Flame.

The God-tier Horsemanship skill was stirring within her body; she hadn't had enough of that feeling of being one with the horse, galloping across the world.

Moreover, Manager Wang's recommended niece, Wang Yue, had been on the job for a while now. She also wanted to see how this supposedly professional and patient horse groom had been taking care of Snow Flame.

The car drove out of the city area, heading toward the foot of Green Mountain in the northwest suburbs.

Half an hour later, the gates of the ranch came into view.

The ten-acre open grounds featured professional dressage and show jumping arenas laid out neatly. The grass, grown from imported seeds, was a lush green. The stables were built on one side of the grounds, well-ventilated and filled with natural light; it was just as well-maintained as when she first bought it.

As soon as the car came to a steady stop, a young woman wearing a blue professional horse grooming uniform quickly stepped forward to meet them. It was Wang Yue.

Wang Yue was twenty-six this year. She wasn't particularly tall, but she had a straight posture. There was a thin layer of calluses on the back of her hands, worn down from years of grooming and training horses.

When she saw Lei Jun step out of the car, her heart thudded wildly. Her palms instantly broke into a sweat, and she subconsciously straightened her back.

The reminders from her uncle, Manager Wang, still echoed in her ears: "Yueyue, this is a massive opportunity! Lei Jun's status is distinguished. She casually spent 98 million on Snow Flame and 1.1 billion on the ranch. Her status is more noble than you can imagine!"

"Snow Flame is her darling baby. You must put 120% of your heart into caring for it. There cannot be a single mistake!"

"As long as you do your job well, Director Lei is very generous. Your future will be limitless!"

Since taking over Snow Flame's care, Wang Yue hadn't dared to relax for a moment.

She arrived at the ranch at five every morning, first observing Snow Flame's droppings and appetite to judge its health.

When changing its fodder, she chose only the highest quality imported hay, supplemented with fresh carrots and oats.

During training, she never forced it to perform high-difficulty movements. If Snow Flame didn't want to run, she would simply walk with it across the grass.

When Snow Flame occasionally got irritable and flicked its tail, she didn't get angry, but simply stood aside and waited for it to calm down.

She knew that with a spirited horse like Snow Flame, force would only be counterproductive.

Now, seeing Director Lei in person, she felt both nervous and expectant, fearing she hadn't done well enough while also wanting Director Lei to see her hard work.

"Director Lei, you're here."

Lei Jun didn't mind her stiffness. Her gaze passed over her, looking directly toward the stables.

Snow Flame was standing in the innermost stall, head down munching on fodder. Hearing footsteps, it suddenly snapped its head up, those bright, sharp eyes instantly locking onto Lei Jun.

It stopped eating, its ears pricking up and its tail flicking twice. The coldness it usually showed strangers vanished without a trace, its eyes filled with curiosity, expectation, and even a hint of dependence.

Lei Jun felt a warmth in her heart.

God-tier Horsemanship allowed her to clearly perceive Snow Flame's emotions... It was happy, and it was waiting for her to approach.

This wordless spiritual link was truly wonderful.

She stepped toward the stable. Wang Yue followed quickly, clutching a spare comb in her hand, ready to help at any moment.

Walking to the stable door, Lei Jun reached out her hand. Snow Flame immediately brought its head over, nuzzling her palm with its soft nose and letting out a low whinny, as if acting spoiled.

Lei Jun smiled and raised her hand, stroking down along its mane.

The mane was as smooth as silk, without a single tangle.

The coat was snow-white without a single stray color, shimmering with a healthy luster under the sunlight.

The muscle lines were smooth and firm, feeling full of power to the touch yet not stiff.

Its breathing was steady and its eyes were bright; it was clear at a glance that it had been cared for with meticulous attention.

"You've cared for it very diligently."

Lei Jun turned to look at Wang Yue, very satisfied.

This one sentence caused Wang Yue's tense nerves to instantly relax.

"Thank you for your recognition, Director Lei. It's only what I should do!"

She felt delighted, feeling that all her hard work lately had been worth it.

She hadn't failed her uncle's expectations, nor had she wasted this great opportunity.

What Lei Jun valued most was 'heart.' No matter what one did, attitude was more important than ability.

Wang Yue was clearly a grounded and hard-working person. That Snow Flame could be raised so well was enough to prove her sense of responsibility and professionalism.

Such a person was worth keeping.

"What was your previous salary?" Lei Jun asked casually, her fingers still gently stroking Snow Flame's neck.

Wang Yue was stunned for a moment, not expecting Director Lei to suddenly ask this. She quickly answered honestly, "In reply to Director Lei, what I discussed with Assistant Zhang before was twenty thousand a month."

Wang Yue didn't dare think too much of it. She felt that being able to care for Snow Flame and work for Director Lei was already a stroke of luck; she didn't actually care much about the salary.

Lei Jun nodded, calculating quickly in her head.

Twenty thousand was indeed a bit low given Wang Yue's professional level.

With a background of advanced studies in Europe and five years of experience in top-tier ranches, combined with her dedication to Snow Flame, this salary simply didn't match her efforts.

Moreover, if she wanted someone to work well long-term, appropriate incentives were a must.

To her, money was nothing.

Being able to use money to keep a reliable person and ensure Snow Flame was always well-cared for was what mattered.

"Starting from this month, your salary is increased to fifty thousand a month."

"Fif... fifty thousand?"

Wang Yue's eyes widened instantly, doubting she had heard correctly.

She hadn't expected Director Lei to raise it directly to fifty thousand!

"Director Lei, this... this is too much! I... I don't deserve this!"

"It's not too much." Lei Jun shook her head, her tone firm. "You've taken such good care of Snow Flame; it's worth this price."

"Keep up the good work. If Snow Flame stays in this condition, there will be a bonus at the end of the year."

Wang Yue bowed deeply.

"Thank you, Director Lei! Rest assured, I will put even more heart into caring for Snow Flame. I'll treat it like my own child and will absolutely not let you down!"

In the future, she would definitely apply all her professional knowledge, spending more time every day with Snow Flame. Training, feeding, grooming, and medical checks—every step would be done to the absolute limit.

Director Lei trusted her so much and was so generous; if she dared to be even slightly perfunctory, it would be a betrayal of her own conscience.

Lei Jun smiled and said no more, turning to look at Snow Flame with a flash of eagerness in her eyes.

"Get the saddle ready. I'm going to take it for a few laps."

"Yes! I'll go right away!"

Wang Yue quickly responded and turned to run to the tool room for the saddle. Her steps were much lighter than usual, and she was full of motivation.

Soon, Wang Yue carried over a black professional saddle and carefully fitted it onto Snow Flame.

Snow Flame was very cooperative, standing there obediently as she adjusted the saddle's position. It occasionally turned to look at Lei Jun with eyes full of anticipation, as if it had long been waiting to run.

Lei Jun walked to Snow Flame's side, her left foot lightly stepping into the stirrup. With a slight exert of force, she vaulted onto the horse's back with a light, natural, and fluid motion.

The God-tier Horsemanship skill took effect instantly. As soon as she sat firmly, she established an even closer spiritual link with Snow Flame.

She could clearly feel Snow Flame's excitement.