Zhang Jun and Luo Heng toured the entire ranch together. Afterward, they used the excuse of going to the restroom to hide in the bathroom and study the system, finally figuring out how it worked.
First, the system could display an attribute panel for every horse. The panel showed one to three racing-related attributes and one breeding attribute for any racehorse they looked at.
The racing attributes were divided into speed, power, stamina, acceleration, competitive spirit, mentality, intelligence, flexibility, health, track, running style, distance, and growth type.
Speed was the most important, determining a horse's maximum speed and the highest level of races it could reach. Power determined its ability to handle heavy going, slopes, and breaking through the pack. Stamina determined the midpoint of its race distance.
Acceleration determined how long it took a racehorse to reach top speed; the higher it was, the stronger its instant acceleration. Competitive spirit represented the will to win and determination, while also determining how long a racehorse could maintain top speed after exhausting its stamina. Mentality determined how greatly environmental changes affected a racehorse, which meant its ability to travel and compete away from home. Intelligence determined how quickly it responded to commands and its ability to read a race.
Flexibility determined the gap between a racehorse's upper and lower distance limits. Health referred to the horse's physical condition and likelihood of injury.
Distance was the race distance calculated from stamina and flexibility. Tracks were divided into turf and dirt, while track aptitude had four grades: ◎, ○, △, and X. X meant it could not run at all, △ meant it could barely run, ○ meant excellent and capable of showing its full ability, while ◎ meant outstanding and capable of exceeding its normal ability.
Running styles were divided into front-running, leading, prominent, stalker, closer, flexible prominent runner (leading or prominent, occasionally stalker), flexible stalker (stalker or closer, occasionally prominent), and flexible (anything except front-running).
Growth types were divided into five kinds: early maturity, standard early, standard late, late maturity, and awakening. They determined when a horse's abilities would reach their peak.
There were only two breeding attributes: progeny and inherited traits.
Progeny determined whether a horse could produce outstanding offspring. Most horses at Jianzhou Ranch had progeny attributes of three or four. Six was considered excellent, while seven was enough to make a mare the foundation broodmare of a ranch.
For example, the several foundation broodmares and stallions at Jianzhou Ranch all had progeny attributes of seven.
Inherited traits were abilities a horse had a chance of passing down to its offspring. Based on the probability of inheritance, they were displayed as Iron Pony, Bronze Pony, Silver Pony, Golden Pony, and Rainbow Pony, respectively representing an extremely low chance, a low chance, a moderate chance, a high chance, and guaranteed inheritance.
The system also had points and a shop. Points came from prize money earned by horses that finished in the top five. For horses raced under Zhang Jun's own name or under the name of a ranch or club he owned, every ten thousand yuan in prize money could be converted into one point. Prize money earned by horses he bred and later sold was converted at a rate of one point per hundred thousand yuan.
Points could be used in the system shop to purchase high-quality pasture grass, hay, and various items.
"So, Jun, did you spot any horses you liked?"
Beside the last grazing field, Luo Heng grinned and nudged Zhang Jun with his elbow.
"Several of them looked pretty good. I'll think it over tonight."
Zhang Jun hesitated. Through the system panel, he had found several promising foals.
"Sure!"
Luo Heng had no objections.
After dinner, Zhang Jun and Luo Heng played a few rounds of games together. Then Zhang Jun returned to bed and reflected on everything that had happened that day.
He had awakened the system after coming to the ranch because of his father's will. Was this his father watching over him from heaven, and Heaven itself, encouraging him to pull himself together?
Zhang Jun thought for a long time. He decided to make good use of the system in the future, enter the horse racing industry, and establish a ranch of his own. He also made up his mind about the horse he would choose tomorrow.
Morning sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains and fell across Zhang Jun's face.
He opened his eyes and stared blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling for several seconds before remembering that he was lying in a guest room at Jianzhou Ranch.
Everything that had happened yesterday—the will left by his father, the awakening of the system, and the attributes of all those horses and foals at the ranch—came flooding back into his mind like a tide.
Zhang Jun sat up and silently called out, "System."
A pale blue screen appeared in response, displaying his basic information in the upper left corner:
[Host: Zhang Jun Age: 18 Horses Owned: 0 Ranches Owned: 0 Clubs Owned: 0 Current Points: 0, Shop]
The system interface was simple and clear. There was also a shop icon in the lower left corner, but with zero points, it was useless for the time being.
Zhang Jun took a deep breath and got out of bed.
Today, he would make his choice—he would secure the horse he had decided on last night from among those he had seen yesterday.
After washing up, Zhang Jun left the guest room. He followed the corridor to the dining room, where Luo Heng, Luo Fei, and Luo Fei's eldest son, Luo Yong, were already seated at the table. Luo Fei's wife, Liu Li, was busy in the kitchen.
Luo Yong was tall and thin, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, a shirt, and dress pants. He looked more like a corporate office worker than someone born into a ranching family.
Liu Li was beautiful, fair-skinned, and voluptuous.
"Jun, how did you sleep?" Luo Heng greeted him warmly.
"Not bad." Zhang Jun sat in an empty seat. "Morning, Uncle Luo. Morning, Aunt Liu. Morning, Yong."
"Morning, A-Jun." Liu Li smiled as she handed him a bowl of porridge. "You look much better today. So, have you decided which horse you want?"
"I have." Zhang Jun said, "I want a two-year-old from Stall Five in the racehorse section."
"A wise choice." Luo Fei nodded. "You can already see some potential in two-year-olds, and if they're trained properly, they can enter local maiden races in the second half of this year."
"After breakfast, have A-Heng and A-Yong take you to the training grounds. The two-year-olds are all being trained right now."
"By the way, Uncle Luo, I want to open my own ranch someday. Before I establish it, can I keep the horses I buy here?" Zhang Jun asked.
"A-Jun, you want to become a breeder too?" Luo Fei gave him a surprised look.
"Of course you can, as long as you can pay the boarding fees and there are still open stalls at the ranch."
"And once you establish your own ranch, you can come find me. Our family has been in the racing business for so many years, so we have some experience we can teach you."
Zhang Jun thanked him gratefully, and Luo Fei merely smiled and waved it off.
Breakfast was simple rice porridge with some pickled vegetables and fried flatbread, but Zhang Jun ate with great appetite. Since his father's death, this was the first time he had truly felt like sitting down for a proper meal.
After breakfast, Luo Yong and Luo Heng led Zhang Jun toward the training grounds.
Along the way, Luo Heng excitedly introduced the ranch's layout. "That's the breeding horse area over there; we saw it yesterday. This is the training area, with a circular training track, a straight track, and an uphill track. Further over are the equine hospital and quarantine area..."
The training grounds were already bustling. Several trainers and riders were guiding horses through their workouts. The thud of hooves striking the ground, the calls of riders, and the neighing of horses intertwined.
Zhang Jun examined the horses one by one. At last, his gaze settled on a chestnut colt.
This horse was of average size among the two-year-olds, but its muscles were sleek and defined, its legs long and powerful. What drew the eye most were its large, bright eyes, which held an alert, intelligent gleam.
That's the one. Speed D, equally suited to turf and dirt, adaptable to every running style, and most importantly...
As Zhang Jun focused on it, the system displayed the horse's attributes again:
[Horse Name: Jianzhou Flying Shadow Sire: Jianzhou Swift Cavalier Dam: Princess Jian'an Damsire: Jianzhou Senior General Sex/Age: Colt, Two Coat Color: Chestnut Racing Attributes: Speed: D Power: ? Stamina: ? Acceleration: ? Competitive Spirit: ? Mentality: ? Intelligence: ? Flexibility: ? Health: ? Track Aptitude: Turf ◎, Dirt ◎ Running Style: Flexible Distance: ? Growth Type: ?. Breeding Attributes: Progeny: 7 Inherited Traits: ?.]
If I want to start my own ranch, I need outstanding broodmares and stallions. A progeny attribute of seven is already enough to become a ranch's foundation stallion. Among Uncle Luo's four stallions, only Jianzhou Senior General, Jianzhou Flying Shadow's damsire and the ranch's flagship, can compare to him.
Although his speed ceiling is lower than Jianzhou Warrior's, whose progeny attribute is also seven, he has no demands when it comes to running style or track. He can be paired with mares suited to any track and any running style; all I need to consider is the mare's race distance.
"Jun, have you taken a liking to Jianzhou Flying Shadow?" Luo Heng noticed where Zhang Jun was looking.
Zhang Jun nodded. "His eyes look special... and his body looks great too."
"Good eye!" Luo Yong gave him a thumbs-up. "Jianzhou Flying Shadow is the son of Jianzhou Swift Cavalier and Princess Jian'an. Jianzhou Swift Cavalier is the stallion our ranch is currently promoting, and he won three Grade One Race sprints in the British classics."
"Princess Jian'an's racing record was ordinary, with only one win, but her pedigree is excellent. We specially brought in her maternal line from the north. Of her four offspring that have debuted so far, three have won Graded Stakes races."
Luo Yong paused before asking, "But this is Jianzhou Swift Cavalier's first crop, so they haven't been tested on the track yet. Do you want to watch him run?"
Zhang Jun nodded. Watching a racehorse train would allow him to observe abilities that the system did not display.
Luo Yong waved over a middle-aged trainer and gave him a few quiet instructions.
Before long, Jianzhou Flying Shadow was led to the circular training track, and a rider lightly vaulted onto his back.
"Go!" the rider called softly.
Jianzhou Flying Shadow began at a trot, his stride steady and rhythmic. After several minutes of warming up, the rider signaled for him to accelerate.
Jianzhou Flying Shadow responded extremely quickly. Almost the instant the command was given, he increased his stride frequency and shifted from a trot into a run.
His movements were smooth and powerful, with long, coordinated swings of his limbs.
At the turn, he naturally leaned inward while maintaining his balance. Once he entered the straight, the rider signaled again, and Jianzhou Flying Shadow's explosive power immediately revealed itself—he surged forward as if launched from a catapult, reaching top speed in mere seconds.
"Beautiful!" Zhang Jun could not help but praise.
That instant burst upon entering the straight, reaching maximum speed in just a few seconds, at least proved that Jianzhou Flying Shadow's acceleration was definitely high.
Combined with the fact that Jianzhou Flying Shadow already had Speed D at two years old, just like Crimson Flying Crane, a winner of a Grade Three race, it was safe to say that as long as Jianzhou Flying Shadow continued developing and raised his speed to D+, winning CN1, a local Grade One Race equivalent to a central Grade Two race, would not be a problem.
After completing a lap, the rider slowed the horse down. Jianzhou Flying Shadow was breathing a little faster, but he quickly settled, appearing completely at ease.
"What do you think?" Luo Heng asked.
"Very good." Zhang Jun spoke seriously. "His acceleration is especially outstanding, and he recovers quickly after running."
"So you're sure you want him?" Luo Yong asked for confirmation.
"He's the one!" Zhang Jun nodded firmly.
Luo Yong patted Zhang Jun on the shoulder. "I'll go tell Dad now and bring over the contract for you."
"You can spend some time getting to know Jianzhou Flying Shadow first. His training is already over."
After Luo Yong left, Zhang Jun entered the wash room. Jianzhou Flying Shadow was tied in the middle of the room, while his groom applied shampoo to him.
Sensing someone other than the groom approaching, he raised his head and studied Zhang Jun with those intelligent, wide eyes.
Luo Heng brought over a bucket of sliced carrots and handed it to Zhang Jun.
"Most racehorses like carrots. Here."
"Thanks." Zhang Jun accepted the carrots. He took one from the bucket and cautiously held it out to Jianzhou Flying Shadow.
Jianzhou Flying Shadow hesitated for a moment, then leaned over to sniff Zhang Jun's hand before taking the carrot into his mouth.
"From now on, we're family," Zhang Jun said softly.
Jianzhou Flying Shadow snorted, raised his head, and widened his eyes, as if saying, I only ate one of your carrots. How did I suddenly become your horse?
"Hahaha..."
Zhang Jun, Luo Heng, and the groom shampooing Jianzhou Flying Shadow all burst into laughter.