I'm Ornn, and I'm about to be beaten to my knees by the Man-eating Horse Girl!

"But then I realized that we... can't hit them."

Tamamo Cross sighed, "The reason the Central Government is the Central Government is because most of the horse girls who come here are high-ranking officials and nobles; there are far too few truly commoner horse girls."

"If we really attack them, we might not be able to continue running on the grass in the end."

She then changed the subject, saying, "The good news is, they can't humiliate us too much; at most, they'll just verbally abuse us."

"Under the school's rules, the only way they can truly insult us is on the field—either by completely defeating us or by being defeated by us."

"However, we are much stronger. In our first debut battle, we won first place with our three-horse-length advantage and at the same time signed a contract with Komi as our representative."

"We've won and lost games since then, but back at school, those guys don't dare to provoke us anymore,"

"Because we haven't lost since the Naruo Memorial."

The girl's tone revealed an unwavering resolve, and Orn nodded approvingly, for it was indeed as she said.

Among the current active female riders, Tamamo Cross has indeed become the top rider, and it may not be an exaggeration to say that she is currently the strongest in Japan.

Her hands clenched tightly, then slowly loosened.

"So we thought, maybe, as long as we keep winning and become the number one racehorse girl in Japan, the ranch will eventually find a way to continue operating."

"There are similar examples in history. As long as we can achieve a reputation no less than that of the Emperor, we can reverse the future of the ranch and fulfill our promise to him!"

"But... but now it seems that the ranch may not live to see the day we win."

Tamamo's lips curled upwards, revealing a miserable smile.

"When we first entered this field, the first people we thought of were everyone at the ranch,"

"Just seeing them, seeing the smiles on their faces, gives me an unparalleled power within me,"

"I want to be a light that can illuminate the ranch, even if it's just for a moment, even if it's just a ray of lightning, I want to be a [senior] and [family] that they can be proud of."

"But now we can't enter the territory again. Just thinking about the current situation of the ranch makes it impossible for me to calm down,"

"Even skills that can be easily used normally are now completely unusable,"

"We...we're worried..."

At this point, Lu Mao's horse mother choked up a little.

Orn turned his head away and asked, "So, in order not to worry Komiyama-senpai, you plan to just keep putting up with this?"

"And also so as not to worry the older men, you don't plan to tell them about your situation?"

Tamamo Cross did not answer, which was taken as tacit agreement with what he said.

"well,"

"Actually, many times, if everyone discussed things together, things wouldn't have escalated to this point,"

"But because everyone was thinking, 'I don't want to bother others,' 'I don't want to disturb others,' there was neither communication nor response; everyone was just doing what they thought was right."

Orn smiled helplessly. He was about to raise his hand to pat the head of the bushy creature beside him, but then he withdrew his hand.

"After the dean finishes reading those notes, tell him your thoughts. I believe he will understand."

"I understand my past mistakes, I understand those misunderstandings, and I understand your determination."

Tamamo coughed a few times, rubbed her eyes, and turned to ask, "What's written in that notebook? He really will...?"

"Yes, it will definitely happen."

Orn looked at the closed door and said softly, "If there's anything that can redeem the current dean and rekindle his hope of continuing the fight, it's only that notebook."

"Because it was a young girl who wrote this advice with the sincerity of her entire life."

Inside the room, Nogishi Souichirou flipped through the notebook in his hand.

He saw the joint letters, and he also saw all the efforts she made to clear the name of the ranch.

Even when plagued by illness, even when subjected to bullying, even when hindered and stumbled by countless people, she never gave up.

Until the very end, she never uttered a single complaint, continuing to put into practice everything she had learned from the ranch.

This unwavering fighting spirit made Soichiro feel as if he had been transported back twenty years to when he decided to create the ranch.

At that time, everyone was still around.

He stood on the stage, delivering a passionate speech, sharing his dreams with those who had supported him along the way.

People applauded and cheered, as if they had accomplished something groundbreaking.

"Soichiro! What name are you going to give this ranch?"

"In my opinion, how about we call it Hope Ranch? Isn't that what we want for the kids—a real ranch?"

"That's so corny! It would be better to call it Goddess Ranch! We're all incarnations of gods, here to build a school... Hey! Old man! Don't hit me!"

"Kid, how can you speak so recklessly! You'll regret it!"

The crowd was arguing heatedly, but they still couldn't make up their minds.

Ultimately, everyone could only turn their attention to the person holding the microphone on stage, because he was the one who led them onto this treacherous path. Therefore, the final naming of the project would have to be left to this ringleader.

"Souichiro! You should do it! After all, you're the one who's leading everyone in the work!"

"Yes! You can come up with the name!"

Soichiro reached for the microphone, glanced down at the newly manicured lawn, then looked up at the stained glass windows in the distance, where the plastic sheeting still covered the glass.

Finally, he looked at the group of people before him, all of whom had joined him in this uncertain endeavor, and his heart was filled with mixed emotions.

"Let's call it 'Wild Brocade Ranch,' and name it after my surname."

Upon hearing this incredibly corny name, someone immediately shouted, "Hey! Soichiro, what kind of name did you come up with? It's so corny!"

"Yeah, it's not as good as my name! I think Inoue Ranch is pretty good too!"

"It doesn't feel as impressive as my Golden Ranch!"

The crowd started chattering again, but after they quieted down once more, Nogishi Souichirou said, "Hehe, everyone, naming the ranch after myself is not because I'm arrogant, but because there's another meaning to it!"

"From this day forward, as long as I have a breath left, I will continue to run this ranch! Even if I am shattered to pieces, I will raise all the children studying on this ranch to become successful!"

"What bullshit monopoly! I'm not afraid! As long as we do our best, we can naturally break through their blockade!"

"I mean what I say! Ladies and gentlemen! Are you willing to witness with me the end of this ranch?!"

The group exchanged smiles and raised their hands.

There's no need to say anything more or make any more promises, because everyone already understands that from now on, this ranch has a true leader!

"ha......."

"Has...so much time already?"

"Am I still qualified to continue serving as the dean...?"

A few murky tears fell onto the open notebook, blurring the delicate handwriting.

The old man quickly picked up his sleeve and carefully wiped the moisture off the pages of the book.

He turned the pages of the notebook with gentle movements, as if he were caressing something delicate.

With each page turned, the delicate handwriting in the notebook pierced the old man's heart.

The handwriting gradually became messy and distorted, eventually becoming very difficult to decipher.

But Nogishi Soichiro still looked very carefully at all the records she had left behind in the final moments of her life.

After everything she had been through, she still left her blessing at the end of her notebook.

"I hope my mentor can get his hands on this notebook. If everything I've done can help the current state of the ranch, that would be wonderful!"

"I understand now why the teachers haven't come to visit me; perhaps the ranch is still struggling to take care of itself."

"Teacher, Dean, I believe that no matter what difficulties we encounter, there will be a solution."

"Just like you taught me in school, don't compromise, fight resolutely, and you will definitely succeed!"

"Look! Even after going through so much, whether it's injury or illness, I still haven't given up!"

"Since I haven't given up, then the dean can't back down now!"

"I believe that as long as we persevere, miracles will definitely happen!"

.......

This diary entry is very long, longer than all my previous diaries.

Although her expression was somewhat immature, her feelings were conveyed to him through her naive writing.

Don't give up, even when you're in dire straits.

As his student, she truly lived up to the principle, even surpassing the one he taught her back then.

Nogishiki Souichirou held the notebook in his hands, staring at it for a very long time, so long that the projections on the tables and chairs in the room began to shift.

He then braced himself on the chair with both hands and swayed as he stood up.

He draped the shirt that symbolized his status as the dean over his shoulders, then used a towel to wipe the dirt off his face.

The old man carefully folded the notebook back into its neat stack, tucked it under his arm, and turned to leave the room that had confined him for four years.

"Young man, I'm ready,"

"Please tell me how to save Nogishi Ranch!"

Chapter 223 The Mist Disperses

The door opened, and Nogishi Souichirou solemnly handed the notebook to Orn, saying, "This notebook... I'll leave it with you for now, young man. Once the ranch crisis is completely resolved, I'll personally deliver it to her mother."

"Although I may not be able to get their forgiveness, at least I need to face her and these things in person."

The old man coughed lightly, then shook his head with a wry smile, saying, "I thought that as long as I gave up my position as the ranch manager, I could get rid of all these entanglements. After reading her notes, I realized how wrong I was."

"Only now have I realized! Saying I wanted to give up was just me trying to escape!"

"Fortunately, it's not too late to realize this, young man. I'll have to rely on you for the rest of the time!"

At this point, Soichiro paused, turned to look at the girl beside Orn, and nodded, saying, "Tama... I'm sorry, I've been keeping this from you for so long. I thought I could keep it from you forever."

"To keep this from me until I leave here, or to disband the ranch, to keep it from everyone until they forget about the ranch... Ha... I must have been out of my mind!"

The old man coughed for a while, then looked at the young girl, who was about the same age as his granddaughter, and sincerely apologized, "Xiaoyu, I really did something wrong."

"I always give you what I think is good and hide what I think is bad. I still think of you as that little kid who climbs trees to catch cats."

“But you’ve grown up. You’ve become one of the strongest racehorse girls currently in service. You’re as tall as Ryuzo Minamida now. You’ve… become a grown-up who can stand tall and proud.”

"From now on, I will no longer hide anything from you, Xiaoyu. Can you... forgive me?"

Tamamo Cross reached up and wiped her eyes. Tears still welled up uncontrollably, but she smiled happily.

"Uncle, you've always been like this, always imposing your ideas on others. You don't know, there are many times when I just want to bite your arrogant face,"

"We're adults already! We don't need you, with your frail body, to acknowledge it!"

As she spoke, she walked into the room.

"What are you all standing there for? Weren't we supposed to be discussing what to do with the ranch? Come on in!"

Nojin Souichirou smiled weakly, turned around and went into the house, saying, "Alright, little brother Orn, please come in and have a chat."

Inside the house, Tamamo Juji gently helped Soichiro sit down in a chair, then scurried over to fetch teacups, rinsed them, and expertly poured three cups of hot tea.

Orn sat on a stool beside the hospital bed and spoke first: "Okay, let me summarize."

"The current situation at the ranch is actually much better than I expected. At least after further investigation, there is indeed a lot of room for maneuver,"

"However, we still need Dean Soichiro's reply on how to proceed. Dean, are you willing for Nonishi Ranch to be acquired by the Satomi family?"

"The Satomi family?"

Nogishi Soichiro recalled for a moment, "Isn't this the powerful clan that has risen to prominence in the last ten years or so?!"

Thanks to the Satomi family's unique industrial chain, this emerging family has achieved a household name status throughout Japan, wielding extraordinary influence.

Furthermore, the current chairman of the Satomi Group seems to have the intention to expand into the racing industry, pouring money into horse racing charity projects as if money weren't money.

That kind of extravagant spending is like humiliating a charity with thousands of bank cards. Many traditionalists, such as the Mejiro family and the Symbol family, have complained in interviews that this inelegant style is completely out of character for a running world celebrity and is more like that of a nouveau riche who got rich overnight.

Unfortunately, as a leading player in an emerging industry, the Satomi family's rate of wealth accumulation is several times faster than that of traditional racing families.