Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Chapter 313 Politics and Strategic Deployment

While the array masters were busy preparing that "special New Year's gift," Lin Yan's thoughts drifted elsewhere.

With a slight thought, he contacted Albert in Europe. "Albert, send someone to Austria and bring back the complete technical data for the oxygen top-blown converter. Store it directly in the space warehouse. After that, go to East Germany and Czechoslovakia and get a set of data on a top-notch rolling mill."

"Understood, young master! The items will definitely arrive by tomorrow at the latest."

With the affairs in Europe settled, his attention turned to Oceania.

James Cook was enjoying himself immensely in the bar, surrounded by women on either side. Suddenly, Lin Yan's voice echoed in his mind. His hand trembled, and he quickly pushed aside the two blonde, blue-eyed women beside him, slipping into the restroom. "Young Master! This is the first time you've sought me out alone. What are your orders?" His tone was flattered and obsequious.

"Stop joking with me," Lin Yan's voice was unreadable, "If you keep talking nonsense, all the top-grade spirit stones for this year will be taken away."

"No, no, no! Young master, I was wrong!" James immediately begged for mercy, "Just give the order, I promise I'll do it perfectly!"

"Listen," Lin Yan instructed, "Albert is in Austria gathering information on top-blown converters. Find a suitable steel mill under your management and, based on the blueprints, produce a few trial-produced furnaces weighing fifty to one hundred tons each."

He paused, a slight smile playing on his lips, as if he could already foresee what would happen next. "When the time comes, someone will naturally come to you in the name of the Chinese government to place an import order. You can handle the transportation, and the price... will be based on the international market price, settled in US dollars."

"No problem, I'll definitely get it done for you!" James patted his chest and promised.

Lin Yan put down his teacup, his voice carrying clearly to the door: "Lin San, come to the study."

A few moments later, the study door was gently pushed open. Lin San stopped in front of the desk, bowed, and asked, "Young Master, is there anything you need?"

Lin Yan tapped the mahogany tabletop lightly with his fingertips and pondered, "We need to adjust the direction of our manpower in the country. From now on, we'll transfer some of our best and brightest brothers, and resources will begin to be tilted towards the 'political' path."

Lin San's gaze sharpened slightly, and he quickly understood: "Young Master means... to cultivate a group of our own people to become officials within the system?"

"That's right." Lin Yan nodded. "China has always been a society of 'scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants.' In the coming decades, no matter how big your business becomes, without the support of power behind it, it will ultimately be a castle in the air. In the early stages, we used resources to pave the way and gain the initiative, and this method is still working for now. But in another twenty or thirty years, when the domestic industrial system truly takes off, it will be difficult for any foreign capital to enter without being skinned alive."

He paused, his tone turning serious: "I've never cared about spending more money. But without our own people in key positions, many of our long-term plans simply can't be implemented; we'll be hampered at every turn. So, the black market business will only need a few people to maintain it in the future. The majority of our forces will have to move to the legitimate path—let them seize opportunities, starting from small positions and working their way up. After the reform and opening up, I want all the top officials in every province to be our people."

Lin Yan's voice turned cold as he said this: "In this process, we will inevitably encounter obstacles. If someone is tactless and blocks our people's path to progress... then we will investigate and find their flaws. If they need to be moved, we will find a way to move them out of the way."

"We also need to place people in the central government's ranks. They can lie low for the next few years and then slowly climb the ranks!"

Lin San understood immediately, a sharp glint in his eyes, and replied in a deep voice, "Understood, young master. I'll make the arrangements right away, and I guarantee it will be done cleanly and efficiently, paving the way for you."

Lin Yan nodded slightly, acknowledging Lin San's ability to execute orders. Just as Lin San was about to leave, Lin Yan seemed to remember some crucial detail and gestured for him to wait.

"There's one more thing," Lin Yan said calmly but to the point, "Before we get started, make sure all the brothers' registered names are properly handled. If everyone we send out has the surname 'Lin,' it'll be too conspicuous and inevitably arouse suspicion."

This seemingly casual addition, however, was like the finishing touch, instantly enlightening Lin San and completely plugging a potential oversight in the entire plan. He couldn't help but sigh again, thinking to himself that his young master was truly a master strategist.

He bowed deeply, his voice filled with admiration, "Young Master's thinking is so thorough, I am far inferior! I will take care of it immediately and make sure to clean up the traces completely."

Two days passed in the blink of an eye. On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, just as the sun was setting, Lin Yi and Lin Er rushed back to the courtyard house, covered in dust.

The two men had barely entered the study, and before they could even shake off the chill emanating from them, they bowed respectfully to Lin Yan. Lin Yan casually waved his hand, not allowing them further formalities, and said with a playful smile, "I've neglected this 'special program' for the past few years. Perfect, I'll show you something tonight."

Lin Yi and Lin Er exchanged a glance, both knowing exactly what was going on—the young master was about to go looking for trouble with the Japanese again. They could almost imagine that the little bit of wealth the Japanese had managed to accumulate over the years, tightening their belts, would be significantly reduced after tonight.

At exactly eight o'clock in the evening, the night was as dark as ink. Lin Yan, along with Lin Yi, Lin Er, and Lin Gang, took to the air on their swords, transforming into streaks of light and heading straight towards the East China Sea.

Amidst the biting winds high in the sky, Lin Yan's voice clearly reached Lin Er's ears: "Have you Hong Kong side completed the takeover of all those top-notch processing equipment from Japan?"

Lin Er immediately replied, his tone resolute: "Young Master, rest assured, all production lines are arranged perfectly, there's no chance of anything going wrong!"

Four figures streaked through the clouds like shooting stars, hovering steadily high above the Japanese archipelago. Lin Yan waved his sleeve, and Xie Qingci and the three array masters appeared. Just as the four were about to bow in respect, Lin Yan raised his hand to stop them.

"Qingci, let's get down to business first, set up the formation immediately."

"Yes, sir!"

The power of a Nascent Soul cultivator far surpasses that of a Golden Core cultivator. The four responded and scattered in all directions, their figures flashing and taking their positions in a few instants. The array plates in their hands hummed, the array flags fluttered in the wind, and countless spiritual incantations fell like meteors, precisely striking the key nodes of the mountains, rivers, and seas below.

Less than half an hour later, Xie Qingci returned to report: "Young Master, the 'Myriad Manifestations Gale Formation' is complete! Once activated, this formation will last for about a year until the top-grade spirit stones within it are exhausted. During this time, gale-force winds from the heavens will sweep across the islands every day, causing ordinary houses and trees to collapse upon contact."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yan's lips curled into a wicked, carefree smile: "Excellent, excellent!" He waved his hand enthusiastically, "Let the music continue, let the dancing continue!"

The three people standing to the side, including Lin Yi, twitched their lips almost imperceptibly. They were already used to their young master's intermittent bursts of wicked humor.

Another hour and a half passed in the orderly deployment of the formation. When Xie Qingci came to report again that "the triple composite formation has been fully set up," a glint flashed in Lin Yan's eyes.

He looked down at the archipelago sleeping in the night, his large hand suddenly slamming down, his voice resolute:

"Happy New Year, you little devils!"

"Activate the formation!"