Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Chapter 114 The Wrath of the Crocodile: The Invisible Hand in the Global Chess Game

The sunset over Deep Water Bay bathed the villa's swimming pool in a warm golden hue. Lin Yan sat barefoot by the pool, watching Xiao Qi (in the form of a white puppy) happily splashing around trying to bite a floating rubber ball, sending up countless sprays of water.

He ruffled Xiaoqi's wet head, and the little guy let out a contented whimper. Playtime was over; it was time to get down to business.

With a slight shift in his mind, his consciousness, like an invisible string, instantly crossed the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

"Winters, Albert." His voice rang directly in the minds of the two leaders. "Grains, oils, meat, eggs, and dairy products—these businesses that touch upon the most basic aspects of people's lives—should be consolidated. With 'Golden Harvest' (Americas) and 'Golden Wheat' (Europe) as the core, launch a comprehensive acquisition spree to create a retail behemoth covering both continents. Space warehouse access has been granted to you; sourcing is not a problem. The process must be swift, the methods clean, and, importantly… legal tax avoidance."

There were no unnecessary questions or doubts, only an instant response of absolute obedience.

"Instructions received, young master." (America, Alexander Winters)

"Understood, to be carried out immediately." (Albert von Holm, Europe)

Having issued the command, Lin Yan withdrew his divine sense. Once this command was executed, it would be like throwing a prehistoric crocodile into a relatively calm lake, inevitably stirring up huge waves and attracting countless bloodthirsty sharks and lurking monsters. But isn't market competition simply a matter of the big fish eating the small fish?

He bent down and picked up the tired Xiao Qi, gently wiping its fur with a towel. "Let's go, little guy, it's time to go back for dinner."

A storm suddenly swept through the global retail industry, and at the eye of the storm were two emerging groups that seemed to possess unlimited capital and top-quality goods.

In Chicago, the "Golden Harvest" conglomerate set its sights on the distribution network of the long-established local food wholesaler, the Moriti family. Old Moriti wanted to enjoy his retirement, but his son, Moriti Jr., with close ties to the local Irish mafia, saw it as an opportunity to extort money. He colluded with the gang, demanding exorbitant prices and threatening to prevent "Golden Harvest" trucks from ever safely entering Chicago if they didn't agree.

The negotiator (puppet N-31, alias Nick Stone) listened expressionlessly to Moriti Jr.'s arrogant remarks and the mob boss's chilling threats. He simply adjusted his glasses slightly.

"Mr. Moriti, I have received your feedback. I will report it to headquarters."

That night, Moretti Jr. died of cardiac arrest in a private box at a strip club he frequented due to a cocaine overdose. Meanwhile, the gang leader's brand-new Cadillac suffered a sudden brake failure on his way home, crashing through a lakeside guardrail at high speed and sinking into the cold, deep waters of Lake Michigan. During the retrieval operation, police found clear signs of a precise meltdown of the brake lines by a hot, sharp object, but found no murder weapon or suspects, ultimately closing the case as a "vehicle malfunction" and "accidental drowning."

The next day, old Moretti, tears streaming down his face, contacted Nick Stone and quickly signed the entire agreement at 70% of the original price. The gates of Chicago were forcibly pried open in the most direct and ruthless way. News quietly spread through the underworld: the "Golden Harvest" had an unfathomable background and was not to be touched.

In Bordeaux, France, "Golden Wheat" intended to acquire a prime vineyard connecting several small and medium-sized wineries. Baron de Vilnoux, who owned the largest share of the land, was an extremely arrogant and conservative old-fashioned nobleman. He not only rejected the representative sent by "Cavendish" (a puppet, E-23, using the alias Étienne Laurent), but also mocked in front of many other estate owners: "My vines flow with the blood of Gallic nobility; how can I sell them to some unknown English upstarts and their agents? You're only fit to sell rotten potatoes!"

Étienne Laurent simply bowed slightly, maintained a polite smile, and left without arguing.

A week later, a sudden and bizarre outbreak of phylloxera swept through Baron de Vilnault's estate. This pest, which should have spread slowly, arrived with unusual ferocity and speed, causing large swaths of his prized ancient vines to wither and die within days. Inexplicably, his neighboring vineyards, those already agreed to be acquired or purchased by "Golden Wheat," remained lush and unharmed.

Agricultural experts were at a loss, attributing the problem to "a rare pathogen mutation" and "decreased soil resistance at the Baron's estate." The Baron was on the verge of collapse, the foundation of his family's centuries-old legacy.

At this time, Étienne Laurent "coincidentally" visited again, bringing with him a "biologist he had met by chance who was quite knowledgeable about strange plant diseases." Under the Baron's pleading gaze, this "biologist" "reluctantly" agreed to give it a try. He concocted a "unique agent," and after spraying it, the pests and diseases were miraculously contained, but the grapevines were also severely damaged and would not be able to recover their yield for several years.

Desperate, the baron had no choice but to sell the estate to "Golden Wheat" in disgrace, at a price far below market value. His hand trembled as he signed the deed. Étienne Laurent accepted the deed, his smile still gentle: "Thank you for your generosity, Your Excellency. We at 'Golden Wheat' excel at bringing land back to life." Looking into his unfathomable eyes, the baron suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, as if he were facing not a merchant, but a demon manipulating fate.

In Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Golden Harvest Group's plan to acquire a large slaughterhouse threatened the interests of local livestock industry giants. They incited the Minister of Agriculture, with whom they had a close relationship, to create obstacles at every stage of the approval process and indefinitely delay the process, citing reasons such as "protecting national industries" and "preventing foreign monopolies."

After several unsuccessful attempts to communicate with the puppet in charge of this matter (A-188, alias Antonio Rodriguez), he lost patience.

One weekend, while the minister was having a secret rendezvous with his young mistress at their suburban villa, the power suddenly went out. In the darkness, he seemed to hear the stern rebuke of his deceased father, questioning why he had embezzled public funds and betrayed the people's trust. Immediately afterward, all the bribery ledgers and intimate photos of him with his mistress that he had hidden in his safe vanished, only to reappear neatly on his desk the next day, next to an approval document for the "Golden Harvest" acquisition.

The minister was pale and drenched in sweat. On Monday morning, he immediately summoned Antonio Rodriguez and signed all the approval documents with astonishing efficiency, his attitude as humble as if he were speaking to a superior. Those local tycoons who had attempted to obstruct the process were suddenly subjected to rigorous audits by the tax authorities, leaving them overwhelmed and with no time to spare.

Asia (Hong Kong): Collaborative Intrigues and "Returning from the Wrong Path"

In Hong Kong, Lam Yin's "Lam Group" also began to integrate retail channels, which aroused the vigilance of Lane Crawford, a long-established British-owned department store, and some local Chinese-owned grocery giants. They attempted to unite to lower prices and spread rumors, claiming that Lam Group's food products were of "unknown origin and contained harmful substances."

However, no sooner had the rumors begun than the editors of several newspapers simultaneously received a thick stack of irrefutable evidence regarding their own companies' tax evasion and the shady dealings of their behind-the-scenes bosses. Meanwhile, the most favored sons or daughters of the Chinese businessmen involved in the price-cutting scheme suffered from recurring nightmares for days, crying out that in their dreams, golden-armored deities reprimanded their fathers for being "unrighteous and obstructing the people's livelihood."

Within days, the rumors ceased abruptly, and the united front crumbled. Lane Crawford's Australian general manager even "suddenly" resigned and left Hong Kong for personal reasons. The integration process for the Lin Group became exceptionally smooth.

Similar incidents are unfolding all over the world. Whether it's gang violence, noble arrogance, politician greed, or conspiracies among peers, they all appear so fragile and laughable before this invisible net woven by Golden Core cultivators.