Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Chapter 257 Summer Vacation Begins

June 20th arrived in the blink of an eye. When the bell rang for the final social studies exam, the entire academic year officially came to a close. The classroom was instantly filled with a joyful atmosphere of liberation.

Tom, Mike, and Daniel immediately gathered around Lin Yan's desk.

"Lin!" Tom spoke first, putting his arm around Lin Yan's shoulder. "What are your plans for summer vacation? You're not going to be doing secret training again, are you?"

Mike squeezed in, his face full of anticipation: "Yeah, just so you know! We could go to the beach together, or take a road trip!"

Lin Yan slowly packed his stationery into his schoolbag: "I'm going to Europe this summer to take care of some things."

"Ouch—!" Tom and Mike immediately let out exaggerated howls. "You planned all this? And you didn't even take us with you?" Tom feigned heartbreak. "Our precious summer friendship!"

Lin Yan paused, his hand still zipping up his jacket. He looked up at the two lively characters. "Who said I wasn't going to hang out with you guys at all?"

He then changed the subject, his tone leaving no room for argument: "You two, continue training with Coach Holt this summer. Don't even think about slacking off. I'll have him keep an eye on you."

Seeing their faces instantly fall, Lin Yan offered a sweet promise: "I'll be back in August. Then... I'll bring you some delicious European food."

"Really?!" Mike's eyes lit up instantly. "It's a deal! I want Italian chocolate!"

"French! French pastries are good too!" Tom quickly added.

Daniel, who hadn't spoken until now, asked quietly, "Lin... be careful on the road."

Lin Yan nodded, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and said, "Alright, I got it. Don't slack off in training. See you in August." He waved and walked out of the classroom alone.

In the music room on a summer afternoon, the bright melody of Mozart's K.545 had just flowed from Lin Yan's fingertips when Xiao Qi, lying on the soft cushion beside him, was tapping the rhythm absentmindedly with its paws. Just then, a divine sense transmission broke the tranquility, resounding in his mind.

"Young Master, are you on holiday?" It was Lin San's voice.

Lin Yan paused slightly on the piano before smoothly resuming his playing, sending a thought back: "It's holiday time. Lin San, is something the matter?" His tone carried a hint of impatience at being disturbed from his leisurely life.

"Young Master, there is an old gentleman who wishes to meet you." Lin San's voice carried a hint of solemnity.

"Why do you want to see me? Who wants to see me?" Lin Yan's fingertips ran across a series of ascending scales on the piano keys, but his mind had already drifted away from the music.

"Young Master, it must be that Director Zhang reported your matter to higher authorities last time. In addition, the process of trading grain and rubber in RMB has been progressing very slowly and without much success over the past six months. It seems that the higher-ups want to finalize this matter before the summer grain harvest in July." Lin San reported in detail, "Actually, they had contacted me several times through different channels before, expressing their desire to meet with you, but I declined each time on the grounds that you were busy with your studies. But this time... it's different."

Lin San paused, his voice becoming even more serious: "This time, it was that 'Mr. Xiangyu' from above who personally expressed his desire to meet you. I think you might be interested in this, young master."

"Mr. Xiangyu... Mr. Xiangyu... Hmm? Is this Xiangyu?" A look of understanding and seriousness flashed in Lin Yan's eyes. Originally, it was just a business transaction, but now the nature of it seemed to be a little different.

He was silent for a moment, then pressed the last note with his fingertips, and the music slowly faded away in the room.

"I understand, I'll head back to Beijing tonight!"

As dawn broke and the morning mist still lingered, a streak of light silently pierced the sky above Beijing, landing without a sound on the blue brick floor of the four-courtyard house on Dongxinglong Street. Lin Yan sheathed his flying sword, his robes fluttering, untouched by dust.

Lin San, who had been waiting in the courtyard, immediately stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Young Master, welcome back."

Lin Yan nodded slightly, and with a thought, three figures appeared beside him—the composed Lin Gang, the gentle Wang Yuling, and a… dark-skinned little Qi.

This little guy must have rolled around in some muddy spot in the space; his white fur was covered in grass clippings and mud, making him look like a little lump of coal that had just crawled out of the stove. Only his bright black eyes still showed a hint of innocence.

Lin Yan glanced at it disdainfully and instructed Wang Yuling, "Yuling, take it to wash up quickly. I don't know where it's wandered off to in the space. If we don't clean it up, we might not be able to keep it."

"It's okay, we can still have her after washing her up!" Wang Yuling smiled and reached out to hug Xiao Qi.

Xiao Qi understood her brother's disdain, and with two "woof woof" sounds, she shrank back unwillingly. However, under Lin Yan's indifferent gaze, she obediently complied and was carried by Wang Yuling to the side room, leaving only a trail of muddy paw prints.

Lin Yan then turned to Lin San: "Prepare hot water, I want to take a bath. Also, tell me in detail about the recent situation."

Lin San bowed slightly and reported to his superior in a clear and organized manner:

"Yes, young master. Over the past two years, we've continued to acquire antiques, gold, and jade, some of the finest pieces of which have already been sold by Lin Er at auctions in Hong Kong and overseas. Overall, the cash flow has been considerable, and we're still profitable."

He then shifted the focus to the current problem:

"However, if the transactions are settled entirely in RMB, we will need to advance the US dollars ourselves to pay the monthly freight costs for the 600,000 tons of grain we pay to the Huo and Bao families. This is a considerable expense, therefore, I remain firm on the unit prices of grain and rubber and am unwilling to make any further concessions."

"However, it is indeed difficult for the domestic side to come up with such a huge sum of money all at once. In the past six months, the transactions have mainly been barter, and have not yet fully transitioned to currency settlement. This matter is related to the subsequent planning, and after discussing it with Lin Yi, I feel that it is still necessary for you, young master, to make the decision."

Lin Yan stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the old locust tree in the courtyard. His eyes were calm, clearly indicating that he had already weighed the pros and cons. He decisively gave the order:

"Alright, I understand the situation. Go and schedule a time!"

"Yes, young master." Lin San immediately replied, understanding that the young master was going to personally make the final decision. This meeting would likely determine the direction of their massive plans in the mainland for a long time to come.

After taking a hot shower, Lin Yan slept soundly until the afternoon. After having dinner, he saw Xiao Qi dozing on the daybed in the living room, her round body rising and falling gently with her breathing.

A mischievous glint flashed in his eyes as he took out a piece of specially made jerky from his spatial storage and slowly circled it in front of Xiao Qi's nose. The sleeping little guy's nostrils immediately twitched, and his little head unconsciously turned in a circle following the aroma, looking utterly adorable, which made Lin Yan chuckle.

"Greedy dog." He reached out and scooped the drowsy Xiao Qi into his arms, feeding it jerky. "Come on, Xiao Qi, let's head to the melon-eating paradise."

As the evening heat gradually subsided on Qianmen Street, Lin Yan, dressed in a simple polo shirt and khaki pants, stood out among the plainly dressed neighbors, attracting a lot of attention. However, since his identity was now public knowledge, he accepted these glances with ease and strolled leisurely towards the small tavern.

As soon as she stepped across the threshold of the tavern, the noisy chatter mixed with the aroma of alcohol hit her. Xu Huizhen, who was behind the counter working on an abacus, immediately spotted Lin Yan holding the little white dog.

"Oh!" Her heart skipped a beat. It had been almost half a year since she'd seen this gentleman. Her gaze swept over him subtly, and she sighed inwardly: Every time she saw him, his attire always seemed out of place, yet somehow inexplicably appropriate and handsome.

A warm smile immediately spread across her face, and she called out, "Brother Lin! It's been quite a while! Please come in!"