Chapter 1545: Money Can't Be Spent

Gu Lin blushed slightly. "Yes, I did. I bought five plots of land, two of which are in the Upper Lake District."

Who would refuse free money?

He Lingchuan smiled. "As expected of President Gu, you don't miss a single opportunity."

Buying in the Upper Lake District meant he acted very early.

Foresight and boldness are essential qualities for a successful businessman.

Gu Lin immediately said, "Island Master He, you're the High Councillor for the new city expansion. I was just about to ask for your advice."

Considering Gu Lin as an insider, He Lingchuan spoke directly: "You must sell them within two months."

The new city expansion project has already been underway for a month.

"Two months?" Gu Lin was visibly moved but didn't ask further questions. "Alright!"

He personally poured He Lingchuan a cup of tea before beginning his report:

"We've purchased 490,000 jin of 39 types of medicinal herbs, including blood lotus and duqinzi, from Xiaozhong Mountain, Long River, and Moyan. Additionally, about 80,000 packages of semi-finished medicines and pills, and 1.7 million jin of 21 types of spices."

"We've collected 310,000 jin of various synthetic ore powders and catalysts from Tong Mountain, Yin River, Zhuo'an, and other places. We've also purchased over 500 standard magical artifacts from casting sects like Lingdonglai." Copper, iron, and various precious metals cannot be bought directly due to strict government control.

"This year, with ample rainfall, the Tongguan horses have produced many foals. I managed to acquire over 780 of them, including adults and young, and they will be transported out of Yaoguo territory within the next two days."

He Lingchuan was overjoyed. He clapped his hands and praised, "Excellent, excellent! Tonglinji's old blade is still sharp."

Tongguan is a place name, right next to Chigu. In the central-western part of the Blazing Gold Plains, the Chigu horses are renowned. Over a hundred years ago, when the Ying tribe herded Chigu horses, the stallions often slipped into the mountains. The herders in the Tongguan area would secretly drive their mares to breed with the Chigu stallions.

This led to the creation of hybrid descendants of Chigu horses, which, after more than a century of breeding, became a stable new breed:

The Tongguan Horse.

Although its performance on the battlefield isn't as good as the Chigu horse, it surpasses it in endurance, and its temperament is more stable and gentle, making it less difficult to manage than the Chigu horse. Furthermore, its foals have a high survival rate, which has made it a very popular horse breed.

Most importantly, the ancestors of the Tongguan people were nomadic tribes who migrated from places like Bixia and Peiguo, not indigenous to Yaoguo. They did not strictly adhere to Yaoguo's laws. Yaoguo strictly controlled the export of Chigu horses, but the Tongguan people had been secretly selling horses. Several inquiries from the Yaoguo royal court led to severe conflicts, and the cost of enforcement became too high, so they eventually had to turn a blind eye.

Moreover, Tongguan's location near the border meant that Tongguan horses consistently appeared in border horse markets.

Such a crucial strategic resource was in high demand for the Yangshan Islands.

"Try to acquire more, but don't draw attention." He Lingchuan knew this was a tall order.

Gu Lin, however, chuckled, "Don't worry. Tonglinji has numerous shell business associations across the country, and we can also buy under other people's names. The order for those 700 Tongguan horses was ostensibly purchased by eight business associations, two nomadic tribes, and several forces outside the pass. The horse market sees countless batches of horses traded daily; it won't attract any attention."

He used the same method of shell business associations to help He Lingchuan acquire various goods. As He Lingchuan understood it, these were empty shells, used to make dispersed, small, and frequent purchases to avoid attracting official suspicion.

The method was complex and difficult to trace.

Gu Lin was also quite emotional.

After Tu Yuanhong's death, he had put immense effort into maintaining Tonglinji, not just its few shops and over a hundred staff, but also its shell business associations nationwide. These associations had local representatives who not only conducted business but also cultivated relationships with officials and wealthy individuals, ensuring their activities wouldn't raise suspicion.

These were the truly demanding and expensive aspects.

Gu Lin's painstaking efforts had finally yielded results. All the shell business associations were now active, and He Lingchuan still found it insufficient.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the profits Tonglinji earned from Yangshan would not only fully restore its strength but also enable it to grow larger and stronger.

However, Gu Lin was well aware that he and Tonglinji were currently caught in a dangerous vortex.

Earning money also required being alive to spend it.

"How much money has been spent?"

"So far, one million eight hundred seventy-seven thousand taels," Gu Lin reported. "The magical artifacts from Lingdonglai were the most expensive."

"That's too little," He Lingchuan stroked his chin. "Money will soon become worthless; we need to convert it into supplies as quickly as possible."

The Yaoguo King had always been wary of him taking away millions of taels of wealth. Heh, in reality, He Lingchuan had no such intention.

It was best for Yaoguo's money to remain in Yaoguo.

"What else do you wish to buy?" Tonglinji was already operating at full capacity.

He Lingchuan noticed Gu Lin's bloodshot eyes and how he had thinned down, realizing he must have been working relentlessly, practically out of breath.

But there was no alternative; time was short and the task was immense.

"Do you know Lu Yuanzheng, the eldest son of the Lu family from Baihe?"

Gu Lin thought for a moment. "He seems to manage the main granaries in seven regions. Tonglinji has dealt with him a few times before."

"Are the large granaries in Mangzhou North and Taoshui City also under his management?" These two areas were fertile and rich in grain, serving as important food production regions for Yaoguo.

"Yes."

"It's almost time for the granaries to exchange grain. The Lu family has been desperately short of money recently, even borrowing hundreds of thousands of taels from the Qi family. This is a good opportunity. Send someone to approach Lu Yuanzheng to buy grain at a preferential price."

Public granaries exchange grain annually during summer and autumn, meaning they sell off some old grain and buy new grain as a normal rotation. Yaoguo's crops ripen late, and autumn grains across the regions won't be harvested for another month or so, making now a lean period.

Gu Lin agreed and then asked, "How much should we buy?"

He Lingchuan held up one finger. "At least this much."

Gu Lin was startled. "That much?"

"Just do your best," He Lingchuan replied, knowing the amount was significant and Tonglinji might not be able to acquire it all.

Gu Lin cleared his throat lightly. "No, no, it's still possible. Around this time in previous years, public granaries were already secretly selling grain."

He Lingchuan was a little surprised. "Oh?"

"If they wait until the autumn harvest, the grain price will drop," Gu Lin chuckled. "It's better to sell now. Anyway, they can buy new grain in just over a month, and the accounts will balance out without anyone knowing. Lu Yuanzheng manages these large granaries; how could he not know these tricks? Officially, of course, it's not allowed, and there's a limit to the amount of grain exchanged each year. But they've been doing this in secret for over a decade. Who still cares about regulations? They've just been selling earlier and earlier, and in greater quantities."

He Lingchuan nodded. Lu Yuanzheng had spent 370,000 to ensure his brother's safe return to the capital, which severely depleted his family's finances, leaving him with probably not much money left. Coinciding with the soaring land prices in Tianshui New City, if he wanted to seize this opportunity to get rich quickly, he would have to aggressively raise funds.

He Lingchuan was offering him a large sum of banknotes, available with just a nod. Could he truly resist?