Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Chapter 170: New Chapter of Cotton Ingots

After a satisfying meal, everyone moved to the living room to enjoy the post-dinner relaxation. Tang Liuqian gently swirled the remaining red wine in his glass, a hint of youthful anticipation and uncertainty about the future in his eyes. He looked at Lin Yan and sincerely poured out his heart:

"Xiao Yan, to be honest, although I studied finance and Yale's platform is indeed top-notch, I still feel a little uneasy. Hong Kong's financial industry is only just beginning; the pond is too small. The US market is huge, and the rules of the game are mature. It seems like a much wider world. But sometimes I wonder, is my future, Tang Liuqian's future, destined to be a battle in the numbers game of Wall Street? Sometimes I really feel... the road ahead is a bit unclear."

Lin Yan leaned back in the comfortable sofa, listening quietly. These words stirred up memories of his past life battling in the financial world—those cold numbers, ruthless exploitation, overnight riches and instant collapses… He felt a deep-seated weariness and repulsion. Since his rebirth, all his plans had revolved around space and real businesses, precisely because he deeply understood the essence of finance: all methods are games of premium pricing, and every stock market frenzy is built on the cruel foundation of countless ordinary investors being exploited, ranging from having their assets halved to losing their families and lives.

He explained his understanding of the underlying logic of finance to Tang Liuqian in a way that was more relevant to the current context. He talked about the greed of capital, the irrationality of the market, and the principle that industry is the true foundation of society.

As they were talking, a brilliant idea suddenly flashed through Lin Yan's mind, like a lightning bolt in the darkness! A brilliant idea instantly took shape—it could not only pull the Tang family back to a more grounded industrial track, but also perfectly combine it with the resources of his own space, and also bring along Li Wenbin and Zheng Jiaming, two guys who also wanted to do something!

He abruptly stopped speaking, a barely perceptible glint in his eyes, then stood up and said to everyone, "Wait for me a moment, I'm going upstairs to get something." His tone carried a sudden urgency and mystery, completely different from his composed and eloquent manner just moments before.

The group of people left in the living room stared at each other, completely bewildered.

Li Wenbin scratched his head: "What's wrong with Ayan? He was only halfway through his sentence..."

Zheng Jiaming also looked puzzled, but more than that, he was curious.

Tang Liuqian and Yang Xi'en looked at each other in bewilderment, completely unable to keep up with Lin Yan's leaps of thought.

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Amidst the speculative gazes of the crowd, Lin Yan strode upstairs. He quickly returned to his room, immersed his mind in the spatial dimension, and directly used his will to retrieve a small clump of top-quality cotton from the storage area. This cotton, grown in the superior environment of the space, possessed fiber quality far exceeding any variety found outside.

He clutched the seemingly ordinary ball of white cotton, took a deep breath, adjusted his expression to make himself look as natural as possible, and then turned and went downstairs.

Back in the living room, under the curious gazes of everyone, Lin Yan walked up to Tang Liuqian, said nothing, and simply handed over the ball of cotton he had been holding in his hand.

For a moment, the living room fell silent.

Li Wenbin stared wide-eyed at the whitish blob and blurted out, "Ayan, you went up there all mysteriously for ages, and all you came back with was... a wad of cotton?"

Zheng Jiaming also frowned slightly, clearly not understanding the move.

Yang Xi'en also looked puzzled.

Everyone looked at Lin Yan in confusion, then at the ball of cotton, completely baffled as to what connection it had with his earlier profound discourse on finance and industry, and Tang Liuqian's future choices.

Only Tang Liuqian, after his initial astonishment, focused his gaze on the clump of cotton. Acting on instinct, befitting a scion of a textile family, he reached out and took it.

Tang Liuqian took the snow-white cotton wadding, and the sensation on his fingertips made him slightly startled. This was completely different from the top-grade cotton he was familiar with, even the cotton used in his family's textile factory. Out of professional instinct, he became focused, carefully picking up a clump with his slender fingers and gently rubbing it between his fingertips.

The cotton fibers were remarkably long and uniform, far exceeding what was usually seen, and they adhered naturally with almost no twisting. Then, he went to the window and carefully separated the strand of cotton from the clump with his fingernail, slowly stretching it out in the sunlight streaming in from the window.

Under sunlight, the fibers exhibit a translucent texture with a soft, silky sheen. They possess exceptional toughness and strength; even when stretched far beyond the limits of ordinary cotton, they do not break, instead displaying excellent extensibility and flexibility, as well as remarkable resilience. The fibers themselves are extremely fine, offering a delicate and smooth touch without any roughness.

"This…!" Tang Liuqian's breathing quickened, his face filled with disbelief and shock. He was a connoisseur, well aware of the revolutionary significance of this seemingly ordinary ball of cotton in his hand—it was absolutely a top-tier textile raw material that surpassed all existing known varieties and was the stuff of dreams!

He suddenly looked up, his gaze fixed intently on Lin Yan, his voice slightly trembling with excitement: "Xiao Yan, where did you get this cotton? I dare say you won't find another like it in the whole world! Its fiber length, strength, fineness, luster... it's simply perfect!"

The others at the table, including Li Wenbin and Zheng Jiaming, although they didn't understand textiles, saw Tang Liuqian's outburst and realized that what Lin Yan had brought out was no ordinary product.

Li Wenbin asked curiously, "Brother Liuqian, is this cotton... special?"

Tang Liuqian took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, and explained, "Wenbin, Jiaming, you may not understand. For our textile industry, raw materials are the foundation. This quality of cotton means we can spin finer, tougher, and higher-count yarns, resulting in lighter, softer, and stronger fabrics, and potentially even creating a completely new high-end fabric market! This is something that can change the landscape of the industry!"

All eyes were once again focused on Lin Yan.

Lin Yan looked at Tang Liuqian with a knowing smile and slowly said, "Brother Liuqian, financial capital chases numbers on paper, which fluctuates wildly and has a fragile foundation. But real industries, especially those that master core technologies and top-quality raw materials, are the true cornerstone, capable of creating lasting value and even driving social progress."

He pointed to the clump of cotton: "This thing isn't out of reach. It represents a possibility, a direction. Why fight in a game where others have set the rules? Instead of chasing those illusory numbers on Wall Street, why not be down-to-earth, use your knowledge and family background to build a real industrial empire that truly belongs to you and that you have absolute say in? For example, start by redefining the raw material standards for the textile industry."

Lin Yan's words were like a wake-up call, instantly clearing a path full of boundless imagination for Tang Liuqian, who was torn between finance and industry. He tightly gripped the ball of cotton in his hand, and the previous confusion about the future in his eyes was gradually replaced by an excitement and determination like discovering a new continent.

Lin Yan looked at Tang Liuqian, who was deep in thought, and continued in a tone that was both lazy and incisive:

"Brother Liu, to put it bluntly, in the finance industry, if you're smart enough, and also... ruthless enough, you can indeed make a fortune. But this money is just too easy to make; quick money comes easily, and human nature can't withstand the test. Believe it or not, in a few decades, because of this 'money game,' no one in America will want to touch those dirty and tiring real industries anymore. At that time, the industry will be hollowed out. Even if you have the most advanced technical blueprints, without factories and skilled workers, you can't build anything. Isn't that... crippling yourself and waiting for others to hold you back?"

He abruptly changed the subject, pointing to the wad of cotton in Tang Liuqian's hand that seemed to glow in the sunlight: "But this thing you have represents another path. You need as much cotton as you want, and I can supply it. I can provide the raw materials, or I can provide the money. Your Tang family has existing factories, equipment, and workers, decades of accumulated industry experience and channels. We can join forces, using this unique material to weave the finest fabric, and then create a truly high-end clothing brand. We'll recruit top talent from major design schools around the world, targeting the pockets of the world's wealthiest few, making the brand a symbol of status and taste. Isn't this a more stable and sustainable way to 'make money while lying down'?"

He casually offered his final proposal: "If you're willing, I'll send a telegram to the Lin Group in Hong Kong, asking my elder brothers to grant your Tang family full purchasing rights for this cotton. To be honest, this cotton is piling up in our warehouses in Hong Kong. Our Lin family never intended to get involved in the textile business ourselves; we find buying new equipment and building factories too troublesome. Selling it directly to you will save you even the shipping costs across the ocean. So, what do you say, Tang family? Are you in?"

Tang Liuqian was stunned by the barrage of information, especially Lin Yan's seemingly casual yet incredibly weighty promise. He gaped in surprise, almost instinctively asking, "Xiao Yan... can you really make this decision? This is no small matter!"

Lin Yan casually waved his hand, his tone carrying an air of self-righteous arrogance: "Don't worry, I can make all the decisions regarding the Lin family." He immediately reverted to his lazy demeanor, preemptively adding, "But let me make this clear first: I'm only responsible for providing the money and ensuring the supply of raw materials. All that other messy stuff like brand registration, team building, and marketing—I have absolutely no involvement! I'm busy!"

His "hands-off" attitude instantly made Zheng Jiaming and Li Wenbin burst into laughter.

"Yes, yes, you're busy!" Li Wenbin laughed as he slapped the table. "Busy just loafing around, huh! We all know!"

Zheng Jiaming smiled, but his eyes became serious. He took over the conversation and said to Lin Yan, "Yan, I'm not joking. We're both very interested in your idea of ​​starting a luxury brand. Our family businesses will naturally be inherited and managed by our older brothers. If we just follow the established path, we'll at most be living the life of carefree rich kids, collecting dividends. But your project is different; it's brand new, and with you at the helm, the prospects are limitless. You're so smart; we can do all the mundane things you don't want to do! You just need to give us a heads-up when it matters!"

Seeing his two friends' eager expressions, Lin Yan deliberately stroked his chin, pretending to think for a moment, then chuckled mischievously, "Alright, seeing how sincere you are, I might as well let you have some fun. But... if you want to get on board, you have to show some appreciation first, right? Come on, call me 'Brother Yan' first?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Liuqian, who was still feeling excited about this major business decision, and Yang Xi'en, who had been observing gently, could no longer hold back and burst into laughter.

Yang Xi'en pointed at Lin Yan and laughed at Tang Liuqian, "So, it turns out Xiao Yan was waiting for them here!"

Tang Liuqian laughed and shook his head, the tension from their earlier discussion of the grand business plan completely gone, filling the living room with a cheerful atmosphere. And so, the embryonic form of a luxury empire that would one day shake the global fashion world quietly sprouted amidst the laughter and joy of this Upper East Side villa in New York.