Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Meanwhile, at the ski patrol office and the local police station at the foot of the mountain, chaos and solemnity prevailed.

The only unharmed young white man, Thomas Jefferson Brown, who had feigned a near-mental breakdown in public, was allowed to return to the hotel temporarily after cooperating with the initial questioning. However, as soon as he returned to his luxurious suite, the look of fear and helplessness on his face vanished instantly, replaced by boundless gloom and violence.

"Bang! Crash—!"

He grabbed the crystal ashtray from the table and smashed it against the wall, shards flying everywhere. Then came the lamp, the decorations… the room was instantly a mess. His chest heaved violently, his eyes bloodshot, not from fear, but from overwhelming anger, resentment, and a deep-seated fear that he himself was unwilling to admit.

He knew he might be in big trouble this time!

He was the one who proposed the idea to that Asian man! He was the one who encouraged everyone to "teach that yellow-skinned monkey a lesson"! But now, the consequences are almost unbearable for him!

The friend who fell to his death today was named Alexander Sterling Newsom, a direct descendant of the Newsom family, a deeply rooted and widely connected old-money family in California! The Newsom family's influence in both the political and business circles of California is deeply entrenched and not to be trifled with.

The other three seriously injured were his cousin Jim Brown (although they shared the same surname Brown, their families were from different branches and their influence was far less than his), Bass Warren from the Warren family, a prominent political and legal family, and Marco Pelosi from the Pelosi family, which was rising in the political arena.

None of these families are simple! Now, although the Brown family is the "local tyrant" of California with immense power, how can he explain to these families that he has suffered a devastating situation with one dead and three seriously injured, while that damned Easterner is unharmed? How will the enraged Newsom family vent their anger on him? How will the other three families view him?

A twisted, vengeful urge, desperate for a scapegoat and an outlet, gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake. He could not bear this alone! That Easterner must pay the price!

He walked to the phone, panting heavily, his fingers trembling slightly with excitement, and dialed a secret number. When the call connected, his voice became hoarse and filled with hatred:

"It's me, James... Listen, I need you to do me a favor. Find a few 'clean' people and bring them to Lake Tahoe... Yes, the target is an Asian kid. I'll give you the information later... I want him to disappear, completely disappear! Price is no object!"

The following afternoon, as planned, Lin Yan and his group went to the ski resort again with great enthusiasm. After yesterday's practice, Li Wenbin and Zheng Jiaming, although still clumsy, could at least barely control their direction on the rabbit slope and fall less frequently, which boosted their confidence considerably. Yang Xi'en, on the other hand, made slow progress and still needed the coach's close support. Watching Li Wenbin and the others manage to ski a short, wobbly stretch, a hint of disappointment and sullenness inevitably appeared on her pretty face.

When everyone gathered together, they all clamored to see Lin Yan conquer the advanced ski slope with their own eyes, so the crowd gathered and went to the cable car station leading to the advanced ski slope.

However, what awaited them was the closed fence of the cable car station and the polite but firm announcement from the staff: "We are very sorry, ladies and gentlemen, due to weather conditions, all advanced ski runs and some intermediate ski runs are temporarily closed today. We apologize for the inconvenience."

Li Wenbin and his companions deflated like punctured balloons, their disappointment palpable. "Oh? What happened! This is so discouraging!"

"I'd love to see Ah Yan show off his skills!"

Lin Yan knew perfectly well that the so-called "weather reasons" were just an excuse. The real reason was probably the fatal lawsuit caused by yesterday's "accident," which forced the ski resort management to temporarily close the relevant area to cooperate with the investigation and avoid risks. He remained calm and reassured everyone, "It's okay. The scenery on the advanced and intermediate slopes is almost the same. Skiing on the intermediate slopes is the same, and the difficulty is enough for us to enjoy."

So, the group took the cable car to the intermediate slope. On the hillside of the intermediate slope, Lin Yan, Tang Liuqian, Lin Gang, and Lin Yi really had a blast. Tang Liuqian's technique was solid, and his gliding was elegant and smooth; Lin Gang and Lin Yi were like the most precise machines, every turn and every acceleration was incredibly accurate and efficient; and Lin Yan, after "learning from others" and practicing to the extreme yesterday, had become even more skillful and confident. Although he had lost some of his flashiness, he had gained a sense of effortless control, gliding on the intermediate slope with ease, which made Li Wenbin and Zheng Jiaming exclaim in amazement.

However, despite their admiration, reality was harsh when they stepped back onto their skis. Li Wenbin and Zheng Jiaming tried to follow Lin Yan and the others down the beginning of the intermediate slope, but the sudden increase in gradient and speed quickly threw them into disarray, leaving them in several dangerous situations. Ultimately, they had to sheepishly return to their designated "rabbit slope" to continue their miserable beginner practice, much to the instructor's dismay. After half a day, although they were dazed and sore from all the falls, they could at least perform decent snowplow turns on gentle slopes, showing considerable progress.

Only Yang Xi'en seemed to lack athletic talent. After an afternoon, he could only perform the most basic skating with the coach's help, making very little progress, and his mood became increasingly depressed.

Two consecutive days of high-intensity skiing left Li Wenbin and Zheng Jiaming feeling like their legs were filled with lead. They were so exhausted when they returned to the hotel that they collapsed on the sofa in their room, groaning and not wanting to move even their fingers.

At dinner time, seeing their state, Lin Yan considerately asked the driver to get some food from their usual restaurant and suggested that everyone just eat in their own rooms to avoid further trouble.

However, Tang Liuqian declined the suggestion. He looked at Yang Xi'en, who was still in low spirits, and said softly, "You two eat. I'll go for a walk with Xi'en to clear her head and we can try another restaurant." He wanted to take this opportunity to comfort his girlfriend and make up for his guilt for not taking good care of her during the day.

Li Wenbin and Zheng Jiaming exchanged a knowing glance, their faces revealing knowing smiles. Li Wenbin chuckled and said, "Got it, got it! Brother Liuqian, Sister Xi'en, you two enjoy your time together!"

No one expected that this seemingly cozy night of "two people's world" would suddenly be turned into a huge storm.

Around 9 p.m., Lin Yan was sitting cross-legged in his room, consolidating his recent cultivation, when there was a sudden, urgent, and panicked knocking on the door.

He opened the door and saw Tang Liuqian standing outside, his face deathly pale, covered in sweat, his eyes filled with unprecedented terror and anxiety, his voice trembling: "Xiao Yan! Xi'en...has Xi'en come back?!"

Lin Yan's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately shook his head: "No, Sister Xi En didn't come looking for me. What's wrong, Brother Liu Qian? What happened?!" As he spoke, he helped Tang Liu Qian, who was almost unsteady on his feet, into the room.

Tang Liuqian's eyes instantly reddened, and he began to stammer, "We...we finished eating and were strolling around the streets...I noticed Xi'en's hands were cold, so I told her to wait for me at the entrance of a sheltered alley. The lights were on there, and I felt safe...So I ran to the popular coffee shop next door to queue up, wanting to buy her a hot coffee...But...but when I finished queuing and turned around to look at her with my coffee in hand...she was gone! Gone!"

He gripped his hair tightly with both hands, tearing at it violently, as if only in this way could he alleviate the fear and self-blame in his heart: "I searched several streets around here several times! I called her name! I asked passers-by... but there was no one! Half an hour has passed! Not a single piece of news! Xiaoyan, it's all my fault! It's all my fault for not watching over her properly! I shouldn't have left her alone! If something happens to Xi'en, I... I..." He was trapped in a deep vortex of self-blame and fear, almost on the verge of collapse.

Lin Yan's eyes instantly sharpened like knives, but he knew he couldn't afford to panic. He pressed down hard on Tang Liuqian's shoulder and said in a deep voice, "Brother Liuqian! Calm down! Now is not the time to blame yourself!"

He quickly knocked on the door of Lin Yi and Lin Gang's room next door and briefly instructed them: "Lin Yi, immediately gather Wenbin, Jiaming, and Brother Liuqian in my room and protect them. No one is allowed to leave before I return! Lin Gang, you're coming with me!"

Tang Liuqian struggled to insist on going too: "I'm going too! I want to find Xi'en!"

Lin Yan turned around, gripped his shoulders tightly with both hands, and forced him to look directly into his eyes. His gaze was deep and filled with undeniable power, as if possessing a strange magic that instantly pierced through Tang Liuqian's chaotic mind.

"Brother Liu Qian! Listen! You can't panic right now! I need you to stay calm! I assure you, with the Lin family's capabilities and resources, I will find Sister Xi En as quickly as possible and bring her back safely! But you must stay here, trust me!"

"Our Lin family has many capable people under our command. There's nothing we can't do if we want to!" These words, filled with powerful confidence and reassurance, made Tang Liuqian, who was almost in despair, feel as if he had grasped a lifeline. His frantic heartbeat calmed down a little. He looked at Lin Yan's eyes, which seemed to see through everything, and finally nodded with difficulty.

Lin Yan didn't delay any longer. He exchanged a glance with Lin Gang, and they understood each other's intentions in that instant. They quickly went downstairs, got into the waiting car, and with a low roar from the engine, they shot off like an arrow, tearing through the tranquil night of Lake Tahoe and heading straight for the brightly lit city.

Outside the car window, light flashed by. Lin Yan closed his eyes, clearing his mind of all distractions, and focused all his energy on unleashing his divine sense!