Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

The morning light outside the window grew brighter and brighter, bathing the entire room in a warm golden hue.

A new day has begun.

He Damin stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, his fingertips tracing the cool glass. The treasures of the small world lay quietly on the plains of the Anode Space—a towering silver mountain, piled with ten billion taels of official silver, undulating and gleaming with a cold metallic sheen in the morning light. Adding to this the 1.2 million taels of gold he had stolen from the Japanese treasury during the Anti-Zhang War, stacked to one side of the silver mountain, the gold bricks forming a square array resembling a miniature city, dazzling and gleaming. Countless sandalwood chests were neatly arranged in a matrix, like an army that had slumbered for a thousand years, awaiting awakening.

What truly captivated him was the jade mountain carving, "The Spectacular Scenery of Mount Tai." Layers upon layers of verdant mountains rose, a crimson sunrise leaping from the sea of ​​clouds. The jade carving master had condensed the majestic grandeur of Mount Tai's sunrise into a mere sliver. He recalled the spectacle of this national treasure being exhibited at the Palace Museum in his previous life—long queues always formed in front of the glass display case, visitors only able to catch a fleeting glimpse of its breathtaking green hue through the thick bulletproof glass. And now, this priceless jade carving lay quietly in his little world, within his reach.

With a slight thought, he sank his consciousness into the small world.

The silver mountain was automatically layered and separated, with the official silver ingots of fifty taels each categorized by year, fineness, and place of origin. The treasury silver from the Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong, and Jiaqing reigns each had its own markings, with fineness ranging from 98% to perfect. He Damin's divine sense was like the most precise sieve, scrutinizing this massive amount of silver one by one—it took half an hour just to complete the counting.

The gold bricks were examined one by one. Of the 1.2 million taels of gold, the majority were ten-tael and twenty-tael gold ingots and bricks cast by the Imperial Household Department, of excellent quality, with the words "pure gold" engraved on the bottom. There were also a small number of large fifty-tael gold ingots, tributes from various regions in the past, each engraved with the date and place of tribute. Those of slightly lower quality were selected and stored separately, while the perfectly preserved official-cast gold ingots were neatly stacked beside the spiritual spring, allowing the gentle spiritual energy to slowly permeate them, removing the dullness left by two hundred years.

The sandalwood boxes were opened one by one.

The rare ancient books were carefully taken out and laid out on the stone platform beside the spiritual spring. The pages of the Song Dynasty edition of the Book of Songs were yellowed and brittle, with traces of wormholes along the edges. He Damin wrapped each page with his true energy, gently nurturing it for a moment. Gradually, the pages regained their suppleness, and the edges of the wormholes stopped cracking. He planned to find a professional ancient book restorer to carefully examine them after he finished this task.

The scrolls of calligraphy and paintings were unfurled one by one. Zhao Mengfu's long scroll of "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River" slowly unfolded in the radiant light, its brushstrokes flowing and its ink as fresh as new. Dong Qichang's landscape album leaves, each opening conveying a profound and distant atmosphere. There was also a painting of a lady by Tang Yin, her brows furrowed with sorrow, her sash fluttering in the wind, with a small red seal in the lower right corner reading "Master of Peach Blossom Hermitage." He Damin looked at it for a moment, then carefully rolled it up and put it into his jade box.

The cloisonné enamelware was displayed on special shelves. The vases, incense burners, boxes, and tripods, made of copper with filigree, had glazes as vibrant as gemstones and filigree work as fine as hair. He Damin picked up a begonia-shaped vase, turned it over to examine the bottom, and saw the four characters "Made in the Qianlong Period" engraved in regular script. He remembered that a similar vase had fetched tens of millions at auctions in later years.

The gold and silver artifacts were stored separately. Gold bowls, gold chopsticks, gold spoons, silver plates, and silver pots—each piece was engraved with intricate auspicious patterns. He Damin picked up a double-eared gold cup, its body embossed with the four characters "Long Live the Emperor" and its rim inlaid with rubies and sapphires. This was clearly an artifact used by the Qianlong Emperor.

The chime bells were gently struck, their clear, melodious sounds echoing in the small world. The set of sixteen bells, each engraved with a different inscription, recorded the events of a grand ceremony during the Qianlong era. He Damin recalled that a similar set of chime bells had been unearthed later and designated a national first-class cultural relic.

The clock's movement was still ticking. The Roman numerals on the enamel dial were as clear as new, and the hour hand pointed to five in the morning. He Damin adjusted the mainspring, and the clock chimed crisply, telling the time accurately. These clocks, presented as tribute from the West two hundred years ago, are still working today.

Suddenly, a dark gold token rolled out from the pile of ancient books.

The token is about the size of a palm, with intricate cloud patterns and five-clawed dragons carved on the front, and the six ancient seal characters "Imperial Household Department Workshop" in the center. The back is engraved with a line of small characters: "Bestowed by Emperor Qianlong in the thirty-eighth year, respectfully made by Heshen." The edges are severely worn, clearly indicating that it has been handled and used for many years.

He Damin picked up the token, his fingertips tracing the raised dragon design. This was Heshen's token for overseeing the imperial tribute—with it, he could access all the treasuries of the Imperial Household Department, consult with skilled craftsmen across the land, and purchase rare and precious treasures from various regions. A similar token had later fetched a million at auction, but its condition was far inferior to this one.

He put the token in his pocket and continued to examine the remaining wooden crates.

When the last row of sandalwood chests was opened, He Damin's eyebrows twitched slightly.

These boxes didn't contain gold or silver jewelry, but something more special—bundles of blueprints, wax-sealed Western medicine, and several boxes of rusty metal parts.

He unfolded a blueprint depicting the structure of a new type of firearm, densely labeled with dimensions and material specifications. Another blueprint showed the defensive design of a fortress, detailing the layout of artillery positions, ammunition depots, and barracks. Yet another was a cross-section of a warship, its hull, cabins, and gun decks all rendered with exquisite detail.

He Damin recognized the handwriting on the blueprints—it was military technology imported from the West during the late Qing Dynasty's Self-Strengthening Movement. He wondered why it had been hidden among this treasure.

The boxes of Western medicine were sealed tightly with wax. Inside were rows of glass bottles containing white pills and powder. The bottles were labeled in English, bearing words like "quinine" and "penicillin." These medicines, once more valuable than gold, are now long expired and ineffective, but the bottles themselves have become precious historical artifacts.

The metal parts were rusted and their original purpose was unknown. He Damin used his divine sense to examine them and discovered that some parts were core components of some kind of machinery, while others were accessories for firearms. He didn't have the energy to study them for the time being, so he simply stored them away for later.

After inspecting all the treasures, the eastern sky was already beginning to lighten.

He Damin took one last look at the space filled with gold and jade, and a thought suddenly flashed through his mind—there were still sixty-eight golden nanmu pillars in the Prince Gong's Mansion. According to the economic value of later generations, each pillar was worth at least four hundred million US dollars, equivalent to 2.8 billion RMB. Those giant pillars were the skeleton of the entire mansion, supporting the century-old prosperity of its carved beams and painted rafters.

Unfortunately, the pillars were located within the mansion building, where people lived, so they couldn't be replaced.

He shook his head, putting that regret behind him. Taking away ten billion taels of silver, one million two hundred thousand taels of gold, and countless rare treasures was already an immense stroke of luck. One shouldn't be too greedy.

The spirit returned to its rightful place, and the physical body reappeared.

He Damin gently pushed open the French windows of the bedroom, letting in a morning breeze that carried the salty smell of the sea and the chill of the mountaintop. The room was quiet; Chen Xueru was still in the same position she had been in when she fell asleep, lying on her side on the bed, breathing evenly.

She really didn't wait for him and went to sleep obediently.

He Damin walked to the bedside and looked at her peaceful sleeping face. The moonlight had long since faded, and the morning light had not yet fully risen, leaving only a hazy gray-white in the room. Her eyelashes were long, casting faint shadows on her face.

He sat down by the bed without disturbing her.

After a while, Chen Xueru suddenly stirred, turned over, and groggily opened her eyes. Seeing He Damin sitting by the bed, she paused for a moment, then gave a lazy smile.

"You're back?"

"Um."

She reached out and took his hand; his fingertips were slightly cool.

"Did it go smoothly?"

"smoothly."

Chen Xueru didn't ask any more questions, but simply moved closer to him and buried her face in his palm.

"That's good."

Outside the window, the sky gradually brightened. A few birdsongs drifted from afar, and the hustle and bustle of the city below began to awaken.

He Damin gently withdrew his hand and tucked the blanket around her.

"Sleep a little longer," he said. "It's still early."

Chen Xueru hummed in agreement, closed her eyes, and quickly fell asleep again.

He Damin stood up and walked to the window again.

The treasures in the small world are now lying quietly on the plain of the Yang Yang space—a towering silver mountain made of one billion taels of silver, a dazzling gold of one million two hundred thousand taels, countless jewels and jade artifacts, ancient books and paintings, cloisonné enamel treasures, gold and silver objects, and the priceless jade mountain "Daiyue Wonder".

Later scholars estimated that Heshen's total assets were equivalent to about 800 million taels of silver. But what he possessed at that moment was 1 billion taels of silver and 1.2 million taels of gold—200 million taels more than the historical records of Heshen's assets. In addition, those hidden rare treasures, those truly priceless treasures, were now all in his possession.

This is a fortune that is truly comparable to that of a nation.

What is the concept of one billion taels of silver?

Based on the purchasing power at the time, one tael of silver could buy two shi (a unit of dry measure) of rice, equivalent to about 300 jin (another unit of weight) in modern times. One billion taels of silver could buy three trillion jin of rice, enough to feed all the Chinese people for ten years. Converted to modern silver prices, this is equivalent to about 16 billion US dollars—while in 1955, the GDP of the entire Hong Kong was only a little over a billion US dollars.

The bedroom door was gently pushed open, and Chen Xueru walked in carrying breakfast. She was wearing a thin morning coat, her hair casually tied back, and her face still carried the languid look of someone who had just woken up. The morning light filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting a soft, pale golden glow on her.

"What are you thinking about?" She placed the tray on the bedside table, and the aroma of fried eggs filled the air.

He Damin turned around and looked into her eyes.

"I'm thinking," he said slowly, "about how to use this batch of goods."

Chen Xueru walked to his side and followed his gaze to the window. The morning view of Victoria Harbour was slowly unfolding—ships shuttled back and forth on the sea, the buildings on the shore gradually became clear in the sunlight, and the outline of Victoria Peak in the distance was outlined in a hazy and soft way by the morning mist.

"Is there a lot?" she asked softly. "We certainly won't use it all up in a short time, will we?"

"We can't use it all." He Damin held her hand. "Ten billion taels of silver, one million two hundred thousand taels of gold. We could use it all in several lifetimes."

Chen Xueru's hand trembled slightly.

She had considered that the "batch of goods" He Damin mentioned might be quite a lot, but she never imagined it would be such an astronomical figure. One billion taels of silver? That was a concept she didn't even dare to dream of.

But she quickly calmed down.

"So how do you plan to use it?" she asked, her tone devoid of greed, only filled with calm concern.

He Damin looked into her eyes. In the morning light, those eyes were as clear as ever, showing no ripples even after hearing "ten billion taels." A slight thought stirred in his heart—he had indeed not misjudged this woman.

"Use it slowly," he said. "Invest, buy property, start a business, set up a factory, fund education, support healthcare..." He paused, "and it can even change some things."

Chen Xueru turned her head to look at him. The man stood in the morning light, his eyes as deep as the sea. She didn't know what he meant by "changing some things," but she knew he never spoke nonsense.

"Do whatever you want," she said. "I'll follow you."

He Damin looked at her. In the morning light, her eyes and brows were as gentle as a pool of spring water. The white magnolia brooch was pinned to the collar of her morning coat, pure and elegant.

He raised his hand and gently brushed her hair.

"it is good."

After breakfast, He Damin sat in his study and spread out a map of Hong Kong.

The treasures in this miniature world aren't just gold and silver; they also include military blueprints, Western medicine, and mechanical parts. These things may not be of much use now, but in the future—in the coming decades—the world will undergo tremendous changes. The technologies on those blueprints, those long-forgotten inventions, might one day come in handy.

Gold and silver, on the other hand, are the hard currencies of today.

One billion taels of silver, at the international silver price at the time, was equivalent to approximately US$16 billion. One million two hundred thousand taels of gold were even more valuable, worth about US$6 billion. Adding in the jewelry, jade, antiques, paintings, and enamelware, the total value was at least US$25 billion.

What was the concept of $25 billion in 1955?

The presidential suite at The Peninsula Hotel costs only a few thousand Hong Kong dollars a month. A garden villa on Victoria Peak sells for just over ten thousand Hong Kong dollars. In the most bustling area of ​​Hong Kong Island, an entire commercial building costs no more than one million Hong Kong dollars. Two hundred and fifty billion US dollars would be enough to buy the entire Hong Kong—including all land, buildings, factories, and the port—and still have more than half left over.

This is a sum of capital powerful enough to reshape the global economic landscape.

He Damin picked up a red pen and circled several locations on the map—Central, Wan Chai, Tsim Sha Tsui, and Kowloon Tong. These are the most central business districts and residential areas in Hong Kong for the next few decades. Investing now will result in a hundredfold increase in value in the future.

He is still waiting for an opportunity.

In 1955, Hong Kong was in the early stages of post-war recovery. A large influx of capital caused land prices to rise, though they were far from their peak. The stock market had just resumed trading, and many stocks were inexpensive. More importantly, a large number of mainland businessmen were bringing capital and technology south, and Hong Kong was gradually transforming from an entrepot trading port into an industrial city and financial center.

The timing is perfect.

There was a gentle knock on the study door, and He Yuzhu poked his head in.

"Uncle, there's a lawyer named Lawrence outside looking for you. He said he has an appointment."

He Damin nodded and put away the map.

"Tell him to wait in the living room."

He Yuzhu responded and then shrank back.

He Damin stood up, walked to the window, and took one last look at Victoria Harbour. On the sea, a cargo ship was slowly entering the harbor, and the sound of its horn could be faintly heard.

A new day has truly begun.

He turned and walked out of the study.

In the living room, Lawrence was already sitting on the sofa, holding a cup of tea. When he saw He Damin come out, he immediately stood up, his face full of a professional smile.

"Good morning, Mr. He. As you instructed, I have brought the information from several banks."

He Damin sat down opposite him and took the stack of documents.

"Also," Lawrence lowered his voice, "the car companies you mentioned last time, Ford and Mercedes-Benz, have both sent representatives to Hong Kong, hoping to visit you in person. What do you think…?"

He Damin opened the document, his eyes scanning over the densely packed numbers.

"Let them wait," he said. "Tell them the patent holder is still considering it."

Lawrence nodded without asking any further questions.

He Damin finished reading the document and looked up.

"HSBC's account opening documents are fine. Standard Chartered's interest rate is negotiable. As for Citibank..."

He paused.

"Tell them that I need a dedicated private banking team to manage my investment portfolio. If they can do that, we can consider working together."

Lawrence quickly jotted it down and nodded in agreement.

After seeing Lawrence off, He Damin stood in the center of the living room, his gaze fixed on the unfolded map.

One billion taels of silver, one million two hundred thousand taels of gold, and countless treasures.

This is a treasure trove of wealth that rivals that of a nation.

And he has just begun to use this treasure trove to usher in an era that belongs to them.

He heard soft footsteps behind him. Chen Xueru walked over and handed him a cup of tea.

"Are you done with your work?"

"temporary."

Chen Xueru didn't ask any more questions, but simply stood beside him, watching the increasingly bright sky outside the window with him.