Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

Just past seven in the morning, the thin mist over Hong Kong Island had not yet completely dissipated, carrying a damp coolness from the sea breeze. He Damin sat behind the large rosewood desk in his study, a freshly lit cigarette between his fingers, wisps of smoke rising slowly in the morning light, carrying a faint, mellow tobacco aroma. He picked up the black rotary dial telephone on the table, the cold metallic touch sending shivers down his spine.

The number was dialed, and a "beep...beep..." waiting tone came from the receiver. After only one ring, the call was answered, as quickly as if the other party had been waiting by the phone the whole time.

"Good morning, Mr. He!" Lawrence's voice came through the receiver, carrying just the right amount of professional enthusiasm. His tone was rising, full of energy, as if the sunshine could jump out of his voice, making people feel invigorated at first listen, as if he was ready to go through fire and water for his clients at any time.

"There's something I need you to do." He Damin took a deep drag on his cigarette, the smoke rings slowly spreading in the air. His voice was calm and steady, without a trace of emotion. He got straight to the point, "I need a building. To serve as the headquarters for Global Bank Management Company."

Immediately, the sound of pages turning came from the other end of the phone, crisp and rapid. Lawrence was clearly writing down every word in his notebook, afraid of missing any important information.

"What kind of building? What are the requirements for location, size, and budget?" Lawrence's voice carried a hint of anticipation. He knew that every time Mr. He spoke, it meant a big deal.

"Central, prime location." He Damin's voice was calm and measured, carrying an undeniable certainty. "It needs to be large and impressive. Ideally, a detached building with ample underground space. Budget is not an issue."

The words "Budget is not a problem" were like a reassuring pill, instantly lifting Lawrence's spirits on the other end of the phone. He pondered for a moment, his fingers tapping lightly on the paper, making a soft "tap-tap" sound, as if he were quickly filtering suitable properties in his mind: "A detached building in the heart of Central... There are suitable ones on the market, but not many. I have a few options—there's a five-story foreign-owned building on Queen's Road Central, owned by a British company, which is currently experiencing business difficulties and is looking to sell; there's another one on Des Voeux Road Central, a bit older, with a colonial-era red brick exterior, but in an excellent location, right next to the tram terminus, with high foot traffic, and it has two basement levels, which is very rare..."

"I want them all." He Damin interrupted him, his tone as indifferent as if he were saying that the weather was nice today.

Lawrence was visibly taken aback. A barely audible gasp came from the other end of the phone, clearly indicating that this decision was beyond his expectations: "Both...you want them all?" He even wondered if he had misheard and repeated it on purpose.

"Hmm," He Damin responded, as if it were a trivial matter. "The building on Queen's Road Central will serve as the headquarters of Global Bank. The one on Des Voeux Road Central can be the flagship branch of Wing On Bank. They have good locations and high foot traffic, perfect for retail business." He paused, then added, his tone becoming serious. "In addition, I need top-level security for the basement of the headquarters building. The walls need to be thickened with the best reinforced concrete, and the doors need to be fireproof, explosion-proof, and drill-proof. Security must be absolutely foolproof. You will personally oversee this, and find the most professional team to do it. Money is not an issue, but quality must be guaranteed."

"Understood! Understood! Mr. He, please rest assured!" Lawrence's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement, his tone rising several decibels. He knew that this mysterious major client was about to make a big move again, and he would have the honor of participating. This was not just a matter of commission, but also a symbol of status and power.

"Once the price is agreed upon, go directly to Xue Ru to sign the check," He Damin instructed finally. "I'll give you a week, is that enough?"

"Enough! Absolutely enough! Mr. He, rest assured, I will get it done for you within a week!" Lawrence practically patted his chest in assurance, his tone resolute and full of confidence.

After hanging up the phone, He Damin stubbed out his cigarette in the crystal ashtray with a soft "sizzle." He stood up, walked to the huge French windows, and pushed aside the heavy velvet curtains. Outside, the morning sun had already bathed Victoria Harbour in its light. Large and small ships crisscrossed the water; the low whistles of cargo ships and the faint sounds of ferry motors mingled with the distant clanging of cranes at the docks, creating a bustling and vibrant scene. Sunlight shone on the shimmering sea, reflecting a dazzling light, and the outline of the Kowloon Peninsula was clearly visible in the distance, its skyscrapers rising like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

The name "Global Bank" will soon resonate throughout Hong Kong.

The first thing he needed to do was to give the bank an undeniable sense of confidence. This confidence had to be as solid as a rock and as radiant as gold.

That night, all was quiet on the top of Victoria Peak.

The mountain air was exceptionally fresh, carrying the scent of grass and the fragrance of earth. Chen Xueru was fast asleep, her even breathing rising and falling gently in the quiet bedroom. Her face looked particularly serene in the soft glow of the bedside lamp. In the next room, He Yushui and He Yuzhu were also fast asleep, perhaps having sweet dreams. The entire villa seemed to be immersed in the gentle night, with only the rustling of the night wind through the treetops outside the window and the occasional faint bark of a dog in the distance, further emphasizing the tranquility of the night.

He Damin sat cross-legged on the carpet in his study, the soft, thick Persian rug beneath him warm to the touch. His eyes were slightly closed, his hands resting on his knees, his breathing long and steady.

With a thought, his physical body vanished silently, like an ink droplet dissolving into water, and entered the inner realm of the universe.

Within this small world, the vibrant scene remained unchanged. The sky was a clear, azure, dotted with a few fluffy white clouds. In the distance, rolling green hills stretched out, lush and verdant, brimming with life. On the nearby plains, two colossal "peaks" stood majestically, one a silver mountain, the other a gold mountain. The mountain, composed of a billion taels of silver, gleamed with a cold, composed metallic luster under the soft light, like a snow-capped mountain in winter, solemn and awe-inspiring. Beside it, a square array of 1.2 million taels of gold resembled a golden city, dazzling and radiant, exuding an aura of opulence and weight; the very air seemed to be filled with the scent of money.

Standing before the "Golden City," He Damin's divine sense swept over it like the most precise scanner. The purity, weight, and shape of each gold ingot were instantly clear in his mind. Most of these ingots were officially minted during the Qing Dynasty, still bearing faint markings and reign titles. Each ingot weighed ten, twenty, or fifty taels, varying in shape and size, some even bearing burrs left from the casting process. As wealth, they were impeccable, heavy, and tangible. But as the "foundation" of the bank, they needed a more impactful form, a form that could directly impact people's vision and psychology.

What he needs is—a big gold brick.

A gold brick weighing ten tons.

What does ten tons mean? That's a full ten thousand kilograms, or two hundred thousand jin! Based on the density of gold, one ton of gold has a volume of approximately 0.05 cubic meters, so ten tons would be 0.5 cubic meters—equivalent to a cuboid one meter long, one meter wide, and half a meter high. Can you hold such a gold bar in your hand? No, you simply can't. It requires special machinery to move. A single gold bar like that would be priceless, enough to drive even the greediest person mad.

Neatly stacked in rows in the bank's basement, like well-trained soldiers. Anyone who walks in and sees those massive gold bars, gleaming with a cold, hard luster and exuding an aura of oppression, will be speechless with awe. That is true "confidence," a symbol of strength, enough to make any depositor feel at ease and any opponent feel in awe.

more importantly--

He Damin's lips curled up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile.

He wanted the whole of Hong Kong, and even the whole of Southeast Asia, to know that the basement of the Global Bank was filled with such large gold bars.

Once the news gets out, covetous eyes and suspicious glances will naturally focus on this place. And when, in the future, a Japanese bank's vault is "accidentally robbed," who will cast suspicious glances at a bank that has long publicly boasted about its vaults and boasted of its extremely tight security measures?

This is an open conspiracy.

It's also foreshadowing. Using the most public method, the deepest hidden moves are laid.

He Damin walked up to "Jincheng", stretched out his right hand and pressed it on the largest fifty-tael gold ingot. A cold and heavy touch came from his palm, and the surface of the gold ingot was smooth and cold.

Divine consciousness surged, and true essence circulated.

The fifty-tael gold ingot began to slowly melt. It wasn't with fire, there was no scorching heat, no raging flames, but with pure willpower—the Nascent Soul stage cultivator's control over matter far surpassed the imagination of mortals. The edges of the ingot first blurred, then slowly "melted" like ice, turning into a golden liquid.

Golden liquid flowed and gathered on the surface of the gold ingot, then slowly rose, floating in mid-air as if it were alive, forming a golden sphere the size of a small puddle, radiating a soft and warm light.

He Damin's mind stirred again, and more gold ingots flew out from the "Golden City," as if drawn by an invisible force, fluttering towards the golden sphere, melting into a golden liquid and merging with the first sphere.

One regiment, two regiments, ten regiments, a hundred regiments...

The golden liquid gathered and grew larger, the golden sphere expanding continuously until it gradually formed a giant golden sphere with a diameter of over one meter. It hovered in mid-air, slowly rotating, its surface as smooth as a mirror, clearly reflecting He Damin's calm figure.

That's not enough. Ten tons, and that's just the beginning.

He Damin continued to extract gold ingots from "Golden City," each ingot flying up, melting, and merging into the enormous golden sphere. The golden sphere's light grew brighter and brighter, and the surrounding air seemed to be dyed with a layer of gold.

Time passed second by second. There was no day and night cycle in the small world, but He Damin could clearly perceive the passage of time in the outside world.

When the 180th and 50-tael gold ingot was incorporated, the gold sphere had reached an astonishing volume. He Damin estimated it to be exactly ten tons of gold.

He began to compress.

The will, like a pair of invisible giant hands, squeezed the enormous golden sphere from all directions. The golden sphere slowly deformed, from a sphere to a cuboid, its edges gradually becoming distinct, its surface becoming smoother, and its internal density continuously increasing.

Compress, and compress again.

Gold is an extremely dense metal, but even gold, under the powerful divine sense suppression of a Nascent Soul stage cultivator, is compressed to be even denser than a normal gold ingot. The already tiny gaps are completely eliminated, and the metal's crystalline structure rearranges under immense pressure, becoming even more compact and robust.

Finally, a perfect gold brick floated in mid-air.