Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

One meter long, one meter wide, and half a meter high. Its six sides are smooth as a mirror, like the finest stainless steel, clearly reflecting the surrounding scenery. Its eight sharp, straight edges are as if cut with the most precise instruments. Bathed in the soft light of the small world, the gold brick reflects a dazzling, pure golden light—a gold far superior to cheap brass, profound, deep, and noble, enough to mesmerize anyone and make their heart race.

He Damin nodded in satisfaction.

A ten-ton gold brick was born. It floated silently, radiating unparalleled power.

He didn't stop.

Continue extracting gold from "Golden City," continue melting it, and continue compressing it.

The second piece.

The third piece.

The fourth piece.

……

The creation of each gold brick involves the melting and compression of a large number of gold ingots. Although the process is repetitive, He Damin performs it meticulously. His gaze is focused and calm, as if he is performing a sacred ritual.

As the dawn was about to pierce the eastern night and the first rays of light were about to illuminate the summit of Victoria Peak, twelve enormous gold bricks, each weighing ten tons, were already neatly stacked on the plains of the small world. Standing side by side, they resembled twelve small golden monuments, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression.

One million two hundred thousand taels of gold, which is approximately 37,500 kilograms, or 37.5 tons. Twelve ten-ton gold bars, totaling one hundred and twenty tons—no, He Damin suddenly realized he had miscalculated.

He stopped, frowned slightly, and recalculated.

One million two hundred thousand taels of gold, according to the old system of one jin and sixteen taels, one tael is approximately equal to 31.25 grams. One million two hundred thousand taels is one million two hundred thousand multiplied by 31.25 grams, which is equal to 37.5 million grams, or 37,500 kilograms, or 37.5 tons.

That's right, it's thirty-seven and a half tons.

He just melted down twelve 10-ton gold bricks, which is 120 tons. Where did the extra 80-plus tons come from?

He Damin paused for a moment, then chuckled. Right, he'd almost forgotten. Besides the 1.2 million taels of pure gold ingots, Heshen's treasure contained a vast array of gold artifacts—gold bowls, chopsticks, spoons, cups, wine cups, ruyi scepters, incense burners, and even a complete set of gold chimes! Although these artifacts were also made of gold, he had previously stored them separately as "objects," not including them in the count of "gold ingots." And the total weight of all those artifacts far exceeded his estimate.

He turned to look at an area not far away. There, hundreds of exquisite gold artifacts were neatly arranged on specially made shelves, gleaming under the light of the small world. The set of gold chimes consisted of sixteen pieces, each weighing several kilograms, and was engraved with intricate dragon and auspicious cloud patterns—clearly of immense value. The gold bowls, chopsticks, and cups were countless, weighing dozens of kilograms in total. And the gold cups and plates inlaid with rubies, sapphires, and jade were even more exquisite.

If it were all melted down, it would easily amount to more than 80 tons, or even 100 tons.

He Damin looked at the exquisite gold artifacts and hesitated for a moment.

Each of these gold artifacts is a work of art. The gold chime bells are engraved with inscriptions from the Qianlong era, recording the history of that time; the gold bowls are engraved with a pattern of five blessings surrounding longevity, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship; and the inlaid gemstones are priceless, radiant with brilliance. If melted down, these works of art, carrying history and craftsmanship, would be lost forever, reduced to a pile of cold metal blocks.

but--

He recalled the origins of these gold artifacts. They were acquired by Heshen through countless acts of plundering the people, symbols of the decadent and extravagant lifestyle of the feudal dynasty. They were stained with the blood and sweat of the common people, bearing not civilization, but rather greed and sin. Keeping them, aside from satisfying a little collecting desire, held little real meaning.

Let them melt if they want. Rather than letting them lie in a corner gathering dust, it's better to let them play a greater role and become the cornerstone of his plan.

He Damin's mind stirred, and he no longer hesitated. The gold artifacts on the shelves flew up like a swarm of bees summoned to the smelting area. They began to melt in mid-air; the exquisite patterns and inlaid gemstones vanished instantly, merging into new gold spheres. The gemstones turned to ash or melted into the metal under the high temperature, disappearing without a trace.

The fifth piece.

The sixth piece.

The seventh piece.

……

The number of BRICS countries is steadily increasing.

As the first rays of sunlight in the east finally broke through the shackles of night, golden light shone through the study window onto He Damin's face, and his spirit returned to its place, his physical body reappearing on the carpet.

He slowly opened his eyes, a hint of fatigue flashing in them, his face slightly pale. A night of meticulous work had taken a toll on his spiritual energy and true essence. Yet, his eyes held a sense of relieved satisfaction and excitement.

On the plains of the inner world, twenty enormous gold bricks, each weighing ten tons, are neatly stacked.

Twenty dollars, two hundred tons of gold.

That's a reserve that would make any central bank envious; it's a fortune powerful enough to shake up the market.

That's enough. These two hundred tons of gold form the most solid foundation of the global banking system.

three days later.

At nine o'clock in the morning, He Damin was taking a walk in the garden, breathing in the fresh morning air and listening to the birds' cheerful chirping. Suddenly, his mobile phone rang, emitting a "beep beep beep" notification sound. He picked up the phone.

"Mr. He, both buildings are settled!" Lawrence's voice came through the receiver, brimming with barely concealed excitement and a hint of self-satisfaction. "The trading company building on Queen's Road Central, five stories, 3,000 square feet, English-style architecture, very square interior layout, and good natural light. The owner is Jardine Matheson, a British firm. They've recently run into some problems with their investments in Southeast Asia and are eager to cash out. They initially asked for HK$800,000, but after much persuasion and using some connections, I finally got it down to HK$730,000! Absolutely a bargain!"

He Damin hummed in agreement, signaling him to continue.

"That four-story building on Des Voeux Road Central, although it looks a bit old on the outside, with a red brick structure, is well-maintained inside, and it has two basement levels, which is extremely rare in Central! The location is superb, with the tram station downstairs, and the foot traffic is very high, making it perfect for a branch. The transaction price of HK$520,000 is also a great deal!" Lawrence finished speaking in one breath, his tone full of pride.

"Very good." He Damin's voice remained calm.

"And then there's the renovation plan for the headquarters building's basement. I had three top-tier security companies compete for the contract. We ultimately chose G4S from the UK; they have experience constructing the largest vault in the Far East, and their technology and reputation are top-notch," Lawrence continued, reporting. "As per your requirements, the walls are reinforced with 1.2 meters of thick reinforced concrete, with three layers of explosion-proof wire mesh inside, and then covered with a 30-centimeter-thick special steel plate on the outside. The main door is a top-of-the-line Swiss-made explosion-proof door, weighing eight tons. It's fireproof, explosion-proof, drill-proof, and cut-proof—reportedly, even small explosives can't break it! And it requires six people simultaneously using different keys and passwords to open it; the security level is absolutely the highest!"

"How big is the basement?" He Damin asked.

"About five hundred square feet, with a ceiling height of four meters. That's enough..." Lawrence paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully. He was curious about what treasures this mysterious Mr. He intended to store in such a secure vault. "Enough for you to put... whatever you want."

He Damin's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile: "Very good. This afternoon, have the construction team start work. I need to see the renovated vault completed within a week, and it must fully meet the requirements."

"A week?" Lawrence hesitated, his voice trembling. "Mr. He, that project... a 1.2-meter reinforced concrete wall, plus steel plates, the timeline is extremely tight. Under normal circumstances, it would take at least a month..."

"Add more money." He Damin interrupted him, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Have them work in three shifts, 24 hours a day, with the machines running non-stop. Give them the best of everything, no matter how many people or materials they need. Money is not an issue; I only care about speed and quality. I need to see a usable vault within a week."

"Understood!" Lawrence replied immediately upon hearing the words "more money," his tone regaining its excitement. "I'll inform them right away and guarantee it's finished within a week, at all costs!"