Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

On a clear morning atop Victoria Peak, a thin mist, carrying a damp coolness, gently enveloped this luxurious mansion atop Hong Kong. The air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and earth, mingled with a faint floral fragrance—perhaps the precious orchids in the garden had quietly bloomed under the cover of night.

He Damin stood before the huge floor-to-ceiling window of his study, holding a cup of warm Longjing tea. The cup was made of fine white porcelain, smooth to the touch, with a faint steam rising from its sides. The tea was clear, the tender green tea leaves unfurling and swirling gently in the water, releasing a refreshing fragrance. He took a small sip, the warm tea sliding down his throat, leaving a mellow aftertaste.

Outside the window, Hong Kong was still immersed in the tranquility before dawn. Victoria Harbour in the distance resembled a giant piece of black jade, not yet fully awake. A thin, flowing mist floated on the sea, blurring the outline of Kowloon on the opposite shore. Several early-morning ferries, their lights on like weary travelers, slowly traversed the mist. The lights on the ships flickered, appearing through the thin fog like stars that had accidentally fallen from the sky into the sea, gently swaying with the waves. Occasionally, early-rising seagulls skimmed across the water, emitting a clear cry or two, breaking the stillness.

He had been standing there for a long time, so long that the Longjing tea in his cup was almost cold. The morning breeze ruffled a few strands of hair on his forehead, but he was completely unaware.

For the past few months, one question has been swirling in his mind—what exactly does he want?

Money? He had it. Just think of the mountains of gold and silver hidden in that little world: two hundred tons of gold piled up like small mountains, a billion taels of silver gleaming with a soft luster, and countless antiques, paintings, jewels, and jade collected from various dynasties—any one of them could cause a sensation in the market. This wealth, let alone in his lifetime, even his descendants could not spend it all in several lifetimes.

Power? He has it too. The Bank of Hong Kong now holds a pivotal position in Hong Kong's financial world, controlling almost a third of the city's financial flows. Which banker in a suit doesn't treat him with utmost respect? Asia Television's transmission tower is already erected, and it will begin trial broadcasts next month. At that time, his voice and image will resonate throughout Hong Kong and even Southeast Asia. The ocean shipping company's fleet, like a group of steel whales, is shuttling day and night across the Pacific Ocean, transporting goods to all parts of the world and bringing in a steady stream of profits. As for Hong Kong's underworld and legitimate society, who doesn't show a degree of awe at the mention of the "Ho family"? Those once arrogant bigwigs now treat him with utmost deference.

But he still felt empty inside, as if something was missing.

It wasn't that he didn't have enough money or enough power, but rather, he lacked capable people. He had too few people under him who could truly stand alone and share the burden. Lawrence, the meticulous Englishman, managed the Global Bank impeccably, but that was all; he couldn't get involved in anything outside of finance. John, his secretary, was loyal and adept at handling daily affairs, but lacked vision and boldness. He Yuzhu, the chef from Beijing, ran a thriving restaurant business, always packed with customers, but his world seemed to consist only of pots, pans, and recipes. Chen Xueru, his wife, was intelligent and capable, handling the preparations for Asia TV with great success, but being a woman with limited experience, he couldn't bear to burden her with too much work.

Everyone is like a wound-up top, so busy they barely have time to breathe. From morning till night, the phone keeps ringing and documents pile up, but even so, the things to do keep coming in like a tidal wave, and there's never enough time to finish.

"I need to find someone." He gently put down the slightly cool teacup in his hand, the bottom of the cup making a soft sound as it collided with the smooth mahogany windowsill. He murmured to himself, his eyes showing a hint of weariness, but also a hint of determination.

There was a gentle knocking sound behind me, neither too loud nor too soft, a very measured sound.

"Come in." He Damin didn't turn around.

John pushed open the door and came in, still dressed in a sharp dark suit, his hair neatly combed, and wearing gold-rimmed glasses. He was carrying a thick stack of documents, which were neatly clipped together, clearly having been carefully organized.

"Mr. He," John walked to the desk and carefully placed the documents on the table. "The Asia TV transmission tower is all built. The technicians did a final test yesterday, and everything is normal. We can start trial broadcasts as planned next month." He paused, then picked up another folder. "As for the film studio, the first batch of ancient architecture experts brought in from the mainland and Europe have arrived in Hong Kong. They are currently in the hotel organizing the design drawings and are expected to have a preliminary plan next week." He continued his report, speaking steadily and clearly. "Also, the ocean shipping company has ordered three new cargo ships from Europe, all of which are the most advanced models currently available. They are expected to be delivered next month. Including the previous ten ships, we now have a total of thirteen ships dedicated to the Americas route, increasing our capacity by almost 30%."

He Damin merely nodded slightly, his gaze not falling on the documents. John would regularly report these matters to him, so he was aware of them.

"John," He Damin turned around, walked to the desk, placed his hands on the table, and looked at him, "Do you know anyone at a headhunting firm?"

John paused, adjusted his glasses, and seemed somewhat surprised. "A headhunting firm? Mr. He, you mean one that specializes in poaching talent?"

"Yes." He Damin sat down in the large leather chair, leaning back and tapping his fingers lightly on the table. "I need to find people. A lot of management talent. Senior managers in banks, operations personnel in television stations, senior captains and dispatching experts in shipping companies, planning and engineering management in real estate... In short, from all walks of life, as long as they are capable and can get things done, we need them."

John frowned and thought for a moment before answering seriously, "There are indeed a few headhunting firms in Hong Kong, but they are all small in scale and mainly help small and medium-sized enterprises find ordinary employees or middle managers. If you are looking for high-end talent who can work independently, you might... need to hire a specialized headhunting firm from London or New York, as they have more resources and channels."

"Then we'll hire from London and New York," He Damin said without hesitation, his tone resolute. "Money isn't an issue. What I need are people—people who can actually get things done, people who can help me keep everything running smoothly. Once we find them, the compensation will be excellent; position and salary are negotiable, as long as they have the ability."

John immediately pulled a small notebook and pen from his pocket and quickly jotted down He Damin's instructions in neat handwriting. After finishing, he looked up at He Damin, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but hesitated.

"Say what you want to say, no need to beat around the bush," He Damin said calmly, seeing through his thoughts.

"Mr. He," John carefully chose his words, trying to make his tone as tactful as possible, "have you recently... wanted to step back from the specifics of things and have more time... to rest? Or perhaps, to handle something more important?" Having worked for He Damin for so long, he could somewhat guess what his boss was thinking. Mr. He seemed increasingly dissatisfied with merely managing these worldly businesses.

He Damin looked at him, a slight, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips. "You're quite a clever man."

John smiled sheepishly and adjusted his glasses: "Having followed you for so long, I can guess a little bit of what you're thinking."

He Damin stood up, walked to the window again, and gazed at the hazy sea in the distance. "I'm a monk, John. This money, these properties, really don't mean much to me. I have more important things to do, things concerning my cultivation, things concerning my path." He paused, his tone softening. "But I can't just ignore everything—Xue Ru is struggling to run the TV station alone; she needs capable people to help her. Yu Zhu and Yu Shui are helpless in this world; I have to protect them, to ensure they can live peacefully. From now on…"

He didn't continue; there were still many things to do, many things he had to face and accomplish.

John wisely refrained from asking further questions and simply stood quietly to the side, awaiting further instructions from his boss.

"We'll talk about the future later." He Damin turned around, his eyes sharpening. "You go and handle the headhunting matter first. I need the best headhunting team to find the most suitable people for me as quickly as possible. This is the highest priority."

"Understood, Mr. He. I'll contact the headhunting firms in London and New York right away." John nodded, closed his notebook, picked up the documents on the table, and prepared to leave.

"Wait a minute," He Damin called out to him.

"Is there anything else you need, Mr. He?"

"Tell Lawrence to transfer a special fund from the bank specifically for talent acquisition. The amount... let's prepare ten million pounds for now."

John was startled. Ten million pounds! That was an astronomical sum at the time, enough to tempt any top talent. But he didn't ask any further questions, only replying in a deep voice, "Yes, I will inform Mr. Lawrence immediately."

After John left, the study returned to silence. He Damin stood alone by the window, gazing at the distant sea. The fog seemed to have thinned somewhat, and he could vaguely see the sparse lights of the Kowloon Peninsula on the opposite shore. His thoughts drifted far away, many years into the future, to the future he had envisioned.

He recalled Chen Xueru's meditation the previous night. She practiced until midnight before concluding, and the energy in her dantian had grown stronger and circulated more smoothly. A Qi Refining Stage 3 cultivation level would be considered legendary by ordinary people as a "martial arts master," exuding an aura unmatched by ordinary individuals. But to him, a Nascent Soul cultivator, it was still too slow, as slow as a snail's pace. At this rate, when would she reach Foundation Establishment? And after Foundation Establishment, when would she condense her Golden Core? Without Golden Core cultivation, in this perilous world, she was ultimately too vulnerable.

He Damin closed his eyes, his mind sinking into his body. His divine sense, as swift as an arm, probed into his dantian. There, his identical primordial spirit sat quietly on a lotus platform radiating seven-colored light, surrounded by a faint purple aura, emanating a warm, jade-like, yet unfathomable radiance. In this era of scarce spiritual energy and declining cultivation, his mid-stage Nascent Soul realm cultivation placed him at the very pinnacle; across the entire Earth, few could rival him. Yet his wife, his family, were still struggling at the very beginning of their cultivation journey. This sense of powerlessness made him somewhat irritable.

He opened his eyes, sighed softly, with a hint of helplessness in his voice.

"We need to think of something," he said softly, as if speaking to himself, yet also to the world. "Although the Tai Chi Harmony Technique is a supreme dual cultivation method, Xue Ru's current cultivation level is too low, her foundation too shallow. Forcing dual cultivation would be more harmful than beneficial to her, and might even damage her meridians. We can only wait, wait until she's stronger, at least until she reaches the late stage of Qi Refining, when Foundation Establishment is within reach..."