Chapter 9: Leading the Villagers to Riches!
Lin Xian was taken aback by Liu Ruyan’s words. Livestream? Broadcasting their village?
The netizens in the chat room watched Lin Xian’s expression and began to speculate.
"Look at that face. He clearly doesn't want Sister Ruyan to livestream!"
"Haha, you have to think about it—with the amount of crimes this guy has committed, how could he possibly allow a broadcast?"
"Exactly. What kind of criminal would let a reporter livestream him? Isn't that just begging for his own death?"
Liu Ruyan also watched Lin Xian nervously. In her heart, she assumed there was a high probability he would refuse. But she had no other choice; this was the internet age, and even if she didn't confess her intentions, Lin Xian would find out sooner or later.
"This..." Lin Xian hesitated for a fleeting moment, then his face broke into a look of delight. "A good thing! Naturally, you may."
He was practically begging for Linjiacun Village to gain more fame, faster. This was the era of the internet, and a livestream was the quickest way to drum up popularity.
"Ah? You're okay with it?"
Liu Ruyan blinked, clearly not having expected such a response.
Lin Xian smiled. "Of course. It’s not like Linjiacun Village has anything to hide."
Liu Ruyan’s mouth twitched. If Linjiacun Village didn't have anything to hide, that would be a first. This man was quite good at playing dumb. Anyone who didn't know better would have been completely fooled, thinking he was some kind of saint.
"Alright then... I'll get prepared and then we can start? Oh, my assistant will be bringing the equipment over later, so I might need to trouble you to help me find a place to stay."
Liu Ruyan asked tentatively.
Lin Xian nodded. "Naturally, that is fine."
"Then I’ll lead you to find a place to stay first. Your assistant can lodge there once they arrive," Lin Xian said as he looked at Liu Ruyan.
"Very well."
"You all can disperse. Once A Da and the others return, we will prepare for the Lunar New Year. Also, don't let those business dealings lapse," Lin Xian said to the villagers.
Upon hearing this, the villagers dispersed.
"Lunar New Year preparations? Business?" Liu Ruyan looked at Lin Xian, unsure of what he was referring to.
"Oh, just some traditional customs. The 'Parade of Gods' and the like. We need to cast the divination blocks to see which deity wants to come out this year. I’ll have to preside over it when the time comes," Lin Xian laughed. Their village had a thousand-year heritage, and naturally, they had their own traditions for the New Year. As the Great-Grandfather of the village, almost everything, big or small, was decided by him.
"The Parade of Gods?"
Liu Ruyan was quite surprised. Traditional culture like this was rare nowadays. She hadn't expected this village to still have it; it seemed Lin Xian hadn't lied—this village truly had a long history.
*What a pity,* Liu Ruyan thought to herself. *It’s a pity the villagers followed Lin Xian down a path of crime.*
"As for the business, well, just some small-time trade," Lin Xian said cheerfully. The villagers of Linjiacun Village had earned quite a bit of money thanks to his "business" ventures.
Liu Ruyan’s mouth twitched again. *Small-time trade?* More like massive, illicit enterprises. Drug trafficking and the sale of stolen artifacts—which one of those wasn't a lucrative, capital offense?
"You can stay at my place. My house is huge. There are no inns in the village, so mine is definitely the most comfortable," Lin Xian said.
Liu Ruyan was stunned. Staying at Lin Xian’s house—wouldn't that be incredibly dangerous? But after a moment of hesitation, she made her decision: Go! Since she had already decided to personally expose Lin Xian’s crimes, wouldn't she be able to find even more clues inside his home?
She followed Lin Xian. Along the way, she observed the quaint, traditional self-built houses of Linjiacun Village. *This village really is rustic. And these people, following Lin Xian in such illegal activities—shouldn't they be quite wealthy? Why do they look so poor?*
On the road, a young, pretty village woman paused when she saw Lin Xian.
Lin Xian saw her and grinned. "Xiao Hua, you’ve gotten even prettier after a year. How’s your waist doing? Why don't you let Grandpa give you a massage tonight?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Hua’s face flushed red, and she ran off with her head down.
Liu Ruyan watched the lewd smile on Lin Xian’s face, and her hair stood on end. He was molesting a decent woman right in front of her? He really was a tyrant.
The netizens in the livestream were the same.
"Damn, that smile is disgusting!"
"Exactly! Molesting a woman in this day and age? What kind of person is he?"
"Looks like he really is a tyrant. Some people were saying he was a high-ranking elder earlier—does this look like a high-ranking elder to you? Who treats their juniors like that?"
They didn't walk much further before they saw a small boy dribbling a basketball. The boy saw Lin Xian and a look of pure panic flashed across his small face.
Lin Xian frowned as he looked at the boy. "Lin Dong, still playing out here? Get your ass home!" He scolded him mercilessly, his eyes filled with a sentiment of "hatred of iron not turning into steel."
This scene was caught by Liu Ruyan. *Even the children are so afraid of him... Just how much does he lord over this village?* she thought to herself. The status of Lin Xian as a village tyrant was firmly cemented.
The netizens agreed. "No wonder the older ones are afraid of him. He probably bullied them since they were kids."
"I think so too. This whole village has likely been ruined by this family."
"Seriously, I hope Sister Ruyan can hurry up and take this tyrant down."
As they reached the center of the village, Liu Ruyan stared in astonishment at the massive Chinese-style estate. The red wooden gate alone was three meters tall and looked incredibly imposing. The courtyard walls were topped with colorful glazed tiles that shimmered under the sun.
"This is too extravagant," Liu Ruyan couldn't help but say. No wonder the others were so poor—it turns out they were all being bled dry by Lin Xian. A mountain village! How could they possibly have the resources to build such a compound? It was obvious: Lin Xian had undoubtedly committed massive criminal acts. It made sense—drug trafficking, arms dealing—which one of those wasn't high-profit? Having such a large courtyard was only natural.
The netizens realized this too.
"Damn, look at that wealth!"
"As expected, the accumulation of capital is always bloody. I didn't believe someone this young could commit so many crimes, but now I do."
"Awesome. Such a luxurious estate... the assets must be over a hundred million."
"Sure enough, the most profitable businesses are all written in the criminal code!"
Lin Xian opened the gate. The furnishings inside left Liu Ruyan stunned. Right at the entrance was a massive fountain pool, and what was most shocking were the twelve lifelike statues of the Chinese zodiac spraying water. The statues reflected a golden light in the sun.
"This... these wouldn't be the bronze zodiac heads, would they?" Liu Ruyan couldn't help but ask.
"Ah? No," Lin Xian quickly said. "Who doesn't know the fame of the twelve zodiac heads? Mine aren't bronze."
Liu Ruyan exhaled in relief. She remembered that this man had been convicted of trafficking cultural relics.
"Mine are made of gold," Lin Xian said, dropping a bombshell.
His twelve zodiac statues had a thousand-year history. Back when the Lin family was in its prime, these were the very statues that sat before the imperial palace.
Liu Ruyan was deeply shocked. She had heard that some drug lords kept tons of gold in their homes, but seeing it now, it was clearly true.
The netizens were stunned by Lin Xian’s casual tone.
"Gold? All twelve statues are gold? Holy crap, how much is that worth?"
"Amazing. How many families had to suffer to accumulate this much money?"
"Why isn't he arrested? Just raid the place and grab the account books—evidence, done."
"It's a society ruled by law, okay? Do you think this is ancient times? You can't just raid a house. How are you going to search without evidence?"
Back at headquarters, all the police officers were speechless as they watched Lin Xian’s home. As the core of this operation, they already knew the crimes committed by the teenager before them.
"This... this is enough for how many people to get a first-class merit award!" They watched the boy, their eyes burning with excitement. The young officers were eager to build their careers.
"This courtyard was maintained by my ancestors. My parents died early," Lin Xian said, introducing the courtyard to Liu Ruyan. His parents had passed when he was young, leaving behind nothing but this cold, extravagant estate.
"Um... my assistant has brought the equipment," Liu Ruyan said that afternoon. Actually, when she mentioned the assistant in the morning, the team was already prepared, including, but not limited to, wiretapping devices and a professional cameraman.
"You guys really are efficient! As expected of the state broadcaster," Lin Xian couldn't help but marvel. "Tell him to drive straight along the road; I have a parking lot here."
"We’ll start the livestream as soon as we're ready," Liu Ruyan stared at Lin Xian, trying to find a flaw in his demeanor.
Lin Xian laughed at this. "That is fine, but what is the content of your broadcast?"
Liu Ruyan looked at him. "It would be best to broadcast some of your village’s new and old culture."
"Oh? That’s perfect. There’s a village gathering this afternoon. Everyone in the village has to attend. It's something I organized to help boost prosperity in Linjiacun Village," Lin Xian smiled. He was determined to lead the villagers toward the path of wealth. Of course, the villagers were already quite rich—almost every household had savings of over a million. But money? Who ever complained about having too much?
Liu Ruyan’s heart skipped a beat when she heard "prosperity." Is that something that can be broadcasted? Don't you know how your village got rich?
The netizens were also surprised.
"Whoa, here we go?"
"Isn't this too bold? Knowing Sister Ruyan is livestreaming, he still dares to do this?"
"He can't be that stupid, right?"
"Maybe it’s some legal activity?"
"It has to be. But how do you get rich like this? A group of people? Could it be a joint investment?"
Not only were the netizens curious, so was Liu Ruyan.
Soon, a van pulled up to the gate of the Lin Family Estate. Two people stepped out—one carrying a toolbox and the other carrying a camera.
"Sister Ruyan," the cameraman, Wang Heng, called out.
Liu Ruyan nodded. He was also a member of the main station staff. With a full-scale broadcast, she assumed the villagers wouldn't dare do anything outrageous. As for the one with the toolbox, that was a tactical officer. Liu Ruyan already knew where Lin Xian lived; now, while he was out, they could plant the bugs in his room. She gave the officer a wink. With Lin Xian gone, it was the perfect opportunity.
"Xiao Wang, let's go. To the central square," Liu Ruyan said to Wang Heng. She wanted to see exactly what Lin Xian’s plan for "village prosperity" was.
***
"Is everything handled?" Lin Xian asked the village chief, Lin Zhang.
Lin Zhang nodded. "Yes, Great-Grandfather. A Da and the others will likely be detained for a month."
Lin Xian rubbed his chin. "A month. When they get out, give them 50,000 yuan each. The station isn't a great place to be, and A Da and the others are getting on in years. Take the funds from my account."
Lin Zhang was shocked. "Great-Grandfather, that's too much! You’ve already done so much for the villagers. If they knew, they wouldn't take your money!"
Lin Xian waved his hand. "It’s decided. Money is a small matter." Luckily, these people wouldn't have a criminal record; otherwise, Lin Xian would have given them even more. After all, prison time would affect the next three generations' ability to take civil service exams.
"Also, how are those items selling?"
Lin Zhang quickly brought over the ledger. "As you said, we’re selling by the gram. We’ve already sold nearly 10 million worth, and there are many people clamoring for more."
"As for those transnational items, they’re selling well too," Lin Zhang smiled. Their village had no shortage of craftsmen. With skills passed down for a thousand years, their products were naturally sold as thousand-year-old artifacts. They were convincing enough to pass for the real thing.
"The total income has already exceeded 50 million. Following your instructions, we’ve distributed it per household, with each family getting 500,000."
"Not bad, but still a bit slow," Lin Xian remarked.
"Ah? Slow?" Lin Zhang was dazed. He had no idea how "fast" the Great-Grandfather wanted things to be. Most people couldn't earn 500,000 in a lifetime!
"Hehe, we must learn to keep up with the times. This is the internet age, and those silly foreigners know how to use the internet too," Lin Xian said with a chuckle. "We'll discuss that later. I have something to organize in a bit."
The path to prosperity for Linjiacun Village had to be accelerated.
Lin Zhang looked at him. "Yes, I’ve already notified the villagers." He asked curiously, "But Great-Grandfather, what is it?"
Lin Xian’s eyes glinted. "Hehe, a money-making venture. Like I said, the old methods are too slow. By this afternoon, I want every household in the village to earn about 300,000."
"Hisss... 300,000? In an afternoon?" Lin Zhang was stunned. That was fast indeed! He never doubted the Great-Grandfather. Ever since the Great-Grandfather was in high school, he had been leading the village to make money. They were essentially headed straight for prosperity. "Great-Grandfather, how are you going to do it?"
Lin Xian wore a mysterious smile and uttered a single word: "Borrow."