AWB Chapter 44 Crisis Awareness
Chapter 44 Crisis Awareness
After getting off the plane, Lin Yue and Gong Yong took their three children in a seven-seater van and, after a bumpy ride, finally arrived back at their home in Fuzhou.
The trip left everyone exhausted, both physically and mentally. Stepping into the house, a familiar and welcoming atmosphere greeted us, but at the same time, we could feel the desolation around us. After all, most of the residents of Rongcheng had returned to their hometowns for the Lunar New Year, and Rongcheng seemed sparsely populated at this moment. However, there were quite a few tourists from other places, adding a unique liveliness to the city.
Looking at the somewhat empty room, Lin Yue thought about how to help her family recover their energy as quickly as possible. She took out some vegetables and fruits, as well as some ready-made food, from her spatial storage and quickly set them on the dining table. There were no lavish dishes, just a simple yet heartwarming meal. The family sat together, eating dinner in silence; the fatigue of the journey had left them all rather quiet.
After washing up, the children quickly drifted off to sleep. Lin Yue and Gong Yong lay in bed, gazing at the ceiling, their hearts filled with anticipation for the future and a deep appreciation for this moment of peace. In this special time, home was their warmest harbor.
The Lunar New Year is fast approaching; it's the 28th of the twelfth lunar month, just two or three days away. Lin Yue and Gong Yong don't plan to go back to their hometown; instead, they're planning a trip to the surrounding area with their children.
About 30 kilometers from Lin Yue's home lies an ancient town that has existed for over a thousand years. Next to the ancient town, 72 courtyards have been developed, and the properties within are currently being bought and sold.
In the morning, after the children finished breakfast, Lin Yue discussed with them going out to look at houses, and everyone readily agreed. Gong Yong drove the family car, and the family set off. They first arrived at the ancient town, where the children excitedly explored everything, while Gong Yong and Lin Yue patiently accompanied them. After playing around for a while, it was almost noon, and everyone felt a little tired, so they had lunch together. Little Bao was tired and wanted to sleep, so Gong Yong and Lin Yue found a corner of the ancient town without security cameras to settle him down.
Afterwards, the two changed into different outfits and each wore an expensive watch. Lin Yue also carried a designer handbag before heading to the 72 buildings for sale next to the ancient town. Upon entering the sales office, the rustic courtyard was built according to the style of a Jiangnan water town gate, with Chinese-style interior decoration.
Lin Yue and Gong Yong strolled inside and asked the sales staff which units were still unsold. They learned that most staff had already gone on holiday, and today and tomorrow were their last two days on duty. Of the remaining courtyards, only one or two units remained unsold. Mingyue chose one and asked the salesperson to show it to her.
Led by the salesperson in a sightseeing vehicle, they arrived at a quaint courtyard. Upon entering through the double vermilion gates, exquisite murals immediately caught their eye. Turning right into a connecting corridor led to a front garden, flanked by two kitchens, with three side rooms on each side, and a living room and kitchen in the center. Beyond the living room and kitchen, there was a second floor and a rear garden. Behind the rear garden, a connecting corridor led to the three kitchens. Above the living room and kitchen was a master bedroom complex, featuring a large master bedroom and ensuite bathroom. Further west, there was another large secondary bedroom complex.
Lin Yue and Gong Yong looked around the courtyard, secretly making plans. The layout and environment of the courtyard captivated them, as if they could already see their future family living happily there.
After viewing the house, Lin Yue and Gong Yong inquired about the approximate price from the salesperson. The young man explained, "This house was built many years ago. It was previously purchased by an insider, but no one ever lived there. Now, due to the economic downturn, the owner may be short of funds and urgently needs cash, so they want to sell. Although the house was purchased many years ago, the 70-year property rights now only have a little over 50 years left. Moreover, it's an unfurnished house; the original owner never even visited. The price is approximately 270 million yuan, and full payment is required."
Lin Yue and Gong Yong exchanged a glance, feeling somewhat hesitant. They told the salesperson they needed to go home and discuss it with their children, and would contact them if needed. The salesperson smiled and handed them a business card, which Lin Yue put in her bag before leaving with Gong Yong.
After spending about an hour and a half there, Lin Yue and Gong Yong returned to where they had parked earlier. They walked to a corner without surveillance cameras, released the three children, and then the family went to where Gong Yong had parked the car, got in, and prepared to go home.
As the car pulled up to the apartment building, a hot pot restaurant came into view. This was the hot pot restaurant that Lin Yue and Lao Xiao co-owned. Lin Yue and Gong Yong decided that the hot pot restaurant would be closed on the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, and would not be open again until the eighth day of the first lunar month.
Tonight, the whole family can have hot pot and dinner with Lao Xiao, and discuss the work arrangements after the New Year, give out red envelopes to the employees, and settle their wages. Some employees who live far away may have left early, while those who live nearby can stay for another day to wrap things up.
The family entered the hot pot restaurant, and the lively atmosphere inside excited the children. Old Xiao warmly greeted them, and everyone sat together. The steaming hot pot dispelled the winter chill and made family and friendship even stronger at that moment.
The two families sat in a private room, having a lively time. Xiao Hui and Lao Xiao's child, along with Lao Xiao's parents, and Lin Yue's family of five, made up a group of more than ten people sitting together.
After the dinner, Lao Xiao's parents helped watch over the four children as they played in the square near the hot pot restaurant. Gong Yong, Lin Yue, Xiao Hui, and Lao Xiao sat together to discuss plans for after the New Year.
After discussing business, Lao Xiao suddenly said, "The situation abroad is really tense, not only in China." Xiao Hui also sighed, "I have several college roommates and friends. With the economic downturn, everyone is aware of the crisis and is thinking about stockpiling supplies as a precaution, for fear of economic problems."
At this moment, Lao Xiao asked from the side, "Lin Yue, are you still selling the 5-cubic-meter red beads from before?" Lin Yue and Gong Yong exchanged a glance. Lin Yue said, "If that person is trustworthy and there are no major problems, you can sell some to others." Lin Yue then asked, "What size are your friend planning to buy?" Lao Xiao said, "Something similar to his." Lin Yue's attitude was firm. She stated, "Either the whole couple should buy the same as Lao Xiao, to avoid the family falling apart because one of them doesn't have any, and to prevent different situations from arising. I don't want this small storage item to cause instability in other people's families or marriages."
Finally, Lao Xiao said, "Their friends only get a day off tomorrow. I hope Lin Zaiyue can give us some time tomorrow night so we can all have dinner together, and then they can all bring their partners to discuss the purchase."
After a moment's thought, Lin Yue nodded in agreement.
To avoid the three groups of people showing up together, Lin Yue and Lao Xiao discussed it and arranged for them to meet at three different times, all in the evening. One was around 7 pm, another around 9 pm, and the third around 11 pm. This separation meant that each group could discuss their situation privately without having to share information with Lin Yue, and it also avoided comparisons based on the size of their purchases.
The first couple to arrive were of modest means. They had a child the same age as Gong Yong and Lin Yue, and paid 30 yuan. They had a daughter; the woman was a housewife, taking care of the child every day. The man worked for a company in the computer industry, earning an annual salary of around 30 yuan. Over the years, they had saved a considerable amount of money and even sold two houses. Seeing Lao Xiao's situation, and wanting to protect their child and loved one, the couple came to him.
Old Xiao introduced Lin Yue, who came to meet them wearing makeup that resembled another person. This transformation startled Old Xiao; Lin Yue looked like a completely different person, her appearance and demeanor changed. They went to the office/restroom above Old Xiao and Lin Yue's hotpot restaurant. There were security cameras inside, which Lin Yue turned off before they began their conversation. As before, she had the couple remove their rings to use as pendants, embedding the auspicious symbols of good fortune into them. Then, Lin Yue spent an hour explaining all the taboos, including the laws of nature, the rule of not telling anyone, the importance of not flaunting wealth, and the need to buy things in bulk to avoid detection. She finished drawing the auspicious symbols and embedding the beads in just five minutes, and the two wore them. One had chosen black, and the other blue. Lin Yue packed them in blue and black bags and tied them around their necks. After that, they invited Lin Yue to dinner, which she declined. They tried to get Lin Yue's phone number, saying they should contact Old Xiao first if they needed anything, and would talk to her later if that didn't work. The two then drove away.
Around 9 PM, another couple arrived. This couple was very well-off, driving cars worth over a million yuan each. They wanted three times the size of Lao Xiao's order. Having run out of their previous bead reserves, Lin Yue, in front of them, inserted many auspicious beads and strung them into bracelets. Each bracelet consisted of 27 red beads, each representing a Buddhist saint, ending with a large imperial green bead about 5 centimeters in diameter, plus two smaller imperial green beads. The large imperial green bead at the end had a volume of approximately 30 cubic meters. The two smaller imperial green beads, each about 3 centimeters in diameter, each had a volume of 15 cubic meters. The total volume of each bracelet was a considerable 195 cubic meters, and two bracelets were made. The couple each bought one, priced at 195 million yuan, totaling 3.9 million yuan for both. Because of the six imperial green beads at the end, these bracelets were already quite expensive! The price quickly rose to 4 million yuan before the bracelets were sold!
Lin Yue looked at their requests and silently assessed the difficulty of the task. But with her skillful technique, she quickly met their needs.
The couple happily put on the special bracelet, their eyes filled with anticipation and satisfaction. They praised Lin Yue's craftsmanship and thanked her repeatedly.
Lin Yue smiled and saw them off. It was late at night, but her feelings were complicated. These magical beads brought people hope and a sense of security, but they also made her feel the weight of responsibility.
Who knows what stories will unfold because of these beads in the future...
It was 11 p.m. when Lao Xiao's last couple of friends arrived. This couple were Lao Xiao's college classmates, and they had a very close relationship.
After Lao Xiao's appraisal and discussion, they ultimately decided to purchase approximately 21 beads. However, they didn't want to make a bracelet, but rather a pendant for the center of a necklace. The couple hoped Lin Yue could provide a large emerald as a central accent, creating a harmonious yet subtle look. In the end, Lin Yue provided two green emerald cabochon lucky bags, each containing 30 cubic rubies. They also requested 21 red beads, each containing 5 cubic rubies. Linked together, this would create a necklace with 135 cubic rubies.
Lin Yue quickly calculated the price to be 140 million, then transferred it to Fulu as well. She explained the treaty concerning the Heavenly Dao to them, and instructed them not to let anyone know, to be careful when hoarding supplies, and to try to avoid being discovered, etc.
After Lin Yue finished giving her instructions, Lao Xiao personally saw the couple out.
As the night deepened, Lin Yue and Lao Xiao's day ended in busyness and responsibility, but they knew that these mysterious beads might bring about different changes to the lives of these couples.
Tonight, Lin Yue received a total of 570 million yuan in cash, along with some gold bars. Finally, Lin Yue took out a pair of imperial green gourds from her spatial storage, stringing the two gourds together with rope.
When Lao Xiao and Xiao Hui stepped in, their previous necklace only had 30 cubic prisms and 6 beads. Lin Yue had Lao Xiao and Xiao Hui remove their necklaces, took out the central ring, and put it back on their wrists. She then placed the emerald gourd, a round gourd, into the center of their necklaces. Instantly, their necklaces looked much more elegant. She then had Lao Xiao take it back. Two small green beads dangled from the bottom of the gourd. The gourd had approximately 100 cubic prisms, and the two small beads each had 15 cubic prisms. Originally, Lao Xiao only had 30 cubic prisms; now, with an increase of 130 cubic prisms, Lao Xiao's necklace now had 160 cubic prisms.
After the two necklaces were finished, they were put back around their necks and reinforced with new auspicious symbols, turning them into a new necklace. Old Xiao and Xiao Hui were amazed.
Lin Yue said, "We found this emerald by chance during our recent trip. These two gourds are a gift from me, along with the beads hanging from them. Now that your order has increased from 30 cubic meters to 160 cubic meters, I won't charge you anymore. This is to thank Lao Xiao and Xiao Hui for running around for me all this time. Your lives were once in danger, but you took care of me without holding a grudge. It was also Lao Xiao who came up with the idea for me to open the hot pot restaurant, giving me a source of income." After putting his three children to sleep at home, Gong Yong returned to the hot pot restaurant, deeply grateful.
When Gong Yong saw Lin Yue give the two gourds to Lao Xiao and Xiao Hui, he also said, "Thank you so much for helping us for so long."
Lao Xiao and Xiao Hui were overjoyed, feeling that making this friend was incredibly worthwhile. Lin Yue also told Lao Xiao, "Now that you have more space, I hope you can store some more supplies inside."
Lao Xiao and Xiao Hui both understood what she meant. During the Spring Festival, they would stock up on supplies wherever there were good places to go.
As the night deepened, the camaraderie in this small hot pot restaurant grew even stronger, adding more warmth and hope for the days to come.