Chapter 240: Bai Jingtai Arrives

Seeing Lin Dong’s displeased expression and apparent preoccupation, Ma Chun didn’t dare disturb him and stood quietly aside. It wasn’t until Lin Dong’s expression eased that he quietly asked, “Boss, are there any other instructions?”

Lin Dong seemed to wake up from a dream. Fortunately, Ma Chun was observant. With all the chaos at Fenglin Restaurant, he had almost forgotten about building the factory. Nodding, Lin Dong pondered for a moment before saying, “It happens to be convenient. When you take Master Xiao’s letter back to Xilan City, please also tell Zhang Ye to find a piece of land near Guhuan Mountain—the larger, the better. I plan to build a…”

Hesitating for a while, Lin Dong added, “A blacksmith shop.”

“A blacksmith shop?” Ma Chun was completely confused.

Lin Dong nodded. “It’s a place dedicated to producing the mysterious gifts for VIP cards.”

“Would it work near the winery?” Ma Chun asked. “When we first set up Linji Winery, we had plenty of land left. Also, when we bought the thyme formula, we acquired Louji Winery as well, and that land hasn’t been sold yet.”

“Use that land at Louji Winery!” Lin Dong immediately remembered this and chose the original location of Louji Winery without hesitation. The land was large enough to build the blacksmith shop. If it were built near Linji Winery, it would be inconvenient if the blacksmith shop or Linji Winery needed to expand in the future.

“Alright, shall I go see Master Xiao now?” Ma Chun asked.

“Don’t forget to stop by Kelaile Restaurant. Also, keep the matter of the blacksmith shop strictly confidential. Try to hire more blacksmiths. And assign a few workers to Madam Peng.” Xu Chunfen and Peng Qiao had been working hard for three months. Even with the urgency, they needed some time off before working on the spirit stone heater. After thinking for a while, Lin Dong added, “When you see Master Xiao, ask him to send a disciple to protect Madam Peng and the others, just in case they encounter any trouble outside.”

Ma Chun nodded quickly and strode off to the back yard.

After considering everything and finding nothing else to attend to, Lin Dong also returned to his room.

In the afternoon, both Linji Inn and Kelaile Restaurant posted announcements suspending the purchase of scattered spiritual materials and beasts, while raising the prices of dishes by 10%.

In the past, the restaurants in Qiufeng City were generally divided into several areas based on the north, south, and east of the city. Any developments in restaurants outside these areas only affected their own region, having little impact on others.

Now, the prices of food and drinks have reached alarming lows, while various specialties are improving at a dazzling pace, increasing their appeal. Naturally, large restaurants won’t waste much thought on whether it’s worth spending an hour or two traveling just to have a meal. It can be said that geographical limitations have been greatly overcome by the potential of these restaurants. Any major development in one restaurant can have a significant impact on others.

Although the owners of other restaurants found the actions of Lin Ji Inn and Ke Lai Restaurant strange, they came to understand after some reflection. Lin Ji Inn had only been open for over half a year and likely didn’t have a strong foundation. Although Ke Lai Restaurant was an established establishment, its profits were not high, and due to the incident that occurred earlier, its financial situation was probably not very strong either. Undoubtedly, both were struggling.

It seems that two more large restaurants in Qiufeng City will go bankrupt.

While excited, the owners of other restaurants couldn’t help but feel a sense of sorrow—if they couldn’t withstand the pressure from Fenglin Restaurant, they might end up joining the ranks of those going bankrupt.

As for Ling Zhengyang, he had a different perspective regarding Fenglin Restaurant. Besides feeling regret, he was also concerned. He didn’t believe Lin Ji Inn would simply give up and retreat. Therefore, there was only one explanation: Lin Ji Inn must have found cheap spiritual materials and beasts. As for the price increases, it was clearly because they lacked such materials and intended to fight in the long term.

The plan to shut down Lin Ji Inn within two months seemed doomed to fail. Fortunately, even if Lin Ji Inn could hold on until the end of the guild’s announcement, it would still be severely damaged, and further pressure would likely push it over the edge soon.

Time was gradually proving Lin Dong’s prediction. With Fenglin Restaurant’s push and the constant encouragement from other restaurants to “hold on just two more days,” the prices of spiritual materials and beasts kept rising—one tael per pound, one tael and fifty coins per pound, two taels per pound… In just half a month, their prices had tripled, and with Fenglin Restaurant offering unlimited purchases, there was no sign of a slowdown.

In half a month, the average daily loss for these restaurants had reached over two thousand taels of silver, and the figure was still rising. The owners of these restaurants now had only one expression: tears as they desperately told themselves that after suffering such losses, holding on just two more days would be enough—until the candidate for the head of the Supervision Council was chosen. Giving up now would mean all their efforts going to waste.

While some were happy and some were worried, the owners of these restaurants shed tears as they quickly lost the profits they once had. Meanwhile, some capable hunters and even many ordinary people were overjoyed.

Those with strength would take their swords, hunt down a first-tier spiritual beast, sling it over their shoulders, and make a huge profit as soon as they returned to the city. Those without strength would gather in groups, armed with shovels and hammers—ranging from a dozen to over a hundred people—swarming the nearby forests, with some even daring to venture to Qingmei Mountain. After a round of exploration, they could still collect some spiritual materials and kill a few lower-tier spiritual beasts together; dividing the loot among them was still better than working. In the bustling taverns of Qiufeng City, the tears of the tavern owners could be seen in the air. Outside Lin’s Inn, three carriages stopped at the entrance. A middle-aged fat man in luxurious clothes stepped down heavily. Just as Ma Chun was leading a group of customers upstairs, he saw this scene and immediately went out to greet them. “What’s your surname, sir? Would you like to eat or stay?” Ma Chun greeted them with a smile while thinking about how to pitch them the premium room with a colorful bed that had just been returned. “My surname is Bai. I want both food and accommodation,” said Bai Jingtai with a laugh. “Bai?” Ma Chun was surprised. This surname was quite rare. Combined with Bai Jingtai’s age and appearance, he immediately showed delight. “Sir Bai, did our owner invite you?” Bai Jingtai was slightly surprised that his identity could be guessed just from his surname. This manager of Lin’s Inn was quite impressive! “Manager Ma…” From one of the carriages, a young man in his early twenties jumped down. Ma Chun immediately recognized him as a staff member sent to Minyue Commandery, confirming Bai Jingtai’s identity without doubt. Goods worth hundreds of thousands of silver taels were being delivered without even a single silver tael in deposit—such connections were truly extraordinary. Ma Chun immediately ordered two staff members to go to the back yard to inform Lin Dong and to take care of the carriages and guards, while he politely invited Bai Jingtai into the back yard. Upon hearing the news, Lin Dong came out to greet him. Halfway in the back yard, Ma Chun led Bai Jingtai in. “Brother Lin, congratulations! It’s been so long since we last met.” Bai Jingtai glanced around the back yard and said with emotion, “Your business has spread all the way to Qiufeng City, and it’s incredibly large! Look at this back yard—it’s even bigger than my entire Bai family’s estate.” “Brother Bai, you’re really good at deceiving people. The size of my small inn probably isn’t even as big as your family’s kitchen,” Lin Dong replied jokingly. After exchanging a few polite words, Bai Jingtai asked, “Brother Lin, hasn’t my daughter caused you any trouble?” “I gave her a lesson. She’s currently practicing in seclusion in the back mountains of the Guhuan Clan,” Lin Dong said with a smile. “Brother Bai, hope you don’t blame me for being too strict.”

“I knew this girl would get into trouble. Brother Lin, what exactly happened?” Bai Jingtai quickly asked for an explanation.
Lin Dong led Bai Jingtai over to the stone table and recounted everything about Bai Qi in detail. Bai Jingtai’s expression gradually softened, and then he bowed solemnly and said, “Brother Lin, thank you for going to such lengths. If not for you scolding her, with her temper, she might have already caused a huge disaster.”
Lin Dong shook his head. “Brother Bai, you’re overreacting. Xilan County isn’t that big; even if something bad happens, it won’t be too serious.”
“That’s not necessarily true. Who can guarantee that no powerful people will pass through Xilan County?” Bai Jingtai shook his head repeatedly.
Unwilling to talk more about Bai Qi, Lin Dong quickly changed the subject. “How’s your family’s establishment coming along, Brother Bai?”
“Take it slow!” Bai Jingtai’s chubby face lit up with excitement. “I’ve already bought spiritual techniques and spiritual artifacts, though they’re all of low rank. But for a small family just starting out, that’s fine. I have plenty of spiritual stones, and for security, I’ve reached an agreement with nearby families to pay them spiritual stones annually. Plus, I have some connections with the outer managers of several major sects, so there shouldn’t be much of a problem.”
“Then congratulations, Brother Bai!” Lin Dong smiled and bowed in celebration. “From now on, when others see you, they won’t be able to call you Boss Bai anymore—they’ll have to address you as the head of the Bai family.”
“Not at all, it’s still early!” Although excited, Bai Jingtai quickly waved his hand modestly. “I still haven’t decided exactly which direction my family should take. Calling me the head of the family is still too early.”
“Which direction?” Lin Dong wasn’t quite sure what Bai Jingtai meant.
“For a family, it’s most important to produce a few outstanding descendants each generation. Next are industries that can bring stable income. Then comes the direction in which the family should develop,” Bai Jingtai explained. “Firstly, our Bai family is just starting out, so there’s no rush. As for industries, there aren’t many problems—I’m buying land and opening shops everywhere. The only trouble is the last one: should we focus on alchemy, artifact crafting, or business?”
Lin Dong suddenly understood. Any family must have a direction for development. Only by consistently moving forward in that direction can a family grow stronger; otherwise, it will remain stagnant forever.

All families in the Great Han Nation can generally be divided into four types. The first type specializes in alchemy. Newly established families can spend silver to purchase first-tier potion formulas and spirit material beast pills to teach their descendants alchemy. Over several generations, as the entire family fosters an alchemy-oriented culture, one or two descendants with natural talent for alchemy will emerge. With the experience of their predecessors, it is not difficult for them to develop a few second-tier potion formulas. Through gradual development and accumulation, as long as no major crises arise, the family’s alchemy skills will continue to improve.

Similarly, if a family has high alchemy skills, it gains the means to form alliances with other families or attach itself to powerful sects, which also helps the family avoid crises.