Chapter 177: Spirit Stone Fan

Xu Chunfen frowned slightly and glanced down at the blueprint in her hands, only then noticing there were notes beside it.
“This size…”
Lin Dong smiled and said, “This thing is called a Spirit Stone Fan.”
“A Spirit Stone Fan?” Xu Chunfen was confused.
Lin Dong nodded and explained, “Create a small windmill-shaped device based on this design, with a mechanism below that uses the spiritual energy from the spirit stones to power the rotation of the windmill.”
Xu Chunfen’s mind lit up as she exclaimed in surprise, “You mean this Spirit Stone Fan can be used as a fan?”
Lin Dong nodded firmly. Truly worthy of being Peng Qiao’s mother—such quick comprehension. An ordinary person would never think of that.
“In that case, isn’t it better to just make a fan that swings up and down or left and right?” Xu Chunfen wondered.
“The most important thing about this Spirit Stone Fan is the shape of its blades, along with a mechanism that makes them rotate swiftly and smoothly,” Lin Dong said confidently. “I guarantee it will be less labor-intensive than making a regular fan.”
Xu Chunfen still wasn’t convinced. Meanwhile, Peng Qiao, who had somehow found a string of candied haws and was licking them eagerly, suddenly pouted and muttered, “Swinging left, right, up, or down—each time, it takes the same amount of effort. If you fan in one direction, you save the effort needed to reverse it. If it rotates, you can even use momentum, which makes it even easier.”
“That’s right, exactly!” Lin Dong nodded quickly, feeling a bit ashamed. He knew electric fans were definitely more labor-saving than hand fans; otherwise, the electric fans in his previous world wouldn’t have had the shape he remembered. As for why… he only knew the shape of the fan blades was crucial.
Since Peng Qiao had said so, Xu Chunfen’s doubts vanished. She asked, “Does Master Lin have any other requirements for this Spirit Stone Fan?”
Lin Dong replied without hesitation, “First, the blade design needs improvement. The blacksmith should make as many blades as possible that resemble mine but with slight variations. The more, the better. We can then test them one by one and pick the one that creates the strongest wind.”
“Second…” Lin Dong gestured to the height and continued, “The spirit stone mechanism below should be adjustable. The blades above should also be able to swing left and right, perhaps even powered by the spirit stones to move.”
“Also, the power of the spirit stone mechanism should have several levels—for example, Level 1 consumes the most spiritual energy, making the blades spin faster. Level 2 is weaker than Level 1, and Level 3 is weaker still. Three levels are enough; two will also work.”

“Finally, an iron cage needs to be made outside the fan blades. The cage must ensure that children’s hands cannot reach in or touch the fan blades.” Xu Chunfen silently noted these conditions in her mind, pondered them for a while, then said, “There aren’t too many difficulties with this Spirit Stone Fan, but there are quite a few. Especially considering the different grades, it will likely take five months.”
“Five months?” Lin Dong frowned slightly. Summer would arrive in two more months; it couldn’t be delayed by more than three months, otherwise… it would be better to focus on developing a Spirit Stone heater.
Xu Chunfen nodded slowly and explained, “Last time, the main difficulty was how to reduce the size. This time, the fan blades, the ability to swing left and right, the different grades—all these add to the complexity. There are also many mechanical parts that need testing, so it will take much longer.”
Lin Dong nodded helplessly. After thinking for a while, he decided, “First, make sure we create the Spirit Stone Fan. Then add the functions of extension and swinging left and right. After that, consider the different grades. Give it two and a half months—do as much as possible.”
“I’ll have Xiaoqiao start thinking about the Spirit Stone mechanisms later,” Xu Chunfen nodded.
“Alright, then I won’t disturb you any further.”
Lin Dong immediately stood up to leave. As he was about to return to his room to practice, Ma Chun rushed over in a hurry.
“Boss, something big is happening at Yingfeng Tower.”
“Something big?” Lin Dong asked. “What kind of big thing?”
“Maybe it’s because of the VIP cards we introduced. A few days ago, Yingfeng Tower suddenly stopped sending people to cause trouble at Kelai Restaurant, and I thought something was off. I didn’t expect…” Ma Chun explained, “Not long ago, I heard that Yingfeng Tower has started offering piano and singing performances again. The performer’s name is still Yi Yi.”
Lin Dong was amused and exasperated. “What does it matter if her name is Yi Yi? It has to be Yi Yi.”
Ma Chun shook his head. “Yingchunhua just wants to use the name Yi Yi to deceive people temporarily. One of our informants said he asked a wealthy acquaintance, and Yingchunhua promised that even if they can’t find Yi Yi, within a month, Yingfeng Tower will have another top performer who is no less talented in singing and playing the piano, and who also knows dance. By using Yi Yi’s name to lure them in, not only are the food and drinks free, but they also get a VIP card.”
“A VIP card?” Lin Dong was surprised and puzzled.

Ma Chun’s lips twitched slightly. “Now, many large restaurants are adopting the same approach as us by introducing VIP cards. They offer more perks than us, but without storage functionality and with rather ordinary designs—completely nowhere near the quality of the VIP cards we create with the help of blacksmiths. The VIP cards at Yingfeng Tower are similar and also limited in quantity, claimed to be a way to reward regular customers. With them, guests can get three toasts from the new top performer once she arrives.”

Lin Dong was speechless. Yingchunhua had indeed come up with a clever tactic—using Yi Yi’s name to lure people in. Free food and drinks wouldn’t anger anyone too much, and three toasts from the top performer were indeed attractive.

If this new top performer was truly as Yingchunhua said—equally beautiful, skilled in playing the piano and singing, and proficient in dancing—then by leveraging these VIP cards to pique the interest of wealthy patrons, Yingfeng Tower might indeed have a chance to revive.

Of course, it was just a possibility. The VIP cards of Lin’s Inn had already won over many wealthy families in the north of the city. Even with a new top performer, it would be difficult for Yingfeng Tower to draw them back. Once the Spirit Stone Fan was introduced, the chances would be even slimmer.

“Is there any news about Kelei Restaurant?” Lin Dong couldn’t help but ask. After the successful launch of VIP cards at Yingfeng Tower, he had paid little attention to it. Running a restaurant—things like signboards, VIP cards, top performers—were all superficial. What truly mattered were the quality of food and drinks, service attitude, and atmosphere. Only with these fundamentals could things like signboards, VIP cards, and top performers truly make a difference. Otherwise, it would be better to just establish a chamber of commerce, a VIP card store, or organize concerts.

Improving the quality of food and drinks took months or even years, but gimmicks could be implemented in just three to five months. In terms of gimmicks, Lin’s Inn wasn’t afraid even of Fenglin Restaurant, let alone Yingfeng Tower.

Kelei Restaurant was different. It relied heavily on its strong fundamentals. Its only gimmick was Wang Shuangxi’s braised carp, which could actually be considered part of its fundamentals as well.

Given Lin’s Inn’s current competitiveness, if Kelei Restaurant came up with a gimmick on par with that of its top performer, it might not be able to surpass Lin’s Inn, but it could at least keep pace for a while.

“No!” Ma Chun shook his head. “Kelei Restaurant probably can’t keep going. Wang Shuangxi doesn’t have the heart to manage it anymore. He’s left the entire restaurant in the hands of the manager. All he does every day is stand at the door waiting for the workers sent to various households to report back.”

Lin Dong shook his head secretly. If Wang Shuangxi continued to decline like this, the Lin’s Inn would likely become the only dominant establishment in the northern part of the city. Seeing that Ma Chun was waiting for a reply, Lin Dong said with a smile, “Let her enjoy herself at Yingfeng Tower for now; we won’t accompany her this time.” “But…” Ma Chun looked hesitant. “It’s fine. We can decide based on the situation once Yingfeng Tower’s new top performer appears! After all, Yi Yi isn’t the real Yi Yi now. Yingfeng Tower relies only on free food and drinks, so it can’t last long. The inn will just lose a few customers in a couple of days. No matter how good one’s skills are, they can’t suppress free services forever—there’s no need to waste effort on this,” Lin Dong said nonchalantly. Ma Chun nodded helplessly, realizing he had been anxious for nothing, thinking it was a serious matter, only to find it insignificant in the innkeeper’s eyes. After all, if Yingchunhua had done such a thing before the introduction of VIP cards, it might have posed a threat. But with VIP cards already in place, unless they brought out a top performer even better than Yi Yi, even if they offered free services every day, as soon as they stopped, customers would surely return to the inn. After Ma Chun left, Lin Dong went back to his room, sat cross-legged on the bed, placed a spirit stone near his dantian, closed his eyes slightly, trying to clear his mind of distracting thoughts—when suddenly, an idea popped into his head. Yingfeng Tower was currently using Yi Yi’s name to attract regular customers! Perhaps this was an opportunity. Abruptly opening his eyes, Lin Dong’s mind began to stir. After a while, a glimmer of joy appeared in his eyes. He jumped off the wooden bed, quickly opened the door, and headed straight for the lobby. In the lobby, Ma Chun had just come down from the second floor. Seeing Lin Dong, he was surprised and said, “Innkeeper, why have you come down?” “Go prepare a fake beard for me, an old-fashioned silk robe, along with large gold rings, jade pendants, and a walking stick—anything that makes me look even more rustic than a local tycoon. Get whatever you can find,” Lin Dong urged. “Prepare a servant’s outfit for yourself as well, as fast as possible.” Ma Chun was confused but still nodded. He took some silver from the counter and rushed out. Lin Dong returned to his room. Less than half an hour later, Ma Chun knocked on the door and entered, carrying a huge bundle on his back. There was also a gold-inlaid walking stick hanging from his robe. Robes, round hats, gold rings… everything Lin Dong had thought of and more was there. Without hesitation, Lin Dong took off his clothes and put on a dark green robe, along with shoes, hats, gold rings, and pendants. After sticking on the beard, he turned to Ma Chun and asked, “How does it feel?”

Ma Chun exclaimed in amazement, “The shopkeeper is dressed like this, yet still exudes such authority that one can tell at a glance he’s no ordinary person.”
Lin Dong was speechless—this flattery came at the worst possible time.
Just growing a beard surely wasn’t enough. Fortunately, having an old man around was like having a treasure. Lin Dong turned and rushed to Old Ding’s room.
When he came out, he had transformed into a middle-aged man with a plump face, looking energetic despite holding a walking stick, his whole body gleaming with gold, radiating an overtly vulgar aura.