Chapter 340: Failed Peaceful Resolution

Once Old Ding left, Lin Dong immediately began checking other aspects of the tests. As he had expected, each area of the cellar was about one cubic meter in size. As for the red wines, although there was no detailed classification by age, it could be determined that, like thyme, they were the kind that improved with age. The general properties of the cellar had been tested; what remained were the details. For example, what effects different storage durations had on the wines, what the highest and lowest temperature limits for temperature control were, whether setting a 20-year timer would yield the effect of 10 years, or whether it would only work after a full day of storage… It took Lin Dong three days to fully understand all the details of the cellar.

During these three days, Lin’s Inn officially joined forces with Maple Forest Restaurant. Almost on the same day, both sides introduced discounts aimed at pressuring Hongfu Restaurant. Meanwhile, Tianlai Gambling House also began to suppress and drain Hongfu Gambling House’s resources. During these three days, the restaurant and gambling industries in Lingnan City saw tremendous upheaval. Hongfu Restaurant tried to recruit other restaurants to join forces and create chaos, while Hongfu Gambling House fought back against Tianlai Gambling House’s pressure. Maple Forest Restaurant and Tianlai Gambling House also continued to gather other restaurants and gambling houses to exert pressure.

All signs suggested that drastic changes were about to occur in Lingnan City’s restaurant and gambling industries. It was still uncertain who would emerge victorious. Although the developments deviated greatly from Lin Dong’s initial plans, and Lin’s Inn had to get involved in the conflict between the two restaurants, as long as they could successfully obtain the Perfuming Additive, the current business losses for Lin’s Inn were worth it.

Early in the morning, Lin Dong finally met Chen Yantian, the owner of Tianlai Gambling House, in the backyard of Chen’s residence in the city. Three days earlier, Lin Dong had asked Liang Gufeng to help introduce him to Chen Yantian. But perhaps to prevent Lin’s Inn from breaking the contract and partnering with Hong Wanfu, or perhaps out of disdain for Lin’s Inn, or maybe both reasons, Chen Yantian kept refusing under the pretext of being busy. It wasn’t until the previous night that someone was sent to say he would have some time the next morning, but only for about half an hour.

Chen Yantian, who seemed poised to replace Hong Wanfu as the top figure in Lingnan City’s business world, was much younger than Lin Dong had expected and also appeared much more refined, hardly resembling the typical owner of a gambling house.

In his early thirties, with a fair and gentle face and a slightly faded blue cloth shirt, he appeared at first glance even simpler and more unadorned than Lin Dong, who didn’t like to draw too much attention. Coupled with his scholarly appearance, the owner of this gambling house gave the impression of a gentle and refined poor scholar.

“Shopkeeper Lin, how about a bowl?”

In the courtyard, at a wooden table under a willow tree, Chen Yantian glanced at the breakfast brought by his subordinates, rubbed his hands, and smiled at Lin Dong.

A large bowl of porridge, two big steamed buns, and a plate of small pastries—aside from being a bit much in quantity, it perfectly matched the simple yet not shabby style of a poor scholar.

“I’ve already eaten. Please enjoy your meal, Boss Chen,” Lin Dong said patiently, shaking his head.

“Since that’s the case, Shopkeeper Lin, have some tea.” After calling out, Chen Yantian picked up chopsticks in one hand and grabbed a bun with the other, quickly devouring the porridge in the big bowl.

Lin Dong glanced at the teacup in front of him. Inside, a pink leaf floated, emitting a pungent smell. According to Chen Yantian, this tea was called Huayou Tea, which he had prepared himself. The method of making it was surprisingly simple: just pick leaves from the Huayou tree, put them in the teacup, and pour boiling water over them.

The Huayou tree was a unique species in the Great Han Kingdom. Whether its branches or leaves were dried and ground into powder, they could be used to make a seasoning. This Huayou tree powder was spicy and pungent, and was a common seasoning in families that liked spicy dishes.

Lin Dong could tolerate spicy food, but he had never heard that the Huayou tree could also be used to make tea. Out of courtesy, he took a sip—its taste was so harsh that it almost made him spit out the entire mouthful of tea.

Spicy and bitter, either on their own or in milder forms, Lin Dong’s not-too-picky taste could tolerate them. But when these three strange flavors mixed together and became extremely strong, he had no doubt that even three days’ worth of rotten water left in the sun would taste better than this Huayou Tea.

After waiting for three days, he finally got to meet an important person. After having breakfast, he used his Swift Step to rush through the relatively empty streets to arrive on time. When he reached Chen’s residence, the butler refused to let him in, saying Chen Yantian hadn’t gotten up yet and hadn’t given any instructions about visitors, leaving him waiting outside for half an hour.

In the end, he finally got to see the person, but the tea was unbearably bad. To top it off, he had to watch Chen Yantian eat breakfast.

A few years ago, Lin Dong would have cursed loudly and walked away even if it meant offending an emperor, let alone a gambling house owner. Even now, given his composure, he was starting to feel annoyed.

Boss Chen really has an extremely arrogant attitude. Given the status of Lin Ji Inn in Lingnan City, it’s definitely a wealthy establishment with monthly earnings of over ten thousand taels. Even if they met the prefect and there was some animosity between them, they would still have to be polite on the surface. Not to mention that they are currently partners.

I thought that at Chen Yantian’s pace, breakfast could be done in three to five minutes. But to my surprise, after quickly drinking half a bowl of porridge, he became slow. He took a tiny bite of the steamed bun in his hand, as gentle as a lady, then chewed slowly, savoring it.

“Boss Chen…”

Lin Dong couldn’t help but speak, but Chen Yantian waved him off with a smile: “Manager Lin, I don’t like talking about anything while eating.”

“Alright, I’ll wait then!” Lin Dong’s tone turned somewhat stiff. He didn’t like talking while washing up, drinking tea, or having breakfast.

Whether it was intentional pressure or simply because Boss Chen had such a peculiar personality, Lin Dong suspected that this visit was likely a waste of time.

After nearly half an hour, Chen Yantian finally put down his chopsticks. There was no more porridge or steamed buns left in the large bowl or tray.

“Alright, Manager Lin, what brings you to see me today?”

Lin Dong looked at Chen Yantian and said calmly, “Boss Chen, is there nothing else?”

“Now that you mention it, I remember the flowers in the garden still need watering.” Chen Yantian stood up, his tone firm: “Manager Lin, wait a moment. I’ll go water the flowers and be back.”

“Please, Boss Chen!” Lin Dong didn’t get up. His gaze toward Chen Yantian was surprisingly calm. He had decided that regardless of whether they could resolve the issue regarding the gambling match at Lin Ji Gymnasium peacefully, Boss Chen would have to pay for wasting nearly two hours of his cultivation time.

Chen Yantian stared at Lin Dong for a moment before sitting back down, smiling. “Manager Lin, are you suddenly so patient because you’ve given up hope and can’t wait any longer?”

“Indeed, a bit,” Lin Dong smiled. The possibility of a peaceful resolution was fading, and his attitude was no longer one of seeking harmony.

“If that’s the case, Manager Lin, you’d better go back first!” Chen Yantian’s expression remained as gentle as ever.

Lin Dong shook his head. “I just want to ask if Boss Chen can cancel the gambling match related to Lin Ji Gymnasium.”

“Manager Lin also wants to hold a gambling match?” Chen Yantian asked with a smile.

“I do have such plans, but the maximum stake is only one hundred wen. Doing as Tianlai Gambling House does would cause great harm to the development of Linji Gymnasium,” Lin Dong nodded in agreement.
“I’ve thought about the potential harms as well. With our gambling methods at Tianlai Gambling House, within two or three years, Linji Gymnasium will only have gamblers buying tickets to enter, and its reputation will also be severely affected. But…” Chen Yantian smiled, “It seems our Tianlai Gambling House doesn’t have any drawbacks.”
“Fifty thousand taels of silver as compensation from Linji Gymnasium to Tianlai Gambling House,” Lin Dong asked, “What do you think, Boss Chen?”
“Manager Lin doesn’t understand gambling houses well at all. Do you know that in just four days, my six Tianlai Gambling Houses have already made a profit of over ten thousand taels from gambling matches at Linji Gymnasium? Although Linji Gymnasium’s gambling matches may slightly hinder other gambling methods, it’s not difficult to increase income by five or six thousand taels in three days. This is still early on in the introduction of Linji Gymnasium’s gambling matches. If it becomes widely known, it’s not an exaggeration to say they could earn a fortune every day.” Chen Yantian smiled amiably, as if discussing something with Lin Dong, and said politely, “Besides, this is exactly the time when our Tianlai Gambling House is in fierce competition with Hongfu Gambling House. I regard Linji Gymnasium’s gambling matches as one of our key advantages. Manager Lin and I, Chen Yantian, are allies—surely you won’t prioritize your own interests at the expense of your ally’s?”
“It seems Boss Chen isn’t willing to continue negotiating,” Lin Dong said calmly.
Chen Yantian smiled and shook his head. “How about this? I’ll offer fifty thousand taels of silver as compensation to Manager Lin. If you can convince Hongfu Gambling House to cancel their gambling matches and persuade other gambling houses to abandon their plans, I’ll raise the compensation to one hundred thousand taels. If not, how about I buy Linji Gymnasium for one hundred thousand taels? Considering its size and decoration, the cost to Manager Lin shouldn’t exceed fifty thousand taels, right? In just a short time, you’d make a profit of over fifty thousand taels.”
“Boss Chen’s two suggestions seem a bit like taking advantage of the situation,” Lin Dong asked. “Are there no other solutions?”
“No!” Chen Yantian replied firmly.
“Since that’s the case, I won’t disturb Boss Chen any longer. Goodbye.” Lin Dong stood up and bowed to Chen Yantian.
Watching Lin Dong’s calm expression, Chen Yantian’s usually gentle face furrowed slightly. Just as Lin Dong couldn’t figure out what Chen Yantian was thinking, Chen Yantian also found it impossible to understand what this Manager Lin was thinking.

However, a inn owner, even if unable to see through things, shouldn’t pose much of a threat.
“Owner Lin, Lin’s Inn hopes we can work together sincerely. As for Lin’s Gymnasium, please don’t deliberately have competitors adjust their outcomes based on the casino’s odds day by day. Such actions aren’t suitable for a refined and courteous person like you—leave that to Tianlai Casino.” As Lin Dong turned and walked away a dozen steps, Chen Yantian’s face once again showed a gentle and polite smile. “By the way, would you like a servant to show you the way?”
“No need. I remember the way out of the Chen family’s residence.”
Lin Dong didn’t turn around and strode out of the courtyard.
If he couldn’t reach an agreement with an ally like Chen Yantian who had conflicting interests, trying to talk to Hong Wanfu, who always hid and never appeared in public, or other casino owners would only be a waste of time.
If talks failed, the only remaining option was force.
Of course, force could vary in intensity. For Lin Dong, the most important thing was undoubtedly not revealing the strength of his guard team. Next was his relationship with the Gu Huan Clan, and finally, his own personal strength.
On this matter, Lin Dong had already made up his mind. If a peaceful resolution wasn’t possible, he would enlist the help of the Hua family from the east side of the city to use force to force the casinos to compromise. A few casinos—if they truly threatened the development of Lin’s Inn—didn’t bother Lin Dong at all; he wasn’t shy about eliminating all the casinos in Lingnan City.
The reason Lin Dong thought of involving the Hua family was twofold. First, Hua Wuyue already knew his strength, so he could avoid having another person aware of it. If everything went as planned, it would align perfectly with his goal of not revealing his strength. Second, Lin Dong had considerable interest in Hua Wuyue. Especially after meeting him at Lin’s Gymnasium, he resolved that if Hua Wuyue truly had unparalleled talent in arranging meals and drinks at a reasonable cost, he wouldn’t hesitate to find a way to get him to join Lin’s Inn. Hiring Hua Wuyue would also allow him to test his skills in meal arrangement and determine the cost involved in bringing him on board.
Of course, the top priority was still to visit Wen Yanshan first. The promotion of sports stars and gambling events at Lin’s Gymnasium was still in the planning stage and would take at least half a month. Until then, as long as the casinos promoting the events at Lin’s Gymnasium didn’t control the matches or disadvantage the competitors, the risks weren’t significant. On the contrary, it could help boost Lin’s Inn’s reputation and attract more spectators.
Solving this issue before the promotion of sports stars and gambling events would bring more benefits than drawbacks.

After leaving Chen’s residence, Lin Dong leaped onto the roof. Then, like a rapidly moving spring, he dashed from one roof to another. His speed was so great that even if someone saw him, they would only perceive a fleeting shadow and suspect they were seeing things.

Back at the inn, Lin Dong stopped at the entrance to the main hall. He was about to go in to talk to Ma Chun when, as soon as he stepped inside, Ma Chun came up to him, clearly with more business for him.

It wasn’t until they reached the front yard that Lin Dong learned the reason. You Beide, the leader of the Xingli Sect, had already arrived at Lin Ji Inn in Qiufeng City with the first batch of rewards.

The guard team had finished their tasks at Lin Ji Inn. To expand the guard team, they still needed to wait until they fully secured the support of the county official before they could start subduing the troublemakers in the counties under Lingnan County. Although adding more people meant extra expenses, Lin Dong had decided to produce enough supplies for all branches of Lin Ji Inn to last two or three years, so sending them all to cultivate in Tiandi Cave was the most advantageous option.

Although cultivating in Tiandi Cave would see reduced effectiveness if one lacked the ability to endure the pulling force, even so, if the cultivation lasted within half a year, the guard team members’ strength would increase seven times faster than if they cultivated in the rooms with a seven-fold cultivation bonus at Lin Ji Inn, without the need to consume large amounts of spirit stones.

A seven-fold cultivation bonus meant each person would need 32 spirit stones per day. Over half a year, the entire guard team would consume over 30,000 spirit stones. Although 30,000 spirit stones were only worth about 20,000 taels of silver, which wasn’t a huge burden for Lin Dong, saving money was still important. 20,000 taels of silver would be enough to ensure that the orphanages and homes for the elderly under Lin Ji Inn could provide food and shelter for all the beggars in Lingnan County for a year or two.