Chapter 898: Continuing to Dig Pits

He Yuzhu held a teacup, took a sip, and said, "Brother, you've been here for all these years; do you have any unfulfilled wishes? Tell me about them, and perhaps I can help you realize them."

Shen Yan was almost choked by the tea and laughed, scolding, "The way you say that, kid, it sounds like I'm about to die."

After laughing, he sighed and said, "Well, if we're talking about unfulfilled wishes, I really do have one: the tea farmers here still have a very hard life. You know that our tea is for export, and the price isn't high. Therefore, there isn't much money left for the farmers. I watch them bent over and working from the beginning of the year to the end, yet they can't save much money. It always makes me feel uneasy."

He Yuzhu didn't respond immediately; he calculated for a moment and said, "If the business goes through, how about I give the tea farmers ten million US dollars? Can you estimate how many people you have under you?"

Shen Yan counted on his fingers: "Liu Shi Trading collects tea here year-round, and we only manage this one tea plantation ourselves, which has about three hundred people. In addition, there are several other tea mountains that we have exclusive rights to sell. If you add up all the scattered workers, there must be two thousand people. Calculated this way, each person could get five thousand US dollars, which would also help solve some of their difficulties."

He Yuzhu felt that the amount was still a bit low and added, "Then pick out five hundred shrewd ones to stay near the tea plantation temporarily. They can walk back and forth as usual, and if they see strangers coming, they should say what I teach them. Pay them 200 yuan a day."

Shen Yan was stunned for a moment, then laughed, "Zhuzi, you are a good person."

He Yuzhu also laughed, revealing a mouthful of white teeth: "Brother, it's been so many years, you only just realized I'm a good person? I never go looking for trouble, but I only mess with those who mess with me. Recently, those big foreign pharmaceutical companies have all been eyeing that surgical reagent of Lin Wanning's, and they are all scrambling to steal the formula. I have no choice but to lead the trail to the tea plantation. If you want to trap those foreign devils, you have to rely on telling stories. For example—white mist often rises from beneath those dozen old tea trees, and the locals don't even take medicine when they get sick; they just hold a few tea leaves in their mouths and they get better."

After listening, Shen Yan was silent for a few seconds and said, "Zhuzi, isn't this a bit outrageous?"

He Yuzhu smiled and said, "I will put some good things in these tea leaves. You distribute them to those tea farmers, and when they get sick, they can hold them in their mouths, and the illness might really get better."

Shen Yan shook his head and said, "You kid have so many devious ideas."

Hong Kong Hilton Hotel, the lighting was dim and ambiguous.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was the night view of Victoria Harbour. In the room, Ceng Nianci was wearing only a silk camisole, helping Douglas button his shirt.

Douglas said lazily, "To what extent has your progress reached?"

"I've taken down A Long." Ceng Nianci's tone was filled with pride, "He said the most critical ingredient in that reagent is a type of old tea. He hasn't let slip exactly where it is yet, but I don't think it will be hard to ask out of him."

Douglas patted her shoulder, "Very good. Continue to keep close to A Long; not only the location of the tea trees, but other ingredients must also be extracted."

Ceng Nianci rolled her eyes and asked, "Didn't you also send Xiao Qiao? Could it be that she hasn't found out anything on her end?"

Douglas sighed, his tone carrying a bit of impatience: "Xiao Qiao did make contact, but that person is just a figurehead; she only found out about two Chinese herbal ingredients, which even I already knew."

Ceng Nianci leaned over and coquettishly said, "Boss, I've put in a lot of effort this time; shouldn't you reward me?"

Douglas thought for a long time before gritting his teeth and saying, "Funds are tight this time, but I won't treat you unfairly. When you give me the complete formula and the location of the tea trees, I'll give you five hundred thousand US dollars."

The smile on Ceng Nianci's face froze instantly.

She had already found out clearly—the budget given to Douglas by the people above was a full one hundred million US dollars. This bastard, however, let her do all the work while he pocketed the money himself, giving her only five hundred thousand as if he were dismissing a beggar.

Her heart immediately turned against him.

She happened to have a sister who was running this matter for another pharmaceutical company.

Rather than suffering grievances under Douglas, it would be better to sell the news to someone else.

Compare prices among three companies and sell to whoever pays the highest.

Suppressing the anger in her heart, her tone remained soft, and she even smiled: "A Long said this kind of tea is not simple; the tea trees must be over eight hundred years old."

Douglas raised an eyebrow, becoming interested: "That's easy to handle. Just ask someone who understands tea, and you'll know which places in the Mainland have old tea trees over eight hundred years old. Once the scope is narrowed, it will be easy to find."

Ceng Nianci reminded him, "Even if you know the location, they will definitely guard it to the death. Can you get your hands on it?"

Douglas chuckled and said, "Money makes the world go round. Can't I just buy the whole tea plantation? A pharmaceutical company surely can't have occupied the tea plantation in advance, right?"

Ceng Nianci's heart skipped a beat.

These words sounded light, but she heard another layer of meaning—in Douglas's eyes, her mission was almost at an end, and she herself was almost useless.

Hillside Villa, A Long stood beside Lin Wanning, bowing his head respectfully: "Godmother, I have said everything you instructed. She might still ask me where the tea mountain is; how do you want me to answer?"

Lin Wanning said, "You must drag it out for me as long as you can. We still need to prepare for a while on that side."

A Long nodded, his tone serious: "Don't worry, Godmother, I will drag it out for a few more days. However, the time cannot be too long."

Lin Wanning nodded.

Hangzhou, Lingyinsi Houshan.

He Yuzhu stood on the hilltop, hands on his hips, looking at the bustling construction site before him.

Bundles of barbed wire were being transported up from the foot of the mountain, and workers carrying shovels and pickaxes were digging trenches along the perimeter of the tea mountain.

Everywhere was a scene of busyness, and the clanging sounds of hammering echoed in the valley.

On the other side, under He Yuzhu's instructions, Shen Yan was directing people to build simple houses in the surrounding valleys.

The tea farmers were organized, gathering in twos and threes on the open ground, listening to a young man wearing glasses "rehearse" them.

"Remember, you all live near the tea plantation and usually just wander around this area. If you see strangers coming to ask questions, just say that this tea plantation has a history of several hundred years, and white mist often rises from beneath those dozen old tea trees, and it has an indescribable fragrance when you smell it..."

The tea farmers listened very carefully, but an old tea farmer raised his hand and asked honestly, "Comrade, if others ask me what the efficacy of this tea is, what should I say?"

The young man with glasses thought for a moment and said, "Just say that the local residents never buy medicine when they have a headache or fever; they just pick a few tea leaves from those trees and hold them in their mouths, and after a day or so, they get better. But a year ago, this place was closed off; I heard it was contracted by a boss from Hong Kong."

The old tea farmer scratched his head and muttered, "But saying it like this is a bit unfair to Mr. Shen."

The young man with glasses said, "This is acting, do you understand?"

The old tea farmer nodded, "If Mr. Shen agrees, I will say it like this."

The young man with glasses scratched his head helplessly, "Don't worry, I'll call Mr. Shen over in a moment to explain it to you in detail."

A young tea farmer next to him grinned: "Uncle, they're giving so much subsidy, just say whatever they tell you to say."

The old tea farmer sank his face and said, "Mr. Shen is so good to us, we cannot be ungrateful."

The young tea farmer curled his lip.

Hong Kong Peninsula Hotel, executive suite.

Ceng Nianci and her sister met with Lukasi, a representative of the Swedish R Company.

Lukasi was a white man in his forties, his blonde hair combed meticulously. He sat on the sofa with his legs crossed, carelessly twirling a fountain pen, looking completely indifferent.

"Miss Ceng, you want to sell intelligence to us, that's no problem. But there is one thing I must say upfront—the intelligence must be accurate. Otherwise, we will also 'hunt you down'."

He said the last few words lightly, as if joking, but the coldness in his eyes was not hidden at all.

Ceng Nianci didn't change her expression, even smiled, picked up her coffee cup and took a sip, saying, "Mr. Lukasi, what I care about most right now is—what price can you offer? The reason I came to find you is that my boss is too stingy. The project budget given to him from above is one hundred million US dollars, but he, on the other hand, lets me do all the work while only giving me five hundred thousand US dollars. If this isn't an insult, what is?"

Lukasi raised an eyebrow and laughed, "Your boss is too stingy. If you sell me the complete intelligence, I'll give you three million US dollars. How about that?"

Ceng Nianci's eyes brightened slightly, and she nodded, "This number is somewhat decent. I have basically obtained the exact information—there is a very important ingredient in Lin Wanning's new medicine."

Lukasi's eyes widened in an instant, he pulled back his crossed legs, and his neck stretched forward involuntarily, "What exactly are the ingredients? Can you say them?"