The gold was piled into a mountain, each piece weighing a ton, with over eight hundred pieces in total! Ye Tian had no idea that this Blood Hand Scholar had always been fond of collecting gold. During the fall of the Ming Dynasty, he had stolen a considerable amount from the national treasury. Later, when Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong fell, and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was suppressed, he had also pilfered vast quantities of gold.
After a single glance, Ye Tian closed the door again and set up a restriction in the basement to prevent anyone from entering.
Returning to the ground floor, Lin Ziyi was still reviewing the accounts. He said, "Ziyi, it's already noon. Shall we go eat?"
Lin Ziyi's eyes remained fixed on the ledger. "Some bonds and investments are maturing, and I need to sort them out quickly. You and Xi Jie go ahead and eat."
Ye Tian: "Then let's eat here. I'll have the Imperial Kitchen send over chefs."
Lin Ziyi's eyes were still full of figures. "Alright then."
Half an hour later, the head chef from the Imperial Kitchen arrived with assistants and began to set up a fire to cook.
While waiting for the meal, Chen Wansan's call came. He said, "Sir, I have purchased five of the nine energy stones. The total price is one hundred and sixty-five billion US dollars."
Ye Tian: "Good. This money will come from Wang Yundu."
Chen Wansan: "Sir, Wang Yundu also needs to do business. I've asked him to contribute thirty billion US dollars, and I'll figure out the rest."
To a magnate like Chen Wansan, any amount of money was just a string of numbers. What he valued were the benefits that money could bring.
Ye Tian: "Have you returned to Zhonghai?"
"Sir, I landed early this morning and just got some sleep."
"Perfect, come over. I have some things to show you."
Chen Wansan: "Certainly, sir."
Chen Wansan was not far from here. He arrived in about twenty minutes. He brought a wine jar and a packet of tea. Upon meeting, he said, "Sir, this is some good wine I just acquired, and the tea is also excellent."
Ye Tian nodded. "Estimate the value."
He led Chen Wansan to the underground vault. When Chen Wansan saw so much gold and art, his eyes widened, and he murmured, "This gold is worth at least fifty billion US dollars! These artworks are all fine pieces, rare treasures, and their value is immeasurable!"
Ye Tian: "I'll leave the gold to you to handle. For these artworks, pick some out and sell them."
Chen Wansan: "Leave it to me, sir."
He then asked Lin Ziyi, "Ziyi, can we withdraw one hundred billion US dollars from the Blood Hand Scholar's funds first?"
Lin Ziyi: "Yes, but it will take a day or two. If you need money, the company has it too; our current cash flow is very ample."
Ye Tian: "Not for now. Brother Zhang and Old Wu still have quite a bit of savings. We can always move some over if needed."
Then he asked Chen Wansan, "Have you communicated with the other party?"
Chen Wansan nodded. "The other party's intention is to sell, for seventy billion US dollars. However, we need to figure out the transportation ourselves; those machines are very heavy, and it will be quite difficult to transport them."
Ye Tian: "I recall you saying they manufactured energy stones in pursuit of immortality?"
Chen Wansan: "Yes, but the effect was not ideal, so they gave up."
"What is the consumption power of this group of people? I mean, if there were a medicine that could make their physique very strong, allowing them to live for over two hundred years, how much money would they be willing to pay for it?"
Chen Wansan chuckled. "I think most of them would be willing to spend most of their wealth. After all, for them, making money is the easiest thing. In comparison, their bodies and lifespans are far too precious."
Ye Tian pondered for a moment and said, "Tell them I have a way to help them live to two hundred years old. However, my medicine needs to be taken long-term, and it's very expensive."
The energy stones and equipment combined cost over two hundred billion US dollars. He couldn't just spend without earning; he had to make a profit from the other party as well.
Chen Wansan's eyes lit up. "Good, I'll contact them immediately!"
He immediately made a call. A moment later, he said to Ye Tian, "Sir, the other party said they want to see the medicine first."
Ye Tian: "Tell them they will see the medicine within twenty-four hours!"
Chen Wansan: "Sir, it would be best if this medicine could show immediate results, so they will believe in its efficacy."
Ye Tian glanced at Chen Wansan and asked, "How old are you?"
Chen Wansan quickly replied, "Reporting to sir, I am fifty-seven this year."
Ye Tian nodded. "Your physique is average. If nothing unexpected happens, your lifespan should be around seventy-five years."
Chen Wansan gave a wry smile. "So, you're saying I have eighteen years left?"
Ye Tian: "Wait here, I'll go refine a batch of pills for you." With that, he got up and went upstairs, starting to refine pills using the medicine he had on hand.