With the commitment secured, Elder Yan was overjoyed, his face wreathed in smiles. Had they not already arrived in the village, he likely would have immediately ordered Wang Guan to drive back to see the Fluorescent Resin. Meanwhile, the villagers were delighted to see the group arrive. However, as most of the young and strong men were busy breaking new ground, only the elderly and some children came out to greet them.

Wang Guan and his companions didn't mind this at all; in fact, they were quite pleased. Seeing the hillsides teeming with lively activity, a scene of bustling productivity, confirmed that their efforts had not been in vain. Those who do good deeds are not entirely without expectation; what truly disheartens them is when the recipients of their help betray their good intentions.

This scenario isn't uncommon in real life. Some people sponsor impoverished students for their education, only to find that some of those students use the funds not for study, but for feasting, entertainment, and purchasing various luxury items. If the sponsors knew their kindness was rewarded in such a manner, they would likely be furious enough to cough up blood.

Of course, the simple, honest villagers were more appreciative, and they understood better how hard-earned wealth truly is. After signing the contract for the land lease, they immediately grabbed hoes and shovels to start clearing the fields before the mechanical planters even arrived. Despite the inevitable toil and hardship, radiant smiles adorned everyone's faces, greatly inspiring Wang Guan and the others, naturally making them feel even more cheerful.

“Shall we go up and take a look?” The Old Village Head’s tone carried a hint of pride. “We’ve already dug out over a thousand pits.”

Planting wild vegetables has different methods depending on the region. The villagers had carefully inquired with the technicians and were adopting the most practical approach: dig a hole, bury the seed, and water it.

Naturally, the actual execution was far from simple; it required diligent care, loosening the soil, weeding, and other tasks that would undoubtedly consume considerable energy. Most things in the world follow a similar rule: the greater the potential yield, the greater the labor required.

Led by the Old Village Head, Wang Guan and the others toured the mountain. Seeing that everything was progressing smoothly brought them considerable satisfaction. However, the Old Village Head was perceptive and noticed that the group seemed somewhat preoccupied. Not one for subtle maneuvering, he simply asked directly.

“Well, we came today not only to check on the progress of the land clearing but also to handle a few things while we’re here.” Wang Guan made no effort to conceal his purpose, immediately presenting the contract signed by Kong Chao.

The Old Village Head was quite educated, and the contract was straightforward enough for him to grasp its implications at a glance. He frowned instantly. “That prodigal boy!”

“Old Village Head,” Wang Guan said softly at this juncture, “Elder Duan mentioned you are Kong Chao’s grand-uncle. I bought his ancestral home; I hope you don't mind?”

“It’s fine.”

The Old Village Head shook his head. “I always expected a day like this would come, just not so soon. And you’ve been too kind; that house isn't worth that much money.”

“Old brother, don’t think he was taken advantage of,” Elder Duan interjected with a smile. “He’s a businessman; he certainly has his own methods. He wouldn't enter into a losing trade.”

“As long as he didn't lose out, that’s fine,” the Old Village Head nodded, then asked with lingering curiosity, “Why did you buy his house? Are you planning to settle down here? Everyone would certainly welcome that.”

“Old brother, you… I won't say any more,” Elder Duan shook his head. “Just try not to be too shocked when you see it later.”

“What do you mean?” The Old Village Head looked puzzled.

A few moments later, the group arrived near the residence Wang Guan had purchased. It was then that the Old Village Head noticed more than a dozen construction workers around the house, each holding various tools, and even an excavator.

“What are they doing? Building?”

Seeing this scene, the Old Village Head was naturally bewildered.

“Not building, but demolishing,” Elder Duan explained. “He wants to tear the entire house down.”

“Oh.”

The Old Village Head nodded and said with a smile, “He must want to tear it down and rebuild.”

“Something like that.”

Wang Guan gave a vague smile and then waved, signaling the workers to begin.

It was worth mentioning that these laborers had been specially hired by Wang Guan from a demolition office; they were masters at tearing down structures, finding the work utterly routine. Especially with no holdouts present, they were like fish in water, rapidly tearing down most of the courtyard walls within moments. This was Wang Guan's instruction: tear down the outer walls first to check for hidden cavities.

“You’re surely overthinking it; it’s just thin mud bricks, there wouldn't be any hidden layers…”

Elder Duan stopped mid-sentence because, at that moment, as a few workers dismantled one of the walls, they discovered something unusual. The object was wedged between the bricks, or perhaps it was a disguised brick, merely coated with a layer of mud.

It was a perfectly square object. Since the mud coating hadn't completely flaked off, everyone couldn't see clearly what it was before the prepared Wang Guan snatched it away, instructing someone to place it in his vehicle.

At that moment, several people exchanged glances, a look of vague confusion on their faces. After a long pause, Elder Duan finally regained his composure, pulled Wang Guan a few steps aside, and whispered, “What in the world was that just now?”

“I didn’t see it either; I have no idea,” Wang Guan replied, shaking his head with an expression of candid innocence.

Elder Duan believed him and immediately urged, “Then go take a look.”

“No rush, no rush,” Wang Guan chuckled lightly. “There are too many people; it’s not appropriate.”

“That’s true.”

Elder Duan considered it and agreed with a nod.

Just then, Wang Guan waved his hand again, and men came out carrying several boxes—some filled with candy and soda, others with good quality packs of cigarettes. Under Wang Guan’s signal, these were distributed to the surrounding children and elders, as well as the demolition crew.

“You’re trying to win hearts and minds,” Elder Duan cut straight to the chase.

However, knowing this didn't stop the little resistance children had against free treats, especially candy. Seeing the children’s joyful expressions, some of the elders hesitated but made no move to stop it. Moreover, Wang Guan was generous; he didn't just hand things out but left several large boxes of goods available for everyone to take freely.

The adage that a full stomach makes for soft words—whoever accepts gifts speaks more leniently—is a universal truth. Under these circumstances, the onlookers found it difficult to press Wang Guan about taking the object from the wall. Besides, he had legally purchased the house, so anything dug up within the property boundaries rightfully belonged to him; his actions were, after all, justifiable.

While others enjoyed their snacks, the workers did not stop; they resumed tearing down walls. But Wang Guan seemed to have used up his luck, as they discovered nothing particularly noteworthy during the subsequent wall demolition.

In a short time, wall after wall fell, and soon they reached the main hall of the central structure. At this point, Wang Guan made a new request: hold off on the walls for now, and instead, dismantle the beams.

Of course, taking down beams was trickier than tearing down walls. First, the roof had to be stripped off, the tiles cleared away, before the main support beams could be removed. But that was the conventional method. When Wang Guan said they only needed the beams and could ignore the tiles, the workers displayed a surprisingly violent efficiency. In just a few movements, they dismantled the supporting rafters of the roof, and with a shake, the roof tiles tumbled down in a clatter.

Soon, the entire roof of the hall was bare, leaving only the solitary crossbeams remaining.

“Are you suspecting the beams are hollow, perhaps containing a secret compartment?” Elder Duan asked curiously.

“Perhaps there is a hidden compartment,” Wang Guan smiled. “But I’m more interested in the beams themselves…”

“The beams themselves? What do you mean?” Elder Duan was slightly confused.

Simultaneously, several workers were lowering the beams using ropes. Their labored expressions indicated that the heavy timbers carried considerable weight. However, having been untouched for years, the surfaces of the round logs were pitch black, caked in thick layers of grime.

Wang Guan stepped forward, took a brief look, and then instructed the men to hoist the beams onto a flatbed truck, evidently preparing to haul them away.

“Are you running a junk hauling service?”

Seeing this, Elder Duan couldn't help but tease him.

“Brother Duan, you don’t understand,” Elder Yan countered, quietly stating, “Those beam woods are good stuff.”

“How so?” Elder Duan was momentarily startled and whispered, “What kind of good stuff?”

“I don’t know,” Elder Yan softly shook his head, then chuckled in response to Elder Duan’s wide-eyed stare, explaining lightly, “But you can think about it: these beams have withstood centuries of wind and rain without showing any signs of rot. If that isn’t good material, what is?”

“That does make sense…” Elder Duan nodded thoughtfully, almost unconsciously.

Indeed, only the two elders truly understood Wang Guan’s objective. Others, seeing him prepare to haul away pieces of wood, were at most a little perplexed and didn't dwell on it, instead happily smoking and cracking sunflower seeds.

Once the heavy beams were moved, the walls could be demolished next.

“Rumble!”

A worker drove the excavator inside. The massive mechanical arm hooked and pushed, causing the thick walls to collapse instantly. The debris of brick and mud was then loaded onto trucks and hauled outside the village for burial.

This process was somewhat monotonous and took a long time. Finding the spectacle less exciting than anticipated, and having finished the boxes of fruit candy, some children soon dispersed, running off to play elsewhere. Furthermore, as it was approaching noon, some people needed to go home to prepare lunch. Gradually, the crowd of onlookers thinned out significantly…

“This is the moment.”

In an instant, Wang Guan gave the command: “Shove the rubble aside—dig the ground!”

“Do you really think there’s a cache buried in the earth?” Elder Duan laughed. “Man shouldn't be too greedy. I think you’d be better off going to see what that item you found in the wall was.”

“No rush, we can check that later.”

As he spoke, Wang Guan directed the excavator to the center of the hall and instructed the operator to dig with full power.

“Thump.”

As the boss, the worker naturally followed his wishes, expertly maneuvering the machine to lift the bucket high and then slam it down onto the hall's floor, ripping up a layer of packed earth. This was because the soil in the hall was extremely compact, a hard, dry earth that was genuinely difficult to excavate.

“It’s this hard? They wouldn't bury anything here, would they?” Elder Duan sounded skeptical and offered suggestions from the sidelines. “I think if someone truly meant to bury something, it would be in the courtyard, or perhaps under the bed in the master bedroom…”

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