Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Chapter 391 Planning in Congo

That afternoon, Lin Yan was reviewing documents in his study when he heard Wang Qin's voice transmission in his mind.

"Young Master, the teleportation arrays have been installed as you instructed. A detailed list of their locations and corresponding safe house numbers has been stored in the storage compartment you specified."

Lin Yan's spirits lifted.

With a slight thought, he retrieved the list from his spatial storage. His consciousness immersed in the jade slip, and a three-dimensional global map of light spots unfolded in his mind.

The lights were densely packed, covering all the continents except for the North and South Poles.

Every key location operated or infiltrated by the Lin family, whether it was a secret room in a New York skyscraper, an apartment in London, a disguised warehouse in the Middle Eastern desert, or a hidden stronghold in the Southeast Asian rainforest, was marked with a tiny array rune—representing an activated teleportation array.

With this network, he could reach most parts of the world in an instant. The convenience of spatial movement would be elevated to an unprecedented level.

Lin Yan put down the jade slip and turned his gaze to the vast sea and sky outside the window.

He decided to take a free-spirited round-the-world trip over the next two years.

Let's start with Africa...

A secret room on the basement floor of the main building of the Kalemie Manor in the southwestern suburbs of Lubumbashi, Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Lin Yan's figure solidified from the dim light, with an array plate engraved with intricate runes beneath his feet, and the air was filled with the unique coolness of a basement.

The moment he steadied himself, his divine sense spread out, scanning the general structure of the underground chamber of the main building and the manor above.

"Marcus, I've arrived. Come pick me up."

Three minutes later, the heavy alloy door of the secret room made a soft unlocking sound and was then pushed open from the outside.

A burly, dark-skinned, bald giant strode in.

Upon seeing Lin Yan standing with his hands behind his back in the center of the array, Marcus's eyes were filled with a mixture of surprise and awe. He strode forward and bowed deeply.

"Young master, you've finally decided to come and see me!"

He complained slightly.

"Please come with me, a welcome feast has been prepared for you."

Lin Yan nodded slightly and stepped down from the array.

"Let's go, let's go see the empire you've built."

Marcus stepped aside to lead the way.

"Young master, this way please."

The passageway was spacious, with cast concrete walls and softly lit wall lamps. A faint scent of dehumidifier mingled with the aroma of tropical plants in the air.

"The manor has three floors above ground and two floors below ground. The above-ground floors are the living area and reception area, while the underground floors are the storage, workshops, and emergency shelters."

Marcus walked and explained, his voice echoing through the corridor.

"The structure is from the colonial era, left by the Belgians, but the interior has been completely renovated. The walls have been thickened, steel plates have been embedded in key areas, and the glass is bulletproof."

They passed through a heavy security door and entered the upward staircase.

"The exterior looks the same as before, not wanting to stand out too much. Inside, independent power generation, water supply, and communication systems have been installed. There is an emergency passage leading directly outside the city on the second basement level."

At the end of the steps was another door.

Push it open, and the tropical sun hits you in the face.

They were already standing in the lobby on the first floor of the main building.

The ceiling is nearly six meters high, and huge ceiling fans rotate slowly. The floor is smooth, dark hardwood, the lower half of the walls are covered with locally sourced dark stone, and the upper half is covered with light-colored stucco, with several brightly colored modern oil paintings depicting jungles and rivers hanging on the walls.

"The living room is on the left, and the study is on the right. Upstairs are all bedrooms."

Marcus led Lin Yan through the hall and towards the back, saying, "There's a courtyard and a restaurant in the back."

Passing through an archway inlaid with stained glass, a bright and open space suddenly appeared before me.

This is a rectangular inner courtyard.

In the center is a rectangular pool with clear water, where several colorful tropical fish swim slowly.

The pond is surrounded by white pebbles, and tall traveler's palms and low-lying monstera plants are growing there.

Sunlight streamed through the semi-transparent awning above, filtering out dappled light spots.

One side of the courtyard is an open corridor, and the other side is the restaurant.

The restaurant is spacious, with ten high-backed chairs placed around a long teak dining table.

One side features a full-length glass door that is completely open, bringing the courtyard view indoors.

On the other wall, a huge copper fan was spinning silently.

The table is already set.

There was no overly complicated plating; the food was served in thick earthenware bowls and wooden plates.

"Knowing that the young master was coming, I had the kitchen prepare some local dishes."

Marcus walked to the head of the table and gestured for Lin Yan to sit down.

"It's all done in the local style, and most of the ingredients are locally sourced. It might not be very refined, but the taste is quite authentic."

"This is 'Fufu,' made from cassava, a staple food. It comes with spicy stewed beans and cassava leaf sauce."

"The roasted meat is the hind leg of an antelope that was just hunted yesterday. It's grilled over charcoal and only sprinkled with salt and a little local chili powder."

"The fish is a perch from the Congo River, and it's grilled wrapped in banana leaves."

"The soup is peanut and chicken soup, a bit thick, and you can dip it in 'Fu Fu' sauce."

"There are also fried cassava balls, fried bananas, and some fruit."

"We have local coffee, banana liqueur, or just water to drink."

After Marcus finished speaking, he stood aside, waiting for Lin Yan's reaction.

Lin Yan waved his hand.

"Don't stand, sit down and eat with us."

Marcus then sat down to the side.

Lin Yan picked up a golden-brown fried cassava ball and put it in his mouth. The outer skin was crispy, and the inside was dense and smooth cassava paste, mixed with the texture of peanuts.

He chewed slowly for a few bites, his brow furrowing slightly.

I picked up a small piece of grilled antelope meat with my chopsticks. The meat was firm, chewy, and had a strong smoky flavor. The seasoning of salt and chili powder was very direct.

He put down his chopsticks, picked up his water glass, and took a sip.

"Never mind." He said calmly, without any disappointment or blame.

"I'm not used to this African cuisine. Let Yuling make me something I'm more familiar with."

Marcus immediately stood up, his face apologetic: "It was my oversight, young master. I'll have someone..."

"It's none of your business," Lin Yan interrupted him, gesturing for him to sit down again. "It's purely a matter of taste; my tongue just won't cooperate."

Marcus quickly finished his lunch and set the table.

He wiped his hands, looked up at Lin Yan with a focused expression, and waited for what was to come.

Lin Yan also put down the soup bowl and rinsed his mouth with water.

"I'm mainly here to travel around. You don't need to go to any special trouble to take care of me."

He then changed the subject.

"But there's something I need you to do."

Marcus straightened his back slightly: "Young master, what are your orders?"

"I want you to quietly take control of the Democratic Republic of Congo within six months."

A glint flashed in Marcus's eyes, and a grin spread across his face.

"Young Master, you've finally come to your senses! If it weren't for you always keeping things under control and preventing too much bloodshed, this wretched place would have been renamed Lin's long ago! Don't worry, it won't even take half a year—"

He held up four fingers.

"Four months. In four months I'll clean it up for you, so that every inch of this land belongs to the Lin family."

Lin Yan looked at him and nodded slightly.

"Mm," he replied.

"I trust you to handle things."