This tomb raiding indeed yielded treasures that money couldn't buy. Yan Shouyi suddenly understood why there were people like Mojin Xiaowei and Banshan Daoren.
Even he couldn't replicate the exquisite craftsmanship of King Jian's golden mask. His current knowledge was insufficient to comprehend or recreate its intricate mechanisms.
Long Feicheng regretted, "Brother Yan, shouldn't we have taken more items from King Jian's tomb? Who knows if they were world-destroying divine artifacts?"
Yan Shouyi smiled, "One should be content. If King Jian truly possessed world-destroying divine artifacts, would he have died?"
"That's true," Long Feicheng still felt a sense of loss. "Then what you gave to Ma Xingping and the others..."
"You want back what you've already given away?" Yan Shouyi shot him a look.
"Hehe, I was just joking! We're successful and distinguished people now!" Long Feicheng chuckled sheepishly.
Regardless, Yan Shouyi was quite satisfied with the golden mask's functionality. Its miraculous capabilities might prove immensely useful in the future.
Speaking of which, Lin Zitong also acquired a treasure from King Jian's tomb: the Shu Ling Snake Lock, originally used to bind Jiang Wusheng's arms. That Shu Ling snake was still coiled around her Soul Summoning Bell.
Unlike the golden mask, Lin Zitong already knew the Shu Ling snake's purpose. Lian He had imparted this knowledge to her before re-entering her slumber.
The Shu Ling snake hailed from the Shu Kingdom and possessed a degree of sentience. However, unlike the San Yuan, they could only execute simple commands and lacked the capacity for independent thought.
With the Shu Ling snake attached to the Soul Summoning Bell, it enhanced Lin Zitong's magical prowess. Whether employing spells or soul summoning techniques, their power was significantly amplified.
After understanding the golden mask's function, Yan Shouyi chatted with Old Jin for a while longer and even left him some local specialties brought back from Chenjia Village.
His visit to Old Jin was merely incidental. Yan Shouyi's true destination for the day was the West Lake in Rongcheng.
The sorcerer who had caused trouble at the West Lake construction site was still awaiting Yan Shouyi's intervention.
The three of them boarded Lin Zitong's Bentley and departed from Huichun Hall. Half an hour later, they arrived at the West Lake.
The management of the West Lake had been transferred from the Li family to the Lin family. Those working for the Lin family were required to memorize specific license plate numbers before starting their employment, and Lin Zitong's was among them.
Thus, as soon as they saw Lin Zitong's car approaching, they immediately granted passage.
This scene drew envious glances from many passing tourists.
The West Lake in Rongcheng was located in the very heart of the city. Normally, traffic here was gridlocked, and finding parking was exceptionally difficult. Regular tourists had to park far away and walk a considerable distance to reach the scenic area.
However, Lin Zitong's car was different. She could drive directly into the scenic area, where dedicated internal parking spaces were available, saving considerable hassle.
After parking the car, the three alighted and saw a man wearing a work ID badge and a safety helmet, leading a group of eager young individuals.
"May I ask if you three are Mr. Yan Shouyi, Miss Lin Zitong, and Mr. Long Feicheng?" the man inquired respectfully.
Lin Zitong nodded. "And you are?"
"Greetings, esteemed guests. My name is Qiu Jian, and I am the general manager of the new West Lake project!" Qiu Jian stated deferentially. "We received word earlier that you would be visiting to inspect the construction site and its progress, so I was specifically sent to guide you."
Yan Shouyi observed that while Qiu Jian appeared outwardly respectful, there was a hint of defiance in his eyes. He likely perceived the trio as rich second-generation individuals who were merely there to cause trouble without understanding anything.
However, Yan Shouyi saw no need to explain. Under Qiu Jian's guidance, they proceeded, chatting as they walked.
Long Feicheng, as usual, pulled out his phone to take selfies as soon as they entered the area restricted to visitors.
Yan Shouyi casually asked, "Master Qiu, what is your background, and how did you secure this project?"
Qiu Jian proudly replied, "I graduated from Qinghua Design Institute and also studied in various European countries. Upon my return, I was responsible for numerous major projects. Several exhibition halls, stadiums, and cultural palaces in Rongcheng were designed by me. I owe this opportunity to the appreciation of Elder Lin."
Qiu Jian's response was largely a boast of his own achievements, with a polite mention of Lin Ruofu tacked on at the end. It was evident that Qiu Jian was an individual with pride in his talents, but this was not necessarily a flaw; he genuinely possessed the skill.
Yan Shouyi then glanced at the individuals trailing behind them. "And who are they?"
"Oh, they are my juniors from Qinghua Design Institute. I invited them to join the West Lake project so they could learn."
"Mmm," Yan Shouyi didn't give it much thought. In terms of design, he was the true veteran. In the face of the Lu Ban Shu, Qiu Jian was merely a novice. Therefore, while others respected Qiu Jian, Yan Shouyi treated him as an equal, despite Qiu Jian appearing to be in his forties.
His casual demeanor struck Qiu Jian's juniors as somewhat arrogant. They began murmuring amongst themselves.
"Who are these three brats? Acting so high and mighty. We're graduates from a prestigious university, and they're not giving us any face!"
"Exactly. Even if they look down on us, they don't seem to show much respect to Senior Qiu. Who do they think they are!"
"Ahem, they seem to be the project's financiers. It's perhaps normal that they don't care about us."
"Hmph, financier or whatever, I think they're just some second-generation officials. How could a place like the West Lake be privately owned?"
"Shh... keep it down, don't let them hear you."
"I'm already starting to pray that these three clueless youngsters don't pretend to know what they're talking about and try to change our plans!"
"Now that you mention it, my hair is starting to fall out!"
Yan Shouyi heard their hushed discussion clearly but merely shook his head in resignation and paid it no mind.
The original West Lake Elegant Residence had been completely demolished, and the connecting corridor leading to it had also been rerouted. Instead of leading to the center of the lake, it now led to the side of the West Lake.
There, a small island in the lake was covered in dense bamboo groves. Opposite the island was the State Guesthouse, inaccessible to ordinary people. Yan Shouyi and Lin Zitong's new residence was situated behind the island.
This location was more secluded, allowing them to enjoy the West Lake's beauty without being "observed" by tourists, thus maintaining a quiet and low-key profile, which suited Yan Shouyi's personality.
Following the corridor, they arrived at the construction site. Yan Shouyi noticed that work had been halted, with only a few surveyors measuring data.
Yan Shouyi stopped and asked, "What are they doing?"
"Surveying!"
Qiu Jian chuckled inwardly, thinking Yan Shouyi was indeed an ignorant greenhorn. The surveyors were attempting to set up measuring instruments on the lake surface. While these instruments were effective on land, their use on the lake was proving inconvenient.
Firstly, the surveyors, sitting in boats, were unable to maintain stability due to the constant rocking. Secondly, there was nothing on the lake surface to anchor the instruments, making their placement extremely difficult.
Seeing their struggle, Yan Shouyi gestured with his fingers and casually remarked, "The position they are measuring now, the total length is 132.33 meters. Tell them to come back. Let me know where they need to measure; it's quite dangerous on the lake."
Qiu Jian was taken aback. "Mr. Yan, these surveyors are measuring the foundation length of the building. Even a few centimeters of error can have significant repercussions. This cannot be done carelessly."
The individuals behind Qiu Jian also scoffed at Yan Shouyi. "Does he think he's Superman with X-ray vision, able to see over a hundred meters with perfect accuracy?"
The next second, a surveyor shouted loudly, "We've measured it! The total length is 121.11 meters!"
Qiu Jian, hearing this, grinned. "Mr. Yan, your eyesight is truly remarkable. An error of about ten meters is already quite impressive!"
Yan Shouyi frowned. "They measured incorrectly. Make them re-measure."
"They are all professional surveyors, and they are using the best instruments. How could they make a mistake?" Qiu Jian's annoyance grew.
However, Yan Shouyi insisted on his assessment and demanded that Qiu Jian have them re-measure. Qiu Jian couldn't refuse, given that he was their benefactor. He decided to humor him, treating it as playing with their patron.
So, Qiu Jian instructed the surveyors to re-measure. Reluctantly, the surveyors recalibrated their equipment. A moment later, their astonished voices were heard:
"The measurement from before seems incorrect. The current reading is 132.33 meters!"
"What?" Qiu Jian blinked. "Try measuring again?"
"We have. It's the same, 132.33 meters!"
The surveyors, still shaken, exclaimed, "Foreman Qiu, you're truly amazing! If you hadn't pointed out our error, we would have caused a disaster!"
Qiu Jian forced a wry smile and looked at Yan Shouyi with disbelief. "Mr. Yan, your eyes..."
Yan Shouyi smiled and explained, "I worked as a carpenter when I was young, so my eyesight is exceptionally good. I can tell the length of anything at a glance."
"But... your precision down to two decimal places is a bit exaggerated, don't you think?" Qiu Jian was unconvinced.
Yan Shouyi didn't elaborate further.
Lin Zitong, standing nearby, looked puzzled. "Wasn't the design already finalized? Why is re-surveying necessary now?"
Qiu Jian replied, "Previously, we only conducted a lakebed survey, not a geological survey of the lakebed. When we started driving piles for the foundation, we discovered the lakebed was rock. Driving piles is proving very difficult, so we need to create a new plan."
Yan Shouyi listened, his brows furrowed in surprise. "You think the difficulty in driving piles is due to geological issues?"
"What else would it be?" Qiu Jian paused, then chuckled. "You gentlemen don't actually believe the rumors circulating at the construction site, do you? Talk of cleavers and malevolent forces? That's all feudal superstition. The workers are spreading rumors, and it's not to be believed!"
Long Feicheng burst into laughter upon hearing this. "You call them superstitious, and they mock you for being ignorant."
"Mr. Long, what do you mean by that?" Qiu Jian's expression soured slightly, especially in front of his juniors. Long Feicheng's words were rather harsh.
Yan Shouyi waved a hand, signaling Long Feicheng to be quiet. He then said sternly,
"The original plan was reviewed by my father, and no changes are needed. Since the piles cannot be driven, the problem with the piles must be solved. We are here today to solve this very problem."