Lin Xiao Tian grew increasingly puzzled after leaving the company.
Hu Fu, a man of considerable intelligence, would surely not rely solely on other families to contend with the Dong family. Moreover, when Lin Xiao Tian had proposed dealing with the Dong family through his own strength, Hu Fu's expression had clearly been amiss.
Lin Xiao Tian didn't understand Hu Fu's peculiar reaction, but he was certain that Hu Fu knew something he didn't, perhaps a certain rule of this world!
Lin Xiao Tian harbored a daring conjecture: perhaps the rule of this world was that in the same domain, only families could confront families. For instance, the Dong family, as a prominent family in the medical field, could only be challenged by other families in the medical field, not by forces from the real estate or jewelry sectors. Of course, this rule had an exception: families from any domain could influence, and easily deal with, hidden families.
If this were the case, Hu Fu's reaction would be understandable. Naturally, these were all mere speculations, and Lin Xiao Tian was not yet qualified to verify this hypothesis.
Upon exiting the company, Lin Xiao Tian did not have Liang Xu drive him directly back to Jinsha Village. Instead, he asked Liang Xu to take him to a factory. This factory produced various metal kitchenware; it was where Lin Xiao Tian's alchemy furnace had been made.
Lin Xiao Tian's purpose in coming here was simple: he wanted them to help him make another alchemy furnace. Now that his strength had grown, he could handle a larger furnace. This time, Lin Xiao Tian intended to speak with the factory owner personally.
Led by Liang Xu, Lin Xiao Tian finally met the factory owner.
"You must be Boss Lin! A pleasure to meet you!"
A greasy middle-aged man appeared before him, sporting a retro middle-parted hairstyle, his voice rough like thunder. His name was Ma Zhi Gang. He was a former soldier who had retired and ventured into this business. He and Liang Xu were old acquaintances.
"Boss Lin, was the alchemy furnace I made for you last time still useful?"
"It was quite good!" Lin Xiao Tian nodded. The previous furnace had indeed been well-made. Although there were minor deviations, Lin Xiao Tian was generally very satisfied, which was why he was willing to return a second time.
"Boss Ma's skills are indeed excellent. That's why I've come to trouble you again, to ask you to make another alchemy furnace for me."
"Haha, no trouble at all. Business is business. It's an honor that Boss Lin thinks highly of me. I, Ma Zhi Gang, have no problem with it," Ma Zhi Gang chuckled heartily. "May I ask what kind of alchemy furnace Boss Lin wants this time?"
Lin Xiao Tian did not hesitate and presented the new blueprints. There were five sheets of blueprints. Four of them were similar to the one Lin Xiao Tian had provided before, with slight variations in appearance but generally the same. The only difference was in the last blueprint. The alchemy furnace required by this blueprint was not only larger but also more complex in its design.
Upon seeing the last blueprint, Ma Zhi Gang was slightly surprised. "An alchemy furnace this large, at this scale, it would be half the height of a room, wouldn't it?"
Lin Xiao Tian nodded and asked, "Boss Ma, can you make this?"
"Heh heh, Boss Lin, don't underestimate me. When it comes to making things, I, Ma Zhi Gang, am a professional. You can rest assured. However, such a large alchemy furnace will require a significant amount of raw materials, and the manufacturing difficulty will be immense..."
Lin Xiao Tian smiled, knowing full well what Ma Zhi Gang meant. "Boss Ma, don't worry. As long as you can guarantee the quality of the alchemy furnace, the price is not an issue."
"Haha! Boss Lin is straightforward!" Ma Zhi Gang burst into laughter, his voice as loud as thunder.
"By the way, Boss Lin, are you making these alchemy furnaces to refine pills like Taishang Laojun?" Ma Zhi Gang asked curiously.
"No!" Lin Xiao Tian denied directly.
Ma Zhi Gang chuckled, thinking how foolish he was. Who would spend so much money to make an alchemy furnace for refining pills in the 21st century? Yet, he was also very curious. What was Lin Xiao Tian using these alchemy furnaces for if they had no practical purpose? Could it be for some nefarious deeds? Ma Zhi Gang suddenly recalled some unpleasant rumors.
"These alchemy furnaces are for filming a movie."
As if he could hear Ma Zhi Gang's inner thoughts, Lin Xiao Tian directly answered his question. Ma Zhi Gang blinked.
"Oh... So it's for filming!"
"Then your crew is really going all out! To actually build a furnace."
"It's rare to find such a conscientious film crew these days," Ma Zhi Gang gave Lin Xiao Tian a thumbs-up. Lin Xiao Tian smiled faintly, offering no reply.
They chatted for a while longer. Seeing that it was getting late, Lin Xiao Tian bid farewell to Ma Zhi Gang, who escorted them to the entrance. On his way back, Ma Zhi Gang was quite pleased. Business had been difficult for him lately, and Lin Xiao Tian's order was undoubtedly a significant profit. Lin Xiao Tian's alchemy furnaces required a substantial amount of steel, which perfectly cleared his accumulated inventory. Moreover, the client was very generous; these few alchemy furnaces were equivalent to his factory's income for a quarter. Regardless, he wasn't losing out on this deal.
However, as he reached the entrance, Ma Zhi Gang suddenly slapped his forehead. "Ah! Look at my memory, how could I forget to ask what kind of movie they're filming?"
Ma Zhi Gang grumbled to himself as he pushed open his office door. But the next moment, he felt something was amiss. Ma Zhi Gang, having served in the military, was quite cautious. Every time he left, he would meticulously arrange his office to ensure no one had been in his absence. This time, upon entering, he clearly sensed that his office had been disturbed.
Ma Zhi Gang went to the suspicious area and looked closely. It was his drawer. He had placed the blueprints Lin Xiao Tian had given him in this drawer. Could they have been stolen while he was out? Thinking of this, Ma Zhi Gang became anxious. He hastily opened the drawer and examined it carefully.
"Huh?"
"Is anything missing?"
Ma Zhi Gang was certain someone had been in his office, but strangely, everything was still there.
Little did he know that at this very moment, in a mountain villa in Jiangcheng, the blueprints he had just obtained from Lin Xiao Tian were being photographed and then presented to an elder.
"This... is an alchemy furnace?"
"Why would he make such a thing?"
"What is this Lin Xiao Tian's background? Could he be from some medical family?"
The elder's brows were furrowed tightly...