Chapter 219: Reflections of the Starry Sky

If you want to expand a business empire, every power and nation must have at least one stronghold. It doesn’t need to be too large—one square kilometer is enough. Of course, the more, the better; the bigger, the better.

But how should such a stronghold be established? The first thing Li Xian thought of was the concept of a concession.

Of course, the reality would be different. According to his plan, Li Xian would establish a foothold in the Immortal Realm through purely commercial purchases, semi-military coercion, or even directly conquering a country. The exact method would depend on the actual situation.

From an overall perspective, Li Xian’s layout and development plan resembled a “brilliant constellation.” Each stronghold would be like a star in the sky, scattered across the land and the Immortal Realm. Naturally, just like celestial bodies, some would be large, and others would be small, eventually forming constellations.

Well, this was just an initial concept, nothing more.

“To establish one or even multiple bases within various nations or territories—each one a replica or an extension of Anyang. Ultimately, using the land as a chessboard, a reflection of the starry sky would be formed on the ground.”

Li Xian then used magic to create a rough diagram, showing how the bases and strongholds on the land corresponded to the stars in the sky.

Excitement? Shock? Xu Ren and the others were beyond words. It was simply too overwhelming! No wonder the group’s name was “Brilliant Star Group” — Li Xian had planned it this way all along.

However, drawing a starry sky on the land was no easy task. First, there needed to be enough military power to ensure the safety of each stronghold. Secondly, Anyang still lacked an “astrologer.” Since they were mapping the stars onto the land, wouldn’t it be better if they corresponded perfectly?

“I plan to personally invite Ge Zhengfeng to be our astrologer,” Li Xian finally concluded the theoretical discussion.

That afternoon, they began discussing concrete implementation methods. The first step was to establish a bank. At the very least, it needed to gain credibility and scale within Anyang and even the entire Great Xia Empire, laying a solid foundation.

Secondly, they needed to purchase or occupy at least one base within each territory. However, in line with the principle of “harmony bringing wealth,” they would prioritize purchases whenever possible. Once they took root, Anyang would quickly recoup its investment.

Thirdly, regarding the research department—including Tang Rong, Xiao Yuquan, and all research personnel—Li Xian issued another order: communication technology must achieve a breakthrough as soon as possible. Otherwise, the inability to communicate between the “star bases” would be the biggest obstacle.

If they wanted to create a reflection of the starry sky on the land, communication technology had to be resolved.

Li Xian had already decided that if the issue wasn’t solved within a year, he would “cheat”—by introducing electromagnetic communication technology. For now, he still wanted to develop technology unique to the Immortal Realm. But if that approach couldn’t yield results in the short term, he wouldn’t just sit and wait.

After rounds of discussion, the general direction was set, and night had already fallen. The brilliant stars in the sky seemed to illuminate Anyang’s future.

For the first time, Xu Ren and Yan Ze’an walked side by side. After a while, Xu Ren suddenly spoke, “Old Yan, each of these strongholds will be like a small Anyang. We’ll need a complete leadership team for each one. We’re going to be busy in the future.”

Yan Ze’an, however, smiled and said, “That’s great. I’ve always believed that fighting for fortune and competing for dominance isn’t limited to establishing a nation. While it’s easy to develop a country in its early stages, later on, it becomes increasingly difficult—practically an uphill battle. Throughout history, no nation on the land of Yingzhou has ever exceeded 100,000 kilometers.”

“Now that we’ve found a viable path, I must give it a try. Perhaps we will create an even more brilliant and glorious future!”

“Haha! The future will definitely be bright. You don’t know this, but after I left Songzhou as an inspector, I wandered aimlessly around Wuyang City. By chance, I overheard the young master’s speech. At that moment, I knew he was destined for greatness. And sure enough, time has proven my judgment was right. Ha…”

“Then why did you leave Songzhou Prefecture back then? I thought Gao Bin had some skill—he even secretly took control of Ningzhou Prefecture, which surprised everyone.”

“Sigh… The strategy to take Ningzhou was one I had set long ago. As for why I left Gao Bin, the reason is simple—he secretly disposed of wounded soldiers. A person like that will never have a future. Besides, he thinks too highly of himself and looks down on others, treating his subordinates like mere tools. Hmph…

Being in a land surrounded by war on all sides, yet lacking ambition and secretly disposing of wounded soldiers—such a person is only bringing about their own destruction.”

Xu Ren shook his head, seemingly somewhat regretful.

Yan Ze’an fell into a brief silence before suddenly sighing as well. “Isn’t the current Cai State just like this? Heh… I heard that Huang Fu has now become the greatest protector of our Cai State’s dumping plan. Hah…”

“There are profits to be made!” Xu Ren suddenly pulled out a feather fan and gently waved it. “The bustling world is all for profit; the clamor of people is all for gain. As long as there are profits, we will have countless allies.”

After a slight pause, Yan Ze’an asked, “Tomorrow, I will be heading to Songzhou County for negotiations, preparing to establish Anyang’s first external base—or rather, its first star. Do you have any guidance for me, Mr. Xu?”

“Gao Bin is a stubborn and arrogant person, blind to others. When you negotiate with him, lower your stance a little, flatter him a few times, and subtly belittle others. After all, he has secretly subdued Ningzhou County, and that achievement is indeed praiseworthy.

Furthermore, when purchasing a base, the bigger, the better. Ideally, you should buy an entire city outright. Don’t offer too high a price—thirty to fifty thousand taels of gold should be sufficient.

You can promise some additional benefits, such as offering them an 80% discount on goods or selling them a few extra cannons. Other than that, there’s no need for anything more.”

“Alright.”

After finishing his words, Xu Ren also asked, “Tomorrow, I will be heading to Baofeng County to purchase a base. After that, I’ll be traveling to Cai State for the same purpose. Do you have any suggestions, Old Yan?”

Yan Ze’an remained silent for a moment. “I’m not very familiar with the First Prince of Baofeng County. However, based on his usual behavior, if you want to meet him, then you should definitely meet Xiao Liming, the one hidden behind the scenes. And if possible, approach Zhang Yuan.

Zhang Yuan, the Minister of Revenue of the Great Xia Kingdom, has long since pledged allegiance to Baofeng County. It is very likely that Baofeng County will have Zhang Yuan negotiate with you.

Additionally, Zhang Yuan’s son, Zhang Quan, has some connections with the young master. Perhaps this could serve as a breakthrough point.

As for Cai State, you should meet directly with the emperor and express your willingness to sell cannons and return the war artifacts that were once captured. The Cai emperor will certainly agree.”

Speaking of the war artifacts once seized from Cai State, more than forty were restored; however, due to their excessive bulk, Anyang found them undesirable. Previously, they were displayed at the Second Industrial Expo with an open offer—anyone who could take them away could have them. In the end, no one wanted them.

Given the value of spirit stones, they were better kept for personal use.

But while others might not want them, Cai State certainly would—it was a matter of pride.

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