Under the golden warmth of late spring, Chen Valley looked like any other quiet countryside. Children played with marbles under the banyan trees, and the aroma of stir-fried garlic shoots drifted from kitchen windows. But beneath the calm surface, ripples were forming—just as Lin Feng had predicted.
He wasn't worried.
In fact, he was accelerating his plans.
---
The first thing Lin Feng did that morning was meet with Old Wu, a respected but low-profile figure in the village. A former deputy village chief with decades of local connections, Old Wu had long retired from public roles, yet his influence hadn't faded.
Old Wu served Lin Feng a cup of chrysanthemum tea and chuckled. "I wondered when you'd come knocking. You've been doing big things quietly, boy."
Lin Feng bowed slightly. "Uncle Wu, I need your help—but not with money or favors. Just advice. And presence."
Old Wu raised an eyebrow. "Presence?"
"I'm planning to form a Cooperative Society. On paper, it'll be for village development. In reality, it's a platform to redirect resources, create employment, and insulate my operations."
"Ah," Old Wu leaned back, "a political shell."
"Exactly. But it needs to look like it's backed by community elders and villagers. Not just me."
"And you want my name on the charter."
"Yes. Yours and a few others."
Old Wu sipped his tea for a while before answering. "Do you intend to challenge the town leadership?"
"No," Lin Feng said calmly. "I intend to render them irrelevant."
---
Within ten days, the Chen Valley Agricultural and Cultural Cooperative was officially formed.
It had nine board members—five elders, two teachers, one young returnee from the city, and Lin Feng.
The charter was simple: "To promote rural revitalization through cooperative farming, education, and ecological tourism."
But buried inside the bylaws were three subtle clauses:
1. Land Leasing Rights: Any member could lease up to 20 mu of land to the Cooperative for "development purposes."
2. Logistics Autonomy: The Cooperative could contract outside transport without oversight from township officials.
3. External Investment Gatekeeping: All investment in Chen Valley agriculture had to be approved through the Cooperative first.
With a single legal entity, Lin Feng had:
Seized soft control of over 40% of the village's farmland
Shielded his logistics from government eyes
Blocked any competitor from entering his turf
All without a single protest.
Because to the villagers, this wasn't domination—it was protection.
---
As planned, the Cooperative launched with a public "Spring Harvest Day" event.
It was simple—tables laid with local produce, old men performing folk songs, and children reading Tang poems aloud.
But everything from the banners to the brochures had a subtle sheen of professionalism.
That was Xu Yuhan's touch.
She had come down from the city, camera in hand, posing as an NGO volunteer helping with rural awareness. No one suspected she was coordinating every shot, every script.
Even the drone footage of the event—which later went viral on short video platforms—was arranged by her team.
In the video, Lin Feng was seen in the background, handing a basket of cabbage to an old woman, smiling humbly.
No interviews. No boasting.
Just presence.
---
That evening, as the event died down, Xu Yuhan joined Lin Feng under a camphor tree near the edge of the fields. Fireflies flickered around them.
"You're getting good at this," she said softly.
"At what?"
"At building something bigger than yourself—without looking like you're trying."
Lin Feng looked at her and said, "It's like farming. You don't shout at the seeds to grow. You give them the right soil and time."
She smiled.
"Still, you're drawing attention."
"I know."
"What are you going to do when someone connects the dots?"
"I'm counting on it," Lin Feng replied. "I want certain people to suspect, but not prove. That keeps them reactive."
Xu Yuhan tilted her head. "That's...risky."
"Only if I care about short-term safety. I'm playing for permanence."
She studied him for a moment longer, then said, "Promise me one thing."
"What?"
"When things go big—don't forget why you started."
Lin Feng paused.
"I won't," he said.
---
A few days later, Zhao Yun returned from Jiangnan City with news.
"You remember that student—Fang Ruo?"
"Yes."
"She's no longer acting solo. She's been spotted having coffee with Zhou Wei."
Lin Feng's eyes narrowed. "Zhou Wei…from East Star Capital?"
"Correct. They're one of the investment firms with shady government links. If they're snooping now, they'll come with fake offers soon."
"Then let's welcome them."
---
Sure enough, two weeks later, a sleek black Mercedes pulled up to the old temple courtyard Lin Feng was renovating as part of the Cooperative's "cultural heritage" mission.
A man in his thirties, dressed in a sharp grey suit, stepped out. Behind him was Fang Ruo.
"Mr. Lin Feng?" the man extended a hand. "I'm Zhou Wei. I represent East Star Capital. We're looking to invest in rural development."
Lin Feng shook his hand. "This is a public site. You're welcome to look around."
Zhou Wei smiled. "We'd like to do more than look. Your Cooperative has potential. We're interested in a 10 million yuan initial investment—for equity and brand access."
Lin Feng gave no expression. "There's no equity to sell. It's a Cooperative."
"We can repackage it," Zhou Wei said smoothly. "Convert your leadership into a founder-shareholder structure. We'll bring in formal management, upscale the logistics, add packaging—turn this into a national-level organic brand."
"And what do I get?"
"Exposure. A proper boardroom. Maybe even an IPO someday."
Lin Feng smiled faintly.
"I have exposure. I have boardrooms. What I don't have is time for parasites."
Zhou Wei's eyes hardened. "Be careful, Mr. Lin. This country respects rules. Your name may not be on any registry now, but that doesn't mean people can't find out who's really running this place."
"Then they'll find a humble farmer," Lin Feng replied, "who doesn't like suits walking on his soil."
Fang Ruo looked like she wanted to say something but stayed quiet.
Zhou Wei laughed. "Very well. We'll be watching."
Lin Feng nodded. "I know. That's why I made sure your license plate was recorded. Safe trip back."
---
After the car left, Zhao Yun emerged from behind a tree with a sly grin.
"Did you just verbally slap a potential investor?"
"I did more than slap," Lin Feng said. "I planted fear. And made sure they know this isn't a playground."
Zhao Yun nodded. "Still, we should beef up information control. Lock down the Cooperative's internal reports. Double-encrypt the logistics data."
"Already done," Lin Feng replied. "And Liu Ying is putting together a data-blind system. No single operator sees the whole picture."
"Nice. One last thing—do we let the girl off the hook?"
Lin Feng looked toward the road where Fang Ruo's car had disappeared.
"She's still useful," he said. "Curious minds can become loyal allies, if you feed them the right truth."
---
That night, back in the inner realm, Lin Feng walked the forest path in quiet thought. The moon was high, casting pale silver light over the river and the Hidden Pavilion.
The space had changed.
New fields of rare mint and mountain tea now bloomed under his design. Small wooden huts stood ready to host guests for tea ceremonies or private tastings. He had built it all without concrete, steel, or signs.
It looked ancient, yet untouched.
Timeless.
He sat beneath the cherry blossom tree and took out a small notebook.
In it, he wrote:
> Phase 1: Control supply. Phase 2: Control logistics. Phase 3: Control perception. Phase 4: Control trust.
Each box was now checked.
But the last item on the page remained:
> Phase 5: Build permanence.
That was what this was really about.
Not just getting rich.
Not even just rising.
It was about creating something that couldn't be undone, even if he disappeared.
And for that, he would need more than just land and produce.
He would need people.
---
The next morning, he called Xu Yuhan.
"I need your help with something new."
"What?"
"I'm going to start training rural youth. Not just farming—media, management, digital sales. I want to create a team who can run things even if I step away."
There was silence, then a soft, warm voice:
"I was waiting for you to say that."
---
End of Chapter 19
L