Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Chapter 440 The "Lumos" System Released

As the days went by, the children's routines began to become more regular.

Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after school is tennis time without fail.

Coaches are no longer limited to basic movements and have begun to introduce simple tactical positioning and small-scale confrontations.

Xi Xi runs around the court actively, and although her shots are not very powerful, the angles are often unexpected.

Chenchen, on the other hand, plays steadily and is good at observing his opponent's habits, and his return shots are accurate.

Her sportswear was soaked with sweat, her face was flushed, but her eyes sparkled with the pure joy of competition.

Tuesdays and Thursdays are their respective "major courses".

Xi Xi's vocal teacher began to systematically train her breathing and resonance. Occasionally, when she heard herself sing a clear and resonant high note, she would widen her eyes in surprise.

Chenchen's mechanical enlightenment class has progressed from recognizing tools to explaining simple principles and hands-on disassembly and assembly of some old clocks and small radios.

His desk gradually filled with various small parts boxes, each labeled meticulously.

Lin Yan prepared a set of small and precise tools more suitable for children for him, which he loved and cherished as a gift from his father.

The two little ones practice piano for an hour every evening before dinner.

Piano music would come from both the east and west wing rooms at the same time.

The sounds of the piano sometimes intertwine, sometimes stand alone, becoming a unique background sound in the twilight.

Thanks to the concentration that was intentionally cultivated from a young age, and the "undisturbing respect" given by Lin Yan, the two students are highly efficient in their studies.

After an hour of efficient practice, homework and review are usually completed, leaving them with several hours of "free time" that are entirely their own before going to bed at nine o'clock.

Xi Xi likes to play house with Wang Yuling and put on concerts for her dolls.

Chenchen, meanwhile, was engrossed in his world of parts, trying to assemble some whimsical gadgets. He was also absorbed in reading a book called "Naval and Ship Knowledge," and occasionally he would run into Lin Yan's study, point to a structure, and ask, "Dad, why is this like this?"

Lin Yan can always explain the underlying physical or engineering principles in the simplest language.

At nine o'clock sharp, I washed up and went to bed.

At this moment, Lin Yancai truly entered his own "time".

With a thought, he vanished from the spot.

He sat cross-legged in the cultivation room, and his nascent soul emerged from the top of his head. It was small and exquisite, with a face exactly like his own, and surrounded by a soft and profound light.

As the cultivation technique was activated, a massive amount of spiritual energy from heaven and earth was absorbed and refined through the body's circulation, attempting to infuse it into the nascent soul to promote its growth and solidification.

However, the progress was alarmingly slow.

The Nascent Soul stage is the pinnacle of cultivation in this world, and every small step forward requires unimaginable energy accumulation.

This is no longer a stage where one can quickly break through by simply accumulating spirit stones or engaging in arduous cultivation.

His nascent soul was like a bottomless pit. The pure spiritual energy he refined every day poured into it, like a stream flowing into the sea, and its growth was almost imperceptible.

The tempering of divine consciousness and the comprehension of Daoist principles have also encountered invisible barriers.

Lin Yan knew the key to it and was not anxious at all.

Cultivation is inherently going against the will of Heaven, and it becomes increasingly difficult as you progress. It requires things to happen naturally and cannot be forced.

"Let's grind it slowly, like water milling."

The New Year's bell rang in 1993.

The spotlight of the technology world is firmly fixed on Singapore.

The emergence of "Lumos," the first personal computer operating system under the LM Group, truly ignited a volcano in the global technology industry.

Its intuitive graphical interface, revolutionary Start menu and taskbar design, integrated Internet Explorer browser, and native support for 32-bit processors and long filenames are like a game-changer, instantly making competitors who are still oscillating between command lines and simple graphical interfaces seem clumsy and outdated.

The press conference triggered a tsunami-like market reaction.

In just one week, the installation of ten million units was like a heavy hammer blow to the heart of the traditional hegemon.

The media exclaimed that "the light of the East is reshaping the order of Silicon Valley," and Wall Street analysts revised their forecasting models overnight, viewing LM as a more disruptive force than Microsoft.

On the surface, this is a victory of technological approach and market choice; in reality, it is the first public display of a meticulously planned ecosystem that has been in the works for many years.

A week later, Lin Yan convened a meeting of spiritual consciousness.

Alexander, Albert, Marcus, Lin San, Lin Er, Lin Yi, James, and Li Ming—the illusory images of eight regional leaders—were projected into Lin Yan's sea of ​​consciousness.

"Lumos opened up new possibilities, but our goal has never been to stand in the spotlight and become another Microsoft."

"Since 1993, we have been committed to building a strong yet low-profile comprehensive investment consortium that is deeply rooted in the local community in every core region."

An invisible global map unfolds in your mind, with key areas highlighted.

"The primary mission of these conglomerates is to integrate strategic resources within the region—energy, minerals, cutting-edge technology, core real estate, basic networks, and even media that influence public opinion."

But more importantly, they will become the "pure shareholding vehicles" and "power isolation walls" for all future listed companies "related to the Lin family."

"From now on, for any company that we lead or are deeply involved in going public, its public equity structure must not contain any trace of direct association with the 'Lin family'."

All interests must be held through these consortiums' multiple cross-shareholdings, complex networks of subsidiaries, and offshore instruments.

I want the list of ultimate beneficiaries hidden deep within, so that even the most stringent regulatory bodies cannot trace it. Absolute control must be retained, but the appearance of equity must be completely 'de-forested'.

"Lin San, you will be in charge of the mainland market. The consortium will be named Siyuan Venture Capital. The name is derived from the idea of ​​'thinking deeply and worrying far ahead,' which aligns with Eastern wisdom. It is essential to adapt to the local environment and cultivate the market steadily and deeply."

"The rest of you, each of you should devise a name and structure for your conglomerate that is in line with the culture and language of your region and sounds like it has a rich history, and then submit it to me for confirmation. The principle is: it should sound like a local giant, not foreign capital."

After a brief moment of mental silence, responses came one after another:

Alexander (Americas): "Aethelred Capital".

Albert (Europe): "Lumière Group. French, echoing 'Lumos,' and also carrying Enlightenment cultural imagery."

James (Oceania): "Southern Cross Capital."

Marcus (Africa): "Umoja Investment Group. The Swahili word means 'unity'."

Li Ming (Middle East): "Barakah Holdings. Arabic for 'God bless prosperity'."

Lin Er and Lin Yi's mission is more comprehensive and covert, responsible for coordinating the flow of funds between all consortia, summarizing information, and achieving ultimate control through multi-layered offshore trusts, without directly holding equity in the aforementioned regional consortia.

"The structure and initial capital will be in place gradually through compliant channels."

Lin Yan gave the final summary.

"Remember, these conglomerates must quickly localize and build extensive and deep political and business networks. Their investments must be profitable to maintain their legitimacy and expansion capabilities, but all profits must ultimately serve our ultimate strategic plan."

In the future, behind every shining "LM Group" or related company will stand one or more respected "local" strategic investors. And you are the soul of these investors.