Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Chapter 170 A Treasure Appraised Under the Lamp, A Contract Formed in the Palm of One's Hand

Tang Bingyuan tapped his fingers lightly on the desk a few times, pondered for a moment, and then decisively instructed the butler: "Drive to the Lin Group now and see if you can contact their chairman and convey my wish to visit him in person as soon as possible."

The butler looked troubled, glancing at the darkening sky outside the window. "Master," he said, "it's almost dark now...isn't this too presumptuous?"

"It's alright," Tang Bingyuan waved his hand, his tone resolute. "Just go and make sure you convey my message clearly. I need to see the chairman of the Lin Group as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir." Seeing that his master had made up his mind, the butler said no more, bowed and withdrew, and immediately drove to Central.

At this moment, in the Lin Group building in Central, employees were leaving get off work one after another. The butler hurried to the front desk and politely said to the receptionist on duty, "Excuse me, miss. I am the butler of Mr. Tang Bingyuan from the Nanhai Textile Factory. I would like to trouble you to contact the chairman of your group. I would like to deliver a visiting card on behalf of my master. Please pass it on."

Seeing that the other party had an extraordinary demeanor and mentioned the famous Tang family, the receptionist dared not be negligent and immediately dialed the chairman's secretariat on the top floor.

On the top floor, Lin Yi's office phone rang. The secretary transferred the call to the receptionist: "Mr. Lin, there is a man at the reception who claims to be the steward of the Tang family at the Nanhai Textile Factory. He wants to see you, saying he is delivering a visiting card on behalf of Mr. Tang Bingyuan."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yi immediately recalled Young Master Lin Yan's previous instructions and calmly said into the phone, "Let him come up."

After receiving permission, the Tang family butler took the elevator directly to the top floor and, guided by his secretary, entered Lin Yi's office. He quickly stepped forward, his face showing apology and respect, and bowed slightly, saying, "Mr. Lin, I apologize for disturbing you. I am the butler of the Tang family from the Nanhai Textile Factory. To be honest, I did not bring a formal invitation with me, but my master seems to have a very urgent matter to discuss with you. He specifically sent me here, mainly to confirm whether you are in the company and to express his urgent desire to visit. I apologize for my abruptness." With that, he bowed deeply.

Lin Yi stood up from behind his large desk, a knowing look on his face. He waved his hand and said calmly, "Butler Tang, no need for formalities, please sit down. I can roughly guess what Mr. Tang wants to discuss." He gestured for his secretary to pour the butler a glass of water, then continued, "How about this, you can use the phone here to call Mr. Tang and tell him you've seen me. I'll personally discuss the remaining details with him."

The Tang family butler was surprised by how smoothly things went, and by the fact that the young head of the Lin Group possessed such composure and decisiveness. He quickly said gratefully, "Thank you so much, Mr. Lin! I'll call the master back right away."

Tang Bingyuan received a call from the butler in his study. "Hello, sir, I've met with President Lin. I'm calling you back from his office now. Please speak directly with President Lin if you need anything." Lin Yi took the phone, and the butler had already left the office.

Tang Bingyuan didn't waste time with pleasantries and went straight to the point: "President Lin, this is Tang Bingyuan from the Nanhai Cotton Mill. My son sent an urgent telegram informing me that your Lin family has a batch of top-quality cotton. I'd like to ask if this is true?"

Lin Yi smiled and replied in a steady voice, "President Tang, my younger brother has already told me about it. It seems our two families are quite destined to meet. Our Lin family does indeed have a batch of top-quality cotton, a new variety that we have exclusively cultivated. If you are interested, you can come to Lin's, and I can show you samples so we can discuss cooperation further."

Tang Bingyuan was overjoyed. He first wrote down Lin Yi's contact number, then had the driver prepare the car, and headed straight for the Lin Group. Lin Yi had his secretary waiting on the first floor, who led Tang Bingyuan to his office on the top floor.

Upon meeting Lin Yi, Tang Bingyuan seemed surprised that this "President Lin" looked to be only in his twenties. However, he quickly realized his mistake, smiled, and shook hands with Lin Yi, saying, "President Lin is so young, yet he has built such a large business. He is truly an outstanding individual."

"Mr. Tang, you flatter me. It's just because of my family's influence." Lin Yi smiled modestly and didn't say much. He then took out a seemingly ordinary small cloth bag from his desk drawer and handed it to him.

Tang Bingyuan thanked him, took the bag, and eagerly walked to the brightest spot in the office—the crystal chandelier. He took a deep breath, carefully untied the drawstring of the bag, and opened it wide.

He held his breath and very gently plucked a small clump of cotton from it.

The moment the pure white, fluffy cotton touched his fingertips, his fingers, which had been dealing with various fibers for years, felt an extraordinary delicacy and suppleness. His expression immediately became extremely focused, and he skillfully twisted and rubbed the cotton fiber with the pads of his thumb and forefinger, feeling its inherent strength and elasticity.

Then, he carefully stretched the fiber slowly and examined it closely under the light. The dazzling light from the crystal chandelier shone through the fiber, as if coating it with a lustrous sheen. The fiber itself had an almost translucent texture, perfectly uniform, with no short fibers visible.

"This..." Tang Bingyuan took a deep breath, trying to calm the turmoil in his heart, but his voice still trembled slightly. "The static field is almost imperceptible..." he murmured to himself, suppressing his astonishment.

"This...this..." Tang Bingyuan took a deep breath, trying to calm the turbulent waves in his heart, but his voice still trembled slightly. He turned to Lin Yi, his tone filled with incredulous admiration and the accurate judgment of an industry leader:

"President Lin! Forgive my bluntness, but this... this is beyond description with just 'top-grade'! This is simply revolutionary raw material!"

He held up the clump of cotton in his hand, almost glowing under the light, his voice growing increasingly excited: "The fibers are over an inch and a half long, and so uniform, far surpassing even the finest Egyptian long-staple cotton I know, 'Giza 45'! The feel is delicate and smooth, even better than Sea Island cotton! Most importantly, its strength and elasticity are remarkable. I just exerted force secretly, and it was difficult to tear it; its resilience is exceptional! This... this is truly the best I've ever seen in my life!"

His gaze was intense, as if trying to pierce through the tiny fiber to see the immense value it contained: "The high-count yarn spun from it will reach unprecedented levels of quality! The fabric woven from it will inevitably be lighter and thinner than a feather, more durable and wear-resistant, with a beautiful sheen and less prone to wrinkling! This... this cotton, where did your Lin family obtain this miracle? With this quality, it's enough to change the entire landscape of the global high-end textile market!"

He clutched the clump of cotton tightly in his hand, as if holding a priceless treasure. All his previous doubts vanished in that moment, replaced by an overwhelming excitement and determination, like discovering a new continent. He finally understood why his son, Liu Qian, had used such an exaggerated term as "dream material" in the telegram.

Lin Yi looked at the excited Tang Bingyuan, still wearing a calm smile, and gestured for him to sit down and talk.

"President Tang, please have a seat. I cannot disclose the source of this cotton; it is a core secret of the Lin family." Lin Yi's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable firmness. "You only need to know that currently only the Lin family can reliably supply this quality of cotton, and the quantity is more than enough."

Hearing this, Tang Bingyuan took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and sat back down on the sofa. He realized that he was not only facing a magical raw material, but also a deep and unfathomable business partner who controlled monopolistic resources.

"President Lin," Tang Bingyuan's attitude became more serious, "Since that's the case, let's be frank. Your side has proposed that you supply raw materials and some funds to cooperate with our Tang family to establish a high-end brand. May I ask what your initial ideas are regarding the specific cooperation methods, President Lin?" As a seasoned businessman, he knew that he had to finalize the framework as soon as possible after the initial excitement and seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Lin Yi, having already received instructions from Lin Yan, calmly said, "President Tang is a straightforward person. My younger brother's initial plan is to establish two new brand companies, independent of the Nanhai Yarn Factory. One will specialize in top-grade fabrics, and the other will focus on the ready-to-wear market. My younger brother will primarily contribute his unique cotton raw materials as equity, and can also provide necessary financial support as needed. The Tang family, on the other hand, will need to contribute its mature production technology, experienced workforce, and some of its existing production capacity suitable for upgrading to the high-end fabric company. Of course, the specific equity ratio, brand planning, and operational details all need to be discussed in detail."

However, the garment company can only be invested in by Tang Liuqian, the second young master of the Tang family. This company is independent of the Lin family and the Tang family. My younger brother doesn't like his family members getting involved in his affairs, so he also doesn't like other adults getting involved.

He paused, looked at Tang Bingyuan who was listening attentively, and offered an even more enticing prospect: "My brother Lin Yan's blueprint is not just about a textile business, but about building a true luxury goods empire. The future scope may extend far beyond clothing."

Tang Bingyuan's eyes gleamed. Lin Yi's framework was clear and reasonable, and it fully considered the Tang family's advantages. In particular, the term "luxury goods empire" showed him a world much broader than simply selling fabrics.

"So, the price of raw materials..." This was one of Tang Bingyuan's biggest concerns, as cost determined the product's market competitiveness.

Lin Yi smiled slightly: "President Tang, you don't need to worry about the raw material price. Since this is a deep cooperation, we naturally won't price it according to the market price of ordinary cotton. We will set a fair price that can ensure the brand has strong market competitiveness and a generous profit margin. The specifics can be clarified in the subsequent contract."

Lin Yi's honesty and foresight completely impressed Tang Bingyuan. Without further hesitation, he stood up, extended his hand to Lin Yi again, and said firmly, "Mr. Lin, I understand. Our Tang family is very interested in this matter! I will handle the affairs in Hong Kong as soon as possible, and then personally fly to New York to discuss all the details of the cooperation with your younger brother, Mr. Lin Yan!"

"Okay, I look forward to meeting Mr. Tang in New York." Lin Yi also stood up and shook hands with him firmly.