Chapter 322: Moving to a New Home
Why, in the blink of an eye, did time fly like lightning....
From the Huanglong Mountains, Cheng Xu sent back reports every few days: crushing Wang Zuogua's bandit forces in one part of the mountains, then crushing them again in another.
Victory after victory, he simply couldn't lose.
Wang Zuogua was hounded by Cheng Xu like a rat in the streets, scrambling frantically through the Huanglong Mountains.
This wave of battles had, quite literally, filled the militia's "experience bar."
Those fresh-faced arquebusiers quickly matured from greenhorns into seasoned veterans. Now, it wasn't just when enemies were fleeing; even when charging directly at them, the militia could reload their weapons with unwavering composure, their movements incredibly practiced.
This campaign not only trained the arquebusiers but also honed the logistics teams.
As the militia engaged in prolonged operations deep within the Huanglong Mountains, logistics became a critical challenge. San Shier and Master Tan were tasked with supplying the militia with food and ammunition.
Gao Family Village was undertaking such an endeavor for the very first time!
At this very moment, Li Daoxuan, bundled in a thick down jacket, stood on the second-floor balcony of a villa in the Zhaomu Mountain XXX Villa District of Shuangqing City.
He had inspected the villa multiple times; it was quite satisfactory.
Detached, two stories, with a garden, parking space, and fully furnished.
Essentially, it was move-in ready...
Oh, wait, no. After buying it, he would still need to knock down the second-floor walls, transforming the entire upper level into one expansive open-plan space. That way, it would be easier to accommodate his increasingly larger diorama box after its "expansion."
The real estate agent who showed him the house was quite attractive, with a lithe figure and an air of captivating charm.
"Sir, have you made up your mind? This property is one of our most premium listings," the saleswoman purred, intentionally leaning close to Li Daoxuan, brushing his shoulder with hers. An unspoken invitation radiated from every cell of her being:
"If you sign the papers with me and help me secure my commission... I... will make it worth your while."
Li Daoxuan let out a soft chuckle. "Alright then, let's sign."
The saleswoman instantly beamed with delight. "Oh, you truly are my esteemed guest!"
Li Daoxuan said, "Take me to meet the original owner and finalize the transfer paperwork."
Overjoyed, the saleswoman immediately linked her arm through Li Daoxuan's, this time pressing her ample chest directly against his arm. If this deal went through, her commission would be substantial.
Of course, the best outcome would be to marry this rich, handsome young man and become his wife. Wouldn't half his fortune then be hers? *That* was the true path to wealth.
As she indulged in fantasies of marrying into luxury and becoming a pampered wife, Li Daoxuan abruptly "flashed" away, instantly putting distance between them. "Miss, I'm here to buy a house, seriously. Let's not make things complicated."
The saleswoman blinked. "Huh?"
Li Daoxuan continued, "Earning a commission for selling a house, that's fair compensation for showing me around. That money is perfectly reasonable to earn. But you think you can flaunt your looks and take half my life? Dream on."
The saleswoman stiffened, realizing that wealthy men weren't so easily fooled after all. The dream of a humble sparrow ascending to become a phoenix shattered instantly.
"By the way," Li Daoxuan added, "Is there a sum of money you'd like to earn?"
The saleswoman's spirits immediately lifted. *Oh? Still a chance? It seems my beauty has made this rich, handsome young man reconsider, and he's still willing to give me an opportunity. I might yet transform from a sparrow into a phoenix. Stay calm, don't panic, I can win this round.*
Li Daoxuan clarified, "In your line of work, you must know reliable construction teams. Help me hire one to knock down all the second-floor walls and create that open-plan space. You supervise the project and make sure it gets done, and your commission will be generous."
The saleswoman's freshly kindled hope shattered with a *snap*. Inwardly, she ranted furiously: *Argh! I'm such a gorgeous woman, and instead of taking me home to be your wife, posing in all manner of intimate ways with you, you want me to help you supervise construction? Argh! What kind of man are you?*
"What?" Li Daoxuan raised an eyebrow. "Not willing? Then I'll find someone else."
The saleswoman instantly cast aside her distracting fantasies, quickly responding, "Willing, absolutely willing! Please, allow me to earn this commission."
Li Daoxuan nodded. "That's better. Isn't it good to earn money honestly through labor? Just sell houses; don't turn a perfectly respectable sales office into a matchmaking agency."
The saleswoman could only muster a silent, awkward "..."
Soon, the original homeowner was arranged to meet, and both parties signed a letter of intent, submitting a deposit. The next step was handling the transfer procedures, a process of exchanging money for the property.
The matter proved to be anything but simple.
Li Daoxuan, who usually preferred staying indoors, was dragged from one department to another, entangled in endless paperwork. His wrist ached from signing so many documents, but finally, after much effort, the property transfer was complete.
Li Daoxuan's name was now entered in the homeowner's column.
The saleswoman felt a pang of melancholy. How she wished her own name could appear in that homeowner's column. If only that were possible, she would happily indulge in all manner of intimate poses and techniques – the "Twenty-Four Bridges on a Moonlit Night," the "Thirty-Six Forms of Dongxuanzi," the "Forty-Eight Hands of Edo"... she'd agree to them all.
Alas, the handsome young man gave her no such opportunity. She could only steel herself to earn the money she was legitimately due, helping Li Daoxuan hire a construction team to demolish all the removable walls on the second floor, merging all the rooms into one large, open-plan space...
Time flowed swiftly on...
December arrived!
Li Daoxuan moved house.
All his other furniture had been transported by a moving company, but the enormous box posed a particular challenge. After its last "expansion," it had grown into a colossal chest, five meters long and three meters wide. How to move it was genuinely perplexing Li Daoxuan.
To his surprise, the box didn't make things difficult. A "fold" button had appeared on it. Li Daoxuan reached out and tapped it, and the box "collapsed" back to its original size: 2.5 meters long, 1.5 meters wide, roughly the volume of a large freezer.
Li Daoxuan wrapped the box in black cloth, then hired a freight company. He paid the "fragile item" rate, telling them it was a large fish tank. The workers, light on their feet and careful in their movements, cautiously loaded the box onto a truck and delivered it to his new home, where it was placed in the expansive open-plan space on the second floor.
Only after the workers had left did Li Daoxuan close all the second-floor windows, draw all the curtains, and slowly peel back the black cloth covering the box.
The world inside the box was perfectly stable!
Shaking the box didn't affect the world within, nor did it cause earthquakes or landslides. Li Daoxuan then tapped the "expand" button on the outside of the box, and it once again extended, transforming into a massive, five-meter-long, three-meter-wide field of view.
Li Daoxuan casually tapped on Bai Family Fortress, Gao Family Village, Fengyuan Town, the county seat... surveying the most important locations within his field of view. Seeing that everyone was safe and sound, he suddenly noticed a large detachment of imperial soldiers marching into Chengcheng County.
Amidst their ranks, a large banner fluttered, bearing a single character: "Wang."
The forces of Shaanxi's Grand General, Wang Cheng'en, had arrived.
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