This yard covers an area of more than two acres, neither too big nor too small. There are eight houses in the yard, two wells and several orange trees. It is quite quiet. When Yan Liqiang left Dijing City last time, the newspaper did not have this property yet, so this yard was undoubtedly purchased by Fang Beidou in the two years since Yan Liqiang left Dijing City.
The houses that serve as warehouses are the ones on the first floor below the courtyard. Piled up in this courtyard are printed but unsold copies of the "Han Empire Times". Two years have passed, and now the circulation of each issue of the "Han Empire Times" has exceeded 200,000 copies, covering the entire capital area. The scale of the newspaper has expanded several times, and it can be said to be the world's number one newspaper. Of course, no matter how popular a newspaper is, there will always be issues that are printed but not sold. The room in the courtyard that Yan Liqiang is guarding is piled with newspapers that were printed but not sold.
If it were in Yan Liqiang's previous life, the final fate of these newspapers would be to turn into pulp again, but in the Han Empire, this was too wasteful. This era was a relatively closed era for information. The newspapers in the Imperial Capital and the news articles in the newspapers might have been outdated and unsellable in the Imperial Capital, but if they were transported to other states and counties far away from the Imperial Capital, even if a year or two had passed, there would still be many people who would buy them and read them, thinking that they were rare and new things. Therefore, the unsellable old newspapers in the room in the yard guarded by Yan Liqiang would eventually be bought by some merchants and taken to farther places to sell. Of course, the purchase price at this time would be much cheaper, and the newspaper company would also be profitable, which was much better than turning into garbage and pulp.
During the day, unsold old newspapers would be stored in the warehouse, and merchants would come to pick up the goods and buy the old newspapers in bundles. These were all taken care of by dedicated people, so Yan Liqiang didn't have to worry about it. Therefore, Yan Liqiang had nothing to do during the day. Only at night, when everyone else in the yard had left and got off work, it was Yan Liqiang's time to go to work. However, at night, except for Fang Beidou who would occasionally stop by to take a look, there would be basically no one to check on him, so Yan Liqiang was still free. This position and this job had also become Yan Liqiang's best cover in Dijing City. It was simply perfect.
The person guarding here before was an old man, but because the old man was too old, Fang Beidou found a reason to transfer him to the distribution point in the city to do an easier job, so only Yan Liqiang was left here.
After coming here for two days, Yan Liqiang practiced martial arts alone in the yard at night, and left the yard during the day to wander around outside the Imperial Capital City. He gradually had an idea and plan of what he wanted to do.
For people who are caught up in the vortex of power, a place like the imperial capital is full of thrills and murderous intentions. If they are not careful, they may be torn to pieces and their families may be exterminated. The dangers are hard for outsiders to imagine. But for an "ordinary person" like Wang Shagen, played by Yan Liqiang, who is at the bottom of the society, guarding the warehouse, living in peace with the world, and only seeking to have enough food and clothing, the place is calm and peaceful, with beautiful flowers everywhere to fascinate the eyes.
The backer of the Han Empire Times is the emperor. In this imperial capital, ordinary gangsters, and even officials in the imperial capital, dare not cause trouble for the newspaper at will, so Yan Liqiang staying here will be even more ignored. If Yan Liqiang does not do anything, I am afraid that even if he dies here of old age, few people will know that there is a man named Wang Shagen guarding this yard.
However, others may not remember who Wang Shagen is, but this name has been lingering in Fang Beidou's mind these days. Fang Beidou feels very anxious, but on the surface he has to pretend that everything is normal.
Finally, after Yan Liqiang came to this yard and guarded the warehouse for four days, it was getting dark that day. Fang Beidou, who had come down from Longqi Mountain, openly "dropped by" and came to the yard here to see the situation here.
The birds serving as sentinels on the tree outside the yard were chirping. When someone knocked on the door, Yan Liqiang, who was practicing martial arts under the orange tree, knew that it was Fang Beidou who had come. He straightened his clothes, walked to the door leisurely, pretended to look outside through the crack in the door, and then quickly opened the door for Fang Beidou.
"Shagen greets Manager Fang!" Yan Liqiang looked extremely terrified.
Fang Beidou looked Yan Liqiang over from head to toe and nodded, "Ahem... Shagen, are you used to being here these past two days? I came here to take a look..."
"Get used to it, get used to it. This place is much better than the big bunk bed I lived in when I first came here..." Yan Liqiang smiled naively and invited Fang Beidou in. Fang Beidou's coachman and the luxurious four-wheeled carriage were waiting outside and did not come in. The driver for Fang Beidou was Xu Enda's brother Xiaowu. After two years, Xiaowu had become much stronger and looked well-dressed, with a knife on his waist.
"Open a few warehouses so I can take a look..."
"Okay, okay..." Yan Liqiang walked in front with a bunch of keys, unlocked the door of a room used as a warehouse, and entered the warehouse with Fang Beidou.
The warehouse is filled with piles and bundles of newspapers, and the whole room is filled with a strange smell, which is a special scent of ink mixed with the insect-repellent medicine bags of patchouli and wormwood. It is not unpleasant, but has a unique feeling of tranquility. Because this is a warehouse and has been robbed and caught on fire, the windows outside the room are sealed, and only the windows on the wall near the yard are open. It can be said to be a quiet place.
"Be careful when you sleep at night. You must not catch fire here. Also, be careful to prevent insects. The insect repellent bags hanging on the pillars need to be replaced every two months..." Fang Beidou said absentmindedly while walking among the piles of newspapers. In his heart, he was thinking about how to speak without being abrupt. After all, Yan Liqiang did not say what the matter was in the Feixin he sent this time. He just asked him to arrange someone, which made Fang Beidou even more curious...
"Okay, I'll remember what Shopkeeper Fang said!"
Hearing the voice coming from beside him, Fang Beidou's body froze suddenly, as if he was under a spell. This was not Sha Gen's voice, but Yan Liqiang's voice. The voice sounded serious, but to Fang Beidou's ears, it sounded humorous and lazy.
Fang Beidou turned his neck with difficulty and looked at the face of Sha Gen, who was walking beside him, one step behind him.
Sha Gen is still Sha Gen, but the smile on that face, at this moment, makes Fang Beidou feel itchy. Fang Beidou can't forget such a smile, because the last time he saw this smile, he was naked, shouting Cuihua, I love you, and ran around the capital city. For him, that day was like going through hell and being reborn as a human being.
"It's... it's you..." Fang Beidou's throat was dry, his eyes were wide open, and he couldn't speak clearly.
"It's me!" Yan Liqiang nodded, "Ahem... Ahem... Long time no see, Shopkeeper Fang is living a comfortable life in Imperial Capital City!"
Fang Beidou glanced at Yan Liqiang, and suddenly, without saying a word, he slapped Yan Liqiang in the chest with his palm, as fast as lightning...
The smile on Yan Liqiang's face remained unchanged. He only waited until Fang Beidou's palm was about to hit his chest before he gently stretched out his hand and blocked Fang Beidou's fierce palm.
As soon as the two palms touched, Fang Beidou felt that the power of his palm was like a drop in the ocean, and disappeared in an instant.
Fang Beidou closed his palms, stared with his eyes wide open, his voice trembling a little, "Is it really you?"
"Of course it's me!" Yan Liqiang nodded.
"How did you come?"
"Of course I'm here to fulfill the promise I made to you!" Yan Liqiang sighed and said quietly, "If I don't come again, when the calamity comes, I don't know how many people in this Imperial Capital will be able to escape..."
Fang Beidou's expression suddenly changed, and he was shocked. "What do you want me to do?"
"You don't have to do anything, just prepare to distribute the newspaper when the time comes!"
"You want to write something?"
Yan Liqiang glared at him, pointed at his nose and asked, "Do you think I am young now?"
Fang Beidou nodded...
"So I want to live a few more years. And do you think anyone will believe what I write?"
"Then what should we do?"
"Haha, the mountain man has his own clever plan..."
(End of this chapter)