From the system inventory, Xiao Yunhai pulled out the items he'd recently purchased: 50 oil field resource cards, the gene-based pesticide formula, and other system rewards.
He selected one of the oil field cards.
[Use now?]The system's cold prompt echoed in his mind.
"Yes," he confirmed.
Fingers crossed for a jackpot.
[Please select a location to generate resources.]
A 3D holographic map of Shinhan Kingdom materialized before him, showing mountains, rivers, and seas in vivid relief. Xiao Yunhai was stunned—he hadn't realized just how picturesque Shinhan's geography truly was. The difference between flat maps and this lifelike rendering was like night and day.
After careful inspection, he chose Jida Bay, located about 100 kilometers north of Chang'an.
A U-shaped inlet governed by three counties—Lanrei, Rinan, and Tōyō—Jida Bay's wide waters opened into the South Sea, surrounded entirely by Shinhan-controlled territory. Even Balawang Island across the way was part of Shinhan, despite the monkey-brained Filipinos constantly mouthing off about their claim to Sabah. But talk was cheap.
[Ding! Location confirmed. Initiating... Congratulations! You have acquired 3.39 billion tons of crude oil. Resources will finish materializing in 23:59:00.]
3.39 billion tons?!Xiao Yunhai was... disappointed.
He had hoped for at least 4 billion tons.
Still, he reminded himself—it only cost system points. It was basically free. And this amount was still worth trillions of USD.
And he still had 49 more cards.
That thought instantly lifted his mood.
"Should I open one more?"The urge tickled at him—just like loot boxes in a game. Once you start, it's hard to stop.
"Just one more," he told himself.
This time, he picked Jiangdu Bay, part of Jiangdu County, with some waters bordering the capital Chang'an. The area was just as expansive, and the sea there was shallow—less than 50 meters deep on average. Perfect for oil extraction and far cheaper to drill.
[Ding! Location confirmed. Initiating... Congratulations! You have acquired 2.67 billion tons of crude oil. Resources will finish materializing in 23:59:00.]
...Seriously?Even less than before!
Xiao Yunhai deflated.
The higher the hopes, the greater the disappointment.
But again—it was free.After a deep breath and some self-soothing, he decided to stop opening more for now.
Two oil fields totaling over 6 billion tons? That was already eye-catching. If he kept going and ended up revealing over 10 billion or more, it would definitely draw attention.
In a world where you couldn't protect what you had, strategic resources like oil were basically a beacon for trouble.
The Bald Eagle might cook up some excuse to invade, or push Southeast Asia's Jawa, Monkeys, or Malay into a proxy war.
Better to lay low and build strength before flexing hard.
Exiting the system, Xiao Yunhai headed out with Hayashi Na, who led him to his newly purchased office complex.
It was in the bustling southern district, right on the main Ryūbu Avenue.The original name: Henglong Chang'an Center.
"Rename it," Xiao Yunhai said, glancing up at the huge signage. "From now on, it's the Shinhan Chang'an Center."
"Yes, sir."
"Let's head inside."
They toured the five-building campus. Four towers were already partially rented, though at low occupancy rates—hence the sale.
The fifth and tallest—36 stories—remained untouched.
"You wait here," Xiao Yunhai said at the door.
"Your Highness, it's not safe to go up alone. What if—"
"Enough," he waved her off. "No assassins today. Wait downstairs."
"Oh, and withdraw 10 million Shinhan yuan for me. I'll need it."
Though the system-summoned personnel were loyal beyond question, they were still human in every other way—eating, drinking, even raising families. And they'd need startup capital.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Hayashi Na gave a reluctant nod and went to arrange it.
Xiao Yunhai took the elevator to the top floor alone.
DING!
The doors slid open.
The hallway was deserted.
He opened his system inventory, selected the Film Production Team, and hit [Materialize].
The air twisted—and people began appearing out of thin air.
More and more of them, until the hallway buzzed with life.
"Greetings, Master!" they said in unison, bowing respectfully.
"Hello," Xiao Yunhai returned the gesture with a smile.
After a brief conversation, he kept the core members behind and let the rest scout for workspaces and begin equipment setup.
The system hadn't just given him people—it included cutting-edge production hardware and software from the future.
In the newly designated meeting room...
"Can your team produce animated films?" he asked directly.
"No problem at all," said Kanpei, the team leader. "As long as we have a script, we can make any kind of animation."
Xiao Yunhai pulled a thick script from his system inventory—his earlier purchase of White Snake: Origin.
"Here. Take a look."
Kanpei and the others skimmed it for about ten minutes.
"This is excellent," Kanpei said."It explores human nature and love... though one thing confuses us. Why does Xu Xian, a human, fall for Bai She, a snake demon?"
Xiao Yunhai blinked.
Wait... right.The summoned team might not know Chinese mythology in detail. Sure, the system gave them film expertise—but not necessarily full cultural downloads.
"Look up Legend of the White Snake online. Search for the series and related stories. Once you understand the myth, your production will be more accurate."
"Also," he added, "from now on, call me Your Highness—not 'Master.'"
Kanpei and the others exchanged glances, then bowed once more."Yes, Your Highness."
Xiao Yunhai gestured for them to sit.
"How long would it take to finish this film?"
"Based on the current script, it's not overly complex. If we go full speed, we can finish in 3 to 4 months. Worst case, half a year."
"Seriously?" Xiao Yunhai was stunned.
<><><><><><><><>~# Keep the chapters coming — Support with Power Stones!~# We get our encourage by Every Power Stones you send