Chapter Forty-Two: The Vampire Foundation

Gao Renhou turned around and stood before the tall walnut bookshelf. Gripping the frame with his hands, he pulled hard, and with a loud swish, the bookshelf revealed a hidden compartment behind it. Inside was a large safe, as tall as a person. After pressing several numbers, Gao Renhou opened it, only to find a smaller safe nested within. Who would have thought this old monster was so modern—the smaller safe was equipped with a fingerprint lock. Gao Renhou pressed his five fingers in a particular sequence on the LCD screen, and the small safe opened as well. The old monster took out a tanned leather scroll and a delicate red velvet box.

"This is the treasure map," Gao Renhou said, handing the scroll to Liu Yunfei. Liu Yunfei hesitated; the old monster had refused to part with the treasure map for his entire life, yet now he was gifting it to him?

"This doesn’t seem right. This is the price you paid with the lives of over three hundred people. How could I dare accept such a great gift?"

"Idiot," Gao Renhou laughed, furious. "Are you out of your mind? You didn’t defeat me in a duel, I don’t owe you money, so why would I give you anything?"

"Is it because you want me to help you find the treasure?"

"In the past, I never thought to retrieve this wealth, but our family is different from vampires. We have strict regulations prohibiting private accumulation of wealth outside. Besides, for centuries, everyone has been in the sanctuary, sleeping. The old assets, stored long ago, are gradually dwindling, and the expenses of the castle are immense. Even a mountain of gold will be exhausted one day. So, this time, I didn’t blame Henry too much—he simply couldn’t find a way to make money and resorted to those dirty businesses. I came out early this time precisely to retrieve this wealth so our family can survive for centuries more." So even vampires were short of money.

"Ancestor, you say that even the greatest mountain of gold will run out. No matter how much wealth you amass, it’s never enough. Even if you retrieve the treasure, what about a century or so later? Where will you find the treasures of the Tang dynasty then? I think you need some financial planning, start a business, and generate steady income. Even if the returns are modest, the key is stability. Ideally, money should make more money." Liu Yunfei, a modern man, was indeed more forward-thinking than this antique.

"Oh? That makes sense. Go on," Gao Renhou seemed intrigued, perhaps hearing such ideas for the first time.

"I haven’t thought it through in detail yet, but I feel there are at least a few ways to generate income. First, vampires, bored with endless life, no longer drink human blood, so there’s no need to wipe them out. We could expand the sanctuary and let them move in, charging annual fees and letting them contribute part of their wealth." Liu Yunfei spoke as he pondered.

"Yes, good idea," the old monster agreed, excited, waiting for Liu Yunfei to continue.

"Secondly, you could recruit a few descendants, but it has to be planned. Not too many—maybe one every year or every few years. The world’s rich who seek immortality would pay for it, but there needs to be a specialized institution to manage it, so they don’t run wild, and the fees should be exorbitantly high—so high it’s frightening."

The old monster nodded approvingly.

"Third, your castle is powerful now. I wonder if you know about the underworld?" Liu Yunfei wanted to meddle in the mafia.

"You mean the Italian Mafia? I’ve heard of it, centuries ago."

"Something like that. Every country has its own underworld. The more prosperous the city, the more such underground forces exist. If we don’t do it, someone else will. Why not take over with force? Once we control them, we could make them more socially acceptable. These are the three things I’ve thought of so far." It was impressive that Liu Yunfei could come up with so much at once.

"Well said!" The old monster slammed the table in excitement, startling Liu Yunfei.

"And I don’t know how you operate now, but I think the most important thing is to establish a foundation to manage current and future assets. Set up rules: part for investment, part to expand family business, part in the bank, and another portion as rewards for distinguished contributors. That’s the most stable way for money to generate money and is vital for the family’s survival and growth. Then you won’t have to worry so much anymore."

"You’re a clever lad, quite interesting. I’ve changed my mind," the old monster grinned slyly.

"Ah, Ancestor, please don’t scare me—what do you want now?" Liu Yunfei cursed himself for meddling; now he couldn’t shake off this troublesome task.

"I’ve decided to make you the manager of our castle. You’ll establish the foundation, and you’ll be its first chairman, or secretary-general if you prefer."

"Ancestor, I’m only eighteen—I’m still a student, a high school senior. It’s not that I don’t want to do it, but wait until I graduate from university! I have school, and other responsibilities—I’m tutoring the Saudi king’s grandson! Where would I find the time?" Liu Yunfei was nearly in tears. Though he was capable, the responsibility was enormous, and he’d never done such work.

"Didn’t you say you’d follow my arrangements? Complaining already. I have billions of dollars in assets right now—is that too little for you? Managing them would let you use your talents. Believe me, if you refuse, I’ll ruin you," the old monster threatened, embarrassed and angry.

"Ah, it’s not my area of expertise—I’ve never done this. I’m afraid I’ll squander your family’s fortune. I promise, after I graduate high school, I’ll study financial management in college, and after graduation, I’ll work for you. I must be responsible for your family’s assets."

"You have a point. I don’t mind waiting a few more years. The hardest part is starting. I’ll handle the founding myself, and you’ll be my adviser. When needed, I’ll consult you. But you won’t be idle—there’s still the treasure to find. I won’t rush you. Take the leather scroll and look into it when you have time," Gao Renhou handed over the scroll.

"What kind of treasure map is this? Where am I supposed to look? It says ‘Chang’an’ in the upper right corner, but there’s not a single word of guidance, just triangles for mountains, dashed lines for rivers, and in the lower left, a circle with a dot in the middle—presumably the treasure’s location."

"Is this Shaanxi, Gansu, Sichuan, or Tibet? Where is it? The map is too simple," Liu Yunfei complained.

"When we fled, it was chaos—defeat was like a landslide, you know? If I could draw it in detail, I would’ve! Having this map at all is a miracle—I have no idea what mountain or river that is. Traveling two hundred li at night—do you know how far that is? The Tang dynasty didn’t even have a national map; do you expect me to add a scale?" Gao Renhou barked his excuses.

"Are there any other clues? Like a distinctive marker where you buried it?"

"There is something—I'm certain it's very far from Chang’an. The local people's dress was strange, perhaps outside Tang territory, but we didn’t see any barbarian troops, maybe Tibetans. The monks all wore red robes and tall hats. We buried it near a mountain; the mountains there were high, but what stood out was that halfway up one mountain, there was a lake. A lake on the mountain—quite unusual, wouldn’t you say?" The old monster strained to recall.

"What Tibetan monks? Lamas? Tibet—is that modern-day Tibet? It’s a plateau, with lakes on mountains. Locals call lakes ‘tso.’ If that’s your marker, there are plenty," Liu Yunfei mused, suspecting it was indeed within Tibet. Anyway, the old monster wasn’t in a hurry, so Liu Yunfei carefully stowed the leather scroll in the luminous jade slip.