It could be said that the secret realm was He Jin's greatest asset in this world.
Once he fully understood that, his original plan—simply leaving the "Birds-Filled" courtyard compound, moving somewhere else in the capital where no one knew Sha Zhu, shaking off his ruined reputation, cutting ties with Qin Huairu and Yi Zhonghai, and quietly waiting for reform more than a decade later—suddenly felt far too dull.
Such a life would squander both his transmigration and the incredible secret realm he possessed.
After careful consideration, He Jin came to a new conclusion. Since he clearly had the ability to live a better life, why remain fixated on staying in the capital? Why not head south and begin a vibrant new chapter in Hong Kong?
With memories from his previous life and the abilities of the secret realm, he was certain he could thrive there. Perhaps in a little over a decade, he would already be Hong Kong's new richest man—maybe even a globally renowned tycoon.
And if he chose to return to the capital by then, he would surely be welcomed with open arms. That would be far better than staying put—and far more beneficial to the country as well.
Moreover, Hong Kong still recognized polygamy at this time. As long as he had money, he could marry as many wives as he wished. That had been nothing more than a fantasy in his previous life.
Not to mention, if he went to Hong Kong, he might even have the chance to win the hearts of those famous actresses who had captivated countless admirers in his previous life. The mere thought filled him with excitement and anticipation.
With that idea firmly planted, He Jin quickly made up his mind.
It was at that moment that he suddenly recalled something he had read online in his previous life—about how, decades later, during the renovation of Prince Gong's Mansion, a treasure trove left behind by the infamous official He Shen had been discovered.
In an instant, his thoughts were entirely consumed by that hidden treasure.
After personally scouting Prince Gong's Mansion, and judging the timing right, just yesterday during the day—when the mansion was sparsely populated—He Jin used the phasing ability of his secret realm to silently infiltrate the grounds. With a mere thought, he located the concealed wall cavity and cellar where He Shen's treasure was hidden.
To be honest, when he sensed the gold and silver within, even though he had mentally prepared himself, his mind still reeled.
For a moment, he was nearly dazed. Once he forced himself back to clarity, he didn't even dare inspect the treasure in detail. Instead, he transferred everything in one sweep into his secret realm. Only after confirming that nothing had been left behind did he swiftly return to the courtyard compound.
There was little to say about what followed. Up until just now, He Jin had finally finished a rough inventory of the treasure within the space, still overwhelmed by shock and barely contained excitement.
Although he had counted it once, he knew little about jewelry or antiques and couldn't accurately estimate their value.
But the hundreds of chests of gold and silver alone—based on current prices—were worth at least hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars.
It was worth remembering that the U.S. dollar had not yet undergone major devaluation; its purchasing power was far higher than in later decades.
If He Jin went to Hong Kong and exchanged all that gold and silver for U.S. dollars or Hong Kong dollars, then invested it in property and did nothing else, he would still live the rest of his life as a magnate.
Of course, he had no intention of doing that.
First, he had no desire to let so much gold and silver fall cheaply into foreign hands. Second, there were safety concerns. In Hong Kong's environment, exchanging such vast quantities of precious metals would certainly attract the attention of powerful interests. He had no wish to invite trouble.
His plan was simple: once in Hong Kong, he would exchange only a portion of the gold and silver to fund his early ventures. As for the rest, he would gradually return it to the country in the future to support national economic development.
Now that he had successfully secured the treasure and possessed sufficient capital, He Jin no longer intended to linger in the courtyard. He would quietly depart for the south.
As for the three main rooms and side room that belonged to him, he had no intention of selling or transferring them. He planned to make it appear as though he had met with an accident. He did not want the authorities to know he had gone south—the implications were entirely different.
Although He Jin felt he had no attachments in this world, he was still inhabiting Sha Zhu's body. And Sha Zhu had family.
When watching the television drama in his previous life, He Jin had felt deep sympathy for Sha Zhu's sister, the unfortunate He Yushui. He had been frustrated at how foolishly the original Sha Zhu had been deceived by Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu, neglecting his only sister.
Though He Jin had arrived too late—He Yushui was already married, and he could no longer make amends in Sha Zhu's stead—he did not want his own actions to implicate her.
That would only make her already difficult life even worse.
And it was foreseeable that over the next decade, if she were implicated, her life would be anything but stable. She might even be abandoned by her in-laws.
Without support, facing harsh circumstances, there was a real possibility she might not even live to see the day he returned.
That was something He Jin absolutely could not accept.
Thus, he had no choice but to leave quietly.
Even so, the houses he left behind would not fall into the hands of the "beasts" of the courtyard. Once he disappeared, Yi Zhonghai and the others would undoubtedly search for him. When they failed to find him, they would eventually have to report it to the police.
The authorities would likely be unable to determine the cause of his disappearance. In such cases, it was common for the government to conclude that an accident had occurred.
Though the capital was generally stable in these years, occasional incidents involving hidden agents or criminal elements still happened. People sometimes vanished or met untimely ends without explanation.
Once the government determined that He Jin—Sha Zhu—had met with an accident, his property and belongings would legally pass to his only immediate relative: He Yushui.
Naturally, He Jin could already imagine that Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu would never accept such an outcome easily. They would surely attempt to obstruct He Yushui from inheriting the house.
However, considering He Yushui's sharp mind—and the fact that her husband was a police officer—He Jin was confident that, in the end, the house would indeed fall into her hands.
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