"As for the specific method, it is actually very simple, which is analysis, that is, big data analysis."
"You know, as long as you live in this world, your actions will always leave traces. Maybe you unintentionally ate an extra meal and were spotted by a passerby. Maybe you were admiring the scenery and unintentionally picked a flower, and were spotted by the gardener."
"Through careful analysis, you can easily discover many hidden secrets. They will all be exposed in the face of such meticulous analysis. Whether it is a powerful family, the imperial court, or the people hiding behind the scenes, they cannot escape it at all."
"For example, if someone suddenly eats one more meal of meat than usual, we can tell that they have more money than before. So, where did this money come from? From whom, and in what way?"
“If you investigate these things, it will seem endless, involving one person after another with different identities. But once you find out the truth, there will be no secrets left in the entire Jiangdong.”
Recalling Lin Yang's confident words, Guo Jia felt immense pressure. After all, people of this era were unaware that in the future, many spies led simple yet monotonous lives.
That is, to collect and analyze information obtained from newspapers, the internet, and other sources, thereby uncovering secrets that ordinary people don't pay attention to.
For example, copper prices have been declining steadily for the past six months. Why is that? Is it due to technological innovation or the discovery of new copper mines? Find relevant information and do some research; you might find some unexpected insights.
However, in later generations, supercomputers and various mysterious algorithms were needed to analyze the vast amount of information on the internet.
In this world, the mental power of a second-tier Yin God cultivator, once fully utilized for calculation, is comparable to that of an ordinary computer.
A third-tier Yang God cultivator, once they use their full power, is comparable to a supercomputer.
As for the computing power of a fourth-order human immortal cultivator, it is estimated that only the legendary quantum computer can compare to it.
"My lord, since you trust me so much, I cannot betray that trust. I only hope that this so-called big data analysis method can really yield some results," Guo Jia said, rubbing his head with a slight headache.
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Chapter 59: Wealthy and Powerful
In Wu County, there was a restaurant. It must be said that, no matter the time, news travels faster and more frequently in restaurants than elsewhere.
"How could such a good thing happen? What if we go through all the trouble of crossing the river only to find out they don't honor their promise?" a portly merchant said disdainfully.
“Hey, I don’t like hearing that. That’s the Duke of Wu, a top-tier nobleman whose life is intertwined with the state. Even a high-ranking official like the Governor of Yangzhou would have to bow and pay his respects. How could such a great man lie so easily?” someone nearby argued.
Upon hearing this, the merchant paused, then his eyes darted around before he continued, "What you said makes a lot of sense, but the question is, what does the Duke of Wu want this information for? He could easily investigate it himself."
"After all, it's not some big secret! Besides, what if you cross the river and suddenly find that your information is worthless, or that it has already been handed over by someone else?"
"That depends on luck..."
Hearing the murmurs of the crowd, Xu Sheng couldn't help but frown. It was so noisy. Oh well, now that he was awake, he should hurry and accept the next mission.
Then, he climbed up from the table. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and poured a cup of cloudy wine from the wine pot next to him.
Immediately afterwards, I tilted my head back and swallowed it whole. Upon entering my mouth, a murky, spicy sensation rushed to my nose, making me feel extremely uncomfortable.
"Brother, are you still worried about your wife's illness?" A young man came over with a plate of roast chicken and asked with concern.
This man, named Chen Wu, like Xu Sheng, came from a poor background. Both of them worked their way up from the mercenary alliance through hard work.
Now, in terms of strength, he is already a master of the Innate Realm. Although he is only in the early stages, his experience, without any background, money, or fortuitous encounters, is already a typical inspirational legend.
Upon hearing this, Xu Sheng nodded with a somber expression. His initial anxiety subsided as he thought of his wife at home.
“Yes, as you know, your sister-in-law’s health is deteriorating day by day. A complete cure would require a one-time payment of 100,000 taels of silver. Over the years, even though I’ve worked myself to the bone every day, venturing into all sorts of dangerous places, I’ve still earned very little, barely enough to maintain her health,” Xu Sheng said with some distress.
Seeing his childhood sweetheart growing thinner and thinner day by day, how could Xu Sheng, as a man, be happy?
Despite Xu Sheng's best efforts, he was ultimately just a mid-stage Innate Realm wandering swordsman. The techniques he practiced were merely commonplace methods circulating within the Mercenary Alliance. Even with his utmost effort, this was all he could achieve.
“Brother, I think this is an opportunity. You know that as outsiders who migrated from the Central Plains to Jiangdong, we are not valued at all. Otherwise, with your strength, why would you work so hard for a mere sum of money? People like us can't even sell ourselves as guards!” Chen Wu said, quite frustrated.
Upon hearing this, Xu Sheng nodded. Jiangdong has always been a very xenophobic region. This is especially true for people like himself and Chen Wu, who moved from the Central Plains to Jiangdong.
Then, he began to think about this matter. The Duke of Wu took out a large sum of gold and silver to buy information about Jiangdong.
But would the Duke of Wu really give money based on this publicly available information?
Seemingly sensing Xu Sheng's doubt, Chen Wu then advised, "Brother, even if you work yourself to death now, you can only earn ten or twenty thousand taels of silver a year at most. But once you catch the eye of the Duke of Wu, let alone ten thousand taels, even a hundred thousand taels would be no problem!"
Indeed, the Duke of Wu was extremely generous. He gave each noble a thousand taels of gold, a thousand-year-old ginseng, and a high-quality martial arts manual.
Theoretically speaking, if the Duke of Wu were willing, 100,000 taels of silver would be a piece of cake.
After thinking for a moment, Xu Sheng nodded heavily and said, "Alright, since we're going to sell information, I'll make preparations. We'll set off in an hour. If he's generous, we can just join him."
...
Soon, just an hour later, after using the teleportation array, Xu Sheng and Chen Wu arrived at the Lu family ancestral home in Lujiang County.
Upon arriving nearby, Xu Sheng suddenly felt paralyzed. Before him lay a mountain of silver.
This silver mountain was built up from countless ingots of silver. Each silver ingot weighed ten taels. Then, countless silver ingots were piled together to form this silver mountain.
Surrounding Yinshan were five hundred Imperial Guards. They were all clad in armor and had drawn their swords, pointing them at the crowd.
Hearing the heavy breathing around them and seeing the crowd that seemed ready to rob them, even the seasoned Imperial Guards were somewhat stunned. This Duke of Wu really knows how to stir up trouble!
However, as a subordinate of the Duke of Wu, unless there was a rebellion, he had to obey orders no matter what he did. Therefore, despite some dissatisfaction, he obediently followed orders, paying close attention to the onlookers around him.
"This, this is truly a display of sincerity!" Chen Wu exclaimed excitedly as he looked at the enormous silver mountain.
"Yes, this time, your sister-in-law is saved!" Xu Sheng couldn't help but swallow hard, then looked greedily at the mountain of silver. But he quickly regained his composure.
Then, after anxiously waiting and standing in a long queue, it was finally Xu Sheng's turn. With a somewhat apprehensive heart, Xu Sheng entered a small room.
Outside the house, two elite Imperial Guards stood watch. Surrounding them were other soldiers, providing protection. Then, with a creak, the door opened, and Xu Sheng stepped inside.