Gradually earning Fujita's trust, he was put in charge of labor supply. Slowly he was able to obtain rights to some mines, until, with poor management on Fujita's part, he was able to buy all the rights to the Chiufen fields from them.
顏雲年考上之後，成為當地的「巡查捕」，也漸漸取得藤田組的信任，由包辦勞務供應、逐漸取得部分礦區，到後來藤田組經營不善，由顏雲年買下其全部礦權為止。