Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

The Shahe Gang's conspiracy with foreigners was proceeding stealthily in the shadows, like a venomous snake. However, Wang Huanbo, with his advanced awareness and the fragmented information gleaned by Yacha Su from the streets, had already predicted that the enemy was likely to launch a night attack soon. Baozhilin appeared calm on the surface, but in reality, it was tense beneath, having already laid a trap.

Following Wang Huanbo's advice, Huang Feihong secretly transferred most of the elderly, weak, women, and children (including some of the wounded's families) in Baozhilin to the homes of trusted friends or relatives in the countryside under the pretext of "repairing houses and inventorying medicinal materials," leaving only his capable disciples and able-bodied neighbors who volunteered to stay behind. Wang Huanbo then made full use of Baozhilin's architectural layout to formulate a detailed defense plan.

He divided the manpower into three groups:

Front yard decoy team: Led by Leung Kwan, several clever disciples, equipped with gongs, drums, firecrackers, and a large amount of lime powder and barbed wire, were responsible for creating chaos and delaying the enemy's first wave of attack.

The Central Court Blockade Team: Led by Pork Rong, the main force of the team occupied advantageous positions in the hall and corridors, preparing for close combat. This was the core of their defense.

The rear mobile unit, personally commanded by Wang Huanbo, with Huang Feihong providing central support, was equipped with Wang Huanbo's secretly modified powerful crossbows (far exceeding the range and power of ordinary crossbows) and several simple catapults (capable of launching stones and oil canisters) as a final trump card. Wang Huanbo himself carried an M1911A1 pistol and ample ammunition, concealed in the shadows as a decisive firing point.

Aunt Thirteen insisted on staying. She packed up important medical books, prescriptions, her camera, and notebook, hiding them in a secret room. She prepared gauze and wound medicine, ready to treat the wounded at any time. Late at night, she found Wong Fei-hung, placed a lucky charm she had obtained herself into his hand, and whispered, "Fei-hung, be careful." In the lamplight, her eyes shimmered with tears, a mixture of worry and affection. Wong Fei-hung's heart warmed; he grasped her hand tightly and nodded emphatically, "Joanna, don't worry." At that moment, no words were needed; their hearts understood each other.

The anticipated night finally arrived. The moon was dark, the wind was high, and all was silent. Just past midnight, the sentries outside Baozhilin sounded the hooting of an owl—the enemy was coming!

Sure enough, shadowy figures appeared. Dozens of elite members of the Shahe Gang, personally led by Zhao Tianba, silently crept to the outer wall of Baozhilin. Each of them was armed with a sharp blade, and seven or eight of them were also equipped with revolvers provided by Jardine Matheson. Two gunmen sent by Jishan, carrying Martini-Henry rifles, occupied the high ground across the street, ready to suppress the enemy from a distance.

"Go!" Zhao Tianba roared, and his men set up ladders and scaled the wall!

The moment the first group of followers jumped into the courtyard!

"Clang! Crack! Pop!" Suddenly, gongs and drums filled the front yard, and firecrackers went off in unison! Liang Kuan and the others poured the prepared lime powder over their heads, and caltrops were scattered all over the ground! Caught off guard, the Shahe gang members were blinded by the lime and stabbed in the feet by the caltrops. They were thrown into chaos, and screams and cries of pain filled the air!

"There's an ambush!"

"Watch out for lime!"

Taking advantage of the chaos, Pork Wing and his men, who had been lying in ambush in the corridors and behind the windows, roared and charged out! Clubs flew and knives flashed! The Baozhilin disciples, united in their hatred of the enemy, used the terrain and their preparations to engage in a fierce battle with the invading Shahe gang! Pork Wing was like a tiger descending the mountain, wielding a bronze staff with a whooshing sound, instantly knocking down two people!

Zhao Tianba was both shocked and furious, not expecting that the other side was prepared! He drew his pistol and was about to fire at the chaotic crowd! Just then, with a sharp "whoosh," a crossbow bolt came flying from the direction of the backyard and accurately pierced his wrist holding the gun!

"Ah!" Zhao Tianba screamed, his pistol falling to the ground! It was Wang Huanbo who was sniping with a crossbow in the backyard!

Upon seeing this, the rifleman on the high ground across the street immediately aimed at the flash of fire in the backyard and pulled the trigger!

"Bang! Bang!"

The Martini-Henry rifle made a dull thud, the bullets struck the wall, and bricks flew everywhere!

Wang Huanbo had already moved to a different position. He calmly determined the shooter's location by the muzzle flash, retrieved an M1911A1 from his system space, took a deep breath, and the muscle memory granted by [Advanced Firearms Proficiency] allowed him to aim and fire as if by instinct!

"Bang! Bang!"

Two gunshots rang out almost simultaneously! The bullets whizzed through the night sky, striking the first rifleman's shoulder and the tiles beside the second rifleman with pinpoint accuracy! Though not fatal, the sheer force and precision of the shots terrified the two gunmen, who dared not show themselves again!

The fighting in the front and middle courtyards intensified. The Shahe Gang had the numerical advantage, and several desperate thugs armed with pistols put considerable pressure on the Baozhilin disciples, with several already wounded. Aunt Thirteen, along with several women, risked their lives to move through the chaos, providing emergency first aid to the wounded.

Seeing his disciple injured, Wong Fei-hung was enraged and leaped into the fray! His movements were lightning-fast; he unleashed the Foshan Shadowless Kick, his leg shadows filling the air, instantly sending several enemies flying! His Tiger-Taming Fist was fierce and unparalleled; those struck fell instantly! He specifically targeted the armed gang members, using close-quarters combat to prevent them from utilizing their firearms effectively!

Wang Huanbo directed operations calmly from the rear, his crossbows firing intermittently and precisely weakening the enemy's manpower. Seeing the immense pressure in the front, he decisively ordered, "Catapults! Fire!"

Several disciples pulled the rope with all their might, and the catapult launched the oil-soaked cloth ball after it was ignited! The fireball tore through the night sky and hit the densely packed enemy area in the front yard, instantly igniting a sea of ​​fire! The Shahe Gang members cried out in agony as they were burned, and their formation was thrown into chaos!

Zhao Tianba, with his wrist injured, saw that the situation was hopeless and heard the shouts of neighbors rushing to the scene. Knowing that things were hopeless, he stamped his foot angrily and said, "The wind is blowing hard! Let's get out of here!" He led his remaining troops and fled in a disheveled manner over the wall.

The battle was over. The front courtyard of Po Chi Lam was a scene of carnage, stained with blood, but they had held out. A headcount revealed that the Shahe Gang had left behind over a dozen corpses and wounded, while many Po Chi Lam disciples were injured, but fortunately, none had died. Despite her exhaustion, Aunt Thirteen busied herself treating everyone's wounds. When she saw the gash on Wong Fei-hung's arm, her heart ached, and tears streamed down her face. She carefully cleaned, applied medicine, and bandaged it. Looking at her focused and gentle expression, Wong Fei-hung felt a surge of warmth in his heart and gently patted the back of her hand.

Wang Huanbo surveyed the battlefield, picking up a revolver left behind by the Shahe Gang, his brow furrowed. This battle, though won, was entirely due to advantageous terrain, preparation, and sheer grit. Had they faced a well-equipped foreign army head-on, the outcome would have been unimaginable. The power of technology, the generational gap in weaponry—it was all so stark! This strengthened his resolve to quickly and rationally introduce some "advanced" but physically sound technologies.