Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

After his failed night raid, Zhao Tianba was like a frightened bird, knowing full well that Huang Feihong and Wang Huanbo would never let him go. He spent most of his time hiding in an underground casino and opium den run by the Shahe Gang. The place was heavily guarded and had a secret passage leading to the docks for easy escape. He was always accompanied by seven or eight armed henchmen, and he was extremely careful when he came and went.

Through an informant developed by Yacha Su (a resentful casino employee oppressed by the Shahe Gang), Wang Huanbo learned about Zhao Tianba's daily routine and the casino's internal structure. He devised a daring plan: to infiltrate the casino and capture Zhao Tianba alive!

On the night of the operation, the moon was dark and the stars were few. Wang Huanbo changed into a dark night suit, smeared soot on his face, and carried only an M1911A1 pistol (with a silencer installed) and a few smoke grenades (made in the system space using homemade gunpowder and materials). Like a ghost of the night, he silently crept into the back alley of the casino.

He evaded the patrolling gang members, using his superb climbing skills (enhanced by the Super Serum) to scale the outer wall like a gecko and slip into a ventilation shaft. The casino was filled with smoke, and the gamblers' clamor masked his subtle movements. Using the map he remembered, he stealthily made his way to the vicinity of Zhao Tianba's inner room.

There were two armed guards at the entrance to the inner room. Wang Huanbo held his breath, threw a small stone from the shadows to distract one of the guards, and then pounced like a cheetah, covering the other's mouth with one hand and striking him on the back of the neck with the butt of his gun, instantly knocking him unconscious. At the same time, he aimed his silenced pistol at the distracted guard, and with a soft "thud," the bullet struck his thigh, causing him to groan and fall to the ground. Wang Huanbo quickly moved forward to finish him off, knocking him unconscious as well.

After dealing with the guards, Wang Huanbo gently pushed open the door to the inner room. Zhao Tianba was lying on the couch, smoking opium, puffing out clouds of smoke, with a servant attending to him beside him. Seeing the dark figure intrude, Zhao Tianba shuddered in fright, dropping his opium pipe! Just as he was about to call for help, Wang Huanbo's silenced pistol was already pressed against his forehead!

"Don't move! Make a sound and you'll die!" Wang Huanbo said in a low voice, his killing intent palpable.

The servant was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground.

Zhao Tianba's face turned ashen, and he stammered, "Good...good sir, spare my life! Money...money is no problem!"

"I don't want your money," Wang Huanbo said coldly. "I want your letters, ledgers, and evidence of your collusion with Ji Shan and Jackson, as well as evidence of arms smuggling! Hand them over!"

Zhao Tianba's eyes flickered, still trying to deny it. Wang Huanbo showed no mercy, slamming the butt of his gun hard into Zhao's still-healing wrist! Zhao Tianba winced in pain, cold sweat pouring down his face, finally giving in, pointing to a hidden compartment: "In...there..."

Wang Huanbo forced him to open the hidden compartment, which indeed contained a stack of letters and ledgers detailing the Shahe Gang's shady dealings for Jardine Matheson and their involvement in arms smuggling, among other shady practices! The evidence was irrefutable!

Having obtained the evidence, Wang Huanbo was in no hurry to leave. He tied Zhao Tianba up tightly, gagged him, then took out the homemade smoke bomb, lit the fuse, and threw it into the outer casino hall!

"laugh--"

Thick white smoke quickly spread! The casino was thrown into chaos! "Fire!" "Run!" The gamblers panicked, trampling each other, and the guards were thrown into disarray.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Wang Huanbo picked up Zhao Tianba like a chick, retraced his steps through the ventilation shaft, and quickly disappeared into the night. The entire operation was clean, efficient, and completely undetected.

The following day, news of the mysterious disappearance of Zhao Tianba, the leader of the Shahe Gang, spread like wildfire. Simultaneously, several copies of anonymous letters were delivered to the county magistrate's office, the British consulate, several newspapers, and some influential gentry. The letters contained shocking information, detailing how Jardine Matheson colluded with the Shahe Gang to engage in monopolistic practices, arms smuggling, and creating disturbances!

Foshan was in uproar once again! Public opinion reversed instantly! The people were furious, and the gentry jointly pressured the government! Disagreements also arose within the British Consulate; some relatively rational officials believed that Ji Shan and Jackson's actions had seriously damaged the long-term interests and reputation of British merchants. Faced with irrefutable evidence, Magistrate Zhao Guodong could no longer feign ignorance and was forced to order an investigation into Jardine Matheson and the Shahe Gang.

Ji Shan and Jackson panicked. On the one hand, they vehemently denied the allegations, and on the other hand, they tried every means to find Zhao Tianba to silence him. However, Wang Huanbo had already secretly imprisoned Zhao Tianba in an absolutely safe place.

After this battle, Wang Huanbo's reputation for being "both wise and brave" reached its peak. Not only was he highly skilled in martial arts, but he was also elusive and resourceful, becoming a "night scourge" feared by foreigners and evil forces. The "mysterious smoke bomb" he used in this operation (though rudimentary, it was remarkably effective) further fueled people's curiosity and awe of his "extraordinary skills."

The crisis at Po Chi Lam was temporarily alleviated. Wong Fei-hung looked at Wang Huanbo, his eyes filled with relief, gratitude, and even a hint of awe. This disciple had far surpassed his expectations. Aunt Thirteen was even more impressed with Wang Huanbo, pestering him to tell her how the smoke bomb was made. Wang Huanbo smiled and brushed it off, but in his heart, he was already planning his next step: how to transform these "small techniques" into a real force for national strength and prosperity. He knew that capturing Zhao Tianba was merely a temporary solution; changing this era of poverty and weakness was the real challenge.