Courtyard House: Home Alone

The man was of medium build and had a shrewd face; he was none other than Manager Zhou of the "happy Lai" teahouse.

As soon as Manager Zhou entered the main room, he saw Lin Yifan and Old Master Tang and quickly bowed, saying, "Old Master Tang, young master, I apologize for disturbing you so late at night. May I ask what urgent matter Mr. Lin has that has troubled Old Zhang to make this trip in person?"

Lin Yifan stepped forward and cut to the chase: "Manager Zhou, the situation is urgent, so I'll get straight to the point. I need to take control of Kenji Doihara and his communications team. I need people who understand radio telegraphy to take over the radio station and communicate with the outside world in Doihara's voice. Do you have any suitable candidates?"

Upon hearing this, Manager Zhou's expression changed drastically; he clearly understood the seriousness of the matter. He hesitated for a moment, then his eyes hardened: "Young master, rest assured. To be honest, I do have several men under my command who are experts in telecommunications. They can act at any time, as long as Mr. Lin gives the order!"

"Alright!" Lin Yifan perked up. "Without further ado, Manager Zhou, go back immediately and gather your men. Meet me at the designated location outside the Toihara courtyard within half an hour. I'll have Old Zhang draw you a simple map of the exact location later."

"yes!"

Manager Zhou didn't hesitate at all, "I'll go arrange it right away!" After saying that, he bowed to Old Master Tang and hurriedly followed Old Zhang to get the blueprints.

Watching Manager Zhou's departing figure, Old Master Tang said to Lin Yifan, "Manager Zhou is a reliable person. His subordinates should also be trustworthy."

Lin Yifan nodded: "I know. Otherwise, I wouldn't have asked you to find him. It's almost time for me to leave. Grandpa, I'm entrusting things here to you."

"Take care!" Grandpa Tang patted Lin Yifan on the shoulder, his eyes full of expectation and concern.

Lin Yifan said no more. With a flash, he disappeared like a ghost from the entrance of the main room, blending into the deep night. He needed to complete this crucial "decapitation" operation before dawn, setting the stage for the subsequent great battle.

He arrived at the outer perimeter of the courtyard where Kenji Doihara was staying. He first used his mental power to check the surrounding situation and found that the people the old man had arranged to be responsible for sealing off and monitoring the area were actually Chen Dashan and his gang from the former 29th Army.

They had set up light and heavy machine guns in concealed locations around the courtyard, their dark muzzles pointed at the various entrances and exits of the courtyard, their eyes scanning the movement inside with vigilance.

Lin Yifan's heart stirred. Chen Dashan and his group were all veterans who had experienced real combat and were formidable fighters. With them providing support from the outside, it would undoubtedly be like adding wings to a tiger.

He found Chen Dashan and approached him. Fearing a misunderstanding, he greeted him softly, "Brother Chen, it's me, Lin Yifan."

Chen Dashan was intently staring at the courtyard gate when he heard the sound and turned around abruptly. Seeing Lin Yifan, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, followed by a low voice: "Young Master? Why did you come in person? We've surrounded this place like an iron barrel, just as Old Master Tang instructed; not even a fly could get out!"

Lin Yifan patted his arm approvingly, "Well done. It's time to close the net! You guys stay on the perimeter and don't make any rash moves. Wait for my signal."

I'll go in first and take control of the people inside. You can come in after I give you my signal. Remember, the main target is Kenji Doihara and his communications team. Make sure they're captured alive, especially the radio; don't damage it.

Chen Dashan nodded emphatically: "Mr. Lin, rest assured! We will listen to you! If there is any movement inside, we will provide immediate support!"

Lin Yifan hummed in agreement and said no more. Using the shadow of the corner of the wall, he reached the wall of the courtyard in a few leaps.

When Chen Dashan and his brothers, who were monitoring the courtyard from behind, saw this, they couldn't help but gasp, their eyes filled with shock and admiration.

They were all veterans who had fought their way through the battlefield and had seen their fair share of experts, but they had never seen anyone as agile and silent as Lin Yifan.

The figure moved with ghostly agility in the night, and in a few leaps it was already close to the courtyard wall. If they hadn't been paying close attention, they would have almost thought they were seeing things.

One of the brothers couldn't help but whisper to Chen Dashan, "Brother Dashan, this guy... he's a real pro! With skills like that, those few Japanese guards wouldn't even be a match for him!"

Chen Dashan stared intently in the direction Lin Yifan had disappeared, nodded vigorously, and his eyes gleamed with excitement: "If I didn't have this skill, how could I have rescued us from the Japanese devils! Keep a close eye on us! This is a crucial battle in our fight against the Japanese, so everyone be on your guard!"

He had initially felt a slight worry about Lin Yifan venturing into danger alone, but that worry had completely vanished, replaced by a strong sense of anticipation.

He knew that once Lin Yifan went inside, a good show would soon begin.

They gripped their guns tightly, fingers on the triggers, their eyes fixed on every corner of the courtyard, awaiting Lin Yifan's signal, ready to rush in and wipe out the wicked Japanese devils.

Upon arriving at the wall of the courtyard house, Lin Yifan did not immediately go inside, but instead used his mental energy to carefully examine the situation inside once again.

They also confirmed the location of the telecommunications room—the two innermost rooms in the east wing, which were connected, with two sentries guarding the entrance.

He made up his mind, and with a thought, his body disappeared from the spot. When he reappeared, he was already behind the three Japanese soldiers on duty in the communications room.

Two of the three Japanese soldiers inside were operating a radio, the beeping of telegrams filling the air. The third was likely the officer on duty.

Before they could react, Lin Yifan had already moved. He swiftly swung his hands and struck the back of the neck of three Japanese soldiers. The seemingly casual movement contained immense force, and the three soldiers didn't even have time to utter a sound before collapsing into their chairs, unconscious.

The whole process was as fast as lightning, without making any extra noise, except for the radio station that kept tirelessly beeping.

Lin Yifan quickly stepped forward and unplugged the radio, instantly silencing the room.

He checked the breathing of the three Japanese soldiers, confirmed that they had only been knocked unconscious, then ignored them and quietly crept towards the door.

The two sentries at the gate had their backs to the house and were vigilantly watching the yard, completely unaware of the deadly threat behind them.

Lin Yifan appeared behind them like a ghost, and two bullets flew out of the space warehouse at the same time, accurately hitting the back of their heads.

The two sentries froze abruptly, too weak to even turn around, and fell straight forward. Lin Yifan reacted swiftly, catching them before they hit the ground and gently laying them down. The whole process was silent, as if the night wind had simply blown down two withered leaves.