Courtyard House: Home Alone

Upon seeing Lin Yifan enter, Manager Zhou immediately stood up, a hint of urgency on his face, and waved to him: "Xiao Fan, you've finally arrived, please have a seat."

He personally poured Lin Yifan a cup of tea. "I just received an urgent telegram from my superiors. The situation is a bit unusual." As he spoke, he handed the translated telegram to Lin Yifan.

"Take a look at this first."

Lin Yifan took the telegram and quickly scanned it. When he saw the words "The superiors will arrive the day after tomorrow" and "Absolute safety guaranteed," his eyes instantly sharpened.

He put down the telegram, looked at Manager Zhou, and asked in a deep voice, "The higher-ups have come to Beiping in person? Is it about those airplanes?"

Manager Zhou nodded, his expression grave, and said, "It's highly likely. More than three hundred aircraft—that's a huge amount of weight, enough to affect the entire war situation in North China and even a wider area."

The higher-ups attach great importance to this and have specially dispatched important leaders, presumably to discuss the takeover and to hear your and 'Ghost's' specific ideas.

He paused, then added, "The telegram only mentioned an important leader, without revealing their specific identity or itinerary, which was also for security reasons."

Lin Yifan tapped his fingers lightly on the table, lost in thought. The presence of higher-ups demonstrated the importance the Red Party attached to this matter, but it also implied risk.

Beiping is now rife with undercurrents. There are informants from the Japanese Special Higher Police, the puppet regime, and all sorts of unidentified people. A slight misstep could lead to serious trouble.

He looked up at Manager Zhou: "Have the rendezvous location and plan been decided?"

"The preliminary location is Baiyun Temple in the north of the city."

Manager Zhou said, "That place is relatively remote, making it easier to deploy and evacuate. I plan to mobilize all the forces we can use in Beiping to set up three layers of defense around Baiyun Temple within a three-mile radius. I have also prepared two backup rendezvous points. However, this will require the cooperation of 'Ghost'."

He looked at Lin Yifan and said, "That's why I rushed to find you. First, to inform you of this situation, and second, to ask you to contact 'Ghost' as soon as possible and tell him about it so that he can make preparations in advance. It would be best if he could send some capable people to assist on the periphery in case of any unforeseen circumstances."

After all, these planes are in his hands, and his attitude is crucial. When the leaders arrive, you'll also be needed to coordinate and arrange meetings.

Lin Yifan nodded, indicating that he understood. He thought to himself: The location is well chosen, but I still need to scout it out beforehand. With me there, safety shouldn't be a problem.

"Manager Zhou has considered everything very thoroughly. Baiyun Temple is indeed a good location, with excellent seclusion."

He pretended to think for a moment before continuing, "I'll find a way to contact 'Ghost' immediately and explain the situation to him. As for manpower, he shouldn't have a problem; it just takes time to coordinate."

As for the meeting arrangements, once your superiors arrive and the safe rendezvous method is confirmed, I will be responsible for contacting 'Ghost' to ensure everything goes smoothly.

He picked up his teacup and took a sip, his brow still furrowed: "However, we had been planning to lure the enemy out of their hiding place and deal with those lurking Japanese soldiers for the past two days."

Now, your superiors happen to arrive at this time, and the two things have overlapped. This has put a strain on the old man's manpower.

Upon hearing this, Manager Zhou frowned as well: "That is indeed a problem. Your plan to deal with the lurking Japanese soldiers must require a large number of people. Both of these matters are crucial, and neither can go wrong."

He pondered for a moment, "Xiao Fan, how about this? We'll try to draw personnel from our own resources to support and protect the leaders. If things get really tense, we'll ask you for help."

Your plan to deal with the Japanese will proceed as originally planned, and you should prioritize manpower.

After all, removing those lurking threats is also for the safety of Beiping, and indirectly it can create a better environment for us to receive our leaders.

"That's good. This way, we can also draw the attention of the Japanese and other forces, making it easier for 'Ghost' to meet with your leader."

Manager Zhou nodded, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes: "I'm relieved that you think this way, Xiao Fan. This way, both sides can be taken care of, which is a win-win solution."

"Alright, let me know when your leader arrives. I'll be going now." He stood up and prepared to take another careful look around Baiyun Temple to ensure that the rendezvous was foolproof.

Manager Zhou quickly stood up to see him off, saying, "Alright, please be careful. Contact me anytime if anything happens." Lin Yifan responded and left the teahouse.

The next morning, Lin Yifan first confirmed the construction plan for the east courtyard with Master Lei, who had been invited by He Daqing, and paid a deposit of three hundred silver dollars.

Then, he and Grandpa Tang went to a small courtyard in the suburbs and met Master Guo, who was arranged to recuperate there. He was the one who knew how to castrate.

It's already late April, almost early May, and the weather is gradually getting warmer. The old locust trees in the yard have sprouted tender buds, casting a patch of shade.

Master Guo was wearing a loose-fitting coarse cloth short jacket and was sitting on a recliner with a square stool and a teapot next to him. He looked quite well and his complexion was also good.

Seeing the maid bring Lin Yifan and Old Master Tang in, he quickly stood up, bowed slightly, and gave a somewhat stiff smile: "Old Master Tang, you've arrived! And this young man is?"

Grandpa Tang patted Lin Yifan on the shoulder with a smile and introduced him to Grandpa Guo: "Brother Guo, this is Xiao Fan, the one I mentioned to you before."

Lin Yifan quickly cupped his hands and said, "Greetings, Master Guo. I am Lin Yifan, and I have long admired your name."

Master Guo sized Lin Yifan up and down, his gaze scrutinizing him, then laughed and waved his hand, saying, "Brother Tang, you're too kind. What's with all this talk of fame and fortune? Those are just old tricks, nothing to mention. Young man, you look to be under ten years old, remarkable! To have made a name for yourself at such a young age, truly, heroes have always emerged from among the young!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yifan simply smiled faintly and said nothing more. He knew that someone like Master Guo had a sharp eye and could naturally see through things; explaining too much would only seem deliberate.

Old Master Tang stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "Brother Guo, Xiao Fan is a precocious child, quite capable. We've asked you to come out of retirement this time because we want to rely on your skills to help us deal with a few animals."

Guo Ye's smile faded slightly, and his eyes sharpened: "Brother Tang, you're too kind. Your business is my business. I just wonder what kind of beasts have gone to such lengths for you two?"

Old Master Tang's expression hardened, and he said in a deep voice, "It's a member of the Japanese royal family, the culprit behind the Nanjing incident. He's the one who ordered the massacre of so many innocent Chinese people."

Therefore, Xiao Fan and I discussed publicly executing them by dismemberment. This was to deter those arrogant invaders and to avenge the blood debt owed to our compatriots who died in Nanjing!

Upon hearing the phrases "members of the Japanese imperial family" and "culprits of the Nanjing Massacre," Master Guo's face instantly turned ashen. He slammed his hand on the armrest of the recliner, his muscles bulging beneath his coarse cloth jacket.

"These beasts! They're utterly depraved! Brother Tang, just tell me what to do, and I, Guo Laosan, will fight you to the bitter end! We'll skin them alive and give the wronged souls of the dead some justice!"

His eyes burned with a fierce rage, a simmering national hatred that seemed to burn through the very air before him.