Courtyard House: Home Alone

He leaned back in the driver's seat, closed his eyes, and his mental energy spread outwards like a tide—the maids cleaning the corridor, the businessmen reading newspapers in the lobby downstairs, the waiters changing the sheets in the next room—every subtle movement was clearly perceived by him.

Chen Gongshu's voice came through the earpiece, accompanied by the characteristic noise of a hotel lobby: "Young master, we have news from the French. Pierre is demanding an earlier deal."

"An early trade? What time does he want to trade?" Lin Yifan frowned slightly.

"They said the transaction would take place at 2 PM."

Lin Yifan glanced at his watch; the hands pointed to 11:15. Less than three hours remained until the time demanded by the French, while the originally agreed-upon transaction time was 3 PM.

"We can agree to his request and tell him that we don't accept gold storage certificates; we want physical gold. If he agrees, we'll notify Xu Zheng and the others; if he doesn't, we'll cancel the transaction." He's not that stupid to let him take the certificates to the Japanese bank to collect the gold.

Chen Gongshu's voice paused for a moment amidst the static, followed by the rustling of papers turning: "Young master, Pierre says the goods are fine, but he insists the transaction location be changed to the Sacré-Cœur Basilica in the French Concession. He says it's close to the French police station, ensuring protection for both sides."

"Sacred Heart Cathedral?" Lin Yifan opened his eyes, his spiritual power extending southeastward like a spider's web, passing through the hustle and bustle of four blocks, and finally touching the spire of the Gothic building.

The stained-glass windows of the church gleamed blood-red in the sunlight, and a few cypress trees in the cemetery in the backyard stood silently like sentinels. "He certainly knows how to pick a spot."

"And another thing," Chen Gongshu lowered his voice even further, "Pierre said he wants to meet 'The Ghost' himself this time."

"Tell him that no one, except the dead, has ever seen the 'ghost.' If he is ready, the 'ghost' will see him."

Lin Yifan took out a cup of soy milk from his spatial storage, the temperature of which was just right. "But the premise is that he has to be prepared to meet God."

Also, tell him that if he makes any further requests, we will cancel all transactions with him, and his share will be allocated to someone else.

Chen Gongshu's soft chuckle came through the earpiece, carrying his usual composure: "Understood, I'll go and get back to you right away."

Lin Yifan downed the soy milk in one gulp and casually tossed the cup into his spatial storage. He glanced at his watch; it was 11:23.

A moment later, Chen Gongshu's voice came through the earpiece again. This time the background noise was much quieter, as if he had already returned to his room: "Young master, Pierre agreed. He said two o'clock this afternoon, in the backyard of the Sacré-Cœur Basilica."

Lin Yifan tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel. "You stay with him. Also, notify Xu Zheng and the others to deliver the goods on time."

"What about the gold?"

"For spot trading, have him bring it over directly."

Lin Yifan's mental energy swept across the interior of the church, revealing the confessional, altar, organ—everywhere a person could hide.

"Yes."

Lin Yifan disconnected the communication, started the engine, and drove towards the Sacred Heart Church.

He parked his car a mile from the church entrance, then spread his mental energy out again, covering the entire block.

Roads, alleys, and lanes—where people could hide, which roads were suitable for retreat, and where to set up sniping positions—all these details formed a three-dimensional map in his mind.

As he looked around, Lin Yifan's lips curled into a smile. It turned out that during his investigation, he had actually found the Japanese Special Higher Police.

It was only three kilometers from there to his current location, and everyone's every move seemed to be right under his nose. He could even clearly "hear" the tasks that Kita Seiichi was assigning.

At 11:50, several trucks drove into the Japanese Special Higher Police (SPD), and more than a hundred members of the Black Dragon Society got out of the trucks. Together with the more than a hundred SPD agents who were waiting, they began to assemble in their own courtyard.

Kita Seiichi personally addressed them. At exactly twelve o'clock, everyone split into four teams and left the Special Higher Police compound, heading towards the Sacred Heart Church from different directions.

At 12:20, another twenty trucks drove into the yard, filled with Japanese soldiers carrying light and heavy weapons. In less than ten minutes, these Japanese soldiers split into four groups, each led by one of the eight Black Dragon Society members, and headed toward the Sacred Heart Church.

Lin Yifan watched as these people disappeared into shops, houses, and churches. He couldn't help but think: The Japanese are desperate now; it seems they're ready to take action.

Haha, good for you to take action. Since you dare to mess with 'Ghost's' business and break the agreement first, you'd better be prepared to face 'Ghost's' wrath.

These Japanese soldiers, Special Higher Police agents, and Black Dragon Society members acted quite quickly; in less than half an hour, they had all hidden themselves away.

Just then, Chen Gongshu's voice came through the earpiece again, "Young master, we've arrived at the Japanese Mitsui Bank. Pierre is withdrawing gold and will probably head to the church in fifteen minutes."

"I understand. You can continue your normal transaction. Leave the rest to me." With that, he cut off the communication and teleported to the nearest Japanese hideout.

The hideout was located in a small building owned by a foreign couple. At this time, the couple had been tied up by the Japanese and thrown in a corner. The Japanese had arranged ten people there: two light machine guns and four people upstairs, and a sergeant and five soldiers downstairs.

To save time, as Lin Yifan appeared, bullets flew out of the still warehouse. Before the Japanese soldier who had been shot in the head could fall to the ground, he had already appeared upstairs, and each of the four Japanese soldiers upstairs was also hit with a bullet.

Then, with a thought, he stored the weapons and ammunition of the Japanese soldiers upstairs and downstairs into his spatial storage. Then, with a teleportation, his figure appeared at the next hiding place.

The hideout was just across the street, in a Japanese-owned general store. There were six Black Dragon Society members and five Japanese soldiers there, two of whom were controlling a machine gun at the window.

The male shop owner was also holding a Mauser pistol and was squatting by the door watching outside. This massacre lasted more than two minutes longer than the previous one.

Because in addition to eliminating the Black Dragon Society members and Japanese soldiers, he also cleaned up the Japanese families in the backyard of the grocery store. Of course, the goods and money in the store also went into his space, including the things in the warehouse in the backyard.

Thus, apart from the forced Chinese and foreigners who were knocked unconscious, all the other Japanese soldiers, spies, Black Dragon Society members, and Japanese expatriates were all subjected to humane destruction by Lin Yifan.

His movements were as fast as some kind of precise machine—appearing, shooting, gathering supplies, teleporting, the whole process taking no more than three minutes.