Courtyard House: Home Alone

Pierre released his grip on the carriage, slowly straightened up, and finally pulled his right hand out of his coat pocket. In his hand, he held not a weapon, but a silk handkerchief, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

"Mr. Zhou," he turned to Chen Gongshu, his voice a little dry, "we..."

Chen Gongshu stood up from beside the wheel, patted the dust off his knees, and said, "Mr. DuPont, our deal is done, isn't it?"

"Alright, we'll be going now. I wish you great fortune!" After saying that, he turned and walked outside. Xu Zheng and Qi Haishan also suppressed their shock and walked towards the truck outside.

Hidden at the entrance of the underground tomb, Lin Yifan moved his mind, and the gold loaded on the truck entered his spatial storage. At the same time, he activated the public channel on his communicator: "The explosion just now was caused by the Japanese Special Higher Police. They are currently preoccupied with their own problems. You should all evacuate. Don't forget the deal with the Germans tomorrow."

"Young master, all the medicine in the basement has been emptied. What about the medicine for tomorrow's transaction..." Liu Quande asked as he started the engine.

"The medicine will be delivered tonight. Also, the gold in your car has been taken by 'Ghost'."

"Wh...what? When did you take it? We...we just put it in the car?" The truck, which had just started moving, was brought to a stop by Liu Quande's sudden slam on the brakes.

"That's all. That's none of your business. Buy plenty of food on your way back, eat your fill, and get some rest." With that, he ended the call.

At that moment, Pierre also got into the Citroën, with the truck carrying the medicine following behind him. The two vehicles then left the Sacré-Cœur Basilica.

With a thought, Lin Yifan teleported to the road outside. Seeing nothing unusual, he released a small car from his spatial storage and drove it in the direction Pierre had left.

At the same time, he called Chen Gongshu privately: "Uncle Chen, are you there?"

"Yes, young master, what are the arrangements?" Chen Gongshu's voice came through the earpiece.

"Go back to the hotel and prepare for tomorrow's transaction. The Germans are more difficult to deal with than the French. Tell them to arrive an hour early, and change the location to the HSBC bank vault in the concession."

"The concessions?" Chen Gongshu frowned. "The Japanese just suffered a huge loss, and over there in the concessions..."

"It's precisely because they just suffered a major loss that they dare not act again within 24 hours."

Lin Yifan's mental energy had already detected the French and Indian police officers gathering three kilometers away. "Kita Seiichi's superiors need time to assess the losses, deflect blame, and redeploy. This time is enough for us to complete the deal with the Germans."

"in addition,"

His voice lowered slightly, "Tell the Germans that next time, they can use artworks and antiques to offset part of the payment. Ancient European families have many valuable items that are easier to liquidate than gold."

Also, there's still time. Go to HSBC first and tell them you've received a large amount of Japanese yen for business, and see if you can exchange it for pounds or dollars. Of course, the gold we received will also be deposited in their bank.

They'll definitely be happy to accept, as large deposits are highly desirable for them. You can use this opportunity to test their exchange rates and fees, and also get a feel for their attitude towards the current situation.

Remember to keep a low profile and don't reveal your true identity. Just conduct the negotiations as an ordinary businessman. Once the transaction is completed tomorrow and the gold is converted into hard currency, our cash flow will be more flexible.

Remember, these are all for our future needs.

"Yes, young master, I'll go to HSBC Bank right away. By the way, how many US dollars should we exchange?" Chen Gongshu asked.

"Tell the bank you need to exchange at least 80 to 100 million US dollars." After saying that, the two hung up the phone.

Meanwhile, Pierre and his truck, which were ahead of Lin Yifan, were heading out of the city. They encountered several groups of police officers on the way, but they ignored the cars on the road and headed towards the Japanese Special Higher Police headquarters that had just been bombed.

Once outside the city, Pierre's two cars headed towards Tanggu Wharf, while Lin Yifan followed at a distance of three kilometers behind.

Half an hour later, Pierre and his team drove into the warehouse area of ​​the dock, and Lin Yifan watched them drive the truck into a warehouse.

He stopped the car two kilometers from the dock, got out, put away the car, and slipped into the space.

Pierre simply had the driver take him directly to the dock management office. He got out of the car, went straight into the office, greeted the people inside, and picked up the phone to make a call. It seems he has quite a good relationship with the dock workers.

Meanwhile, Lin Yifan, inside the space, quietly "watched" all of this. After a while, a Japanese soldier's voice came from the phone: "Moshi moshi, who are you looking for?"

"Hello, I am Pierre Dupont, I am looking for Mr. Yamada."

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a slightly hoarse male voice: "Mr. DuPont? Mr. Yamada is dealing with some urgent matters. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Pierre Dupont glanced at his watch, his tone carrying a barely perceptible urgency: "Tell Mr. Yamada that my medicine has arrived at the dock warehouse. If he doesn't want it, I'll send it directly to London."

The person on the other end of the phone seemed to hesitate for a moment before saying, "Please wait a moment while I inform them." Pierre held the receiver, his gaze sweeping across the dock where cargo was being unloaded outside the window. His fingers tapped unconsciously on the table, and a shrewd smile appeared on his face.

Not long after, footsteps and deep conversation came through the phone, followed by another male voice: "Mr. DuPont, this is Yamada Niko. Didn't we agree to make the deal tonight? Why the sudden change..."

"Mr. Yamada, I have something to do tonight, so I thought since the medicine has arrived, we should make the transaction as soon as possible. Isn't your Black Dragon Society also eager for this batch of medicine? This would be beneficial for both of us."

Yamada Niko remained silent for a moment on the other end of the phone, seemingly weighing the pros and cons. In the dock warehouse, Pierre could hear faint background noise from the phone receiver, like people moving hurriedly and speaking in hushed tones; presumably, the explosion at the Special Higher Police headquarters had alerted them.

"Okay, Mr. DuPont,"

Yamada Niko's voice carried a hint of impatience, but more so an unquestionable command: "Wait for me at the dock warehouse. I'll be there in forty minutes."

"Okay, Mr. Yamada, I'll wait for you at the warehouse." Pierre hung up the phone, a cold smile playing on his lips.

He walked to the warehouse entrance, whispered a few words to the few foreign men guarding outside, and they quickly left the warehouse area and disappeared into the shadows of the dock.

Pierre returned to the warehouse alone, leaned against a pile of wooden crates, took out a cigar from the inside pocket of his coat, lit it with a match, took a deep drag, and the smoke swirled before his eyes.

He knew this was more than just a drug deal; it was a dangerous game of dealing with a tyrant. He had to be careful, ensuring he got the money while also making sure he could leave safely.