Courtyard House: Home Alone

He first used his mental power to check the vaults of the two banks and found that the cash and gold inside were much less than the first time, only about one-tenth of what they were the first time. Even a small amount is still something, so he figured he'd take it first.

With a thought, he silently stored the cash and gold in the two bank vaults into his spatial storage.

Having done all this, he didn't linger at all, and teleported back to his room at 17 Victoria Road.

This time, he was truly exhausted. He collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

The moonlight outside the window shone through the gaps in the curtains, casting a soft silver glow that illuminated his young yet somewhat aloof face.

This night in Tianjin was destined to be filled with undercurrents because of his presence, and his legend had only just begun.

When the first rays of sunlight shone on the Yangliuqing granary, the Japanese soldiers who came to relieve the troops were surprised to find that the huge warehouse, which had been filled with grain, was now completely empty, with only lonely empty grain bins remaining.

The news spread like wildfire among the Japanese troops stationed in Tianjin. They frantically sealed off the scene and investigated the whereabouts of the grain, but their efforts were like throwing stones into the sea; they could find no clues.

Then, one bad news after another came: the entire staff of the East Asia Hotel were killed; the Fuji Corporation was wiped out; the Mitsui Bank vault was robbed; the Kim Jong Bank vault was robbed; even the cultural relics and gold, which were hidden in the underground warehouse of Haiguang Temple under heavy guard and were prepared to be transported back to the island nation, disappeared.

Now, the Japanese troops in Tianjin could no longer cover up the situation, and the lieutenant colonel staff officer hurriedly reported the situation back to headquarters in China.

Army Minister Terauchi Hisaichi, who was already troubled by the unfavorable situation in Hubei, China, reacted immediately upon receiving the telegram with a furious roar: "'The Ghost'! It must be that 'Ghost'! What is he trying to do? Didn't Shimizu Tousan sign an agreement with him?"

"Someone, immediately send a telegram to Shimizu Tungsan, instructing him to go to the Beiping Municipal Committee and lodge a protest with them, asking them whether the 'Ghost' is trying to provoke war by massacring overseas Chinese and violating agreements."

When Shimizu Tosan received the telegram from China, his face turned ashen, like a pig's liver.

He slammed the telegram on the table and growled, "Baka! What does this 'ghost' want?!"

He simply couldn't understand why the other party would act in this way, especially with such ruthless methods, after an agreement had already been signed. They uprooted several of their important strongholds in Tianjin almost overnight and took away such a huge amount of wealth and strategic materials.

Despite his anger, he dared not delay and immediately took two trusted advisors and drove to the Municipal Committee of Beiping.

At this moment, he was filled with resentment and a barely perceptible fear. He didn't know what the outcome of this protest would be in the face of the unfathomable power represented by the "ghost," but he had to carry out the orders from headquarters.

The car sped through the streets of Beiping in the early morning, the street scenes outside the window flashing by, but Shimizu Tosan's brows furrowed more and more. He had a premonition that this trip to the Municipal Committee would not be easy.

At this moment, Tang Baolin was also holding a telegram, which was sent by Lin Yifan from Tianjin. The content was very simple: if the Japanese came to question the matter in Tianjin, just reply: the Special Higher Police and the Black Dragon Society violated the agreement and will be punished lightly!

After reading the telegram, Tang Baolin smiled knowingly. He carefully put the telegram away, his admiration for the "ghost's" methods growing stronger.

The telegram arrived at the perfect time, outlining the countermeasures and conveying an unquestionable and firm stance, giving him ample confidence when facing Shimizu Tozo's questioning.

He picked up the hot tea on the table, took a small sip, and looked out the window, as if he could already see Shimizu Tosan's discomfiture. This scene was getting more and more interesting.

Just then, there was a knock on his office door, and Old Zhou's voice rang out from the doorway: "Chairman, are you there?"

"Come in."

Tang Baolin put down his teacup and replied calmly. The door was pushed open, and Old Zhou walked in, holding a document in his hand, his face showing a hint of solemnity: "Chairman, Shimizu Tosan from the Japanese Residents Affairs Office has arrived. He's waiting in the reception room of the side room, saying he has important matters to discuss."

Upon hearing this, Tang Baolin's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile, and he thought to himself, "Speak of the devil and he appears."

He nodded and instructed Lao Zhou, "Understood. Tell him to wait a moment. I'll tidy up the documents and then come over."

Old Zhou responded with a "Yes," then turned and left.

Tang Baolin picked up his teacup, took another sip, and then slowly stood up, straightened his clothes, and walked steadily toward the reception room in the side room.

He knew that a battle without gunpowder was about to begin, and he would represent the will of the "ghost" to have a good "debate" with this Shimizu Tousan.

The door to the reception room was ajar. Tang Baolin took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and went inside.

Shimizu Tosan was pacing anxiously in the reception room when he heard the door open. He immediately stopped, suppressing his anger, and looked towards the door.

When he saw Tang Baolin walk in, he forced a stiff smile and nodded slightly: "Chairman Tang, I apologize for disturbing you."

With a warm smile, Tang Baolin walked to the head seat and gestured, "Mr. Shimizu, you're too kind. Please have a seat. May I ask what brings you here today?"

His tone was neither humble nor arrogant, as if he knew nothing about what had happened in Tianjin.

Shimizu Tōsan sat down in the chair opposite Tang Baolin. Before he could even get comfortable, he spoke impatiently, his tone filled with suppressed anger: "Chairman Tang! You must already know what happened in Tianjin last night, right?"

Our Japanese nationals and businesses in Tianjin have suffered a devastating blow! The East Asia Hotel, Fuji Corporation, two banks, and vital supplies for Haiguang Temple—overnight, people were killed and everything was lost! This is an outright provocation against our Great Japanese Empire! A blatant breach of our agreement! On behalf of the Great Japanese Empire, I lodge a strong protest!

He became increasingly agitated as he spoke, slamming his hand on the table and abruptly standing up: "Chairman Tang, please give us an explanation! Who did this? 'The Ghost'! Was it that 'Ghost'? Why would he do this?!"

Tang Baolin picked up his teacup, slowly blew away the foam, took a small sip, and then gently put the teacup down. He looked up at the agitated Shimizu Tosan, his face still bearing that calm smile: "Mr. Shimizu, please calm down. Sit down and let's talk slowly."

Shimizu Tosan was so angry at Tang Baolin's calm demeanor that his face turned pale. However, since the other party was, after all, the chairman of the Beiping Municipal Committee, he could not lose his composure too much. He could only suppress his anger and sit down again, his chest still heaving violently.