Courtyard House: Home Alone

Tang Baolin then spoke slowly and deliberately: "Mr. Shimizu, I did just receive some information about what happened in Tianjin, and I was preparing to send someone to verify it. However, since you have come in person, I presume the situation is true."

He paused, then changed the subject, his eyes sharpening. "But Mr. Shimizu, before you question me, shouldn't you first ask your own people what they've actually done?"

Shimizu Tousan was taken aback: "Our people? What happened to our people? We've always strictly adhered to the previous agreement!"

"Strictly adhere to?"

Tang Baolin sneered, his voice suddenly rising a few decibels, "Mr. Shimizu, I'm afraid that's not the case. As far as I know, your Special Higher Police and Black Dragon Society haven't been idle in Tianjin."

They're tracking and disrupting our normal drug transactions; there's even military involvement. Is this what you call adhering to the agreement?

Shimizu Takasan's expression changed: "Chairman Tang, you're making baseless accusations! We didn't..."

"No?"

Tang Baolin interrupted him, his tone resolute, "The facts are undeniable, and there's no room for your sophistry! The reason that 'Ghost' took action against those strongholds in Tianjin is precisely because your people broke the agreement first and crossed his bottom line!"

He was just giving you a light punishment, a lesson to teach you a lesson! If it weren't for the agreement between the two parties, it probably wouldn't have been as simple as just a 'light punishment'!

Tang Baolin's words were like a bombshell, leaving Shimizu Tosan speechless. He did know that the military had given orders to the Special Higher Police and the Black Dragon Society, instructing them to obtain the penicillin from "Ghost" at all costs.

But he hadn't expected the other party to know so much and use it as a reason for their counterattack. He opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but found himself unable to find the right words.

Tang Baolin felt secretly pleased as he watched Shimizu Dong San suffer a setback, but he still maintained his dignified demeanor.

He knew that Shimizu Tosan was now completely unable to defend himself, and that the "facts" he had presented, whether true or false, were enough to throw the other party into disarray.

He picked up his teacup and took another sip, as if his resounding words from just moments before were nothing more than ordinary conversation.

"Mr. Shimizu,"

Tang Baolin put down his teacup, his tone returning to calm, yet carrying an undeniable air of authority, "An agreement is something both parties must abide by. If one party breaches the agreement, the other party naturally has the right to take corresponding measures."

Mr. Ghost, out of consideration for our past relationship, has already done more than enough. I advise you all to go back and properly restrain your own people, and not to do anything that will only bring trouble upon yourselves.

Otherwise, I can't say for sure what the 'Ghost' will do next time. His gaze was like a sharp sword, piercing straight into Shimizu Tosan's heart, making the latter feel a chill.

Shimizu Tosan's face turned ashen, his lips trembling. He knew that what Tang Baolin said was true, at least in part.

He wasn't unaware of the Special Higher Police and the Black Dragon Society's petty tricks, but he never expected such a thunderous retaliation. He had originally come to confront them, but now he felt like a child caught red-handed doing something wrong, speechless.

"Chairman Tang,"

Shimizu Tousan's voice trembled slightly, "This... there might be some misunderstanding. The Special Higher Police and the Black Dragon Society's actions may not have been fully authorized by headquarters. I will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly when I get back and give 'Ghost' an explanation."

All he wanted to do at that moment was leave this oppressive place as soon as possible; his protests were long forgotten.

Tang Baolin nodded slightly, a half-smile playing on his lips: "That's for the best. Mr. Shimizu, I hope you can learn from this experience."

You've probably already witnessed the Ghost's methods. Peaceful coexistence is best for both sides. Anyone who tries to challenge his bottom line again will face the consequences.

"Yes, yes, Chairman Tang is right." Shimizu Tosan nodded repeatedly, stood up as if he had been granted a pardon, and said, "Then I won't bother Chairman Tang any longer. Farewell."

Tang Baolin didn't get up, he just waved his hand and said, "Don't bother seeing me out."

Shimizu Tosan practically fled the municipal committee building. Once in his car, he realized his back was soaked with cold sweat. Tang Baolin's calm yet threatening words, and his all-knowing gaze, still lingered in his mind.

He knew that they could only suffer in silence regarding this incident in Tianjin, and that their so-called protest would only bring shame upon themselves.

Watching Shimizu Tosan's hasty departure, Tang Baolin's smile deepened.

He picked up his teacup and downed the remaining tea in one gulp, thinking to himself, "Lin Yifan, Lin Yifan, your 'light punishment' has really scared these little devils. With you around, the landscape of North China is probably about to change."

He stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the azure sky of Beiping, his eyes deep and thoughtful. This war without gunpowder had only just begun, and they had already gained the upper hand.

Meanwhile, the streets of Tianjin were filled with an eerie atmosphere of tension and oppression. Overnight, several Japanese-owned properties were attacked, resulting in heavy casualties and the disappearance of supplies. Such news spread like wildfire throughout the city.

French and Indian police officers filled the streets, but they all seemed to be deliberately avoiding something.

The same was true of the Japanese soldiers outside the concession, who were heavily armed. Watching them deployed in the streets and alleys, one always felt a sense of trepidation, as if the unseen "ghost" might emerge from some corner at any moment and deliver a fatal blow.

The people whispered amongst themselves, their eyes filled with excitement and a hint of lingering fear. Some speculated that a 'ghost' had come to Tianjin.

The storyteller in the teahouse lowered his voice even further, snapped his gavel, and began to recount the rumors of last night's events: "The shadows were like ghosts, and the flashes of swords were like shooting stars." The tea drinkers at the table held their breath, forgetting even to pick up their teacups.

But most people simply walked by in a hurry, not daring to even raise their heads when passing the Japanese soldiers' checkpoints. Only in the fleeting moment of brushing past them would they glance quickly out of the corner of their eyes at the soldiers holding guns but with shifty eyes, a barely perceptible smile playing on their lips.

Some of the bolder ones would even secretly spit in the direction of the Japanese outposts, a relieved smile on their faces.

The entire city of Tianjin is like a lake where a giant rock has been thrown in. Although the surface seems to be slowly returning to calm, the undercurrents beneath the surface are becoming more turbulent, and no one knows what kind of storm will be unleashed next.

Lin Yifan, the instigator of all this, is currently sleeping soundly in his room on Victoria Road, seemingly already fully aware of everything that has happened in Tianjin and even Beiping.

He slept exceptionally soundly, as if a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders.