Courtyard House: Home Alone

When he woke up again, it was already past ten in the morning. He got dressed and went downstairs. Qi Haishan, who was on guard behind the window, saw him and quickly stood up: "Young master, the outside is under lockdown. Fortunately, Citibank issued us a pass. The last truckload of yen just left and should be arriving at the bank soon."

Lin Yifan nodded, showing no surprise whatsoever, as if everything was going according to plan. He walked to the window, lifted a corner of the heavy curtains, and glanced at the patrol officers wandering the streets, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"Martial law? They think they can find the 'ghost' that way? How naive."

He turned around and instructed Qi Haishan, "Haishan, once they return, you and Xu Zheng stay in Tianjin. I'll take the rest of the others and head back to Beiping."

We still need you to keep an eye on things in Tianjin. Although the Japanese are confused right now, they certainly won't give up easily, so we must not relax our security measures during this period.

Once the brothers in Beiping have completed the first phase of their special training, I will increase the number of people for you.

"Furthermore, your families on the mainland can rest assured; I will arrange to pick them up immediately after I return to Beiping."

Upon hearing this, Qi Haishan's face lit up with excitement, and he immediately stood at attention and saluted: "Yes, young master! Don't worry, with Xu Zheng and I here in Tianjin, everything will be perfectly fine! As for the family matters... thank you very much, young master!"

His voice choked with emotion. These men, who had risked their lives countless times, feared nothing but bringing trouble to their families. Lin Yifan's arrangements undoubtedly reassured them.

Lin Yifan patted him on the shoulder, his tone gentle yet carrying an undeniable authority: "We're all brothers, no need for formalities. Remember, safety first. Contact me anytime via radio if anything happens."

"Yes!" Qi Haishan nodded emphatically, his eyes resolute.

He walked to the table, poured himself a glass of water, and drank it slowly, while his mind raced, calculating his next move after returning to Beiping.

Tianjin's move was remarkably effective. It dealt a heavy blow to the arrogance of the Japanese, strengthened its own capabilities, and also gave Tang Baolin an opportunity to establish his authority in front of the Japanese. It was a win-win situation.

However, this was only the beginning. The Japanese had suffered such a great loss; they were bound to take further action, and he had to prepare in advance. Thinking of this, Lin Yifan's gaze deepened.

Meanwhile, inside the Citibank located two streets away, a bustling scene unfolded. Due to martial law, the bank was closed to the public, and everyone was counting the Japanese yen sent by Chen Gongshu and his group.

Bank president Williams personally oversaw the process, directing staff to carefully open, count, and register boxes of Japanese yen.

Fine beads of sweat glistened on his forehead, yet his face betrayed both excitement and nervousness. This enormous sum of yen was enough to significantly expand Citibank's business footprint in North China, but it also meant substantial risk.

After all, he could somewhat guess where this money came from, especially the extra 300 million yen added today. It was inextricably linked to the theft at the island nation bank last night.

But what does this have to do with him? Now all of this has become his own performance record, and he occasionally looks up at Chen Gongshu, who is supervising the counting.

Chen Gongshu sat calmly on the sofa, toying with a pen in his hand, his sharp eyes scanning each of the staff counting the banknotes to ensure that there were no mistakes in the whole process.

He was well aware of the importance of these funds, which were not only a key part of Lin Yifan's plan, but also an important guarantee for their subsequent actions.

Williams wiped the sweat from his brow, walked over to Chen Gongshu, and lowered his voice, saying, "Mr. Chen, the preliminary count shows that the numbers are basically consistent with the list you provided earlier, but the amount... is truly astonishing."

Chen Gongshu glanced at him and said calmly, "Mr. Williams, all we need is for the results to be accurate. As for the amount, that's not your concern. According to our previous agreement, these funds need to be converted into US dollars as soon as possible and transferred to the designated overseas account."

Williams nodded and bowed hurriedly: "Of course, of course, Mr. Chen, rest assured, I have arranged the best foreign exchange trader to ensure that the exchange is completed as quickly as possible at the best exchange rate, and it will definitely not delay your business."

Chen Gongshu grunted in response and fell silent, his gaze returning to the mountain of Japanese yen. He thought to himself, "This move by me was brilliant. The Japanese are going to suffer for a long time now."

Although they were all mentally prepared, the inventory was not completed until 7 p.m. Chen Gongshu thanked Williams and then led Xu Zheng and the others back to 17 Victoria Road.

Lin Yifan had already instructed Qi Haishan to prepare a sumptuous feast. After everyone was seated, he raised his teacup and said, "Come on, everyone, raise your glasses. Now, our mission is complete. Everyone has worked hard this time. On behalf of 'Ghost,' I thank you all for your efforts. I'll toast you all with tea instead of wine."

After saying that, he clinked glasses with the five people and said, "Everyone, eat more. While we eat, I'll make some arrangements for the follow-up matters."

Xu Zheng, you used to work at Tianjin Station and are quite familiar with Tianjin. So, you will stay here with Qi Haishan to be in charge of affairs in Tianjin.

Tomorrow morning, I will take the stationmaster and the other two back to Beiping first. After we get back, I will have them select a few more people to come over.

Tianjin will become our crucial window to the outside world from now on, so you must develop it as quickly as possible. Because the Japanese will go completely berserk in the second half of the year, and at that time, even within the concessions, there will be no protection.”

"Young master, I still have a few acquaintances and colleagues in Tianjin, could I..." Xu Zheng asked interjected.

"You'd better observe first. If he's not a member of the Military Intelligence Bureau, you can try to develop a relationship with him. But if he is, you must be extremely cautious."

If he is willing to leave the Military Intelligence Bureau, we can consider accepting him. But if he is still thinking of having his cake and eating it too, or if he still has illusions about the Military Intelligence Bureau, then we must never let him join us.

"The Military Intelligence Bureau is now a mixed bag, and many people have long lost their former fighting spirit. We can't let wolves into our house." Lin Yifan interrupted Xu Zheng, his tone serious as he gave him a serious warning.

Upon hearing this, Xu Zheng nodded solemnly: "Don't worry, young master, I understand the importance of things and won't do anything reckless."

Lin Yifan gave a satisfied "hmm" and turned his gaze to Chen Gongshu: "Station Chief, you've had a hard time on this trip to Tianjin."

Upon returning, I will immediately conduct intensive training for the existing personnel, and the second phase of the curriculum must also be planned in advance. I need a group of core personnel who are truly capable of fighting tough battles, understand intelligence, and are skilled in infiltration; the faster they are formed into combat-ready individuals, the better.

Chen Gongshu put down his chopsticks and said solemnly, "Don't worry, young master, I'll oversee the special training directly and guarantee there won't be any problems. The first phase mainly focuses on physical fitness and the Black Dragon Eighteen Hands you gave me; in the second phase, I plan to incorporate intelligence analysis, codebreaking, and infiltration techniques, all of which are indispensable for future operations."