Courtyard House: I Have Countless Bodyguards

Inside the Dongcheng Branch compound, thirty-four carefully selected members of the action team had received their equipment and were lined up neatly.

With long and short guns fully equipped, bullets loaded, and grenades distributed to individuals, a chilling atmosphere permeated the air.

Liu Jianguo stood at the front of the team, his gaze sweeping over every resolute face, and finally gave a solemn instruction:

"Comrades, I won't repeat the importance of the mission. I'll just emphasize one last point: in all operations, safety is paramount. We must not only complete the mission, but also return unscathed. Do you understand?"

"Understood." The low growls were delivered in unison.

"Let's go!" Liu Jianguo ordered.

The main force split up as planned, while Liu Jianguo, along with Wang Weiguo and two other top-skilled scouts, boarded the grass-green jeep.

The driver stepped on the gas, and the jeep sped out of the branch office, merging into the evening traffic of Beijing, and then sped off along the highway to Baoding.

The journey was bumpy, and the sky gradually darkened. By the time the blurry outline of Baoding City came into view, night had fallen and the stars were twinkling.

Fortunately, they traveled light, with only one jeep. If they had traveled with a large convoy of trucks, the journey would have been slow, and there would have been many delays at the checkpoints. They probably wouldn't have arrived until midnight.

The jeep drove directly into the compound of the Baoding Municipal Public Security Bureau. As soon as the car came to a stop, several people who had been waiting in front of the office building came to greet it.

The leader was a tall man with a ruddy complexion, about fifty years old, wearing a police uniform with shoulder insignia indicating he was a bureau chief.

He strode forward, warmly shook hands with Liu Jianguo who had just gotten off the bus, and said in a loud voice:

"Director Liu, you must be tired from your journey. This is Tang Dahu from the Baoding Bureau. I received a call from Director Tang this afternoon, informing me of the situation and the relevant information. We figured you would arrive tonight, and we've been eagerly awaiting your arrival."

"Director Tang, hello, thank you for waiting."

Liu Jianguo shook his hand firmly, took out an official letter stamped with the red seal of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau from his briefcase, and solemnly handed it over. "The mission is urgent. We didn't dare to delay for a moment after receiving the order. We gathered our forces and rushed over. The follow-up team will arrive first thing tomorrow morning."

His words were polite, but his demeanor was neither humble nor arrogant, demonstrating the importance he placed on the matter and the strength of his side.

Tang Dahu took the official letter, glanced at it, and handed it to the office director behind him. Then, he affectionately put his arm around Liu Jianguo's shoulder and walked into the building.

"Director Liu, forget about official documents. You're right at home here. Come on, come on, the canteen has prepared a special welcome dinner for you. It's nothing fancy, just some local specialties from Baoding, so you can try them out—donkey meat rolls in baked flatbread, and Bai Yunzhang steamed buns, absolutely authentic."

The group walked through the slightly old office building and arrived at the small canteen in the backyard. In a private room, tableware was already set on a round table.

Tang Dahu gestured for Liu Jianguo, Wang Weiguo, and the others to sit down, then instructed the waiter, "Everyone's here, let's serve the food!"

The steaming hot food was quickly served. Tang Dahu raised his glass in tea instead of wine: "Director Liu, comrades, you must be tired from the journey. Today is a bit rushed, so let's have a simple meal first. Once the mission is successfully completed, I, Old Tang, will treat you all to a proper celebration."

Liu Jianguo smiled and agreed, "Director Tang, you're too kind. This is nothing. I've long heard of the legendary 'dragon meat in heaven and donkey meat on earth,' and today I'm finally going to have a taste of it."

Tang Dahu enthusiastically introduced:

"Come on, Director Liu, try this first. It's Bai Yunzhang's steamed bun, as famous as Goubuli in Tianjin. Look at the skin, it's so thin and translucent, and it's full of filling. One bite and a mouthful of soup comes out, it's so delicious."

Liu Jianguo picked up a steamed bun, carefully bit into it, and sure enough, it was full of broth and smelled wonderfully of meat. Tang Dahu then picked up a round, golden-brown, crispy flatbread, cut it in half, filled it with steaming hot donkey meat, poured some broth over it, and handed it to Liu Jianguo.

"Try this next, our Baoding specialty—donkey meat roll sandwich. The outer skin of this sandwich is crispy and the inside is fluffy. Stuff it with freshly cooked donkey meat, pour on some broth, and add some chili peppers. It's incredibly delicious."

Liu Jianguo took it and took a big bite.

Instantly, the crispy, fragrant roast, the tender and succulent donkey meat, and the sensation brought by the chili peppers exploded in your mouth, creating an extremely satisfying complex taste.

He couldn't help but nod repeatedly, vaguely praising:

"Mmm! Delicious, damn delicious. Director Tang, to be honest, just for this food, this trip to Baoding was worthwhile. What Manchu Han Imperial Feast? I don't think it can compare to your donkey meat sandwich."

A whirlwind swept away the clouds, and both host and guests enjoyed themselves immensely.

After the meal, everyone moved to a small conference room. The Baoding Bureau's side included Director Tang Dahu, Executive Deputy Director Wei Guoqiang, and the Office Director. Liu Jianguo's side only brought his deputy, Wang Weiguo, to the core meeting.

The tea was brewed, the door was closed tightly, and the atmosphere immediately became serious.

Liu Jianguo spoke first, getting straight to the point:

"Director Tang, Director Wei, based on the reliable intelligence we have, we can determine that a key infiltration base of the enemy intelligence organization is located inside the Baoding Agricultural Repair Factory. At the same time, a local underworld force is also colluding with the enemy intelligence, providing them with cover and channels of operation. The situation is quite complicated."

Tang Dahu nodded, his expression solemn:

"The intelligence brought by Director Liu corroborates some of the scattered clues we had gathered earlier. The agricultural repair and manufacturing plant is a key unit directly under the Provincial Department of Industry, and taking any rash action would have too great an impact."

I suggest that a joint task force be established immediately, co-led by our two companies. I will formally notify the Hebei Provincial Department of Industry on behalf of the Municipal Bureau to gain their understanding and cooperation, so as to facilitate a smooth investigation at the factory.

Liu Jianguo knew that investigating cases on someone else's turf was impossible without the support of the local police, and cooperation was the only option.

"Director Tang's considerations are thorough, and I fully agree. Our remaining personnel, totaling 35 investigators, will all be in place by tomorrow morning and fully committed to this case. I propose that I serve as the leader of the joint task force, responsible for on-site command. I request that the Municipal Bureau appoint an experienced comrade to co-lead the task force with our Deputy Section Chief Zhao Qiang. The task force will primarily consist of our personnel, with your bureau providing assistance and local support. We will work closely together to solve the case."

After reaching an agreement, the two sides discussed some details and then took a break.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Liu Jianguo got up.

Soon after, the train crew and truck crew led by Zhao Qiang and Liu Jiefang respectively arrived safely at the Baoding Municipal Bureau Guesthouse and joined each other.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Liu Jianguo immediately ordered, "Everyone, assemble in the courtyard!"

More than 30 elite team members quickly lined up in the courtyard.

Liu Jianguo stood on the steps and gave a pre-battle pep talk:

"Comrades, we have established a joint task force with the Baoding Municipal Public Security Bureau. I am the team leader, and Zhao Guang, the head of the Criminal Investigation Section of the Baoding Municipal Public Security Bureau, and Zhao Qiang, the deputy head of our section, are the deputy team leaders."

All personnel are to be assigned to the special task force under unified command. Our primary objective is the Baoding Agricultural Repair Factory; the task is arduous, so everyone must be on high alert. Now, have breakfast. We will depart in half an hour.

The team members responded enthusiastically. After quickly finishing their breakfast, Liu Jianguo personally led the team, along with personnel dispatched by the Baoding Municipal Bureau, straight to the agricultural repair and manufacturing plant located on the outskirts of Baoding.