Courtyard House: I Have Countless Bodyguards

Tang Yongsheng walked at the front. He still looked energetic, but the dark circles under his eyes revealed a hint of fatigue.

As soon as Tang Yongsheng exited the ticket gate, a middle-aged man in a Zhongshan suit, wearing glasses and looking like a cadre, approached him. They quickly exchanged a glance and a few whispered words, then the man warmly shook Tang Yongsheng's hand.

"You must be tired from your journey, President Tang. We have received the notification from headquarters. Rooms and transportation have been arranged. Please follow me."

The "President Tang" he mentioned was clearly one of the disguises he was using for this trip.

Liu Jianguo and the others followed silently, just like real staff members.

The group arrived at the Xinhua News Agency's Guangzhou branch by car, an inconspicuous but heavily guarded small building.

In the simply furnished meeting room, the branch office director poured everyone some chilled tea before getting down to business:

"Comrades, here's the situation. We've arranged transportation to take you to the Shenzhen River, where our people will meet you and assist you in crossing the Luohu Bridge."

He adjusted his glasses, looking troubled. "However, there are quite a few of you. If you go all at once, you'll attract too much attention. Sending so many reporters to Nanyang Overseas Chinese News at once could easily draw unnecessary attention."

My suggestion is to go in batches. Send a portion today, and in a couple of days, once the first group is settled and the signal has been relayed, the second group can go. This is a safer approach.

Tang Yongsheng pondered for a moment and nodded:

"Well, to be on the safe side, let's do as the director suggests. We're not familiar with the situation here, so we'll listen to you."

He then made arrangements: "Here's the plan, I'll lead the first batch. Lao Wu, you take the intelligence and communications team and come with me first to establish the initial intelligence rendezvous points and safe houses. Jianguo, you take the action team and rest here for two days. Wait for our news, and the second batch will go."

Liu Jianguo immediately stood up and replied in a deep voice, "Yes, I understand."

Li Bing, Tang Jingxian, and others nodded in agreement.

"Alright, then President Tang, President Wu, and a few other comrades, please follow me. The car is already waiting at the back door."

The office director rose to lead the way. As they exited, he beckoned to a young clerk and whispered instructions:

"Xiao Chen, take these comrades to the temporary dormitory in the back building to rest and arrange their meals."

Xiao Chen nodded and politely said to Liu Jianguo and the others, "Everyone, please follow me."

Liu Jianguo watched Tang Yongsheng, Wu Liang, and others leave in a hurry with the office director before leading his own people and following Xiao Chen to a relatively quiet two-story building in the backyard of the branch office.

The dormitory was simple but clean. Liu Jianguo arranged for guards to take turns on duty, maintaining vigilance even inside the branch office.

During the two days of waiting, he did not relax; instead, he made the most of his time.

He had Ho Man-mu reinforce everyone's basic Cantonese conversations and local slang.

Li Bing, Zhou Yong, and Kong Hua repeatedly rehearsed various contingency plans and scenarios that might be encountered after entering Kowloon Walled City.

They even simulated what they would say when being questioned or investigated.

Tang Jingxian was then required to repeatedly memorize the details of her identity as a journalist, including her fabricated resume, newspaper style, and even some journalistic terminology.

Liu Jianguo knew that details determine success or failure, especially in complex environments where it was difficult to distinguish friend from foe.

On the morning of the third day, the office director appeared again, looking as usual.

"Reporter Liu, everyone, the car is ready, we can set off."

Everyone silently boarded the vehicle, a somewhat worn-out van. The van drove out of the city and headed towards the border.

During the journey, the office manager handed me a brown paper bag from the seat in front of me:

"These are your identification documents: reporter's cards and work certificates from the Nanyang Overseas Chinese Daily, as well as customs clearance introduction letters. In addition, these two sets are cameras, just for show."

Liu Jianguo took the documents, carefully checked each one, and distributed them to everyone after confirming that they were correct. He was very thoughtful in his consideration of details.

The car stopped in a secluded spot some distance from Luohu Bridge.

"This is the best we can do; the checkpoint is just ahead. Good luck, everyone."

The office director shook hands firmly with Liu Jianguo.

Liu Jianguo nodded, carrying simple luggage, and led his five-person group, just like ordinary travelers, toward the Luohu Bridge that connects the two places with such different atmospheres.

People came and went on the bridge, all looking hurried.

They mingled in the crowd, waiting in line for inspection.

When it was their turn, Liu Jianguo calmly handed over the group's identification documents.

The Hong Kong police officers briefly glanced at their identification documents and letters of introduction, then examined their cameras and luggage. After asking a few routine questions, which Ho Man-mu answered in Cantonese, they waved them on. The whole process was uneventful.

After crossing the bridge and stepping onto Hong Kong soil, the air seemed to carry a slightly different scent.

Not far along, next to a roadside stall selling herbal tea, I saw Tang Yongsheng wearing a baseball cap and pretending to read a newspaper.

Their eyes met briefly before looking away. Liu Jianguo gestured for his team members to follow, then naturally walked to the herbal tea stall and ordered a bowl of herbal tea.

Tang Yongsheng put down the newspaper, paid the bill, and got up to leave.

Liu Jianguo and his companions leisurely finished their tea and then followed at a leisurely pace.

Tang Yongsheng skillfully navigated the narrow, winding streets lined with signs, turning left and right before finally slipping into an inconspicuous side door of an old, dilapidated tenement building. Liu Jianguo and the others quickly followed.

Tang Yongsheng stopped in the dimly lit stairwell and gestured for everyone to enter a small room.

Wu Liang and several other team members who arrived earlier were already inside.

After closing the door, Tang Yongsheng finally breathed a sigh of relief and said in a serious voice:

"Jianguo, it's good that you've arrived. Now everyone's here. According to the initial intelligence that Lao Wu and his informants have obtained, the target has most likely taken refuge in Kowloon Walled City."

He walked to the wall, where a simple, hand-drawn map with dense markings hung, and pointed to an area highlighted with a red circle.

"This is Kowloon Walled City. I must emphasize to you that this place is a no-man's land. The Hong Kong British authorities did not want to manage it, the Hong Kong police dared not manage it, and we cannot openly manage it for the time being. It is a melting pot of all sorts of people, including prostitution, gambling, drugs, smuggling, and gangs. There are no laws, only the strong and the weak, and territory."

He turned around, his gaze sweeping over Liu Jianguo and his team members:

"This is both an opportunity and a huge danger for us. The opportunity lies in the fact that, precisely because it is lawless there, as long as we do not reveal our official identities, we have some room to maneuver under the guise of double-crossing, revenge, or business negotiations, unlike when we are outside where we are constrained."

He emphasized, "But the danger is that there are no rules there to protect you. Once exposed, or targeted by the local bullies, the death of an outsider is like the death of an ant, not even causing a ripple. If you go in, it's like blind men entering a maze; every step could be a landmine."

Liu Jianguo listened with a solemn expression as Tang Yongsheng described the chaos and danger of Kowloon Walled City, but deep in his heart, a completely different thought was surging wildly.

A lawless zone? A place rife with gangs?

What Tang Yongsheng saw as a huge risk, Liu Jianguo saw as an unprecedented opportunity.