Courtyard House: I Have Countless Bodyguards

After quickly subduing the man in black, Liu Jianguo squatted down and efficiently searched his body. He soon pulled out a palm-sized, heavy black metal box from the man's inner pocket, which was close to his chest.

The box is exquisitely crafted, with a cool surface, and a complex copper lock with strange patterns hangs on it.

Liu Jianguo carefully examined the box's design and lock, confirming that it matched the target item described in the intelligence report.

He tried gently shaking it, and heard a faint rolling sound inside, but he suppressed his curiosity and did not try to force it open.

"It's better to avoid trouble; just get what you need."

He whispered something to Li Bing, then carefully stuffed the black box into his personal bag.

Prioritize the task; avoiding unnecessary complications is a major taboo.

Just as I put the black box away, a sound suddenly came from the direction of the main battlefield.

"Bang! Bang!"

Several crisp, abrupt gunshots rang out. In this chaotic battle, dominated by melee weapons, the gunshots sounded particularly jarring.

Liu Jianguo and Li Bing's expressions changed drastically. They picked up the unconscious man in black and rushed back. They found the fight at the entrance of the card room was over, the ground littered with debris and corpses.

Uncle Long lay face up in a pool of blood, a horrific knife wound deep enough to cleave him open, his right hand still tightly gripping an old Black Star pistol, wisps of smoke rising from its muzzle.

Clearly, he pulled out a gun and resisted at the last moment.

Of the forty Dragon Rising Gang assassins who participated in the core attack, only thirty are still standing.

Two of them had shocking bullet holes in their foreheads, blood gushing out, and had already died, the price of Uncle Long's dying counterattack.

The other eight died in the previous fierce battle, killed by a hail of blades.

Looking at the two corpses of assassins with bullets in their foreheads and their eyes wide open in death, as well as the other eight brothers lying in pools of blood, Liu Jianguo felt as if something had clenched his heart.

This was the first time he had witnessed his own absolutely loyal bodyguards die on the battlefield.

Although he knew from the moment he decided to embark on this path that death was inevitable, when death was truly before him, and he saw these warriors who had been so full of life not long ago turn into cold corpses, an indescribable sense of heaviness and a faint sadness still welled up in his heart.

He took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing this weakness, and his eyes hardened like iron once more.

This road was paved with corpses, he thought to himself. This is not child's play, this is a life-or-death struggle.

Liu Jianguo walked expressionlessly to Uncle Long's body, bent down to pick up the pistol, weighed it in his hand for a moment, and then threw it to Jian Yi, who was standing solemnly to the side, as if it were trash. His voice was icy cold and devoid of any emotion:

"Clean it up completely, leave no one alive. Use their lives to commemorate our fallen brothers."

Jian Yi took the gun, his eyes flashing with a fierce light, and nodded emphatically:

"clear!"

He immediately led the remaining assassins in a final, ruthless cleanup of the card room.

After a brief period of resistance and wailing, the Longjin Heyi Society was completely wiped out of the West District.

At noon, in the newly taken-over card room, still reeking of blood, Jian Yi finished his inventory and reported in a deep voice to Liu Jianguo, who was having a simple meal:

"My lord, the count is complete. In this battle, our side lost ten brothers."

Liu Jianguo put down his chopsticks, remained silent for a moment, and then sighed softly:

"Sigh, even if each of my brothers could take on ten men, we still can't withstand the wear and tear from the enemy's sheer numbers. A head-on fight is ultimately the worst strategy."

The losses in this battle made him realize more clearly that relying solely on personal bravery and elite squads was insufficient to support the expansion of a large force; more efficient strategies and stronger overall strength were necessary.

Just as he was deep in thought, the familiar system notification sounded in his mind: [Ding! Detected that the host has successfully occupied and consolidated the first core territory, "Longjin Chess and Card Room," and its affiliated territories. The power is now established! Hidden achievement "A Foothold" achieved! Reward: Legendary assassin—Xu Wenqiang!]

Liu Jianguo was taken aback at first, then his eyes lit up with surprise.

Xu Wenqiang? Could it be the famous and resourceful Xu Wenqiang from Shanghai?

This was like a godsend. He was worried that while Jian Yi was brave and capable, he was not good at handling the complex affairs of the gang or strategizing. Liu Jianguo was indeed uneasy about letting him take charge of the territory on his own.

The arrival of Xu Wenqiang, known for his strategy and skill, is like sending charcoal in snowy weather—perfect timing.

"System, summon Xu Wenqiang immediately."

Liu Jianguo issued the order without hesitation, his heart filled with anticipation.

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than the curtain of the card room was lifted, and Jian Yi walked in with a man.

This man was around thirty years old, dressed in a seemingly ordinary yet very proper dark long gown. He had a handsome face, deep and calm eyes, and a faint, enigmatic smile on his lips. Despite being in this bloody place, he was composed and walked with a steady gait. This was Xu Wenqiang.

Liu Jianguo looked the newcomer up and down. Although he already had an answer in his mind, he still asked to confirm:

"You're Xu Wenqiang from Shanghai Bund?"

Xu Wenqiang stepped forward and bowed slightly to Liu Jianguo, his movements neither humble nor arrogant, his tone calm yet full of respect:

"Yes, my lord, it is I."

"Great! That's wonderful!"

Liu Jianguo clapped his hands and laughed, a huge weight lifted from his heart.

"Wenqiang, you've come at the perfect time. From today onwards, you will be fully responsible for all the daily affairs of the Longxing Gang, including foreign negotiations and territory management."

He then turned to Jian Yi, who was standing to the side, and gave the order in a serious tone:

"Jianyi, from now on, Xu Wenqiang will be the head of the Longxing Gang. He will make all decisions regarding the gang's affairs. You must cooperate fully and not make any mistakes."

Jian Yi straightened up and replied in a deep voice, "Yes, my lord!"

However, a fleeting, almost imperceptible hint of disappointment quickly crossed the depths of his lowered eyes.

After all, it's hard not to feel a bit resentful when power is taken away.

But he also knew that his greatest strength was charging into battle and carrying out orders; he was simply not up to the task of strategizing and managing affairs.

He glanced at the composed Xu Wenqiang and muttered to himself: Fine, let these educated people with lots of knowledge and cunning minds use their brains. I'd rather just kill people; after all, scholars are all dirty-minded.

Just then, Jian Er strode in, holding a large red and gold-embossed invitation card, and respectfully handed it to Liu Jianguo:

"My lord, someone just delivered this. They said that Master Mo, the head of Heyi Hall, is hosting a banquet at Hongyan Restaurant tonight and wants to invite the leader of our Longxing Gang to attend."

Liu Jianguo took the invitation, didn't even glance at it, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth:

"Hmph, a trap. The news spreads fast. They're testing us now that we've established ourselves, and maybe they're even trying to give us a hard time."

He casually handed the invitation to Xu Wenqiang, his tone decisive:

"Wenqiang, you are in charge of this matter. You represent the Longxing Gang. Jianyi, you select a few capable subordinates and fifty elite brothers from the gang to protect Wenqiang closely. Make sure the show of force is impressive and the morale is high, but the specifics of how to respond—whether to negotiate or fight—are entirely up to Wenqiang."