Courtyard House: I Have Countless Bodyguards

The eagle flapped its wings and flew out, circling joyfully in the sky above the small world a few times, emitting a clear and melodious cry.

Liu Jianguo observed that the area of ​​the small world seemed to have expanded again, with the total area of ​​mountains and water now reaching about 700 acres, but it was still too small for an eagle eager to soar.

"Little Eagle, come back. Let me take you out to see the world."

Liu Jianguo summoned the little eagle with a thought, and it immediately swooped down and obediently landed beside him.

The next moment, Liu Jianguo appeared in the black market warehouse with Cangying.

Suddenly appearing in an unfamiliar environment and seeing Liu San and several other strangers, the little eagle immediately became alert, its feathers ruffled, and it assumed an attack posture.

But it immediately recalled Liu Jianguo's orders, forcibly suppressing its wildness, and stared at Liu San and the others with sharp eyes.

Liu Jianguo stroked its smooth back feathers, pointed at Liu San and said, "Remember him, his name is Liu San, he's one of us. If you can't find me outside, or if you get hungry, you can come find him."

The little eagle seemed to understand, tilting its head to look at Liu San, its hostility lessening slightly.

Liu Jianguo smiled and said, "Go ahead, find some food yourself, and come back before dark."

The eaglet let out a joyful cry, flapped its wings and soared into the sky, disappearing into the evening sky in an instant through the gap in the warehouse window.

Liu Jianguo nodded to Liu San and then turned and left the black market.

With this intelligent eagle, we now have an extremely capable assistant for both reconnaissance and information transmission.

Watching the eagle and eaglet disappear into the twilight, Liu Jianguo instructed Liu San beside him:

"Liu San, prepare some things for me. Nothing too flashy, just the kind of things you'd expect when visiting relatives in an ordinary household."

He had to visit Tang Jingxian's home. A gift that was too light would seem insincere, while a gift that was too heavy would easily cause gossip. He had to find the right balance.

Liu San was efficient and quickly brought over a net bag and a brown paper package.

The net bag contained a packet of jasmine tea, seven or eight bright red apples, and a box of neatly wrapped peach shortbread in oil paper.

Inside the kraft paper package was a large piece of pork belly, with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, which looked to weigh at least three or four pounds.

Liu Jianguo looked at it and was satisfied.

This gift is both practical and presentable. Tea is for Director Tang, fruit and snacks are suitable for all ages, and pork is a hard currency these days. It shows respect without putting pressure on anyone.

"Okay, that's all. Please take good care of things here. If there are any tricky issues, please have someone come to the branch office or the steel rolling mill to find me."

Liu Jianguo took the items, hung them on the handlebars of his bicycle, got on, and merged into the evening traffic, heading towards Tang Jingxian's home.

Arriving at the courtyard house where the Tang family lived, Liu Jianguo parked his car, picked up his things, and knocked on the door.

Almost as soon as the knocking ended, the door creaked open, and Tang Jingxian's pretty face peeked out. When she saw Liu Jianguo, a surprised smile instantly bloomed on her face.

Seeing the large bags he was carrying, she scolded him playfully, "You came all this way, why did you buy so much stuff!"

Liu Jianguo shoved the net bag into her hand and laughed, "If I don't buy it for you, who will? Take it, it's all for you and your uncle and aunt."

The intimacy in their words was natural.

The two entered the house one after the other. Tang Yongsheng, who was sitting on the sofa in the living room reading a newspaper, and Sun Hongning, who was picking vegetables, both looked up when they heard the sound.

Seeing the undisguised joy and blush on their daughter's face, and then looking at the gift that Liu Jianguo was carrying—clearly a carefully prepared gift—as well as the unspoken intimacy between the two, Tang Yongsheng and Sun Hongning exchanged a glance—now, even if they were slow to realize, they could tell that something was amiss.

This kid seems to be here for more than just reporting on work.

Sun Hongning was the first to stand up, a warm smile plastered on her face, and came forward to greet them:

"Jianguo's here! Look at you, why are you being so polite? Didn't I tell you last time that you can treat this place like your own home and don't need to bring anything?"

As she took the net from Tang Jingxian, she gestured for Liu Jianguo to sit down.

Liu Jianguo smiled politely: "Auntie, I didn't buy much. I just saw some nice-looking apples and fresh pork and thought I'd bring them for you and Director Tang to try."

"You're such a thoughtful child. Don't do that again next time. You two sit down and chat with Old Tang for a while. I'll go get two more dishes."

As Sun Hongning spoke, she happily carried the things into the kitchen, and before leaving, she secretly gave her daughter an encouraging look.

Tang Yongsheng put down his newspaper, his expression unreadable, and gestured to the sofa opposite Liu Jianguo: "Jianguo's here, have a seat. Jingxian, go to the kitchen and help your mother out, Jianguo and I are going to play a couple of games of chess."

As he spoke, he took out the well-worn chess set from under the coffee table. Tang Jingxian obediently replied "Yes," secretly glanced at Liu Jianguo, and went to the kitchen. Only the two of them remained in the living room.

The chessboard was set up across the Chu River and Han border. As they placed their pieces, they chatted about work at the municipal and branch bureaus, the weather, and current events. The conversation seemed casual, but it was actually full of subtle wit and subtle implications.

No one brought up the relationship between Liu Jianguo and Tang Jingxian, but a subtle, unspoken understanding permeated the air.

In the middle game, Tang Yongsheng moved his knight, seemingly casually raising a crucial question:

"Jianguo, there's something I've been thinking about. Jingxian has been working in the city's criminal investigation team for quite a few years now. I'm wondering if we should send her to a lower-level branch to gain some experience? What do you think of putting her in your Dongcheng branch?"

Liu Jianguo's hand, which was about to be raised to the pawn, paused slightly in mid-air.

Asking a stranger about her daughter's job arrangements is a very obvious probing question.

He knew perfectly well what was going on, but remained outwardly calm, smoothly pushing his pawn across the river and answering in a relaxed tone:

"Great! Director Tang, this is a valuable addition to our Dongcheng branch. Comrade Jingxian is highly capable and has a solid work ethic; we welcome her with open arms. Rest assured, I will fully support her in her work and take care of her in her personal life, ensuring that she suffers no hardship whatsoever."

His answer was impeccable, expressing both welcome and a subtle promise.

Tang Yongsheng raised his eyelids, gave Liu Jianguo a deep look, his gaze sharp, and said meaningfully:

"I hope you will remember what I said today."

These words sounded like a superior giving ordinary instructions to a subordinate, but Liu Jianguo understood their weight. It was not only a promise to his work, but also a promise to Tang Yongsheng's daughter.

However, Tang Yongsheng did not mention a word about his relationship with Jingxian, neither opposing nor approving it.

It seems that this future father-in-law is still weighing the options, or rather, observing the situation.