Courtyard House: A Start with Black Gold Swallowing 100,000 Silver Dollars

If it weren't for her special status and sensitive background, one would really suspect that she was going to meet an old acquaintance in secret.

"Sir, a message just came from the base area. A new comrade has been sent to take charge of the work. I...I'm going to..."

"Go to the contact point!"

Before he could finish speaking, Li Wenguo coldly interrupted, his brows furrowed.

He Shuting lowered her head, trying to look down at the tips of her shoes, but her ample bosom blocked her view.

"Are you out of your mind? There are spies everywhere staking out and arresting people. Isn't it dangerous enough that you're dancing on the edge of a knife? And you still dare to show your face? Don't forget, you've already been put on a death list—there's no such person as 'He Shuting' anymore! If someone recognizes you and reports you to the Lixingshe, our whole family will be in deep trouble!"

He unleashed a torrent of words, each one laced with fury.

"What a coincidence... The rendezvous point is in a very remote place, the weeds are almost as tall as a person, and no one ever passes by."

She glanced quickly at her husband, her confidence as weak as a piece of paper in the wind.

"Deviating? No matter how much more deviating, it won't do! I've told you so many times—for things like making contact, let Liu the Skinny Monkey or Sun Gang go, just like when they picked up Yue Rong before, it's both reliable and efficient. Why do you insist on going yourself?"

"But Liu Shouhou and Sun Gang are both working in the police station now, and I'm afraid... afraid of jeopardizing their future."

"Future prospects my foot! They joined the police force to pave the way for you and protect you! What's this talk of dragging you down? Protecting you is their biggest future!"

Li Wenguo spat out a remark without any politeness.

"But...but this time the higher-ups repeatedly instructed that everything must go perfectly, especially the rendezvous, which absolutely cannot be left to anyone else—that's why I gritted my teeth and went myself." Exposed on the spot, He Shuting's throat tightened, and her fingertips unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes.

"Damn it! All this back and forth, it's still you who's after that job!"

Before Li Wenguo could finish speaking, he ripped open the belt buckle with a loud clang.

He Shuting's eyelids twitched, and she quickly raised her hand to shield herself: "Sir, we can't get things done until dark!"

"Who said I needed to do something?"

"So what's going on here...?"

"Unbuckling my belt? I'm getting ready to spank you! Let's see if you dare run around like this behind my back again!"

He glared fiercely, his voice booming so loudly it made the windows rattle.

"ah???"

"No, no, no—!"

"My body is so delicate. If it gets really red, wouldn't you be disgusted when you see it? It won't be easy to get things done!" Her voice trembled, and her eyes were red with anxiety.

From the moment they got married, her husband never even touched her.

"Smack!!!"

"ah!!!"

Of course, the belt swung onto the blue brick floor, making a crisp sound like sparks, purely to scare her.

"I'll never do it again! I really won't!"

She closed her eyes tightly, her shoulders trembling.

"Tell me! Who are you picking up? Where are you meeting them?"

"Um???"

"No. 55, West Ring Lane, West City!"

Why does that sound familiar?

Li Wenguo's heart skipped a beat. He quickly walked to the window, flung it open, and shouted downstairs, "Xiao Qi! Number 55, West Ring Lane, have we been there yet?"

"Oh dear, you've been there! Mr. Li, have you forgotten? That's where Dr. Ke lives!!!"

Ding Xiaoqi tilted her head back and spoke in a loud voice.

Good guy!

The connector is embedded directly into its own chassis!

Li Wenguo almost burst out laughing—that courtyard was originally vacated by his clone "Liu Erkui" for Dr. Ke to stay in; since it was his clone, wasn't it the same as his own?

"Sir, this time it's really different. Please trust me this once and let me go; or... shall we go together?"

Before he could finish speaking, two soft, warm mounds gently pressed against his lower back. His Adam's apple bobbed, and his heart tingled.

This woman is getting better and better at gauging the right moment!

Since moving into this small villa in the embassy district, she only sees her husband two or three times a week; two new brides, Xiao Cui and Xiao Ju, have joined the family at the old house, and countless eyes are watching him. Fearing that their affection would fade over time, she quietly loosened her inhibitions in bed, softening her voice and warming her body, trying her best to draw him into her heart.

The results are undeniable—nowadays, whenever he comes over, he stays in her room nine times out of ten, only going to Wen Keren's place during her critical period.

"Alright, I'll go with you this time."

Li Wenguo finally relented. On his own turf, why should he be worried or anxious?

"By the way, how did they contact you? Did you sneak out?"

He turned around abruptly, his face darkening again.

"No, no! From the day I moved into the villa, I haven't even stepped across the iron gate!"

"Absolutely true!!!"

She hurriedly waved her hand, afraid that the flames she had just suppressed would leap up again.

"So they've come knocking on our door?"

He frowned.

"No, it's all thanks to the radio—I've become quite proficient with the transmitter over the past six months, and now it's directly connected to headquarters!"

Hey!

So fast?

Was Shu Ting clever, or was this thing really that easy to use?

Li Wenguo clicked his tongue inwardly—the hardest thing to learn about radio is Morse code; the constant beeping and babbling can make anyone dizzy.

"From now on, all communication will be via radio. Meeting in person? Forget about it! Understand?"

His tone left no room for argument.

"Oh, sir, I swear, just this once!"

"Swear an oath? I don't believe in empty promises. I only believe in hard and fast rules—I'll have Haozi and Dashan keep a close eye on you later: unless the sky falls, you'll have to get past me before you even step out the door!"

"Huh??? This... well, okay, okay!"

He Shuting lowered her head and readily agreed.

What else could they do but agree? Haozi and Dashan both have the Li family's mark etched into their very bones.

"Sir, you should learn from the radio—if there's an emergency, I can send you a telegram directly, saving you the trouble of running errands and wasting time and energy."

She tentatively tried to persuade her.

Li Wenguo glanced at her sideways, his eyes full of mockery, and said irritably, "Learn radio my ass! Have you gone mad from practicing Morse code? You can't call me? Is that black phone downstairs some kind of idol?"

After saying that, he reached out and pinched her waist hard, then turned and strode downstairs.

He Shuting's face flushed, and she subconsciously rubbed the spot where she had been pinched. She then followed him in small steps.

soon.

The two stopped in their tracks; they had arrived at their destination.

Old Pan and Zhou Zheng opened the door.

Upon seeing Li Wenguo standing outside the door, with a radiant woman by his side, a hint of surprise flashed across their eyes.

Especially when his gaze fell upon the woman's face—her eyebrows were like distant mountains, her eyes like autumn water, her skin as white as snow, her lips naturally colored—she was a beauty straight out of a painting. Old Pan's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and Zhou Zheng unconsciously straightened his back, even his breathing became a beat lighter: How could this be a face fit for the mortal world? Even a fairy descended from the moon palace couldn't compare.

"Mr. Li, why did you come in person?"

Old Pan immediately stepped forward, his voice slightly louder than usual.

"Master Li!"

Zhou Zheng also cupped his hands in greeting, his back ramrod straight.

Li Wenguo nodded slightly and gestured to the person next to him, "These two are the ones you contacted?"

"It shouldn't be." He Shuting shook her head gently, her hair swaying slightly in the wind.

Connector?

Old Pan and Zhou Zheng exchanged a quick glance, understanding each other without saying a word.

Old Pan then smiled and stepped aside: "Comrade, the person you're looking for is inside."

As Li Wenguo stepped inside, he asked, "What are you two doing here?"

"Last night, a comrade who had been shot was brought over. Dr. Ke performed surgery overnight, and by the time it was finished, it was already dawn. So the two of us decided to spend the night together in the side room." Old Pan's tone was relaxed, with a hint of weariness in his eyes as he smiled.

He paused, then lowered his voice and added, "Oh, by the way, about fifteen minutes before you arrived, a middle-aged man came in, wearing a gray cloth long gown and carrying an old leather suitcase—he was probably with you…"

He glanced quickly at He Shuting, then changed the subject, "The one you made an appointment with."

After saying that, he immediately lowered his eyes and stared at the tips of his shoes—this woman was too eye-catching; if he looked at her too much, he might be too slow to draw his gun.

"Oh, thank you!"

He Shuting smiled slightly, her voice clear and bright.

……

"These two are the underground couriers I mentioned earlier."

"Old Pan, Zhou Zheng."

Li Wenguo's words were concise and to the point.

As soon as the word "rendezvous" was uttered, Lao Pan and Zhou Zheng knew what was going on and no longer needed to hide it.

"Hello, comrade!"

He Shuting stopped and extended a slender, fair, and delicate hand.

"Oh! Hello, hello!"

Old Pan hurriedly rubbed his palm against the seam of his pants, only daring to make a loose grasp, and quickly withdrew his hand as soon as his fingertips touched hers.

Zhou Zheng was the same; his movements were swift and decisive, as if he were afraid of getting burned.

Both of them were on edge – Master Li was watching from the side, and they had come together, so they couldn't afford to cause any misunderstandings; but they also couldn't neglect proper etiquette.

Li Wenguo remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he nodded: Knows his limits, knows when to advance and retreat, reliable.

After leading the person into a small room in the west wing, Lao Pan and Zhou Zheng naturally stood outside the door without following them in.

After all, each is responsible for their own frontline duties: they are in charge of personnel escort, intelligence relay, and supply transport, and they don't touch anything else.

Li Wenguo glanced into the room—the middle-aged man was around forty years old, with a square face and broad forehead. He wore a plain long robe with ink stains on the cuffs. His demeanor was gentle and composed, clearly indicating that he was an educated and worldly person.

Huh?

The more I look at it, the more familiar it seems...

Where have I seen this before?

He suddenly remembered that decades later, in a documentary, an elderly man with silver hair sat in front of the camera, speaking with a firm voice and a majestic demeanor—it was the face before him! Only the years had worn away its edges and added the marks of time.

Yes, it's him.

The great figures who will one day sit in the central government and rule a region are only just beginning to emerge.

Li Wenguo remained calm and composed, firmly imprinting the name and appearance into his mind.

He didn't go in, nor did he stay long—getting too close to the underground party right now could easily backfire.

"Master Li, Chen Jiang asked me to pass on a message: that batch of medicine and radio parts last time was a great help! He also said that from now on, if there's any need for him, he'll do anything for you, no matter the danger." Old Pan spoke sincerely, his eyes shining.

"No need." Li Wenguo waved his hand, his tone as indifferent as a breeze brushing past a window. "Keep a close eye on Yue Rong for me, and don't let her suffer the slightest grievance."

The three of them squatted on the blue brick floor of the courtyard and chatted for about half an hour before He Shuting and the middle-aged man came out one after the other.

They then turned around and disappeared into different alleyways.

"You didn't mention me to that comrade, did you?" Li Wenguo suddenly asked.

"Nothing was mentioned," He Shuting answered crisply. "You instructed me not to omit a single word."

"Yes, that's fine."

She added, "That comrade just now has officially authorized me on behalf of the organization to be fully responsible for intelligence transmission in the capital—including radio transmission and reception, codebreaking, and dispatching of liaison stations."

"Does this count as a promotion?"

"Of course it counts!"

After escorting He Shuting back to her villa, Li Wenguo headed straight for Song Qingzhi's residence.

Today is my day off, and I'm lucky—Song Qingzhi happens to be home.

Song Caidie was not there; I heard she had made an appointment with her close friend to go shopping at a silk shop on Qianmen Street.

In the study.

Ah, the study has always been the second face of those in power.

"Try this, it's the first spring West Lake Longjing tea from Hangzhou, freshly roasted this year."

Song Qingzhi held the teapot himself, and the aroma of tea rose up.

"Excellent tea! Sweet and smooth on the palate, with a lingering aftertaste, leaving your mouth feeling refreshed—truly living up to its reputation!"

In fact, Li Wenguo couldn't even distinguish between tea leaves and tea stems; he just thought it sounded good and casually praised it a couple of times.

"Hehe, what a rare guest! What brings you here for tea today? And so early in the morning?"

Song Qingzhi smiled and looked up, tapping the lid of the purple clay teapot lightly with his fingertips. "It can't be for my girl, can it?"

"Oh, is that so? I heard that the commander of the Jibei District is about to step down, and someone asked me to sound out your side."

These words, once spoken, were tantamount to openly revealing the ambition of the person behind it all.

Song Qingzhi's eyebrows immediately furrowed, and his expression instantly darkened.

He stared directly at Li Wenguo, his voice lowering slightly: "Who sent you?"

"The Xu family!!!"

"Oh... that eldest son of the Xu family."

Song Qingzhi nodded, said nothing more, and turned his gaze to the window, tapping his knuckles lightly twice on the rosewood armrest.

Li Wenguo's heart skipped a beat; this silence was more agonizing than any conversation!

He picked up his teacup and took a sip, about to probe with his words, when Song Qingzhi suddenly turned to him: "How close are you to the Xu family?"

"Xu Wanqing and I are childhood friends."

"She asked me to do this."

The implication was clear—he had never even met the other members of the Xu family.