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

Depend on!

It's just a bunch of lowly peasants who got together and scared themselves for nothing.

Having been in the Republic of China for half a year, he had already figured out the ways of the world: these makeshift gangs specifically preyed on the poor and needy, and they wouldn't even dare to taunt someone like him who wore Western clothes and received a salary.

But here's the problem—

Where did Mo Datou get the guts to take on this tough nut?

The other party confessed honestly: It turned out that Li Wenguo had beaten up the landlord's bastard son a while ago. He did it ruthlessly and swiftly, which made Mo Datou mistakenly think that he was all bark and no bite and that he was a bully who was afraid of the strong!

It was purely a case of mistaken identity leading to disaster.

"Who is the gang leader?"

"Xiao Laowu! He works as a porter at Hepingmen Wharf."

After asking the question, Li Wenguo flicked his wrist, and the two disappeared instantly.

He casually swept the glaring red stain on the floor and the several scorching hot bullet casings into his spatial dimension—he couldn't let Xianglan come home and witness this bloody stench.

Then, he summoned his spatial clone, who transformed into Mo Datou, and chatted and laughed with another clone disguised as a companion, before strolling out of the courtyard gate in a relaxed manner.

After all, the neighbors all saw the three of them enter the courtyard together, so they had to make up for it.

Half an hour later, Li Wenguo returned home alone; a moment later, he and his "companion" walked out side by side, their steps light and easy.

After finishing up, they returned to the foreign firm.

As for Mo Datou and his companion? They have their own assistants to handle the matter.

First, he disguised himself as a companion and suddenly attacked Xiao Laowu while he was unloading cargo at the dock. He stabbed him three times in vital areas, killing him on the spot. Then he drew his knife and slit his own throat.

He then changed back into his Mo Datou disguise, took a short knife, and sneaked into the rented house. He killed the landlord's son with a single blow, then murdered his wife and son—the woman was mean and greedy, and the son was arrogant and domineering; if left unchecked, he would soon become a villain who would plague the neighborhood. Li Wenguo's fingertips didn't tremble at all as he made his move.

Only then can this matter be considered truly settled.

………………

"What?!"

"Someone's trying to steal the bride? And even interfered?"

A few days later, Li Wenguo stepped into the horse-tooth shop and was immediately greeted with these unpleasant words—

Someone offered a full two thousand dollars to snatch away the female student he had his eye on.

"Master Li, this matter was conveyed by someone from the He family. I really didn't have a word of it beforehand."

Ma Yafang looked anxious and ashamed, with beads of sweat on his forehead.

Being robbed of your wedding halfway through is no different from being slapped in the face in public; it's so embarrassing it makes your neck burn.

"Do you know which company is stirring things up behind the scenes?"

Li Wenguo's brows furrowed, and his face turned ashen.

The female student was handpicked by him. She was pretty, had a clean family background, and, more importantly, had studied Western books and was literate—in this day and age, such a girl was hard to find even with a lantern. He didn't want to let her go from the bottom of his heart.

"The He family didn't reveal their true intentions, only saying that as long as Master Li's dowry surpasses that of the other party, they will still accept the marriage."

"After all, you're the first one to come and propose marriage."

Ma Yafang's tone was tinged with resentment, as if he had swallowed a bitter walnut.

This isn't a daughter's wedding; it's a public auction! Ordinary families at least maintain a sense of propriety, but the He family treats their daughter like a commodity with a price tag, and they do it with such self-righteousness.

Hearing that there was still room for maneuver, Li Wenguo's tense shoulders relaxed slightly.

He slapped his thigh: "It's just another two thousand dollars? I can afford it, add it!"

"Mr. Li, are you really going to raise the price? This price is really risky!"

Ma Yafang couldn't help but offer advice.

In his eyes, it was really not worth it—she was just a bit plump and had more breast milk, but as for the rest... well, she had neither the composure of a lady from a prominent family nor the cleverness of a girl from a modest family, and her face was plain.

These days, narrow shoulders, a slender waist, and a graceful, unassuming appearance are considered the epitome of elegance.

Li Wenguo waved his hand but did not reply.

He knew perfectly well that this was no longer about the amount of money.

It was about face, prestige, and the banner he had raised after securing his position as manager of the trading company.

If word gets out, the dignified Manager Li, having his marriage snatched away halfway through, will likely be the subject of ridicule at banquets, card tables, and teahouses for the next three years. When they meet, they'll be polite to each other, but behind each other's backs, a wink is all it takes to tell a story.

Seeing his eyes hard as iron, Ma Yafang's throat bobbed, but he swallowed the rest of his words.

He suddenly realized something—this matter was affecting the very foundation.

Fortunately, he rushed back to the He family and raised the price, and the marriage was settled on the spot.

Once the red invitation is issued and the birth dates match, it's a done deal. Unless a terrible disaster strikes, no one can change it.

It wasn't until later that Li Wenguo learned the truth: the He family, seeing his lavish spending, simply fabricated a "mysterious buyer" to lure him into increasing his bets.

It's a complete setup to fleece the victims.

But with that one strike, the relationship between the two families was completely severed, and they never had any contact again.

"Hold!"

"That promiscuous slut, she's got me all fired up!"

Li Wenguo shoved the completely drunk Maria into the bedroom on the second floor of Charlie's Western-style house, slammed the door shut, and walked towards the stairwell while cursing.

Since Charlie left Shanghai, Maria, who was always docile and obedient, has been frantically trying to escape like a bird with its chain broken.

They partied every night, going to dance halls, casinos, and the Paramount Ballroom, always heading to the most exciting places, often not returning until the wee hours of the morning.

Li Wenguo didn't want to interfere in her private affairs, but Charlie had repeatedly warned him before leaving, so he dared not be careless—what if Charlie suddenly came back and asked about Maria's recent situation, and he couldn't answer for a long time, wouldn't he be exposed on the spot?

Fortunately, everyone in high society knew the truth: Maria was Charlie's woman.

Even though her smile was captivating and her eyes sparkled, those well-dressed young men and wealthy compradors only dared to glance at her from afar, not daring to utter a single harsh word.

This made Li Wenguo secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

But trouble arose precisely from this point.

Maria, unable to seduce outsiders, turned her attention to him.

Almost every night she would drag him to dance and drink with her, her fingertips intentionally or unintentionally brushing against the back of his hand, her breath sweet as orchids when she got close, her words laced with sarcasm and her smile barbed, one move after another, without any pretense.

Li Wenguo was so annoyed that his head was throbbing and his anger was rising.

But the clearer he saw her true colors, the more he shrank back.

This kind of woman, getting involved with her will leave you with a terrible reputation.

If she really fell for him, with her reckless spirit, even if Charlie walked in the door tomorrow, she would still dare to cling to his arm and act coquettishly.

Li Wenguo knew all too well that the truth could not be hidden forever.

Who is Charlie? He's as cunning as a fox, and his possessiveness is more ruthless than anyone else's.

Once they realize it, it won't be as simple as just flipping the table; it could turn the entire concession upside down.

With his small frame, he probably wouldn't even make a splash before being crushed to dust.

So now, he looks forward to Charlie's return every day.

What he feared wasn't Maria resorting to her tricks again, but rather that one day she might simply break off all pretense, sneak into his room under the cover of darkness, or feign drunkenness and stay in his room—after all, she was her sugar daddy's mistress, and he was merely a watchdog under his sugar daddy's control…

It just goes to show the old saying: What you fear is what will happen.

"plum!"

"Why are you being a coward?"

"I've already laid it all out in the open, and you're still pretending to be stupid?"

"Or are you simply not capable?"

Just as Li Wenguo stepped down the third step, the door behind him clicked open.

Maria stood at the door, her cheeks flushed like rouge, but her eyes were surprisingly bright, showing no sign of drunkenness.

Fuck!

That's quite a convincing act!

Li Wenguo cursed inwardly, but he knew perfectly well what was going on—this woman had already set her sights on something.

He kept a straight face and spoke in a cold tone, "Miss Maria, you are the manager's favorite. My job is to keep a close eye on you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Wenguo turned and left.

Thank you!

Let whoever wants to take the challenge do so!

I don't care about paying attention to him!

Go home and hug Xianglan, chatting and laughing!

"Hold!"

"Stop right there!"

When Mary saw that he wouldn't listen to reason or threats, her anger flared up.

But Li Wenguo wasn't buying it.

Without stopping, I continued walking straight down.

"If you dare step out of this door, I'll put it in the newspaper tomorrow! I'll let Charlie know what you forced me to do!"

Li Wenguo's back stiffened, and he abruptly stopped in his tracks.

I rely on!

Are you going to pull this stunt again?

He turned around abruptly and saw Maria with her chin raised and a smug smile on her lips.

His expression made his back teeth ache.

"Stop arguing!"

"If you're a man, stop dawdling!"

Maria swayed her waist, and her trench coat slid off her shoulder with a "whoosh".

She was only wearing a short sundress.

Bright, bold, and with a compelling edge.

Li Wenguo's eyes darkened, and a fierce aura surged between his brows.

He loosened his tie and strode forward.

Oh shit!!!

They've already said it all!

Not going? Still acting like a virgin?

Just do it!

Just as things were getting complicated with Maria, Xianglan at home breathed a sigh of relief.

Finally, she no longer had to live in fear that taking care of Li Wenguo would harm her pregnancy.

Although Li Wenguo never mentioned it again,

But Xianglan knew what was going on and took the initiative to do it.

Her official status was not yet finalized, and she dared not cross the line even for a single day.

Only when the first wife, whom she had never met before, entered the house and personally secured her position as the second concubine could she truly feel at ease.

Inside a private room at Heyuan Restaurant.

"Come on, let me toast Manager Li!"

Manager He Chaomin picked up his wine glass, his face beaming with smiles.

"Manager He, we're practically family, so just say what you mean and don't beat around the bush."

Li Wenguo tilted his head back and downed the wine in his glass in one swift and decisive motion.

"Thank you for your kind offer, Manager Li. I won't stand on ceremony then!"

"Could you help me clear out this batch of goods before the New Year?"

Manager He handed over a small note. Li Wenguo glanced at it, his gaze suddenly sharpened, and he subtly glanced at the other person.

Radio station!

Nimbran pistol!

Thomson submachine gun!

Mauser sniper rifle!

Hand grenade!

In addition, there were several light machine guns, grenade launchers, and other miscellaneous items such as listening devices and voice recorder refills.

Who would use these?

Three words flashed through Li Wenguo's mind like lightning:

Japanese puppet regime spies!

(At the moment, there was no Military Intelligence Bureau, and the Lixingshe (a secret society) was operating openly and honestly, without needing to hide anything; the underground Communist Party would not take such a thing—only Japanese spies would do it secretly, choosing the dark side.)

As for why they didn't use supplies from their own military factories? If they did, how could they hide them? They'd be under constant surveillance!

"Ouch--"

"Manager He, you've really stumped me!"

"You know these are all military-controlled supplies, and their sale is strictly prohibited internationally!"

Since they were Japanese spies operating in the shadows, Li Wenguo was naturally ruthless in demanding their help.

"Oh dear—"

"Manager Li, these aren't military supplies at all. They're all civilian equipment..."

Before he finished speaking, Manager He reached under the table and a silver note quietly slipped into Li Wenguo's palm.

Li Wenguo looked down and exclaimed, "Five hundred silver dollars?"

He's worth hundreds of thousands now, but he's from an old money exchange business; this little bit of money isn't even enough to fill a tooth gap!

He silently accepted it, but said aloud, "Two-thirds of the note is for civilian goods, and the remaining 70%—are all contraband."

black!

That's fucking shady!

Manager He's smile faltered for a moment, then he took out two more bills and stuffed them into the purse.

Li Wenguo stuffed it into his pocket, then glanced at the white slip of paper again, forcing a smile: "Oh dear, my eyes were playing tricks on me, I read it all wrong—they're all civilian goods, all civilian goods!"

"Don't worry, Manager He, we'll have everything ready for you before the New Year!"

"Hahaha!"

"Thank you so much, Manager Li! Thank you so much!"

Manager He thanked him repeatedly, handing him wine glasses one after another.

Li Wenguo accepted all comers without hesitation.

After his physical condition improved, his alcohol tolerance also increased dramatically, and ordinary liquor could not get him drunk at all.

The banquet ended, and everyone, host and guests, had enjoyed themselves immensely.

These days, Japanese spies are everywhere. Reporting them? Useless. It'll only get you into trouble—the Japanese spies will hold a grudge, and the Lixingshe (a secret society) will demand to know the source of the information. Are you going to ask them to fabricate a flawless lie?

Pretending to know nothing might actually bring you some real benefits.

"Sigh! We were just getting into the middle of the drinking session, and now the second half is starting again."

Li Wenguo sighed, rubbed his throbbing temples, and felt weak from working non-stop. He hurriedly jumped into a rickshaw and headed straight for Charlie's mansion with its ornate iron gate.