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

The sun was dazzlingly bright that day, and the wind carried a refreshing chill.

Early in the morning, Kotaro Kotaro, the author of the notebook, strutting into the warehouse of the trading company with his leather shoes and an air of superiority.

Li Wenguo was already waiting there, his hands in his pockets, his gaze calm.

Charlie, the foreigner, also arrived, impeccably dressed in a suit and tie—five hundred thousand dollars worth of penicillin, enough for him to personally keep watch three times.

Upon receiving the goods, Li Wenguo's Adam's apple bobbed, his eyes gleaming with envy. Unfortunately, he couldn't touch them now—he was in charge of this batch of medicine, and if he dared to embezzle it, he wouldn't necessarily lose everything, but he would inevitably suffer the pain of losing an arm or a leg.

But once the goods leave the warehouse, that's a different story.

The handover went remarkably smoothly.

Several black-clad vehicles drove away steadily, their wheels making a dull thud as they rolled over the bluestone slabs.

Don't be fooled by the small number of boxes; each one is incredibly heavy—these are life-saving items, extremely precious.

As soon as the convoy turned the corner, two passersby in gray shirts leisurely followed, their figures blending into the morning light and becoming inconspicuous.

……

As night fell, Wen San sneaked into a narrow alley and knocked three times at the base of the courtyard wall to give the secret signal.

The basement lights flickered, and he lowered his voice: "Mr. Li, Xiaoben has locked the goods in the Mitsui warehouse at the dock."

"Xiao Qi is still squatting there, not even blinking."

That's right, the two people who followed the car during the day were Wen San and Ding Xiaoqi.

"Where are the sentries?" Li Wenguo asked.

"The four walls were completely occupied by members of the Black Dragon Society—all dressed in black, their backs ramrod straighter than guns."

The little guy is much more shrewd than those self-proclaimed gentlemen from the Eagles; he's as cautious as an old wolf protecting its cubs.

After all, we don't have much to lose.

"Which number?"

Li Wenguo frowned. More people, more trouble.

The personal space must never be exposed; it must be completely silent, so that even a mouse passing by should not hear a sound.

"Eight. Two on each wall, with bulging waistbands, nine times out of ten they're carrying weapons."

Wen San answered decisively.

Li Wenguo was silent for a moment, then tapped his knuckles lightly twice on the edge of the table.

Want to empty the warehouse without anyone noticing? Eight lives, not one can be spared.

Otherwise, if the medicine runs out, but the person is still alive and kicking—who would believe that?

You can't exactly say that fifty boxes of life-saving medicine vanished into thin air, as if they were taken away by a ghost.

But in just a moment, a glint flashed in Li Wenguo's eyes.

"Mr. Li, are we going to confiscate that batch of goods from the little notebook?"

Wen San lowered his voice and asked tentatively.

Li Wenguo glanced at him sideways, his voice as cold as iron: "What nonsense are you spouting?"

"This is the heart of Beijing. To make a move would be like walking into the line of fire! The goods won't get far, and the people will be trapped inside the city gates—do you think the military police are just sitting around doing nothing? Are they out of their minds?"

Wen San felt a sense of relief, and his tense shoulders relaxed slightly.

He knew long ago that this was something he absolutely must not get involved in.

Who would risk their life if they could avoid it?

But if Li Wenguo really makes a firm decision, he can only grit his teeth and charge forward.

When they swore their blood oath, it was clearly written in black and white: they would risk their lives for a stable home.

He had already pocketed the ten thousand silver dollars, enough for his mother to support herself, his wife to live on, and his children to study until they reached adulthood.

Besides, the son has already been born, and the family line continues. Even if he dies in the street, it doesn't mean he has failed his ancestors.

"Mr. Li, if you're not going to rob it, what's the point of eyeing that warehouse?"

Wen San asked again.

"Running errands for someone, delivering a favor!"

Li Wenguo made up an excuse.

Once the goods are safely in hand, the four brothers will only feel that it is a matter of course, no one will suspect anything, and no one will make a fuss.

Oh--

He was originally doing something for someone else!

Wen San immediately felt relieved, and the wrinkles between his brows relaxed.

"Go and call Xiao Qi back. Your mission ends here. From now on, don't look, listen, or ask any questions."

Li Wenguo waved.

Wen San accepted the order and turned to leave.

"Third brother, Master Li... really isn't going to make a move?"

Kong Wu squatted at the gate of the courtyard and gestured towards the Mitsui & Co. warehouse.

"Stop gossiping, it's none of my business."

Wen San said, then paused, his voice turning low, "Don't let anything slip in the future."

The meaning is clear: knowing too much leads to a short life.

Kong Wu's Adam's apple bobbed, and he nodded silently.

Not long after, Li Wenguo strolled out of the courtyard.

"Master Li!!!"

Kong Wu immediately straightened his back, his voice loud and respectful.

Then, with a "click," the courtyard gate was locked shut, and he quickly disappeared into the depths of the alley, dragging Li Wenguo along with him.

A moment later, an ordinary-looking clone pushed open the courtyard gate and strode swiftly toward the Mitsui & Co. warehouse.

Three hours later, the clone scouted the area and silently slipped into the empty warehouse on the back street of the warehouse.

The door was unlocked, the windows were dusty, and there wasn't even a mouse inside.

He bent down close to the ground, a thought flashing through his mind—

The ground cracked open, revealing a square, deep hole: one meter square, with a drop of four meters.

That's right, his idea was to dig a tunnel.

The soil was gradually swallowed into the personal space, and then wooden planks and pillars were used to stabilize the four walls to prevent collapse and sinking.

This method was devised in the basement of that secluded courtyard—that's how that secret room was carved out.

The only concern is the load-bearing capacity of the soil.

But he was prepared: every time he collected four cubic meters of loose soil, he would immediately place a thick wooden board and two pillars on top, making it as stable as a rock.

He had secretly prepared these tools over two hours.

The two chambers were only fifty paces apart, and an hour and a half later, the tunnel was finally completed.

Unfortunately, bad luck struck.

He had calculated the landing point accurately, but there were several stacks of burlap sacks piled up on the ground. As soon as they broke through the soil, they were hit hard.

Fortunately, the injury is not serious and there is no pain.

With a wave of his hand, the clone swallowed all the cargo that was pressing down on him into the space, then flipped over and leaped onto the ground.

The warehouse is 500 square meters, and two-thirds of it is filled with raw silk and cotton cloth—the most sought-after export goods in the country right now.

The remaining scattered boxes were sealed tightly, and it was unknown what was inside.

But this trip was meant to be a cleanup operation.

Whether it's precious or filthy, useful or useless, I'll accept it all!

It was like a locust plague had passed through, leaving not a single leaf behind.

The penicillin batch was naturally also included.

The entire warehouse of goods occupied less than one-fifteenth of the space.

After all, that place is as big as an entire football field.

Blood trickled from the corner of the clone's mouth, yet it grinned a sinister smile, both chilling and exhilarating.

At that moment, Li Wenguo, who was listening to Hongyu playing the zither at home, paused, his heart trembling slightly—it was done.

His lips slowly curved upwards, his smile gentle, but a smug gleam appeared in his eyes.

He then laid out the accounts and calculated in detail:

That batch of penicillin was worth 500,000 silver dollars, needless to say;

This batch of raw silk cotton fabric is worth 500,000 on the market. By reselling it, a 90% profit can be easily pocketed, resulting in a net profit of 450,000.

There were also dozens of boxes of Type 38 rifles, pistols, mortars, machine guns, radios... all of which were standard Japanese military equipment.

There were also some old objects, antiques and paintings, a few Japanese wristwatches and pocket watches, plus various miscellaneous goods, roughly estimated to be worth around 100,000 silver dollars.

The loot from this single raid was worth over a million silver dollars.

As soon as the accounts were settled, Li Wenguo felt a surge of warmth in his heart, his blood rushing to his head. Coupled with the light and pleasant sensation brought by Hongyu, he felt as if he had been thoroughly refreshed by a spring breeze, and his whole body felt comfortable.

"Hongyu, you're amazing!!!"

He grabbed Hongyu's wrist, his voice brightening as he showered her with praise.

"Yes, as long as you are happy, I will be content."

Hongyu lowered her eyes and smiled faintly, her ears slightly red, her fingertips secretly twisting the hem of her clothes, her heart already bursting with joy.

The next morning, the anticipated scene of the entire city being shaken and the streets in uproar did not materialize.

Li Wenguo, who had been eagerly anticipating the spectacle, was now somewhat disappointed.

However, he knew in his heart that the Japanese devils had not yet reached the warehouse door, so they naturally did not know that his entire warehouse of goods had already been completely moved out, leaving not a single tile behind.

Sure enough, another day passed.

Kong Wu pulled his rickshaw, navigating his commute to work.

The streets were filled with stern-faced police officers and Japanese soldiers with swords at their sides, checking every house and household. The atmosphere was so tense it was almost palpable.

"stop!"

A member of the Black Dragon Society, dressed in a tight-fitting black Zhongshan suit, suddenly stepped forward and blocked the way, his eyes sharp as knives.

Kong Wu slammed on the brakes, his hand already on the hidden compartment of the handlebars, his gaze fixed coldly on the other person.

"What's up?"

"Dare to block my master's path? If you delay his appointed time, I'll chop you to pieces!"

Kong Wu and Li Wenguo had the same temperament—they felt nauseous at the sight of Japanese people and wished they could spit on them.

Seeing that he dared to challenge him in the street, the Japanese soldier's face instantly darkened. He pointed at Li Wenguo in the car and said, "You! Get out! Routine inspection!"

Bah! I'll investigate your ancestors for eighteen generations!

Li Wenguo was cursing under his breath, but his feet still nimbly touched the ground.

To really flip the table on the spot? That wouldn't be reckless, it would be stupid. He always chooses to strike from the shadows, never seeking momentary pleasure.

"Hey—you little devils, you've got some nerve!"

As soon as he landed, he glared at me sideways, raising his voice three notches, "Do you know who I am?"

Before he finished speaking, he slapped off the manager's badge of the Indre Trading Company, the gold trim flashing in the morning light—taking advantage of the British influence, he was showing off his power.

Upon seeing that he was a senior executive of the foreign firm, the Japanese soldier's Adam's apple bobbed, and his face immediately turned pale.

The Japanese can oppress ordinary people, but when faced with the power of the United States, even a Chinese employee has to shrink back and act like a grandson.

If they really detain someone and anger the foreign firm, even their own superiors might not be able to protect him.

"Feed—"

"Short-looking kid!"

Ono is 1.7 meters tall, which is considered tall among Japanese, but standing in front of Li Wenguo, he is more than a head shorter.

"I'm the manager of the Industrial & Trading Company. A single order can easily cost millions of silver dollars. Can you afford to waste even a minute of my time, even with your entire family's lives?"

He thrust his fingertips forcefully into the other man's chest.

"Baka yarou!"

Ono's teeth were clenched so tightly that they were grinding together, and the veins on his forehead were throbbing.

At this moment, patrol captain Hao Dayong rushed over, recognized Li Wenguo at a glance, and immediately bowed to Ono: "Ono-kun, this is Master Li, a close friend of our bureau chief, and a pillar of the Indigo Group, absolutely no problem!"

He turned around and plastered a fawning smile on his face: "Good morning, Master Li!"

Everyone in the bureau knows this. Even the bureau chief treats Li Wenguo with utmost respect; who among his subordinates would dare to be disrespectful?

If you offend him with a single word, he might whisper something in the bureau chief's ear and you'll immediately lose your job.

"Oh, it's Captain Hao Dayong."

Li Wenguo immediately put on a familiar smile, "Why such a big commotion today? What happened?"

"Reporting to Master Li, the Mitsui Trading Company's warehouse was robbed last night, and an entire warehouse of goods was stolen!"

Hao Dayong grimaced, full of complaints, "This job is really a hot potato and exhausting..."

"Since Captain Hao has vouched for you, you can leave now."

Ono seized the opportunity to end the situation and turned to leave.

Li Wenguo seemed not to hear, only staring at Hao Dayong, and slowly said:

"Oh? Mitsui & Co.?"

"Several batches of the things that Chairman Kotaro Sakae lost came from my shipping company."

"If those get lost too, we'll probably have to rush to replace them?"

As he spoke, he glanced at Ono meaningfully from the corner of his eye:

"Oh dear, this batch of goods is in high demand lately. If Chairman Stubborn really wants it, I might not be able to free up my time."

"Mr. Li, I was very rude just now!"

"I apologize to you."

Ono could easily tell the weight behind Li Wenguo's words. He immediately straightened his back, bowed deeply, his forehead almost touching the tip of his shoe, his posture so respectful that there was not a single fault with it.

"hey-hey!!!"

The frustration in Li Wenguo's heart dissipated considerably, and his face relaxed. He then nodded slightly to Hao Dayong and turned to leave.