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

three days later.

The new foreign manager of the trading company finally made his appearance.

Before he could even stand up straight, his temper flared up—it went straight to Li Wenguo's head.

As the old saying goes: a new broom sweeps clean.

Whether it's a government office, a business, or a dockside gang, these rules can't be broken.

The new manager, Paul, a foreigner, kicked Charlie out of his deputy manager position with lightning speed, like cutting water with a knife.

Li Wenguo was stripped of his manager title on the spot and slunk back to his original position as director.

No tricks, no beating around the bush, just a straightforward press down.

Next came the audit—specifically, the income and expenditure records of the person in charge for the past three months, to see if there was any embezzlement or misappropriation.

If Paul really uncovers something fishy, ​​he can make an example of him on the spot, setting an example for others and immediately establishing his authority.

But when the ledger was laid out, every entry was clear and distinct, without a single ink stain. Paul's heavy punch landed squarely on the pile of cotton, making his hand go numb, but he didn't even hear a sound.

Another foreign shareholder who had accompanied him watched coldly, only shaking his head slightly—this Paul was too impulsive.

Paul failed to establish his authority and instead became the subject of gossip among his subordinates. Furious, he vented his anger on Li Wenguo, hating him to the core.

But Li Wenguo had already laid out a plan: his clone kept placing orders, and the goods he had recently seized from the Mitsui & Co. were all stuffed into the trading company's warehouse at a 10% discount—profits soared and dollars flowed into the accounts.

Paul tried to find fault, but couldn't find a single one; he tried to intimidate, but was instead forced to publicly praise Li Wenguo for being "quick-witted and shrewd."

……

"Pooh!"

"Trying to bully me?"

"You've only just learned to walk!"

"So eager to start a fire? Don't you even look in the mirror? Do you even deserve to start one?"

Li Wenguo sneered inwardly. He couldn't even be bothered to give Paul, this impetuous and incompetent fool, a second glance.

Although he was fired and felt a lump in his throat, he managed to retaliate by making Paul suffer, which was a way of venting his anger.

There were no winners in this contest, but the grudge has been sealed.

Li Wenguo knew in his heart that if this dragged on any longer, even the bone fragments would be devoured.

Just then, the Americans, sensing the opportunity, came knocking on our door, offering a managerial position right off the bat, and even prepared a contract—of course, with the conditions clearly stated: not a single client could be lost, and we had to take them all with us.

"Ha, I just closed my eyes to sleep and the pillow has already arrived."

"Compared to that arrogant hawk from the United States, the Americans really know what it means to 'strike while the iron is hot'."

Li Wenguo's lips curled into a smile, but his mind was perfectly clear: America's rise to prominence wasn't just due to luck. Just look at their intuition, their rhythm, their accuracy—they were far superior to others.

People strive for higher positions; the difference between a director and a manager is more than just a title.

Although Britain and France are strong now, the United States has quietly made a fortune from World War I, its national strength has grown rapidly, and its voice carries more and more weight. It is no longer the little brother who followed behind and picked up scraps.

American trading companies could do whatever they wanted in China, and even the Japanese had to bow down to them.

It's not just the Americans who are well-informed; the Americans are just as quick to get their ears shut.

Paul and the shareholder soon learned of the news.

"Paul, I understand you want to cut the Gordian knot, get under control of the situation as soon as possible, and make a name for yourself."

"But you need to understand one thing—you are the general manager, not the judge who presides over cases, nor the constable who catches thieves."

"What you should really hold onto are people who are capable, hardworking, and good at making money."

"They earn more, and the shareholders are satisfied; only when the shareholders are satisfied can you secure your position."

"Instead of resorting to underhanded methods and making a mess of things."

"You're now the top dog in the foreign firm, second only to the boss, so what's the point of acting all high and mighty?"

"In the entire trading company, who dares to compete with you for the position of general manager?"

“…………”

The observer's few words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Paul's head, and Paul's tense face finally relaxed.

In order to keep Li Wenguo, this god of wealth, he gritted his teeth and promoted Li Wenguo another level—to deputy manager. As soon as the hat was put on, his nose turned red with anger.

Li Wenguo truly hadn't expected that the very Westernized Paul would stoop so low. After a moment's consideration, he decided to first establish himself and stay for the time being.

After all, the United States is on a roll and speaks much more forcefully than the United States. Taking advantage of this momentum, it has more confidence.

Of course, there was also a wait-and-see attitude – wanting to see if the Americans would raise the price before making a move.

………………

"Brother Li, you're really something! That foreign devil Paul, didn't he still fall to you in the end?"

"Come, let me toast you!"

Inside the Heyuan Restaurant, Zhang Dadan, his face flushed, raised his wine glass high and gestured towards Li Wenguo.

Upon being promoted to deputy manager, Li Wenguo threw a lavish banquet, treating all his colleagues in the bank to a meal, clearly a gesture to show off his power and establish his authority.

"How dare you!"

"That's quite a blunt remark of yours, pointing fingers at Paul behind his back in front of everyone—aren't you afraid his spies are sitting at the table?"

Li Wenguo raised his glass and took a small sip, his gaze slowly sweeping over everyone at the table. His tone was relaxed, yet it was as if a fine needle pierced the air.

This is a warning to those who frequently visit Paul's office.

"Brother Li's already flipped the table and started a fight, what's the point of me saying a few words? Go ahead and complain to him if you dare!"

"I, Zhang Dadan, fear neither heaven nor earth!"

Before he finished speaking, his sharp gaze was already fixed on the two of them.

The two men instinctively shrank back, their eyes darting around, not daring to respond.

"Wei Bin, Qian Kai, come on, let's toast Brother Li together!"

"We need to make it clear – respect Brother Li, and outdo that foreign devil!"

Zhang Dadan emphasized the last syllable.

The two men froze. If they agreed, they would be in someone else's hands; if they refused, Li Wenguo could easily find some excuse to make their lives miserable in the future.

Caught in a dilemma, he had no choice but to pick up his wine glass and, with a forced smile, recite it along with the others.

Once they had something on them, they dared not gossip or secretly pass messages again.

After the party ended, Xu Meijing lingered until the very end, head down, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers, and whispered, "Brother Li, I... I have something I'd like to ask you for a favor."

"Tell me, I'll help if it's within my power."

Li Wenguo politely agreed.

He had noticed that something was wrong with her these past few days: her brows were always furrowed, she spoke very little, and even her smiles were shallow.

He'll take care of small favors easily, but he'll never get involved in big matters.

Although we are colleagues, we only nod to each other on a daily basis and are far from being truly open with each other.

"Um...could we...have a fake marriage?"

Xu Meijing's voice was as soft as a mosquito's hum.

A fake marriage?!

Li Wenguo paused, his wine glass hanging in mid-air.

He paused for two seconds before asking, "Why did you suddenly think of this?"

My dad is very sick... he's dying.

Her eyes were downcast, and her voice was muffled.

Li Wenguo's mind lit up, and he immediately understood—this was to prevent the main branch from taking advantage of the illness to seize the property and sell the people and their belongings together.

During the Republican era, we saw this kind of thing far too often.

His own second wife, Xianglan, is a living example.

"This matter..."

He hesitated for a moment, looking somewhat uncertain.

To be honest, it was just a matter of talking to him.

But the women in the family all have fiery tempers, and even a fake one might not be able to tolerate them.

If he were to actually marry her, he wouldn't care how much trouble they caused; but a fake marriage wouldn't bring him any benefits, only trouble, which wasn't worth it.

Besides, after being "trained" by several "important" men, his taste had long been spoiled—Xu Meijing had a delicate appearance and a gentle temperament, but unfortunately, she was flat-chested, so he really couldn't get interested in her.

Ugh!

Teacher C's methods from back then are truly ingrained in my bones.

Seeing his brows furrow slightly, Xu Meijing blurted out in a hurry, "Fifty percent of the dowry is yours, as a thank-you gift!"

Ah!

interesting.

Li Wenguo felt a surge of joy in his heart.

I casually asked, "How much in total?"

Sure enough, men are either lustful or greedy.

Xu Meijing muttered to herself.

"One hundred thousand silver dollars!"

She straightened her back, and her voice became a few decibels louder.

Ordinary people would probably tremble and get excited upon hearing that it costs 50,000.

Xu Meijing was destined to miscalculate—Li Wenguo simply gave a faint "Oh," his expression unwavering.

His net worth has already exceeded one million, and he owns several houses. He has also secretly stockpiled a batch of big businesses in the United States that will become famous in the future: Coca-Cola factories, Ford car factories... all of which are hard-core assets that can snowball.

With these assets alone, he can secure his position as the world's richest man in the future.

Why would a mere 50,000 yuan make him blink?

However, only a fool wouldn't make money when there's opportunity.

He finally nodded, and then expertly bargained down to 60%.

Xu Meijing could only clench her fists and swallow her anger.

If it were someone else? They might not only lose money but also their life—no, there's no need to be "afraid" at all; it's a sure thing.

But Li Wenguo was different. She could sense that he didn't have that clingy, controlling attitude towards her, which is why she gritted her teeth and chose him.

The Xu family was already extremely anxious and couldn't wait to set a date.

Before we knew it, the wedding date was set.

The news quickly reached the ears of one of the young masters in the main house of the Xu family.

"Fuck him!"

"That brat Xu Meijing, she really dared to pull this stunt? I'm so angry my liver hurts!"

"No way! I've already assured Young Master Xu that I'd send Meijing over; how can I go back on my word halfway through?"

He immediately summoned his trusted confidants and sent men to block Li Wenguo's path, giving him a severe scare and forcing him to back down.

If you can't even handle this small matter, how can you possibly climb onto Young Master Xu's money tree?

That evening, Li Wenguo was intercepted as soon as he turned into the alley.

A dozen or so stern-looking thugs, carrying iron bars and pickaxe handles, surrounded him like a wall.

"Master Li, today looks ominous!"

Wen San and the newcomer Wu Xiaogou stepped forward one after the other, firmly protecting Li Wenguo on both sides.

After Kong Wu was transferred to the police station, the job of pulling the rickshaw was handed over to Wen San; Wu Xiaogou was one of the four new recruits. Despite his rustic name, he was as strong as an ox, with broad shoulders, a thick waist, and arms thicker than the legs of an average person.

"It's nothing."

Li Wenguo didn't even lift his eyelids.

There are too many people? No problem. Wen San and Wu Xiaogou have Browning needles in their pockets. If a fight breaks out, they'll win for sure.

Unless the other side is also armed—but where would a bunch of street thugs get their hands on firearms?

"Who sent you?"

"You blind bastard, how dare you block my master Li's path?"

Wen San took half a step forward, his voice as cold as ice.

"Hahaha!!!"

A group of thugs burst into laughter, their shoulders shaking.

With a large number of people, they have plenty of confidence.

"Still acting tough even when you're about to die? I'll tear your mouth apart first, then smash both your legs, and see if you're still so arrogant then!"

The leader stared intently at Wen San, his eyes gleaming with malice.

"What Master Li? Bah! I'll beat him to a pulp later, then we'll see if he'll still dare to call me that!"

A burly henchman next to him spat out a wad of phlegm, which landed on the tip of Wen San's shoe, and grinned mockingly.

"Exactly! His bones are so hard, let's break his spine and see if he can still stand straight!"

"No matter how tough your words are, you can't outmaneuver an iron rod!"