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

"Come on, bosses, let me, Li Wenguo, drink first!"

In a private room on the second floor of Fuyuan Restaurant, people were chatting and laughing.

Li Wenguo rose, raised his glass, his suit impeccably tailored, and smiled broadly: "Thank you all for your support! From now on, all goods from Meifu Trading Company will be offered at a 5% discount; no restrictions on product category, and a continuous supply; as for the quality—you can all honestly say, when have we ever let you down?"

He was taking advantage of the fact that the Indrich & Co. was leaderless to disrupt the entire commercial network of Beijing.

On the day Paul was shot to death, he sent his trusted men to ransack Indre’s warehouse—not a small-scale raid, but a complete sweep, including boxes, containers, ledgers, and samples.

The workers either packed their bags and ran away or abandoned their posts, and even the foreman hired a car and left the city overnight.

This act of kicking someone when they're down completely devastated Indre, leaving them barely clinging to life.

Li Wenguo, on the other hand, steadily pocketed nearly a million silver dollars worth of valuable goods.

"Haha, Manager Li is so generous! Doing business with you is so reassuring!"

"you do not say!"

"Trustworthy!"

"..."

The restaurant was packed with shopkeepers and owners, and almost no one refused to serve.

nonsense!

Indeli can't even find all the warehouse keys now, let alone place an order? They probably won't receive a single bag of flour until next spring.

The longer it drags on, the sooner the customer will disappear.

This move struck at the heart of everyone's weakness.

What's your opinion of Li Wenguo?

Under the dim light bulb, in a cramped little room, a short, stout middle-aged man sat with his legs crossed, his two small, greasy mustache curling.

The person being questioned was Yan Ming, a business owner who attended the Li Wenguo Chamber of Commerce tea party today.

He bowed slightly, his voice low and steady: "Kato-kun, Li Wenguo is extremely shrewd and has a wide network of connections. Almost all the prominent figures in the business world of the capital have dealings with him; what's even more remarkable is his keen sense of smell. When the winds change, he's quicker than anyone else to adapt."

"This person is of extremely high value."

"If the empire can be brought under our control, it will be like adding wings to a tiger, greatly benefiting our great cause."

Not bad.

Both were Japanese spies, lurking in Beiping City, their code names and identities unchanged.

They routinely gather intelligence on military, political, and business matters, focusing on business tycoons and those in power in key departments, seeking opportunities to win them over, subvert them, or infiltrate them.

"Yoshi! We have to take it!"

Kato nodded, his eyes resolute.

"Hi!!!"

Yan Ming bowed his head in agreement, his shoulders taut and straight.

"Li Wenguo is a womanizer and has already taken four wives and concubines. He has even seduced Maria, the mistress of Charlie, the former manager of the British trading company—Kato-kun, this is the breakthrough."

He made no attempt to hide his four wives; the neighbors could easily name them, and the news was readily available to them.

Maria's affair was no secret; a little inquiry would reveal the truth.

"Yoshi! Come, let's drink to the grand ambitions of the empire!"

"Cheers!!!"

"Sir, I have something urgent to discuss with you."

Late at night.

Li Wenguo had just carried his son Li Guofu from the red jade room, and after taking a couple of sips of warm milk, stepped into the main room. He Shuting was holding the baby, gently rocking him, patting and soothing him as she spoke.

"Heh, let me guess—is it because there's a sudden checkpoint inspection at the dock, and your shipment is in trouble? Want me to lend a hand?"

He sat down with a smile, reached out and supported the child's other side, steadily catching the child's heavy weight.

With his clones around, nothing in Beiping City, not even a gust of wind or a falling leaf, could escape his notice.

He Shuting, oblivious to the comical scene of her husband and son fighting over food, nodded hastily, "Exactly! What's gotten into those spies? They turned the docks upside down, even raiding the grain ships!"

"It's just that some people have gotten used to the path and forgotten their own limitations—ants are used to carrying rice, but now they want to devour the entire granary."

Li Wenguo raised his eyes and smiled, his words laced with barbs.

Ten thousand silver dollars worth of grain! Not just a few boxes of opium or a few barrels of Western medicine, but real sacks piled high, sailing into the dock in a grand procession, tantamount to carrying lanterns and crashing into the noses of hawks and hounds.

He Shuting wasn't a fool; she immediately understood what was going on: this was a warning to her, and also a demarcation.

Over the years, every single thing she asked him to do wasn't stained with blood and shrouded in mystery. An ordinary person would be horrified at a glance, but Li Wenguo accepted them all without question, pretending not to hear—he had long seen through her true colors, but simply didn't want to expose them.

Since he wasn't going to expose her, she was happy to play dumb. If she really brought it up, it would only make things awkward.

"The buyer is pressing us hard! If we miss the deadline, the penalty fees could wipe out our entire savings."

She gently placed the sleeping child into the crib, not even bothering to tuck the baby in properly, before snuggling close to Li Wenguo's arms and softly pleading, "Sir, do you think... there's any way to salvage this situation?"

"Ha, what can I do? Is Lixingshe my shop? Or are those guys in sunglasses standing at attention and saluting every time they see me?"

He sneered and asked in return, his tone revealing a sense of weariness.

He was already cursing in his heart:

Oh shit!!

With things so tense right now, do you really expect me to risk my life to wade into these muddy waters?

Is your comrade more important, or my life?

Do you need my help?

Humph……

This matter is both difficult and easy. Li Wenguo certainly has a solution.

The first move: use spatial magic to unload the grain onto the ship without anyone noticing.

But if he does that, the organization might think he's all-powerful and capable of anything—and from then on, all the difficult tasks will be dumped on his shoulders, each one more challenging than the last.

He values ​​his life very much and needs to nip this idea in the bud.

He's unambiguous when it comes to serving the Party; but he has to work within his own sphere of influence, relying on ability, connections, and courage, not on some mystical supernatural power. He won't stray into anything that crosses his boundaries.

"What about the foreign firms? Can't you use a foreigner's name to put pressure on them?"

She had just settled the child when she lifted her skirt and straddled his lap, her fingertips twirling around his buttons.

"Absolutely not." He shook his head, his voice deepening. "Foreigners are willing to support me because I'm useful; but once they have something on me, it won't be cooperation anymore, it will be strangulation."

"Don't be fooled by their smiling faces now; deep down they're wolves that devour people without spitting out the crumbs—once they take a bite, they'll never let go."

The heavy burden weighed him down, his eyes gradually lost focus, and his speech slowed down, like a string that had been stretched for too long, trembling slightly.

"Then why don't you think about it some more? You're incredibly resourceful; this little thing shouldn't be a problem for you."

He Shuting blinked, her voice as soft as honey.

"Supernatural power? What kind of god do you have access to?"

"Could we possibly get past you, you great Buddha?"

"Don't flatter me, I can't even tie my own belt properly."

No matter how much she pleaded and begged, he didn't even lift an eyelid.

"My goodness, if you stomp your foot in the capital, the city walls will shake three times. This little bump is nothing more than stepping on an ant!"

"A small embankment? This is a deep ditch!"

"No matter how deep the ditch is, once you get here—you can just step over it with one stride, right?"

"Step over it? Heh heh, right now I really want to kick it over."

Li Wenguo's smile had a slightly sinister quality, and fine lines appeared at the corners of his eyes.

"Hmph, I'm good at manipulating people."

He Shuting rolled her eyes at him, her gaze both coquettish and annoyed.

"Trying to control me? I'm praising you and protecting you!"

"My skin is probably three times thicker than the base of a city wall!"

"Hmph? Wasn't it all thanks to your constant 'Your Majesty is brilliant' rhetoric that things were plastered on!"

"I am from one family..."

Oops—I almost fell into her trap!

"Stop! Let's get down to business—are we going to help or not?"

He Shuting immediately stopped acting coquettishly, her fingertips clenched the hem of her clothes, and she stared straight at him.

"Help? Help with what?"

"It's not that we don't want to help, it's that we really have no other choice!"

Li Wenguo made his point clearly, leaving no room for negotiation.

"No way out? I think they're just too lazy to move!"

She took a half step forward, her chin slightly raised, making it clear that she wouldn't give up until she achieved her goal.

"Hey! You big-breasted, heartless little brat, I'm not going to put up with this today!"

Seeing that she was taking advantage of his kindness, Li Wenguo's temper flared up instantly.

"Not going to help? Then you can forget about touching me."

Before she could finish speaking, she pushed him away, quickly straightened her clothes, crossed her arms, turned her back to him, and stood ramrod straight like a cold, unyielding wall.

"Oh ho, you've gone too far! You think I can't handle you?"

He rolled up his sleeves, his knuckles clicking, as if he was about to step forward.

"As the head of the family, you can easily deal with me—but what you can get back is just an empty shell, chewing on something numb and swallowing something bland."

Wow!

Those who have received an education are indeed different.

If you're going to lie down, just lie down. Why insist on using a silken veil as an excuse?

Li Wenguo rolled his eyes inwardly.

But then I thought... if it really happened like that, it would indeed be tasteless and boring.

Fuck!

Haitang had done this before, how come Shuting has learned it so well now?

He held his breath, his chest feeling tight and bloated.

"Sir, just this once, please treat me this once."

Seeing his brow furrowed, He Shuting softened her voice, her eyes glistening with tears.

Then she leaned back into his arms, her head bowed as she unbuttoned her shirt, her movements slow yet firm.

Li Wenguo's heart tingled from the fluctuating temperature, and his anger only intensified.

Oh shit!

They were led by the nose!

No, we have to turn this around!

"Play me a piece, and I'll think about it."

What?

He Shuting froze, her cheeks burning up instantly.

Born into a respectable family, she considered music, chess, calligraphy, and painting as mere elegant embellishments, never truly using them for practical purposes.

So over the years, the word "change" has always been the guiding principle—consider it a sacrifice for the greater good.

But he hasn't given up yet. What if he goes back on his word afterward? Wouldn't all her efforts be for nothing?

With his temper, he can change his mind faster than turning the pages of a book!

"Then please agree first—"

Before he could finish speaking, Li Wenguo interrupted him: "Hurry up! It's a matter of life and death! Your brain is fried, and you still can't think of a solution!"

As he spoke, he pressed down on the back of her head with one hand, his strength leaving no room for resistance.

What else could she do?

Finally, he nodded, of course.

The solution had already been brewing in my mind for a while—like ants moving house.

The shipments were made in several trips, in small quantities, discreetly, and inconspicuously.

The key is how to get out of there.

Go through the checkpoint at the foreign ship dock.

The guards were from the police station.

He was the one who called the shots at the police station.

Before going to work, Wang Zhiguo made a special detour to the dock.

The dock stretched for ten miles, with wheels rolling over the bluestone slabs, and the sounds of people, shouts, and chains dragging on the ground filled the air.

Goods were piled up like mountains, and burlap sacks were stacked higher than buildings.

In front of each receiving point stood a secret agent dressed in a dark Zhongshan suit, his hat brim pulled low, his eyes like hooks.

Only at the entrance to the foreign ship dock were patrol officers in dark blue uniforms.

Wang Zhiguo recognized the leader—Kong Wu, who was originally Li Wenguo's personal bodyguard and was now in charge of inspecting the goods.

Because all incoming and outgoing goods are inspected, they are busy sweating profusely, rummaging through boxes and cabinets, their hands never stopping.