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

The voice hasn't fallen

Chang Binghui led his men into the narrow alley, and the three Japanese spies were instantly surrounded and killed on the spot.

"Gao Yang! Wen San! Wu Xiaogou! You three go and see who's lurking in the shadows!"

Although Chang Binghui saw that the other party had helped him, he still dared not relax and kept his gun pointed at the depths of the alley.

"Shu Ting, have you thought this through?"

"Those spies were at the door in the blink of an eye."

Instead of lowering his voice, he deliberately raised it, speaking clearly and deliberately, aiming straight for Liu Shouhou, Zhao Hengwei, and the other two.

"I...I really can't just leave like this!"

She was still gritting her teeth and struggling, feeling as if her heart was being torn apart by two forces.

But the bond of blood ties ultimately prevailed over the thought of fleeing for one's life.

"Not leaving? Are you waiting to be put on the torture bench and whipped?"

"Besides, Shuting, you are so beautiful and charming. If you fall into their hands... you don't even want to think about the consequences!"

"Stop delaying!"

Zhao Hengwei was so anxious that sweat beaded on his forehead and his voice was strained.

"But...but..."

"No need for that, I'll talk to the drivers."

He turned and walked towards Liu Shouhou.

Liu Shouhou glanced at him sideways, a mocking sneer appearing on his lips.

The people Chang Binghui brought in, Wen San and Wu Xiaogou, were all his master's trusted confidants. Even their spy uniforms were obtained by Master Li through connections within the Lixing Society. With connections and backing, how could outsiders interfere?

How could a few broken guns possibly cause any trouble?

Soon, Zhao Hengwei urged Liu Shouhou and Sun Gang to publicly distance themselves from the situation, saying that they had only met by chance and had nothing to do with each other.

Actually, he had already planned it all out:

If he could really escape the capital, he would probably never be able to turn back in this lifetime—then He Shuting would be completely in his grasp.

"Ha, Mr. Zhao, why bother with all this trouble? My master has already taken care of things with the Lixing Society; they're all set."

He then turned to He Shuting, his tone gentle yet authoritative: "Madam, rest assured, you know these people very well, they won't harm a single hair on your head. Besides—Master Li is here too."

what?

Do I recognize him?

Could it be Dong Haitang?

He Shuting felt a slight sense of relief—they were both from the Li family, and even if they were not on good terms, they wouldn't personally push her into a fire pit.

She was so flustered by Zhao Hengwei that she didn't hear Chang Binghui's shout clearly, and mistakenly thought that Aunt Dong's people had arrived.

Zhao Hengwei's expression shifted between light and shadow as he clenched his fists with a mixture of belief and doubt.

After the two sides met—

"Oh my? Skinny Monkey! And the lady too!"

"Gao Yang, put your gun away! They're one of our own!"

Wen San was taken aback at first, then waved his hand to stop his companion.

"Madam, you must be frightened?"

"It terrified us!"

The two bowed deeply, their tone extremely respectful.

"Oh...it's Wen San, the puppy. I...I'm fine."

Upon seeing that it was her husband's most trusted bodyguard, He Shuting's anxious heart finally settled down.

"It's alright! It's alright!"

Wen San quickly gave Gao Yang a few instructions, and the latter immediately turned around and reported to Chang Binghui.

"By the way, you two... how did you suddenly become spies?"

He Shuting couldn't help but ask.

"Well, this all started with Aunt Dong—she worked for the Lixingshe (a secret society), and Master Li was worried about her, so he insisted on putting me and the dog in there. Nominally, we were spies, but in reality, he was there to protect her..."

As Zhao Hengwei watched helplessly as the two spies bowed and scraped before He Shuting, a sudden tightness gripped his chest, as if he had swallowed a piece of hard, unchewed bread—first astonishment, then shock, and finally, an indescribable sense of suffocation rushing to his head.

This Li Wenguo...

like.

Really.

Unfathomable.

"Alright, it's nothing."

"You may leave."

"Listen up, things are getting tense lately. A beautiful and charming young lady like you should stay at home and be a good wife and mother. Don't go out too much, lest you run into a scene like today's sword fight—if something unexpected happens and you die, I'll be heartbroken without you, my confidante."

Upon hearing that they were Li Wenguo's family members, Chang Binghui immediately let them pass; Dong Haitang, relying on her status as a member of Li Wenguo's household, deliberately strolled over to "give He Shuting a few words of advice."

His voice was cold and hard, like a piece of iron that hadn't been warmed up.

Perhaps it was because he was harboring a sense of resentment.

Or perhaps the humiliation of being forced to bow one's head on the day of the tea ceremony had not yet dissipated.

In short, Dong Haitang looked down on He Shuting from the bottom of his heart and felt angry whenever he saw her.

He Shuting, however, did not back down and retorted head-on:

"My affairs are none of your business."

"Remember this: you're just a fourth wife, you're not qualified to stand in front of me and point fingers."

"All she does is brandish swords and spears, charging around recklessly. Where is even a trace of a woman's gentleness?"

"If someone were to be shot in the street and fall to the ground, even the people collecting the body would be too lazy to bend down."

"snort!"

"Let's go."

Before she finished speaking, she tossed her head, her skirt tracing a clean arc, and turned to leave.

Liu Shouhou nodded slightly to Dong Haitang, then jumped into the car and drove off with He Shuting in tow.

Sun Gang also grabbed Zhao Hengwei, who had been silent all along, and quickly chased after them.

Dong Haitang was left standing there, her face pale and ashen, her fingertips trembling, and her chest heaving violently.

Pooh!

What are you pretending to be so high and mighty for?!

How dare you curse me to die?

He's just someone who paid his way in!

If it weren't for my connections, who would you be? Daring to bare your teeth under my nose?

You shameless scoundrel who bullies others! You shameless scoundrel! You shameless scoundrel!

Wen San and Wu Xiaogou had long seen that the two ladies were irreconcilable, so they slipped away to clean up the mess, not daring to even take another bite of the melon.

They were terrified of getting splattered with blood and embarrassing themselves.

The three Japanese spies killed on the spot, plus the two who had escaped earlier, along with the explosives, detonators, and blueprints found in the hideout...

Every single incident points to the same group of people.

The railway track blasting case was orchestrated by them.

This operation not only eliminated long-standing enemy agents but also cracked a major unsolved case.

Morale was boosted, and the arrogance of the Japanese devils was crushed in the mud.

It was truly exhilarating and a great relief to be able to hold my head high.

Boss Dai was commended by the Chairman in person, and the Emperor was so pleased that he immediately ordered that all members of the Second Division be promoted to the next rank.

Riding on this momentum, he swiftly and decisively reorganized and expanded the organization.

Those high-ranking officials who used to be so critical and demanding are now keeping their mouths shut.

If the case is handled cleanly and efficiently, who would dare to cause trouble?

The focus is on two areas: adding two new action teams, which, together with Chang Binghui's original team, will form three elite forces.

Chang Binghui was promoted to head of the action group; Gao Yang took charge of the first team, Dong Haitang led the second team, and Qiu Shengtong led the third team.

Each team was fully staffed with thirty agents, which greatly expanded the Lixingshe (Lixing Society). The Military Intelligence Bureau, which would later strike fear into the hearts of many, took root here.

But no one expected that Li Wenguo would also be among those awarded medals this time.

It was only because of the Japanese spy he reported that the secret door of the entire five-person gang was opened, thus solving the major railway case.

In terms of who deserves the most credit, he really does.

Chang Binghui placed high hopes on him, expecting him to strike while the iron was hot and expose more enemy agents, thus contributing to the cause of the Party and the country.

Li Wenguo, however, showed no interest whatsoever. Promotion or additional rank—he didn't care about any of it.

He knew perfectly well that the Party-state was crumbling and would eventually retreat to Taiwan. The higher one climbed, the deeper one sank, and the harder it would be to escape in the future.

So they try to get by with whatever they can, and only when they really can't refuse do they pull out something substantial to get by.

However, He Shuting's dangerous encounter today has left him feeling quite frightened.

Such a beautiful and graceful wife is hard to find in this world; having spent so much time together, he has already fallen deeply in love with her—if anything were to happen to her, he fears his heart would be torn open.

That evening, he held her close and whispered, "Why don't you take a break from your job and stay home to take care of the kids and manage the household chores? For important matters, just ask Liu Shouhou or Sun Gang to run errands."

"It neither violates organizational discipline nor requires risking one's life."

He Shuting, however, regarded this idea as a bad one.

If she really did that, it would be tantamount to voluntarily leaving the front line. The first rule of organizational discipline is "stay at your post." How could she agree to that?

Seeing that his wife was as stubborn as iron, Li Wenguo simply stopped arguing.

With Liu Shouhou cleverly protecting the front and Sun Gang steadily covering the rear, as long as they don't run into a large-scale conflict, ensuring her safety is more than enough.

Besides, if you really run into a tough opponent, who's going to stand there like an idiot waiting for bullets?

After Xiao Guohua had eaten and drunk his fill and fallen asleep in the cradle, He Shuting gently sat in Li Wenguo's arms and said softly, "Sir, I have something to discuss with you."

"Can we talk later?"

Li Wenguo's eyes lit up, and he leaned forward half a foot.

"Please let me finish what I have to say."

He Shuting stepped to the side to block him, her fingertips touching his approaching lips.

"Alright, alright, you tell me, you tell me."

Li Wenguo sighed, but his hands didn't stop; they slid down to her waist.

"Sir, someone asked me to order ten radio stations, but the budget is tight right now."

"Oh? I thought it was something serious—just this? Leave it to me! Lowest price guaranteed, hurry up, my little darling!"

"Wait, I haven't said I want to buy it yet."

He Shuting gently pushed his mouth away again.

Then, changing the subject, they brought up another matter.

"Sir, a female classmate of mine from before is coming to the capital on business in a couple of days. I'd like to invite her to stay at our house for a few days."

"She is from northern Shaanxi."

They made a point of specifying their place of origin, without any concealment.

My husband is my own person, and I can't hide this from him at all. He should be aware of it so that if something happens to him, I won't be caught off guard.

What?

Bring a member of the underground Communist Party home!

Li Wenguo's eyebrows twitched, and his face immediately darkened.

He Shuting, have you lost your mind?

Have you forgotten that there's a spy lurking in your house?

No, there are two now!

He himself wasn't afraid, but if Haitang happened to run into him... it would probably cause another uproar!

He shook his head, sighing inwardly: He'd probably been too accommodating lately, letting her get used to everything and making her arrogant. He needed to rein her in this time; he couldn't let her run wild.

"No, they absolutely can't stay at our house. I'll find another place, somewhere safe and secure."

He was resolute and left no room for negotiation.

"I'll just stay for a few days, and move out as soon as the newspaper makes the arrangements."

She had already promised President Wang Zhiguo, how could she go back on her word?

Discipline must not be relaxed.

"Since we'll have to move sooner or later anyway, why squeeze into our room? Listen to me, I'll pick the place myself, and we'll make sure everything goes smoothly."

But things didn't go her way, so she had to be made to run into a wall.

"Sir, why are you so stingy?"

He Shuting's eyes flickered, a hint of coquettishness in them.