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

"During this period, everyone is on high alert, working tirelessly to complete the tasks assigned by President Song!"

"yes!!!"

Dong Haitang, Gao Yang, and Qiu Sheng responded in unison.

But as soon as she finished speaking, Dong Haitang suddenly frowned and inhaled, holding onto the edge of the table with one hand and gently pressing the other on her protruding belly.

"Haitang? What's wrong?"

Li Wenguo strode forward, his voice trembling.

Holy crap!

Could it be... that they're going to launch the operation ahead of schedule?

"It's nothing," she waved her hand, beads of sweat glistening on her forehead. "It hurts occasionally, but the doctor checked and said it's Braxton Hicks contractions, which is perfectly normal."

"this……"

Li Wenguo felt a sense of relief, but immediately tensed up again—He Shuting had done the same thing before.

Even in this state, why force yourself to go to work? What's the point?

He turned to look directly at Kang Bin: "Director Kang, as you can see, Haitang is seven months pregnant. She's heavy and has trouble walking. Besides, all the merits she's made before were genuine. Why not approve her maternity leave sooner so she can focus on her pregnancy?"

"Actually, you really don't need to..."

Dong Haitang wanted to speak again.

Li Wenguo glanced at her, his gaze sharp, and she immediately shut her mouth.

Kang Bin looked troubled—President Song was very strict about the deadline, and letting go of his most capable assistant at this time would likely delay the progress.

Chang Binghui, standing to the side, interjected with a smile: "How about this? Give Captain Dong maternity leave and let Wen Guo temporarily take over as the captain of the third squad, which will be perfect for him."

"He did a clean and efficient job catching three Japanese spies last time; he has a solid foundation."

Kang Bin pondered for a moment, then nodded and looked at Li Wenguo: "What do you think?"

Can I say no?

He rolled his eyes inwardly and thought to himself:

I was just here to casually observe and watch the excitement, but instead, I've stumbled into a fire pit! My wife is pregnant, so I have to bear it whether I like it or not—it's absolutely infuriating!

"Okay, I'll hold off the third squad for now."

Li Wenguo readily agreed.

Back in his office, he plopped down in Dong Haitang's swivel chair, casually placing his legs on the desk. The chair leaned back, wobbling and creaking.

Dong Haitang glanced at it, too lazy to care.

He just casually reminded me, "Don't mess up my desk."

She had already relaxed about the maternity leave issue.

Her belly swelled up day by day, the fetal movements became stronger and stronger, and the little one would kick her from time to time, as if greeting her.

That warm feeling of blood ties silently crept up on her, making her only want to protect this peaceful place and give birth to her child safely.

A vacation? I don't resist it, I even... kind of look forward to it.

This was the first time she had ever put her official duties aside for one thing.

"You'd better stay home and rest quietly during this time. Oh, and let me remind you seriously—stay away from Shu Ting, and don't confront her again, understand?"

Li Wenguo's face was stern, and his tone was as heavy as if a blue stone had been pressed down on him.

"She doesn't bother me, so I naturally don't bother with her."

Only after these words were spoken did Li Wenguo finally feel a little relieved.

Although He Shuting disliked Dong Haitang from the bottom of her heart, if she really wanted to find fault, she would always pick when Li Wenguo was present—at least someone would back her up and protect her.

She's not confused; how could she not know Dong Haitang's temper?

Having taken over his wife Dong Haitang's third action team, Li Wenguo arrived at Lixingshe as soon as it was dawn.

At his command, the entire team of agents assembled at lightning speed.

Half of the men were originally transferred from the guard team and had long been running errands for Li Wenguo. They were even more obedient to him than to the old captain, Dong Haitang.

The other half were new faces, but Ye knew them well: this acting captain was not only Captain Dong's right-hand man, but also single-handedly in charge of their weapons supplies and Japanese intelligence—their survival and leads for meritorious service were all provided by him. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a second father.

So no one put on airs, no one tripped them up, and no one dared to give the new leader a hard time.

On the surface, this mission was to help Bank Manager Song find his lost items, but Li Wenguo had already planned two steps ahead:

First, we followed the clues to uncover the group of Japanese spies behind it, searched their bodies, and asked President Song to identify them on the spot.

Secondly, figure out what you lost first—if you don't even know what you're looking for, blindly searching will only waste time and effort.

The item couldn't be brought into the open, so Li Wenguo didn't let his spies get involved directly. He only sent a few trusted men, including Ding Xiaoqi, to secretly investigate. If he were to alert Director Song, he'd probably be stopped as soon as he opened his mouth.

Before long, the team was fully prepared and set off.

Our first stop was Yagyu's opium den.

Last time, Li Wenguo secretly hid a bugging device for him in the Western restaurant.

Liu Sheng's shop is located on Yandai Xiejie (Tobacco Pipe Slope Street).

The name of this place has an old-fashioned feel to it—and that's right, half of the street was filled with opium dens.

Locals, foreigners, and Japanese—the restaurants lined up one after another, a vast, bustling scene.

However, those Japanese soldiers were publicly registered; they had residence permits and diplomatic notes, so you couldn't just arrest them on a whim.

The other half is the bustling, old-fashioned red-light district.

After smoking opium, one feels like floating on clouds, as light as a feather. How could one possibly restrain oneself? Naturally, one would go inside and indulge in a good, unrestrained spree.

To put it bluntly, this red-light district is an "ancillary facility" of Yandaixie Street; without it, it would be inappropriate.

The rest were just scattered bits and pieces, such as taverns, inns, and tea stalls.

The group headed straight for the "Spring Breeze" opium den.

An informant had already scouted the way ahead—Yagyu was inside, puffing away on a cigarette.

As the group filed in, a warm breeze carrying a sweet fragrance wafted towards them, just as its name suggested.

Facing you is an exquisitely crafted courtyard, complete with artificial hills, winding streams, and lush flowers and trees; even today, it would be a perfect spot for taking photos.

"Wen San!"

"arrive!"

"Take your men in, and be quick about it. Hold Yagyu down!"

"yes!"

Wen San led a few men, their steps quick and swift as they plunged inside.

"Little Dog Wu!"

"arrive!"

"You take your men and 'invite' every single smoker out of this room!"

"Remember, it's 'please,' not 'boom!' Understand?"

After all, once the shop is sealed off, it will be under the Lixing Society's name tomorrow—how could they ruin their own reputation? If they break the rules, how can they do business in the future?

"yes!"

"Xiao Jie!"

"You take your men and gather all the waiters, the smokers, and the doormen together!"

"yes!"

Wu Xiaogou and Xiao Jie turned and left.

Before long, Yagyu was dragged out with his hands tied behind his back by Bunzo.

"Let me go!"

"What are you doing?!"

"Why are you arresting me? I haven't broken any laws!"

"If you don't let go, I'll sue you right now!"

He struck the pose of a respectable businessman, showing no sign of panic on his face and standing ramrod straight.

—I am a law-abiding citizen, law-abiding and law-abiding. Whoever comes, I am in the right!

Li Wenguo clicked his tongue inwardly, secretly admiring the performance: This acting is even more authentic than that of actors from a film studio, it's completely natural.

Then I thought: Did every Japanese spy have to pass an acting exam before they could take up their post?

"Oh my, isn't this Manager Li? What brings you here in person?"

"Did you bring all these people?"

"Why are you arresting me? What have I done to offend you?"

"Let go! Did you hear me?!"

When Liu Sheng looked up and saw Li Wenguo, he was first stunned, then frowned and questioned him.

"No rush, no rush," Li Wenguo smiled slowly. "Once we get there, we'll have plenty of time to chat."

"take away!"

Wen San immediately waved his hand, and several burly men carried the man out.

Immediately afterwards, a group of smokers poured out, cursing and swearing, their sleeves rolled up to their forearms, half-smoked cigarettes dangling from their mouths, clearly unhappy.

Li Wenguo cleared his throat and announced loudly, "Dear customers, I'm truly sorry! We've been caught in a surprise inspection today, so the opium den will be closed for a while—but we'll be open as usual tomorrow, and we won't charge you a penny! Everyone, take this red bill and you can smoke for free all day!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's anger subsided considerably, and some even patted Li Wenguo on the shoulder with a smile, praising him for being a good friend.

Next to be brought out were a group of people from the establishment: waiters serving tea and water, waitresses in cheongsams waving round fans, and a brothel madam with slicked-back hair and delicate hand gestures.

"Comprehensive service, one-stop service!" Li Wenguo glanced at them, nodded to his subordinates, and said, "Tell them to go to work as usual tomorrow, but the employer has changed—from now on, the Liu Sheng brand is gone."

"Little dog, take some men and bring him back to the station."

As soon as Li Wenguo finished speaking, he turned to Wen San and said, "Let's go to Liu Sheng's residence."

Half an hour later, the car stopped outside the high brick wall.

"Wen San, Xiao Jie, take your men in first and pin down all the suspicious ones, don't let a single one escape!"

The incident involving Yan Ming three months ago still felt like a thorn in his heart—though he hadn't been there in person, Li Wenguo had long since learned to let others step on the landmines first. Only after Wen San and Xiao Jie led their team to clear the area did he stroll into the courtyard, guided by Yu Tou.

This is a well-maintained two-courtyard house with gray tiles and white walls, simple carvings, and an understated elegance.

Compared to the money in Liu Sheng's hands, this courtyard is indeed a bit shabby—but the man is quite composed and keeps a deep eye on things.

After all, they were doing shady business, so how could they dare to make it public?

Only two servants and a young, beautiful woman remained in the courtyard. Li Wenguo immediately concluded: she was most likely Liu Shengyang's daughter. At that moment, she was being held against a pillar, her fingertips white, her lips trembling slightly.

Her eyes were filled with panic—a group of men with guns and hats burst through the door. If she hadn't seen the police badges, she probably would have thought she had encountered kidnappers.

Li Wenguo's gaze swept over her waist, then swept over her profile, and he weighed her appearance in his mind: she was indeed quite pretty, but compared to the women in his own household, she was at most considered pretty and pleasing to the eye.

But the thought of this beautiful young woman being taken by the Japanese devils made him feel a surge of anger. He turned around and whispered, "When you interrogate Liu Sheng later, don't hold back with your feet—especially those two places, stomp on them hard."

While Wen San and the others were rummaging through the drawers, he strolled up to Wen Keren and softened his voice: "Beautiful lady, may I ask your name?"

"I... my surname is Wen, and my name is Wen Keren." Her voice was as thin as a whisper, and her eyelashes trembled.

"Wen Keren? What a nice name."

"What's your relationship with Yagyu?"

"I...I'm someone who's...by his side." She lowered her head, her ears turning bright red.

Li Wenguo suddenly lowered his voice: "He's a Japanese spy, do you know that?"

"Ah?!" She looked up abruptly, her face turning deathly pale.

Spy? Traitor?

These three words are like an ice pick piercing your eardrum—once you're tainted, your life is ruined!

She genuinely had no idea. Wen San and his team had been keeping an eye on her for three months and knew exactly what was going on.

Li Wenguo glanced at the backyard, figuring the search wouldn't be finished anytime soon, and decided to grin crookedly, indulging in a bit of leisurely pleasure—he always found it satisfying and invigorating to see the Japanese soldiers being cuckolded.

"Miss Wen, do you want to live?"

"Yes! I really want to!" she cried, almost kneeling down in her desperation.

"Take me to your bedroom—I want to see for myself whether you also work for the Japanese."

"No! No! I don't even know who he received telegrams from at night!" she cried out in a panic.

"Whether it is or not, it's up to me to decide."

She then understood the implied meaning, her face flushed, she lowered her head, bit her lip, and silently led the way.

Li Wenguo followed behind, watching her swaying waist with each step, and clicked his tongue inwardly: Power is something that becomes more and more addictive the more you use it.

An hour later, he strolled back to the main hall, his clothes slightly open, his expression relaxed.

Yes, it's nice to change things up once in a while—it's quite delicious and can even soothe the lungs and refresh the mind.

Wen San and Xiao Jie had piled all the valuables in the courtyard: gold bars were neatly stacked, US dollars and pounds were bundled in piles, and house deeds and land deeds were spread out on the blue brick floor.

What caught their eye the most was a black radio—the knobs were gleaming and the wires were neatly coiled.

Yagyu's identity as a spy is now confirmed.

Li Wenguo glanced at the machine in Wen San's hand and secretly breathed a sigh of relief: Luckily, it was found, otherwise I would have had to take one out of my own pocket to "borrow flowers to offer to Buddha".

"Have you counted the items?"

Xiao Jie immediately bowed: "Master Li, everything's here! The US dollars and pounds sterling are worth 250,000 silver dollars; plus cash, gold bars, several shareholder agreements, and the deeds to three shops—it's nearly 400,000 in total!"

Hey!

How could someone make such a fortune by running an opium den?

A single puff of cigarette can drain the hard-earned money of countless poor people!

Li Wenguo squinted and gently exhaled a long breath.

But then, in a moment of excitement, he realized he had made a windfall!