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

"Shuting, we're all in the same boat. I'm happy to worry about my own family. And you too..."

She suddenly raised her hand, her slender fingers like jade, and gently pressed them against his lips. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and her breath quickened: "Master—kiss me."

Of course, it was just a light, tender kiss.

After all, she was already six months pregnant and dared not make any rash moves.

Besides, I still need to see Yang Yuerong later.

Before going to the appointment, Li Wenguo first went into the Lixing Society.

"Little dog, go and take Zhang Damin to cell number one, and personally feed him this pill."

He lowered his voice and gave the order.

"Understood, Mr. Li!"

Wu Xiaogou agreed readily without even blinking—having followed Li Wenguo all these years, he believed not in the efficacy of the medicine, but in Li himself.

A moment later, he returned, nodded, and said, "It's done. I watched him swallow it with my own eyes."

"Did he faint?"

"He collapsed onto the table, breathing very evenly, fast asleep."

The drug was a specially made hypnotic drug; it worked quickly but took a long time to wake the patient.

This was the moment Li Wenguo had been waiting for—to take Zhen Zhang Damin into his spatial storage and release a clone already disguised as him to take his place. He planned to escort him back to the same place the next day and then "execute" him quietly, so that he would never exist again.

He pushed open the door to cubicle number one. The room was so quiet that only the ticking of a clock could be heard. Zhang Damin was slumped over the table, his forehead pressed against the wood grain, unconscious.

Li Wenguo reached out and beckoned, and the figure vanished in an instant; with another wave of his hand, another "Zhang Damin" was already sitting upright in his original position, his breathing rhythm and the direction of his clothes folds perfectly synchronized.

He turned and left, saying, "Tomorrow morning, take them all back to the same place, along with the others."

Wu Xiaogou stood there, scratching the back of his head, completely bewildered.

He really couldn't figure it out: what exactly was Master Li trying to achieve by making all this fuss tonight?

Could it be that, just to see that person one last time?

Picking up Yang Yuerong, it was still the same old-brand hotel, and the presidential suite on the top floor decorated with golden nanmu wood.

"Wen Guo, how is Zhang Damin now? Where is he? Is there any hope for him?"

As soon as she stepped into the suite, Yang Yuerong couldn't wait to ask a question.

He was both distressed by the suffering Zhang Damin had endured and worried that Zhang Damin might not be able to withstand the torture and reveal all the secrets of the underground party organization.

At that moment, her heart felt like it was being pressed by a red-hot lump of iron, both hot and heavy.

"Don't worry, he's been properly taken care of. You can pick him up tomorrow morning."

Li Wenguo paused, his tone suddenly tightening: "But there's something I must make clear—Zhang Damin's identity has been completely exposed, and you must arrange for him to leave Beijing immediately. If he falls into their hands again, not only him, but the entire network could be uprooted."

Yang Yuerong nodded repeatedly, her voice tense: "Okay! When we meet tomorrow, I'll have someone escort him away immediately!"

Once the business was settled, personal feelings quietly surfaced.

In particular, the passionate encounter with He Shuting last night had already ignited an uncontrollable restlessness in Li Wenguo's heart.

"Yuerong..." He reached out and grasped her slightly cool hand, his palm burning hot, his gaze fixed intently on her eyes, "To get you out of here, I pulled strings, used connections, and spent a lot of money. Tell me—how are you going to thank me tonight?"

Yang Yuerong's ears burned, she lowered her eyelashes, her cheeks flushed crimson, and her voice was barely audible: "Mmm... Wenguo, tonight, I'll do whatever you want..."

She clearly felt herself sinking deeper and deeper into the soft net he had woven, yet she found it sweet.

Another night of blissful relaxation, leaving me feeling warm both physically and mentally.

As dawn broke, Yang Yuerong insisted on heading straight to the newspaper office to personally deliver the news to President Wang, so that he could immediately send someone to No. 35, Houhai Third Lane to pick her up.

At the newspaper office entrance, they parked in the same spot as always, got out at the same time, met again, he still reached out to support her arm, still habitually stroked her lower abdomen, and still received those knowing, envious glances from passersby.

He Shuting no longer felt conflicted about the vague connection between her husband and Yang Yuerong—it was just another person in the family, so she decided to let things take their course.

Yang Yuerong strode into Wang Zhiguo's office, catching her breath before she could finish speaking: "President Wang, the person has been rescued! They're in the courtyard at No. 35, Lane 3, Houhai. Please send someone reliable to pick them up immediately!"

She paused briefly, then lowered her voice and added, "By the way, my friend specifically instructed that since Zhang Damin's identity has been exposed, we must move him immediately, without delay."

Wang Zhiguo frowned slightly, staring at her anxious face for a few seconds before slowly speaking, his tone heavy with worry: "Yuerong, tell me the truth—who exactly is this friend? Does he really have such extraordinary abilities to pull someone out of the jaws of death?"

"Furthermore, when he said 'identity exposed,' what exactly did he mean? Was it his identity as a party member? His identity as a liaison officer? Or... something more crucial?"

Li Wenguo had given instructions beforehand: Wang Zhiguo and He Shuting must not discover his relationship with Yang Yuerong.

what?

This……

Yang Yuerong's mind went blank for a moment, and she was stunned.

She had never thought about these things, nor had she ever asked about them.

Because she trusted him too much and craved the tenderness he gave her, her vigilance crumbled silently like the receding tide, and she even missed the most ordinary questions.

What if... he was lying to himself? Then wouldn't his scheme be terrifying to contemplate?

No, absolutely not!

The night before last, he risked his life to help her hide that gemstone necklace, and was almost caught red-handed by the police—his courage is undeniable!

She still chose to believe him.

Wang Zhiguo had been silently observing her turbulent emotions. Seeing her face turn pale and then flushed, he understood what was going on.

Ugh……

This girl is probably already deeply in love. She didn't even pay attention to such a crucial moment, which shows how tightly and firmly she's entangled in the threads of affection.

Love can ruin everything!

Indeed, revolution is not a place for romance—I understood this long ago.

"No... I didn't ask in detail."

She bit her lip, her voice soft yet firm: "But President Wang, I trust him, he wouldn't lie to me."

"Yuerong, we're doing a life-or-death job. What's the first ironclad rule? It's to survive. Only by living can we pass on the torch."

"Once the safety line collapses, we won't even have a foothold anymore. How can we possibly charge forward?"

"You have to understand, we're not alone. If one person falls, the whole game collapses. So—I can't trust someone who doesn't even dare to reveal their name and whose background I don't know, like you do."

These words carried immense weight, each one like a nail, piercing her heart.

Do you know what I mean?

"I... understand."

She lowered her head, her fingertips unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.

Of course she understood. President Wang, completely unaware, was perfectly justified in being cautious from the organization's perspective. She would have done the same in his shoes.

"So now—can you tell me who he is?"

Fearing she would be unable to eat or sleep because of breaking her promise to her friend, Wang Zhiguo's expression hardened, and his tone was calm yet resolute: "Yuerong, you know my character—once these words enter my ears, they will remain buried in my belly. I will never let a single word slip out, and I will certainly not make you feel like you're caught in the middle."

"Okay... then!"

Yang Yuerong trusted Wang Zhiguo, this old revolutionary, from the bottom of her heart.

Entrusting it to him is reassuring.

"My friend's name is Li Wenguo, and he is a shareholder of Weifeng Machinery Factory. The first time we met was on the day the factory was officially opened. I was doing an interview, and that's when we started talking."

"He is truly knowledgeable, and his words on national affairs are always to the point; he speaks frankly and without reservation about certain current unhealthy trends. He is a man of courage and ambition! I can sense that what he is thinking is the same as what we are thinking—to make our country truly stand tall and firm..."

Yang Yuerong unconsciously became more enthusiastic in her conversation, eager to reveal all of Li Wenguo's merits in order to gain Wang Zhiguo's favor.

But she didn't notice that when Wang Zhiguo heard the name "Li Wenguo," his eyelids twitched slightly, his lips stiffened for a moment, and a very faint yet very complex expression flashed across his face.

It turned out to be him!

Shu Ting's man!

Who would have thought that he would secretly become entangled with Yue Rong!

No wonder he kept telling me not to reveal anything—he was probably afraid that Shu Ting and I would find out!

Not to mention, he had already figured out Yue Rong's identity!

When others see the local thugs, they run away as fast as they can!

He's the only one who cares about whether someone is pretty or not, he doesn't care who they are!

That's incredibly audacious!

He sneered inwardly.

Achoo!!!

In the small courtyard at No. 35, Houhai Third Alley, Li Wenguo, who had just let Zhang Damin go, suddenly sneezed loudly.

"Pah! Which scoundrel is gossiping about me behind my back, or even cursing my ancestors?"

He frowned, his voice laced with anger.

Back in the newspaper office, Wang Zhiguo's expression had changed.

"Oh—it was him!"

Upon hearing the name, my heart immediately felt at ease.

I still remember the cotton-padded coat incident: they gave it a 50% discount without saying a word, and the organization even issued a special report praising them after accepting it.

"President Wang, you've known Wen Guo for a while?"

Yang Yuerong felt a complete sense of relief, as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

It's easier if you know someone!

It seems that President Wang highly approves of him!

"Uh... how should I put it..."

He couldn't very well say that it was He Shuting's man—Li Wenguo himself was keeping quiet about it, so how could he possibly undermine him?

"He... well... he is indeed a trustworthy friend. He has been quietly supporting us all these years. He is a patriotic industrialist with unwavering integrity."

Wang Zhiguo not only did not leak any secrets, but his actions actually added to his credibility.

But a slight feeling of disgust rose in her stomach: this person was clearly flirting with Yue Rong.

"Really? That's great!"

Upon hearing that Li Wenguo had been secretly helping her all along, Yang Yuerong felt even closer to him.

She even considered whether she could persuade him to formally join the Party—that way, marrying him would be a natural progression.

We're all from the local faction, so there's no question of owing or owing each other anything!

In the quiet courtyard pavilion, a man and a woman knelt facing each other, with a simple and clean small table in front of them.

On the table were a pot of sake, two small plain porcelain cups, and several plates of exquisite wagashi (Japanese sweets).

"Kato-kun, what's the wind blowing in Kyoto lately?"

It was the woman who spoke.

Her features were striking, her lips were cherry-colored, her black hair was styled in a high bun, and her neck was long and graceful. She wore a dark blue kimono, but it couldn't hide her voluptuous curves.

Hearing her question, the short, stout middle-aged man—with his slicked-back mustache and Adam's apple bobbing—answered in a low voice:

"Miss Meili, recently we have lost several key agents, and our control over the capital is gradually slipping out of control. In particular, the successive incidents involving Yan Mingjun, Yagyu-kun, and Yuda-kun have drastically reduced our funding, disrupted our defection efforts, and caused a backlog of intelligence. Right now, every step we take feels like walking through a quagmire..."

Before he could finish speaking, a long sigh escaped from between his teeth.

With Yan Ming, Liu Sheng, and Sun Youtian all gone, the entire spy network was almost paralyzed.

The spies, who always rely on seduction and bribery to infiltrate, are now facing increasing hardship as their three golden goose-laying hens are gone.

Kato's sighs and lamentations are not unjustified.

"Kato-kun, Chief Doi-maru sent us here to clean up this mess, so don't panic."

Mitsui Miri's voice was soft and gentle, yet carried an undeniable certainty.

"Yes, yes, Miss Meili is very capable, I trust her!"

He nodded hastily, his tone ingratiating.

Mitsui Miri's gaze sharpened slightly, and she asked again, "How many business cover schemes are still available right now?"

"There are only two left, the rest are just some inconspicuous little shops."

"Make them lie low immediately, and absolutely no further attempts at subversion are allowed in the near future—not a single finger!"

She tapped her fingertips lightly on the table, speaking slowly and deliberately.

"Miss Meili, please rest assured. After the three were captured, I immediately ordered all related operations to be completely halted."

Kato spoke with certainty, then looked up and asked, "What's the next step?"

"Immediately activate the hidden agents, turn them into the Lixing Society, transmit intelligence while stirring up trouble within it—weaponize it from the root."

"They repeatedly set fires under the guise of the Land Party, drawing all the firepower of the Lixingshe (a secret society) to them."

Mitsui Miri's eyes were bright and clear, and the corners of her lips were slightly upturned, like a sword that had been drawn but not yet sung.

"Brilliant! A stroke of genius!"

Kato burst into loud laughter, clapping his hands together. "Rikkyousha? Nothing but a paper tiger!"

"There is another urgent matter: thoroughly investigate the interpersonal networks of Yan Mingjun, Yagyu-kun, and Yuda-kun, and screen out all the people who have crossed paths with them, and dig deep into each one."

"Yes, sir!!!"