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

It's 10 o'clock.

After Lei Sheng finished his last puff of cigarette, he casually took out his own pack and handed it out one by one.

Keeping watch is the most mentally taxing job. Without cigarettes to keep you going, who can keep going?

Not long after, the four people slumped in their chairs, breathing heavily, and completely lost consciousness.

Ah Gui peeked out and saw that all four of them had fallen. He waved his hand behind him, and the others immediately followed.

Binzi and Haozi, who were on lookout duty, casually swapped the cigarettes in Leisheng's pocket for another pack, and also collected the four cigarette butts scattered on the ground.

Ding Xiaoqi and Agui slipped into the ward, swiftly dealt with Huang Yuhe, then used pliers to pry off the window frame latch and forcefully pushed the window open.

They fabricated the illusion that a thief broke in through a window and escaped.

As they finished, they slipped a burning incense stick under the door, and the smoke slowly seeped into the room—clearly, Lei Sheng and the other three had been knocked out by the incense and were powerless to fight back.

They then quietly withdrew.

………………

"Shu Ting, have you heard of Huang Yu and this person? He's in his early fifties and owns a pawnshop."

Li Wenguo sat on the edge of the bed, holding his youngest daughter Jingfen, whose eyelids were still heavy, in his arms, his voice low.

"Never heard of him. What's wrong with him?"

He Shuting paused in her needlework, looked up at him, and frowned slightly—asking a stranger for no reason could mean no good.

"Good news and bad news, which do you want to hear first?"

Li Wenguo squinted, a smile playing on his lips.

"Sir, please stop beating around the bush and just say what you mean!"

She put down the embroidery hoop, reached out and pinched the flesh on his arm, with just the right amount of force.

"If you don't choose, I won't talk."

He didn't move an inch, not even flinching—his finger strength was better than that of a bathhouse attendant.

"Okay, okay, here's the bad news first!"

She was decisive and quick-witted, thinking to herself: swallow the bitter pill first, then I can catch my breath later.

"The bad news is—Huang Yuhe is an underground party member. He was just arrested by the First Division and immediately confessed."

"What? Comrade's been arrested? Sir, we need to think of something quick and get him out!"

He Shuting blurted out, her tone urgent, her palms already slightly damp.

and many more!

If I let my guard down... wouldn't that lead to the discovery of the contact point and expose other comrades?

Her heart tightened, and she couldn't sit still any longer.

"They've already confessed, why are you still trying to save them?"

Li Wenguo, on the contrary, burst out laughing.

"No, I have to go right away!"

She jumped up and headed straight for the wardrobe—she had to find Wang Zhiguo before it got completely dark, find out about Huang Yu and her background, and also find out if the newspaper had been targeted.

"What time is it? Why are you still running outside?"

"You haven't even thrown up your good news yet."

"Perhaps this good news can swallow up the bad news."

Li Wenguo added slowly, making sure she unbuttoned two buttons of her pajamas before speaking.

"So... what's the good news?"

She didn't bother to avoid his burning gaze—after years of being open and honest with each other, she had long lost her sense of shame, and was only anxious.

"The good news is that Huang Yuhe died in the interrogation room before she could even speak."

"Oh... dead? It's better that he's dead."

She let out a long sigh, her fingers flying to fasten her clothes, her movements as swift and efficient as pulling back the bolt of a gun.

"Why are you in such a hurry to get dressed? I can see it, but I can't touch it."

"Who told you to be so warm-hearted? You've gotten me pregnant again!"

She raised her chin, her eyes gleaming with mischief, clearly laughing at his helplessness.

"I'll go check on Meijing."

He gently placed Jingfen into the cradle, then turned and went out.

"Miss Song, I'm here again! Has anyone been sneaking out at night lately? Haha!"

That day, Li Wenguo stepped into the gate of Zhongguo Bank to ask Song Qingzhi for help.

When he ran into Song Caidie, he casually made a joke—since he still needed her to guide him, it wouldn't hurt to tease her a bit.

"Here again? Or is it to see my uncle?"

Song Caidie's weak spot was hit, and her tone became a bit sharp.

"Nonsense, why would I come all the way here just to see you if I didn't look for him?"

"I'm a married man."

Li Wenguo shrugged, half-jokingly admitting to being poor.

"You...believe me or not, I'll stop you from coming in right now?"

She raised her chin angrily.

"Oh, you dare to choke me? Believe me or not, I'll promise your uncle I'll marry you and cause you trouble every single day!"

He refused to yield an inch and instead turned the tables on him.

"You! You're a scoundrel!!!"

Song Caidie's face flushed instantly, her ears turned bright red, and although she was cursing, her heart felt as if it had been gently bumped by something, soft and yielding without the slightest resistance.

At this point, several employees were pretending to organize documents, but they were secretly glancing over here out of the corner of their eyes.

Upon noticing this, Song Caidie immediately got up and quickly walked towards Song Qingzhi's office.

"Hey, shouldn't you call your uncle first and let him know?"

Li Wenguo was afraid that she would forget the important matter in her panic, so he kindly reminded her.

"No need, my uncle instructed me that if no one is in his office, he can just take you in."

As she walked, she glanced back, and sure enough, those eyes were glued to her waist and hips again!

But this time, not a trace of annoyance arose in my heart.

It's very strange...

"Hey, have you seen enough?"

Once inside the elevator, she finally turned around, her face stern as she questioned him.

"Not enough."

He answered readily.

"You're a married man, after all."

She reminded her.

"I know, but what rule did my wife's former colleague violate?"

He grinned, shamelessly assertive.

"Aren't you the one who loves your wife the most?"

"This is absolutely outrageous!"

Her tone turned serious, and her finger almost poked the tip of his nose.

"Huh? Are you out of your mind? I didn't even touch the hem of her clothes, I just glanced at her twice, and that's considered apologizing to her?"

"Besides, you're standing right in front of me, I can see you just by looking up, right? Do you expect me to walk with my eyes closed?"

Li Wenguo chuckled, raising his chin slightly, completely unconcerned.

"You—you're just making excuses! You don't care about them at all!"

Song Caidie was so angry that she stomped her feet and her cheeks turned red.

"Hmph, my concern for her is ingrained in my bones, not something I just say as an excuse."

"What do you know, you greenhorn who hasn't even given away your first kiss?"

These words were barbed, piercing straight at you.

"You, you... I'm not talking to you anymore!"

Song Caidie was speechless, then suddenly spun around, her skirt swirling in a clean arc, and walked away without looking back.

As soon as she turned around, Li Wenguo lazily followed her gaze again—anyway, he didn't want to have anything to do with her at all, so he did whatever he wanted.

Whether you tease her or make fun of her, the point is to have a good time.

Ding!

The elevator doors slid open. Song Caidie stepped out, but caught a glimpse of his undisguised gaze out of the corner of her eye. She curled her lip: "Look all you want! It's not like I'll lose a piece of my flesh!"

I feel quite at ease.

Boom boom boom!

She slammed the door shut, and just before closing it, she gave Li Wenguo a fierce glare.

"Wenguo, did you upset your cousin again? Why does her eyes always look like they're spitting fire whenever she sees you?"

Song Qingzhi smiled and shook his head, then picked up his teacup and blew on it.

This was the first time he had ever seen his niece so angry, anxious, ashamed, and annoyed with a man.

Being an old and shrewd man, he had long ago noticed the beginnings of her developing feelings for him.

Although she didn't say it outright, she had already secretly taken a liking to Li Wenguo—this kid was even more eye-catching than all the direct descendants of the Song family combined. He had courage, methods, and a ruthlessness that others couldn't learn.

By getting him on the Song family's big ship, we're guaranteed to make a profit.

But he also knew that pulling hard would break the skin, and forcing it wouldn't make it sweet.

Going with the flow leads to a natural outcome.

"Oh, it's nothing. That girl takes it too seriously. She took a joke seriously, we had a few words, it's nothing to worry about."

Li Wenguo casually leaned back on the sofa, his tone nonchalant.

"Alright, have a seat. You came to see me today because you have something important to discuss?"

"Well, a familiar middleman asked me to handle a large batch of top-quality foreign cigarettes. I want to buy them all at once."

That's right, this shipment is the same batch of high-end cigarettes that was stolen from Mitsui & Co.

The whole of Beijing is talking about this now, and the Mitsui & Co. has gone crazy with their search, even threatening to fight to the death with anyone who dares to take the goods.

The situation was too tense for anyone to get involved—but the Song family was different.

Li Wenguo was convinced: the Song family could handle this deal, and dared to take it.

Even if they were afraid of offending the Japanese, they could simply transport the cigarettes by sea to Shanghai or Nanjing. Those military, political, and commercial officials were all rolling in money, and once they got their hands on the cigarettes, their wealth would double in the blink of an eye.

Song Qingzhi's eyelids twitched, and he immediately thought of the theft case that had shocked the entire city a few days ago.

He put down his teacup, his voice lowering slightly: "...Was it the batch that Mitsui lost?"

"pretty close."

Li Wenguo gave a vague reply, his posture remaining relaxed—he was now the middleman, and couldn't speak definitively.

"How much are you asking?"

Upon hearing which batch of goods it was, Song Qingzhi's eyes sharpened. He still remembered the time Mitsui had cheated him.

"Originally valued at 800,000 silver dollars, the other party was in a hurry to sell, giving up 10%, or 720,000 silver dollars."

"President Song, isn't this a generous offer? If you act quickly, you can make at least double your money."

"The sincerity is indeed evident."

Song Qingzhi nodded, then changed the subject: "But—how will the handover take place?"

Safety is the top priority. Price is negotiable, but you only have one life.

"Simple. This broker has been working with me for many years and is trustworthy; I will act as the guarantor—once you agree, 720,000 will be deposited into my account, and the goods will be temporarily stored with me; once you have inspected the goods and are satisfied, I will deliver the goods and pay the other party on the same day."

"If you want to ship to Shanghai or Nanjing, I've already got a ship in hand, ready to go anytime."

"Oh? How much do you smoke?"

Song Qingzhi raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"Hehe, the remainder of 720,000 is mine."

Li Wenguo grinned.

Song Qingzhi lowered his eyes and remained silent, his fingertips tapping the table unconsciously. Li Wenguo then fell silent and waited for the verdict.

Two minutes later, Song Qingzhi looked up and said in a relaxed tone, "Fine, for your sake, Wen Guo, I'll waive the price."

"However, the goods must be shipped directly to Nanjing."

"Okay!"

Li Wenguo should act decisively and cleanly.

He then added, "President Song, the other party has made a small request—they only accept US dollars or British pounds, which are lightweight, easy to carry, and worry-free on the road."

"If I'm being given face, I'll give it to you to the end."

Song Qingzhi nodded, his response swift and decisive.

"Then it's settled! They'll set off immediately once your payment arrives."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Wenguo turned to leave, but Song Qingzhi reached out to stop him: "Wenguo, I have two red invitations here. You and Caidie can go together."

As he spoke, he handed over an invitation with gold-embossed edges.

Li Wenguo had no choice but to accept it—the other person had said "I'm giving you face" twice already, how could he still stubbornly refuse?

I glanced down at it:

Wow, it's a banquet!

At 10 p.m. on the same night, Wu Xiaogou and Xiao Jie, along with Wen San, led a team to carry out the encirclement and capture.

Li Wenguo didn't go forward; he just squatted at a distance on the street corner, smoking a cigarette and waiting for news.

inside the car.

"Hey woman, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? Once a Japanese spy is caught, they're immediately taken to the Lixingshe (a secret police agency). Tomorrow you can wear your uniform and go to the interrogation room to see them for yourself. Why do you have to come here in the dark and cause trouble?"

"Don't forget, you're carrying a baby. You should rest when you need to, and stop wasting your energy here!"

Li Wenguo turned around and launched into a tirade against Dong Haitang, who was in the passenger seat.

Dong Haitang, dressed in a crisp military uniform, glanced quickly at Ding Xiaoqi and Agui in the front row before muttering with a hint of softness, "Sir, today is a big day to start the year. I really don't want to just sit in the office listening to reports... I want to get my hands dirty and do some actual work myself."

When a man is out in public, he needs to maintain his authority. What matriarch doesn't understand this basic principle?

If you want to act cute and spoiled, do it behind closed doors.

"Personally overseeing the work? Bah! You're the team leader now, the one giving orders, isn't that 'personally overseeing the work'?"

Li Wenguo's voice deepened, rough like sandpaper scraping against sheet metal.

"You insulted my mother again!"

Dong Haitang's voice suddenly rose, and her eyebrows twitched.

Her mother died too early, and was the only person in the world who would risk her life to protect her. No one could say that, not even the person next to her in bed.

"Uh...you know that's not what I meant."

"Stop! Don't interrupt—you were wrong to come along anyway!"

Li Wenguo had intended to keep the situation under control, but this shout stunned him and made him lose his composure.

No matter how strong your resolve, it can't withstand the inevitable decline and eventual exhaustion after a few attempts.