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

Ah!

Second Brother's move has completely backfired.

Originally, the Xu family's aim in targeting the Song family was to use the Song family's influence to try and seize the commander's seat after the next commander retired. Now that this path was blocked, she immediately changed her strategy: why not focus on Li Wenguo and try to get in touch with the Song family through a roundabout approach?

Their attitude instantly warmed up, and they chatted and laughed without any barriers.

It must be said that none of the girls from aristocratic families are easy to deal with. Even with their skirts fluttering, they can still see the wind and know how to behave properly.

More than an hour later, the awkwardness dissipated, and they joked around without any restraint.

That bottle of expensive Lafite was already empty.

Xu Wanqing's cheeks flushed slightly, her eyes shimmered with a captivating charm, she was the epitome of a stunning beauty.

Not to mention that form-fitting bright red dress, which accentuated her waist and hip curves breathtakingly; if Li Wenguo hadn't retained some self-control, he probably would have lost his composure long ago.

"Miss Xu, you are so beautiful that it's hard to look away—the man who marries you will be the envy of every man in the world."

Li Wenguo sighed sincerely.

Xu Wanqing chuckled lightly, seemingly genuinely: "Yeah, I wonder which stinky man will get lucky... I hope he's not a good-for-nothing, otherwise, you might as well get lucky."

"Oh? What do you mean?"

With this provocation, his fragile rationality crumbled, on the verge of collapse.

"I am a member of the Xu family. How can I decide my own marriage? I will marry whoever is more useful to the family."

Her tone was relaxed, but her smile was faint, tinged with self-deprecation.

"Miss Xu, don't take it too seriously. Life is only a few decades long. Enjoy it while you can. Even if you marry someone you don't like, you can still live a comfortable life—you don't necessarily have to live by the rules, right?"

Since we can't be husband and wife, then... how about bed partners?

These words were so subtle, like trying to see flowers through a fog, that even the astute Xu Wanqing couldn't decipher them immediately. It wasn't until Li Wenguo's gaze slowly swept over her entire body that she suddenly understood, her ears burning slightly.

"Ha, you've got some nerve. Aren't you afraid I'll tell Cai Die?"

She deliberately raised her eyebrows.

"Go ahead and sue—I'm speaking frankly and simply to reassure you; Cai Die knows what she's doing. But you, be careful she doesn't misunderstand you as someone who's trying to tear down the wall."

Li Wenguo smiled and turned the tables on him.

"You really are unwilling to suffer even the slightest loss!"

Before she finished speaking, she lazily stretched, her red dress forming a breathtaking curve.

At this moment, a young man in a custom-made suit, accompanied by two bodyguards in black, slowly walked down from upstairs. As he passed the booth, he caught sight of this scene and was immediately stunned—he stopped in his tracks, and even the manager standing next to him disregarded etiquette and walked straight toward them.

Li Wenguo and Xu Wanqing noticed at the same time and looked up: the man's face was flushed and his steps were unsteady, clearly he had drunk quite a bit.

"Do you recognize him?"

Li Wenguo turned his head and asked.

Xu Wanqing gently shook her head.

Just as Steward Tong reached out to stop him, the young master shoved him with a force that was both fierce and sudden, causing him to stagger backward. Before he could regain his footing, a bodyguard in black grabbed his shoulder tightly from behind, rendering him unable to move.

The young man walked straight up to Xu Wanqing. As he got closer, a strong smell of alcohol hit her, but his eyes burned brightly, like two clusters of eerie green flames crackling and flickering in the dark.

He even managed a forced smile, bowing slightly in an exaggerated and affected manner: "It is truly an honor to see your beautiful face tonight, Miss. The night is still young; why not move to a quieter spot and warm a few more cups of wine?"

Anyone with eyes can see that this man is so drunk that he has lost all sense of propriety and his mind is full of wicked thoughts.

Xu Wanqing remained calm, her fingertips already slipping deep into her handbag, her knuckles slightly tense, clearly touching something hard.

Li Wenguo's heart tightened: It's probably a gun!

Why should a woman have to do anything herself? Does he think he's just a decoration?

"Friend, this isn't your territory to act tough. Get out of here now, or I'll have to personally escort you out!"

He was always polite, especially when there were ladies around, he would restrain his sharpness and be considerate in every way.

But this time, his brows furrowed, and his voice was as deep as an iron nail driven into a brick.

The young master then glanced sideways at Li Wenguo and sneered, "Oh? Where did this vermin crawl out from, daring to talk to me?"

A complete spoiled brat, a spoiled brat who's always been arrogant.

"Xiao Qi—" he lazily raised his hand, "He said I'm not worthy to speak to him, then tell me, what makes you worthy?"

Ding Xiaoqi, Agui, Haozi, and Binzi were sitting idly at the bar when they saw Manager Tong being held down. They immediately got up and surrounded him, their movements as swift as hawks swooping down on their prey. In the blink of an eye, two black gun barrels were already pressed against the temples of the two bodyguards.

The young man felt a chill on the back of his neck, and his scalp suddenly tightened—a cold, hard object was pressed firmly against his skull.

He trembled, his pupils shrinking sharply: "You...you mustn't do anything rash! I have people protecting me!"

"Oh?" Li Wenguo casually raised his chin. "You mean them?"

The young master suddenly turned around—only to see his two trusted bodyguards, just like him, with dark gun barrels pressed against their foreheads, cold sweat streaming down their faces.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was weak: "My father is Zhang Chengzhi, the director of the railway bureau!"

"Hmm." Li Wenguo's tone was flat, as if he were merely reading an expired notice. "Then drag this young master Zhang out and cripple him. The other two, do as instructed."

The words were spoken casually, as if he were simply ordering someone to bring him a cup of tea.

He knew this bureau chief well—he had secretly sided with the Japanese pirates long ago, and the evidence of his crimes was hidden in the third drawer of his drawer. He wasn't even a deputy bureau chief; he had just been promoted to the position.

hiss……

The moment the gun was drawn, all was silent. Many people held their wine glasses, pretending to look at the ceiling, but their ears were practically perked up.

Upon hearing the phrase "disabled in one hand and one foot," several seasoned veterans gasped in shock, their teeth aching.

That's too ruthless! That's too outrageous!

No one dared to utter a sound, only wondering in their minds: Just who is this man? He dared to disembowel even the railway bureau chief's son on the spot?

Xu Wanqing had already closed the bag, her fingertips still resting on the zipper, a slight smile on her lips, quietly watching Li Wenguo tidy up the situation, a hint of interest in her eyes.

"Stop! Are you all crazy? My dad is Zhang Chengzhi! If you lay a finger on me, he'll make sure your whole family pays the price!"

The young master's voice cracked, he looked fierce but was actually weak in the knees.

Unfortunately, Li Wenguo didn't even lift an eyelid. Ding Xiaoqi and the others dragged the man away, ignoring his kicking and howling.

"Wait! I'm the club manager! There's a misunderstanding! You can't do this!"

A man in his thirties, dressed in a sharp suit, rushed down the stairs, sweat beading on his forehead and his voice trembling.

"Manager Zhang! Help me! Call for help!"

The young master cried out in agony, as if he had found a piece of driftwood.

"Xiao Qi." Li Wenguo said without turning his head, "If he wants to interfere, please leave as well."

Ding Xiaoqi's gun veered off course, instantly pressing against Manager Zhang's chin: "You want to experience the feeling of broken bones too?"

"No, no, no! I was wrong! I was really wrong!"

Manager Zhang's face turned ashen, and his legs trembled.

"Yaozong! Yaozong, save me!!"

Just as the man was about to be dragged out the door, another set of footsteps came from the stairwell—another young master strolled down, followed by two men in black, their expressions arrogant, clearly of the same ilk.

Haozi and his group paused, slightly raising the muzzles of their guns.

Li Wenguo leaned against the bar, his gaze sweeping over the group, a smile not reaching his eyes: "Oh, another one? Give me your name—are you worthy enough to cover for that good-for-nothing?"

The man in front was the son of the railway bureau chief in the municipal system, someone who mingled in the same circle. He guessed that this man was probably also in the system.

"Yaozong! Yaozong!"

Young Master Zhang lay sprawled on the ground, still desperately shouting.

Yao Zong didn't even glance at him, but instead raised his chin, nose in the air, and sneered, "Heh... who do you think you are? You've got some nerve. Watch out, one day even your family won't be able to protect you."

"Oh?" Li Wenguo raised an eyebrow. "Judging from his tone, he must have quite a background?"

Li Wenguo raised an eyebrow, a perfectly timed look of surprise appearing on his face.

Then he slowly said, "I've always been used to getting straight to the point, doing things myself, and cleaning up my own messes—unlike some people who have to bring up their ancestors to back them up the moment they open their mouths."

These words sound light and casual, but they are like a fine needle that pricks your eardrums until they burn.

Xu Wanqing covered her mouth and smiled, her eyes curving into a playful arc.

The young master named Yaozong, whose face was already flushed from the smoke, now had his neck veins bulge, and his face turned a deep liver color, as if he had been slapped hard in public.

"Clang—!!!"

"Who do you think you are? You dare to point fingers here?"

He slammed his fist on the table, causing the glass to bounce half an inch, and the wine to splatter like blood.

He always acted arrogantly, and besides, this club was a place in which his family had a stake, and behind it was a string of second-generation rich kids in the municipal circle—it was his own territory, how could he allow outsiders to run wild?

Confidence is never superficial.

"Ah Gui, this drunkard is acting crazy, give him some sobering-up drugs!"

Before he could finish speaking, a cold gun barrel was pressed firmly against the back of his head, causing him to stiffen and instantly dissipate most of his alcohol fumes.

"Stop dawdling and give me your address. If it's not enough, we'll break your arms and legs along with the guy at the door."

Li Wenguo's tone was calm, yet it was like hammering nails, leaving no room for negotiation.

"My...my dad is Deputy Mayor Wang of the Municipal Government!"

Yaozong roared out those words with his neck stiffened, his back straightening instantly, as if reciting those seven words would subdue the entire audience.

"Oh, that's it?" Li Wenguo didn't even lift his eyelids. "Not qualified. Drag him out and deal with him according to the rules."

Vice Mayor Wang? He's been a puppet controlled by Japanese spies for ages, the evidence hidden at the very bottom of his safe—no need to even open it, you know it's an empty shell. Xu Wanqing's eyes flickered slightly, a strange warmth rising in her heart: This guy really dares to tear off the mask, no pretense, no beating around the bush, he has a tough streak.

A slight smile unconsciously appeared on her lips.

"What?! You...you really dare to touch me?"

Yaozong's voice trembled; he was completely panicked.

"My dad is the vice mayor of Beijing! Who dares to lay a finger on me?!"

Only when Ah Gui twisted his arm and dragged him out the door did he start howling like a pig being slaughtered: "No! No! I really am Vice Mayor Wang's son! You can't touch me—"

Li Wenguo shrugged, his tone lazy yet undeniably authoritative: "Touch you? I'd cripple even the mayor's own son without hesitation. Unless—" He paused, winking at Xu Wanqing, "the military personnel come to my door in person, then I might pour them a cup of tea and have a proper chat."

Xu Wanqing immediately glanced at him sideways, her eyes full of feigned anger. The two of them exchanged glances, as if they were flirting under the lamplight.

Unexpectedly, Yaozong, quick-witted, blurted out, "Wait! My aunt married the second master of the Xu family! The Xu family is affiliated with the military!"

A-Gui paused, his gaze involuntarily turning to Xu Wanqing—how could they possibly fight each other?

Li Wenguo turned his head, slightly surprised: "Your aunt... married my sister Xu's second uncle?"

Xu Wanqing gently shook her head, a cold smile playing on her lips, as sharp as a thin blade: "Drag her out."

Ah Gui instantly understood—this young master was talking nonsense, even daring to spout off in front of the main station.

Ha, you've been bragging to the Kitchen God! You deserve to have your tongue burned!

"Huh? You...you..."

Yaozong's face turned deathly pale instantly, and he was filled with regret—if he had known she was there, he would never have mentioned the words "Xu family"!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!..."

Twelve crisp cracks cleaved through the air, clean and decisive.

Two young masters and four bodyguards, each with an arm and a leg, were all rendered useless.

The club was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; everyone felt a chill run down their spine.

Manager Zhang had a gun pressed against his temple, his shirt soaked with cold sweat, and his legs trembling like a leaf.

Damn it... who exactly are these people? They'd even cut off the sons of the bureau chief and the mayor without hesitation?

"Let's go, this place is too filthy. As a young lady, you shouldn't go to places like this where all sorts of people mingle. Next time you go out, I'll pick out places for you."

No sooner had Li Wenguo finished speaking than a squad of soldiers in crisp uniforms burst through the door, rifles slung over their shoulders, their boots pounding on the floor—they had heard something amiss outside and, fearing for their master's safety, had broken down the door.

"Miss, are you alright?"

The young officer at the head of the group strode forward, his voice taut.

"It's nothing, you can leave now."

The man glanced at Li Wenguo quickly, then stood at attention, turned around, and led his team out.

"Do you think I need to worry about safety?" Xu Wanqing asked with a smile, tilting her head.

It turns out that when Steward Tong was restrained, he didn't utter a sound, not because he was defiant, but because he already knew someone was waiting outside the door.