Courtyard House: Ten-year-old Master Zhu reorganizes the entire courtyard

He Yuzhu, carrying the intelligence, quickly contacted the shopkeeper through the dead mail system. The organization reacted swiftly, issuing new instructions the next day. The instructions were simple: continue monitoring Hu Zongcheng and Zheng Keming, and do everything possible to obtain a copy of the receipt list, or at least the key parts of it.

This list will be the book of life and death that will determine the fate of countless people in Beiping in the future, as well as the ownership of a large amount of assets.

The mission was extremely dangerous. He Yuzhu understood that he was no longer facing the Japanese puppet regime, which was on the verge of collapse, but rather the Kuomintang secret agents who were preparing to take over the city. These people were more familiar with this land than the Japanese, and their methods were more insidious and ruthless.

Instead of acting immediately, he chose to return to Nanluoguxiang first. He needed to observe what choices the people in the courtyard would make during this time of change.

As soon as I entered the courtyard, I felt a sense of oppression and restlessness.

Inside the courtyard, Xu Fugui was boasting animatedly to several neighbors. He had somehow obtained a newspaper from the Nationalist government, and pointing to the photo, he said that he had a distant relative who worked under a high-ranking official in Nanjing, and that once the central government returned, he would be able to secure a good job. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of He Yuzhu, and immediately put on a smile and moved closer.

"Zhu Zi, you're back? I heard you've made something of yourself now. What big business are you doing out there?" Xu Fugui lowered his voice, his tone full of probing and flattery.

He Yuzhu remained expressionless. "What kind of business can a child like him do? He should just focus on his studies."

Xu Fugui, having met with a rebuff, gave an embarrassed laugh and turned back to bragging to others. He Yuzhu knew that this opportunistic fellow had already begun looking for a new patron.

The curtain in the west wing moved slightly, and Uncle Yi Zhonghai came out carrying an enamel mug. His gaze towards He Yuzhu was complicated. Ever since the He family took control of the courtyard, his prestige within it had plummeted. Recently, He Yuzhu had heard from Xu Fugui that Yi Zhonghai was desperately trying to curry favor with a technician from Chongqing at the steel mill, a man who was supposedly a veteran member of the Kuomintang.

"Yuzhu," Yi Zhonghai said slowly, with his usual feigned concern, "Are your parents alright? The world is changing, so you'd better behave yourself and not run around outside, lest you get into trouble."

The words were meant to be caring, but the tone was full of lecturing and gloating warning. The implication was clear: your good days are over; wait until my new backer arrives, and we'll settle the score then.

He Yuzhu didn't even lift his eyelids. "Thank you for your concern, Uncle Yi. Our family is law-abiding and has nothing to fear from investigation."

After saying that, he walked towards the backyard. Yi Zhonghai stared at his back, his face gloomy, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the enamel mug.

In the backyard, the deaf old woman sat on the porch, holding a white cloth and carefully wiping a metal badge with worn edges. In the sunlight, the crossed flag pattern was faintly visible on the badge—the emblem of the Tongmenghui (Revolutionary Alliance).

The old lady seemed to be in much better spirits, and when she saw He Yuzhu, a glimmer of clarity appeared in her cloudy eyes.

"You're back?"

"Yes, I've come back to see you."

"It's windy outside, so make sure to close the doors tightly." The old lady's voice was soft, but every word was clear.

He Yuzhu felt a warmth in his heart. In this courtyard, only this old man truly cared about him and this family. He nodded without saying anything more and turned back to his empty main house.

For the next two days, He Yuzhu prepared to infiltrate Hu Zongcheng's residence. Through Sun Zhiqiang, he obtained the structural plans of Hu Zongcheng's house in the eastern part of the city, which were fire-prevention plans filed with the police station. He also sent Li Qiang to the general store to inquire about the patrol patterns and personnel composition in that area.

After gathering all the information, He Yuzhu discovered that Hu Zongcheng's security forces were mostly concentrated in the front yard and study, but there was a secluded corner tower in the back yard, which was relatively weakly defended due to years of disrepair.

The operation was scheduled for the night of the third day.

That afternoon, He Yuzhu was checking equipment in his room when a line of red text suddenly popped up on the system panel.

[Alert: The threat level posed by the character Yi Zhonghai to the host's family is increasing. Current threat level: Medium. Reasons: Jealousy, possessiveness, and defection to a new faction.]

He Yuzhu's eyes turned cold. This old bastard was indeed still up to no good. He suppressed his murderous intent; now was not the time to deal with him. The most important thing right now was to get that list.

The night was deep.

He Yuzhu changed into an inconspicuous gray cloth jacket, smeared some soot on his face, and looked almost like a beggar on the street. He moved silently through the alleys of Beiping, his powerful senses allowing him to avoid wave after wave of patrols and sentries.

Hu Zongcheng's outer residence was located in a deep alley called Chunshu Hutong. Sure enough, several pairs of eyes were secretly watching the outside of the house. He Yuzhu recognized one of them as members of the Military Intelligence Bureau. He did not alert anyone but went around to the back wall of the house.

The back wall was very high, but there was a crooked tree at the corner. He Yuzhu took a few running steps, used his hands and feet, and silently climbed to the top of the wall in no time.

He crouched on the wall, observing the movements inside the courtyard. Sure enough, only one guard in the corner tower was dozing off. He held his breath, timed the moment the guard turned around, and leaped down from the wall, landing almost silently.

He moved quickly along the wall to the study window. The study was lit, and the window was slightly ajar.

The voices of Hu Zongcheng and Zheng Keming could be heard coming from inside.

"Commissioner, things aren't looking good these past few days. I've heard that several members of democratic parties have publicly called for the establishment of a special committee to ensure transparency when taking over enemy and puppet assets after the victory," Hu Zongcheng said anxiously.

"A bunch of clowns!" Zheng Keming sneered. "The louder they shout, the faster we need to act! Is the list ready?"

"Alright, alright. Please take a look."

He Yuzhu's heart stirred, and he slowly poked his head out.

Through the crack in the window, he saw a thick document spread out on the large mahogany desk in the study. The cover was written in large characters with a brush: "List of Traitorous Assets in Beiping (Top Secret)".

Zheng Keming put on his gold-rimmed glasses and flipped through the pages one by one. Hu Zongcheng stood beside him, bowing and scraping as he provided commentary.

"Commissioner, look, this is a Japanese textile factory. I've already sent people to investigate their inventory, and we can take over at any time. These are several properties owned by the head of the puppet government's finance bureau; I've prepared the land deeds for you..."

Zheng Keming's finger stopped on a sheet of paper, and He Yuzhu's pupils suddenly contracted.

Several addresses were circled in red on the paper, one of which he clearly saw was Jisheng Clinic. That was Lin Wanqiu's contact point! Next to the address was a small note: "Red element stronghold, recommended to be shut down, and the perpetrators to be secretly dealt with on the spot."

He Yuzhu's back was soaked with cold sweat.

This is no longer a simple embezzlement of assets; it's a death list! They're using the guise of taking over to carry out a bloody purge of the city's underground organizations!

His gaze swept across the list, and he even saw the words "Nanluoguxiang". Although no specific address was marked, it was also included in the key observation area.

Can't wait any longer!

He Yuzhu had a sudden thought and brought up the system.

[Would you like to use 100 points to activate the Glimmer Snapshot feature?]

【Yes. 】

A glint flashed in his eyes. In a fraction of a second, the system, using his perspective as a camera, took three consecutive photos of the list in the study. The photos were stored directly in the system's space, ensuring absolute safety.

Just then, Zheng Keming, who was in the study, seemed to sense something, suddenly looked up, and shouted sharply, "Who's outside?"

He Yuzhu's heart skipped a beat. Without hesitation, he immediately pulled back, pressing himself against the wall and remaining motionless.

Two bodyguards dressed in black rushed out from the shadows and looked around outside the window.

"Sir, there's no one here."

"It's probably a stray cat." Zheng Keming frowned and waved his hand. "Close the windows tightly. This document must not have any mistakes."

The window was closed and locked.

He Yuzhu lurked under the corner for another ten minutes, and only after confirming that there was no danger did he quietly return the way he came.

He disappeared into the night, but the rage and murderous intent within him were about to erupt. He wasn't just going to send out this blood-stained list; he was going to make those who orchestrated it all pay the price!