Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

With a gun in hand and superhuman strength, this is no ordinary junior brother. He's clearly a ruthless character with powerful backing and deadly weapons at his disposal!

Li Wangcai's mind was buzzing. Two thousand yuan! They might not earn that much even if they worked themselves to the bone for a year. But this man in front of him could shatter the ground with a single kick, and was willing to kill with a gun. If he really angered him, he'd lose his life; what was the point of talking about money then?

He was hesitating about how to start the conversation when one of his hotheaded subordinates couldn't hold back any longer and jumped out, shouting, "Hey, you surnamed He! Who are you trying to scare? There are so many of us..."

Before the words were finished, a figure flashed by.

So fast! So fast that no one could see how he moved!

The next instant, the man screamed and fell to the ground—He Yuzhu slapped him, his joints cracking and snapping, his limbs twisting and deforming, his eyes rolling back, and he fainted on the spot.

In the blink of an eye, He Yuzhu was back in his original position, as if he had never left.

Li Wangcai then realized what was happening, and cold sweat streamed down his back.

That reckless young man is now sprawled on the ground, like a tattered sack with its skeleton removed.

"You...you..." His lips trembled, and he couldn't finish a sentence.

"Senior Brother Li," He Yuzhu said in an eerily calm tone, "if there's a next time, I'll test your strength one by one. If someone dies, don't say I didn't warn you."

Kill them? It's nothing to him.

Since awakening his life-accelerating space and diligently practicing martial arts and marksmanship at the Foreign Affairs Bureau, he has undergone a complete transformation. Now, he can confidently walk out of a gunfight, let alone face a group of thugs.

kill--

This idea became clearer and clearer in his mind. Especially since Zhang Tianyang would always say when he took him to practice shooting: Hong Kong Island is very chaotic, street fights are bloody every day, and businessmen still lie dead in the streets.

Those words were like leading him step by step into an abyss.

"No need! Junior Brother He!" Li Wangcai finally relented, his voice trembling. "It was our fault, we broke the rules! Please be magnanimous and don't hold it against us..."

What kind of place is Beijing? It's a heavily gun-free zone, so strict that even a short knife can't be openly displayed. These thugs might carry a dagger for courage, but if they really encountered a skilled gunman, they wouldn't even have the chance to fight back.

If you don't fight, you can live; if you do fight, you're just throwing your life away.

"Junior Brother He, please wait a moment, I'll go get the money right away!"

After saying that, Li Wangcai turned around and strode into the house. A short while later, he brought out two thick stacks of black ten-dollar bills, the banknotes glistening with oil—these were Chen Xueru's personal dividends for two quarters from her silk shop, not a penny less.

It has to be said that Chen Xueru's silk shop was a real money-making machine. There were quite a few wealthy people in Beijing. After half a year of dividends, it was equivalent to He Yuzhu's salary for two or three years—he was, after all, a second-level cook.

"Junior Brother He, please make the selection."

"No need, I trust Senior Brother Li. If we follow the rules, we can cooperate again in the future."

As soon as he finished speaking, He Yuzhu pulled out thirty ten-dollar bills from the stack of banknotes and slammed them on the table: "Two hundred dollars as payment, one hundred for that brother's medical treatment. I know my limits; even if he breaks a hand or a leg, he'll be able to get back on the ground after two months of recuperation."

"No, it's alright..." Li Wangcai forced a smile, but his heart was in turmoil. He had really kicked a hornet's nest this time; he had acted rashly without even knowing his junior brother's background.

Not only was he incredibly skilled, but he also carried a gun on his waist—and judging by its style, it was a Type 45! He had only seen that kind of gun once before at the police station; only the captain and deputy director were qualified to carry it.

After paying, He Yuzhu wasn't in a hurry to leave. His gaze fell on Li Wangcai's face, and he slowly said, "By the way, Senior Brother Li, you found the person in just two days. Your information network is pretty good. Interested in running an errand for me? Putting aside everything else, the profit will definitely be better than what you're making now."

He left himself an out and didn't completely break ties because he wanted these people to act as his informants. There were some things he couldn't do personally; he also had a job, and his time and energy were limited.

Moreover, he had already planned ahead: he needed to prepare hard currency for his future trip to Hong Kong. The best way to do this was to exchange the ginseng he had with the merchants and wealthy families who hadn't yet left for some gold and jewelry.

The market for this stuff has always been booming. In a city as vast as Beijing, there are always people willing to pay real money for it.

"Junior Brother He, what do you want me to do?" Li Wangcai's face immediately lit up when he heard there was something to gain. Just from his name, you could tell that this guy's favorite thing was "wealth".

"Do you recognize this?" He Yuzhu pretended to reach into his pocket, but actually took out an old ginseng from his system space. "It's a genuine antique. Help me find out who's willing to buy it. Gold, jewelry, or antiques are all fine."

"Oh my!" Li Wangcai's eyes widened instantly. This kind of ginseng is highly sought after by any pharmacy; it's extremely rare, and the highest bidder wins.

"Don't go through pharmacies, and definitely don't touch anyone in government." He Yuzhu's tone turned serious. "Find wealthy private merchants, the kind with real, high-quality goods. If you can sell them, I'll give you 50% of the profits. A stable supply of thirty ginseng roots of the same grade every month. How much you earn depends entirely on how well you have connections."

He set the rules with a clear purpose: if the pharmacy can only pay the maximum amount, then what use is he to you? The real value lies in gold and jewelry, which can be easily converted into cash in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia.

Li Wangcai's mind raced with calculations: With 50% yield from each ginseng root, the pharmacy would charge at least two or three hundred. If sold privately to wealthy households, with gold bars and jewels as payment, they might even get a premium. Thirty roots would do…

"Junior Brother He! No, no, no, Boss He!" His voice trembled, his eyes reddened, "I'll do it with you!"

If he misses this opportunity, he'll regret it so much he'll wake up crying in the middle of the night.

"I'll leave this ginseng here with you for now," He Yuzhu said calmly as he stood up. "Come find me personally once you've sold it."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Only after he had walked away did Li Wangcai come to his senses, and his men then surrounded him.

"Brothers, we're about to strike it rich!" he said in a low voice, his eyes gleaming. "I just did the math. If all goes well, a month—at least this much!"

He spread his five fingers, and everyone gasped. It was more than double what they had earned through countless hardships in the past!

"Anyone who dares to leak this out will face my wrath," Li Wangcai said coldly, glancing around at everyone. Seeing them all nodding vigorously, he grinned, "Go, take Xiao Zhang to the hospital. Once he's healed, let him go home and rest. Also—"

He paused, his eyes turning sinister:

"Get me a hammer."

The men were taken aback for a moment, then split up to do their jobs. Soon after, the man was gone, and the hammer was handed over.

Li Wangcai took the hammer, stomped his foot hard on the ground, then swung his arm and brought it down with a vengeance—

Boom! !

Several floor tiles shattered after Li Wangcai smashed them with his hammer, but the cracks seemed to be blocked by an invisible wall, not spreading outwards at all, nor did they create a crater like Ti Qiuqiu had done. Instead, his hand went numb from the impact, and the hammer almost flew out of his grasp.

"This Junior Brother He... just who is he? Should we go find out from Master?"

The thought had barely crossed his mind when he immediately dismissed it. As long as he got the money, why bother getting into trouble? If he offended this ruthless man, losing the money would be a minor matter; he might even lose his life.

one--

Without saying a word after receiving the money, He Yuzhu hopped on his bicycle and headed straight for Xue Ru Silk Shop.

Chen Xueru was pacing back and forth in the shop, feeling restless. When she heard the door open, she looked up and saw him. Her eyes lit up instantly, and she grabbed him and pulled him into the inner room.

When they arrived at her usual small room, she practically pounced on her, asking, "Zhu Zi, is it done? Any news?"

"I've spent three hundred yuan, you can order the rest yourself."

As soon as he finished speaking, he slammed the passbook and two heavy stacks of black dollars onto the table.

At that moment, Chen Xueru's eyes welled up with tears. The money she had lost and found felt like a heartbeat pulled back from the abyss. For the past two days, she had been unable to eat or sleep, but now she could finally breathe again.

"Three hundred is nothing, even six hundred or nine hundred would be worth it! Zhu Zi, you really saved my life this time, if it weren't for you..."

She couldn't continue, her eyes shimmering as she stared straight at him, her voice as soft as if it were falling on the surface of water.

He Yuzhu waved his hand and said in a serious tone, "You got lucky this time. If you're this careless again and someone gets hold of something against you, it won't be as simple as just losing money."

"I understand, I understand!" she nodded hurriedly. "This time, I won't tell anyone; the key is only in my possession!"

This experience truly terrified her—ten years of hard work almost wiped out overnight, and the lesson was etched into her very bones.

After a short pause, she smiled again: "By the way, Zhuzi, did you tell Yushui you'd be back late tonight? Why don't you stay? I'll cook you a nice meal."

"Rain knows I'm going out, so it won't wait for me. But... can you cook?"

He glanced at her from head to toe, a hint of suspicion in his eyes. Dressed in a stylish outfit, with delicate skin, she hardly looked like someone who had ever worked in the kitchen.

Chen Xueru immediately bristled: "Who do you think you are? Just you wait! I'm going to buy groceries, and we'll settle this right here in your courtyard!"

He Yuzhu thought for a moment and then smiled: "Alright, then let me see your skills. It's okay if I go back a little later."

Chen Xueru immediately locked the door, went home, said a few words, and rushed off to buy groceries. This meal had to be prepared carefully.

He Yuzhu returned to the second courtyard house first and tidied up the kitchen. Although He Daqing had cleaned it before leaving, firewood and coal briquettes still needed to be prepared in advance.

After a while, footsteps finally sounded outside the door. Before anyone even entered, Chen Xueru's voice called out, "Zhuzi! Come give me a hand—I can't carry any more!"

He rushed forward and was utterly shocked by what he saw: mountains of chicken, duck, fish, and meat, and bottles of wine jingling loudly.

"Buying more alcohol? I have plenty of medicinal wine."

"Medicated wine is good for your health, but today is a joyous occasion, so we should drink real wine!"

She held her chin high, looking proud—two bottles of Moutai, eight yuan a bottle, the liquor alone cost sixteen yuan, plus a bunch of fancy dishes, this meal was a lavish affair.

"Come on, take everything to the kitchen. You're the boss today, get some treatment, just sit down!"

She gave a coquettish smile, tied on an apron, and went into the kitchen, bustling about.

Before long, the food was served one after another—four dishes and a soup, three meat dishes and one vegetable dish, all with excellent color, aroma and taste. Although it was not the level of a famous chef, it was home-style cooking with care.