The Life of a Son-in-Law in a Courtyard House

Zhou Shijie thought about it and realized that once he got back, he would definitely go straight back to the army and bring back a lot of stuff, which would be hard to explain.

He didn't know that Yang Dalin wasn't actually a member of the military.

Yang Dalin did not mention this.

Zhou Shijie knew that the opposing troops claimed their motto was "not to take a single needle or thread from the people."

I guess I'd call myself one of the masses.

It's fine for me to treat him to dinner and drinks, but if I give him a gift and he accepts it, he might actually get criticized when he gets back.

That really hurt him.

Thinking of this, Zhou Shijie said, "Alright, Xingzai, then I won't buy you anything. If you have another chance to come again, just ask me, and I'll treat you to drinks."

After drinking that night, Zhou Shijie left the small factory and went home again.

After he left, Yang Dalin immediately jumped out of the small factory and quietly followed him. When he saw him walk away, he ran in another direction.

After running away from the small factory, Yang Dalin managed to hitch a ride in several cars from a predominantly white area.

No key? No problem. Just pull the cable under the steering wheel and it'll start.

Then Yang Dalin drove a Mercedes-Benz to the Huo family mansion in Deep Water Bay.

It's still a long way from the villa.

Yang Dalin then stored the car in his spatial storage.

I walked around the perimeter of the villa.

Yang Dalin confirmed that there was a middle-aged man in the study on the third floor of the villa, a man who looked very much like the one he had seen in the photograph in his later life, and that he was not asleep yet.

I should handle some documents in the study.

There are several bodyguards in the villa area, and some people keep dogs.

However, Yang Dalin took out a tiger bone.

None of the dogs dared to bark.

Their natural fear makes these dogs very docile.

The dogs are all in their kennels; they're not being patrolled by bodyguards.

So the bodyguards didn't notice anything unusual about the dogs.

Yang Dalin arrived at the study on the third floor with ease, without disturbing the gatekeeper, the bodyguards on the first floor, or the servants.

The Huo family members on the second and third floors had already gone to bed, so they were not disturbed.

Yang Dalin put on a mask, changed his voice, and came to the study door. He gently turned the doorknob, and the door opened.

When Yang Dalin went in, Boss Huo, who was quite bold, didn't make a fuss.

No wonder he's someone who will be able to receive a state funeral in the future.

They do have a certain degree of self-control.

No one knew that Yang Dalin and Boss Huo had met that night, nor did they know what they talked about until dawn. Boss Huo never knew what Yang Dalin looked like.

All that is known is that the next day, Mr. Huo, who is 40 years old this year, announced the establishment of the Spring Children's Charity Relief International Foundation.

Yang Dalin rested for most of the day, and then went to check on the addresses of the people that Boss Huo had recommended to him in the late afternoon.

I met with Zhou Shijie around 7 p.m.

Zhou Shijie said he wouldn't buy anything, but still gave him some food to eat on the way.

Seeing that Yang Dalin's spear was gone, and he only had a small bag, he asked him, "Xingzai, where's your spear?"

Yang Dalin explained, "Oh, I was afraid of being seen on the road, so I had someone from another channel take him away and put him in the car. He's waiting for me outside. I only need to carry a short gun."

You said you were coming, so I've been waiting for you. Otherwise, I would have left long ago.

Zhou Shijie had no doubt about Yang Dalin's connections.

Everyone knows there are a lot of people from mainland China here.

If it weren't for the need to preserve this window for foreign trade, the mainland would have recovered it long ago.

Zhou Shijie nodded, not asking any further questions, and patted Yang Dalin on the shoulder: "Okay, you've thought this through. Be careful on the road. I've also stopped seeing your colleague. They need to be careful about their identities. Next time they come, just look for me. I've given you my home address."

"Okay, Brother Jie, goodbye."

Oh, and thank you for your hospitality these past two days. I left you a little gift in the room I stayed in at the factory; don't forget to check it out later.

Then Yang Dalin turned around and left gracefully.

Zhou Shijie asked, "What gift?"

"You'll see when you go."

"This brat is actually quite polite."

Zhou Shijie did not insist on seeing Yang Dalin off any further, but simply watched him leave.

After turning a corner, Yang Dalin got into a car he had borrowed and drove away.

Only after Zhou Shijie could no longer see Yang Dalin did he use the key to open the door and return to the room where Yang Dalin had previously stayed.

Upon entering, one sees that the room is spotless, with a stack of cash on the bedside table.

There was also a note that read: "This is some ill-gotten gains. I hope you will accept it, Brother Jie. Consider it money for gifts for my sister-in-law and my nephews and nieces whom I have not yet met. Burn it after reading."

Zhou Shijie smiled and said, "This Xingzai."

He's a person of principle.

After laughing, Zhou Shijie took out a lighter and burned the note.

I counted the money; it was HK$10,000.

That's quite a lot; it's equivalent to several years' income for an average worker.

Nowadays, an average person earns only a little over one hundred to three hundred Hong Kong dollars a month.

His job was risky, and he was in management, yet he only earned HK$1,000 a month.

This is equivalent to his annual income.

That's quite a lot of money.

Zhou Shijie remembered this kindness and planned to treat Yang Dalin to a good drink the next time they met.

Yang Dalin, who pretended to go back, of course wouldn't go back directly. He just got out of Zhou Shijie's sight and didn't plan to leave so soon.

There are still many things to do.

He wore a mask and met with many people recommended by Boss Huo.

I also learned more about the real situation of some of the big capitalists here.

Which ones are loyal to one side but have their hearts in another, and which ones have completely sided with John Bull?

And who else made their fortune through theft, robbery, and fraud?

Yang Dalin plans to clean these things up properly in the next few days.

And he set up the framework for his business empire.

Later that night, Yang Dalin went to see Inspector Lei Luo.

After a friendly exchange, Detective Lei agreed to cooperate well.

However, he lost 80% of his assets.

If you don't agree, your whole family will disappear; if you agree, you'll have 20% left. What do you choose?

And she was also given a pill.

According to Yang Dalin, "This pill is a slow-acting poison. You need to take an antidote every five years. No doctor in any hospital can detect it. It is made of pure plant matter. If you don't obey, your whole body will rot and you will die, turning into yellow fluid."

If they cooperate, someone will send a batch of antidote every five years.

Because your entire family was fed this poison that tastes like hawthorn pills tonight.

They even went after your nanny and your son's dog.

Detective Lei dared not gamble.

We have no choice but to agree to cooperate.

Yang Dalin also told him that the families of the other three detectives who were as famous as Lei Luo had also been drugged by him.

From now on, everyone will have no choice but to obediently cooperate and listen to him.

As for some families and their businesses that made their fortunes by selling opium, and some families that rose to prominence through corruption, smuggling, and robbery, Yang Dalin did not intend to let them go either. He arranged for two groups of people to monitor and investigate these people.

Some of them were people secretly arranged by the four detectives.

Some of them were naturally people arranged by the relatively better gangsters whom Yang Dalin had subdued.