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

It was two in the morning. All around was quiet and eerily empty. The streetlights were sparse, and the shadows were stretched long and thin.

A black car silently came to a stop in the middle of the road.

Li Wenguo and Wen San and the others looked around, their brows furrowing in unison—this place was too open; even a hundred paces away, people's figures were blurred into ink dots, making it impossible to launch an ambush.

That's it!

Saving lives is the priority!

We'll adapt to the situation later!

Li Wenguo's heart sank, and he quickly made up his mind.

Shortly after, another car approached from a distance and stopped about 100 meters away.

Two blinding white beams of light slashed straight down and struck Li Wenguo and his group's car.

"Get off the bus!! Quickly!!"

Wen San and Wu Xiaogou grabbed Jingcun and shoved him forward. Li Wenguo didn't move, his hands behind his back, his eyes like hooks, staring intently at the opposite car window.

"Remember, you must see the face clearly within twenty meters before switching people!"

His voice was extremely low, yet every word pierced the eardrums.

He had seen too many tricks—long hair covering the face, pretending to be a wounded soldier, and suddenly attacking when you get close; many people had fallen for this step.

"Don't worry, Mr. Li, I will bring Aunt Dong back to you unharmed."

Wen San's face was tense, and his voice was as cold and hard as iron.

Before he finished speaking, he had already led the unsteady Jingcun forward slowly.

There was another person being pushed along the opposite side, slowly moving towards this side.

The bright light was so dazzling that people couldn't open their eyes, and their faces became blurred, leaving only swaying silhouettes.

But Wen San was quick-witted. He had only walked fifty meters when he suddenly called out, "Captain Dong, is that you?"

"Waaaaah!!!"

The man's mouth was stuffed shut, so he could only shake his head frantically.

Fuck!

That's fucking sneaky!

Wen San paused, then immediately roared back, "Let him say something! I need to hear clearly if it's really him!"

At the same time, he violently grabbed Jingcun's arm, shouting, "Tell me! Who are you?!"

"It's me...it's me!!!"

Jingcun squeezed out a few words in a hoarse voice.

After a moment's hesitation, the man on the other end finally reached into his mouth and pulled out the wad of cloth. Catching his breath, he immediately spoke: "Wen San? It's me! Has Master Li arrived?"

"He didn't come!!!"

Wen San was resolute and unambiguous.

This was a death order personally given by Li Wenguo—Mitsui Miri recognized him, and if she showed herself, it would be like walking into a trap, waiting to be ambushed and killed.

To put it bluntly, it's about valuing your life and not daring to gamble.

Upon hearing this, Dong Haitang felt as if she had been struck in the chest.

Which woman, tied up at this moment, wouldn't want to see her man rush in?

A fire instantly ignited in her chest: That bastard! That stingy old man! His wife has been kidnapped, and he's just hiding there, refusing to show his face!

Coward! Wimp!

May your yang energy dissipate, leaving you unable to see or touch anything, only to stare helplessly!

He was cursing in his heart, but his feet didn't stop. He gritted his teeth and shuffled forward step by step.

Wen San listened to the voice and discerned the tone, and felt relieved—it was indeed Dong Haitang.

Next comes the delicate dance on the edge: substitution.

The other party is very likely to cheat, but Wen San and Liu Er Kui have been involved in smuggling for many years, and they know everything about inspecting goods, delivery, and preventing betrayal. If it were someone else, the tactics wouldn't be much different.

In the blink of an eye, the two groups of people were no more than five meters apart, and both stopped in their tracks.

Wen San and a lean man across from each other faced off, their eyes like knives, neither of them blinking.

"Let's go! Over there!"

Wen San gently shoved Jing Cun on the back, the force just right—too strong and he'd collapse, too gentle and he'd seem hesitant.

They, however, showed no mercy and shoved Dong Haitang's shoulder hard.

"Why are you pushing me? Can't I walk by myself?"

Dong Haitang's anger exploded.

She was already feeling stifled after being kidnapped all night, and now she was being exchanged for that spineless Jingcun, which made her feel even more humiliated; what angered her the most was that—at this critical moment of life and death, the man actually hid and didn't come!

A breath caught in my throat, and I almost choked and cried.

"Captain Dong, get in the car quickly! Things might get complicated if we're late!"

Wen San retreated while urging him on, his eyes still glued to the other man, not daring to let go for even an inch.

The other person was equally tense, like two wolves locked in a stalemate, retreating while staring intently at each other, even their blinks were timed precisely.

It took them more than three minutes to retreat to a safe distance from the 100-meter-wide open space.

"Haitang, are you alright?"

Li Wenguo flung open the car door and rushed over to ask.

"ah???"

Dong Haitang froze, turning her head to look at the car—that familiar face was right in front of her.

"Sir...you...you weren't coming, were you?"

"Get on the bus!"

Li Wenguo grabbed her wrist tightly, his grip so strong it was impossible to resist.

"oh!!!"

Li Wenguo grabbed her arm and half-carried her into the back seat, then quickly untied the knot with a few deft movements of his fingers.

"Damn it! Those sons of bitches didn't even lay a finger on you!"

"No, don't worry, I'm fine."

At this moment, the resentment in Dong Haitang's heart had long since dissipated, leaving only the tip of her tongue repeatedly chanting: Don't come true... please don't come true... please, please don't come true...

"Oh, by the way, when a Japanese spy group called Seb touched my face with his hand."

It was just a brush with her sleeve, but Dong Haitang rarely wanted to see her husband's protective side.

"Damn his ancestors!" Li Wenguo's eyes darkened. "You point them out later, and I'll chop off his filthy hands!"

A man of honor would never allow his wife to be treated lightly—when the knife is drawn, blood will surely be drawn!

Dong Haitang felt a surge of warmth in her heart, secretly praising his strong temper. If Wen San and Wu Xiaogou hadn't been in the front row, she would have really wanted to lean in and kiss him.

"Chase them! Bit them to death!"

His voice deepened as he issued the command.

Wen San slammed on the gas, and the car sped up and hugged it; Wu Xiaogou leaned out, raised his hand and fired three shots into the air. The crisp gunshots pierced the night sky, and the convoy in the distance immediately turned on its lights and revved its engines.

"Haitang, open the car window only a crack, just enough to expose the muzzle of a gun, don't stick anyone out—this car has a specially made bulletproof casing."

Before he finished speaking, he had already shoved an MP5 and three fully loaded magazines into her hands.

"clear."

"Also, next time, equip me with the same model of bulletproof car."

She recalled the last time her car window was smashed into a spiderweb shape by an iron bar, and her tone carried a hint of lingering fear.

"I've made a note of it. All the cars in the family will be replaced with bulletproof ones."

This incident truly served as a wake-up call for him—if things go wrong again, he might not be able to get his wife back alive.

"A-Tong and Xiao-Ming... are gone too."

Her voice lowered. After all, he had been with her for over a year, doing everything from driving and taking bullets to tailing her; it would be a lie to say she had no feelings for him.

"The compensation has already been paid; I'll add a generous sum later."

The dead cannot be brought back to life, but loyal and brave people should not be disheartened, nor should they let their families live in tears.

As soon as the car turned into the main street, dozens of dark figures suddenly rushed out from the alleyways on both sides—all dressed in black, carrying submachine guns with their muzzles gleaming coldly.

They surrounded them from all sides—front, left, right, and back—and trapped them in the middle of the street in the blink of an eye.

The worst part was that two cars were blocking the intersection ahead. As soon as the car carrying Jingcun passed, they immediately cut in and blocked the entire road.

"Damn it, Master Li! We've been ambushed!"

Wen San slammed on the brakes, his face turning pale.

Oh shit!

This little notebook is so insidious—it always targets you when you're angry!

Li Wenguo's heart tightened, and regret surged: He should have held back his anger earlier, instead of crawling into this iron cage.

"Reverse! Back up quickly!"

He let out a low growl.

Wen San shifted into reverse, and the tires screeched as they slid backward.

Before he could finish speaking, two black cars suddenly crashed out of the back alley, slamming shut like an iron gate, completely blocking his escape route.

One wrong step, and the whole game is in danger!

"Da da da—!"

"Da da da—!"

Bullets rained down, striking the car body with a crackling sound.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The bullet struck the steel plate, sparks flew everywhere, and it was all deflected.

The four of them breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, I gritted my teeth and paid for this "Iron Turtle" back then!

Li Wenguo quietly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

"Don't panic, Xiao Jie and Da Yan are right behind us, they'll be there in three minutes at most—it's our turn to turn the tables."

He turned to the side and grasped Dong Haitang's hand, his voice steady.

"With me here, I'm not afraid!"

She stared straight at him, her eyes shining like a quenched knife.

"boom!!!"

"boom!!!"

Two loud explosions shattered eardrums, and the flames illuminated half the street—a group of notebooks were overturned on the ground, with severed limbs flying everywhere.

"It must be Xiao Jie and the others who have arrived!"

Wu Xiaogou reached out to push the door open.

"Stop! Don't open the door!"

Li Wenguo sternly shouted to stop him.

If he were taken down the moment he showed his face, and the door was open, a grenade could roll in and kill the entire car!

Sure enough, the two cars blocking the road turned around and sped away when they saw that things were not going well; the men in black also retreated into the alley like a tide and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"Mr. Li, should we give chase or not?"

Wen San turned his head and asked.

"What's the point of chasing after them! What if it's a second trap?"

"Send Xiao Jie and the others to Mitsui Miri's yard, bring Uezono Tadako back to me, pry her open, and find out where Mitsui is hiding and where the Japanese spies are hiding. Then call it a day and go home."

He held this grudge against him.

That evening, Li Wenguo personally signed an order to seal off all land checkpoints and waterway docks in the capital region, prohibiting even a single bird from flying out.

Mitsui Miri's ability to lurk under our noses for so long is no ordinary quality—she is cunning, ruthless, and shrewd, like a venomous snake coiled in the shadows.

Her identity was completely exposed, and she was a high-ranking official at the major level. It would be strange if she didn't evacuate overnight—staying in the capital would be tantamount to waiting to be caught.

Lu Xian sealed off all exits from the city overnight, and only at dawn did he officially issue arrest warrants for Mitsui Miri and Jingcun.

Uehara Tadako was also caught last night.

Previously, when Mitsui Miri heard that Jingcun planned to exchange Dong Haitang for her life, she immediately realized that her move to control Li Wenguo was a complete disaster. She set up an ambush while quickly sending someone to inform Uezono Tadako to retreat.

Unfortunately, Li Wenguo had just finalized the deal with Jingcun when he turned around and sent men to surround and capture Shangyuan Tianzi; the men that Mitsui Miri sent to deliver the message were intercepted by Da Yan and his men halfway there and were dealt with on the spot.

The following morning, Li Wenguo stormed into the interrogation room, his face contorted with murderous intent.

With his arms tied behind his back with thick ropes, Shangyuan Tianzi was suspended high on the roof beam, his toes barely off the ground.

"Weren't you quite arrogant?" Li Wenguo looked up at her, a smirk playing on his lips. "You even said you're the master now, and we're the prisoners, and it's not your place to speak?"

"What do you mean you'll be in charge of everything from now on?"

"He even threatened me—'You'd better behave yourself, or your wife might be in trouble'?"

He narrowed his eyes, his face full of mockery, then suddenly reached out and poked her forehead, his fingertips digging into her skin as he grinned maliciously, "Right now, who's the prisoner?"

"Haha!!!"

"Pooh--!!!"

She suddenly turned her head and spat out a mouthful of thick phlegm mixed with blood!

Li Wenguo had already sensed something was wrong with that muffled groan. He tilted his head to the side, and phlegm flew past his ear and splashed onto the wall.

"Fuck! Are you crazy?!"

Before she could finish speaking, a sharp "slap" rang out, and a slap landed hard on her left cheek. The force was so fierce that it tore open her mouth, and blood trickled down her chin.

But this slap gave her a new "weapon"—she swallowed hard and spat another mouthful of saliva mixed with blood at him!

Li Wenguo had no choice but to take two steps back and frown as he avoided the situation.

"You pig! You idiot! You're the disgusting one!!!" She gritted her teeth, her eyes burning with venom.

"Torture her," Li Wenguo said coldly. "Pry open her mouth and find out where Mitsui... uh, where Major Mitsui is hiding."

Uezono Tadako only refers to him as "Major Mitsui," and he still does not know his full name.

The reason for resorting to torture was that this woman was too stubborn—she spat twice before anything was even really done. Asking any more questions would be a complete waste of time.

Wen San responded by rolling up his sleeves, grabbing a leather whip, and stepping forward. Before he started, he grinned and said, "If you can't take it, call it a stop, so you don't get torn to shreds!"

The whip then fell.

For a full hour, she was whipped until her skin was torn and blood was crisscrossed. She fainted twice from the pain, each time being jolted awake by a bucket of ice water poured over her head, only to be whipped again.

"Master Li, this woman is really tough!" Wen San shouted, panting heavily.

"Splash it to wake me up."

Li Wenguo didn't even lift his eyelids.

The moment the man opened his eyes, he strode over to him, looking down at him: "Didn't you call yourself a lowly henchman? The moment they catch a whiff of trouble, they run away without a trace—what are you working for her for?"

"Confess sooner rather than later, and you'll suffer less. Besides, you can't escape being executed. I can give the order to make you look presentable—before you pass away, I'll wipe your face and dress you in new clothes; if you trust me, I can even hire a mortician to draw your eyebrows and even out your makeup, so you can depart looking beautiful..."

"Ha...ho..."

She was barely breathing, but she still wanted to turn her head and spit in his face.