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

Suddenly—

"boom!!!"

A deafening roar ripped through the night, and a crimson fireball soared into the sky, casting a blood-red glow over half the city. Anyone who opened a window could immediately see the rolling flames.

But no one dared to show their face. Every household kept their doors and windows tightly shut, covered their heads with blankets, chattered with their teeth, and dared not even cough loudly.

"Quick! Quick! There's been an explosion in the north of the city. It's probably the work of anti-Japanese elements. Everyone assemble and get there immediately!" (in Japanese)

Patrollers, dozing off, squatting in the outhouse... were all startled and jumped up in an instant. They didn't even have time to put on their shoes before they took off running wildly to the north.

In the south of the city, in that narrow alleyway that resembled a stinking ditch, diagonally opposite the maintenance committee, thirty men huddled in the shadows against the wall, so quiet that even their breathing was barely audible.

"It's ringing! Take action!"

Old Pan let out a low growl, grabbed a black cloth and pulled it over his face, then turned and rammed into the iron gate of the maintenance committee.

A large number of people followed closely behind.

With most of the guards transferred and the breakout force large and powerful, they successfully rescued two comrades and pried open all the cell doors—inside were mostly innocent civilians falsely accused, including several like-minded individuals who had never recognized each other's identities. Of course, taking down the puppet regime was not without its losses: two people were killed on the spot, five or six were wounded, and one agent and one underground party member were each killed. In the end, they still suffered some losses.

The feat of blowing up the entire puppet government headquarters and even the detention center was enough to be recorded in the war report and spread throughout the country!

"Boom!!!"

"Boom!!!"

"Boom!!!"

Three deafening roars, like mountains collapsing and the earth splitting apart, sent bricks and stones flying, flames engulfing the beams, and the maintenance committee was uprooted, leaving only charred remains smoking in the wind.

When the newspapers are printed tomorrow or the day after, and the story is spread all over the country, the Japanese will have their face trampled into the mud and will never be able to recover.

"Who wants to leave the city now?"

After Lao Pan, Sun Gang, Wang Youli, and others withdrew from the ruins and turned into a dark alley, Sha Qiang came up to them and asked.

He didn't participate in the battle; he just stayed here to provide support. He had his camera in his pocket and was snapping photos crisply and decisively.

"We must leave immediately!"

The special agent squad leader's voice was strained and resolute.

Having made such a huge mess, the Japanese devils are bound to bite like mad dogs. If we don't run, we'll be shot.

They were all burly and strong, clearly skilled in martial arts—if they were caught off guard during a checkpoint inspection, who else would they target?

"Let's go too!"

Sun Hang waved his hand, and the dozen or so men behind him nodded in unison.

"We're not leaving."

"yes!"

"Yes, stay."

Old Pan and Wang Youli responded in hushed tones with their group.

"Okay, follow me."

Sha Qiang waved his hand, and more than twenty people filed into a low courtyard next door.

The cellar cover in the corner of the courtyard was lifted, revealing a deep tunnel leading directly out of the city.

Old Pan and his men stealthily made their way under the cover of night, their figures quickly blending into the dark streets and alleys.

The military police, who had been led away, turned around and ran back after hearing the explosion, their boots clattering on the cobblestones.

"Baka yarou!!!"

Akagi Toshio stood before the scorched ruins, roaring to the sky, his military cap askew, his shoulders heaving violently.

He finally understood through gritted teeth—this was a diversionary tactic, a slap in the face to his very slap.

The last time the bomb was destroyed in the north of the city, it was just an empty thatched hut.

But this time, it was the sprawling maintenance committee building that was overturned—this is a huge problem!

The sound of the explosion also reached the embassy district, startling Sai Honglian, who was bent over her desk reviewing documents, into looking up abruptly.

"Master, Master! That loud noise just now...did they succeed?"

"Stop talking nonsense! Focus on the work, I'm putting in a lot of effort!"

Li Wenguo didn't even look up, his tone rough and impatient.

Success was a foregone conclusion long ago—every step had been rehearsed three times.

The overwhelming advantage in equipment alone is enough to crush any obstacle.

Once it's light, Akagi Toshio will definitely be dragged out and questioned.

“Pah!”

General Shinoda slapped Akagi Toshio hard across the face with a backhand motion, the roar making the window paper vibrate.

"You've let our key strongholds be wiped out by anti-Japanese patriots time and time again? Have you lost your mind? Or have you become stupid from eating the government's salary for nothing?!"

Of course not. It's that those anti-Japanese patriots were too ruthless, too accurate, and too difficult to deal with!

Akagi Toshio's heart was in turmoil, but his face drooped even lower, his shoulders hunched, looking like a scolded quail.

In officialdom, contradicting one's superior is tantamount to ruining one's career—this ironclad rule applies to every country and dynasty. Even if the superior is wrong, the fault lies with the rules, not with him.

"Baka!!!"

"You stupid pig!"

General Nobuda stared at the back of his head, which was hanging down, and spat again.

"Do you know that bombing the maintenance station is like tearing a piece of flesh off the face of our Great Japanese Empire?!"

"If this gets published in tomorrow's newspapers, the whole city will be in uproar. We'll lose face completely and our prestige will be ruined!"

Once it was published, anti-Japanese patriots in other occupied areas would inevitably follow suit. The foundation of imperial rule began to crumble silently.

Without the traitors who ran errands, relayed messages, and kept order for them, the burden on the military police immediately doubled and then doubled again.

At that moment, Toshio Akagi suddenly raised his face, his voice tense: "General, I will immediately send military police to seal off all local newspapers and cut off the flow of news!"

"What about the foreign newspapers?"

"And another thing—do you think the anti-Japanese patriots wouldn't send copies of the message out? First, send it to cities that haven't fallen yet for publication, and then forward it back to Beijing to spread it?"

General Nobuda gave a cold laugh, his gaze like a knife scraping across his face.

Akagi Toshio's Adam's apple bobbed, and he immediately fell silent, his head slumping heavily again.

"I'm giving you one last chance: arrest people, rebuild the maintenance committee, and win over more pro-Japanese elements."

"Furthermore, I will deploy an infantry battalion into the city to impose martial law—at least two soldiers will be stationed at every alley entrance, every street, and every intersection. We'll turn the entire capital into an iron barrel, so your military police can cast a wide net and catch those rats!"

"If you still can't find the culprit... then you should commit seppuku to atone for your sins."

General Nobuda spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice as cold as ice crystals.

He dared not directly dismiss Akagi Toshio—the military police captain belonged to the intelligence system and required headquarters approval. But if he sent a secret telegram, and it was verified, Akagi Toshio would be immediately dismissed and investigated. At that point, seppuku would become a dignified way to leave.

"Hi--!!!"

Akagi Toshio walked out of the office with a tense expression, taking one slow step at a time.

This time, it truly came down to life and death.

With the repeated falls of Beijing, each city precisely targeted and destroyed by anti-Japanese patriots, the primary responsibility fell on the military police. As the battalion commander, he was the biggest target; if not him, who would?

"Summon Director Niu Dali and the chairman of the maintenance committee to come see me immediately!"

Once back in his office, he growled at his adjutant, his knuckles turning white from clenching his fists.

Wen Keyi walked briskly downstairs, heading to the restaurant for breakfast. Last night had been unusually peaceful, and her body had recovered. She even felt a quiet gratitude towards the bandit leader, Sai Honglian.

Less than ten days after marrying into the Li family, she was exhausted every night, her back aching and her legs weak. Only then did she truly understand the hardships her sister had endured back then, and finally realize just how vigorous this man was.

As soon as she stepped into the restaurant, her husband Li Wenguo, He Shuting, and her sister Wen Keren were already seated. The only one missing was the eighth concubine who had entered the house last night—Wen Keyi immediately understood: she must have been too excited last night to get up this morning.

"Keyi's here? Come sit down, dinner's ready."

Li Wenguo greeted her with a smile, and he was especially warm towards his new bride as she entered the house.

"Yes, sir!"

Wen Keyi responded readily, her tone revealing the decisiveness of a matriarch.

During the meal, the older sister, Wen Keren, suddenly covered her mouth and gagged.

Li Wenguo and He Shuting exchanged a glance and almost simultaneously thought: she must be pregnant.

He hadn't rested for two consecutive weeks, even during his fertile period, so it was expected that he would get infected.

"Sis, are you feeling unwell?"

Wen Keyi quickly supported her arm, her brows furrowing slightly.

Li Wenguo was even more direct: "Keren is pregnant again."

He Shuting nodded with a smile: "Congratulations!"

Wen Keren smiled and gently stroked her flat stomach with her fingertips, but her heart was churning with emotions: if this child was another son, she could cut another piece of fat off the family fortune!

In this operation to destroy the maintenance association, Sha Qiang had already pointed his camera at the ruins and secretly saved irrefutable evidence. Li Wenguo immediately ordered someone to send the photos to Qingzhong. After being broadcast on Zhongyang Broadcasting, the whole country was in an uproar, and righteous people from all over the country were mobilized and rose up in rebellion.

For such a great achievement, Qing Zhong was naturally generous with his reward—his military rank was immediately promoted two levels to major.

But he never felt any enthusiasm for this party-state. No matter how high his official rank, he treated it like a straw hat, flicking it lightly and laughing it off.

Sai Honglian was kept in the small villa by her husband for three whole days before being allowed to return home. This was out of consideration for Xiao Guoli's wishes—otherwise, according to custom, she would have been kept for at least seven days. "It's been a long time since I've seen Yue Rong; I should call her over."

After seeing Sai Honglian off, Li Wenguo's mind drifted to Yang Yuerong on Wang'er Mountain.

It had been almost a year since they last saw each other. He didn't say it, but he was always worried: he was afraid that if she waited too long, her feelings would fade and she would leave him.

Even though I still have confidence, without any real ambition in my heart, I feel like a wooden wedge missing its anchor, unable to settle down no matter what.

He immediately instructed He Shuting to send a telegram to Yang Yuerong, asking her to come to the capital immediately—the pretext being that she had donated a batch of urgent supplies in her personal capacity and that she must be present to sign and confirm the donation.

"If you want to hug someone, just say so. Why sign anything? Don't pretend you don't understand anything!"

"We both know the truth in our hearts."

He Shuting kept muttering to herself as she typed the message.

His words clearly revealed his displeasure.

It wasn't that she was consumed by jealousy, but rather that she was genuinely afraid his capriciousness would ruin important matters for the organization—Sai Honglian and Yang Yurong, weren't they both key members shouldering responsibilities? How could they be so easily transferred from their posts to come and indulge in his romantic escapades? What kind of behavior was this? Treating the organization like a decoration? Treating discipline like paper?

Besides, the capital is currently in a state of high alert, with the Japanese army casting a wide net to arrest people. It's a critical juncture where people are dancing on the edge of a knife. Why would they rush to bring people into the city? Aren't they afraid of pushing people into a fire pit?

He Shuting became increasingly distressed as she thought about it.

"Hey! What are you muttering about, woman? Are you really jealous?"

Seeing her tense expression, Li Wenguo grinned.

"Jealous? If I were to actually chew this sour fruit, the bone fragments would have been soaked until they were mushy!"

She rolled her eyes at him, her tone harsh and crisp.

That's true.

He married eleven wives in total, and also had a mistress named Yang Yuerong outside of marriage—a rare occurrence in the Republican era; if one were to count them all, one would probably die of anger long ago.