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

"If you don't want the photos to get leaked, you'd better do as I say—understand?"

"Understood! I'll definitely listen! As long as you don't send it out, I'll do whatever you say!"

She nodded repeatedly, her fingertips turning white, her shoulders still trembling.

"That's more like it. Madam is sensible, which makes things easier." He added slowly, "Right now, Captain Yu Kong is overwhelmed with the task of wiping out the anti-Japanese elements in the city. If this matter of yours were to ruin his health... I'm really afraid he would spit out a mouthful of blood and kneel down at the entrance of the command post."

"Men value their reputation most—don't you think?"

His tone was light, but every word was like a needle chilled to ice, piercing her taut nerves.

41

"Okay, okay, I'll be good and I won't let my husband find out anything."

She hurriedly agreed, her voice strained.

"Let's go take a shower first, then come back and continue."

"It's only just past noon..."

Nanako's jaw clenched slightly, the humiliation felt like scalding sand pricking her heart, but the pain was only fleeting and was quickly suppressed—she lowered her eyes, stood up, and silently followed the broad-shouldered, thick-backed man into the washroom.

As dusk fell, her hands were tightly bound with hemp rope, her eyes were covered with a black cloth, and she was led out of the garden villa and stuffed into a car.

"Remember this: be available immediately if needed. Otherwise, the photos will be slipped under your door right away, understand?"

Li Wenguo stood beside the car, his tone flat, yet every word struck like a hammer blow.

"Listen carefully! Listen carefully!"

The car drove into the small courtyard leading to the outside world and went into the tunnel. To avoid being seen, a rickshaw was actually prepared in the tunnel—Haozi pulled her into the rickshaw and drove her all the way into a small courtyard with blue bricks deep in the capital.

After she stepped out of the courtyard, Haozi circled the alley three times before loosening the rope around her wrists. He then sternly instructed her, "Remove the black cloth from your eyes only after you get out of the car."

She had barely steadied herself and her fingertips had just touched the knot of the blindfold when the rickshaw had already sped away, leaving only a swaying silhouette; she couldn't even see the back of the driver's head.

She looked up and realized that she was standing diagonally opposite the alley entrance, just a few steps away from the main street; even more coincidentally, it was only a hundred steps away from her home, so she didn't even need to ask for directions.

She took off running and rushed home like the wind.

As soon as she entered the room, she went straight to the bathroom, turned on the tap, and hot water gushed down, mingling with her silently falling tears.

At that moment, the Military Police Headquarters was brightly lit, and Yu Kongdejian was engrossed in his work at his desk—unaware that a heavy green hat had already been quietly placed on his head.

The interrogation room was cold and damp, with a musty smell mixed with the metallic stench of metal.

"Should we recruit or not?"

"You're being stubborn, aren't you?"

"If you don't talk, I'll chop off your hands and feet, leaving nothing behind!"

Yu Kongde's face was ashen, his eyes fierce, and he lashed the spy with the stick. His brother-in-law had died a violent death, the military factory had been bombed, and he had been accused by a group of traitors he had always looked down upon—his anger had long been burning inside him, and this beating was the perfect outlet for his rage.

"Should we recruit or not?!"

"Bang--!"

"Snap!!!"

Seeing that the man's bones were too hard, he mustered all his strength and swung the bamboo stick in a wide arc, smashing it hard against the top of his head. The bamboo stick shattered on the spot, with broken pieces flying everywhere.

The spy's head lolled to the side, his eyes rolled back, and he went completely limp.

"Captain, he's gone."

A burly interrogator next to him checked the pulse on the side of the neck and said in a low voice.

"Dead? Drag him out and feed him to the dogs—do I need to teach him?"

He lifted his eyelids and shouted sternly.

As soon as the man died, the rage in his chest subsided by a third. He waved his hand, ordering his men to continue the torture, determined to pry open the mouth of the anti-Japanese frontline operative—the military factory was exploding loudly, General Shinoda's deadline was fast approaching, and if they couldn't catch him, his official hat would likely fall on the spot.

"Damn it! These anti-Japanese frontline fighters in Beijing are slipperier than rats, always crawling into the gutter; they're so filthy even maggots wouldn't want to gnaw on them!"

Another day, the search came to nothing. After hearing the report, he kicked over a stool, and the veins on his forehead throbbed.

This time, he finally understood why the former captain was in such a predicament.

But he refused to back down—at worst, he'd drag all the able-bodied men in the city into the military police station and screen them one by one! Anyone who slipped through the net? Impossible! As for whether the capital was in chaos or whether people were panicking… he didn't care.

"Any news from the maintenance committee?"

He turned to his adjutant and asked.

"No. They caught someone acting suspiciously, interrogated him for a day, and then released him."

"Baka!!!"

"It's all just a perfunctory job!"

"Pretending to be something they're not, holding a position without doing any work!"

Yu Kong slammed his fist on the table, his anger flaring up instantly. "Tell them to call a meeting immediately!"

The adjutant turned and left, heading straight for Director Niu's residence, urging everyone to gather quickly.

At the meeting, Yu Kongdejian pointed at a room full of traitors and cursed them. Finally, he issued a death order: within three days, the hideout of the anti-Japanese front-line elements must be found, or he himself must be captured alive, otherwise he would be punished according to military law. This was not an exaggeration.

The traitors looked at each other, cold sweat pouring down their backs, their minds already cursing Yu Kongdejian's ancestors eighteen generations over and over again.

Only Niu Dali, amidst the fear filling the room, squinted his eyes, but a light suddenly shone in his heart.

He devised a plan—to create a fake outpost, then deliberately leak it to the military police to lure them inside. High explosives were already planted inside; all he had to do was open the door, pull the fuse, and with a deafening roar, send everyone, guns and all, to their doom.

This move was originally learned from the old method used by Mitsui Miri back then; now, Niu Dali, the clone, is also trying to imitate it and bite back.

The master bedroom of a garden villa in the embassy district.

Li Wenguo raised his camera, repeatedly adjusted the focus, and occasionally bent down to press the shutter, capturing the image of Nanako, who was busy bending over below, in the lens.

After being slapped several times, Nanako simply resigned herself to her fate and relaxed, letting him direct and manipulate her, a sly smile even appearing in her eyes.

After taking enough photos, he casually placed the camera on the stone steps, grabbed Nanako's wrist, and swiftly pulled her up...

It took a full hour to safely get her back to her place.

He strolled back to the small villa in the evening breeze, a warm smile on his face, as if he had just drunk a cup of aged Shaoxing wine.

It was nearly dusk, just the right time to eat.

Ever since the Japanese military police set up checkpoints and conducted searches throughout the city, he has rarely stepped out of the embassy district. He had long since entrusted all the work at the foreign firms to Zhang Dadan.

Following Li Wenguo's guidance, Zhang Dadan started learning Japanese several years ago, albeit with difficulty. Although he spoke haltingly and inarticulately, it was barely enough to handle daily negotiations.

Tonight's meal was as plentiful as ever, but with the addition of several medicinal dishes to nourish the fetus and help prevent miscarriage.

After all, the whole room was full of pregnant women.

That's right, He Shuting also tested positive for pregnancy a week ago.

This is her fourth child.

She didn't utter a sound of grievance, because Li Guohua and Li Jingfen had already started school, and Li Guozhi was six years old. In two months, when the new semester started, he would be able to carry his schoolbag and go to school.

These days she only skims through some intelligence briefings, and spends the rest of her time leisurely. So what if she's pregnant? Having a baby to amuse her will actually make her life more lively.

Since Li Wenguo has been pregnant with Nanako, his body has become more relaxed, so he hasn't touched anyone else.

After the family finished sitting around drinking tea and chatting, he took He Shuting into the main room.

"Look, you mentioned a few bullet production lines last time—the base is pressing for details. Do you have anything else to report? I'll pass it on right away."

She pulled a translated note from her sleeve and gently pushed it in front of him.

Li Wenguo waved his hand, not even bothering to look: "Don't I trust my own wife's words?"

"Master Rong, please think about it!"

He was calculating in his mind: Beijing would be liberated in 1954, and once the city changed hands, the organization would have the final say in everything. So, he needed to hurry up and pave the way for himself and the women in his family in the next few years…

Seeing his deep, thoughtful gaze, He Shuting quietly got up, went behind him, placed her fingertips on his shoulder, and began to gently massage it.

As she rubbed, the collar of her shirt tilted to one side, revealing a striking red mark on her neck. She frowned slightly and reached out to adjust the collar, only to be met with a clear lip print.

"snort!"

With a short, cold snort, she abruptly withdrew her hand, turned around, and sat back in her original seat, her chin slightly raised, her expression already three degrees colder.

No wonder they've been neglecting us lately. We thought they were just looking after their bellies, but it turns out they've already found someone else!

"What's wrong?"

Li Wenguo noticed something was off about her tone and leaned over with a grin to ask her.

"That person is too wild in heart and too lazy to talk."

He Shuting turned her face away, her voice icy.

"He cheated and then didn't even bother to cover his tracks, instead flaunting the evidence around his neck."

"Heh heh, what's the big deal? It's just a seal! I've married ten women already, and you're still acting like a jealous fool?"

He shrugged nonchalantly.

"I recognize the ones that come in; but those wildflowers outside, their origins are unclear, so I'd better keep my eyes open—if they get tainted, it's no joke."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I know exactly who I can touch and who I should avoid. Don't you believe me?"

"Oh, really? What about Xianglan?"

He Shuting's eyes flashed, and she immediately hit the nail on the head, a cold smile appearing on her lips.

—Xianglan was redeemed from a brothel.

"Hey, how can Xianglan be the same? She's completely innocent, not a single hair on her head has been touched by anyone else! There's not a single flaw to be found! Besides, she's the master's first wife, she's family. It's not appropriate for you to keep dredging up old wounds."

Li Wenguo's tone was firm and left no room for doubt.

"Hmm...she's not here right now."

He Shuting realized she had spoken too harshly, and her voice immediately softened, becoming as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

"Hey, have you been holding back too much lately? How about I give you a break?"

Before he finished speaking, he had already stood up and sat down next to her, one hand around her waist and the other reaching for her clothes.

"Wait! I haven't answered that bullet trajectory question yet!"

He Shuting quickly pressed his hand down.

"I've already decided—it'll be free! I'll put it under your name."

Li Wenguo made up his mind: from now on, whenever he donated money or goods, it should either be in her name or his own.

The organization remembers kindness received, not debts owed. It will surely repay this kindness in the future.

Look at the Huo family in Hong Kong and the Ho family in Macau in later generations. They devoted themselves to supporting the country's construction back then, and when the policy dividends came one after another, they were always among the first to benefit.

Li Wenguo was planning: once the storm had passed, he would take his family to Hong Kong, settle down, build a business, and then put all his efforts into giving back to the country. By then, who would dare not respect him as "Grandpa Li"?

By the way, American nobles Alex and Alice will also strongly support the country, which will definitely make him more influential than all the veterans.

"Yes! I'll thank you on behalf of the organization."

Her voice trembled slightly, but she tried her best to keep her breathing steady.

"Shu Ting, you must remember this—this money must be registered in your name personally."

"Let me give you a heads-up: once the little notebook gets beaten back to its homeland, the next thing to happen is a head-on confrontation between the organization and the party-state."

When the important point was reached, Li Wenguo stopped playing around.

He Shuting immediately straightened her back and became solemn.