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

the other side.

Niu Dali, leading more than twenty agents, rushed toward the Japanese warehouse as soon as he heard the explosion.

The submachine guns sprayed shell casings everywhere, and the grenades blasted the sandbag bunkers to smithereens—although the Japanese had built a few small fortifications on the outer perimeter this time, Niu Dali had prepared two mortars in advance. With a few loud bangs, the men and sandbags were all blown into the air.

The warehouse doors were flung open with a loud crash.

The masked Niu Dali strode in, carrying a heavy sack of explosives.

He easily dispatched two Japanese soldiers hiding in the closet, then grabbed a crowbar and smashed it against the shelf.

"hiss--"

He suddenly stopped, staring at the dark cannon barrel in the corner, and gasped:

"A 205mm howitzer?! These little devils, they really dare to hide such a big weapon in the city!"

This is practically the most terrifying caliber howitzer on land, its power is astonishing; two or three shots could blow the entire train station into the air. "Damn it! Put it away! Put it away!"

"Not accepting it would be a waste of a treasure!"

Niu Dali immediately backed down and neatly put the item into the storage space.

Then he turned around and continued searching.

"Huh? Is that really true? Is that really true?"

"Covered by a white sheet, it actually hides three enormous machines!"

"Could it really be...?"

The clone, Niu Dali, ripped open the cover of one of the machines—

What was revealed was an armored vehicle with a cannon barrel as thick and long as a giant python. Its entire body was covered with cold, hard, and heavy armor, with sharp edges and a menacing aura.

"We're rich! We're rich! It's three tanks!"

"Hahaha!!!"

Niu Dali, the clone, threw his head back and laughed wildly, the sound shaking the beams so much that dust fell down in a flurry as he frantically stuffed it into his storage bag.

These tanks were nowhere to be seen in foreign trading companies—they were only sold to warlords, and private individuals couldn't buy them at all. Even if they could, no one dared to touch them! After all, carrying one of these things on the street would likely get you surrounded by the police as a rebel that very day.

Further on, there were boxes of rifles, bundles of bullets, barrels of gunpowder, as well as field guns and mountain guns—everything imaginable.

Another successful trip.

Looking at the empty storeroom, Niu Dali seemed to see the arrogant face of Mikuriya Tomokazu in his mind, and the image of him being trampled into the mud by General Nobuda tomorrow—he grinned, "Hehe!!!"

He quickly set up the explosive fuse and slipped out of the warehouse.

"Go! Retreat immediately!"

Niu Dali let out a low shout.

Just before leaving the house, he pressed down hard on the detonator with his thumb.

"Boom—!!!"

A blinding fireball shot into the sky and exploded, its blazing flames tearing through the night, more powerful, brighter, and more arrogant than the previous explosion in the courtyard.

On Yu Kongdejian's side, the mess had only been half cleaned up when a deafening explosion came from the direction of the warehouse. Looking up, he saw that half the sky was ablaze with crimson flames.

He froze on the spot, his pupils shrinking sharply—

Done! ! !

"Captain! That's the direction of the military equipment depot! Should we take some men there to investigate immediately?"

The adjutant's voice was strained, and sweat was beading on his forehead.

Yu Kong felt anxious and depressed, but even more so, he felt weak and powerless, as if his bones had been pulled out.

He had previously cursed the former military police captain as an incompetent fool who couldn't even catch a few anti-Japanese elements and had lost several military strongholds and ammunition depots.

Only now do I understand that it wasn't that they were incompetent, but that these anti-Japanese elements in Beiping were too ruthless, too cunning, and too adept at finding loopholes—they were meticulous and ruthless. Even an old fox like myself, who wouldn't let a fly escape his nose, was forced to run around in circles and was helpless!

ah--!!!

Those damned anti-Japanese elements!

Why are you all so difficult to deal with? So hard to catch?!

I'm afraid I'm going to die here!

He felt a tightness in his chest and a bitter taste in his throat.

To secure the position of military police captain in Beiping, this ancient capital with a thousand-year history, he bribed officials and spent lavishly on gifts, even mortgaging two courtyards of his ancestral home. Now, having made such a huge blunder, he's likely to lose everything, including his official position!

He was filled with resentment, but couldn't utter a single word.

"Captain! What should we do now? Make a decision quickly!"

The adjutant was still urging them on.

Yu Kong suddenly snapped back to reality, suppressing his panic, his voice hoarse: "Alright! The military police squad stays to handle the aftermath, the rest of you—assemble immediately and head to the armory!"

"Wait, Captain!" the adjutant whispered, glancing left and right. "Those anti-Japanese elements are cunning; they might be lurking in the shadows watching us. If we only take a few men back to the military police headquarters and they ambush us on the way, we're all finished!"

Stunned by the heavy blow, Mikuryu was momentarily stunned. Forgetting his own safety, he quickly waved his hand, "Yes, yes, yes! Tell them to stop! Let's go together! Let the puppet troops clean up the mess!"

The group hurriedly returned to the military police headquarters, and then dispatched the last five military police squads to rush to the armory—only to find charred corpses, severed limbs, and towering flames that engulfed everything.

Wait until the next morning.

General Nobuda's office.

"Smack!!!"

"Smack!!!"

The two slaps were hard and loud, making my head buzz as I flew through the air.

"Hey!!"

He was bent over so low that his back was almost touching the ground, his forehead pressed against the cold floor.

"Baka yarou!!!"

"Hey!!"

"You bastard!!!"

"Hey!!"

"Smack!!!"

"Hey!!"

"You stupid pig!!!"

"Hey!!"

"You idiot!!!"

"Hey!!"

"Smack!!!"

"Hey!!"

"You piece of trash!!!"

"Hey!!"

With each roar and each slap, General Nobuda would bow once and shout "Hey!" as he flew through the air, his voice hoarse and his words resigned, his sincerity bordering on humility.

"I'm reporting this to headquarters immediately and have you relieved of your duties!"

General Nobuda was furious.

Five entire military police squads were killed, the armory was reduced to ruins, and three tanks, along with a large quantity of firearms and ammunition, were destroyed in the fire—the heavy losses severely hampered the reorganization process of the turret unit and the puppet army.

This isn't just dereliction of duty; this is a catastrophe!

"General Shinoda, I beg you to grant me one more chance! I swear, this time I will wipe out all the anti-Japanese patriots hiding in the capital—I just ask for one more opportunity!"

As he flew through the air, his knees buckled, his forehead almost touching the ground, his voice trembled, and the veins on his forehead bulged, like a dog whose spine had been removed.

"Give you a break? Who's going to give me a break?!"

General Shinoda slammed his fist on the table, sending the teacup leaping three inches into the air, its lid crashing to the floor with a loud bang. "Last time the military factory was bombed to ruins, how many did you arrest? Three? Five? You couldn't even find a trace of them!"

"They blew up the West Hill ammunition depot again! The whole hilltop was turned upside down! If I keep letting them get away with this, are they going to blow up my command post next time? Blow my skull open?!"

His Adam's apple bobbed, and he spoke slowly and deliberately, each word as cold as a blade quenched in ice.

Before Yu Kongdejian could finish speaking, he slammed his head down with a loud thud, his knees hitting the blue bricks with a dull thud like a drum.

He gripped the ground with both hands, his knuckles turning white, and hissed, "General! Just this once! I swear on my life—if we can't clear out all the anti-Japanese elements in the city, I'll commit seppuku on the spot, and my blood will splatter on your boots!"

Shinoda squinted at him for a long time, his fingers slowly tapping on the edge of the table, as if weighing the head.

In truth, he had already made his plans: Mikawa Tokuma had only been in the position of military police captain for three months; if he were to be replaced again, headquarters might suspect that there was a rift within the Kwantung Army. Even more troublesome was the fact that—Akagi Toshio had fallen, and Mikawa Tokuma had fallen just as hard. Two seasoned officers, both being led by the nose by those elusive anti-Japanese patriots… Was it truly that the enemy was too ruthless, rather than that their subordinates were too incompetent?

"Fine." Shinoda suddenly relented, but his voice was even deeper than before. "This is the final pardon. If you lose another warehouse or another stronghold—I'll personally hand you a knife and see how your guts spill out."

He shuddered as he leaped into the air, chest puffed out, and roared, "Hai! I will not fail the general's trust!"

He truly risked his life: he ate and slept at the military police headquarters, even squatting next to the interrogation room for the toilet; he expanded the team overnight, wearing out three whips and replacing seven sets of torture instruments; intelligence piled up like a small mountain, which he carefully unfolded and crumbled, his eyes bloodshot from exhaustion. He gritted his teeth and vowed—to capture every anti-Japanese patriot alive and put them in the torture chamber, letting them die amidst their cries.

He was so busy that he forgot about his delicate wife at home.

But the woman was not lonely at all—she already had someone to coax, pamper, and cherish her every day.

……

"Renqi-kun, try this—a poached egg wrapped around ham, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside!"

Nanako leaned against Li Wenguo's shoulder, her eyes sparkling, her fingertips still stained with a little egg liquid, gently drawing circles on his chest.

"Absolutely amazing! Crispy, tender, and smooth—it surpasses even the imperial kitchen!" Li Wenguo smacked his lips and nodded, his eyes narrowing in delight. "Cai Cai Zi's cooking skills are truly those of a born Kitchen God reincarnated!"

"As long as Renqi is happy, I'll cook it for you every day." She lowered her eyes and smiled, then suddenly lowered her voice, "I'll tell you a secret—even my husband hasn't tasted a single bite of this dish."

"Hehe, since Nanako is so supportive..." Li Wenguo rubbed his hands together, forcing a sly smile, "Later I'll show off a Chinese specialty—'Life is Impermanent,' a small intestine wrapped around a large intestine, guaranteed to leave you...with unforgettable memories!"

"Oh dear~ Renqi-kun is so naughty!" Her ears turned slightly red. She had experienced that feeling before, and her tongue still felt spicy.

One hour later.

She leaned against his chest, her slender fingers twirling around his shirt buttons, her breath warm: "Tonight... please don't leave, okay?"

He reached out and stroked the back of her neck, smiling confidently: "Don't worry, he's definitely staying at headquarters tonight—he won't even bother going back to the bathhouse."

My wife's belly is getting bigger and bigger, and I want to touch her but I don't dare to; how can she compare to the obedient and docile beauty in front of me, whose bones are as soft as water?

Besides, they had just acquired the Kwong family's villa with a garden a few days ago, a safe haven for their mistress, as secure as a rock.

As for Nanako—he had her lifeline firmly in his grasp, and she didn't dare to move an inch.

"If Renqi-jun says I should stay, then I will stay." Her voice was so sweet it could drip honey.

He kept her there for three whole days, and only sent a messenger to her house before leaving, saying that he was going to stay at the residence of a high-ranking Japanese military officer's wife for a few days.

That night, I returned to the little villa.

At the dinner table, He Shuting picked up a piece of green vegetable with her chopsticks, slowly blew on it, and smiled with a bittersweet smile: "Oh, so you've finally decided to let the wild fox go?"

"I thought you were going to live in someone else's boudoir and be so happy that you forgot all about home."

Yang Yuerong's face darkened, and she raised an eyebrow, scoffing coldly, "Ha, utterly hopeless!"

The Wen sisters kept their heads down and ate their rice, their chopsticks lightly touching the rim of their bowls, without uttering a sound.

Li Wenguo lifted his eyelids and glanced at the two women's lower abdomens—Yang Yuerong's waistline had tightened slightly, and a soft curve was faintly visible under her skirt; He Shuting, however, remained as flat as ever, with a slender waist that showed no signs of movement.

He snorted, his tone barbed: "Tsk, if your bellies weren't so disappointing, would I even be wandering around outside?"

"Oh, that bulging belly—isn't it the result of your own 'plowing'?"

"Pah! Their skin is thicker than a city wall!"

The two exchanged sharp and witty remarks, one after the other, as if they had rehearsed it.

Oh dear, it's only been three days, and you've already learned to give me the cold shoulder? Even your teacup is held much more steadily than before?

They need to be reprimanded, they really need to be!