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

The clone then sprawled on the sofa, stretched out its long legs, and placed its heels directly on the coffee table. Its hands were under the back of its head, and its expression was as relaxed as a cat that had just finished sunbathing.

Pushing open the door to the first room on the second floor, Li Wenguo dragged out the real Niu Dali.

The old ox was bound tightly, with a thick cloth stuffed in its mouth, and only muffled "woo...woo..." sounds could be squeezed out of its throat.

To prevent him from discovering such a bizarre phenomenon as the spatial dimension and ruining the rest of the plot, Li Wenguo had already struck him on the back of the head with a blunt object and then blindfolded him with a black cloth.

Let him think that he was ambushed, fainted, and then kidnapped to this place.

The moment the black cloth was lifted, Niu Dali's panicked eyes met Li Wenguo's chillingly smiling face.

"I'll show you a special talent later—aren't you the one who loves to steal other people's wives? Today I'll let you see for yourself how your own woman kneels down and begs someone else to take her in."

"Don't thank me, I just want you to experience what it feels like to have the person you love turn around and fall into someone else's arms."

"hey-hey……"

"Oh, by the way, the one inside is your most beloved concubine—Hu Meier."

Before he finished speaking, the black cloth was already tightly wrapped around his neck again. Li Wenguo had no interest in having a crowd watch; just hearing a sound was already a great favor.

He picked up Niu Dali and pushed the door open to enter.

It took Li Wenguo two whole hours to finally stroll back to the living room, sweating profusely.

Niu Dali and Hu Meier had already been taken into the spatial dimension, leaving not even a single hair behind.

"How was it? Was this show exciting enough?"

The clone "Niu Dali" asked, crossing his legs.

"Fine! Old Niu was so angry he probably broke all his teeth, and the gag was soaked with blood."

"As for Hu Meier—tsk, she truly is a vixen who grew up in a brothel. To survive, she used every trick in the book to please me, even offering to become my concubine and vowing to sever all ties with Lao Niu. She even fabricated a tearful story about how her husband's family was forced to their deaths by Lao Niu, claiming that she was forcibly taken there, her every bone oozing with grievance."

"His acting was so pitiful, even a fool would have to take out his handkerchief and wipe away tears."

"No wonder they say women are born actresses."

"Even I almost believed it to some extent."

Li Wenguo shook his head and sighed.

"Oh? So, according to you, Old Niu is furious not because he was cuckolded, but because this woman betrayed him on the spot?"

"Hmph, almost certainly."

"He should take a good look at himself—a poisonous vine that even his own husband's family can sell. If someone else had more power, wouldn't they immediately climb up to him and drag him into the mud?"

The clone chuckled, a smirk playing on its lips, full of contempt.

"Don't mention those two. Later, while you're at it, give Tie Dan, Sha Qiang, and Kong Wu a good talking-to—test how tough they are. I'm outta here."

Taking advantage of this chaos, the clone "Niu Dali" intends to subtly force them to choose sides:

Anyone who secretly approaches him is thrown into the logistics department to manage the warehouse;

Those who dare to stubbornly resist are immediately promoted and given important responsibilities.

Before leaving, Ding Xiaoqi reminded him: Go check on that woman in black at Dr. Ke's place.

But Sai Honglian had already disappeared without a trace last night.

Upon hearing that the woman he had rescued was actually a female bandit leader, Li Wenguo was shocked.

These days, bandits are hardly the chivalrous heroes of the martial arts world, free from the desire for personal gain and revenge.

They were clearly a group of desperate criminals who lived on the edge, committing murder, arson, and robbery.

He didn't want to get involved in this bad luck at all—repaying a debt of gratitude? Forget about it.

Pretending to be complete strangers is the cleanest way to live.

Two days later.

Li Wenguo stopped Dong Haitang, who was about to leave, and pulled her into the pavilion.

"Hey, things should be all arranged by now, right?"

He looked up and asked.

"this……"

Dong Haitang's lips moved, but she didn't say anything in the end.

Li Wenguo could tell at a glance that she was on guard—that she was treating him like an outsider.

"Hey, you bitch, I personally handed over the intelligence!"

"Don't forget, I'm a spy too! In terms of rank, we're equals, but you're treating me like a doorman sweeper?"

"You deserve a beating, don't you?"

Before she could finish speaking, a sharp "smack" rang out, and a slap landed squarely on her buttocks.

"Ouch—!" A scream tore through the air.

"Sir! Stop! We're outside! If someone sees this, where will I put my face?"

Dong Haitang suddenly turned her head to look in the direction of the hall. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a swaying figure—could it be He Shuting?

"You have no shame? Doesn't my face matter?!"

"Confess now! And if you dare to hide anything from me from me again, I'll skin you alive!"

"Did you hear me?!"

Li Wenguo flicked his wrist, raising his palm again, his knuckles taut and white.

"Speak! I'll talk! I'll tell you right now!"

Dong Haitang hurriedly grabbed his arm and pressed it down hard.

"Let's see if you dare to hide it again!"

Li Wenguo snorted coldly, his brows furrowed like sharp blades.

"The department has made all the necessary arrangements—a fully-equipped combat regiment will be quietly transferred to Beijing. On the day of the operation, they will lie in ambush three miles outside Lixingshe in a circular formation. As soon as the artillery fires, they will immediately encircle and annihilate the Kwantung Special Operations Team."

Dong Haitang spoke rapidly, finishing her sentence in one breath.

"Ha, a combat regiment? That's ruthless!"

Li Wenguo slowly rubbed his chin with his thumb, his eyes darkening.

With a thousand or so men pressing in, and the Japanese special forces elite force numbering at most a little over two hundred, the disparity is tenfold. They'll probably be reduced to ashes.

"By the way—you weren't at the Lixingshe that day, were you?"

If the goal is to lure the snake out of its hole, someone has to stay in the commune as a target, a spark. If the commune is empty and no one responds, the cunning little notebook immediately becomes alert and disappears.

"This...this..."

"We'll have to see what the department decides!"

Dong Haitang's voice was weak, and she didn't even dare to lift her eyelids.

"Walk!"

Li Wenguo didn't bother to glare at her again and turned to walk towards the door.

"what?"

"Where are we going?"

Dong Haitang stood there, her hand still hanging in mid-air—she had just been considering whether to block a second blow, but her husband flicked the hem of his robe and was already out the door.

"I'll take you to work!"

Li Wenguo didn't turn his head, his voice filled with anger.

He had to find Chang Binghui and make sure to get a leave slip for Dong Haitang that day.

The special forces members in the small notebook are all seasoned veterans, cunning and ruthless, and they're even carrying a light field gun—if it really explodes, Lixingshe will probably be reduced to a pile of rubble. If any broken bricks or beams hit her, would she be able to keep up with her remaining energy?

In this perilous situation where they risked their lives for credit, they actually obediently followed the department's orders... Was it loyalty? Or just plain stupidity? In Li Wenguo's eyes, it was nothing short of utter idiocy!

That damn competitive spirit has completely clouded my judgment!

In the blink of an eye, the two were already standing at the entrance of the Lixingshe Society.

"Mr. Li, what brings you here today?"

He bumped into Wen San, who was all smiles.

"Wen San, I need to speak with your team leader, Chang. It's urgent."

Li Wenguo nodded slightly.

"I'll show you the way!"

"No need. Let your 'Captain Dong' personally lead me there."

He emphasized the words "Captain Dong" heavily. Wen San's eyes darted around, and he immediately understood: This guy was holding back his anger.

"Okay, okay, take care!"

"Wait—where are Xiao Jie and the others? I can't see them anywhere!"

Having not seen any familiar faces from Xiao Jie along the way, Li Wenguo casually asked.

"We're currently conducting intensive training for the Detective Division! Every new recruit must pass this test."

Wen San answered fluently.

"Good job, kid!"

Li Wenguo smiled and patted him on the shoulder twice, then followed Dong Haitang.

In the corridor, many spies frequently glanced sideways, their eyes fixed on Li Wenguo's back, then quietly slipping towards Dong Haitang.

They bumped into Gao Yang on the way, and nodded to each other as if to acknowledge each other.

Before long, they arrived at the door of Chang Binghui's office.

Dong Haitang didn't follow; she turned around and went back to her room to change into her uniform.

"Wow—a rare guest has arrived!"

Chang Binghui, who is usually serious, surprisingly managed a smile this time, though fine lines appeared at the corners of his eyes.

This man before us is no ordinary person—he's cracked down on Japanese spies with ease, recently racking up countless achievements. Even this top-secret intelligence operation, a matter of life and death, was orchestrated by him. Not treating him with respect? That would be a sign of utter foolishness!

— He's practically a walking God of Wealth.

"Haha, Team Leader Chang, I've come to your door today because I have something to ask of you."

Li Wenguo pulled out a Daqianmen cigarette, flicked it out, and handed it over...

He had long since mastered the art of interpersonal relationships.

"If you need something, why don't you just ask Haitang to pass on a message? Why go to all this trouble?"

Chang Binghui lit a cigarette for himself and then lit it for Li Wenguo himself.

In an instant, wisps of smoke rose silently.

"Here's the thing—you're going to make your move in a few days, and Haitang is pregnant now. I'd like to ask you to give her a few days off."

Li Wenguo leaned closer, lowered his voice, and spoke clearly, word by word.

"Oh? Haitang...is pregnant?"

"I've known her stubbornness for a long time—she's meticulous in everything she does, a top-notch agent, and she's really capable of running missions while pregnant."

Chang Binghui nodded, his tone carrying a hint of approval.

"Okay, I've approved the leave."

"However, for this major operation, the other two squads will stay behind, while the third squad she leads will have to keep an eye on the three Japanese spies you mentioned."

"How about this—you lead the team for her and personally bring the person back."

What? !

You want me to lead a team to capture Japanese spies?

What the hell!!!

Li Wenguo was stunned on the spot, his mind went blank.

"Team Leader Chang, I'm good at uncovering informants, but arresting people... that's really not my job."

He waved his hands repeatedly, trying to push this hot potato back.

"Yan Ming and Yao Yao both know you and have no suspicion of you; the one at the photo studio is even simpler, just go alone and pounce on him when he's off guard."

Having said all that, how could Li Wenguo possibly refuse?

"Especially Yan Ming—after capturing him, we must find irrefutable evidence to confirm his identity as a Japanese spy on the spot."

Chang Binghui deliberately lowered his voice to give his instructions.

"Without evidence, wouldn't it be easy to get them to confess by using some methods?"

Li Wenguo frowned and asked in return.

This guy is probably a nail; we can just pry him open and that's it, right?

"It's different. He's the owner of a business, and the whole shop is going to be confiscated. If it were a confession obtained through torture, anyone could easily expose it—saying we were forced to confess."

Upon hearing this, Li Wenguo immediately understood.

It turns out that Lixingshe had been eyeing Yan Ming's business for a long time.

With solid evidence, the confiscation is done cleanly and efficiently, leaving no room for criticism; but if the case is decided by torture, someone will immediately jump out and cry foul.

"Once we have the evidence, you will be responsible for inventorying and reporting all of Yan Ming's assets."

Huh? !

There's something fishy about this!

Li Wenguo's eyes suddenly lit up.

Chang Binghui's words clearly left him a way to make a fortune.

He has plenty of money right now, but who would mind having a lot of money in his pocket?

Besides, a business may be valuable, but is it his place to get his hands on it? This little bit of profit right now, however, is something he can easily pocket.

He immediately patted his chest and promised, "Leave the evidence to me!"

Nonsense—when the time comes, just pull out a radio with the Kwantung Army's secret code from your space, stuff it under Yan Ming's bed, and catch him red-handed. Why bother with the complicated code?

After discussing the key details such as the rendezvous route and timing, Li Wenguo got up to take his leave.

I bumped into Dong Haitang as soon as I walked through the corridor.