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

"Divide it into three parts: 100,000 to be handed over, 200,000 to me, and the remaining tens of thousands to be divided equally among you brothers."

Everyone who sees it gets a share, and subordinates risk their lives; we can't let people lose heart.

Wen San and the others didn't utter a single complaint—this job was something Master Li had snatched from them; otherwise, they would still be sitting ducks at the Lixingshe, and who knows when they would be killed. The fact that they were getting meat, still warm, was an incredible stroke of luck.

Twenty people share tens of thousands of silver dollars, and each person can get a thousand or so dollars, enough to buy two acres of good land.

"Thank you, Master Li!!!"

The crowd roared in unison, their throats cracking.

After that, they escorted the person to the Lixingshe (a secret society).

Xiao Jie also won over Yao Yao cleanly and efficiently.

During subsequent interrogations, Li Wenguo deliberately provided some half-true and half-false clues to induce the interrogators to escalate the torture—ultimately, she could not withstand the torture and died.

After all, they had once shared a bed, and he didn't want her to be trampled into the mud and humiliated after she had exhausted her last bit of value.

This battle wiped out an elite special operations squad of the Japanese Kwantung Army, causing quite a stir among the Kuomintang high command and can be considered one of the most morale-boosting victories in recent times.

Chiang Kai-shek was greatly encouraged and personally commended Dai Li; Dai Li was promoted two ranks and awarded the rank of colonel, and it was only a matter of time before he became a major general.

When it came time to reward meritorious service, Li Wenguo was recognized for providing crucial intelligence and was promoted two ranks, becoming a lieutenant.

Everyone else was only promoted one rank, but he ended up being promoted one rank higher than Dong Haitang.

The Japanese suffered heavy losses in this battle and urgently ordered Kenji Doihara, who was in charge of intelligence affairs in the Northeast, to send more capable officers to Beiping to take charge of the overall situation.

Upon receiving the secret order, Doihara immediately dispatched his sharpest blade—the key members of the Special Higher Police.

Three months later.

Xianglan gave birth.

This time, she finally gave birth to a healthy baby boy, just as she had wished.

My heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally felt at ease.

With an heir to the family business, there is hope for the future.

Li Wenguo named the child "Li Guochang" on the spot, hoping for national prosperity and a long-lasting family business! Including this newborn, he already has six children: Xianglan gave birth to two, He Shuting to one, Hongyu to one, and Maria to two mixed-race children.

In addition, three fetuses are still in the womb awaiting delivery—Dong Haitang is more than five months pregnant, He Shuting is more than three months pregnant, and Hongyu is just over one month pregnant.

Because his wives were all unable to be near him, Li Wenguo would make a trip to the horse-drawn carriage house every few days.

Besides missing the pure and innocent female student who had captivated him at first sight, he also asked others to keep an eye out for other girls who caught his eye.

While there are many plump women, they are still a rarity among women in the Republican era. In the past few months, he has indeed found three, but unfortunately, their looks are only decent, falling short of his standards: not ugly, but not exactly pleasing to the eye either. As a picky person who is obsessed with appearances, he naturally wouldn't agree to take them in.

As for Yang Yuerong, she was already taken by Li Wenguo a few days ago.

The old trick—I chose a dark and windy night and invited her to a high-end club for a drink.

After a few drinks, she became quite tipsy.

He took the opportunity to bring her into the hotel, thus making it a fait accompli.

Afterwards, he promised her in person that he would definitely bring her home in a grand sedan chair carried by eight men.

Yang Yuerong already harbored some feelings for him, otherwise she wouldn't have gone to the appointment with him; but she knew she was on a death sentence and was afraid of implicating Li Wenguo, so she refused outright.

She also solemnly instructed him: Don't look for her again in the future, because she was afraid that he might soften his heart and agree to her request. It would be better to cut off the idea as soon as possible.

Li Wenguo was not discouraged at all. He only planned to loosen the reins first—after all, the meat was already in his mouth, how could he let her fly away?

this day.

Li Wenguo strolled over to the Lixing Society.

Ostensibly it was an inspection, but in reality it was surveillance.

Dong Haitang was over five months pregnant, her belly prominently protruding, making it inconvenient for her to participate in large-scale operations. Li Wenguo worried that she might agree verbally but secretly take on jobs, so he would come to check on her every few days.

When he got to her office door, he didn't bother to knock and just pushed the door open and went in.

The house was empty, with no one in sight.

"Tsk!"

"Has this woman sneaked out to work again?"

"Damn it, I'm almost six months pregnant and I'm still torturing myself like this."

Li Wenguo's face was so dark it could drip water.

She was there the last few times I came, but this time she was gone.

"Mr. Li, you've arrived!"

Just as he was cursing, a greeting came from the corridor.

He glanced to the side and saw it was Wu Xiaogou.

He immediately asked, "Little dog, has your Aunt Dong gone out again?"

"No! We have plenty of manpower lately, so she doesn't need to go on missions; besides, given her situation, the higher-ups have already informed her to stay put and oversee things."

Wu Xiaogou had just finished training and answered honestly.

He fought too hard recently, taking a bullet to the shoulder and a bullet to the thigh. He spent almost half a year recovering before returning to his unit, and he hasn't been assigned any field duties yet.

"Where is she?"

He's not in the office and hasn't left the house. Could he have been called to a meeting?

Wu Xiaogou nodded, confirming his guess.

"I just saw Gao Yang from Team One and Qiu Sheng from Team Two being invited into Director Kang's office. Captain Dong is most likely there too."

"Oh? They specifically requested a meeting with Director Kang... Looks like something big is about to happen!"

Li Wenguo subconsciously rubbed his chin and muttered to himself.

But inwardly he sighed:

Ugh!

These are truly turbulent times!

Unfortunately, it happened to coincide with the crucial time when this woman was pregnant!

"Wen Guo, are you looking for Captain Dong?"

Just then, Chang Binghui happened to pass by and waved to him.

"Team Leader Chang, hello! I just stopped by to drop by."

Li Wenguo immediately put on a big smile, bent his back slightly, and spoke in a tone that was both familiar and tactful.

After all, he's my wife's boss. Being polite will make it easier to ask for favors and get things done in the future.

It's quite a coincidence that the two were originally superior and subordinate, but after their last promotion, their ranks became equal—Li Wenguo was directly appointed by Director Kang to lead the troops, so now they can be considered equals.

"It's perfect that you're here. Director Kang just called me over for a meeting. Why don't you come along?"

Chang Binghui's tone was calm, yet it carried an air of unyielding authority.

Li Wenguo's stomach pounded; he really wanted to wave his hand and decline. But Director Kang was a true pillar of the company, and if Chang Binghui were to bluntly say "he won't come," he'd likely be in deep trouble later.

He had no choice but to suppress his displeasure and follow in silence.

However, he wasn't really panicked—this job wasn't originally intended for him. He was only responsible for surveilling and tracking down the Japanese spies; as for making arrests, that was someone else's job.

Before long, the two were standing at the door of Director Kang's office on the third floor.

Kang Bin was originally a deputy, but his predecessor was promoted quickly after getting involved in several of Li Wenguo's cases, leaving a vacancy, which is why Kang Bin was promoted to the top position. To put it bluntly, he benefited from Li Wenguo's influence.

Director Kang and three team leaders were already seated inside. There was also a middle-aged man in his forties, with his hair neatly combed, wearing a sharp suit and a tie, exuding a capable and dignified air.

Upon seeing Li Wenguo, Dong Haitang immediately rolled her eyes, giving him a very subtle yet obvious eye roll—this guy was here to "inspect" again, acting like he was catching someone cheating, which was both funny and exasperating.

Director Kang gave a brief introduction: This man's surname is Song, given name Qingzhi, president of Zhongguo Bank. He has come to "seek help".

After exchanging pleasantries, Song Qingzhi got straight to the point: the bank had lost something, and it was Xiaobenzi's doing; they needed to help recover it.

The words were spoken bluntly, yet as lightly as a rag being tossed away—it didn't say what was lost, when it was lost, or how it was lost.

The worst part is that it's been gone for three months.

After so much time, all traces have long been eroded away by the wind and rain, leaving not a trace.

Even more absurdly, he refused to utter a single word about whether the lost items were account books, secret codes, or gold bars and silver coins.

How are people supposed to find this? Look for thin air?

A single swear word popped into everyone's mind:

I'm looking for you, you ghost!

Director Kang's face darkened instantly, his brows furrowing deeply: "President Song, my men aren't gods; they can't predict where things are hidden just by counting on their fingers. You won't even give us a clue, how are we supposed to get started?"

Song Qingzhi remained unmoved, slightly raising his chin and speaking in a firm tone: "You just need to take down the Japanese spies, and I'll claim the items we find."

With a loud "clang," it felt as if a dull thud had struck everyone's hearts.

"Two weeks to solve the case."

After saying that, he turned and left, the sound of his leather shoes on the floor conveying an undeniable coldness and hardness.

"Director Kang, Team Leader Chang, he didn't even tell us whether he threw a bowl or a ladle. Where are we supposed to find it?"

Qiu Sheng was the first to lose his temper and raised his voice.

"Isn't this just deliberately making things difficult for people?"

"The higher-ups just give a word, and the people below run themselves ragged—but this time, the higher-ups' words are barely audible, yet they expect us to work ourselves to the bone? What kind of logic is that!"

Gao Yang responded quickly, his words full of anger.

Li Wenguo, however, leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, and watched silently.

This has absolutely nothing to do with him; he's not the one who's running around like a headless chicken.

He even seemed somewhat pleased to see the spectacle unfold.

"It's probably something shady that they'd rather die than reveal it."

Chang Binghui casually interjected.

"What are we going to do then? At least when searching for a needle in a haystack, we know we're looking for a needle. But now we don't even know what a 'needle' looks like. Are we just blindly floundering? It would be a miracle if we actually found it!"

Gao Yang chuckled and shrugged.

"In my opinion, since we don't know what it is anyway, we can just stuff some random stuff in there and call it a day, right?"

Qiu Sheng bluntly offered a terrible idea, speaking with self-righteousness.

Dong Haitang stood next to her husband, remaining silent the entire time.

She believes in an old saying: when you can take action, speak less; when you should keep quiet, never cause trouble.

"No way." Chang Binghui shook his head. "They've set a strict timeframe—only two weeks."

"He's not even a member of the Lixingshe (a secret society), why should we listen to him?"

Qiu Sheng blurted it out, completely unconcerned.

But as soon as he said that, Li Wenguo, Gao Yang, and Dong Haitang were all taken aback.

Chang Binghui's gaze swept over Li Wenguo, and suddenly a meaningful, cold smile appeared on his face:

"Although President Song works at the bank and doesn't interfere with our affairs, his cousin—the one even our 'ultimate boss' has to give way to—tell me, do you think we dare to lie about this?"

What?

Cousin?

Even the ultimate boss has to give way to her?

The room fell silent instantly.

Even Li Wenguo was stunned on the spot, his Adam's apple bobbing silently.

Wait, the ultimate boss? Isn't that Chiang Kai-shek?

My cousin, naturally, is also surnamed Song.

Chairman Chiang Kai-shek listened to this cousin of the Soong family—wasn't that Madame Soong Mei-ling!

It turns out that this Bank Manager Song is actually a powerful and influential relative!

Li Wenguo's mind suddenly clicked, and he understood everything.

Ah!

No wonder he speaks so decisively and without beating around the bush, directly setting a two-week deadline—he has a powerful figure behind him who can set the tone and make the decisions!

He immediately leaned closer to Dong Haitang and, in a low voice, revealed the nature of their relationship.

Her pupils contracted, her eyebrows shot up, and her face was filled with astonishment.

Less than half a minute later, Gao Yang and Qiu Sheng's expressions changed, their eyes went blank, and they even paused for a moment.

It seems they've all figured out what it means.

In officialdom, it's always true that one level can crush another, especially when the one pressing down on you is a mountain that no one can get around!

The two of them felt as if an invisible burden was pressing down on their shoulders, and even their backs were stiff.

Just now, President Song's gaze was almost entirely fixed on Gao Yang and Qiu Sheng.

Dong Haitang was, after all, a pregnant woman, and seven months along. No matter how anxious Director Song was, he couldn't expect a woman with a big belly to charge into battle, could he?

Right now, the two of them are the ones who are truly on edge.

"Alright," Director Kang slammed his hand on the table, "close all the Japanese spy networks we've been monitoring! Stop dangling the bait and waiting for the 'big fish' to bite—President Song's matter is urgent, we can't afford to delay!"

It seems that the pressure he's under from above is quite significant.

"Wen Guo."

He suddenly turned to Li Wenguo.

"Here!" Li Wenguo stood up straight in response.

"Do you have any other leads on Japanese spies that you're unsure about? If so, report them immediately so we can concentrate our efforts and get the job done by Director Song!"

"Yes! I'll go back and check the transaction records immediately, and screen out all suspicious individuals."

Li Wenguo nodded in agreement.

He currently has three solid Japanese spy leads: one is someone who had spoken with "Yang Zhengde" (his doppelganger); another is a postman who delivers packages to Zhao Xiaoye's house; and the third is a contact person who secretly met with that postman.

Not to mention, he had already thoroughly investigated and dealt with a string of key municipal officials and prominent business figures—as long as he kept a close eye on their secret meetings, he could trace the clues and uncover the entire network of Japanese spies right under his nose.

In other words, the entire network of Japanese spies in Beiping was now burning slightly between his fingers.