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

"Xiao Qi, did you come out to get reinforcements?"

He looked up and asked, then waved his hand, "Haozi, take some men in to provide support! Agui and Binzi, you two just keep watch over me."

"Mr. Li, I remember we still have the five sniper rifles we were issued last time. I'll go up to the rooftop of the office building and take out those Japanese devils!"

Ding Xiaoqi blurted it out.

The weapons seized in the last operation were originally intended for assassinations, but unexpectedly they came in handy today.

"Mr. Li, I'm going too!"

Binzi suddenly interrupted, his tone resolute.

He handles sniper rifles with the same ease as he handles chopsticks—back in the guard unit, he specialized in stealth sniping; a single shot from the sniper rifle and the man would fall.

"Alright, you follow me! Who else knows this skill?"

Finally, in addition to Ding Xiaoqi and Binzai, two other experienced snipers also scaled the wall and entered.

A moment later, four sharp cracks pierced the air above the factory area—four Japanese soldiers fell to the ground.

It was truly a case of every shot biting into flesh, a single blow killing.

After Ding Xiaoqi came out and reported that he was safe, the convoy slowly drove into the factory.

As soon as Li Wenguo stepped through the gate, he spotted Wang Zhiguo standing next to Sun Youtian—He Shuting's boss and the newspaper editor-in-chief.

I rely on!

Wasn't Wang Zhiguo the backbone of the underground party?

How did I end up here?

Could he be a double agent?

Li Wenguo's heart sank, and a chill ran down his spine.

He Shuting runs the news under his nose every day. If she were really sold out, she probably wouldn't even know how she died.

and many more!

Wang Zhiguo's presence here doesn't necessarily mean he's defected to the enemy—there might be other hidden reasons.

What if he's here to buy winter clothes?

It's the coldest time of the year right now, so it's perfectly reasonable to make this special trip to provide cotton-padded clothes and blankets for the soldiers on the front lines!

Li Wenguo was right after all.

He Shuting just sent 10,000 silver dollars last time.

Now that Wang Zhiguo had some extra cash, he immediately placed an order—cotton-padded clothes and quilts, nothing was missing, just in case the soldiers in the snowstorm were shivering from the cold and had to grit their teeth and bear it! Today he came to pay with cash in his pocket, but who would have thought he would run into this mess.

Wang Zhiguo was also stunned on the spot, his mind buzzing.

"You're Li Wenguo? He Shuting's husband?"

After He Shuting joined the newspaper, Li Wenguo would visit her every few days, ostensibly to check on his wife's work environment, but in reality, he would bring a box of snacks to conduct surprise inspections, afraid that any colleague would give her an unwanted glance.

Later, when her pregnancy became apparent, he finally gave up on the idea and only reappeared today.

The two had met several times before.

"Oh, right, I'm He Shuting's husband. You must be Wang Zhiguo, the newspaper's editor-in-chief? What are you doing here?"

He readily agreed and then asked a question in return.

Wang Zhiguo had come to his senses, his mind in turmoil.

How could he not recognize those "Wen San Xiao Jie" who were arresting people?

They're clearly spies!

And what about Li Wenguo, who was standing in the middle giving orders? Wasn't he the mastermind behind it all?

That patriotic businessman who generously donated money and repeatedly funded the local party has actually transformed into a secret service leader? Who would believe that if word got out?

He quickly composed himself and said, "I'm here to pick up the goods and pay in cash—cotton-padded clothes and quilts. The contract was signed a long time ago, and I came here today specifically to deliver the money."

Before he finished speaking, his gaze had already swept towards the corner of the table.

Li Wenguo looked in that direction and saw two contracts laid out there, with a brand new check underneath.

He picked it up and looked at it: ten thousand silver dollars, not a penny less; the contract terms were clear, and the subject matter was specific—all winter supplies.

Ah!

Comrade Lao Wang really came to buy winter clothes!

It was pure bad luck. I went out at the wrong time, and just happened to run into the very thing that happened when I was leading people to arrest Japanese spies!

He glanced sideways at Sun Youtian, who stood respectfully with his hands at his sides.

He figured those Japanese soldiers probably recognized him, so he simply shut up and stopped struggling.

"Drag him out!"

He flicked his wrist, his voice crisp and clear.

"Yes, Master Li!"

The men responded in unison, grabbed the man, and left.

"Uncuff President Wang!"

"President Wang is a legitimate buyer and has absolutely no connection with this Japanese spy."

Li Wenguo instructed Wen San.

"How about this, as an apology—this batch of goods will be settled at half price!"

The moment those words were spoken, it was as if double the supplies were given away for free.

Wang Zhiguo felt a sudden jolt in his chest.

The cotton quilts and cotton-padded clothes costing 10,000 silver dollars were already a drop in the bucket and could not fill the gap for the thousands of troops on the front line; now that the amount has been doubled, it is truly a timely help!

"Yes, Master Li!"

Wen San bowed and accepted the order.

"Let's go, take President Wang to the warehouse to inspect the goods."

As Li Wenguo spoke, he folded the check for ten thousand silver dollars and put it into the inner pocket of his coat.

Wang Zhiguo's eyelids twitched, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

He had heard He Shuting mutter before: her husband was greedy for money and concerned about his reputation, and couldn't get involved with the organization!

—Just as I suspected!

"Mr. Li... are you really a spy?"

Seeing the others step back a few paces, Wang Zhiguo lowered his voice and asked.

"no!"

Li Wenguo shook his head, his tone resolute.

Anyway, his identity is well hidden, so this isn't a lie.

"But they... all obey your orders?"

Wang Zhiguo frowned, disbelieving.

"To be honest, my fourth concubine is a squad leader in the special operations team. Now that she's pregnant and can't move around easily, the higher-ups have me take her place leading the arrests. Most of the men in the team are former bodyguards from my family, there specifically to protect her closely, so naturally they only listen to me. Didn't you notice? Nobody calls me 'Captain,' they all call me 'Master Li,' right?"

This explanation sounds far-fetched, but it's passable.

What kind of government office is the Lixingshe? It's as strict as iron; how could it allow outsiders to take over its duties so casually?

That's utterly absurd.

He added, "Besides, I know that team leader very well—I work in a foreign firm, dealing with Japanese merchants every day. I check invoices and inspect goods, and nine times out of ten I can spot Japanese spies disguised as merchants. I've helped them uncover quite a few spies, which is why they agreed to let me take over for a few days. The team leader even personally invited me to join the company, but I declined."

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhiguo immediately believed it to be almost entirely true.

The last point was credited to the continuous supply of quilts, medicine, and provisions he provided.

"So that's what happened!"

"I almost misunderstood you!"

Wang Zhiguo spoke with a hint of shyness.

"I really didn't take the misunderstanding to heart. President Wang, just remember one thing—I will never stand against you."

Li Wenguo raised his hand and laughed heartily.

"Indeed! Mr. Li was devoted to his country and its people, possessed profound wisdom, and gave his all to the revolutionary cause, tirelessly advocating for our ideals and working with all his might!"

Wang Zhiguo's expression was solemn, and his tone was serious.

"Indeed! Our country is currently in ruins, and our nation is on the verge of collapse; the new regime is shirking its responsibilities, while the Soviet Union is sharpening its knives, coveting our territory for a long time. If we truly want to stand tall and proud, we need comrades like you who are loyal and dedicated to speaking out for the people!"

"Even though we face numerous hardships and difficult circumstances, with your indomitable will and the backbone forged from your blood and flesh, I firmly believe that victory will ultimately belong to you, and our nation will surely regain its former glory and stand proudly in the East because of you!"

……

Wang Zhiguo was stunned by Li Wenguo's words, his heart burning with emotion, and he almost regarded Li Wenguo as a close comrade-in-arms.

In the blink of an eye, the two had entered the warehouse.

Rows of tightly wrapped and exquisitely packed cotton-padded clothes and quilts were neatly stacked, and Wang Zhiguo's eyes lit up. He wished he could unload several truckloads on the spot and transport them directly to the front line.

Unfortunately, this idea can only remain a thought.

"President Wang, just a reminder—starting tomorrow, this quilt factory will be under the management of Lixing Cooperative. If you want to place orders in the future, you'll have to go through a middleman to process the payments."

Seeing Wang Zhiguo staring intently at the goods, Li Wenguo added with a smile.

He knew perfectly well: this wasn't greed, it was clearly a fear of poverty! But he swallowed the words back—too many words would only bring bitter tears!

"Oh, I understand, I understand!"

"Mr. Li, you've really been a great help this time; words of thanks aren't enough!"

As the workers began to inventory the goods, Wang Zhiguo grabbed Li Wenguo's hand tightly; his palm was warm, and his tone was earnest.

"Hehe, it's no big deal!!!"

Li Wenguo withdrew his hand, casually putting it behind his back, his face calm and composed, exuding an air of having successfully retired and keeping a low profile.

With the cotton quilt factory matter settled, the next task that made everyone's heart race was raiding Sun Youtian's house.

This was Li Wenguo's favorite part, and his men were all eager to get started. Why? Because it was lucrative and quick!

Nowadays, apart from Wen San and Xiao Jie, who are veteran guards, the rest of the agents in the team all respect him to the skies.

One Japanese spy after another was captured, their merits piled up, their money amassed, and everyone grinned from ear to ear, eager to keep going—if they could just hold on a little longer, they might be able to return home with silver dollars and live a carefree life as wealthy lords!

Before long, a group of men kicked open the door of Sun Youtian's residence with murderous intent.

This time everything went exceptionally smoothly; there was no hidden clue in the room—the notebook.

They only managed to find two servants, plus a woman in her forties, heavily made up, with a hint of flirtatiousness still lingering in her eyes, who even gave Li Wenguo a flirtatious look.

He didn't even lift his eyelids, but felt uncomfortable and almost frowned on the spot.

The inventory of valuables was completed in a flash: silver dollars, US dollars, British pounds, gold, legal tender... all converted into more than 200,000 silver dollars.

There is also a batch of miscellaneous items—antiques, calligraphy and paintings, all of which are valuable.

Boss Dai had always had a fondness for these refined items and would confiscate and hand them over. Even if Li Wenguo had his eye on one, he wouldn't dare touch it.

On this trip, he kept 120,000 for himself, handed over 80,000, and distributed the remaining 30,000 to his brothers. Of course, after the 80,000 passed through various hands and entered the ministry's accounts, everyone knew perfectly well how much was left.

"Mr. Li, we found a hidden compartment behind the bookcase in the master bedroom!"

Wen San leaned closer and whispered.

This matter was already instructed: if a hidden compartment is discovered, it must be reported to him immediately.

The purpose was very practical—to investigate whether there was any dirt on high-ranking officials, and to cover it up if possible, so as to protect and safeguard Director Niu Dali.

"Okay, lead the way."

Wen San led him straight to the bedroom, while he stood guard at the door.

The hidden compartment is located on the back of the bookcase.

The books on the shelf had long been overturned and were scattered on the floor, a dusty and messy sight.

Men are never concerned with trivial matters when it comes to doing things.

Li Wenguo slowly pulled open the hidden compartment.

There weren't many things inside:

A Browning pistol;

A bulging, leather document bag;

A finely carved rosewood box.

There is no radio station.

He casually tore open the file folder—

Yoho!

Another map!

Li Wenguo was too lazy to figure out its purpose, so he snapped a photo and kept it for future reference.

Then open the wooden box lid.

A bluish-white jade seal lay quietly, square and dignified, its shape resembling an imperial seal, only smaller in size, clearly not an imperial item.

Li Wenguo knew very well that leaving this man here was incredibly burdensome—but he just couldn't get him to talk. Sun Youtian was still alive, and if he were to spill everything one day, he wouldn't be able to cover it up.

"To be on the safe side, give him a radio station."

Once the radio station is buried, even a god descending to earth can't save him.

"Wen San, come in, everything's ready."

Finishing quickly, Li Wenguo called out towards the door.

Wen San entered in response, took away the irrefutable evidence, and the crowd dispersed, each returning home.

Li Wenguo always avoided torture at all costs.

It was still early, so he turned around and went to work at the trading company, taking the opportunity to check if the Beetle cars had arrived yet.

"Manager Li, you've arrived!"

As soon as he stepped into the foreign firm's gate, Zhang Dadan came running up to him, wagging his tail more enthusiastically than a dog.

After Li Wenguo overturned the Yingdeli Trading Company, he conveniently rescued Zhang Dadan. How could Zhang Dadan not fawn over him?

However, Indigo has recovered its strength. After all, it is still the number one trading company. Even a weakened camel can still break a horse, it's just that business is not as booming as before.

"How dare you! What is it?"

"By the way, has the car I ordered arrived yet?"

Li Wenguo had already handed over the order for five Beetles to Zhang Dadan to handle—at that time, Zhang was busy making money through shady dealings and didn't have time for such trivial matters.

"Manager Li, it'll be here soon! Just a day or two at most, it'll arrive on time!"

One of the cars inside was even bulletproof, and the commission was so high it could knock someone unconscious; Zhang Dadan kept a closer eye on it than his own father.

"Oh, and also, General Manager Henry specifically instructed that I ask you to come over as soon as I see you."

"Okay, got it."

Li Wenguo nodded and went straight to the general manager's office.