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

"Wen Guo, based on your experience and intuition from handling cases over the years, who do you think did it?"

Unfortunately, Song Qingzhi had no intention of admitting anything.

"How...how am I supposed to guess?"

Li Wenguo refused to budge.

"Do you think it was the local Communist Party that did it? Or a Japanese spy?"

Song Qingzhi threw out a sentence, like throwing a rope and forcibly putting it around his neck.

Fuck!

Are you bored out of your mind? Why do you have to drag me down with you?

"Well...both sides are implicated, but in my opinion, the Japanese are more likely to be involved!"

I was dragged in after all!

At this point, his stance is more sensitive than the truth; what else can he say?

"Yes, I also tend to think it was done by the Japanese!"

Song Qingzhi nodded emphatically, then turned to Williams: "Mr. Williams, I suggest we immediately investigate the true identities of all those present tonight, screen out all those with questionable backgrounds, and delve deeper into their details, relationships, and daily activities—"

"Only by finding the people can we recover the things!"

Williams nodded repeatedly, thinking that this idea was much more practical than that bureaucratic detective!

"So, about this matter..."

As he asked the question, he gave Li Wenguo a meaningful look.

"Don't worry, leave it to Captain Li, he'll handle it perfectly!"

Song Qingzhi readily agreed, patted Li Wenguo on the shoulder, and whispered in his ear, "I owe you a huge favor for helping Williams get his things back."

What else can Li Wenguo do?

Not taking the challenge is tantamount to offending two seasoned veterans who could shake half a street with a single stomp.

"Alright, I'll do my best."

"But I can't guarantee we'll be able to get it back."

He shrugged, a wry smile on his face.

"Haha, Mr. Williams, please rest assured! With Captain Li's help, the lost item will surely be returned intact!"

Song Qingzhi patted his chest and vouched for it.

Li Wenguo rolled his eyes at the confident Song Qingzhi: Where does your confidence come from? Did you really do some calculation and figure out that thing is compatible with my birth chart?

However, on the other hand, as long as we can get the items back, we can really earn a favor from Song Qingzhi.

Ah, the favors owed by royalty!

Do you think this weight is heavy enough?

Williams didn't mince words and openly told Li Wenguo that the lost item was a gemstone necklace.

When the guests had all left and it was time to depart, Li Wenguo found Yang Yuerong, who had changed back into her cheongsam, under the eaves and said, "Take my car later."

Yang Yuerong nodded, her eyes clearly holding a question, waiting to ask about the whereabouts of the necklace.

"There are spies watching you outside; they might be after you, right?"

He asked it casually.

Yang Yuerong paused slightly, then regained her composure: "Staring at me? I'm not a rebel, you're probably watching someone else."

"Why are you so certain they're rebels? What if they're targeting Japanese spies?"

Li Wenguo's lips curled up, his eyes revealing a hint of mischief.

"Huh? This..."

Yang Yuerong was taken aback, then her face tightened: "Watch whoever you want, but you're not watching me."

"Ha, at least it's not you."

"Get in the car."

The two stepped out of the gate. Li Wenguo reached out and opened the back door of the car, inviting Yang Yuerong to get in first, before he himself climbed into the car.

Her female companion glanced in this direction briefly, then turned and went elsewhere.

In the shadows at the street corner, two men in gray jackets followed silently.

She wasn't the only one—everyone who walks on legs has two silent tails trailing behind them.

"Wait, this isn't the right direction—my house isn't over there!"

"Where are we going?"

As soon as the car turned onto Wutong Street, Yang Yuerong tensed up, staring at the street signs flashing past the window, her voice suddenly rising.

"You haven't explained what happened tonight clearly yet. We need to find a safe place to have a proper talk."

Li Wenguo's tone was unhurried, yet carried an undeniable weight. Yang Yuerong bit her lower lip and remained silent.

Ding Xiaoqi sat in the passenger seat, while Agui huddled in the back seat, dozing off. She even held her breath and dared not utter a single word.

When the car came to a stop, she immediately recognized the hotel with the gilded lintel—the very place where her virginity had been taken.

"You brought me here? This is the 'safe place' you were talking about?" She gripped the bag strap tightly, her nails turning white, her eyes blazing with anger.

"You don't understand, the more familiar you are with a place, the less likely you are to be watched."

Li Wenguo had already walked around to the car, one hand on the car door, the other hand reaching out to her.

"I'm not going in! I want to go back to Qingshui Lane!"

She shrank back, pressing her back against the cold car window.

"You're not going anywhere until you explain what happened tonight."

"Can't I say it in my house?"

"Your walls are so thin you can hear the neighbors frying beans—believe it or not?"

"Is this all there is to it?"

"I booked the presidential suite, which has triple soundproof windows and carpets so thick you can sink your feet in; not even the buzzing of a mosquito can get through."

"A presidential suite? Sounds like something a high-ranking foreign official would stay in..."

"That's right! It's ten times more luxurious than the one we had last time—remember?"

"How dare you bring that up? That was a setup you orchestrated all along!"

She stood under the crystal chandelier in the hotel lobby, tilting her head back and staring straight at him.

what--

So that's when we finally realized it!

"Setting up a trap? That's a natural progression." He waved the magnetic card in his hand and grabbed her wrist.

"I'm warning you, if you dare touch me again—"

The moment the elevator doors closed, her voice trembled, and her fingertips dug into her palms.

"Don't worry, we'll only talk about serious matters today." He stood ramrod straight, his expression as serious as if he were in a party group meeting.

(But inwardly he scoffed: We'll all go our separate ways tomorrow, if we don't seal the deal tonight, when will we ever get another chance?)

Two hours later.

"Li Wenguo...you're a bastard! You always target my weaknesses!"

Yang Yuerong collapsed onto his chest, her voice so weak it sounded like her bones had been removed, even her curses were feeble and feeble.

"Hehe, Yue Rong, now that things are done, let's get down to business—why did you sneak into someone's mansion in the middle of the night to steal things?"

He deliberately emphasized the word "steal" loudly.

"It wasn't stealing... I was just taking the blame for a friend." She lowered her eyes, her ears burning red.

"Taking the hit? That's a death sentence! You'd dare chew on a peanut with a bullet in the chamber? Who is that person anyway? Is it worth risking your life for? You... are you really innocent?"

He glanced at her sideways, his jealousy surging, each word piercing his heart.

"No! It's really not like that! I have nothing to do with anyone else... only with you..."

She became increasingly hoarse as she spoke, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes until her knuckles turned blue.

She panicked, not because she was afraid he would guess their affair, but because she was afraid he would understand the heavy weight behind the word "comrade"—she didn't want to drag him into that bottomless fog.

Li Wenguo caught a glimpse of her eyelashes fluttering wildly and chuckled inwardly.

Don't play dumb. I've seen right through you.

If I don't force you this time, how can I hold you tighter?

"I don't believe it! Someone would risk their life for a stranger; could that be just an ordinary relationship?"

"I swear! I'll risk my life! I have absolutely no ulterior motives!"

Her eyes reddened with anxiety, and her voice cracked—since that night, his name had been etched into her heart, and she could not allow it to waver in the slightest.

"You may say you don't believe me, but in practice..." he drawled, "marry me, and this matter will be over."

She froze, a lump forming in her throat.

At that moment, the word "good" almost rolled off her tongue—after all, she had given herself to him, so what was there to hesitate about?

But suddenly, the image of him patrolling with a red armband appeared before my eyes, along with the enamel mug that my father smashed when his home was ransacked...

"No way!!!" she blurted out, her voice firm and resolute.

"Hmph, feeling guilty now? That person's feelings for you are definitely more than just friendship."

He immediately took a step forward, refusing to give an inch.

She could only explain repeatedly, but the more she explained, the more confused she became.

After a stalemate, he finally relented: "Twice a week, without fail."

She bit her lip and remained silent for a long time before finally nodding.

"Why did that thing move?" He got back to the point, his eyes sharp as knives.

"I didn't do anything—it was my friend who heard that a thief had his eye on the diplomat's wife's sapphire necklace and wanted to intercept it before the thief could."

She softened her tone, but when she mentioned "friends," her Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily, as if afraid he would bring it up again.

"Aren't you all being a bit too nosy?"

"He's a diplomat, he has absolutely nothing to do with you!"

"Whether he loses things or not, what's it to you?"

He bombarded me with questions, each one more serious than the last.

"this……"

Of course it's related, but Yang Yuerong gritted her teeth and didn't dare to utter a single word—it was an ironclad rule of the organization that couldn't be touched; not to mention that if Li Wenguo really got involved, he probably wouldn't even be able to save his life.

"I really don't know, I didn't ask at all."

She lowered her eyes and swallowed her words back.

"Alright, now that the necklace is in your hands, it means it was stolen a long time ago—who was the thief?"

Seeing that she was tight-lipped, Li Wenguo didn't try to pry her out. Instead, he changed the subject and went straight to the theft.

"It was a waiter who did it. My friend caught him red-handed, and I just stopped him from doing it."

This was not a secret, so she told the truth.

That's it!

Could that person be a spy planted by the Japanese puppet regime?

He then asked, "Oh, what did that person look like?"

Why are you asking about him?

"Are you still planning to cause him trouble?"

Yang Yuerong looked up at him, her brows furrowed, full of doubt.

Ouch!

That's a rash question!

Li Wenguo's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly patched the problem.

"Here's what happened—I have an acquaintance who's the captain of the special agents in the Lixing Society. He happened to be there that night and even took on the job from that diplomat, specifically to investigate this necklace."

He casually made up a pretext, and then thought of something amusing: he was a spy, and she was a member of the underground Communist Party. What would happen if she discovered his true identity? Her expression... tsk tsk, just thinking about it made him want to laugh!

Ha ha! !

Upon hearing the words "Special Agent Captain," Yang Yuerong's pupils constricted sharply.

"How...did you get involved with spies?"

His voice betrayed an undeniable tension.

"Hey, what's so special about that? Don't forget, I'm the big boss of Weifeng Machinery Factory. I'm loaded and have connections—I know not only spies, but also the police chief and the section chief of the city hall. Even Song Qingzhi, the president of Zhongguo Bank, is an old friend of mine from drinking sessions! Impressive, right?"

He raised an eyebrow and smiled, his tone full of confidence.

Since he met Yang Yuerong, he has always regarded the Weifeng Machinery Factory as his most prestigious business.

Such a deep background?

Yang Yuerong was shocked and secretly clicked her tongue in amazement.

"Okay, I can tell you what the waiter looks like, but you absolutely cannot mention me or my friend—we don't want to get involved in any trouble."

She gave her earnest instructions.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. If that thief turns around and accuses you, you'll be in deep trouble."

Li Wenguo patted his chest and agreed.

"By the way, where did you hide that necklace?"

She pressed her fingertips lightly against his broad chest, tentatively.

"Ha! You'd never guess where this is—I tucked myself into a very secluded corner of the hall, otherwise I'd be in jail by now."

"I'm so sorry, I almost dragged you into this."

An apology welled up in her eyes, and her voice softened.

At the time, she never expected that the diplomat would actually search each of them.

Seeing Li Wenguo surrounded by two military police officers who were searching his pockets, her heart tightened, and she could hardly breathe.

"It's alright, I don't blame you. I'd gladly go to jail for you."

His gaze was intense, and he spoke frankly and passionately.

He can say these kinds of things without hesitation, as if he knows them by heart.

Yang Yuerong's eyes welled up with tears, and she tiptoed to kiss his cheek.

"Can I tell my spy friend where I hid the necklace?"

"Yes, that's fine. Our... my friend's original intention was just to stop that person and prevent the gem from falling into the hands of the Japanese."

In her haste, she almost blurted out the words "Japanese spy".

Li Wenguo was secretly pleased, but he simply put his arm around her shoulder, said nothing more, and fell into a deep sleep with her in his arms.

The morning light crept through the curtains and fell on their faces, and they slowly opened their eyes.

Their eyes met, and a smile spread across their lips.

"I'm going to wash up."

She stood up gracefully, without any hesitation.

We're already sharing a bed, so what's with all the shyness?

"Let's go together!"

The two lingered for over an hour before finally going downstairs.

After quickly finishing his breakfast, Li Wenguo took her to the newspaper office.

I offered to give her a ride home, but she waved me off, saying, "Go straight to work."

As soon as the car came to a stop, Yang Yuerong opened the door and got out. A car behind them screeched to a halt—Liu Shouhou leaned out and immediately recognized the gleaming new car.

Oops!

Mr. Li's ride!

He glanced instinctively in the rearview mirror and bumped right into He Shuting reaching for the car door—at this critical moment, he couldn't decide whether to stop her or not.

All he could do was silently pray: Mr. Li, please take care of yourself!