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

"Hehe, you figured it out?"

Seeing that her face had instantly lost all color, Li Wenguo knew that he was pretty much right.

After all, a stunning beauty like Song Caidie, who comes from a prestigious family, is already surrounded by sycophants and opportunists. With a little thought, the answer becomes clear.

"So, my method is already quite considerate and follows the rules."

"Do you believe it or not? As long as I hand the people over to your Uncle Song, within three days, there will be several corpses floating on the river."

He spoke casually, but his tone was as if he were asking if they would have dumplings tonight.

"Stop talking!"

"Why are you men all so heartless?"

Song Caidie suddenly turned her head, her gaze fixed on the street scene rushing past the car window.

"Silly girl, listen to me honestly—in this world, it's either you bite or someone eats you. If you don't show your teeth, there won't even be any bone fragments left. Your Song family, with its wealth and status, naturally doesn't experience much hardship; but those of us who have crawled out of the mud, licked blood from the edge of knives, and climbed to where we are today, which of us didn't step on broken bones and rotten flesh to get here? Whose hands haven't been stained with blood and gore?"

"..."

"Without that butcher who once brandished a knife and chopped people, where would we find this gentleman today, discussing business over a teacup?"

Li Wenguo, bored out of his mind, decided to transform himself into a preacher, persuading Song Caidie to stare blankly, half-believing and half-doubting.

"Is...is it really that scary?"

"Besides, you don't look like a particularly ruthless person. At most... you're just a bit of a lecher."

Who would openly admit to being bad to someone's face?

She still remembered the few times he kept glancing at her waist and hips earlier.

"Wrong! I'm utterly wicked."

Li Wenguo wagged his index finger, his expression suddenly becoming serious. "There's an old saying—women don't love men who aren't a little bad."

"You said I'm lusting after you, so if I weren't completely wicked, what girl would be so obsessed with me that she wouldn't eat or sleep?"

"No, I don't believe it! What bad man could truly love?"

"At least—I would never be interested in someone like you."

Song Caidie shook her head vigorously, her brows slightly furrowed.

Li Wenguo suddenly leaned closer, a playful smile playing on his lips: "Believe it or not, a clean and naive girl like you, I can make you cry and laugh for me within a month, to the point where you don't even want to live if you don't marry me?"

"I...I don't believe it!"

She suddenly shrank into the corner, her voice tense, her fingers unconsciously clenching the hem of her skirt.

But a memory quietly surfaced in her mind: when she was on the verge of death, he had pulled her back to safety—leaning against him, she felt an indescribable sense of security.

"Hehe, if you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do."

As soon as she finished speaking, an inappropriate thought popped into her mind: How do you know there's really no way if you don't even try?

To be honest, Song Caidie did have some feelings for Li Wenguo. A life-saving debt like that couldn't be easily erased.

The phrases "hero saves the beauty" and "offering oneself in return" have been passed down for hundreds of years. They are not just empty legends, but rather the weight of countless true stories.

It's only natural that she'd be interested.

But he still stubbornly insisted, "I'd never believe you!"

Her words sounded like a fit of pique, though she herself didn't realize it. Li Wenguo, however, sensed a hint of probing. But he had no intention of crossing the line, nor would he trade this goodwill for anything in return.

Believe it or not, it's up to you. Anyway, there's no chance for us.

He sat up straight again, his posture relaxed yet proper, like a true gentleman.

"Why is it impossible?"

The words slipped out of her mouth, and even she was taken aback for a moment.

The car then entered the embassy district entrance. Ah Gui rolled down the window and handed the pass to the armed foreign soldier. After checking it, the soldier raised the barrier and let them pass.

"Because I'm already married." Li Wenguo's voice was steady. "If I were to truly welcome you into the family, given the stature of your Song family, my wife would have to relinquish her position as the principal wife and become a concubine. Even if she were willing to lower herself, I would not agree—in my heart, she will always be my lawfully wedded wife, and no one can replace her."

Song Caidie's heart sank at first, then felt as if she had been struck by something: so he was so devoted.

A man who refuses to betray his wife, no matter how eccentric or stubborn he may be, is not inherently bad.

A short while later, the car stopped in front of Song Qing's house. She lives here.

If I hadn't insisted on going to see a movie tonight, I wouldn't have ended up in this terrifying situation.

"Will you dare to go out alone again?" After learning the whole story, Song Qingzhi scolded her with a stern face.

He turned around and sincerely thanked Li Wenguo, then brought up the matter of marriage again in front of Song Caidie.

Li Wenguo politely declined.

Song Qingzhi could only sigh and say, "My Song family will remember this kindness."

When Song Caidie heard Li Wenguo's polite refusal, she felt a sense of relief, but a slight pang of sadness also welled up inside her, a feeling that was hard to describe.

After saying goodbye, Li Wenguo went to the villa, played with the two children for a while, and then had a detailed discussion with Selena about several key arrangements for the foreign trade company before returning home.

Yang Yuerong had been subtly trying to persuade him to join the local party, but Li Wenguo had always given vague excuses. Finally, she frowned, and the two of them simply remained silent, neither speaking first.

He Shuting was already waiting for him in the house. Now that she was the only woman he could be close to in the house, Li Wenguo stayed in her room almost every night.

Although she has already given birth to two children, she never skimps on diet and body management. Her figure not only did not change after childbirth, but became more plump and full, with a touch of calm charm in her eyes, making her husband reluctant to let go whenever he holds her, and they can't stop being intimate.

As soon as he pushed open the door and entered the room, he saw her leaning against the headboard reading a book. He immediately strode forward, grabbed her, and pressed his lips to hers.

"Little dog, Little Jie, how's the investigation going?"

"Is someone watching me?"

A few days later, Li Wenguo called the two of them over and asked them questions.

"It's absolutely true, Mr. Li—there are indeed two tails lurking in the shadows."

The puppy nodded in response.

Oops!

As expected, someone was after me!

"Damn it, who sent them? Did they find out their background?"

Li Wenguo's heart tightened; after all, he valued his life very much.

"We've only located their hideout, but we haven't seen them contact the outside world yet."

"Should we take them down now and force them to talk, or play the long game and wait for the big fish to bite?"

Wu Xiaogou asked for instructions in a low voice.

He's only been in the Lixing Society for a year, but this kid's speech and actions are becoming more and more like those of a spy.

"Why bother fishing?"

"Smash the entire operation! Capture them alive! Interrogate them to the death!"

Li Wenguo's temper flared up.

"Mr. Li, wait!" Xiao Jie quickly interrupted, "What if it's a Japanese spy targeting you? They're all tough nut to crack—they've been rigorously trained and tortured, and ordinary methods might not work. If we go too far and lose our composure, the person will die and the trail will be cut off; even if they don't die, the other side will only become more vigilant and secretive in the future."

"You're in the open, they're in the shadows; it's impossible to guard against them!"

"The safest approach is to follow the clues and find the mastermind behind it all—only by eliminating the root of the problem can we truly achieve peace."

"Wow, Xiao Jie, you've got a sharp mind!"

Li Wenguo was persuaded by him.

If he were truly a Japanese spy, torture might not be effective.

He had seen too many examples—that Sun Youtian, who looked clean-cut and refined, had his back ripped and bloodied by the whip, yet he didn't utter a sound, and even spat in the interrogator's face at the end, so tough it made one's scalp tingle.

If it were him? He'd probably be wiped out by two lashes, and his ancestors for eight generations would be exterminated.

Therefore, we must be patient and wait for them to reveal their true colors.

"Don't worry, Mr. Li, Yu Tou has been keeping an eye on those two strongholds. As long as they make a phone call, send a secret letter, or have someone contact them from behind the scenes, we guarantee we'll catch them on the spot!" Wu Xiaogou patted his chest to guarantee.

"Alright, keep a close eye on things. Whoever can find the mastermind, I'll personally report it and guarantee you a promotion."

He dared to say this, and he was truly confident—Dong Haitang held a record of achievements spanning more than half a year, and when it came to promotions, she had the final say.

"Mr. Li, you flatter us! Your affairs are our lives." Wu Xiaogou lowered his head, his tone sincere. "Without you, I would still be carrying sacks at the docks, and I wouldn't have these clothes and this spirit today."

"Yes! We'd gladly go through fire and water to serve Master Li!"

Xiao Jie immediately chimed in.

Both men understood that Li Wenguo had always treated his subordinates well, but they couldn't say it too casually or too confidently—as if it were a matter of course, it would seem too lighthearted.

What a master hates most is when his subordinates treat kindness as a business transaction.

"Alright, alright, stop with the sweet talk. Getting things done properly is more important than anything else."

Li Wenguo waved his hand.

"By the way, sir, there's been a lot of activity lately. They've raided several hideouts and arrested quite a few people."

Wu Xiaogou then brought it up.

"Oh?"

Li Wenguo's eyelids twitched, and he immediately became alert: he had to quickly remind Shu Ting and the others to keep a low profile for the next few days and stop talking if possible.

Think about it again—should we place a few people in one place?

In case the newspaper is being targeted, it's good to have someone give a heads-up beforehand, so they won't be caught red-handed!

The thought came to him immediately, and he took out his pocket watch to check the time. He then turned around and dialed Niu Dali's number, asking him to quickly make some arrangements.

The place Li Wenguo was going to had no connections there, so he had to ask Niu Dali to help him make arrangements.

Back home, he ate dinner first, then brewed a pot of hot tea, chatted about everyday things, and held and played with each child for a while before leading He Shuting into the house.

"Shu Ting, I've heard things are really tense here lately, with a constant flow of people coming and going. They've probably gotten their hands on some serious stuff. You local party members better be on your guard and keep a tight rein on yourselves—if you're really caught, it'll be a huge problem! With your face and figure, if you fall into their hands, I'll probably be wearing a whole bunch of green hats!"

Li Wenguo gently placed Guohua on his lap, his gaze falling on He Shuting's sixth daughter, Li Jingfen, who was breastfeeding. He teased her, half-jokingly and half-seriously.

"Sir, if I really fall into their hands, will you just abandon me?"

He Shuting lifted her eyelids and retorted without any politeness.

"Sigh, I have absolutely no connections in that place. If it really comes to that, I might secretly slip you a peanut, at least to save face."

Li Wenguo shrugged, his face full of helplessness.

"Sir, are you really willing to watch me go in?"

Her eyes immediately reddened slightly, and her voice softened.

"How could I bear to do that? But I'm not a man with three heads and six arms, I can't just split open the prison door and pull you out. So, you all must hold back these next few days, or better yet, take a break—otherwise, if you fall in, I really can't save you, and in the end, I'll just have to give you a 'sleeping bean'."

He continued to threaten with a stern face.

"Is it really that risky?"

He Shuting's expression immediately darkened.

"You think I'm playing games with you? You think this is child's play?"

"If you ask me, you should just stay home and take care of the kids for the next few days. Guohua is still young, and Jingfen needs someone to look after her too."

Li Wenguo's tone softened a bit. As he spoke, he gently placed the sleeping Guohua into the rocking chair, sat down next to He Shuting, and casually placed his hand on her.

"Stop fooling around, the baby hasn't been fed yet."

She gave a gentle nudge before continuing in a low voice, "Right now, the base is in dire need of all kinds of weapons and equipment, and the commune is doing its utmost to procure them."

"By the way, sir, could you get us a few cheap howitzers? The larger the caliber, the better."

"Nonsense! Those things are heavier than houses, weighing twenty or thirty tons at a time. If they were brought in, the whole city would have to stand on tiptoe to see them—do you think I can perform magic tricks?"

"What? You want me to fly over there and airdrop it to you again?"

Li Wenguo frowned and snorted.

Of course, this is just another old saying—he really has the connections to get that cannon and can transport it over without anyone noticing, but he absolutely cannot let her think it's too easy to get, otherwise she might ask for tanks or airplanes in the future!

"Sir, we don't have those things. Attacking the hills on the front lines is all about risking lives!"

He Shuting spoke faster, her fingertips tightening slightly.

"There's nothing we can do about that."

"Besides, the checks outside are as thorough as sieves. Do you really dare to go against the grain? You really want to go in and 'coronate' me?"

Li Wenguo's voice lowered.

"Sir, aren't you supposed to have connections everywhere?"

"I didn't ask you to bring back a battleship, is it really that bad?"

She raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

Look, even battleships have popped up—this girl really treats him like a god.

"Pah! You dare to dream that! Do you really think I know how to chant incantations or perform hand seals?"

"Hey, Xiaofen, are you done eating?"

Li Wenguo was getting impatient.

He Shuting looked down and saw that Xiao Fen had already let go of her mouth and was sleeping soundly with her little face buried in her chest.

She carefully placed the baby in the cradle and just straightened up—

"Wait, sir, let's think about this again..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was already pinned to the edge of the bed.

"What's the point of discussing this? We'll talk about serious matters tomorrow."

Li Wenguo was at the height of his power and wouldn't allow her to haggle.