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

Half an hour later, Wang Zhiguo stood in the lobby of the small Western-style building.

Where is Mr. Li?

In the empty hall, only two wine glasses sat quietly on the coffee table, with faint lip prints still on the rims.

"Uh... probably... upstairs with Miss Yang."

Ding Xiaoqi scratched the back of her neck, a little embarrassed. "Would you like to sit down for a while?"

He knew perfectly well what Mr. Li and Miss Yang were doing upstairs—what else could it be?

"Just give me a glass of water, I won't drink any alcohol."

Wang Zhiguo waved his hand, his tone calm.

At this critical juncture, who has the mind to appreciate wine?

He could certainly guess what the two people upstairs were busy with.

Sigh... they're just young people after all!

Half an hour later, Li Wenguo, still wrapped in a bathrobe, strolled downstairs and took Yang Yuerong's hand, who was dressed in a sharp suit. Hearing that Wang Zhiguo was coming, she hadn't even dared to wear her bathrobe. "Mr. Li, what's wrong?"

As soon as Wang Zhiguo saw the figure, he blurted out urgently.

Although Li Wenguo loved money and women, he would never disturb him in the middle of the night unless it was an extremely urgent matter.

"Want one?"

He casually handed her a cigarette, then lit one for himself, and the flame popped open and ignited.

"call--"

Amidst the swirling smoke, he said in a deep voice, "Yuerong's identity has been exposed tonight."

Wang Zhiguo's heart sank suddenly, and the cigarette almost slipped from his fingers.

Li Wenguo recounted the entire night's events in detail—he didn't even hide the fact that an acquaintance was there to meet him at the hideout. Since they were all in the same circle anyway, and the other party was already planning to leave Beijing, once they left, they probably wouldn't be able to set foot in the city again after liberation.

Wang Zhiguo smoked silently, the ash piling up in a long trail, which he forgot to flick off.

He knew how dangerous this matter was: if Yang Yuerong was exposed, the newspaper would immediately be under intense scrutiny. If the investigation continued, the truth would eventually come out, and the newspaper wouldn't be able to withstand a round of interrogation. The only way out was to leave Beijing overnight. Otherwise, they would only face shackles and imprisonment.

"We can't delay any longer. When do you plan to set off?" Li Wenguo asked.

"We'll contact the contact person tomorrow morning and set off immediately," Wang Zhiguo replied decisively.

For safety reasons, they had prepared an emergency evacuation plan in advance. But when he was about to speak, he paused—he hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

He wanted to ask He Shuting about the arrangements. According to the rules, no, according to the ironclad rules, she should evacuate with the team. But she was Yang Yuerong's husband, and he had to ask her opinion on this matter.

Yang Yuerong happened to be right next to him. If he spoke up in front of her, wouldn't he be revealing his secret on the spot?

Li Wenguo saw through his hesitation at a glance and said directly, "I have other plans for her."

Wang Zhiguo was actually quite conflicted—this didn't conform to the organization's rules. But then he thought, she's her husband, and he's been a great help to the organization all these years; they'll still need to rely on him in the future. It's reasonable, carries significant weight, and letting him handle it is a safe, thorough, and appropriate course of action.

"By the way, is there a radio station here? I need to send a secret telegram right away," Wang Zhiguo said.

Yang Yuerong subconsciously looked at Ding Xiaoqi.

"I'll go get it!" Ding Xiaoqi turned and ran.

The radio was locked in the trunk of the car.

After sending the telegram, Wang Zhiguo left with a solemn expression.

He didn't blame Yang Yuerong—he knew that as an underground party member, one was always walking on the edge of a knife; how could one expect to remain hidden forever? Exposure was only a matter of time.

Li Wenguo noted down the contact information left by Yang Yuerong, then hurriedly said goodbye and went home, his heart already flying to He Shuting's side.

Yang Yuerong stayed alone in the small villa, waiting for Agui to pick her up in his car the next morning and head straight to the meeting point.

Pushing open the door, He Shuting was knitting a sweater with her head down, the needle and thread moving lightly between her fingers.

Li Wenguo gently wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"What's wrong, sir?"

She put down the unfinished sweater, her voice soft.

"Sigh, Shuting... Yue Rong's identity has been revealed."

He sat down next to her and recounted the events of the evening in detail, including Wang Zhiguo's response.

He Shuting's bright face instantly lost its color, and her fingers suddenly gripped her husband's wrist tightly, her knuckles turning white.

"Sir, if Yue Rong's identity is exposed, the entire newspaper is doomed... What about me? What am I supposed to do?"

"I can't bear to part with you, with Guohua and Jingfen, and especially with Guozhi! He's only three months old, how can I let go? How can I leave?"

Before she could finish speaking, tears were already falling one after another onto the back of her hand, leaving dark watermarks.

Ultimately, she was a woman; what burned brightest in her heart were her husband, her children, and her family. The revolutionary cause was as heavy as a mountain, but at this moment, it came second in her heart.

Of course, this is due to the circumstances and the pressure of the situation—once the storm passes, she will still stand tall and charge ahead.

"Shu Ting, don't cry yet. I'm also reluctant to let you go." His voice was low and gentle. "You're virtuous and sensible, I cherish you too much. Now you have two paths, choose one."

"First of all, I have a small villa in the embassy district. You can move there with the children. It's quiet and safe."

"The second option is further away—to Tianjing. It's more secluded there, only 200 li (about 100 kilometers) away, a three-hour train ride. Which one do you want to choose?"

He took out a handkerchief and gently wiped away her tears.

"Sir, I'll go to the embassy district." She sniffed, her tone immediately becoming more relaxed. "It's close by, less than a twenty-minute drive, and you can come see us anytime. I don't know anyone in Tianjing; I don't want to go."

She knew the embassy district very well—it was foreign territory, just like the concessions. The entire area was under the complete control of foreigners, and without a pass, you couldn't even get a foot in.

Forget about the mayor or the chief, even the Emperor himself would be stopped outside the iron fence. Spies? Forget about them, not even their shadows are allowed in.

He Shuting was unaware that her husband had some private connections with diplomat Williams, so if things went wrong, there would always be someone to lend a hand and cover for him.

Moving into the embassy district is actually a good thing. In a few years, once the Japanese have taken over Beijing, the whole family can finally live together in one place!

Li Wenguo felt a slight sense of relief.

Without a moment's delay, He Shuting quickly packed her belongings, ready to move over as soon as it was light.

Just after seven o'clock the next morning,

While his concubines were still dreaming, Li Wenguo took He Shuting and the three children straight to the small villa with a pointed roof in the embassy district.

Regardless of whether Yang Yuerong had left or not—the most important thing right now was to protect He Shuting and the children.

Even if we run into them, there's nothing to be afraid of.

Fortunately, Yang Yuerong left quietly before dawn, and the two groups passed each other without bumping into each other.

"Sir, this place is so spacious and bright!"

As soon as they stepped into the hall, the gilded carvings, crystal chandeliers, Persian carpets... the overwhelming Western style captivated the eyes of several women, and even He Shuting couldn't help but take a second look.

"If you like it, that's good. This is my territory, so you and the kids can stay here in peace. I'll have Skinny Monkey and Sun Gang take turns guarding it. Remember, don't leave this building unless necessary, and lay low for a while. If you need anything, just tell them."

Li Wenguo confessed in a deep voice.

"Alright, sir. But look—" He Shuting glanced down at Guozhi in her arms, then at Guohua running around the room, and then at Jingfen, who was still dozing in her husband's arms. She smiled helplessly, "When the three kids start making a fuss, I really can't handle them all by myself. How about we let Xiaoju come and lend a hand?"

"No. Her belly will get bigger sooner or later, and then things will be even more chaotic. Oh, right—I know someone out there, I'll go pick her up myself in a bit."

A thought flashed through Li Wenguo's mind: Wen Keren was just right. She was nearby, saving him the trouble of traveling back and forth. Besides, having a caring lady in the house would make life more lively.

It's settled then!

hey-hey! !

"Sir, is this young lady... trustworthy?"

He Shuting frowned slightly, annoyed that he had someone else outside, and also annoyed that strangers were interfering in her child's affairs. Her tone was tinged with a hint of sourness and suspicion.

"Don't worry, Keren is gentle and meticulous. She's good at everything: chatting with people, coaxing babies, making sweet soup..."

Halfway through his sentence, Li Wenguo noticed He Shuting's increasingly cold gaze and immediately stopped, not daring to bring up the "sex" topic again.

"Alright, sir, you make the decision."

She pouted slightly, her voice not loud, but it carried a hint of sullenness.

Li Wenguo first led her to the master bedroom on the second floor—a spacious room of over fifty square meters, with a nearly twenty-square-meter ensuite bathroom, large enough to walk around with your arms outstretched.

He Shuting glanced around, her gaze settling on the bedsheets: a few strands of long, black hair were tangled on the pillow, the blankets were slightly wrinkled, clearly someone had slept there. Her face immediately darkened: "Sir, you brought people back yesterday?"

"Ahem... Last night, Yue Rong's identity was exposed, so we let her stay here for the night." Li Wenguo chuckled twice.

"Rest? Then the half-dry stains on the sheets, is that from spilled tea?" She pointed with her finger, her tone chilling.

"Sigh, now that she's gone, it's probably never to be seen again—just consider it a good deed and don't dwell on it."

"I'll go pick up Keren right away."

Before he finished speaking, he gently placed the still-sleeping Jingfen on the bed, turned around and left.

"You two keep a close eye on things. If anything happens, call home. If you can't get through, call the foreign firm. If you still can't reach them, go directly to Police Chief Niu Dali—understand?"

Before leaving, Li Wenguo lowered his voice and solemnly instructed Liu Shouhou and Sun Gang.

"Understood, Mr. Li!"

The two men stood up straight, their voices crisp and clear. They both knew that this was a matter of life and death, and there was no room for carelessness.

Ding Xiaoqi stepped on the gas, and the car drove away steadily.

Ugh……

I can finally catch my breath.

Li Wenguo looked out the window at the passing street scene and felt a little relieved.

Just then, the car brushed past a group of patrol officers.

He subconsciously turned his head to watch them go, then suddenly froze—

By the way, we should also put two trustworthy people in the embassy district police station!

……

Meanwhile, the Lixingshe received a secret report in the early hours of the morning: the team sent out last night to arrest suspected local party members had lost contact all night.

As soon as it was dawn, the men rushed out of the gate and found Zhang Qi lying unconscious in the car at the street corner. He was covered in blood and had no consciousness. They immediately took him to the hospital.

In the afternoon, Zhang Qi finally opened his eyes and recounted the events of the previous night in fits and starts.

Yang Yuerong's status as a member of the local party was now completely confirmed.

All the other team members were killed, leaving no way to verify the facts—this layer of paper could no longer be covered up, and the only option was to report the truth.

As for why not label her a "Japanese spy"? It would be completely unnecessary—if Yang Yuerong were to get into trouble, the newspaper would definitely be implicated; if they were to be labeled that way, it wouldn't just be a matter of being punished, but rather everyone would avoid her like the plague, and even those who emptied chamber pots wouldn't want to pass by the newspaper office.

The common people could barely tolerate his identity as a local party member; but a Japanese spy? Ha, that's a filthy title that's rotten to the touch!

Before he finished speaking, a group of spies had already poured out. Xiao Hui led his team straight to the newspaper office, and sure enough, the building was completely empty, not even a mouse was left.

……

The rest of the team split into several groups and searched the residences of newspaper staff from house to house.

Three plainclothes officers have already reached the Li family's doorstep.

Li Wenguo had already taken care of He Shuting's matter.

Last night he instructed his clone Niu Dali to forge a death certificate this morning—the deceased was He Shuting, who died two months ago.

The irony is that after giving birth to Li Guozhi, she stayed home for three whole months, never even stepping into the newspaper office. As long as her family kept quiet, the whole affair would be foolproof.

After escorting Wen Keren into the Western-style building, Li Wenguo returned home.

At the dinner table, he solemnly instructed his family: if the police or secret agents came to question them, just answer "He Shuting died of illness two months ago"; if they persisted, just say that he, as the head of the family, would handle all the funeral arrangements, and if they had any questions, they could come to him.

……

The women were stunned when they heard this—how could the perfectly good first wife suddenly be gone?

Police officer? Secret agent?

To come and inquire?

Could it be... that she's a member of the local faction?

Dong Haitang's mind lit up, and she immediately understood.

Ah!

They hid it well!

So this day has come too?

That felt so good!

A silent smile appeared on her lips.

She and He Shuting had always been outwardly friendly but inwardly at odds, and now that the other woman had fled in a panic, she felt as sweet as if she had been given honey. Moreover, she was loyal to the Party and the State, and their positions were naturally opposed. If it weren't for her master's reputation, she would have made that woman suffer long ago.

Before we knew it, it was afternoon.

Four secret agents arrived at the door, two of whom turned out to be Hammer and Lei Sheng—both familiar faces.

When you know someone well, things go smoothly.