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

From the alleyway, a dozen or so men suddenly emerged from under two old, stalled cars, brandishing weapons and rushing inside—A-Gui was leading the charge. He had just jumped off one of the cars, waving to the two vehicles behind him while yelling, "Hurry up! Don't dawdle!"

The atmosphere in the alley was tense to the extreme.

"then!"

Li Wenguo and Ding Xiaoqi were already waiting behind the car. They opened the trunk and swung four submachine guns at it.

"Block the alleyway. Reinforcements will be arriving soon. We'll attack from both sides and leave no one alive."

Li Wenguo remained expressionless as he raised his hand and pulled the trigger—the movement was as practiced as eating or drinking.

Old Pan and the others were stunned on the spot.

Kill the spy?

That's... way too ruthless!

"Da da da!!!"

"Da da da!!!"

What kind of friends does Lao Pan make?

Bandits? Mountain kings?

Watching Li Wenguo and Ding Xiaoqi's guns spitting fire, bullets flying out like they were reckless, the five agents were instantly overwhelmed and couldn't lift their heads, huddled in the doorway and corner, trembling—the thirty-something man's Adam's apple bobbed, his heart pounding.

Overwhelming firepower is what makes it so terrifying.

"Your turn! We'll change the magazines, you just keep firing! Lots of bullets, don't be stingy!"

Li Wenguo dodged to the side, taking the opportunity to shout.

Old Pan and Zhou Zheng nodded hurriedly, their palms sweating profusely—a submachine gun? They'd barely touched one in their lives.

The man in his thirties, on the other hand, picked up the gun, and his stance, grip, and aim were all executed flawlessly in one smooth motion.

Very experienced.

"beat!!!"

Li Wenguo gave the order.

"Da da da!!!"

"Da da da!!!"

"Da da da!!!"

Three guns roared in unison, bullets raining down.

Just as the magazine was about to run out of ammunition, the familiar sound of a submachine gun suddenly rang out from the other end of the alley.

"A-Gui and the others have arrived."

Ding Xiaoqi's ears twitched, and he immediately shouted.

Immediately afterwards, several piercing screams tore through the air—the cries of spies who had been shot, short and shrill.

The third sound means that there are still two survivors.

"Bang!!!"

"Bang!!!"

Unexpectedly, two more gunshots rang out from the corner where the spy was hiding.

"you……???"

The man who fell to the ground had bulging eyes, staring intently at the hammer, his mouth agape.

"Don't shoot! I'm Hammer! I'll take care of the last one myself!"

Hammer raised his hands and strode out of the shadows.

"Don't use your guns! We're on the same side!"

Seeing that Lao Pan and the others were still pointing their guns directly at Hammer, Ding Xiaoqi quickly shouted to stop them.

"Our own people?"

One of the spies turned out to be one of their own?

The three of them froze instantly, their eyes filled with surprise and doubt, as if they had misheard and their minds were not quite processing what had happened.

For years, the two sides have been locked in a life-or-death struggle, a classic case of cats hunting mice and mice burrowing into holes. It's unheard of for a cat to spy on a mouse. But this "cat" is now brazenly siding with the "mouse," leaving anyone who hears it scratching their ears and asking: "Are you sure you didn't mishear?"

"Master Li!"

Hammer straightened his back and respectfully nodded to Li Wenguo.

"Alright, this is an informant I planted somewhere. If there's any trouble that threatens me, he'll immediately report it. You two should meet today and get acquainted—so you don't end up with a knife to your chest one day and realize you're one of our own."

Li Wenguo spoke calmly, yet conveyed his message clearly.

The three nodded silently, their Adam's apples bobbing slightly, but they didn't utter a sound.

Old Pan suddenly had a flash of inspiration: No wonder Ding Xiaoqi knew Fan Dexing's background so well! It turns out the root of the problem was in one place!

But then he sighed again—this deeply buried pawn was only used to protect Li Wenguo alone? If it were handed over to them, how many comrades could escape the search, avoid torture, and save their lives?

Thinking of this, the three of them glanced at Li Wenguo in unison, their eyes full of envy.

Old Pan and Zhou Zheng were secretly amazed: this man was more composed and capable of handling things than before, and his methods were becoming increasingly unpredictable. They even had a feeling that he was like a deep well, with only the surface reflecting his image, and no one could say for sure how deep he was underneath.

"Walk!"

He went out of his way to help the comrade who had been shot in the shoulder, personally taking him to Dr. Ke.

Old Pan and his group were originally heading to Dr. Ke's house when they ran into Hammer's gang on the way. Seeing the bloody gunshot wound, they knew without a doubt that it was either a local Communist or a Japanese spy; it would be strange if they didn't give chase!

Fortunately, all the spies were taken down, and Hammer knew his limits, so he naturally erased their traces to ensure their identities were not exposed.

"I say, you guys are really lucky to have come here today. If you hadn't run into me, you probably would have been dragged into the Lixingshe prison long ago, and you would have confessed everything after a few rounds of torture."

Inside the car, Li Wenguo turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the three people behind the passenger seat. The injured comrade was still unconscious, leaning on Zhou Zheng's shoulder, his breathing weak.

"Mr. Li, it seems we're truly destined to meet!"

"We'll never forget this kindness we received today!"

Old Pan grinned, his tone warm.

Zhou Zheng quickly chimed in, his brows furrowed with sincerity: "Thanks to Master Li's help, otherwise we would have been in real trouble!"

The man in his thirties didn't say much, but clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, his movements crisp and clean, exuding a strong sense of江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry).

"What are you thanking me for? I know you're risking your lives for this country. We just happened to run into you, so I lent a hand."

Li Wenguo waved his hand, paused, and then his tone became a shade heavier: "But let me make this clear—if you bump into me on the street in the future, don't greet me, don't nod, pretend you don't know me. Understand?"

"Understood! I would never dare to ruin Master Li's plans!"

The three men patted their chests in agreement, their voices ringing out in unison.

Old Pan hesitated for a moment, scratched the back of his head, and tentatively said, "Master Li, with your connections, could you... help us get someone into the Lixing Society? With an inside man, we can move people, evacuate, and rescue people before the enemy makes a move, saving us a lot of bloodshed!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zheng and the man involuntarily leaned forward, staring intently at Li Wenguo, their breathing becoming lighter.

"Forget it, that's too risky. If there's any leak, I'll lose my life too."

Li Wenguo shook his head decisively.

A hint of sadness crossed the three faces, but no one frowned or complained. They all understood: it was righteous of them to lend a hand; it was only right to stand by and do nothing.

Without saying another word, the wheels rolled over the cobblestone road and came to a steady stop outside Dr. Ke's hospital.

Since he had come all this way, Li Wenguo decided to get out of the car and walk around a bit—after all, he might run into patrol officers or secret agents on his way back.

To my surprise, when I opened the door, there was a familiar face standing in the courtyard.

"Yuerong? What are you doing here? Didn't you leave the capital a long time ago?"

Indeed, Yang Yuerong was sitting on the veranda peeling oranges, her fingertips still wet with juice. She looked up in surprise, then burst into delight: "Wenguo?! What are you doing here?"

She certainly didn't come injured.

"Huh? You're asking me? Ask Dr. Ke why I'm here!"

Li Wenguo feigned displeasure and turned to look at Dr. Ke, who was bowing his head to prepare surgical instruments.

"Ahem... I am grateful for Mr. Li's kindness. My clinic is dedicated to treating and prolonging the lives of Mr. Li's people."

Dr. Ke didn't even look up, speaking rapidly, but his hands remained steady with the tweezers—the employer's reputation couldn't be neglected for a moment.

"Oh? I see!"

Yang Yuerong was stunned, then turned around, her gaze falling directly on Lao Pan and the other two, her eyes filled with satisfaction.

That's right, it was Master Li who brought us here. Later, we met Dr. Ke, and whenever there were wounded soldiers with gunshot wounds, they would all run here, all thanks to him.

Old Pan nodded in agreement, then gave Li Wenguo a warm smile: "In the end, it's all thanks to Master Li."

Upon hearing this, Yang Yuerong's eyes lit up instantly, like two little stars falling into them—the man she had her eye on was indeed capable!

"Yuerong, you still haven't told me why you're still in the capital."

As soon as Li Wenguo finished speaking

"Cough! Cough cough!!!"

The man in his thirties next to me suddenly cleared his throat, his voice heavy and urgent.

Anyone with eyes could tell that this was an attempt to cut her off and prevent her from revealing the truth.

This man was named Chen Jiang, a battalion commander in the Red Army, whose troops were stationed in a village near the outskirts of Beijing.

Despite having the title of battalion commander, he had fewer than three hundred men under his command. His daily work mainly consisted of liaison, escorting, and going from village to village to spread the Red Army's doctrines—specifically targeting small villages that had been neglected by the Party and the State.

Because these villages were treated as "leftovers" by the higher authorities, with no one to care for them and often oppressed by local militias and town and county security teams, they became the most solid foundation of the Red Army.

Right now, Red Army troops across the country are flocking to remote villages, with almost all of their main forces stationed there. This matter cannot be revealed to outsiders, which is why Chen Jiang hurriedly coughed to stop people.

Yang Yuerong stayed because Chen Jiang's team was short of radio operators. She happened to be leaving Beijing and was temporarily assigned to the team, even given the title of instructor.

She came into the city this time because the radio had been broken during the hasty retreat last time, and a certain part was malfunctioning and urgently needed to be replaced or repaired. She came in with the injured comrade, intending to buy a suitable one or find a craftsman to help repair it.

"Yuerong, come out with me for a moment."

Seeing that Chen Jiang was deliberately interrupting, Li Wenguo frowned, grabbed Yang Yuerong, and headed for the door.

Chen Jiang instinctively tried to stop him, but Lao Pan grabbed his shoulder and slowly shook his hand at him.

"Even though Master Li has helped us before, he's not one of our own. How can we just reveal his secrets to outsiders?"

Chen Jiang lowered his voice and questioned.

"Master Li is different," Old Pan said in a deep voice. "Let me tell you the truth—he knew all about Zhou Zheng and me long ago. Not only did he not report us, but he also never refused to help me whenever I was in danger or needed to gather information. He even saved Zhou Zheng and my lives twice. Without him, you wouldn't be seeing us today."

"Also, this place where Dr. Ke is staying was vacated by him. How many comrades' lives have he saved during this time?"

"Tell me, can you trust someone like that?"

Every word Lao Pan uttered was substantial and carried weight.

"That's right, Master Li has already proven it with his actions, you haven't forgotten, have you?"

Zhou Zheng interrupted, casually gesturing with his chin towards the direction where the four spies had just been killed.

Chen Jiang's lips moved, but he ultimately remained silent.

Li Wenguo led Yang Yuerong into a room and locked it with a click.

"Tell me, what are you doing here?"

He pulled her to sit on the edge of the bed, his tone leaving no room for refusal.

"This...this is against the rules."

Her ears burned slightly; she still remembered Chen Jiang's sudden cough.

"What rules? I know exactly what you're doing."

"Besides, you're my woman now—it's only natural for me to care about your safety. A man protecting his woman is not only his duty, but also his responsibility. Tell me, are you going to talk to me or not?"

Li Wenguo's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.

If she weren't his woman, he wouldn't bother with the things Chen Jiang and Lao Pan were hiding.

He always avoids trouble.

Upon hearing the words "my woman," Yang Yuerong's heart softened, her cheeks flushed, and she nodded gently.

"Okay... I'll talk. Hey—what are you doing?"

"I've missed you so much!"

He put one arm around her waist and the other on the back of her neck; before he could finish speaking, he was already pressed against her.

More than an hour later, the two returned to the operating room.

The man who had been shot in the shoulder had already had his stitches done, and the anesthesia was still wearing off; he was just waiting to wake up. Although he had a slight fever, Dr. Ke had given him an anti-inflammatory injection, and estimated that after a month of rest, he would be a lively and energetic man again.

As soon as they entered, Lao Pan and the others noticed that Yang Yue's face was flushed and her hair was slightly disheveled, clearly indicating that she had just gone through something.

They exchanged a glance and immediately understood each other's intentions.

No one expected that their comrade would actually follow Li Wenguo, which was both surprising and complicated.

Li Wenguo took out a pack of Daqianmen cigarettes and offered them to the three men one by one. The three men accepted them and nodded in acknowledgment.

"call--"

He took a drag of his cigarette, squinted at Chen Jiang, and said, "Yuerong is my wife. Now that she's come to live with you, you'd better keep a close eye on her—especially when it comes to food. Don't worry, I'll have Liu Erkui send you some good stuff regularly..."

During their heart-to-heart chat, Li Wenguo immediately noticed that Yang Yuerong had lost weight. Fortunately, her waist had narrowed, and her curves remained full and firm. But where did this thinness come from? It was clearly from a frugal lifestyle—little oil, little meat, even her face lacked luster. His heart tightened: how could he let his own woman go hungry and cold? He immediately made up his mind to have Liu Erkui send supplies over every few days. He didn't expect delicacies at every meal, but whenever they cooked, there had to be meat!

Yang Yuerong stood to the side, her ears slightly red, and she couldn't help but smile – being cared for and protected like this made her feel secure and comforted.

"Wait!" Chen Jiang suddenly raised his voice and leaned forward. "The Er Kui you mentioned... is it Liu Er Kui? The one nicknamed 'Second Master Liu'?"

Li Wenguo had just exhaled a smoke ring when he heard this, he raised an eyebrow and smiled: "It is him."

"Tsk, he's even calling him 'Second Master Liu' now?" Li Wenguo chuckled. "Looks like he's really put down roots here."