Courtyard House: Ten-year-old Master Zhu reorganizes the entire courtyard

He Yuzhu temporarily suppressed his concerns about the drugs in Tianjin and the Kuomintang secret agents known as "Viper." Jia Dongxu's death, like a stone thrown into a muddy pond, created ripples, but was quickly swallowed up by a larger undercurrent. In the courtyard, after receiving his son's remains, Jia Laonian seemed to age twenty years overnight, completely collapsing. He became a walking corpse, and the three rooms in the east wing were filled with a deathly stillness.

Yi Zhonghai became completely obedient. Now, whenever he sees He Yuzhu, he instinctively lowers his head and walks around him, as if He Yuzhu were some kind of man-eating beast. He couldn't understand, and dared not even think about, how a ten-year-old child could have so thoroughly overturned the power structure of the entire courtyard. His little schemes were as fragile as paper in front of He Yuzhu.

The Xu family became the He family's most loyal supporters. Every few days, Xu Zhao would send some of her homemade pickled vegetables to the He family, and Xu Fugui became He Yuzhu's exclusive intelligence agent. Whenever there was any disturbance in or outside the courtyard, he would always rush over to report it immediately. His obsequious manner made He Daqing somewhat unable to bear it.

"Zhu Zi, that Xu Fugui is a real scoundrel, a fence-sitter." At the dinner table, He Daqing picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks and muttered.

"Dad, even a weather vane has its uses." He Yuzhu shoveled rice into his bowl without looking up. "At least he knows better than anyone which way the wind is blowing."

Looking at her son's composed profile, Chen Lanxiang felt both proud and heartbroken. She knew that her son had long been the one supporting the family.

The peaceful days didn't last long before the system alarm sounded in He Yuzhu's mind again.

[Special Alert: Increased Risk in the Area!]

[Event Description: Japanese radio detection vehicles have identified an abnormal signal source in this area (Rongxian Hutong and surrounding areas). The Special Higher Police have dispatched a special operations team to conduct a targeted investigation.]

[Risk Assessment: Your courtyard in Rongxian Hutong is only two alleys away from the signal source center. If the Japanese army launches a large-scale search, there is a 35% probability that your home will be affected, posing a risk of exposure.]

He Yuzhu's pupils suddenly contracted.

An unusual signal source? In those days, what else could the Japanese army use to deploy radio detection vehicles besides a radio?

He immediately thought of someone—the middle-aged man who lived diagonally across the hall, a recent resident who claimed to be a schoolteacher. That man rarely left his home, and his eyes were wary; He Yuzhu had long suspected he was no ordinary person.

Unexpectedly, it turned out to be a colleague, and one who had been exposed.

The moment of decision has been triggered!

[Option A: Ignore the situation. Risk: The Japanese search area expands, increasing the risk of exposure to 50%. Benefit: None.]

Option B: Report to the organization, which will decide whether to conduct a rescue. Risk: May drag the organization into an unknown trap and expose our forces. Benefit: Gain +30 organization contribution points.

[Option C: Anonymous Warning. Risk: An inappropriate warning method may attract the attention of the other party or Japanese spies, exposing your position. Risk probability: 10%. Benefit: If the other party successfully relocates, the area risk decreases, and you gain +20 system points.]

He Yuzhu did not hesitate at all.

Report to the organization? He didn't even know which line the other party belonged to. What if it was the Military Intelligence Bureau or the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics? If he rashly reported it, it would be like throwing a hot potato to the "manager." He wouldn't do something so thankless.

Do we stand idly by? If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. Once the Japanese turn this area upside down, no matter how well we disguise ourselves, we won't be able to withstand the investigation.

The only option is C. Use the safest and least conspicuous method to remind that unfortunate guy to get lost.

How to issue a warning?

Knocking directly on the door? That's suicide. Throwing a stone? Too obvious.

He Yuzhu's gaze fell on Xu Damao, who was shooting birds with a slingshot in the yard.

A perfect tool.

"Da Mao." He Yuzhu walked into the courtyard, his voice not loud.

Xu Damao jolted, nearly dropping his slingshot. His fear of He Yuzhu had seeped into his very bones. Although no one had explicitly stated it, he knew with a grain of salt that He Yuzhu was involved in Jia Dongxu's tragic death.

"Zhu... Brother Zhu." Xu Damao forced out a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"Want some White Rabbit milk candy?" He Yuzhu waved the two candies in his hand.

Xu Damao's eyes lit up instantly, and his mouth watered involuntarily. These days, White Rabbit milk candy was a rare treat.

"Yes!" He nodded vigorously.

"Do me a favor." He Yuzhu took out a small piece of paper with a crooked pencil drawing on it. It was a square box with several antennas sticking out from the top, and next to it was a huge exclamation mark. Anyone who knew about radio could recognize it at a glance as a simple sketch of a radio detection vehicle.

But to outsiders, it looks like a child's doodle.

"See that courtyard diagonally across the street? It's the home of that schoolteacher surnamed Wang." He Yuzhu pointed. "Go play hide-and-seek with your friends in front of his house. While you're playing, 'accidentally' slip this crumpled piece of paper through the crack in the door. Remember, pretend it was unintentional. Once you slip it in, run away and keep playing."

He Yuzhu crumpled the paper into a ball and stuffed it into Xu Damao's hand: "If you do it well, these two candies are yours. If you mess it up..."

He didn't continue, but just gave Xu Damao a cold glance.

Xu Damao shuddered in fright and nodded repeatedly, "Don't worry, Brother Zhu, I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"

Half an hour later, He Yuzhu peeked through the crack in his door and saw Xu Damao leading several teenagers, chasing and playing noisily in the alley. When they reached Mr. Wang's door, Xu Damao pretended to slip and fall, the crumpled paper in his hand rolling through the crack in the door. He got up, dusted himself off, and ran off with his friends as if nothing had happened.

The whole process was seamless, like a mischievous child's prank.

He Yuzhu nodded in satisfaction and turned to go back into the house. The bait had been cast; now it was just a matter of whether the fish would take the bait.

For the next two days, He Yuzhu kept a close watch. Mr. Wang's yard seemed unchanged, the gate still tightly shut. But He Yuzhu noticed that his chimney hadn't emitted any smoke for two days. This indicated that he might have received a warning and was on high alert.

Late on the third night, a cold wind howled.

He Yuzhu was awakened by a slight noise. He quietly went to the window and looked out in the dim moonlight.

Suddenly, the gate to Mr. Wang's courtyard across the street was silently pulled open a crack. A figure, carrying a heavy leather suitcase, slipped out like a thief, then quickly crept along the wall towards the alley entrance.

coming!

He Yuzhu's heart tightened.

However, before the figure had gone far, two dark figures suddenly darted out from the shadows at the alley entrance and pounced on him with lightning speed!

Mr. Wang reacted extremely quickly, letting out a strange cry and advancing instead of retreating, smashing the suitcase in his hand hard against one of the dark figures, while he turned and ran wildly in another direction.

"Baka!" A low, guttural curse echoed through the night.

One agent was hit by the suitcase and staggered, while another agent chased after him without hesitation.

The agent who was hit steadied himself and did not give chase. Instead, he immediately crouched down and carefully opened the leather case. In the moonlight, He Yuzhu could vaguely see that the case contained a sophisticated radio.

The person escaped, but the radio station was seized.

He Yuzhu frowned. Although the warning had an effect, the result was not perfect. Moreover, the Japanese failed to make the arrest here, and what followed would likely be an even tighter blockade and search.

The trouble has only just begun.