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

He Yuzhu didn't go home. Instead, he went directly to an abandoned freight station in the west of the city, one of the emergency contact points he and the manager had agreed upon. He knocked on a rusty iron door with a specific knocking rhythm.

The door opened, and inside was the shopkeeper, Mr. Qin. He saw that He Yuzhu had a very serious expression, and without asking any questions, he led him into a secret room.

"I got the item."

He Yuzhu closed his eyes, and with a thought, three photos from the system space appeared in his hand. The photos were made of a special material, a very thin film. The images were somewhat blurry under the oil lamp, but the key text and red circle markings on them were still very clear.

The shopkeeper took the photo and glanced at it. His face turned very ugly. When he saw the Jisheng Clinic and the note "secretly handled" behind it, his hand holding the teacup trembled involuntarily.

"Such ruthless methods, such a vicious heart!"

The shopkeeper slammed the photo on the table, his chest heaving violently. He had fought all his life and seen countless deaths, but the treachery and malice on this list still sent a chill down his spine. The war of resistance had not yet been won, and these people were already eager to turn on their own people.

"Apprentice, you have performed an incredible service!" The shopkeeper looked at He Yuzhu, his eyes filled with shock and admiration. "This information is more valuable than the intelligence of an entire division; it could save the lives of countless comrades!"

He Yuzhu asked calmly, "What's the next step?"

The shopkeeper paced back and forth in the secret room, quickly thinking of a solution. A few minutes later, he stopped, his eyes regaining their calm and sharpness.

"We're at a disadvantage in a head-on confrontation, but since they want to play dirty tricks, we'll play along to the end," the shopkeeper said with a sneer. "They want to label us as traitors and collaborators, right? Then we'll show all of Beiping who the real traitors are!"

He immediately issued a series of instructions.

That very night, the underground printing plant organized by them started work overnight. Instead of directly releasing the photos, which would expose He Yuzhu, they compiled a series of bombshell revelations based on the content of the photos.

A document detailed the Japanese puppet regime's industries that had been secretly divided up by Kuomintang elites. From textile factories to banks to gold shops, each item was worth a fortune. This document was secretly slipped under the doors of several influential newspapers in Beiping that were not affiliated with the Military Intelligence Bureau. The headline was very sensational: "After eight years of bloody war, who is preparing to steal the fruits of victory?"

Another document listed the addresses of cultural groups, schools, and progressives who were falsely accused of being communist strongholds. This document was sent through secret channels to some well-known professors at Yenching University and Fu Jen Catholic University, as well as several respected democrats in the city. The letter did not specify who was behind the action, but only kindly reminded them that a storm was coming and to be wary of villains using the guise of purges to carry out partisan attacks.

The most important piece of intelligence, concerning several contact points clearly marked as being handled in secrecy, was personally overseen by the manager, who immediately notified relevant personnel to activate the highest-level emergency plan for relocation and infiltration.

A clandestine contest thus began in the night of Beiping.

He Yuzhu did not participate in the subsequent actions. The shopkeeper told him to rest for the time being and wait for further instructions. When he returned to the courtyard in Rongxian Hutong, it was almost dawn.

Chen Lanxiang and He Daqing didn't sleep all night, and only when they saw their son return safely did their hearts finally settle down.

"Zhu Zi, are you alright?" Chen Lanxiang came up to him, wanting to say something but not knowing how to ask.

"It's nothing, Mom, I just helped a friend with something," He Yuzhu said with a smile.

He Daqing quietly went to the kitchen and made him a bowl of hot egg noodles. This man didn't like to talk, and only expressed his care in this most direct way.

While eating his noodles, He Yuzhu was preoccupied with another matter. The scandal involving the list would undoubtedly make Zheng Keming and Hu Zongcheng extremely nervous, and they would frantically investigate the source of the leak. Although he hadn't been exposed, the risk still existed. More importantly, there was Yi Zhonghai, the scourge in the compound. The external crisis would be handled by the organization for the time being, but the internal threat had to be dealt with personally. He couldn't tolerate someone who might stab him in the back at any moment living by his side.

Two days later, He Yuzhu's plan began to take effect.

Several tabloids in Beiping suddenly published a few social news items on inconspicuous pages. One said, "It is said that some officials in the city who have taken over the city have already decided to divide up the former dynasty's property before they have even taken office." Another said, "Some patriotic students are worried that after the victory of the War of Resistance, some people will use the pretext of eliminating traitors to persecute people with progressive ideas."

These reports, written based on hearsay and speculation, have caused quite a stir.

Following this, several prominent figures in the cultural sphere jointly published an open letter in the World Journal, calling on the future municipal government to establish a supervisory committee composed of people from all walks of life in order to gain public trust in the handling of enemy and puppet assets and the identification of traitors.

For a time, the upper class of Beiping was buzzing with gossip.

Hu Zongcheng's home in Chunshu Hutong, Dongcheng District.

With a snap!

Zheng Keming smashed a Song Dynasty celadon teacup on the ground.

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!" He pointed at Hu Zongcheng's nose and cursed, "I repeatedly told you the list was top secret, how did it become such a scandal? Tell me, did you leak it?"

"I'm innocent, Commissioner Zheng!" Hu Zongcheng knelt on the ground in fright. "Even if I had the greatest courage in the world, I wouldn't dare to utter a single word! Could it be that there's a problem within our ranks?"

Zheng Keming's expression was uncertain. He felt that it was more likely that there was a traitor within their ranks, but either way, it meant that their plan had been exposed and they had to make adjustments immediately.

"Pass on my orders," Zheng Keming said coldly, "All operations are suspended. Also, investigate thoroughly, at all costs, find this traitor who leaked information, and tear him to pieces!"

Unbeknownst to him, the mole he was looking for was currently sharpening a kitchen knife in a courtyard in Nanluoguxiang.

The kitchen knife belonged to He Daqing, and the whetstone was an old object in the yard. He Yuzhu rolled up his sleeves and sharpened the knife slowly and steadily, the harsh swishing sound echoing throughout the yard.

Xu Fugui peeked in tentatively for a moment, then withdrew.

Jia Laonian's son, Jia Dongxu, harbored deep resentment towards the He family because of his mother's death, and cast a venomous glance through the window.

In the west wing, Yi Zhonghai felt a sudden unease upon hearing the sound of the knife being sharpened. He had a feeling that the knife was being sharpened just for him. He swallowed hard and quietly bolted the door shut.

He Yuzhu didn't even glance at any of this; his gaze was fixed intently on the increasingly sharp, cold glint of the blade.

The knife is almost sharpened.