Courtyard House: My Time Travel is a Bit Too Strong

Just as Chen Xueru lowered her head to hold the ruler and Wang Yuyan turned to cooperate—

Lin Quan's pupils suddenly contracted, his gaze sharp as lightning, piercing straight towards the backyard.

His brows were furrowed, and his breathing was slightly labored.

He listened intently, and with his superior hearing, he clearly discerned a series of intermittent yet rhythmic sounds:

Drip...tap...drip...tap...

"Shh-"

He gave a low shout and quickly raised his hand, gesturing for the three to be quiet.

Chen Xueru, Wang Yuyan, and Zhu Zhuqing held their breath almost simultaneously, even breathing very softly.

Lin Quan's gaze first fell on Wang Yuyan: "Yuyan, investigate the situation in the backyard immediately."

Before he could finish speaking, his gaze shifted to Chen Xueru, and his tone deepened: "Xueru, what's the background of the backyard?"

This silk shop was originally an old-style courtyard house facing the street.

The front yard was converted into a bright and lively storefront; the back yard, however, was completely separated by a high wall, becoming a quiet place of its own.

Chen Xueru had long wanted to take over the backyard to use as a storage room and had discussed it more than once. However, the homeowner was adamant about not agreeing, and no matter how much she raised the price, asked for favors, or pleaded, all her efforts were in vain.

What made her even more uneasy was that every time she went to negotiate, the landlord, surnamed Hou, would stare at her with a sticky, unyielding gaze, like a snake's tongue licking her skin, both cool and greasy.

Over time, she simply stopped mentioning it.

When Lin Quan asked her questions, she didn't hide anything and told him everything without hesitation:

"That man's surname is Hou. He is very secretive. I have never seen him show his face properly. He also never interacts with others. I don't know what he is doing in the house."

As soon as she finished speaking, Wang Yuyan quietly withdrew her mental energy, her eyes flashing slightly:

"Something's wrong in the backyard—there aren't many things, but the movements are strange."

Although she was only a peak level two awakener, far inferior to Qiao Jingjing's level three,

With those sharp eyes, every crack in the backyard door and every shadow was already clearly visible.

For Wang Yuyan, there is nothing in this world that can be hidden.

Her eyes flickered, and her gaze fell upon Lin Quan's face.

Lin Quan immediately understood – she had probably already thoroughly investigated the secrets of the backyard.

He immediately spoke, his voice steady: "How's the investigation going?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Wang Yuyan poured out everything she had seen and heard, like beans spilling from a bamboo tube:

From the loose blue bricks at the base of the wall to the hidden door beneath the woodshed floor;

From the rows of long, rectangular iron objects wrapped in oiled paper in the secret room, to the iron box in the corner emitting a low buzzing sound and its red light flickering...

Before the words were even finished, Lin Quan and Chen Xueru's faces turned pale instantly, and their pupils suddenly constricted.

Wang Yuyan and Zhu Zhuqing were completely bewildered, but Lin Quan and Chen Xueru seemed rooted to the spot—

Those weren't sticks at all! They were clearly loaded rifles!

What is that metal box? It's basically a military radio that's still transmitting!

Possessing weapons and setting up radio stations—who is this person? Need I ask?

Before Lin Quan could speak, Chen Xueru lunged forward, her fingers gripping his forearm tightly until her knuckles turned white: "Lin...Lin Quan...what should we do now?"

"Don't panic."

Lin Quan looked down at her trembling hand, gently placed his palm on it, and patted it twice, warm and reassuring.

He raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as a nail, and said, word by word, "Leave it to me, take care of it."

He turned and nodded to Wang Yuyan and Zhu Zhuqing: "Yuyan, Zhuqing, you stay here, I'll be right back."

As soon as the words were spoken, the person lifted the curtain and stepped out, their steps crisp and swift, without the slightest hesitation.

Chen Xueru's lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to chase after them, but before she could move, Wang Yuyan and Zhu Zhuqing had already grabbed her arms on either side.

"Don't worry, Sister Xue Ru. If Brother Quan says it can be done, then it can't be wrong!"

"That's right! Even if the sky falls, Brother Quan will hold it up—you can rest assured!"

With gentle persuasion from the two, Chen Xueru's tense shoulders gradually relaxed, and her breathing became smoother.

If you are completely unprepared, the venomous snake hiding in the backyard might actually bite you.

But now that we know where it lurks and how venomous its teeth are—

Even if it wanted to pounce, its vital point had already been seized!

"I felt that when that guy surnamed Hou stared at me, his eyes were sticky and had a sinister quality to them..."

"Who would have thought he was a spy in human skin!"

The thought of having such a person living next door made the hairs on the back of Chen Xueru's neck stand on end.

What made her legs go weak even more was that she had visited the spy's house several times to discuss buying it, and each time the spy's sidelong glances at her felt like a knife scraping across her back.

At first, she simply thought he was a shrewd businessman;

The second time, she only felt that the other party was very wary;

But the third time... the way that person unconsciously rubbed the rim of the teacup with their fingertips, she still gets cold sweat when she thinks about it now!

If he suddenly turns on me one day, I might not even be able to shout out of the wall—

Not only is her life in danger, but the entire Xue Ru Silk Shop is likely to become a living coffin for him to conceal his identity!

After leaving the silk shop, Lin Quan did not rush in, but went straight to the Military Control Commission without touching the ground.

He knew that place so well he could find the office door with his eyes closed. He took three steps at a time and rushed straight into Aunt Wang's room.

"Aunt Wang! I've brought you a hot potato today—would you like to open it and take a look?"

Aunt Wang was hunched over her desk reviewing documents when she heard the noise. She looked up, still holding her pen, and exclaimed, "Oh, here to show off again? Those blueprints from last time saved me so many sleepless nights!"

The weapon improvement drawings that Lin Quan handed over last time not only earned him merit, but also helped Aunt Wang jump from deputy director to director.

Lin Quan didn't beat around the bush; he leaned against the doorframe, his voice low but each word clear:

"There's a spy hideout in the backyard—guns, radio, all the essentials, it's all there."

Before she could finish speaking, Aunt Wang suddenly stood up, the chair leg scraping against the cement floor with a sharp, ear-piercing sound!

"What did you just say? You've found out the spy's hideout..."

"Are you really sure you're a spy?"

Aunt Wang's face instantly tightened, her eyebrows were lowered, and there was not a trace of a smile in her eyes.

When it came to spies, her expression changed, and even her breathing became heavier.

"Absolutely true."

"Moreover, he is very likely a key member—and might even be a local strongman."

Seeing Aunt Wang's solemn expression, Lin Quan also abandoned his usual casualness and nodded solemnly.

Then, in a few words, he explained the telegram ticking sound he heard in the backyard of Xue Ru's silk shop, and also revealed the clues that Chen Xue Ru had secretly revealed.

He didn't hide anything that should be said; he didn't touch anything that shouldn't be said.

"Alright! If it's really as you predicted..."

"Once we take down this nail, you'll be first on the merit list!"

Before he finished speaking, Director Wang had already picked up the phone, dialed, gave the order, and hung up—his movements were swift and decisive, without a single unnecessary word.

"Let's go, let's set off right away!"

As soon as she put down the phone, her gaze fell directly on Lin Quan. She raised her hand and gestured, her voice clear and crisp.

Seeing Aunt Wang's decisive and efficient attitude, Lin Quan's lips unconsciously curled up for a moment.

"Last time, thanks to you, I got promoted by half a rank..."