182: Chapter 182 Clay Chickens and Earthen Dogs

A policeman in his early thirties strode forward, pointing at Bai Eryong's nose and cursing.

"Bai Erpao! Stop giving me attitude! You've really grown some guts, haven't you? Now you're playing at occupying private residences and extortion!"

This policeman had handled many of Bai Eryong's cases and knew his background inside out.

"Last month, when you were being chased and beaten, and you ran to the Police Station begging me to save you, how come you weren't acting so fearless then? You were hugging the station gate, crying snot and tears. Grown some skills today? Daring to light a gas canister in a courtyard bought by Mr. Chen?"

The policeman stepped closer, his voice severe.

"Fine, go ahead and light it! If you dare to light it, I'll shoot you on the spot for endangering public safety!"

Looking at this familiar policeman, images immediately surfaced in Bai Eryong's mind of being handcuffed to the heating pipes at the Police Station during overnight interrogations.

His body couldn't help but tremble.

He hurriedly reached into his pants pocket, pulled out a lighter, and threw it far into the corner, terrified that the policeman would really treat him like a terrorist.

Deng Haijiang spoke up at the right moment.

"Bai Eryong, this property has been legally purchased by Mr. Chen, and the paperwork is complete. Your current actions are suspected of causing a disturbance and endangering public safety. We are taking you back to the Police Station for investigation."

Deng Haijiang tilted his head.

Two young policemen stepped forward and took out handcuffs.

Bai Eryong didn't dare to make a peep and obediently extended his hands.

The metal handcuffs clicked shut around his wrists.

The section chief leading the Neighborhood Office team also stepped forward, pointing at the brick kitchen nearby.

"Bai Eryong, this unauthorized construction of yours didn't go through any approval process, severely damages the architectural style of this historic building, and is considered an illegal structure. Our Neighborhood Office will carry out a mandatory demolition today in accordance with the law."

Hearing that the house was going to be demolished, Bai Eryong panicked.

That was his only bargaining chip for remaining in this courtyard.

He struggled hard, howling at the people from the Neighborhood Office.

"You can't tear it down! This is our ancestral courtyard! How is it a violation for me to build a small house in my own courtyard? Who doesn't do that in their own yard?"

Bai Eryong's face turned beet red as he shouted threats at the top of his lungs.

"Whoever dares to tear it down! When I get out, I won't let you off! I'll go to your office entrance and cause trouble every single day!"

From the line of security guards behind Chen Hao, a burly man stepped out.

The man was wearing a black security uniform, and a scar running from his eye to his chin made him look extremely ferocious.

This was one of Lei Hu's capable lieutenants, known on the streets as Scar Liu.

Scar Liu spat on the ground and let out a cold laugh.

"I was wondering who had such guts to occupy Mr. Chen's courtyard. Turns out, it's just Bai Erpao from Xinjiekou, the guy who loses every bet and welches on his debts. Last year, this grandson cheated at a pool hall, got his pants pulled down, and was hung from a utility pole; it was his older brother who had to pay to bail him out! A spineless loser like this actually thinks he can act like a tough guy here?"

As he finished speaking, the dozen or so burly men in black standing behind Scar Liu joined in with a roar of laughter.

Hearing this, Bai Eryong turned his head to look.

After seeing Scar Liu's face clearly, Bai Eryong's face turned deathly pale in an instant.

He recognized this man.

It was this very Scar Liu who had caught him cheating at the pool hall last year and hung him from the utility pole while slapping him.

In the eyes of low-level thugs like them, Scar Liu was a truly ruthless underworld boss, a living Yama they wouldn't dare provoke even if they were given ten times the courage.

And now, this underworld boss who terrified him was actually wearing a security uniform, standing respectfully behind that young buyer.

Scar Liu was actually just a small lackey under the other man.

Bai Eryong's head buzzed.

He finally realized what a hard iron plate he had kicked.

Yesterday, he had brazenly threatened the man with a gas canister.

The guy hadn't taken him seriously at all; today, he had simply called in people from both the underworld and the police to steamroll him.

Bai Eryong lowered his head, his body shaking like a sieve.

He clamped his mouth shut, swallowing all those harsh threats of retaliation he had made earlier.

Even if he were given a hundred times the courage, he wouldn't dare mention retaliation again.

He only prayed that the police would hurry up and take him back to the detention center, lest he fall into Scar Liu's hands and get skinned alive.

Deng Haijiang glanced at Scar Liu, then at Chen Hao.

He knew clearly that the people under Chen Hao were definitely not good-natured.

But that was fine too.

With these tough guys keeping watch, even if Bai Eryong were released from the detention center, he wouldn't dare come back to cause trouble in Yaer Hutong again.

This would save the Police Station from having to clean up after him in the future.

Deng Haijiang greeted Chen Hao.

"Mr. Chen, we're taking him away. The station will follow the standard procedures for the follow-up."

Chen Hao nodded in thanks.

Deng Haijiang waved his hand, and the police escorted the dejected Bai Eryong out of the courtyard.

The Neighborhood Office section chief also gave a few instructions to the demolition workers before leaving the scene.

Several workers swung their sledgehammers and began smashing the wall built of red bricks, sending dust billowing through the courtyard.

Chen Hao turned to look at Lei Hu.

"Take some men into those rooms and move out all of Bai Eryong's ragged clothes and bedding. Pack them into a few woven bags and dump them at the entrance of the Police Station. When he's released, he can come get them himself."

Lei Hu agreed and led a few security guards into the west wing to start cleaning up.

Chen Hao didn't stay in the courtyard long.

With his hands in his pockets, he walked along the covered corridor toward the main house.

Bai Yiming had left in a hurry, taking only his valuables and cash.

In an old house passed down for over a hundred years, there was no telling what good things might be hidden in some corner.

Back in the year 2000, many people were obsessed with foreign things, their heads full of thoughts about going abroad to get a green card.

They didn't know the value of the old items left by their ancestors, treating them as junk and discarding them carelessly.

This courtyard was once the villa of Prince Zaixun, and later, Bai Yiming's grandfather, a major comprador for the Salt Industry Bank, had renovated the main house.

There had to be quite a few good things left inside.

Chen Hao stepped onto the stairs of the main house.

The wooden door of the main house was ajar.

He reached out and pushed the wooden door open, the hinges creaking.

The light inside the room was a bit dim.

Chen Hao stepped inside.

The main house was large, spanning five bays wide.

The floor tiles were the kind of "gold bricks" used in old Beijing, and although they were worn, they were still level.

Chen Hao's gaze swept over the furnishings in the room.

In the center of the main hall stood a huge Eight Immortals table, flanked by two master chairs.

He walked over to take a closer look.

The table was made of hard material, and the wood grain displayed a unique crab-claw pattern.

This was typical antique rosewood furniture from the Qing Dynasty.

Bai Yiming hadn't even taken this with him.

Chen Hao continued walking inside, passing through a carved moon gate into the east bedroom.

Against the wall in the bedroom sat a babu bed.

The bed frame was carved with intricate flower and bird patterns; although it was covered in dust, the materials were extremely solid.

It seemed that in the eyes of someone like Bai Yiming, who studied oil painting and admired Western culture, these were all outdated and old-fashioned things.

Chen Hao recalled seeing many valuable antiques at the clubhouse, most of which had likely been left behind by Bai Yiming.