The door of the courtyard house has been welded dead

"Leniency to those who confess; severity to those who resist."

On the mottled wall, these words were written in black and white.

The sunlight shone through the window glass into the detention room of the machine repair factory, the cloudy glass, the rusty iron railings. Cui Dake, who was sleeping on a straw mat under the window, rubbed his eyes and crawled out from the straw pile.

His face was haggard and his spirit was bleak. Even without looking in the mirror, Cui Dake knew that he was in a very miserable state.

"It's unfair, I am wronged~!"

With his legs stretched out, Cui Dake didn't know how long he had been locked up. As soon as he got up, he habitually slapped his legs and cried out for justice.

However, no one paid any attention to him. The security guard standing on duty outside the door, with an old rifle slung over his shoulder, sneered when he heard the howling from inside.

"Hey, you're on time~!"

It had not been long since he changed shifts when he heard Cui Dake in the room still being stubborn. He walked impatiently to the window grille and knocked on the railing.

"Stop shouting. Where are we? This is the Security Department. This is where criminals are held. It's no use shouting until your throat is hoarse. Hurry up and write your confession. You can get out after you write it~!"

Cui Dake, with messy hair and staring eyes, has indeed stopped howling. He crawled like a monkey and ran to the window. He grabbed the railing of the iron bed with both hands and stared with his eyes wide open.

"You're talking nonsense. I didn't do anything wrong. Why should I write a letter of repentance? Why did you call your section chief over? Why did you arrest me? Why did you lock me up? Are you so unscrupulous as the security department?"

Cui Dake still persisted, telling himself every day that he did not take anything, did not covet money, and did not embezzle property. Now even he believes it.

Doesn’t Cui Dake know why he was “invited” in? He knows it very well. And because he knows it very well, he cannot write the letter of repentance. If he writes it, he will really admit his guilt.

"Who do you think you are? Go look at yourself in the wash basin. You're still looking for the section chief. I tell you, if you don't recognize yourself, you'll never get out again~!"

Just endure it. It's not you who's in there anyway. The security guard doesn't care. It's not like he's standing guard anywhere. There's always someone to take over the shift at the appointed time. He's not in a hurry.

He was no longer in a hurry, but Cui Dake was very anxious, his eyes were bloodshot. Section Chief Tian of the Security Department had also "consumed" the small table in the cafeteria, it was impossible for him not to know that he had been caught~!

Now even his own security guards are forcing him. What is this? Doesn't he intend to take care of himself? Isn't he afraid of implicating him?

"I'm writing about your grandma's legs~!"

Thinking about how Chief Tian was polite when they were toasting each other, and how he was eating so much delicious food with his mouth drooling during the feast, now that something has happened, he has turned against me.

What is this? This is a wolf in sheep's clothing~!

Cui Dake rushed to the table, having no place to vent his anger. He grabbed the letter paper on the table and tore it into pieces. He was so angry!

He had been captured for such a long time, but no one at the table came to see him, and no one asked about him. In his eyes, rescuing him would be a betrayal.

"You continue to act wildly and resist the organization's investigation, Cui Dake. I think you are not going to make it anymore~!"

The security guard looked at the crazy look inside and rubbed his nose in annoyance.

"Who are you? Are you a cadre? You represent the organization. You are just a worker at best. Stop pretending to be my grandson~!"

My goodness! The gatekeeper whom I usually looked down upon is now riding on my neck. Cui Dake glared at him.

"The working class should lead everything. Besides, who are you? Go look in the mirror by the wash basin. You are just an acting section chief, but you really think you are the secretary~!"

The security guard smiled disdainfully at Cui Dake who was still stubborn. It was just right that breakfast had arrived, so he should eat and drink. If he didn't tell the truth, the security department had ten ways to make him tell the truth.

"Gululu~!"

Justice can be pretended, but hunger cannot be pretended.

Last night I had half a bowl of porridge, which was so thin that chopsticks could fall down when inserted into it. In the Ming Dynasty, if you gave disaster relief, you would be beheaded for it. It had been digested in my stomach long ago.

Looking through the window bars at the guards at the door, eating a mouthful of porridge and a steamed bun made of two grains of flour, Cui Dake, who usually looked down on these things, couldn't help swallowing his saliva.

"Brother, can you finish it? Break off half of the bun for me. I will definitely repay you well after we get out~!"

He changes his attitude faster than turning the pages of a book. Cui Dake can do things that ordinary people can't do. He was originally a small person from the bottom of society. From childhood to adulthood, he has done everything for his stuttering.

"No, if you don't explain the problem, you can only wait. I saw that you still had the strength to tear the things apart just now~!"

"Guluulu~!"

Looking at the steamed buns and steaming rice porridge that were so close to him, Cui Dake became so anxious that he stretched his arms out through the gap in the fence.

"I'm fine, I'm innocent, give it to me, give it to me~!"

Compared to his time in the countryside, Cui Dake is now much more reserved. He did not even ask for help, and he still maintained his dignity as a leader.

The security guard moved outward and looked at Cui Dake who was sticking his arm out of the window with a sneer, feeling that he looked just like the monkey show on the street during the market.

The security guard broke off a small piece of steamed bun and shook it left and right, trying to prevent Cui Dake from grabbing it. It looked like he was really teasing Cui Dake.

"Hey~!" Through the window, the piece of steamed bun drew an arc and hit the mottled wall.

The wall putty powder, which was already bulging, was filled with debris, which fell down. A small piece of steamed bun rolled to the ground, catching the debris. The yellowish steamed bun made of two-grain flour turned snow-white in an instant, as if it had turned into a white steamed bun.

It's a shame, it's a naked humiliation. The people in the canteen's kitchen used to eat and drink delicious food, toast each other, so how could the well-informed security guard not know about it?

Now, their acting section chief has fallen into the hands of the security department, who want to humiliate him. This guy is fat and white with the public chicken, fish, meat and eggs.

Standing up, the security guard looked inside with a mocking expression. He just wanted to see if Cui Dake would eat the dirty bun.

Cui Dake, who was holding the fence with both hands, slowly loosened his hands. He saw the mockery on the security guard's face and also saw that the steamed bun on the ground was dirty.

My mind told me that I couldn't eat it and I couldn't be looked down upon, but my legs didn't listen to me. I walked over, bent down, and picked up the small piece of steamed bun.

"Don't waste food~!"

He straightened his back, just like Kong Yiji who was unwilling to take off his gown. Even though he knew that he was humiliating himself, Cui Dake still found a reason to maintain his image which had long since disappeared.

Cui Dake shook off the dust on the bun, stuffed it into his mouth, and began to eat it voraciously.

The originally soft steamed bun made a crunching sound when bitten by his teeth. This was because the sand and gravel on it had not been shaken off, but he no longer cared about that.

It was obviously difficult to swallow, but Cui Dake swallowed it anyway, and the burning sensation in his stomach gradually eased.

"Qi, you have very good teeth. You can eat this. That's amazing!"

The security guard heard the sound of Cui Dake's teeth struggling against the sand and gravel, and couldn't help but give Cui Dake a thumbs up.

"Why, you haven't even had the bittersweet rice? I'll let you have a taste of it later~!"

Even though the anger in his heart had reached its peak, his furious look suddenly turned into a smile. Cui Dake clenched his fists. Not only did he want to eat it, but if given the chance, everyone in the factory would have to taste this bittersweet rice.

"I've also eaten wild vegetable meatballs, wild vegetable porridge, elm leaves, you know, they're terrible, and poplar seeds. You're from the city, you probably haven't eaten any of them, but I've eaten them all. I've overcome all kinds of difficulties, you're still a little naive~!"

Cui Dake, who had just been crying out for justice, suddenly became quiet. He walked straight to the haystack, sat down quietly, and just looked out the window.

“You’re sick~!”

The security guard looked at Cui Dake, who was as still as a rock. This scene seemed quite scary. He shook his head and closed the window.

Nearing noon, Cui Dake remained sitting in this position, looking mysterious, until his ears moved and he suddenly opened his eyes.

There were footsteps outside, and there were more than one.

"Director Liu, Section Chief Tian~!"

"Make sure you keep an eye on him~!"

The voices of the security guard and Section Chief Tian followed closely. Cui Dake stared at the door. He had waited.

The door suddenly opened. Director Liu and Section Chief Tian, ​​who were standing at the door, were stunned when they saw Cui Dake sitting on the bed without saying a word.

Director Liu looked at Section Chief Tian with suspicion. He remembered that Section Chief Tian had said that Cui Da was making a fuss in there every day, so why was he so quiet today?

"Cui Dake~!"

"Director Liu~!"

"Chief Tian, ​​I'm sorry to have embarrassed you~!"

Cui Dake, whose dignity was crushed under his feet and then pieced back together, did not start crying hysterically about his injustice. Instead, he stood up, straightened his clothes, and looked at the two of them calmly.

Even when facing trial, he had to stand up straight, because he was the section chief. Even if he was an acting section chief, he was still an official. If he acted like a sissy, he would only make people laugh at him.

This calm and confident look made Director Liu look at Cui Dake with a higher opinion.

Cadres should cultivate their character and spirit. What they cultivate is this kind of momentum. Even if the sky falls, they must remain calm.

Many young cadres are unable to cultivate this kind of concentration, but unexpectedly, Cui Dake did not embarrass him as the factory director.

Director Liu had prepared many unpleasant words, but they were swallowed down at this moment. Those were words said to extremely shameless people, and Cui Dake didn't look like that now.

"We already know about your case. The steel mill has informed us of the results of the investigation. You still have to write a letter of repentance, admit your mistakes, and stand at attention if you are beaten~!"

Director Liu tapped the table with his knuckles and looked directly at Cui Dake. Facing his equally frank gaze, his tone couldn't help but soften.

"Yes, Director Liu, I will accept any punishment from the factory. I did it alone. It has nothing to do with my wife or anyone else~!"

Cui Dake, who was originally ready to go around and bite others, chose to take the blame alone, which made Section Chief Tian, ​​who followed him, look at Cui Dake with a strange look. (End of this chapter)