The Courtyard House: He Yuzhu Returns with Boundless Hatred for Revenge

Secretary Chen then looked at Li Dajun and said calmly, "Director Li, without the Party Secretary's personal approval, no one is allowed to transfer Chef He from the cafeteria. Also, please try not to publicize the Party Secretary's conversation with Chef He. Do you understand?"

Li Dajun, who had been so arrogant just moments before, was now bowing and scraping hastily, not even having time to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. "Understood, understood! Secretary Chen, rest assured, I will strictly follow the Secretary's instructions."

His mind was in turmoil, filled with regret. He had not only misjudged He Yuzhu, but now he was caught in the terrifying predicament of a power struggle between the factory director and the party secretary. These two powerful figures could easily crush him with a flick of their fingers, and he was inwardly groaning. It seemed he had to quickly seek help from Director Li Huaide, but that would mean another hefty sum today, as everyone knew Director Li was most interested in money and valuables.

He Yuzhu followed Secretary Chen out of the kitchen, secretly relieved. It seemed Secretary Tan Jin was still willing to protect him, which was undoubtedly the best outcome. If Tan Jin had chosen to stand idly by, he would have had no choice but to appeal to a higher level. Just the fact that the street office hadn't issued any penalty notice was enough to accuse Factory Director Yang of negligence, or even framing the workers.

But doing so would inevitably cause things to spiral out of control, putting the steel mill's top leadership, including Tan Jin, under immense pressure. This is a major taboo in officialdom. Even if He Yuzhu is ultimately proven innocent and suffers the consequences, his career path will be completely ruined. Just like the case of Yang Naiwu and Xiao Baicai in the Qing Dynasty, although Yang Naiwu was eventually exonerated, wasn't he stripped of his official rank? Some rules have been in place since ancient times, and even if one is in the right, they cannot be easily violated.

Entering Secretary Tan Jin's office again, He Yuzhu could clearly sense that the atmosphere was different from last time. Tan Jin sat behind his desk, his face calm.

"Sit down, Master He." Tan Jin's voice was unreadable.

"Thank you, Secretary." He Yuzhu sat down as instructed, neither humble nor arrogant.

"Did you hear the broadcast?"

"I heard you." He Yuzhu nodded.

"Tell me, what really happened? I want the truth."

Without wasting any words, He Yuzhu recounted the root of his conflict with Yi Zhonghai, the Jia family, and others in the courtyard, from how they tried to morally blackmail and scheme against him after He Daqing left, to the recent intense conflict caused by his refusal to continue being exploited and even give up his house, and the process of the street office director coming to arrest him yesterday.

"Secretary Tan, it's not that I, He Yuzhu, am being unreasonable, it's just that they've gone too far! They want to seize my He family's house and expect me to be their slave for life. When I refused, they used all sorts of means to pressure me. Yesterday, Director Wang brought people over, didn't listen to my explanation at all, and tried to arrest me. I said that the street office should handle matters based on evidence and not just listen to one side, but she retorted by asking me, 'Does everyone in the office have wronged you?' Is this the attitude one should have when resolving a problem?"

He paused, a hint of helplessness in his voice, "As for the punishment from Director Yang, I understand even less. The neighborhood committee didn't issue me any form of disciplinary document. Yesterday, Director Wang was with me... he seemed a bit emotionally unstable, and eventually left on his own."

"How come when it comes to Director Yang, it becomes 'the situation is true, the evidence is conclusive'? Where is this so-called evidence? And who was verified against? Is it just based on the one-sided statements of people like Yi Zhonghai?"

Tan Jin was also shocked. Who were these people in the courtyard? How could they be so lawless? Respect for the elderly and love for the young, mutual help and assistance—could it all be done like this? How was this any different from the mutual help and assistance organized by the landlords in his hometown when he was young? In the end, "mutual help and assistance" meant that the people's fields, houses, and even their daughters and wives were all given to them.

In the great nation of Xinhua, in the capital city of Beijing, how could such a thing happen? He first suspected that He Yuzhu would dare to lie to his face, but seeing He Yuzhu's confident look, he was not so sure.

"I will look into what happened at the neighborhood office, but what you said about what happened in the courtyard is just your side of the story. I need more objective evidence."

He Yuzhu was prepared and said frankly, "Secretary Tan, I understand. Words alone are not enough. I can provide you with a list of several employees from our courtyard who also work at the steel mill. They don't belong to Yi Zhonghai's inner circle, but they've certainly been coerced into colluding with him to some extent. You can send someone from the security department to talk to them privately and ask them about the recent disputes in the courtyard. It would be best if the security department comrades threatened them with false accusations; I believe it won't be difficult to get the truth out of them."

After pondering for a moment, Tan Jin decided that the method was feasible and called his secretary in.

He Yuzhu named these people and their jobs, and had Secretary Chen write them down.

"Go to the security department in person and find Section Chief Zhao. Ask him to personally arrange for people to speak with these individuals individually, focusing on the recent neighborhood disputes at courtyard house number 95, especially those involving Comrade He Yuzhu. Be mindful of your approach and remember to instruct the security department to maintain confidentiality. Send me the interview records directly afterward."

"Yes, Secretary." Secretary Chen quickly finished writing and turned to leave.

After the secretary left, Tan Jin leaned back slightly, rubbing his temples; he also had a bit of a headache. He had originally planned to have He Yuzhu visit an old comrade-in-arms this week, but now that this unexpected turn of events had occurred, it seemed the matter would have to be put on hold for the time being. It wouldn't be appropriate to make an introduction before the truth of the matter was revealed.

On the other hand, he was also disappointed with Yang Weiguo's handling of the matter. Was this the same cadre whom some in the ministry so strongly supported, supposedly highly capable and reliable? To rashly impose punishment on a worker without investigating or verifying anything—this alone was enough to label him "incompetent." This wasn't just a matter of work methods; it exposed a deeper flaw: a poor judgment of character and a superficial work style. Tan Jin even began to doubt whether the person who strongly recommended Yang Weiguo also had questionable judgment and stance.

Composing himself, he focused his gaze back on He Yuzhu, who stood waiting patiently. His tone was calm. "Comrade He Yuzhu, go back to the canteen and focus on your work. Don't let this weigh on your mind, and don't let it affect your work. The innocent will clear themselves; the organization will never wrong an innocent person, nor will it let any mistake go unpunished. If the investigation proves you were indeed wronged and maliciously framed, I, Tan Jin, guarantee that we will definitely give you justice and restore your reputation."