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

(An extra chapter today. First of all, thank you to all the generous donors, and thank you to everyone who listened to this book.)

The security department was indeed very efficient. When Section Chief Zhao saw that it was an instruction personally given by Party Secretary Tan, he attached great importance to it and immediately led a team to invite the residents of No. 95 Courtyard who worked at the steel rolling mill to the security department according to the list.

These people usually stir up trouble and spread rumors with Yi Zhonghai and others in the courtyard, simply because they are intimidated by the three elders. They are essentially just followers, and they have never seen such a scene from the security department. In particular, Section Chief Zhao directly interpreted "paying attention to methods" as "using means to exert pressure," so his tone was very stern during the conversation, and he implied that the consequences could be very serious, and he might even be dismissed.

These men were terrified on the spot. If they were really fired, their entire families would starve! They dared not hide anything anymore. Before the security guards could even use any means, they confessed everything, even revealing that they had cooperated with Yi Zhonghai to spread rumors about He Yuzhu in the factory.

In the afternoon, Section Chief Zhao brought a detailed report to Secretary Tan Jin's office.

Tan Jin picked up the report, initially appearing calm, but his expression grew increasingly grim as he read on. The report's contents were more detailed and egregious than He Yuzhu's oral account; the despicable methods and malicious intent were utterly appalling! This was no mere neighborhood dispute; it was clearly an organized and premeditated systematic persecution of a helpless young man! Their aim was to drain him dry, seize his property, and ultimately gain complete control over him!

"Bang!"

Tan Jin slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly. Even the usually composed man could not suppress the raging fire within him.

"Shameless! Despicable! Lawless! How are they any different from the landlords and bandits of the old society? They've united the entire institute to spread rumors, frame others, coerce and extort, and even extended their reach to the street office and our steel mill! It's outrageous! In broad daylight, under the city walls of Beijing, such a den of parasites and beasts are hiding."

He had initially thought He Yuzhu was innocent, but his words were still far too exaggerated, something he was extremely reluctant to believe. The new capital had been established for nearly eight years; how could such a dark thing have happened in a courtyard house where the working class lived? However, the report presented him with a harsh truth: He Yuzhu had not only not exaggerated, but might even have downplayed the situation! Reality was far more absurd and ugly than he had imagined!

After his initial rage, a wave of exhaustion washed over him. Tan Jin sat back in his chair, pressing his temples hard to calm himself. He realized that this was no longer just a worker's grievance. The entire courtyard's residents had united to coerce and spread rumors about one resident, and it had even implicated the neighborhood committee and the steel mill—this was no small matter.

A thorough investigation is necessary! Only after a complete investigation can he decide on the next steps!

Taking a deep breath, he said to Section Chief Zhao, who was standing in front of his desk, "Your security department must thoroughly investigate the source of all the rumors circulating in the factory regarding Comrade He Yuzhu. Also, contact the police station that owns the courtyard house and investigate the source of the rumors outside the factory as well. I'm giving you three days. Can you do it?"

Section Chief Zhao stood at attention and loudly assured, "Secretary, please rest assured! The Security Section guarantees to complete the task! We will get to the bottom of this matter within three days!"

"Okay! Go ahead!" Tan Jin waved his hand.

Section Chief Zhao saluted, turned around, and strode away.

Silence returned to the office, but a sense of impending doom hung in the air. Tan Jin leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

He knew that once this investigation was completed, it would inevitably cause a major uproar. Both Yang Weiguo and the street office director would be severely punished, if not ruined. However, thinking about how his long-term medical retirement had led to such a deterioration in factory discipline, anger rose within him. This factory director needed a good lesson; he needed to know that the steel rolling mill was ultimately the domain of the working class, not a place where one could act with impunity.

Meanwhile, the logistics director's office was filled with smoke.

Li Dajun stood hunched over in front of his desk and recounted in detail what had happened in the cafeteria that morning, including how Secretary Tan's secretary had personally come to invite He Yuzhu.

"Director Li, look at this... Have I offended Secretary Tan? I really didn't expect He Yuzhu to be one of his men..." Li Dajun became more and more flustered as he spoke.

Li Huaide leaned back in his chair, slowly took a drag of his cigarette, and squinted through the smoke at the panicked Li Dajun in front of him.

"What's the panic? The sky isn't going to fall."

Li Dajun was stunned, not understanding what it meant.

"Idiot!" Li Huaide flicked his cigarette ash, looking at Li Dajun as if he were trash. "Who do you think you are, Li Dajun? To think you'd catch the Secretary's eye? What makes you so special that the Secretary would even think about you?"

These words were full of insults, but they made Li Dajun feel a sense of relief.

"Well, about this matter..."

"This matter won't affect you much, but for our Factory Director Yang, it's probably not a good thing."

Li Dajun was even more confused. "Director Li, what do you mean?"

Li Huaide, however, did not delve any deeper. He stubbed out his cigarette and said impatiently, "Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed. Don't pry into things you shouldn't know."

"Go back and do what you were doing. Remember, from now on, make sure you maintain a good relationship with He Yuzhu."

Although Li Dajun was full of questions, he knew that asking any further would only lead to trouble, so he could only stammer, "Yes, yes, Director Li, I understand. I'll go back right away and do as you instruct."

After saying that, he carefully left the office and gently closed the door.

In the office, as the footsteps faded into the distance, Li Huaide's smile finally became more pronounced, tinged with anticipation. He lit another cigarette and muttered to himself, "Yang Weiguo, Yang Weiguo, you've had it too easy these past few years. You even dared to pluck the secretary's beard. Ignorance is bliss."

He was the head of the logistics department, and highly capable. Over the years, he had built the department into an impenetrable fortress, knowing every detail of logistics matters. Therefore, he had long known that Secretary Tan was behind He Yuzhu's promotion of two chef ranks. Now that Yang Weiguo had quietly made a move against Tan Jin's people, things were about to get interesting. Perhaps it wasn't a bad opportunity for him. It seemed he should call his father-in-law when he got back, report this matter, and see if he could make a move.