Courtyard House: The Chef's Intelligence System

Everyone could see how happy Liu Haizhong was.

Some people were dismissive, while others were confused. Those who were dismissive included Yi Zhonghai, Yan Bugui, and Li Jiuzhou.

Many people didn't understand. They thought that being a liaison officer was just a job with no benefits, and they would be willing to do it even if they were paid a dollar or two a month for their hard work.

They're not even pressing for repayment, just dealing with trivial matters. Let whoever wants to do it do it.

They couldn't understand Liu Haizhong's excited feelings, nor did they want to.

The banquet didn't end until 10 pm, and everyone was satisfied, including the Xu family.

The next day, Xu Fugui packed his things and moved out of the yard with his wife and daughter amidst the neighbors' farewells.

In the crowd, Liu Haizhong seemed to want to say something but ultimately remained silent; it wouldn't be appropriate, there were too many people.

No matter how much Liu Haizhong wanted to be a liaison, he wouldn't ask Xu Fugui in front of so many neighbors.

Xu Fugui had long forgotten what he had promised Liu Haizhong the night before. Can a promise made at the dinner table be kept?

Actually, Xu Fugui drank a bit too much later and shamelessly told Liu Haizhong that they would go to the neighborhood office together the next day, and that he would personally recommend Liu Haizhong as the liaison officer for No. 95 Courtyard.

Otherwise, what was Liu Haizhong expecting? It was because Xu Fugui said those words that he was so excited that he couldn't sleep all night.

As a result, Xu Fugui moved out the next day without even mentioning it, leaving him excited for nothing.

Xu Fugui didn't intend to stand Liu Haizhong up; he had other things to do. He said "tomorrow" could mean tomorrow or a few days later.

The Chinese language is profound and complex; sometimes you have to figure it out for yourself...

Liu Haizhong, on the other hand, was quite impatient. He couldn't wait a moment longer, fearing that a neighbor might beat him to it.

So he went to find Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bu.

They are currently discussing this matter at Yan Bugui's home.

"Old Liu, what's up?" Yi Zhonghai asked casually, smoking a cigarette, feigning ignorance.

Yan Bugui, on the other hand, acted as if it were none of his business. He wasn't stupid; of course, he could guess why Liu Haizhong wanted to see them. He remained silent, waiting for Liu Haizhong to speak.

It wasn't that things couldn't be done; it just depended on what Liu Haizhong could contribute. So, he quietly exchanged a glance with Yi Zhongtian.

Yi Zhonghai instantly understood. To be honest, the position of liaison officer did have some benefits; at least his words carried weight within the compound.

The neighbors in the courtyard would come to them with any conflicts, adding a bit of fun to their otherwise mundane lives.

As for preventing enemy agents?

Don't be ridiculous, I'd be incredibly awesome if I could defend against that.

They're just grateful if they can keep the gates of the compound closed and prevent outsiders from entering. That's all they can think about and do.

Liu Haizhong stopped himself from speaking after hearing Yi Zhonghai's words:

"Old Yi and Old Yan, and Old Xu moved away, so there's a vacancy for the liaison officer position. I'm willing to help distract my neighbors and also contribute to safety."

"Could you two go and recommend me to Director Wang?"

Yan Bugui and Yi Zhonghai thought to themselves, "Just as I thought."

Yan Bugui then turned his gaze to Yi Zhonghai, signaling him to ask for benefits.

Yi Zhonghai pretended not to see it and continued to feign deep thought. It wouldn't be wrong for him to ask Liu Haizhong for something at this time, but he didn't want to be the one to ask.

He lacks nothing except a son. He doesn't care about benefits or anything else. Given Yan Bugui's personality, he's the only one who's worried.

As expected, Yan Bugui cursed Yi Zhonghai, the old fox, inwardly. For the sake of his own benefit, he had no choice but to speak up, and without any hesitation, because there was no need to:

"Old Liu, recommending you to the neighborhood committee and Director Wang as a liaison officer is no problem, but what are the benefits?"

You're asking for help empty-handed? That's really not a fair thing to do.

Upon hearing this, Liu Haizhong felt a surge of anger. How dare he openly ask for benefits without even trying to hide it?

Does becoming an official mean you can act with such impunity?

He's determined to be this liaison!

So Liu Haizhong turned his gaze to Yi Zhonghai.

At this moment, Yi Zhonghai calmly extended his left hand in front of him!

Yan Bugui's eyes widened, thinking to himself, "It has to be you again, Lao Yi, you're ruthless."

Yi Zhonghai wasn't planning to speak, but Liu Haizhong's gaze annoyed him, so he decided to make a ridiculous demand, holding up five fingers for Liu Haizhong to figure out for himself.

"Five...five yuan?" There was a hint of surprise in Liu Haizhong's voice.

Yi Zhonghai raised an eyebrow, his tone flat:

"Old Liu, I'll give you a chance to say it again."

"50 yuan? Damn it, Yi Zhonghai, why don't you just rob someone?" Liu Haizhong completely lost his composure.

He gave me 10 or 20 yuan, but then he asked for 50 yuan. Does he think his money comes from thin air?

Yi Zhonghai didn't care at all, and shrugged: "Old Liu, I only want 50. Give it to me and I'll get it done for you. As for how much Old Yan wants, I don't care."

Yan Bugui chimed in, "Old Liu, I won't ask for much, just 50 like Old Yi will do."

"With the two of us working together, you're guaranteed to stay in your position as liaison officer."

At this moment, Liu Haizhong was torn between two conflicting ideas. He wanted to be the liaison officer, and he was willing to pay the money, but it was beyond his means.

He was afraid he wouldn't be able to sleep at night if he actually took out 100 yuan to exchange for the liaison officer position.

One hundred yuan is enough for his family to live on for half a year, how could he possibly take it out so easily?

Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui's confident demeanor made Liu Haizhong so angry he wanted to hit them, his hands trembling with urgency.

But suddenly Liu Haizhong calmed down because he had thought of a brilliant idea.

He maintained his anger outwardly, stared at the two men for several seconds, and finally said something that sent chills down Yan Bugui's and Yi Zhonghai's spines.

Liu Haizhong looked at the two of them and sneered:

"Hehe, Lao Yi, Lao Yan, I originally just wanted to test whether you guys were corrupt, but the result is too disappointing."

"I'll go and report this to Director Wang right away. I'll tell him that the two liaison officers in the institute asked me for bribes, and they asked for 100 yuan each time."

"You're not asking for anything in return, you're extorting and blackmailing me."

"As an outstanding member of the working class, I, Liu Haizhong, will never associate with evil forces."

"Holy shit!" Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui exclaimed in unison.

Why does my bangs look like they have brains growing out of them today?

The fact that someone could say such a thing was truly eye-opening for the two of them, and made them tremble with fear.

Regardless of whether Director Wang believed Liu Haizhong's report or not, it had a very negative impact on them.

Liu Haizhong naturally saw their surprised and flustered expressions, and feeling very smug, he turned around with his hands behind his back and was about to leave the Yan family's house.

"Wait, Lao Liu!" the two said in unison, then stepped forward and stopped Liu Haizhong from leaving.

Yi Zhonghai then reverted to his usual demeanor, took out a cigarette, lit it, and began to speak eloquently, feigning reproach:

"Old Liu, look how anxious you are. Have a smoke and calm down first. Old Yan, get me a glass of water."

Yan Bugui pursed his lips, turned around and poured three glasses of plain water. He didn't have time to brew tea and didn't want to give them any.