Courtyard House: The Chef's Intelligence System

Liu Haizhong drove Yi Zhonghai back to the courtyard while cursing all the way.

It turns out that Liu Haizhong wasn't weak; he just rarely used his bicycle to carry passengers.

Yi Zhonghai is not short at all, standing at 1.78 meters tall and weighing over 160 kilograms, with a body full of muscles.

I ran into Yan Bugui as soon as I entered the courtyard.

Yan Bugui looked them up and down with great curiosity:

"Hey, you two brothers came back together, that's impressive."

Yi Zhonghai flashed his signature smile:

"That's right, Lao Liu and I are brothers..."

Liu Haizhong was seething with anger and was not about to agree with Yi Zhonghai.

"Go to hell, who's your brother...?"

Yi Zhonghai...

However, Liu Haizhong smiled at Yan Bugui instead.

"Director Yan, I have a bottle of good wine at home. How about coming over for a few drinks tonight?"

Liu Haizhong's address of "Director Yan" almost made Yan Bugui elated, his satisfaction written all over his face.

"Haha, um... Little Liu... no, Old Liu, okay, I'll come over for a couple of drinks tonight and give Guangtian and Guangfu some pointers on their studies."

Liu Haizhong's lips twitched. If he didn't need something from him, he would have slapped him across the face. How dare he call him Little Liu?

They really think they're something special!

Yi Zhonghai smiled, turned around and went back into the house.

They can do whatever they want, as long as it doesn't affect Yi Zhonghai.

That evening at Liu Haizhong's house, after several rounds of drinks and dishes, neither of them drank too much, because they both understood that the other had something to say.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have invited me to dinner for no reason.

Yan Bugui remained unperturbed, eating and drinking as long as Liu Haizhong didn't ask, since he didn't have to spend a penny and he was making a profit no matter how much he ate.

Finally, Liu Haizhong couldn't help but ask:

"Old Yan, tell me how you became the dean of students. I also want to learn from the school and improve myself."

Yan Bugui definitely can't tell the truth:

"Well, Lao Liu, I'm not bragging, but I often tutor students and I'm a good teacher. The principal saw that I was a promising student, so he promoted me."

"It's nothing, just a dean of students, a minor official."

Yan Bugui spoke very lightly, but Liu Haizhong didn't believe a word he said. His expression changed, and he stared at Yan Bugui, saying:

"Old Yan, at your age, will you die if you don't brag?"

Where did those potted plants that disappeared from your house go?

"Your wife went to withdraw money just a few days ago. And you call yourself an outstanding teacher? It's a miracle the school hasn't fired you, considering how often you're late and leave early."

Seeing Yan Bugui's expression gradually turn ugly, Liu Haizhong changed the subject:

"Old Yan, it's not that I'm trying to cause you trouble. What I just said is nothing. The main thing is that now that you're a leader, you must have some outstanding abilities. That's an undeniable fact."

Yan Bugui's expression softened and he smiled again after Liu Haizhong said that.

"Just tell your brothers the truth, what the price was, how much it cost, I freaking... I freaking want to improve."

"It's fine if you become a leader, it's still within the school, so it won't conflict with my work."

"But Yi Zhonghai has become a cadre now, damn it, he's been putting me down in the factory, it's so frustrating..."

"Old Yan, if you're a true brother, just give me a note with the details. I'll definitely thank you after it's done."

Yan Bugui breathed a slight sigh of relief when he saw that Liu Haizhong had finally revealed his hand.

Having just become a leader, he was eager to share his progress with his peers, and had long been at the point where he couldn't hold back any longer.

Now that Liu Haizhong has asked for a favor and is even inviting me for drinks, he's showing great sincerity, so there's no harm in talking to him.

Just as Liu Haizhong said, he was at school, in a different territory, and posed no threat.

Liu Haizhong and Yi Zhonghai both work at the steel rolling mill; they could certainly put up a fight.

Anyway, when dogs fight, they all end up with a mouthful of fur...

So Yan Bugui picked up a cigarette from the table, handed one to Liu Haizhong, lit one for himself, looked up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, and slowly began to speak:

It was a quiet evening...

"I gave the old man a thousand yuan and two small yellow croakers! That's half a lifetime's worth of hard work, damn it..."

Yan Bugui carefully recounted his progress to Liu Haizhong, and as he spoke, he felt sorry for him and shed tears.

Liu Haizhong listened very attentively, not missing a single detail.

Yan Bugui truly lived up to his reputation as a Chinese language teacher; his lecture was vivid and moving, even bringing tears to Liu Haizhong's eyes.

This is the ability of people to empathize with each other; after all, Liu Haizhong is not a particularly wicked person.

Liu Haizhong's initial disdain for Yan Bugui's bribery of the principal with potted plants eventually turned into understanding of Yan Bugui's heartache at having to empty his family's savings.

He remembered every scene vividly; he was truly moved.

Finally, he grasped Yan Bugui's hand and said:

"Brother, you've had it so tough. What would you do if I reported you to the education bureau?"

Yan Bugui was stunned upon hearing this...

"Hahaha, just kidding, just kidding." Liu Haizhong suddenly burst into laughter.

Yan Bugui said irritably:

"Don't make that kind of joke."

Liu Haizhong punished himself with a glass of wine, and after drinking it, he wanted to ask Yan Bugui for advice:

"Old Yan, then you analyze this for me. I don't ask for anything else, I just want to become a team leader or workshop director in the workshop."

"If I could get a job like Lao Yi, that would be the best."

Upon hearing this, Yan Bugui adjusted his glasses and pondered for a moment:

"It's not that simple. First, you have to find the right mountain."

Liu Haizhong tentatively asked, "How about we ask Factory Director Yang?"

Yan Bugui shook his head: "The quota for replacing cadres with workers is too precious. Director Yang got one for Lao Yi, and I reckon it will be difficult for him to squeeze one out himself."

"Deputy Secretary Li comes from the military, and he has too many people under his care to take care of, so it's unlikely that it will be your turn."

"Aren't there other deputy factory directors in the factory? Just follow whoever is closer to you."

"You'll have to figure out the details yourself."

"Finally, these leaders are not short of money, so what you give them must be presentable, otherwise it will easily be a waste."

"I have a precedent to learn from."

Liu Haizhong nodded. He understood. Yan Bugui had just said that because he hadn't received a position, the gifts he had given were also wasted.

This is incredibly frustrating, you know? So, if we're going to make a move, it has to be a fatal blow!

After Yan Bugui left, Liu Haizhong weighed the pros and cons all night and finally came to a conclusion.

It's all about money, it's just a matter of how much you give.

If you haven't become famous, it means you haven't given enough, which makes things much simpler.

After thinking about it all night, Liu Haizhong realized a truth: to make progress, you don't necessarily have to work hard; you can also get paid. It's a matter of choice.

So, as dawn broke, Liu Haizhong got up, moved a box from the corner of the wall, and put his treasure inside.

Inside the box, a golden hue shimmered; there were five large yellow croakers neatly arranged.

The old-style large yellow croaker weighed 10 taels (about 300 grams).

With a pained expression, Liu Haizhong took out two hairpins, which he had prepared to use to smooth things over.

He planned to withdraw 1,000 yuan in cash before going to work.

As the saying goes, you can't catch a wolf without risking your cub.

If you want to improve, you have to pay a price. If you can't improve through your own abilities, then you have to find another way.

"There's nothing we can do, it's all because Yi Zhonghai forced us into this..."

By blaming Yi Zhonghai for all the trouble, Liu Haizhong has given himself a legitimate excuse for going astray!