Courtyard House: A Major Power's Heavy Industry, Hand-Crafted Nuclear Fusion

7 PM.

The sky was already completely dark, but the courtyard of the siheyuan was brightly lit.

Several long, dim incandescent bulbs illuminated the courtyard as bright as day.

The eight-immortal table, a symbol of power, still stands in the very center.

Yi Zhonghai sat in the middle, holding a teacup, with a solemn expression, like a patriarch.

Liu Haizhong sat on the left, his large belly protruding, his face exuding an official air, and his eyes revealing excitement—he loved these kinds of occasions where he could lecture people.

Yan Bugui sat on the right, head down, calculating something, occasionally pushing up his glasses and scanning the room.

Below, the courtyard was filled with over twenty households, young and old.

Everyone hunched their shoulders, put their hands in their pockets, and whispered among themselves.

"I heard it's because of Su Zheng's bicycle ticket?"

"Of course! One ticket can be exchanged for several months' salary. How could the Jia family not be envious?"

"Hey, let's watch the show."

Su Zheng moved a small stool and sat in the outermost corner. He even held a book on mechanical drawing in his hand, flipping through it by the light, as if everything around him was irrelevant.

"Ahem!"

Once everyone had arrived, Liu Haizhong was the first to stand up, clear his throat, and begin speaking in an official tone.

"Dear neighbors, please be quiet!"

"There are two main reasons for holding this plenary meeting today. First, we are celebrating Comrade Su Zheng's success in skipping eight levels in today's factory assessment! This is an honor for our entire institute! Let's give him a round of applause!"

Sparse applause broke out.

Most people looked at Su Zheng with envy.

Liu Haizhong pressed his hand down, then changed the subject:

"However! While celebrating our achievements, we must not forget the fine traditions of our compound! That is—mutual assistance! Friendship! Progress!"

"Our courtyard is currently being evaluated for 'Advanced Courtyard House' this year, which is beneficial to everyone. However, there are still some families in our courtyard who are struggling, such as the Jia family. Dongxu passed away, leaving behind a large family, and they are having a very difficult time."

At this point, Liu Haizhong stared intently at Su Zheng, his true intentions revealed:

"Su Zheng, you're an eighth-grade worker now, your salary has increased significantly. And I heard the factory rewarded you with quite a few coupons? Especially that bicycle coupon? You're only responsible for yourself, that coupon is just a waste of your time. Why don't you... donate it? Or lend it to the Jia family? Let Dongxu exchange it for some money to get through this difficult time? This would also reflect the 'advanced ethos' of our compound!"

boom--

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

Although everyone had guessed it, no one expected Liu Haizhong to be so direct.

This is outright robbery!

Jia Zhangshi immediately joined in the wailing: "Oh dear! My life is so miserable! Dongxu left us, a widow and orphans... Su Zheng, you watched Banggeng grow up, how can you bear to watch him starve to death? That ticket is just a toy to you, but it's our life!"

Qin Huairu also lowered her head, silently shedding tears, looking as if she had suffered a great injustice.

All eyes were once again focused on Su Zheng.

If this were the old Su Zheng, he might have already blushed and swore, or been forced to bow his head in the face of such moral blackmail.

But Su Zheng remained seated there steadily, without even raising his head.

He slowly turned a page of the book and said calmly:

"Second Uncle, you just said I should donate the tickets?"

"Yes! We donated!" Liu Haizhong exclaimed. "This is called achieving common progress through mutual assistance!"

Su Zheng closed the book and stood up.

His upright posture and imposing presence instantly overshadowed everyone else present.

He pulled a red document from his pocket; it was a commendation order from Factory Director Yang.

"Second Uncle, and all the neighbors, take a good look at what this is."

Su Zheng shook the paper in his hand. "This is a commendation order for 'Technical Pioneer' issued to me by Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill on behalf of the state! That bicycle ticket is an award from the organization for my technological breakthroughs! It's an affirmation of my contributions to the country's industrial development!"

Su Zheng's voice suddenly rose, his gaze sharp as lightning, piercing straight into Liu Haizhong:

"You want me to secretly donate the things the state awarded me to the Jia family? You even suggested that the Jia family 'exchange them for money'? Second Uncle, do you know what this is called? This is called reselling state-controlled goods! This is called speculation! This is called undermining socialism!"

"As the second oldest resident in the compound, how could you openly instigate your neighbor to commit illegal and criminal activities in public? What are your intentions?!"

These heavy accusations are heavier than Mount Tai!

Buying and selling? Speculating?

This was a serious crime in those days! It would get you jail time!

Liu Haizhong trembled with fear, his fat face shaking: "You...you're talking nonsense! I...I was just trying to help my neighbors! How is that illegal?"

"Mutual aid?" Su Zheng sneered. "Mutual aid can involve sending cornmeal or old clothes. But ration coupons are strictly controlled by the state and can only be used by the individual! If you let the Jia family exchange them for money, what is that if not reselling? Why don't we go to the police station right now and ask the local officer if this counts as mutual aid?"

"No, no, no!" Seeing the situation was about to collapse, Yi Zhonghai quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Su Zheng, you're exaggerating, you're exaggerating. Your second uncle is just a straightforward person, he doesn't have any bad intentions. What he means is, out of neighborly affection, could you lend a hand? After all, the Jia family is indeed in trouble."

Yi Zhonghai wanted to steer the matter towards "personal relationships" and avoid legal confrontation.

"Sponsor?"

Su Zheng turned to Yi Zhonghai, "Uncle, you earn ninety-nine yuan a month, which is several times my salary. You also don't have any children to support, so your burden is much lighter than mine. Since you're so considerate and care so much about the Jia family, why don't you set an example? Why donate your entire salary for this month to the Jia family? Or take out your savings accounts and give half to the Jia family?"

"As long as you donate, I, Su Zheng, will follow suit without hesitation! I'd even donate a month's salary! What do you say? Sir, you're a moral exemplar in our institute, you should at least have this much awareness, right?"

"Cough cough cough..." Yi Zhonghai felt a sharp pain in his heart from this boomerang.

Donate your salary? Or use a savings account?

That's cutting off his flesh!

"This...this is different..." Yi Zhonghai's face flushed red. "Every family has its own circumstances..."

"How is it different?" Su Zheng pressed on, "You're allowed to be generous with other people's money, but not allowed to give a penny yourself? Is this what you call 'advanced hospital spirit'? Is this what you call 'elderly conduct'? I think it's just hypocrisy!"

The entire room fell silent.

The way the neighbors looked at Yi Zhonghai changed.

Yeah, you're such a high-paid old man, but I've never seen you actually donate much money. You just talk the talk and pressure others to donate. That's so unfair!

"Alright."

Su Zheng looked at the two old beasts who had been rendered speechless, his eyes filled with disgust.

"Don't invite me to these boring conferences again. I'd rather use that time to tackle some technical challenges and make a greater contribution to the country."

After saying that, Su Zheng picked up the book, turned around and left without looking back.

The people left in the courtyard looked at each other in bewilderment.

Jia Zhangshi was still howling, but no one paid her any attention anymore. This "hunt" against Su Zheng hadn't even begun before Su Zheng completely thwarted it with his combination of ruthless tactics and legal principles.

Go back inside the house.

Su Zheng did not rush to turn on the lights.

He stood in the darkness, using the enhanced hearing from the Eye of Truth to catch any sounds outside the window.

The people in the courtyard dispersed.

But two sets of footsteps crept together furtively.

It's Jia Dongxu and Sha Zhu.

The two hid in a corner, speaking in hushed tones.

"Brother Dongxu, Su Zheng is too arrogant now, he won't listen to reason." Sha Zhu's voice.

"Hmph, if open methods don't work, then we'll try covert ones." Jia Dongxu's voice was laced with malice. "His bicycle ticket is definitely hidden inside the house. I heard... you can find expert locksmiths in Pigeon City, or get some 'sedative incense' or something... Once we get inside, no one will know..."

"Hiss...that's illegal." Sha Zhu hesitated.

"What are you afraid of? As long as we get the tickets and exchange them for money, we can have a prosperous New Year! You'll definitely get your share of the profits!"

Su Zheng stood by the window, a cold smile curving his lips.

"Want to play dirty?"

"Okay."

"It just so happens that I also need to go to Pigeon City."

"Let's see who the hunter in the night is."