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

The dirt roads on the outskirts of Beijing are full of potholes, with bare poplar groves on both sides.

An old jeep bumped along as it drove forward, the words "Film Projection Team" printed on its side.

Xu Damao huddled in the passenger seat, his face pale, his eyes constantly glancing at the rearview mirror, like a frightened bird.

He was not arrested.

At least not for now.

At the factory-wide meeting that day, although he was restrained, he was only an "accomplice" and had an excellent attitude in admitting his guilt (putting all the blame on Liu Haizhong and Deputy Factory Director Li). In addition, he had the ability to talk a dead man back to life, so he managed to win himself a chance to be released on bail pending trial.

Of course, the so-called "bail" was actually just allowing him to redeem himself by continuing to show movies in the countryside, but he had to be available at any time and could not leave the capital.

But Xu Damao was afraid.

He knows Su Zheng too well.

That kid looks quiet and reserved, but he's actually narrow-minded and ruthless.

Liu Haizhong has been sent to a labor camp, and Deputy Factory Director Li has been dismissed. What good will come of this to Xu Damao?

A person like Su Zheng would never keep a venomous snake around who could bite at any time.

"No... I have to run."

The thought in Xu Damao's mind grew stronger and stronger: "I can't stay in Beijing anymore. I'm going south! To Guangzhou! Even if I have to beg for food, it's better than waiting to die here!"

He saw this opportunity to show movies in the countryside.

Once he gets to the countryside, far from the emperor's reach, he can easily find an excuse to slip away and disappear into the deep mountains and forests. Who can find him then?

The car drove to the vicinity of Qinjiacun.

It was already completely dark.

"Stop the car! Stop the car!"

Xu Damao suddenly clutched his stomach, looking pained. "Ouch! I can't take it anymore! I have diarrhea! Master, please stop for a moment, I need to go to the toilet!"

The driver impatiently slammed on the brakes: "Lazy donkeys on the millstone produce lots of excrement! Hurry up! We're rushing to the next event!"

"Hey! Hey! Almost done!"

Xu Damao pushed open the car door and stumbled into the woods by the roadside.

As soon as he entered the woods, his stomachache disappeared instantly.

He didn't take off his pants, but instead pulled out a cloth bag he had prepared beforehand, which contained some money and food coupons that he had secretly hidden at home.

"Su Zheng, you just wait! A gentleman takes his revenge even after ten years! Just wait until I make something of myself..."

With a determined look on his face, Xu Damao trudged deeper into the woods, his steps uneven. He dared not take the main road, but only the side paths, intending to bypass the village and catch a train at the train station.

However, what he didn't know was...

In the darkness behind him, a pair of eyes had been watching him for a long time.

That's Sha Zhu.

What's Sha Zhu doing here?

This all started last night.

Last night, Su Zheng "bumped into" Sha Zhu, who was drinking alone in the courtyard.

Su Zheng didn't scold or hit him; he simply said, "He Yuzhu, do you want to atone for your crimes through good deeds?"

Sha Zhu was stunned. What he feared most was Su Zheng seeking revenge, so when he heard there was a chance to make a contribution, he nodded his head like a pestle pounding garlic.

"I'll think about it! Consultant Su, please give your orders!"

"Although Xu Damao has been released this time, he is definitely not behaving himself."

Su Zheng said meaningfully, "I heard that he took a lot of money and tickets with him when he went to the countryside to show movies. And... he's been in contact with some shady people lately. If he gets away, that would be considered fleeing from justice. If someone could 'persuade' him to come back..."

"That would be a great achievement."

Su Zheng didn't say how he would "persuade" him.

But Sha Zhu understood.

He'd fought Xu Damao his whole life, and he knew Xu Damao's nature best. That bastard was definitely going to run!

Moreover, Su Zheng's words, "brought a lot of money and tickets," and "persuaded him to come back," instantly fueled Sha Zhu's evil intentions.

This is not only a chance to earn merit, but also a great opportunity for revenge!

So, Sha Zhu took a day off today and rode his old bicycle, secretly following the projection truck all the way here.

In the woods.

Xu Damao was running and panting when he suddenly felt his foot trip. Someone had tripped him.

"Ouch!"

Xu Damao fell to the ground like a dog eating shit, his mouth full of mud.

Before he could get up, a heavy, dark shadow pressed down on him.

"You little brat! Trying to run away?"

Familiar voices, familiar tastes.

"Idiot...Idiot Zhu?!" Xu Damao was terrified. "What are you doing here?!"

"Grandpa, I'm here to catch a fugitive!" Sha Zhu grinned maliciously, punching Xu Damao in the face. "Run! Run again! You think you're so capable? You wanted to kill Su Zheng, didn't you?"

"Don't hit me! Don't hit me! Brother Zhu! Uncle Zhu! I'll give you money! I have money in my bag! I'll give it all to you!" Xu Damao begged desperately, pulling out his cloth bag.

Sha Zhu snatched the cloth bag, weighed it in his hand, and stuffed it into his pocket.

But he didn't let go.

They want the money, and they want to beat people up too.

This is a decades-long feud between him and Xu Damao, and today is the day for a final reckoning. Moreover, Su Zheng has hinted that he will be "unable to escape."

How can I prevent it from running away?

A broken leg? That would be too conspicuous.

Sha Zhu's gaze shifted downwards and landed on Xu Damao's crotch.

He remembered that Xu Damao used to often mock him for being an "old bachelor" and for having no children.

"Xu Damao, you've done countless evil deeds in your life, your mouth is so wicked, and your heart is so black." Sha Zhu's eyes hardened. "Today, I'll act on behalf of Heaven and wipe you out completely!"

He lifted his large foot, which was wearing a thick-soled work shoe.

Aim at the lower abdomen of Xu Damao.

Hard.

He stomped down.

"puff!"

A dull cracking sound.

Immediately following was a scream that sounded inhuman.

"ah--!!!"

Xu Damao curled up like a shrimp, his eyes almost bulging out of their sockets, his face instantly turning a purplish-red. He opened his mouth wide, but couldn't take a breath; only a dying "hehe" sound came from his throat.

That kind of pain.

It has surpassed the limits of human capability.

Sha Zhu didn't hold back at all when he kicked.

He's a cook, and he's always flipping woks, so he has strong legs.

With that kick, not only would the yolk shatter, but even the iron egg would break.

"Pah!" Sha Zhu spat. "You thought you could run away? Now you're behaving yourself, aren't you?"

Xu Damao had already fainted.

Sha Zhu dragged him out of the woods like a dead dog, threw him by the roadside, and then shouted, "Catch the fugitive! Xu Damao is trying to escape!"

in the hospital.

Xu Damao woke up three days later.

He lay on the hospital bed, feeling no sensation in his lower body, only a hollow, cold feeling.

The doctor stood by the bed, his expression a mixture of sympathy and helplessness: "The patient's awake? Um... there's something I need to tell you. Your injuries were too severe, a comminuted fracture. To save your life, we performed an amputation. Afterwards... you may be unable to have children."

Xu Damao stared at the ceiling, tears streaming down his face.

He's finished.

It's completely over.

Not only can he not become an official or run away, but now he can't even be a man anymore.

Is this retribution?

Just then, the ward door opened.

Su Zheng walked in carrying a bag of fruit (which was actually just a few rotten apples).

He was wearing a crisp work uniform, with a faint, enigmatic smile on his face.

"Da Mao, I heard you were injured? I came to see you."

Su Zheng placed the fruit on the bedside table, his tone as gentle as an old friend.

"Honestly, why did you have to run around when we were just showing a movie? Look, you fell now!"

Xu Damao stared intently at Su Zheng.

he knows.

He knows everything.

How could Sha Zhu happen to be there by such a coincidence?

How could Sha Zhu be so ruthless?

All of this was arranged by the man in front of me!

This isn't Su Zheng; this is a devil!

"Su...Su Zheng..." Xu Damao gritted his teeth, his voice hoarse, "It was you...it was you who made Sha Zhu..."

"Shh." Su Zheng put a finger to his lips. "You can't just say things like that. Sha Zhu was doing a heroic job, catching a fugitive. The factory is going to commend him."

Su Zheng leaned down and whispered in Xu Damao's ear, his voice so low that only the two of them could hear it.

"Da Mao, this is just the beginning."

"I remember everything you did in this courtyard, how you bullied people, how you schemed against people, how you tormented people to death."

"This is called... cause and effect."

Su Zhengzhi stood up and patted Xu Damao on the shoulder.

"Take good care of yourself and recover. Even after you're discharged, you'll still have to go to the labor camp. Behave yourself there and don't cause any more trouble. If you do..."

Su Zheng glanced at Xu Damao's empty lower body and smiled.

"You've run out of things to mess with."

Su Zheng is gone.

Xu Damao was left alone in the ward, letting out desperate and mournful howls.

The cry carried far, like the final wail of a wolf whose teeth and claws had been pulled out.

In the courtyard house.

Sha Zhu was commended.

Although he was punished (for assaulting someone too severely), he was awarded a certificate of merit because of his "meritorious arrest."

Sha Zhu was beaming with joy as he held the certificate.

But when he saw Su Zheng, he instinctively shrank back.

He knew that he was just a knife in Su Zheng's hand.

If a knife rusts after it's been used up, it will be thrown away.

Therefore, he has to be honest.

At this moment, the entire courtyard was completely trampled under Su Zheng's feet.

No one dared to bare their teeth anymore.

No one dared to plot against them anymore.

Because they finally understood a principle:

Compared to this "Advisor Su," their petty cleverness is nothing but a joke.

That was an absolute crushing defeat.