Courtyard House: I fish in the heavens, a professional bird abuser.

Officer Zhang looked at He Yuanchao's clear and well-reasoned demands, and then at Yi Zhonghai, whose face was ashen and who was clearly in the wrong, and understood the situation.

He said in a deep voice:

"Comrade He Yuanchao's demands fall under the category of civil compensation. Our public security organs are mainly responsible for criminal cases."

We must bring Jia Zhangshi back for legal processing regarding her criminal acts.

Regarding your civil dispute and compensation issues…

Officer Zhang's gaze swept over Yi Zhonghai, Xu Damao, Shazhu, and the others: "My suggestion is that you can negotiate a settlement yourselves."

If the negotiation fails, either party may file a lawsuit in the People's Court to assert their rights.

Of course, if you can reach a settlement agreement here, our police officers can serve as witnesses.

The meaning of this statement is crystal clear:

Jia Zhangshi committed a crime and must be arrested! There is no room for discussion!

As for the financial disputes between He Yuanchao and Yi Zhonghai, and between Xu Damao and Shazhu, you can argue about them yourselves. If you can't reach an agreement, go to court. The police will not get involved in the specific amount of civil compensation.

The pressure instantly fell entirely on Yi Zhonghai and Sha Zhu!

The police only arrested Jia Zhangshi, but the two hundred yuan from He Yuanchao and the knife he was supposed to apologize to in public are still hanging over Yi Zhonghai's head! Sha Zhu has already admitted to paying the one hundred yuan from Xu Damao!

When Jia Zhangshi heard that the police were still going to arrest her, her last hope was shattered, and the immense fear caused her to completely break down!

She suddenly raised her head, her cloudy, triangular eyes fixed on Liu Haizhong, who was supporting Yi Zhonghai, then swept over Yan Bugui, whose expression was complicated, and finally stared at Yi Zhonghai like a venomous snake!

"Yi Zhonghai!!"

Madam Jia let out a shrill, inhuman scream, filled with boundless resentment.

"You old bastard! You've finally gotten yourself into this mess! You think you can make this old woman take the blame all by herself? No way!"

She struggled and cried out to Officer Zhang and Xiao Chen:

"Officer! I want to report this! I want to expose him! It's all his fault! It's that old bastard Yi Zhonghai! He's always disliked He Yuanchao! He's jealous of He Yuanchao's good life! He's been looking for an opportunity to get back at He Yuanchao for a long time!"

He implied to me... implied that if I found an opportunity to make a big scene, he could take charge for me! He could make He Yuanchao regret it!

This chicken theft and framing... I... I was so confused! I was instigated by him! I'm a victim too! Officers, if you're going to arrest him, arrest him too!

He's the mastermind! He's the real culprit!

Jia Zhangshi's frantic counterattack before her death was like the most vicious curse, instantly pushing Yi Zhonghai into an abyss!

"Jia Zhangshi! You crazy woman! You're spouting nonsense!!"

Yi Zhonghai felt a metallic sweetness rush to his throat, stars flashed before his eyes, and his blood pressure soared to its peak!

He pointed at Jia Zhangshi, trembling with rage. He couldn't catch his breath and suddenly coughed violently. His face instantly turned from purplish-red to a terrifying ashen white. His body went limp and he fell straight backward!

"An old man!"

Liu Haizhong exclaimed in surprise and quickly hugged her tightly.

"Old Yi!"

Yan Bugui was also startled.

Everyone in the courtyard was stunned!

No one expected Jia Zhangshi to be so vicious, even on her deathbed she wanted to drag Yi Zhonghai down with her!

Even more unexpectedly, Yi Zhonghai was so angry that he fainted!

"Mom! What nonsense are you talking about!"

Qin Huairu was also terrified and tried to cover Jia Zhangshi's mouth while crying, but was stopped by the police.

Officer Zhang and Xiao Chen exchanged a glance, their brows furrowed.

Jia Zhangshi's accusations are clearly baseless and baseless, made in desperation.

But Yi Zhonghai's reaction... was a bit too much.

"Quick! Quickly pinch his philtrum!"

Yan Bugui hurriedly shouted.

Liu Haizhong frantically pinched Yi Zhonghai's philtrum, while Yan Bugui patted his back as well.

After a long pause, Yi Zhonghai finally managed to say, "Uh..."

With a soft thud, he slowly awoke, but his eyes were unfocused, and his face was ashen, as if he had aged ten years in an instant.

His chest heaved violently, he gasped for breath, and stared intently at Jia Zhangshi, who was being held by the police, his eyes filled with a hatred that seemed to want to devour her alive!

"Yi Zhonghai, we will record Jia Zhangshi's accusations against you and conduct a follow-up investigation."

Officer Zhang spoke in a businesslike manner, but his tone clearly betrayed distrust.

"Now, let's address the immediate issue. Do you accept Comrade He Yuanchao's demand for civil compensation? Are you willing to settle, or do you insist on pursuing legal proceedings?"

Officer Zhang's words were like an ultimatum.

Taking legal action? The thought of going to court, being publicly tried for "false accusation" and "abuse of power," and then being sued by He Yuanchao... the image...

He simply couldn't imagine it! That would be a hundred times more humiliating than a public apology! Moreover, even if the police didn't believe Jia Zhangshi's mad dog-like accusations, once word got out, Yi Zhonghai's reputation would be completely ruined!

Looking at the gazes cast by his neighbors, he saw only disdain, suspicion, and schadenfreude... all the former awe was gone.

Second Uncle Liu Haizhong supported him, but his eyes flickered with a barely perceptible excitement and anticipation. If Yi Zhonghai fell, wouldn't he, Liu Haizhong, become the number one uncle?

The third uncle, Yan Bugui, shook his head and sighed, as if he had known this would happen.

If mud gets in your pants, even if it's not poop, it'll still look like poop!

Yi Zhonghai felt a deep sense of sorrow and despair.

He knew he was finished!

Decades of face have been completely trampled underfoot by He Yuanchao today, and spat on by that shrew Jia Zhangshi!

An immense sense of humiliation gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake.

But he knew even better that if he didn't agree to He Yuanchao's conditions, an even more terrible and complete destruction awaited him!

"I...I..."

Yi Zhonghai's lips trembled, each word seeming to weigh a ton, squeezed out with difficulty from between his teeth, "I...I'll...I'll pay back the two hundred yuan...I...apologize..."

The last few words were barely audible, as if he had used up all his strength.

After saying that, he seemed to have all his energy drained away. His head slumped down, and he collapsed into Liu Haizhong's arms, only heavy breathing remaining. Muddy old tears silently slid down his deeply lined cheeks.

At this moment, he was no longer the imposing old man, but a completely defeated and dying old man.

"Alright! Now that both parties have reached a settlement, you can handle the specific compensation and apology arrangements yourselves."

Our police officers are here to witness this.

Officer Zhang nodded and stopped looking at Yi Zhonghai.

He turned to Jia Zhangshi, who was still struggling and crying, and said sternly, "Jia Zhangshi, take her away!"

"I won't leave! I won't go! Yi Zhonghai! You old bastard! You'll die a horrible death! He Yuanchao! I'll haunt you even as a ghost! Bang Geng! My dear grandson..."

Jia Zhangshi's scathing curses and wails were forcibly dragged away by Xiao Chen and gradually disappeared outside the hanging flower gate, leaving only a mess and a suffocating silence.

"Officer! Here's one hundred yuan! Please count it! It's Xu Damao's chicken money! I'll pay for it!"

Sha Zhu, fearing further complications, endured the pain and quickly pulled out a tattered handkerchief from his inner pocket. He shakily counted out ten brand-new ten-yuan bills and stuffed them into the hand of Xu Damao, who was still in a daze.

Xu Damao looked at the thick wad of cash in his hand, then at Jia Zhangshi being dragged away, and then at the huge sum of one hundred yuan he had gained for nothing. Although he was a little disappointed that he hadn't sent Bang Geng to jail, this outcome...

Seems pretty good? A greedy smile finally appeared on his face. He quickly stuffed the money into his pocket and bowed and scraped to Officer Zhang.

"Thank you, officer, for upholding justice! I have no further objections! No further objections!"

Officer Zhang ignored him and looked at He Yuanchao and the limp Yi Zhonghai.

He Yuanchao walked up to Yi Zhonghai and looked down at this "authority" that had collapsed in an instant.

"money."

He stretched out his hand and uttered only one word, cold and devoid of any emotion.

Trembling, Yi Zhonghai, under the complex gazes of Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui, he hesitantly pulled a thicker cloth bag from his pocket.

With trembling fingers, he counted out twenty brand-new ten-yuan bills, one by one.

Those brand-new banknotes, as if a piece of his heart had been torn out, still warm and bearing the mark of humiliation, were handed to He Yuanchao.

He Yuanchao didn't even look at it, and casually stuffed it into his pocket.

"Apologize."

He uttered two words.

Yi Zhonghai, supported by Liu Haizhong, struggled to stand up straight.

He dared not look He Yuanchao in the eye, nor did he dare look at the gazes of the neighbors around him. He felt a burning pain on his face, as if he were being slowly tortured by countless gazes.

He took a deep breath, as if using all his strength, and bowed deeply, deeply, his back which he had never bowed to anyone before, in the direction of He Yuanchao.

"...Comrade He...He Yuanchao...I'm...I'm sorry..."

Yi Zhonghai's voice was hoarse and dry, like a broken bellows, each word filled with a humiliating tremor.

"It was...it was me, Yi Zhonghai...who got senile...who couldn't distinguish right from wrong...who abused my power...who led...the charge in...framing you...causing you...enormous...harm... I...I sincerely apologize to you...please...forgive me..."

By the end, his voice had become barely audible, almost as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

After saying that, he suddenly sat up straight and could no longer control himself. He coughed violently, coughing so hard it felt like he was coughing up his internal organs. His ashen face flushed an unnatural red, and tears streamed down his face.

He Yuanchao watched his performance coldly, his face expressionless, showing neither the triumph of a victor nor the slightest pity.

"Comrade Zhang, I've finished taking care of my business."

He Yuanchao turned to the police, his tone returning to calm, "Thank you for upholding justice."

Officer Zhang nodded, relieved to see the farce finally come to an end: "Okay, now that the matter is settled, we should call it a day."

Comrade He Yuanchao, it is right to call the police promptly if you encounter a similar situation in the future.

Comrade Yi Zhonghai, I hope you can reflect deeply on your actions and properly fulfill your duties as the person in charge.

Dear neighbors, let this be a warning!

After saying that, Officer Zhang and Xiao Chen turned around and strode away from the courtyard that was filled with trivialities.

The sirens sounded again, gradually fading into the distance until they disappeared completely.

The entire courtyard fell into an eerie silence.

Under the dim light, only Sha Zhu remained, clutching his empty pockets with a pained expression, while Xu Damao patted his bulging wallet, secretly pleased.

Qin Huairu held the terrified child and the unconscious Banggeng, silently weeping, while Jia Dongxu let out suppressed coughs and groans from inside the room.

The once arrogant old man, Yi Zhonghai, was now slumped in Liu Haizhong's arms, his spine seemingly removed, staring blankly at the dark night sky, like a soulless shell.

Tonight, his decades of prestige and reputation were utterly trampled into the mud and crushed to pieces by He Yuanchao! His dignity was swept away, and he lost all face!

"Aid Korea! Well done! Excellent work!"

Yan Bugui was the first to break the silence, beaming as he approached He Yuanchao and gave him a thumbs-up.

"I knew you were innocent! These people... humph!"

Especially Old Yi, he's really gotten senile! This time, it's all thanks to you sticking to your principles and revealing the truth! Otherwise, who knows how much they would have slandered you!

"Yes, yes, yes! Brother He! That was so satisfying! These beasts deserved to be taught a lesson like that!"

Yan Jiecheng echoed excitedly, his eyes filled with admiration as he looked at He Yuanchao.

The three aunties nodded and smiled.

The way the other neighbors looked at He Yuanchao also completely changed.

Awe, fear, envy, and even a hint of fawning.

He was especially envious when he saw the two thick stacks of ten-yuan notes that He Yuanchao casually stuffed into his pocket.

Two hundred yuan! That's years' worth of savings! Uncle San's family has been getting close to He Yuanchao lately, giving him smoked fish and soft drinks. Looks like they're getting a lot of benefits!

He Yuanchao merely nodded slightly in response to the flattery from Yan Bugui's family, completely ignoring the complex gazes around him.

He couldn't be bothered to look at the beasts in the yard again, nor could he care about Sha Zhu's resentful and aggrieved gaze, or Yi Zhonghai's dejected and miserable state.

He turned around and, under the complex gazes of everyone, walked straight to his small side room.

"Squeak—"

The old wooden door opened and then closed gently.

All the noise, scheming, wailing, humiliation, and greed were shut out.

The room was dimly lit, with only the faint light filtering in from the window outlining its simple shape.

He Yuanchao leaned against the cold door and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

My nerves, which had been tense all night, finally began to relax a little.

Just then—

[Ding! Detected that the host has successfully retaliated against the false accusation, punished the real culprit, obtained substantial compensation, shattered the authority of the steward, and caused a sensation throughout the entire hospital!]

[Congratulations, host, on completing the hidden quest "Public-spiritedness and Righteousness"!]

[Reward: +2 Consciousness Fishing Attempts!]

【Should we use it immediately?】

The cold system notification sound, tinged with a hint of pleasure, rang clearly in He Yuanchao's mind.

Two fishing opportunities!

He Yuanchao's tired eyes instantly lit up with a sharp light, and a cold, expectant smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"use!"

As the mind sank in, the shimmering lake reappeared within the space of consciousness.

With a gentle flick of the fishing rod in the phantom's hand, the golden fishing line silently sank into the depths of the calm lake.

Beneath the lake's surface, in the darkness, the shadow of a colossal creature seemed to slowly drift by, stirring up a silent undercurrent.

The fishing line trembled slightly, and an indescribable, heart-pounding heaviness traveled up the invisible thread...