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

Xu Damao's instigation was like a spark thrown into a pot of oil, instantly igniting the long-suppressed jealousy and discontent in the courtyard.

A group of young people wearing red armbands, led by Xu Damao, waved their fists and shouted slogans as they charged aggressively toward the cadre building.

"Down with the opportunist He Yuanchao!"

"Make him confess to his dirty dealings with the capitalist roaders!"

"Hand over the cadre housing that you've seized!"

Looking at this scene, Liu Haizhong was both surprised and delighted.

What's shocking is that Xu Damao is incredibly audacious; he actually dared to storm the cadre building!

The good news is that the mountain that has been weighing on him, He Yuanchao, is finally about to be lifted off his head!

He immediately pretended to "support the revolutionary action" and followed behind the crowd, ready to watch the show.

Yan Bugui was so frightened that he quickly closed his door, his mind racing, trying to figure out how to protect himself in this storm.

Sha Zhu and Qin Huairu, on the other hand, became a forgotten corner.

Their minor "problems with their conduct" seem insignificant in the face of the more provocative slogan "Down with He Yuanchao".

The crowd quickly rushed to the foot of Building No. 3 where He Yuanchao lived.

"He Yuanchao! Get out here right now!"

Xu Damao stood downstairs, hands on his hips, howling at the top of his lungs in his hoarse voice, "Don't hide inside like a coward! Come out and accept the criticism of the people!"

Upstairs, in He Yuanchao's room, the curtains were drawn and all was quiet.

Lou Xiao'e gripped He Yuanchao's hand tightly, her palms sweaty. "Yuanchao, what do we do? They...they're acting like madmen..."

However, there was not a trace of panic on He Yuanchao's face.

He patted Lou Xiao'e's hand to reassure her, then walked to the phone and slowly dialed a number.

The call was answered quickly.

"Hey? Is this Professor Shen? This is Yuanchao." He Yuanchao's tone was as calm as if he were chatting. "Well, it's nothing serious. It's just that a group of 'revolutionary youngsters' came downstairs, saying they wanted to denounce me as a 'revivalist seedling.' Yes, the leader is a guy from our institute named Xu Damao. Okay, I understand. Take care of yourself too."

After hanging up, He Yuan-chao dialed a second number.

"Hello? Is this Secretary Zhang? This is He Yuanchao. What's the situation at the factory?"

Secretary Zhang on the other end of the phone sounded anxious: "Comrade Yuanchao! You absolutely mustn't come out! The factory is in chaos! Director Lou... Director Lou has been dragged onto the stage! They say he's... a capitalist roader..."

He Yuanchao's eyes instantly turned cold.

"I understand." He hung up the phone, took a deep breath, and said to Lou Xiao'e, "Xiao'e, stay at home, lock the door, and don't come out no matter what happens outside."

After saying that, he turned around and walked towards the door.

"Aid Korea! Where are you going?!" Lou Xiao'e exclaimed in surprise.

"Go and meet them." He Yuanchao's lips curled into a cold, emotionless smile.

He opened the door and went out.

Downstairs, Xu Damao was still shouting and cursing at the top of his lungs.

When he saw that He Yuanchao had actually come down alone, he was first stunned, and then his face showed an expression of ecstasy.

"Good! He Yuanchao! You finally dared to show your face! I thought you were going to be a coward for the rest of your life!" Xu Damao pointed at him arrogantly. "Today, you must explain your problems to the people! What kind of shady dealings have you and that old capitalist roader Lou Zhenhua had?!"

He Yuanchao ignored him.

He simply looked calmly at the group of young, fervent faces before him, stirred up by the clamor, and spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but clearly overwhelming all the noise:

"Who's the leader among you?"

"That's me!" Xu Damao puffed out his chest. "What? Trying to beg for mercy? Too late!"

"Very good." He Yuanchao nodded, his gaze sweeping over the brand-new armband on his chest that read "Steel Rolling Mill Revolutionary Committee," and said calmly, "I've heard that what you value most now is 'seeking truth from facts' and 'investigation and research,' is that right?"

"Of course!"

"Alright." He Yuanchao's tone remained calm. "You say I'm opportunistic and currying favor with the leaders. Where's the evidence? Produce it. Without evidence, it's a false accusation. According to current policies, what kind of crime is it to falsely accuse and frame revolutionary masses and undermine the unity of the revolutionary ranks? You should know better than I do, right?"

Xu Damao was momentarily speechless, then roared, his voice trembling with fear, "Evidence? The cadre dormitory you live in, the wife you married—that's the biggest evidence! You're just a worker, what right do you have?!"

"Just because of this."

He Yuanchao took out a commendation document for the "compressor renovation project" with the large red seal of the Municipal Bureau of Industry from his pocket, and an engineer qualification certificate with the national emblem that had just been issued.

"This is the city's award for my technological innovation. This is the nation's recognition of me." He Yuanchao held up the documents and certificates in front of everyone, his voice booming, "Tell me, He Yuanchao, an engineer who has contributed to the nation's technological progress, do I not deserve to live in this cadre building?!"

A commotion broke out in the crowd.

City-level documents! Engineer's certificate!

This is too heavy!

Xu Damao's expression instantly turned somewhat ugly.

"That...that's not right either! What's your relationship with that old scholar Shen Molin? Why would a stubborn old man with a head full of feudal ideas sponsor you? There must be something wrong here!" Xu Damao immediately shifted his attack.

"Old Shen?" He Yuanchao laughed, a laugh filled with sarcasm. "Xu Damao, don't you even know who you're attacking?"

He paused, then his voice suddenly rose, booming like thunder: "Mr. Shen Molin is a national first-class professor, a leading figure in the field of classical literature research in China! He is also a red intellectual who has been personally received and highly praised by central leaders! His academic achievements serve our proletarian revolutionary cause! You, Xu Damao, a dismissed projectionist, dare to openly slander a red expert protected by the state as an 'old stubborn old man' here?"

"What kind of behavior is this? You are negating the Party's policy on intellectuals! You are openly provoking our country's cultural front! You are the real class enemy, hidden within the revolutionary ranks!"

He Yuanchao's words were like daggers to the heart!

Every single word hit the most critical political line!

Xu Damao's face turned deathly pale in an instant, devoid of any color!

He never imagined that his casual remark would provoke such a terrible backlash!

The young people around him who had been making trouble with him were also terrified and fell silent, and the way they looked at Xu Damao changed.

Just then, several jeeps roared in from a distance and screeched to a halt in front of the cadre building.

The car door opened, and a group of people dressed in the same military uniforms, but with a noticeably more composed and serious demeanor, stepped out.

The leader was a middle-aged cadre with a resolute face.

Seeing the chaotic scene before him, he frowned and shouted sharply, "What's going on?! Who's causing trouble here?!"

When Xu Damao saw the person who came, his legs went weak and he almost collapsed to the ground.

He recognized the person who came; it was a leader of the city's "Revolutionary Committee," who held real power!

"Director Zhou... Director Zhou..." Xu Damao stammered, unable to speak.

The middle-aged cadre ignored him and walked straight up to He Yuanchao, a slightly apologetic smile on his face. He extended his hand and said, "You must be Comrade He Yuanchao? I'm Zhou Zheng. Mr. Shen called specifically to say that one of his highly regarded young technical experts has been wronged. We're late."

These words were like the last straw, completely breaking down Xu Damao's psychological defenses.

Looking at Director Zhou, who was shaking hands warmly with He Yuanchao, and at He Yuanchao's terrifyingly calm face, he finally understood that he had lost from the very beginning.

Moreover, they suffered a crushing defeat.