Courtyard House: Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) Traded for an Aircraft Carrier, the Whole Count

The morning sun had not yet dispelled the winter chill of Beijing. In the courtyard at No. 95 Nanluoguxiang, the smell of coal smoke mixed with the lingering chill of last night weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.

Jiang Chen had just pushed open the door, preparing to go to the sink to wash up, when a figure in dark blue overalls stood like a door god, blocking his doorway.

Yi Zhonghai had his hands tucked into his sleeves. His face, which usually wore a mask of "compassion," was smiling, but his eyes held a sharp edge. He held a crumpled piece of paper in his hand and handed it to Jiang Chen.

"Xiao Jiang, you're up early." Yi Zhonghai's voice was low, yet it carried an undeniable parental authority. "Last night's incident caused quite a stir. I thought about it all night. It's not easy for our college to be selected as an advanced collective over the years, and we can't let this ruin it. This is a letter of understanding written by the Jia family. Sign it, go to the security department to drop the case, and this matter will be over."

Jiang Chen glanced at the piece of paper, on which a few lines of words were written in a crooked manner, the gist of which was something like "It was all a misunderstanding, and we will not pursue it any further."

"Turn the page?" Jiang Chen slammed the basin down on the ground with a loud clatter, looking at Yi Zhonghai with a half-smile. "Uncle, last night was theft of public property, plus false accusation. Bang Geng has already been taken away. Now you're asking me to sign this, are you trying to make me give false testimony?"

Yi Zhonghai's face darkened. He took a step closer and lowered his voice, saying, "What do you mean by perjury! We're all neighbors, we see each other all the time. The Jia family is a widow and her orphan, and Banggeng is still just a child. If he really gets a criminal record, his life will be ruined! You should be forgiving. You've gone too far. How will you conduct yourself in the neighborhood? Everyone at the factory is watching."

The threat in those words was no longer concealed. Yi Zhonghai was an eighth-grade fitter in the factory, with a large number of apprentices and grand-apprentices. If he wanted to make things difficult for Jiang Chen, a second-grade fitter, it would be incredibly easy. If it were the original Jiang Chen, he would probably have been bent over by this label of "disunity with neighbors."

But Jiang Chen now only finds it laughable.

"System, redeem the 'Old-fashioned Portable Voice Recorder'." Jiang Chen's mind stirred slightly.

"Ding! 2 transaction points deducted. The item has appeared in the host's left pocket and is now recording."

Jiang Chen instinctively slipped his hand into his pocket, a hint of fear and hesitation on his face, as if he were truly intimidated by Yi Zhonghai: "Uncle, but... but that's a crime. If we settle privately, isn't that covering up a crime? What if the factory investigates..."

Seeing Jiang Chen relent, a glint of triumph flashed in Yi Zhonghai's eyes. In his view, this was right; this was the honest Jiang Chen who was completely under his control.

Yi Zhonghai waved his hand impatiently, his tone becoming even more arrogant: "What crime! In our compound at No. 95, this is our own business! Why is the factory investigating? As long as everyone in our compound tells the same story, what can the security department do to us?"

He paused, then, as if to completely dispel Jiang Chen's concerns, emphasized, "Jiang Chen, remember this: for the sake of the compound's advanced collective honor, this little matter must be suppressed! Is the truth more important or the collective honor? In this compound, I, Yi Zhonghai, call the shots! If I say it's nothing, then it's nothing!"

In his pocket, the cassette tape of the voice recorder spun silently, clearly recording those few words that were enough to ruin Yi Zhonghai's reputation.

The prey is in the cage.

The "fear" on Jiang Chen's face vanished instantly, replaced by extreme coldness and mockery.

"Uncle, you're talking more big than the factory manager!"

After Jiang Chen finished speaking, he reached out and took the "letter of understanding." Yi Zhonghai was about to show a relieved smile, but the next second, the smile froze on his face.

"Sizzle—"

Jiang Chen tore the paper in two with a flick of his wrist. Then, with a few more swift movements, it turned into countless tiny scraps of paper that drifted down onto Yi Zhonghai's old cotton shoes.

"Jiang Chen! What are you doing! Are you crazy?!" Yi Zhonghai was trembling with anger, his finger pointing at Jiang Chen shaking. "You dare tear up the letter of understanding? You're asking for trouble! Do you believe I'll make sure you can't stay in the factory anymore?!"

Jiang Chen patted the scraps of paper off his hands, staring at Yi Zhonghai with the look of utter contempt: "Yi Zhonghai, your feudal patriarchal ways are outdated. Trying to use your status as an eighth-grade worker to intimidate me? Trying to use the collective honor of the compound to blackmail me? You think you're worthy?"

After saying that, Jiang Chen didn't even bother to look at him again, pushed the bicycle by the door, and stepped onto it.

"You...you stop right there! Where are you going?" A strong sense of unease suddenly welled up in Yi Zhonghai's heart.

Jiang Chen turned around, a chilling smile curving his lips: "Go find a place for your 'one-man show' to reason things out. You, just wait at home."

The wheels rolled on, and Jiang Chen's figure disappeared at the entrance of the alley.

Yi Zhonghai stood there, looking at the scraps of paper on the ground. A cold winter wind blew, and he broke out in a cold sweat.

……

Hongxing Subdistrict Office.

Director Wang is a middle-aged woman in her forties with short hair that reaches her ears. She is a veteran cadre who came from the war years and is extremely intolerant of any wrongdoing.

At that moment, she was sitting behind her desk, her face ashen as she listened to the sounds coming from the small black box on the desk.

"...Is the truth more important, or is collective honor more important? In this compound, I, Yi Zhonghai, call the shots!"

The recording abruptly stopped.

"Snapped!"

Director Wang slammed his hand on the table, making the enamel mug lid bounce wildly, and abruptly stood up: "What a Yi Zhonghai! What a 'I'm in charge here' attitude! This is a new society, a world where the people are the masters! What does Yi Zhonghai want to do? Create an independent kingdom? Become a local tyrant?!"

Jiang Chen stood calmly to the side, adding insult to injury at the opportune moment: "Director Wang, I had no choice. Master Yi is an eighth-grade worker with high prestige in the factory. He used the title of 'collective honor' to pressure me, and even demanded that I sign a letter of forgiveness for the thief who stole public property. When I refused, he threatened to punish me in the factory. I was truly desperate, so I came to the organization to report the situation."

"You did the right thing! We must resolutely fight against this kind of old-fashioned patriarchal style and this kind of behavior that protects criminals!" Director Wang's chest heaved with anger. "This Yi Zhonghai, who usually seems honest and unassuming, I never expected him to have such a mindset! This is a typical case of placing personal authority above the law!"

She grabbed the red armband hanging on the wall and neatly pinned it to her arm; it was a symbol representing the authority of the neighborhood committee.

"Xiao Liu! Xiao Zhang!" Director Wang shouted towards the outer room, "Put down your work and come with me! To No. 95 Nanluoguxiang! I want to see if this place, under the clear sky, is truly Yi Zhonghai's one-man show!"

Watching Director Wang's decisive figure disappear into the distance, Jiang Chen's lips curled into a slight smile as he pressed the stop button on the recorder in his pocket.

Click.

That crisp, faint sound seemed to be a death knell tolling for Yi Zhonghai.