Courtyard House: Starting with handing over the keys, the state helps me abuse birds.

The courtyard was unusually quiet.

This silence wasn't the calm that comes after something is over; it felt more like someone had pressed down on everyone's necks at the same time. The air was still there, but no one dared to breathe deeply.

Xie Weihong's question, "Have you ever asked me why I took action?" didn't sound heavy when it came down, but it was like a fine needle, precisely piercing into the narrative that everyone was trying to maintain.

No one responded.

It's not because we have nothing to say.

It's because they all know in their hearts that once they speak up, they will have to confront what they have been avoiding all along.

Yi Zhonghai stood at the very front, and for the first time, a crack appeared on his composed face.

That wasn't anger, but a kind of hesitation born of being cornered.

He was all too aware of the weight of this issue.

If you keep asking, it's tantamount to admitting that today's meeting, from its stance to its conclusions, is completely the opposite.

But he also knew that the conversation couldn't stop there.

Once it stops, the situation will completely spiral out of control.

So he frowned, deliberately lowered his voice, and made it sound more like he was "upholding justice": "Wei Hong, there's no point in saying this now. What's done is done, you did take action, and as for the reason, that's because you handled the problem poorly."

He spoke very steadily.

It was so steady it seemed to be a reminder to everyone not to be led astray.

"Was the handling method inappropriate?"

Xie Weihong repeated it softly, speaking very slowly, as if she were weighing the words in her mouth.

He did not immediately refute, nor did he even look at Yi Zhonghai.

That kind of deliberate neglect carries an element of oppression.

His gaze slowly shifted to He Yuzhu standing to the side.

"Pillar."

When he spoke, his tone was unexpectedly calm, so calm it was unsettling. "You just said you were just going to offer me some advice, right?"

He Yuzhu was stunned for a moment, then nodded subconsciously: "I... I just wanted to advise you to calm down."

As soon as he said it, he hesitated for a moment.

"it is good."

Xie Weihong nodded, then turned her gaze to the crowd. Her voice was not loud, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear clearly.

"Then let me ask one more question."

He paused for a moment, giving his words a conclusion.

"Did any of you see him knock before entering my room?"

This time, there was a noticeable disturbance in the courtyard.

Subtle, yet real.

Yan Bugui opened his mouth, his throat moved, but he couldn't say anything.

Because he remembered.

The door was kicked open.

Xie Weihong didn't wait for them to compose themselves; her tone remained calm as she continued dismantling the machine.

"Also, who among you heard his first words to me were to advise me to calm down?"

Or perhaps—

He paused slightly, but his voice became clearer.

"You want me to kneel down and admit my mistake?"

The moment those words were spoken, the air seemed to tighten abruptly.

Qin Huairu's hand visibly trembled.

She lowered her head, her gaze fixed on the ground, but felt a sudden sinking feeling in her heart.

Of course she knew what Sha Zhu had said.

In fact, one could say that she had said those words to him countless times in her heart.

I never expected that I would be torn apart in public.

"Uncle Yi".

Xie Weihong then looked at Yi Zhonghai again, her tone still restrained, but with an added sharpness that was impossible to ignore.

"If someone breaks into your house and demands you kneel down, do you choose to reason with them or ask them to leave?"

Yi Zhonghai's throat visibly moved.

In that instant, several answers flashed through his mind.

But he discovered that none of them could stand firm.

Because no matter how you answer, it will directly contradict his previous statement that "the handling method was inappropriate".

"besides."

Xie Weihong didn't give him time to process her words, her gaze already shifting to Yan Bugui. "Third Uncle, you just said this is a public security issue, so I'd like to ask, isn't trespassing a public security issue?"

Yan Bugui's expression changed instantly.

He instinctively wanted to change the subject, but as soon as he got the words out, he realized that everyone's eyes were on him.

At that moment, he realized for the first time that no matter how cunning one is, one still needs to be logical.

But today, this logic doesn't apply to him.

"Let's talk about mental health issues."

Xie Weihong's gaze slowly swept over everyone, as if calling out names one by one, "Who among you is a doctor? Who has examined me? Who can stand up and say something is wrong with me?"

His tone was flat, yet every word was barbed.

"Just because I resisted, I've been labeled a mental patient?"

In the courtyard, no one spoke at all.

It's not that no one wants to refute it.

Instead, they discovered that every rebuttal they made was immediately dismantled by his next statement.

This is no longer an argument.

Instead, it's dismantled.

Little by little, they dismantled the "shell of justice" they had built up in front of everyone.

Just then.

【Ding--】

A sudden and brief system notification sounded in the courtyard.

[System Notification: Warning! Demons have appeared. Please leave immediately to avoid danger.]

The voice didn't come from anyone; it rang out directly in the air. It carried a cold, digital quality, like a warning from the abyss, sending a chill down everyone's spine.

Immediately afterwards, an aged yet undeniably authoritative voice rang out.

That's enough.

The sound wasn't loud, but it made many people turn around instinctively.

The deaf old lady, leaning on her cane, slowly walked out from the backyard.

Her steps were slow, but exceptionally steady.

Every step carries an unspoken "pressure of seniority".

Her gaze immediately fell on He Yuzhu.

When she saw Sha Zhu's disheveled appearance, her brows furrowed deeply, and her heart felt as if it had been squeezed.

This was her support in her later years.

It was her hope for a comfortable old age and a proper burial.

"You've beaten the pillar to this state."

She looked up at Xie Weihong, her tone instantly turning cold, "Are you still here spouting this nonsense?"

In her mind, these principles were completely unimportant.

The important thing is that Sha Zhu must not get into trouble.

If Shazhu gets into trouble, her status, protection, and even safety in the hospital will be shaken.

She absolutely could not allow this outcome.

"old lady."

Xie Weihong looked at her, her tone still restrained but with a hint of clarity, "If there was anything I said that was wrong, you can point it out."

"I'm not going to talk to you about that!"

The deaf old woman slammed her cane on the ground, her voice suddenly rising, "I've lived this long, do you think you have the right to lecture me on reason?"

This statement is never a logical statement.

It refers to qualifications.

The subtext is blatantly obvious:

Just because I'm old doesn't mean I can be unreasonable.

She took a step forward, her emotions becoming visibly agitated, and the thoughts in her mind gradually becoming clearer.

As long as we create a scene and force him to back down, there is still a chance to turn the situation around.

"You're bullying me!"

Her voice trembled, yet carried a fierce determination, "I'll ask you just one question today: do you admit to this?"

She forcefully pulled the atmosphere back to the brink of spiraling out of control.

Just then.

Jia Zhangshi made a move.

Her gaze never left Xie Weihong.

It's not because of anger.

It was because of those two houses.

She had it all figured out: as long as Xie Weihong was suppressed today and labeled a "problematic person," the house would have to be vacated sooner or later.

The old lady has stepped forward now; it's the opportunity she's been waiting for.

"that is!"

Madam Jia immediately chimed in, her voice shriller than anyone else's, "The old lady is right! What kind of reason does this kind of person have? He just bullies people because he's young!"

As she spoke, she leaned forward, her hand already unconsciously reaching out.

That's not unconscious.

Rather, it was a purposeful probe.

Once pushing and shoving occurs, and once the scene completely descends into chaos, all the "reasoning" Xie Weihong had previously stated will become invalid.

There was only one thought in her mind.

Stir up the water.

Xie Weihong clearly saw the calculation in her eyes.

At that moment, I finally understood something.

They've given up on reasoning.

Because they discovered that reasoning alone cannot win them the battle.