Courtyard House: A Start with Black Gold Swallowing 100,000 Silver Dollars

Duan Zhihui scoffed, rolled his eyes at her, and turned to stare intently at Li Guoxuan: "If you've got the guts, come out with us. You're not leaving this room until this matter is settled."

"Duan Zhihui, are you crazy? He's my classmate!" Cao Ying stood up abruptly. "I'm warning you, don't you dare touch him!"

The two families lived in the same old military compound. She and Duan Zhihui used to climb trees and raid bird nests together, but as they grew up, they saw each other less often.

"Cao Ying, this has nothing to do with you." Duan Zhihui waved his hand. "He bullied my little brother. If I don't stand up for him, how will I ever be able to face others in the future?"

"You—" Cao Ying's fingertips trembled with anger, "This is clearly just sophistry!"

She knew perfectly well: this scheme had been planned long ago.

She could almost guess who delivered the message and who timed it perfectly.

"Hey, gentlemen, please speak more quietly!" the waitress interrupted, hands on her hips. "Others are still eating. If you want to make a scene, go outside!"

"Kid, you can't escape."

Duan Zhihui said this, then turned and led his men back to the table near the door. The three of them sat up straight, their eyes fixed on Li Guoxuan like nails—they chose this spot to block the exit.

Li Deying always wore a hat and sat sideways, his shadow cast obliquely on the wall, so no one recognized him.

"Guoxuan, don't be afraid." Cao Ying grabbed his wrist, her voice low but firm. "I'll go out with you later. If they dare to lay a finger on you, my Cao family will be the first to object."

"who are they?"

"Why are you targeting me?"

Li Guoxuan stared at the dark wine stain on his chest, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

He had never met these people before and had no connection with them, so why was he suddenly targeted by their scheme?

Could it be... just for fun?

That can't be right.

"Duan Zhihui grew up in the same compound as me, and lived in the building next door."

Cao Ying paused, her voice turning somber, "As for why he's causing you trouble... it's most likely Li Deying's doing. That guy is his real underling."

"Look at that person wearing a hat, with their back to us—the silhouette of their head and shoulders looks exactly like Li Deying!"

Cao Ying lowered her voice and said.

Li Guoxuan looked in the direction she pointed and his heart skipped a beat: it really was him.

—How dare this person come here to cause trouble?

Li Deying, completely unaware that she had been recognized, remained calmly seated in the corner, leisurely sipping her tea while whispering to Duan Zhihui, "Later, take some men and teach that kid a lesson. He's got some nerve, daring to try and steal someone from me."

"De Ying, they're staring at you. They probably recognize you."

Duan Zhihui frowned and reminded him.

"What?"

"You recognized me?!"

Li Deying was startled and instinctively turned her head away—

Their eyes met.

An eighteen-year-old high school graduate has no cunning whatsoever. When he panics, his mind goes blank.

"Comrade, check please!"

Cao Ying grabbed Li Guoxuan's wrist and turned to walk towards the door.

"De Ying, go settle the bill! We'll go out and confront them!"

Duan Zhihui finished speaking, grabbed Sanzi and Changfa, and strode out the door.

Clutching a few grain coupons, Li Deying lingered at the counter, paid the money, and then retreated deep into the restaurant, not daring to show her face.

He feared that if he saw Cao Ying, he would lose even the last shred of his dignity.

"Duan Zhihui, I'm warning you, don't you dare lay a finger on my classmate! Otherwise, I'll tell Aunt Li everything about your bullying and physical violence today, and she'll teach you a lesson!"

Cao Ying stood in front of Li Guoxuan, her voice tense, her palms sweaty.

Duan Zhihui scoffed, picked at his ear, and didn't even lift his eyelids: "Oh, trying to intimidate me with my mother? Who do you think you are?"

He glanced sideways at Li Guoxuan, a sneer playing on his lips: "Kid, planning to hide under a woman's skirt for the rest of your life?"

"With your pathetic self, you think you're worthy of dating Cao Ying? Get lost!"

Cao Ying opened her mouth to stop him again, but Li Guoxuan gently pressed her arm down.

He took two steps forward, looked directly at Duan Zhihui, and straightened his back: "Having more people isn't a skill, it won't scare me. But what you did today is wrong—it violates the rules and corrupts the atmosphere. If you always rely on numbers to bully others, you'll eventually end up narrowing your own path."

"Have you finished chanting the sutra yet?"

"The fight will begin once you've finished reading!"

Duan Zhihui was already furious. He thought this kid was going to flaunt his connections and influence, but it turned out to be nothing but irrelevant platitudes. He stepped forward and shoved Li Guoxuan hard in the chest.

The three boys and the long-haired girl immediately pounced on her, twisting her arms and grabbing her waist. Duan Zhihui blocked them with his other hand, keeping Cao Ying firmly outside.

Li Guoxuan was tall and had a heavy frame, so he was not afraid of head-on confrontations at all. The two of them attacked him together and couldn't do anything to him for a while.

"Stop hitting him! Stop it now!"

Cao Ying's voice cracked from shouting.

A crowd quickly gathered at the entrance. Those eating, serving dishes, and wiping tables inside the state-run restaurant all squeezed to the doorway, craning their necks to watch the spectacle. Li Deying stood at the back of the crowd, arms crossed, a cold smile playing on her lips.

"Go and call the police officers from the local police station."

The elderly waiter in the blue cloth jacket shook his head and turned to instruct the girl with braids next to him.

At this moment, Li Jiacheng came out of the private room and went straight to the table where Cao Ying and Li Guoxuan had been sitting—he had come specifically to find someone.

Sure enough, there was no one in sight. Just as I turned to go back, I saw a crowd gathered at the entrance, so I pushed through the gaps in the crowd to take a closer look:

Li Guoxuan was being entangled by two men, his collar askew and sweat beading on his forehead.

His expression changed drastically, and he pushed through the crowd.

"Let go, all of you!"

Li Jiacheng, with one hand on each side, forcefully pushed the three sons and the long-haired man aside by half a step, and stood firmly beside Li Guoxuan.

The two froze. Li Guoxuan was already struggling in a one-on-one fight, and with the addition of the equally burly and cold-eyed Li Jiacheng, they simply couldn't keep up.

Unless Duan Zhihui personally intervenes, there is no chance of turning the tide.

"Jiacheng? What are you doing here?"

"You still know him?"

Duan Zhihui was stunned.

He and Li Jiacheng are cousins—his biological mother is Li Guofu's younger sister.

"Who is he to you?"

Duan Zhihui's voice tightened, and he reached out to stop his men, "Stop!"

"He's my...my neighbor!"

Li Jiaxing almost blurted out, "My uncle, your maternal uncle."

But when he glanced at Cao Ying standing right next to him, he abruptly changed the subject.

"Alright, I'll let this go for now, out of respect for you."

Duan Zhihui stared at Li Jiacheng, his tone carrying a hint of perfunctory relaxation.

"No way. He's different—we grew up together, practically naked. If you touch him again, we'll pretend we never met."

Li Jiacheng spoke with absolute certainty.

When it comes to closeness, blood ties are the deciding factor: an uncle is a close uncle, and blood is connected to the root.

Huh?

Huh?

Not only was Duan Zhihui stunned, but even Cao Ying's eyes widened slightly—could a neighbor be closer than a blood uncle?

Could it be that the old saying is true: a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative?

"Rat-a-tat-tat—!"

Three construction motorcycles, kicking up dust, braked at the alley entrance, and three security guards jumped off.

After clarifying the situation, they immediately took Li Guoxuan, Duan Zhihui, Sanzi, and Changfa into the car and headed straight to the police station.

Li Jiacheng and Cao Ying originally wanted to mediate, asking both sides to apologize and shake hands, so that the matter wouldn't escalate to the police station.

But Li Guoxuan kept a straight face and didn't utter a single word.

……

He is not a person without a temper.

Even if you've only been beaten and only suffered a minor scratch, you can't swallow your anger; especially since he was cornered and surrounded to be beaten—clearly the victim.

If he lets this matter slide, what will others think of him? A spineless coward? A good-for-nothing?

He has to at least get justice, and at the very least, the other party has to admit their mistake.

"The person has been taken to the police station; Guoxuan is definitely going to suffer!"

Cao Ying clenched her fists, her voice urgent.

Duan Zhihui's family works in the public security system, so how could the police station dare to really do anything to him?

In the end, the only one who suffered was Li Guoxuan.

"Cousin, don't worry. I'll go get Guoxuan's dad right away, and have him come over too. He'll be fine, and he won't suffer in silence."

Li Jiacheng knew perfectly well what was going on—but Li Guoxuan's foundation was much stronger than Duan Zhihui's, so there was no need for him to worry.

……

"Who struck first?"

Gu Aimin asked Duan Zhihui and the other two with a stern face.

He is Dafei's son and currently serves as the deputy director.

It was already clear from the on-site inquiries: Duan Zhihui was the one who started it.

Duan Zhihui immediately raised his chin: "Call my dad, the branch bureau chief, Duan Tianming."

Upon hearing this, Gu Aimin glanced at Li Guoxuan silently, a hint of helplessness in his eyes.

The Duan family is related to the Li family by marriage, and Duan Tianming is Li Wenguo's son-in-law.

As Dafei's son, he could unravel these complex relationships even with his eyes closed.

In his view, once Duan Zhihui called for help, the matter was put on the brakes—the Duan family was powerful, and how could Li Guoxuan possibly change things on his own?

Moreover, Li Guoxuan never mentioned his family or revealed his identity.

Logically speaking, since they've already revealed their backing, if you remain silent, doesn't that mean you're admitting you have no support?

But Li Guoxuan's silence wasn't because he was without support:

First, he knew that his father had no official position and his mother was just a section chief in a steel rolling mill, so their family background was indeed not as good as the Duan family.

Secondly, he was confident that he was in the right and didn't need to involve any powerful backers.

Since I'm not going to lose out, why bother my family?

Not long after, Duan Zhihui's mother, Li Jingmi, rushed over.

She is the eldest daughter of Li Wenguo and Hongyu, born in 1932, and just turned forty.

Although she is no longer young, she has inherited her parents' good looks and looks no more than thirty years old, radiant and beautiful.

Because she works in a government office, she deliberately dressed plainly, toning down her outfit, leaving only her still beautiful face visible.

Even so, her calm and noble air was still undeniable—just standing there, others unconsciously felt half a head shorter.

She was still a division-level cadre.

"Comrade Gu, I'm so sorry to have troubled you."

Born into the prominent Li family, Li Jingmi exudes refinement in every gesture, possessing a gentle yet weighty demeanor.

"Oh, not at all! Madam Duan, you're too kind!"

Gu Aimin was a little flustered.

His father, Dafei, was originally a servant of the Li family, so he should have been respectful to the Li family.

Now that the young lady of the main house is being so humble towards him, he feels uneasy.

"Then... can I take Zhihui back first?"

She asked softly.

"Yes, yes, of course!"

Gu Aimin readily agreed.

He was already part of the Li family circle, so naturally, he had to be given plenty of face when things were done.

Upon hearing this, Duan Zhihui's lips curled up, and he glanced sideways at Li Guoxuan.

His eyes clearly said: Kid, so what if I hit you? I'll just dust myself off and walk away!

Li Guoxuan's face immediately darkened.

It felt like a stone was pressing on my chest, making it feel suffocating and painful.