Courtyard House: From Deputy Division Commander to Civilian, Progressing All the Way

When this news reached No. 95 Nanluoguxiang.

The entire courtyard was in an uproar!

……

As evening approached, the sun began to set.

The front and middle courtyards of the siheyuan were filled with people in twos and threes.

The air was thick with an unmistakable sour smell and utter shock.

"Wow! The captain of the criminal investigation team! A section chief level officer!"

Yan Bugui squatted at his doorstep, holding a tattered palm-leaf fan in his hand, fanning himself repeatedly, as if this could dispel the heat and jealousy in his heart.

"This silly Zhu... no, this Captain He, how old is he this year? In his early twenties, right? And he's already a captain! That's a powerful official who oversees all the major murder and arson cases in the entire East District!"

Yan Bugui sighed sourly, "The He family's ancestral graves aren't just emitting green smoke, they're practically spewing fire!"

The three older women scoffed, "It's all because they're lucky, marrying Vice Minister Lin Yang. Look at Lin Fan, he's the director of the steel rolling mill now. He Yuzhu is the head of the branch bureau. They've taken all the good fortune from this courtyard!"

Inside the central courtyard.

Yi Zhonghai sat at the stone table, puffing on his pipe, his face so gloomy it seemed to drip water.

His hands were trembling slightly.

He couldn't understand how that rascal he had misjudged back then could climb to such heights today.

"Catching spies... one person fought six, and even killed three..."

Yi Zhonghai muttered to himself, a chill running down his spine.

He originally thought that He Yuzhu's highest position was as a deputy director. But now, he's the head of the criminal investigation team! Holding a gun and in charge of major cases.

If someone like that wanted to get rid of Yi Zhonghai, they wouldn't even need an excuse. They could just fabricate a suspect and lock him up in an interrogation room and give him a good beating.

"Old Yi, from now on, when we see He Daqing, should we call him Old Master He?" Liu Haizhong leaned over, his face full of bitterness and resentment.

Liu Haizhong was obsessed with official positions; he had never even become a group leader in his entire life. Seeing He Yuzhu become the brigade leader, he was so jealous that he couldn't even eat.

"What's with calling us 'old man'! They don't even give us a second glance anymore!"

Yi Zhonghai tapped the tobacco pipe in an annoyed tone.

"Didn't you see the way He Daqing walked this afternoon? His chin was practically pointing to the sky! When he ran into me just now, he didn't even greet me, he just snorted and walked past."

"We've become completely marginalized in this courtyard."

Inside the Jia family's house.

Madam Jia huddled on the kang (a heated brick bed), listening to the discussions outside, too frightened to even breathe loudly.

She touched her face, which had been swollen from a slap by He Yuzhu, and felt a lingering pain in her bones.

"Captain... the ruthless captain who kills without blinking an eye..."

Madam Jia Zhang was trembling all over, muttering to herself, "I'll never dare to curse him again. Dongxu, from now on, never mess with Lin Fan at the factory. And never mess with the He family in the yard. We can't afford to mess with them, we really can't!"

Jia Dongxu squatted timidly in the corner, silently nodding, not even having the courage to refute.

Qin Huairu held her newborn son, Xiaodang, and looked out the window with a blank expression.

She recalled the cold, disgusted look in He Yuzhu's eyes when he looked at her years ago. She knew that the opportunity for success that might have once belonged to her had been completely shattered the moment she chose Jia Dongxu.

The backyard, Xu Damao's house.

Xu Damao hid under the covers, biting the corner of the blanket tightly, afraid of making the slightest sound.

He had been fighting with He Yuzhu since he was a child, and he always ended up with a bruised and swollen face.

He used to be able to curse "Silly Zhu" behind his back.

Now? He wouldn't dare even if you gave him a hundred lives.

"The head of the criminal investigation team... specializes in catching murderers..." Xu Damao swallowed hard, terrified. "From now on, I'll have to avoid him whenever I see him. If he ever takes a dislike to me and arrests me as a spy, I won't even have anyone to complain to."

Just when each household had its own thoughts, and was filled with envy, jealousy and hatred.

"Boom!"

A three-wheeled motorcycle with a police license plate came to a steady stop at the entrance of the courtyard house.

He Yuzhu, dressed in his crisp police uniform with brand-new rank insignia on his shoulders, strode into the courtyard.

Although his left arm was wrapped in a white bandage, it did not diminish his imposing presence; on the contrary, it added to his aura of a fierce and ruthless general.

Following behind him was He Daqing, his face flushed, carrying two bottles of Moutai and a large piece of pork.

"Pillar's back!"

I don't know who shouted.

Neighbors from the front and middle yards, whether genuinely or not, all swarmed around.

"Captain He! Congratulations!"

"Zhu Zi has rid the people of a scourge; he's a great hero!"

"Mr. He, you really have a good son!"

The flattery from the crowd surged forth like a tide. Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong forced smiles and stood on the periphery of the crowd, nodding and bowing repeatedly.

He Yuzhu stopped in his tracks.

He didn't laugh, nor did he show the arrogance of a petty person who has achieved success.

During the years he spent by Lin Yang's side, he learned not only how to kill, but also the composure and shrewdness of someone in a position of power.

His cold gaze swept over the opportunistic neighbors, lingering for a couple of seconds on the faces of Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong.

The oppressive feeling in their gazes made Yi Zhonghai and the others subconsciously lower their heads, not daring to meet their eyes.

"Neighbors, you're too kind. Catching spies and protecting state property is my duty as a police officer."

He Yuzhu's voice was deep and powerful, exuding an unassailable authority.

"However, I'd also like to offer a reminder here."

He Yuzhu's tone changed, and his eyes became as sharp as a knife.

"This is a new society now. No matter who it is, if they still want to play the old tricks of forming cliques and bullying honest people in the courtyard, or gossip and spread rumors behind people's backs, they will be punished."

He Yuzhu gently patted the pistol at his waist with his uninjured right hand.

"My uniform, He Yuzhu's, isn't just for show. There are plenty of empty seats in the Dongcheng branch's detention cells. I hope everyone can behave themselves and live their lives well."

caveat!

A stark warning!

This is to set rules for people like Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong in front of the entire hospital!

The entire room fell silent; no one dared to respond.

At this moment, He Yuzhu ignored them and turned to He Daqing, saying, "Dad, let's go home."

Commander Lin said he's bringing Sister-in-law Tian Yu and Factory Director Lin's family over for dinner tonight to celebrate.

He Daqing nodded excitedly, "Alright! Dad will bring out all of the Tan family's signature dishes today!"

"The commander will definitely be satisfied with the meal!"

Under the awe-inspiring gazes of the crowd, the father and son strode back to their house in the central courtyard.