I feel right at home in the world of the courtyard house.

Xu Damao rode his bicycle back to the entrance of the courtyard house, put his feet on the ground, and didn't get off the bike in a hurry.

He felt a little unhappy.

Today, Li Jing'an didn't ask him to go drinking with others. In the past, he would have been there for these kinds of things without hesitation. But now... he realized that he was drifting further and further away from Brother Li.

Lou Xiao'e's incident still left a thorn in Li Ge's heart. He didn't say anything on the surface, but Xu Damao wasn't stupid; how could he not sense the change in attitude?

We need to find a breakthrough quickly.

The vice minister of the Ministry of Metallurgy, and that returnee named Luo Tianyou in today's file... Xu Damao narrowed his eyes, his mind racing. One of these connections led to Li Huaide's backer, and the other was someone Li Ge personally instructed him to "pay close attention to"—if he could make something of it on these two fronts, he wouldn't have to worry about Li Ge changing his opinion of him.

As he was making plans, he got out of the car, bent down to move the rear wheel, and prepared to go up the steps. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, a slender figure appeared in his view.

Xu Damao's hand paused, and his eyes lit up.

"Hello, Team Leader Xu."

Liu Yuanyuan stood at the gate and smiled at him. The smile wasn't big, polite but somewhat distant. Her parents didn't work at the steel mill, but everyone here knew that the steel mill was the lifeblood of the area. Even the neighborhood committee had to give Xu Damao, the head of the special task force, some respect.

"Yuanyuan!" Xu Damao's face instantly lit up with joy, his wrinkles crinkling up, and his voice rose an octave, "Why are you calling me Team Leader Xu? Call me Brother Damao! Isn't that what we've always called you? We've been neighbors for so many years!"

He parked the car against the wall and looked Liu Yuanyuan up and down, his eyes practically glued to her.

She really has changed a lot as she grows up. I knew she was going to be a beauty when she was little, but I never expected... her figure, her temperament, her youthful charm. Xu Damao clicked his tongue in his heart, but he didn't say it out loud. His face was full of admiration.

"Brother Da Mao," Liu Yuanyuan called out again.

Xu Damao felt a tickle in his heart, his smile almost reaching his ears. He subconsciously licked his lips, a thought popping into his head: So sweet. If only I weren't married…

The thought had barely formed when Qin Jingru's face immediately came to mind. How could that silly country girl compare to a student from a dance academy? But the problem was—Li Jing'an had arranged the match. Even if he had ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare dump Qin Jingru.

Xu Damao sighed with regret in his heart, but showed no sign of it on his face.

"Yuanyuan, you'll be graduating soon, right?"

"Yes, I've already graduated and am waiting for job assignment," Liu Yuanyuan said.

"Where have you been assigned?" Xu Damao took half a step forward.

"The steel rolling mill is also recruiting. I've already signed up, but I don't know the outcome yet," Liu Yuanyuan replied softly, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

Xu Damao's eyes lit up suddenly, and he almost burst out laughing.

Isn't this a coincidence?

"Haha, what a coincidence!" He laughed, his face crinkling deeper, his voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement. "How come we're so destined for each other? Don't worry, Yuanyuan, I'll put in a good word for you with HR tomorrow! Your brother Mao's words carry weight in our factory; I guarantee you'll get the job smoothly!"

He patted his chest, looking like he was the only one capable of doing it.

"Once you get to the factory, if you need anything, just go to your brother Mao. With me here, no one will dare to bully you!"

"Thank you, Brother Da Mao."

"No need to thank me!" Xu Damao waved his hand dismissively. "From now on, we're on the same side!"

After he finished speaking, his gaze fell on Liu Yuanyuan's face again, staring at her intently. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and he unconsciously swallowed.

Liu Yuanyuan felt extremely uncomfortable under his gaze, as if she were stuck to something. She lowered her head and took a step back, unsure how to escape, when she suddenly caught sight of a figure approaching from behind, and felt as if she had been granted a pardon.

"Uncle Yi!"

The shout was quite loud, carrying a clear sense of relief.

Xu Damao's thoughts were pulled back. He followed Liu Yuanyuan's gaze and saw Yi Zhonghai walking over from behind, his hands behind his back, his face expressionless.

Damn it, that old bastard is a real nuisance.

Xu Damao's smile vanished instantly.

Yi Zhonghai also saw the two people standing at the door. He nodded to Liu Yuanyuan in response, then his gaze fell on Xu Damao. He didn't want to talk to him, but he was afraid that this man would take the opportunity to cause trouble, so he reluctantly squeezed out a sentence from his throat: "Team Leader Xu."

After saying that, he blankly tried to walk past the two people into the courtyard.

What's your attitude?

Xu Damao's voice wasn't loud, but every word he uttered was barbed.

Yi Zhonghai paused in his steps.

Xu Damao, arms crossed, strolled over slowly, chin slightly raised: "If you want to shout, shout properly; if you don't want to, then don't. Is your dismissive tone directed at me, or at my task force?"

"I didn't." Yi Zhonghai's face was ashen, and his jaw bulged from clenching his teeth.

Xu Damao's eyes darted around, then he suddenly changed the subject, his voice laced with a hint of malicious probing: "By the way, were you involved in the conflict between the two factions in our factory today?"

"No," Yi Zhonghai said, suppressing his anger. "I've been in the special production team these past few days, keeping an eye on the National Day floats. I wasn't involved in today's conflict."

He emphasized the words "special production team" heavily, trying to use that as a cover.

Xu Damao wasn't buying it. He curled his lip and took another step forward: "You're not participating? Why aren't you participating? You're a member of the General Labor Union, aren't you? The whole factory is participating, and you're not?"

"You seem like a two-faced, fence-sitter! You try not to offend anyone, your revolutionary will is not firm!"

Yi Zhonghai's expression changed, and his lips trembled slightly.

Xu Damao, however, had no intention of stopping, his voice growing increasingly shrill: "You have ulterior motives towards the revolution! Do you also have ulterior motives towards the leader?"

"I didn't! You're lying!" Yi Zhonghai roared, his voice trembling, veins bulging on his forehead.

"You know perfectly well whether you do or not." Xu Damao sneered, crossed his arms, raised his chin, and said, "Come on, recite the Three Old Articles. Let me see if you've been studying diligently or if you're just going through the motions for the revolution."

Asking a worker in his fifties to recite quotations on the street is like asking a student to be randomly selected for a test by a teacher.

Yi Zhonghai felt as if Xu Damao had stepped on his face and ground it twice. But he couldn't say anything. Xu Damao was the head of the factory's special investigation team and had the right to investigate all the factory's employees. If he talked back again, the accusations against him would only get worse.

Liu Yuanyuan stood to the side, unsure whether to stay or leave. Her hands were clasped together, her knuckles turning white. She dared not look at Yi Zhonghai, nor at Xu Damao, and could only lower her head, staring at the tips of her shoes.

Yi Zhonghai remained silent for a few seconds. His chest heaved violently. He slowly reached into his pocket, pulled out the Little Red Book, and held it to his chest.

He began to recite.

The voice was soft, hoarse, and suppressed.

Xu Damao's lips curled into a slight smile, then his face darkened, and he shouted, "Speak louder! What do you mean by sneaking around? Do you have a problem with the leader? What point do you find objectionable?"

Yi Zhonghai shuddered, as if he had been whipped. He closed his eyes, suddenly raised his voice, and almost roared.

Pedestrians on the street stopped and stared at them with surprise.

Yi Zhonghai was a prominent figure in this area, but who had ever seen him like this? Standing on the street, with the Little Red Book pressed to his chest, he was reciting quotations at the top of his lungs, his voice trembling.

Those gazes came from all directions. Yi Zhonghai felt as if the sun were shining directly on his face—without the atmosphere to block it, staring nakedly at him, making his entire face burn, red from the base of his neck all the way to his forehead. He felt his face was on fire, and he could barely open his eyes.

His voice was trembling, but he dared not lower his volume.

Xu Damao, who caused this scene, stood ramrod straight with a faint smile on his lips. He deliberately turned his head to glance at Liu Yuanyuan, who stood to the side, too afraid to move.

He was extremely pleased with himself.