Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

He was about to leave when he said that.

Li Wangcai panicked and reached out to stop him, thinking to himself: This junior brother has a tough temper! I was just testing him, why is he trying to back out now? How can you refuse a business deal outright? If this really falls through, I won't even get a glimpse of two hundred yuan.

For this group of people, earning two hundred dollars isn't easy. Now, with just a few simple steps—checking someone's records or chasing an account—they can easily make it. Only a fool wouldn't take it.

"Hey, hey, junior brother, wait a minute!" Li Wangcai quickly smiled apologetically, "We'll take this job. The reward is two hundred, not a penny more."

He Yuzhu then stopped, slowly sat back down, and nodded, saying, "Okay, it's a deal."

Then, he briefly explained Liao Yucheng's situation: his ex-wife and son were both in Beijing, their whereabouts unknown, but they certainly hadn't gone far.

As for whether Li Wangcai would betray him, He Yuzhu didn't care at all. All he wanted were the other party's connections and informants; as long as he could dig out the person, that was enough.

After this trip, he finally understood Master Zhang's good intentions—the old man thought that the bond between fellow disciples might still hold some sway. Unfortunately, Li Wangcai truly lived up to his name; he only had money in his eyes and no feelings whatsoever.

It doesn't matter.

As long as the money can be recovered, Li Wangcai will have to obediently hand over his goods. He's too lazy to search the whole city for Liao Yucheng himself, so spending some money to buy his services is a good deal.

Furthermore—

Don't be fooled by his smiling face now. If he really turned hostile, with the gun he carries and his skills, taking down Li Wangcai and his gang would be a piece of cake, one palm strike at a time.

After leaving his address, He Yuzhu turned and left. This kind of person is resourceful and well-informed; as long as Liao Yucheng remains in Beijing, he will eventually be able to track him down.

After a while, when he returned to the courtyard house, He Yushui had already finished her dinner alone. However, she thoughtfully left him some food—a steamed bun and a bowl of stir-fried vegetables, left untouched on the table.

Without wasting any words, He Yuzhu quickly finished his meal, then efficiently cleared away the dishes and washed them clean.

He then sat down at the table and began tinkering with wood carving. After a while, he got up and practiced boxing, his movements fluid and graceful, moving with ease in the small room. After finishing his boxing, he opened a few books on mechanical design and began to study them intently. This was another area of ​​his professional development that he couldn't afford to neglect.

Besides the books, he also pulled out a few blueprints—a farewell gift from Sharif before he left. They were all design drawings for old-fashioned machine tools, Sharif's early work. Although not top-notch, they still had reference value for China today. They couldn't offer anything more advanced; this was the greatest sincerity they could offer.

He Yuzhu accepted the gifts without hesitation, but the gifts he gave in return made Sharif beam with joy: five jars of pickled vegetables, six bottles of medicinal wine, and over ten kilograms of smoked cured meat—all of Sharif's favorites. The old man felt he had hit the jackpot on the spot, and before boarding the plane, he stuffed a pile of mechanical design documents and handwritten notes into his hand.

At this moment, He Yuzhu is looking at a copy of these documents.

The original had already been handed over to the state, and he quickly made a copy in the space, leaving no risk behind.

[Mechanical Manufacturing Proficiency +2]

[Mechanical Manufacturing Proficiency +2]

[Mechanical Manufacturing Proficiency +2]

As he turned the pages, his understanding of mechanical design subtly transformed. This skill, unlike "mechanical repair," would be a tremendous asset for his future development in Hong Kong once he reached its maximum level.

Once fully upgraded, he can not only accelerate the expansion of the life-giving space, but also see through blueprints at a glance and reverse engineer equipment—even if given only an old machine, he can redesign a new product with similar functions but a completely different structure.

What does this mean? It means that once they arrive in Hong Kong, he and Lou's father can completely build their own heavy industry system, mass-produce equipment, monetize it independently, and completely break free from dependence.

With maxed-out repair and design skills, He Yuzhu could almost see the outline of a heavy industrial empire emerging before his eyes. The path to wealth was paved ahead of time.

Thinking of this, his heart skipped a beat—going to Hong Kong Island might not be so difficult after all. He had the technical skills, Lou Fu the management, and his military strength was second to none. With such a combination, rising to prominence was only a matter of time.

The next morning, just after breakfast, as he was about to take He Yushui to school, the deaf old lady suddenly blocked the doorway.

"Pillar, I have something to tell you..."

He Yuzhu frowned slightly: "Grandma, I'm in a hurry, I have to take Yushui to school."

"It'll only be a short while, it won't delay the child."

She stood there, leaning on her cane, completely still. No matter how powerful He Yuzhu was, he couldn't lay a hand on an old woman.

He Yushui said sensibly, "Brother, I'll wait for you inside."

Seeing his sister enter the room, He Yuzhu's tone turned colder: "Speak, what is it? There's still a ton of work to be done at the factory."

"Zhu Zi, Zhonghai went to the Northwest... Was it you who started this? Why did it have to come to this!"

The old woman slammed her cane down hard, her voice trembling: "Your aunt can't eat or sleep, she's in tears all day long, all because Zhonghai is gone! Can you think of a way to get him transferred back?"

"Grandma, you can't say things like that." He Yuzhu's face darkened. "The aid to the Northwest was voluntary, and it was an organizational arrangement. Who could interfere? Are you trying to frame me?"

He paused, his tone growing colder: "And talk about transferring people back? Forget it. I'm just a canteen manager, not even a government employee. What right do I have to interfere in national projects? Unless the project ends, Yi Zhonghai—is not coming back!"

Supporting the Northwest isn't something that can be done in a year or two. The reason fewer people are signing up these days is because this job isn't just about getting a prestigious title; it's about putting down roots. You either work until the job is done, or... you bring your coffin back.

As for Yi Zhonghai's case, it will take at least ten years to resolve.

The project he went to, Li Huaide inquired about, and the original plan was to complete it in fifteen years. To be back in ten years was already a life-or-death struggle. Moreover, those ten years were in the Northwest, not in Beijing—where the wind and sand are biting, and the soil and water are good for people but not for their lives. By the time he returns, he'll probably be an old man with white hair and a face full of wrinkles.

The deaf old woman's heart sank after hearing this. She finally believed it; Zhu Zi really wasn't the same simple-minded Zhu Zi he used to be. This matter was indeed inextricably linked to He Yuzhu.

Before, an older woman came to her in tears, pouring out her troubles, and she was half-believing her. But now, she believes her completely. Yi Zhonghai was inexplicably transferred to the Northwest; there must be something fishy going on behind the scenes. It must have been He Yuzhu who did it.

"Oh, what a pitiful old woman... She's relied on her only son her whole life, and now he's vanished without a trace. She cries every day, unable to breathe. Her health was already weak; how can she withstand this kind of torment..."

"Ha," He Yuzhu sneered, not even raising his eyes, "So you're blaming me for making her health so bad?"

Before he finished speaking, his eyes suddenly lit up and a smile appeared on his lips: "However... have that old lady come see me tonight. I'll give her some advice that will cure her illness and ease her heartache."

"What trick?" The deaf old lady's heart skipped a beat, thinking that he had finally had a change of heart, and she quickly asked.

He Yuzhu just smiled and remained silent.

She waited a few seconds, and seeing that he had no intention of saying anything, she could only sigh and say, "Fine, I'll have her go over tonight."

Just as they were about to leave, He Yuzhu suddenly spoke up again: "By the way, old lady, I have a question for you—how did Yi Zhonghai know about my family's class background?"

That sentence was like a nail driven into her heart.

The deaf old woman's hand trembled, and she almost dropped her cane. She struggled to keep her voice steady: "I don't know... I don't know. Zhu Zi, what's your class background? Zhong Hai... what does he know?"

"It's alright, you can go back now," He Yuzhu said calmly. "I should go to work too."

He understood.

Logically speaking, He Daqing wouldn't go so far as to leak such a thing out. The only possibility is that this "hard-of-hearing" old lady in front of him, though she didn't say it, had already let it slip to him.

Upon hearing that he was leaving, the deaf old lady quickly nodded, leaned on her cane, and hurried away without even turning her head back.

He Yuzhu stood there, sneered, pushed the cart, and called for He Yushui to come out. The two had barely left the courtyard when chaos erupted again inside the Jia family home—this time it was Qin Huairu and Jia Dongxu arguing.

That's quite unusual.

Normally, Qin Huairu wouldn't dare to breathe loudly at the Jia family home, and she would be a coward when Jia Zhangshi cursed her. But today, she dared to confront Jia Dongxu head-on.

What's even stranger is that Jia Zhangshi's raspy voice didn't join in the shouting.

On the other side, Xu Damao sneaked to the steel rolling mill early in the morning, clocked in, picked up the projection equipment, and then left with his cart.

The job of a projectionist is very free and easy. As long as the film is shown on time, you can sleep in until noon and no one will bother you.

He certainly wouldn't go to the countryside immediately; instead, he went straight to his parents' place.

Xu Fugui had already started working at the film studio—as a projectionist, earning a respectable salary of over forty yuan a month. Xu's mother was too lazy to work anymore, but she couldn't stay idle, so she did some needlework and looked after her youngest daughter on the side.

If Xu Fugui were home, Xu Damao wouldn't even dare to enter the door. That old man had a stubborn temper; if he saw Xu Damao reaching out for money, he could kick him out the door.

"Mom, I'm here."

Xu Damao quietly leaned his bicycle against the wall, picked up a bag of cheap snacks, and tiptoed into the house.

When Xu's mother looked up, she frowned slightly: "What are you doing here? Aren't you going to work?"

"Go ahead!" Xu Damao immediately put on a smile. "We're going to show a movie in the countryside later, so we're just stopping by to see you."

"Don't give me that." Mrs. Xu rolled her eyes. "Unsolicited kindness is always suspicious. So, what is it?"

Xu Damao chuckled, "Mom, you're the most knowledgeable. I want to ask you to find out about someone—yesterday I saw Shazhu bring a woman home, wow, she's gorgeous! Her poise, her figure, she even walks with a swagger. I was instantly smitten. Could you help me find out more about her? I'd like to settle down soon..."

Then he embellished Chen Xueru's story.

Upon hearing this, Xu's mother frowned, her tone hesitant: "Shazhu... Da Mao, your father specifically told you the other day not to mess with Shazhu. Why don't we just let this go? I'll introduce you to an honest and decent girl..."

"Honest and proper?" Xu Damao's face fell, and he rolled his eyes inwardly. "Could any honest and proper girl be half as beautiful as her? That seductive charm of hers, she doesn't look like an ordinary person just standing there. Who can I compare her to?"