Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Although it was just a short affirmation, it was like rain after a long drought for Yan Bugui! His face flushed slightly with excitement. He adjusted his glasses, straightened his back, and spoke in a loud voice, "Yes! Yes! Thank you for your affirmation, Director Wang! I will definitely remember your teachings and assist the street office in its work! I will uphold principles and distinguish right from wrong! I will never let you down!"

He was overjoyed, feeling brimming with energy, and secretly rejoiced: "Just as I thought! Following Wei Chen was always the right thing to do! Look, here comes the praise! Yi Zhonghai, you've really brought this upon yourself this time!"

Wang Guifen gave a final, stern look across the room, her voice carrying a final warning, as cold as ice: "I hope everyone will learn from tonight's events! Reflect deeply! Neighborhoods should be united, but even more importantly, they should adhere to principles, the law, and public morality! No one will be allowed to use the guise of 'collective' to oppress the good or satisfy their own selfish desires! Meeting adjourned!"

After she finished speaking, she looked away from everyone, took two officers, and turned to leave.

Jin Aiguo had been standing silently beside Director Wang like an iron tower. At this moment, he stepped forward, his sharp gaze like a tangible blade, carrying a cold warning, as it fiercely swept over the pale, dejected faces of Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong, and then coldly swept over the crowd who were trembling with fear and dared not utter a sound.

He didn't speak, but the silent pressure he exuded was more intimidating than any words. He nodded slightly to Wang Guifen, then turned and strode away, the hem of his security uniform catching a gust of cold wind. This was the street office's territory; he was only there to support Wei Chen and bear witness.

A storm, jointly unleashed by the neighborhood committee and the steel mill security guards, came swiftly and left just as quickly. But the shock and chilling aftershocks it left behind, like a winter's chill, instantly froze the entire courtyard.

The crowd fell silent; no one dared to disperse immediately, nor did anyone dare to speak loudly. Everyone was terrified by Director Wang Guifen's thunderous methods, her boldness in making a public apology, and Jin Aiguo's silent yet oppressive warning.

Looking at the dejected figures of Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong, who seemed to have aged ten years in an instant, Jia Zhangshi opened her mouth as if to mutter a few words, but in the end she only pursed her lips, a hint of schadenfreude and a trace of barely perceptible panic flashing in her eyes. She then pulled Banggeng, who was still looking around, and slunk back into the house.

Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong stood frozen in place like two soulless clay or wooden sculptures, their faces burning as if they had been stripped naked and slapped countless times in public. Probationary period!

Going to the neighborhood committee's training class! This practically signaled the end of their "old man" lives! Especially for Yi Zhonghai, everything he had painstakingly built up over decades—his prestige, his public image, the core of his retirement plan—seemed to collapse and vanish completely at this moment, with Wang Guifen's departure and Jin Aiguo's cold gaze. A tremendous sense of loss and fear gripped him, making him almost unable to stand.

Wei Chen stood at his doorstep, calmly observing everything. Moonlight bathed him, outlining his tall and slightly aloof figure. His face showed no smugness, only a deep, still calm.

Looking at the dejected and unsteady figures of Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong, at the awe, avoidance, and even slightly fawning looks in the eyes of the crowd, and at the undisguised excitement and relief of the Third Uncle Yan Bugui…

"This is nothing," Wei Chen thought with a silent sneer, his gaze like the most precise probe, turning to the door of the Jia family's house, which had been tightly closed in the storm but was now slightly ajar.

Behind the crack, it seemed as if a pair of greedy and fearful eyes were peering in. That was the real source of trouble for the courtyard house, the Jia family, like a leech, greedy by nature, with "bloodsucking" etched into their very bones... The real show had only just begun.

He turned and gently pushed open the door, shutting out all the turmoil, awe, fear, and scheming outside. Inside, there was the warm light of his mother and sister waiting peacefully, and a small world that had temporarily returned to tranquility.

The next day, in the small conference room of the steel rolling mill, morning light streamed through the tall windows, casting bright patches of light on the floor.

The oval conference table was filled with the core leadership of the steel rolling mill. Plant Director Yang Weiguo sat in the main seat, his face serious, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the spread-out monthly production report.

The meeting was drawing to a close, with all routine topics such as production targets, equipment maintenance, and safety procedures having been discussed. A sense of relaxation, as if after a routine task, filled the air.

"...Regarding the technical upgrade plan for Workshop 3, the technical department should refine the cost accounting further, and it will be reviewed again at the meeting next week." Yang Weiguo closed the folder in his hand and gave a calm summary. "Does anyone else have anything else? If not, then we'll call it a day..."

"Director Yang." A deep, resonant voice, carrying a distinctly military bearing, interrupted Director Yang's words.

The meeting room fell silent instantly, and everyone's eyes turned to the source of the sound—Zhou Jianjun, the head of the security department.

Zhou Jianjun sat in the back, his posture still upright like a pine tree. Even in civilian clothes, his tough, military-trained demeanor was still evident.

He rarely spoke at factory meetings of this level, often remaining a silent guardian, only offering brief reports on specific security matters. His sudden outburst at this moment carried an unusual signal.

Yang Weiguo was slightly taken aback, then his face showed just the right amount of seriousness: "Section Chief Zhou, please speak." A trace of doubt quickly flashed through his mind.

Although the security department is nominally under the factory's management, its personnel and operations are more directly led by the higher-level armed forces department. Zhou Jianjun's situation is even more special; in addition to his position as head of the security department, he also holds a title from the armed forces department, making him a deputy division chief—only one level below him, the factory director, and half a level higher than the deputy factory directors present. His words carried immense weight.

Zhou Jianjun stared straight ahead, not looking at anyone. His voice was not loud, but each word was clear and carried an undeniable weight, as if he were delivering a predetermined military report:

"Logically, I shouldn't be saying this. The factory meeting should focus on production and targets; that's fundamental." He paused, his gaze slowly sweeping over the deputy factory directors and heads of key departments present, his eyes sharp as an eagle, scrutinizing them. "However, there's something I know. And it concerns one of our security department's recently commended officers. He himself has been wronged, and his family has been implicated. I feel it's necessary to give him a heads-up."

The air in the meeting room seemed to freeze. Everyone held their breath. A hero? Aggrieved? Family members implicated? These words, combined, carried immense weight! Especially coming from Zhou Jianjun's mouth.

Zhou Jianjun continued, his tone still calm, but his words like a hammer blow: "While our factory is focusing all its efforts on production and targets, are we not tightening the reins on the ideological development of our workers enough? Do some comrades still harbor remnants of the old society's dregs in their thinking? For example… feudal patriarchal style? Factionalism? Or even… relying on seniority or so-called 'status' to bully the workers?"

With each word he uttered, the temperature in the conference room seemed to drop by a degree. Yang Weiguo's brows furrowed tightly; he keenly sensed the sharpness in Zhou Jianjun's words, but couldn't immediately pinpoint the target. The other deputy factory directors exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions varying.

"If there's a problem with the ideological front, can production safety be guaranteed? Will the workers' enthusiasm be affected?" Zhou Jianjun's voice suddenly became a few decibels, carrying a heavy questioning tone. "Heroes shed blood and sweat on the front lines, but after work, when they return to their own courtyards, they are still subjected to criticism and attacks by certain 'old men' with problematic ideologies, and their families are also humiliated!"

When this happens to our fellow workers, to the families of our heroes and martyrs, how can we, as leaders, turn a blind eye? Doesn't this deserve our vigilance and reflection?!

This was originally a minor matter, not something the factory leaders would discuss in a meeting. Zhou Jianjun brought it up for two reasons: firstly, his military discipline meant he couldn't stand seeing meritorious individuals, especially the families of martyrs, being humiliated; secondly, he felt that Director Yang had become somewhat arrogant after establishing himself in the factory, and since the security department hadn't spoken up, some people didn't care about them anymore. He was using this opportunity to give the security department a voice!

Zhou Jianjun's last few words were like a thunderclap in the conference room! "Criticism," "siege," "family members of heroes and martyrs," "family members humiliated"... every word carried a powerful impact!

Yang Weiguo's expression changed drastically, his hand on the table clenching slightly. He realized that things were far from simple, and extremely serious! He quickly glanced at his secretary, Xiao Wang. Xiao Wang was standing in the corner taking notes, looking completely bewildered and shocked, clearly unaware of the matter. Yang Weiguo's heart sank.

Just as the suffocating silence and awkwardness were about to freeze, another voice rang out, carrying just the right amount of righteous indignation, seamlessly picking up where Zhou Jianjun left off.

"Section Chief Zhou is absolutely right!" Li Huaide, the deputy factory director in charge of logistics, slammed his hand on the table, his face full of heartache, and took over the conversation in a loud voice, "This is simply outrageous! We talk about 'serving the people' and 'workers being the masters of their own destiny' every day! And what's the result?"

Some comrades, whose ideological awareness is lagging behind, take off their work clothes after work and start to think of themselves as "masters" and "grandpas" from the old society! They forget that they are members of the working class and that they have forgotten where their roots are! Do they still want to run a one-man show and hold those kinds of criticism meetings?

This completely deviates from the Party's principles and the principles of socialism! This unhealthy trend must be resolutely stopped! Otherwise, it will chill the hearts of those who have made contributions and the hearts of the vast majority of workers. How can we then focus on production? What development can we even talk about?

Li Huaide's words were like adding fuel to the fire, or a precise, targeted strike. Although he didn't name names, the words "after work," "old man," and "struggle session" practically made Zhou Jianjun's implicit accusations explicit! Moreover, he cleverly elevated "ideological issues" to the level of "deviation from purpose" and "deviation from principles," a label that was both heavy and weighty.

Yang Weiguo's heart raced. He glanced at Zhou Jianjun, whose face was upright and whose eyes were piercing, and then at Li Huaide, who was filled with righteous indignation and speaking passionately.

These two people, who usually don't interact much at work and even have some departmental barriers, are now working together seamlessly!