Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

The swift and brutal end of Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong, as tragic as lightning and as devastating as hell, was like a bucket of ice-cold water, instantly extinguishing his pitiful schadenfreude, leaving only a bone-chilling cold and a deep-seated fear.

"My God... Wei Chen... that kid... he's too vicious!" Xu Damao slumped in his chair, gulped down a large mouthful of cold water, trying to suppress the dryness in his throat and the palpitations in his heart, but cold sweat still kept seeping from his forehead.

"Thank goodness... thank goodness Director Wang didn't call my name that day... and Jin Aiguo's devilish gaze didn't fall on me... otherwise..." He shuddered, not daring to think any further. Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong were prime examples; their fates were enough to send chills down his spine.

Now, when he sees Wei Chen, he's like a mouse seeing a cat. At the slightest glimpse of that tall, composed figure, or the sound of those familiar footsteps, he immediately reflexively shrinks his neck, turns around, and goes around him, his movements incredibly agile, as if he wants to shrink himself into a ball of air.

He was filled with deep regret. If he had known that Wei Chen's power was so terrifying and his background so profound—with the head of the security department supporting him, the deputy director of logistics assisting him, and the director of the street office backing him up—he would never have dared to provoke that tiger! He only smelled the aroma of meat but didn't get a taste; did he really have to risk getting himself killed?!

However, there was no escaping it. That very night, Xu Damao was cornered in his house by his father, Xu Wude.

Xu Wude was a seasoned veteran projectionist who had worked his way up from the bottom for decades. He was well-informed and had no eyes to hide. He knew the whole story of the entire theater meeting, and he vividly remembered the miserable state of Yi Zhonghai's bangs.

His face was gloomy as he looked at his son, who was more trouble than he was worth. He was so angry that his chest heaved, and he slammed his hand on the table, making the enamel mug on the table jump.

"Xu Damao! You bastard!" Xu Wude's voice was extremely low, yet it was like a poisoned knife, each word piercing the heart. "How many times have I told you?! What kind of situation are you in lately? Keep a low profile! Keep your tail between your legs! Have you been treating my words like they're nothing?!"

He pointed at Xu Damao's nose, spitting almost onto the man's face, "I told you not to offend anyone! I told you to get on good terms with that kid Wei Chen! You were the one who introduced him to the factory, a natural ally, but you followed that old coffin-head Yi Zhonghai to trample on him?! Did a door squeeze your brain or a donkey kick you?! Huh?!"

Xu Damao shuddered in fright, shrinking his neck even tighter, his face deathly pale: "Dad... I... I just... was confused for a moment... I saw them all rushing up, so I... I just blurted out a few words..."

"Confused? I think you're incredibly stupid!" Xu Wude said through gritted teeth, exasperated. "Open your dog eyes and look at what happened to Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong! They're being sent to the neighborhood committee for 'learning from them'! They've been publicly criticized by the factory, their records have been updated, and their bonuses have been docked! Their lives are ruined!"

And you? You think you can get away with it by hiding in the back and spouting some sarcastic remarks that day? If you hadn't stood up for yourself, do you think those people behind Wei Chen would have let you off the hook?! That kid, he seems so quiet, but look at his methods! His status as a martyr's family member is his shield! His merits for the factory are his achievements! Is Zhou Jianjun from the security department someone you can mess with? Is that smiling tiger Li Huaide someone you can easily get along with? Is that tigress Wang Guifen someone you can talk to?! These people are all united against you, who do you think you are?! Crushing you is easier than crushing a bug!

Xu Damao was thoroughly scolded, his shirt soaked with cold sweat, his legs went weak, and he couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal. He could only nod like a chicken pecking at rice: "Yes...yes...Dad, I know I was wrong...I was wrong...I'll avoid him like the plague from now on...I'll never mess with him again..."

"Go around? Just going around him is enough?" Xu Wude's triangular eyes were full of calculation and anxiety. "Find an opportunity! Find a way for me! Lower your head, admit your mistake, even if you have to act like a grandson! You have to smooth things over for me! Do you hear me?! Don't let him hold a grudge against you! We can't afford to serve this plague god, but we certainly can't afford to offend him!"

"I heard you... I heard you..." Xu Damao responded repeatedly, but his heart felt as bitter as if he had swallowed a bitter pill. Apologize? Now, seeing Wei Chen made his heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys tremble. How could he have the courage to approach him and say something soft? He only hoped that the evil star would just ignore him.

In the east wing of the backyard, Wei Chen sat cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed) he had tidied up, his eyes slightly closed, his breathing long and deep, as if he were immersed in some kind of profound meditation.

However, his spiritual power, like an invisible yet omnipresent spider web, had already quietly spread out, precisely covering a 153-meter radius around him. The movements of the entire courtyard, including parts of the front yard and alley, were clearly reflected in his "heart lake."

The intense argument between the Xu father and son, filled with suppressed anger and fear, was heard by Wei Chen without missing a single word. Xu Wude's cunning reprimand, Xu Damao's blustering but cowardly defense, and his heartfelt fear were all clearly presented before Wei Chen's "eyes".

"Heh..." A cold, mocking smile curled at the corner of Wei Chen's lips in the shadows, unseen by anyone. Xu Wude was a sensible man; he knew fear now? He understood how to weigh the pros and cons? Too bad, it was too late. Having lived two lives, Wei Chen was well aware of the wickedness of human nature and was never a kind-hearted person who repaid evil with kindness. He believed in the principle of "treating others with respect, I will treat them with even greater respect; if someone offends me, I will repay them tenfold!"

Wei Chen remembered clearly Xu Damao's seemingly "helping out" speech at the hospital-wide meeting, which was actually a malicious attempt to "praise him to death," and his ugly face of gloating and kicking someone when they're down.

That wasn't just jealousy; it was blatant betrayal. Everyone on TV said Xu Damao was a scoundrel. Even after coming to this compound, Wei Chen sometimes saw the intense jealousy in Xu Damao's eyes, and sometimes he'd whisper something behind his back. Out of consideration for their past relationship, Wei Chen ignored him.

Now that he's stepped forward, Wei Chen isn't one to back down! Realizing he's outmatched, he wants to hide? He thinks he can just brush it off with a few half-hearted apologies? There's no such easy way out!

"Xu Damao," Wei Chen sneered inwardly, his thoughts like a cold blade, "Didn't you dream of climbing the social ladder of the Lou family, marrying a rich and beautiful woman, and reaching the pinnacle of life? Fine, then I'll add a 'surprise' to your 'bright future' that you'll never forget."

Over the next few days, Wei Chen focused his mental energy on the Xu family. Xu Damao's restlessness and sighs; Xu Wude's worried expression and repeated instructions; and the whispered but excited conversations between the mother and son about the marriage to the Lou family were all heard by Wei Chen as if he were watching a live broadcast.

That evening, Xu Damao's mother, Yang Sufeng, returned home, her face beaming with a barely suppressed yet radiant joy. She entered the house lightly, closing the door tightly behind her, before lowering her voice and saying to Xu Wude and Xu Damao with a triumphant air, "It's done! We have definite news from the Lou family! Fantastic news!"

Xu Damao, who had been sitting listlessly, jumped up as if he had been pricked in the butt by the words, his eyes shining brightly: "Mom! Really?! The Lou family... the Lou family agreed?!" His voice was trembling with excitement.

"Shh! Keep your voice down, my dear!" Yang Sufeng glared at her son reproachfully, but her smile bloomed like a flower. "These past few days, I've almost worn out the soles of my shoes, saying so many things to Mrs. Lou! All my hard work has finally paid off! Mr. Lou has finally given in!"

She paused, deliberately lowering her voice, with an air of knowing the inside story, "Mr. Lou now wants to find a working-class woman with impeccable political background and a clean family to marry! This is to show his stance, to protect himself! Our family is working class, with impeccable lineage! And I myself am a legitimate projectionist at a steel mill, a worker on a government-subsidized food supply! What a perfect candidate!"

Xu Wude's tense face finally broke into a relieved smile, his wrinkles smoothing out a bit: "Good! Good! Su Fen, you did a great job! You've done a great service to the Xu family!"

Yang Sufeng raised her carefully groomed eyebrows triumphantly, as if she had become ten years younger: "Mrs. Lou told me herself! She wants us to take Damao to the Lou mansion to formally visit Mr. Lou next Sunday, which is the day after tomorrow! As long as Mr. Lou nods in approval, the marriage will be a done deal!"

"Really?! That's wonderful! Mom! You really are my mother!" Xu Damao was so excited that he almost jumped up. His previous fear and bad luck were completely washed away by this huge joy. He seemed to have already seen his bright future as the son-in-law of the Lou family, living a life of luxury.

He patted his chest confidently, "Mom! Dad! Don't worry! I'll go all out the day after tomorrow! I'll use every trick in the book to make Mr. Lou very happy! I guarantee he won't find a single fault with me!"

Looking at her son's flushed face, and recalling Lou Xiao'e's critical gaze, Yang Sufeng couldn't help but remind him again, lowering her voice even further: "Da Mao, this is a golden opportunity for you to rise above your station! The Lou family's wealth is immense; even a single hair on their head is thicker than our waists! You absolutely must seize this opportunity! Use all your silver tongue and keen observation skills! As for Miss Lou..."

She hesitated for a moment, then said, "Although...although I might not be entirely satisfied with your looks, our family background is clean and reliable, and you're good at handling things and charming people! As long as Mr. Lou agrees, this is settled! As for Miss Lou, we can take our time!"

Xu Damao thumped his chest loudly: "Mom, just you wait and see! Dealing with young girls is a piece of cake for your son! I guarantee he'll have her completely bewildered!"

Listening to the undisguised scheming of the Xu family mother and son, and Xu Damao's almost bursting joy, sensing the boundless yearning for wealth and status in his heart, Wei Chen slowly opened his eyes. In the dim light, a cold and sharp glint flashed in his deep eyes.