Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

The courtyard was in chaos. Yi Zhonghai's eyes were closed, his face was sallow and bluish, his lips were dark purple, and his chest was only rising and falling slightly, as if he would die at any moment.

An elderly woman, tears streaming down her face, cried her heart out: "Old Yi! You can't be hurt! If anything happens to you, how can I live..."

Jia Dongxu awkwardly supported Yi Zhonghai, his eyes filled with confusion and a hint of fear. Sha Zhu, while helping to support him, watched Yi Zhonghai's completely broken state. The schadenfreude on his face had vanished; his feelings towards Yi Zhonghai were now quite complex. He wasn't as obedient as he had been at the beginning of the story, but he had received a lot of help from Yi Zhonghai, and seeing him like this, he felt quite sorry for him.

In the midst of the chaos, Jia Zhangshi's cloudy old eyes darted around like flies spotting carrion, fixing precisely on Wei Chen, who stood calmly at the edge of the crowd. She suddenly opened her hoarse voice, sharp and piercing, filled with malicious intent:

"Oh my goodness! What do you mean I haven't seen strangers? There's a new family here! They've only been here for a little over a year! Who knows who they are? Look at them, look at them!" Her finger almost poked Wei Chen's nose. "They eat and drink the finest food all day long! The smell of meat fills the whole yard every few days! It's making everyone's mouths water! Who knows if their money... is clean or not?!"

Swish!

The gazes that had just been focused on Yi Zhonghai were instantly drawn to Jia Zhangshi's shocking accusation, and all turned to Wei Chen! The air seemed to freeze. Shock, doubt, curiosity, schadenfreude... a complex mix of emotions surged silently through the crowd.

Liu Fuguo and Wu Zhengmin's gazes sharpened instantly, locking onto Wei Chen like searchlights. Although Jia Zhangshi's words were vicious, they did point to a direction—the timing of Wei Chen's move, his unusually affluent lifestyle (eating meat every day in an era of widespread poverty), and the subtle discord between him and Yi Zhonghai (Liu Fuguo, as the deputy director of the district police station, was not unaware of some of the rumors circulating within the institute). Especially given the current case's long timeframe, scarce clues, and lack of progress using conventional methods, any anomaly warranted in-depth investigation!

Jia Zhangshi plucked a string in Liu Fuguo's heart that suspected an inside job. His gaze toward Wei Chen was full of scrutiny and pressure, carrying a silent question: Shouldn't you explain yourself?

Wei Chen met the countless gazes without flinching. He slowly raised his head, his gaze like a sharp, icy blade piercing Jia Zhangshi's mean and greedy old face. His voice, though not loud, clearly drowned out all the noise in the room, carrying an undeniable coldness:

"Jia Zhangshi, everyone in the courtyard, including you, knows how I got my meat." He looked around, his gaze sweeping over the familiar faces. "I can hunt! From the first day I entered this courtyard, I've supported myself with this skill! The neighborhood committee canteen, the steel mill canteen, even the few poor families in our courtyard..."

His gaze lingered deliberately on Jia Zhangshi's face for a moment. "Which family hasn't received wild game from me? Every time, it's been crystal clear! Every penny I, Wei Chen, earn has a source! The neighborhood committee has records, the steel mill has proof! Every penny I spend is done honestly and uprightly!"

He paused, his tone growing colder, tinged with undisguised sarcasm: "So it's you, Jia Zhangshi, who's so concerned about my meat? Do you think you deserve a share of the meat I hunt? Or do you think my money, Wei Chen's, comes as 'easily' as your son Jia Dongxu's?"

These words were like two resounding slaps to the faces of Jia Zhangshi and Jia Dongxu. Jia Zhangshi was choked, her face turning pale and then red, her lips trembling as she couldn't speak. Jia Dongxu lowered his head in shame, wishing he could disappear into the ground. Many people in the courtyard remembered how the Jia family relied on Yi Zhonghai's charity and Qin Huairu's constant "borrowing" of grain to survive, and their gazes towards Jia Zhangshi were now filled with disdain.

"Then...who knows!" Jia Zhangshi, enraged and embarrassed, continued to shout, her neck stiff and her voice filled with bluster but her heart breaking. "Anyone can talk big! If you're so capable...if you're so capable, then search! Search and you'll find out! Five thousand three hundred yuan, such a large sum of money, how could it not smell? Only if you find it will it count!" She grasped at the last straw, desperately trying to muddy the waters.

search?

Jia Zhangshi's words were exactly what Liu Fuguo wanted to hear! He was worried that the case had reached a stalemate, with conventional questioning yielding no results. The case had spanned a long period, the crime scene had been disturbed, and traces had been erased; the only breakthrough seemed to be the most primitive yet most effective method—a search!

Especially when faced with such a huge sum of stolen money, a search can often have unexpected results. Liu Fuguo's gaze fell on Wei Chen again, and the meaning in his eyes was very clear: In order to solve the case and to prove your innocence, do you, Wei Chen, dare to accept a search?

Wei Chen understood the resolve in Liu Fuguo's eyes. Far from showing any resistance, he instead smiled faintly, yet with a profound meaning, and declared loudly, "I, Wei Chen, am upright and honest; there's nothing I wouldn't dare to do! Cooperating with the police is only right and proper! However..."

He abruptly changed the subject, his gaze sweeping across the entire room. His voice rose sharply, carrying an undeniable authority, "If you're going to search, then Director Liu, please be fair! You can't just search my family, Wei Chen's family! Every single resident in the entire compound is a suspect. You can't just search my family! That would be bullying! If you're going to search, then search the entire compound! Leave no one out!"

His words were like a bucket of cold water poured into boiling oil! The entire courtyard instantly erupted in chaos!

In this day and age, every family has its secrets. Especially these few well-known families in the courtyard, their words caused an uproar.

Wei Chen wanted this effect. Since you guys aren't making me comfortable, I'll take this opportunity to overturn the table and thoroughly clean up the courtyard house, so that all sorts of messy and disgusting things won't come my way and make me miserable in the future.

"A full hospital search?!" "Why are you searching my house?" "My family has no money!" "This...this is really bad..." "Wei Chen, are you crazy?!" "I think he's just feeling guilty! He wants to drag everyone down with him!"

Shock, anger, panic, and dissent rose and fell. Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui's faces turned pale instantly. Sha Zhu crossed his arms and sneered, a "let's see how you get out of this" look on his face. Xu Damao's eyes flickered, and he quietly shrank back into the crowd. Qin Huairu's grip on Xiao Dang tightened slightly, a barely perceptible tension flashing across her face. Jia Zhangshi was even more dumbfounded; she only wanted to bite Wei Chen, but she never expected him to turn around and overturn the table!

Liu Fuguo was taken aback by Wei Chen's radical suggestion, but then a sharp glint flashed in his eyes! Good lad! He's got guts! And ruthless enough! This is indeed a way to break the deadlock, and might even yield unexpected surprises!

The theft was massive and occurred a long time ago, making it highly likely that it was committed by someone known to the victim. A full-scale search of the entire hospital is logically sound! Although the workload is enormous, compared to a stalemate with no clues, this is almost the only way to break through the deadlock!

Yi Zhonghai's expression improved considerably; Deputy Director Liu's words had filled him with despair. Although Wei Chen was usually disobedient, this suggestion was the only thing that could help him now—what if they found it in someone's house?

"Good!" Liu Fuguo slammed his hand on the table, his voice resolute, silencing all murmurs. "Comrade Wei Chen is right! In order to solve the case as quickly as possible and to completely clear everyone of suspicion, I have decided—to conduct a thorough search of all households in the No. 95 courtyard of Nanluoguxiang! Every single house, every single household, every corner must be searched! Any act that obstructs the search will be considered obstruction of official duties! The consequences will be borne by the perpetrator!"

His imposing gaze swept across the entire room, and no one dared to meet his eyes; even Madam Jia shrank back.

"Furthermore," Liu Fuguo's gaze fell on the large yellow dog sitting quietly at Wei Chen's feet, his tone softening slightly, tinged with a hint of negotiation, "Officer Wei, we've heard so much about your dog's abilities. Could we ask it to help with the search this time? Its nose is a hundred times better than ours!" He then added, "Of course, to avoid any appearance of impropriety, Officer Wu and I will personally search your house; the dog won't be involved. What do you think?"

Without hesitation, Wei Chen nodded in agreement: "No problem, Chief Liu. Da Huang is very obedient and follows orders. It will do its duty to solve the case." He gently patted Da Huang's head. Da Huang seemed to understand, straightening its chest, its dark eyes flashing with focus and alertness, the police badge on its neck gleaming under the light.

"Good!" Liu Fuguo's spirits lifted. "Since Comrade Wei Chen is so understanding and righteous, let's start with his house! Set an example for everyone! Wu Zhengmin, you take the men and maintain order! No unauthorized personnel are allowed to approach the house being searched!"

"Wait!" Wei Chen raised his hand, his gaze coldly fixed on Jia Zhangshi, who was itching to enter and whose eyes were greedily glancing in his direction. "Chief Liu, a search will be conducted by the police! At most, three senior officers will be there as witnesses. As for the others, especially those with dirty hands and foul mouths," he gave Jia Zhangshi a pointed look, "they have no right to enter my house!"

"Wei Chen! Who are you talking to, you little brat?!" Jia Zhangshi jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, ready to throw a tantrum.

"Enough!" Liu Fuguo shouted sternly. "Wu Zhengmin! Keep an eye on her! If she causes any more trouble, handcuff her and take her back to the station!" Wu Zhengmin immediately stepped forward, his eyes fixed sharply on Jia Zhangshi. Jia Zhangshi trembled in fear, muttering "officials protect each other," but dared not step forward again.

Liu Fuguo, Wu Zhengmin, Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui who were named as witnesses, and Yi Zhonghai himself, who was pale-faced (he insisted on watching), walked together toward Wei Chen's house in the east courtyard.

Wei Chen calmly led the way. A dense crowd surged into the east wing of the courtyard like a tide, craning their necks to look inside, their voices buzzing with tension and excited anticipation.