Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Upon arriving at the security office, after being informed, the officers on duty led Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong to Captain Liu Changqing's office. After all, they were two senior workers; this courtesy had to be shown.

Liu Changqing had just finished dealing with Sha Zhu and Xu Damao's matter and was writing a situation report when he saw Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong arrive together. He immediately understood what was going on. He put down his pen, invited the two men to sit down, and asked in a businesslike manner, without much expression, "Master Yi, Master Liu, you two have come about He Yuzhu and Xu Damao's matter, right?"

Yi Zhonghai nodded hurriedly, a sincere and steady smile on his face: "Captain Liu, we're sorry to trouble you. We're the two elders in charge of the compound. We heard that two kids in the compound were being unreasonable and had a fight at the factory, which even involved the security department. We feel really bad about it and are very worried, so we rushed over to find out what happened and see if we could... Sigh, the kids are young and impulsive. They made a mistake, and they need to be educated and punished, but they're still young, and their future is important. Could you please, Captain Liu and the department leaders, consider that this is their first offense and... give them a lenient punishment?"

He put it mildly, but his meaning was clear.

Liu Changqing leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, saying nothing, just looking at Yi Zhonghai.

Seeing that Liu Changqing hadn't responded, Yi Zhonghai thought there was a chance, so he quickly continued speaking according to his plan, his tone leaning more towards He Yuzhu: "Captain Liu, to be honest, I've watched He Yuzhu grow up since he was a child. His father... passed away early, leaving only him and his sister in the family. It hasn't been easy for them."

This child is good at heart, kind-hearted, and hardworking; he's just a bit too straightforward and quick-tempered. After looking into the incident, we determined that the primary responsibility did not lie with him.

It was Xu Damao who spread false rumors about Zhu Zi's family in the factory, damaging Zhu Zi's reputation and pushing him to the brink, which led to his impulsive and extreme behavior. Ultimately, Zhu Zi is also a victim! Do you think we should primarily deal with Xu Damao for spreading rumors and causing trouble, and focus on criticism and education for Zhu Zi…”

His words, seemingly fair, actually downplayed the seriousness of Sha Zhu's armed crime, shifting the main blame onto Xu Damao, attempting to "give both sides equal blame" with a bias towards Xu Damao, and even placing the main blame on Xu Damao.

Liu Haizhong, who was standing next to him, nodded in agreement: "Yes, Captain Liu, Lao Yi is right. Xu Damao is always glib and unreliable. Sha Zhu was a bit reckless, but there was a reason for it."

As Liu Changqing listened to Yi Zhonghai's conciliatory and biased remarks, his face gradually darkened. Having served as the head of the security department for many years, he had witnessed far too many instances of such "pleas" and "favoritism" from the compound, from family members, and from so-called "respected" elders. These attempts often downplayed serious disciplinary violations as "the child was immature" or "acted impulsively," trying to use kinship and personal relationships to manipulate discipline—something he found utterly repulsive!

After Yi Zhonghai finished speaking, Liu Changqing stopped tapping his fingers on the table. He sat up straight, his gaze sharp as he looked at Yi Zhonghai. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable, cold firmness:

"Master Yi, you're saying He Yuzhu is a victim? That it was a moment of impulse?"

He paused, then raised his voice: "Then let me ask you, Xu Damao was wrong to spread those words, he deserves criticism and punishment. But which factory rule did he violate? Did he physically assault anyone? Did he carry a weapon?"

Yi Zhonghai was taken aback by the question, and opened his mouth, "This... he's spreading rumors..."

"Spreading rumors?" Liu Changqing interrupted him. "Even if what he said is untrue and of a serious nature, the factory should investigate and handle it according to relevant regulations. But what about He Yuzhu?"

Liu Changqing's voice suddenly rose, carrying a menacing aura: "In broad daylight, on the main road of the factory area, he openly brandished a solid iron rod and shouted that he wanted to kill someone! He chased another employee all over the factory! This attracted hundreds of onlookers, paralyzing order in the office area! If it weren't for a few workers holding him back, his thugs would have already attacked Xu Damao. At that point, what would become of our security department? What would become of the factory's discipline and the law? What kind of behavior is this? This is a serious attempted armed assault! This is intentional injury! This is a serious disruption of production order and factory discipline! This is a blatant sign of illegal and criminal activity!"

Every word was like a heavy hammer blow, striking Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong squarely! Liu Haizhong's chubby face trembled, and his hand holding the enamel mug wobbled slightly. Yi Zhonghai's face turned pale; he hadn't expected Liu Changqing to be so forceful, directly labeling Sha Zhu's behavior so severely.

"Captain Liu, it's not that serious, is it? Zhu Zi was just trying to scare Xu Damao, he didn't really mean it..." Yi Zhonghai wanted to argue.

"Intimidation?" Liu Changqing suddenly stood up, placed his hands on the table, leaned forward, and glared at Yi Zhonghai like a knife. "Master Yi! You are a senior master craftsman in the factory, a level seven fitter! You should know better than anyone the seriousness of the factory rules and regulations! What do you mean by intimidation? What would happen if you swung that thick iron rod down like that?

What if he hadn't stopped him then, or if he had caught up with Xu Damao and struck him on the head or body with a stick, injuring, maiming, or even killing him! Who would take responsibility for that? Could you bear it? Or could I? At that point, it wouldn't be as simple as a few days in jail or a disciplinary action! It would be transferred to the public security organs and sentenced according to the law!

He became increasingly agitated as he spoke, slamming his finger heavily on the table: "If we hadn't arrived in time to stop it, and if the workers on site hadn't desperately held him back, the consequences would have been unimaginable! And now you come to me saying he's a victim? That he acted impulsively? And that we should treat him leniently?"

Master Yi, let me ask you, if it were Xu Damao wielding the iron rod today, and He Yuzhu was the one chasing after him, would you still plead for him like this? Would you still think it was "a moment of impulse" or "excusable"?

This series of powerful and incisive questions, like a storm, completely shattered Yi Zhonghai's excuses of "protecting his own" and "playing it safe"! Yi Zhonghai was rendered speechless, his face turning pale and then red, and fine beads of sweat even appeared on his forehead.

He hadn't expected Liu Changqing to be so ruthless, to speak so bluntly and harshly. He opened his mouth, only to find that any explanation seemed utterly pale and powerless at this moment.

Yes, if the roles were reversed, would he plead for Xu Damao like this? No. Only now did he truly realize that the trouble Sha Zhu had caused this time was far greater and more egregious than he had imagined! It couldn't be brushed aside with a few words like "the child is still young" or "there was a reason for it."

Liu Haizhong, standing to the side, was already too frightened to speak, holding his cup and not daring to drink a drop of water. He secretly regretted coming with Yi Zhonghai, thinking that Captain Liu was too fierce and didn't give him any face at all.

Seeing Yi Zhonghai speechless and his expression shifting, Liu Changqing knew his words had worked. He sat down again, his tone softening slightly, but still serious: "Master Yi, Master Liu, I understand your feelings. As elders in the community, you care about the children."

But factories have their rules, and countries have their laws! He Yuzhu's actions today have seriously violated factory regulations and even skirted the edge of the law! Furthermore, with so many people witnessing this incident, it has created a very negative impact! We must deal with this seriously as a warning to others!

This is not only about being responsible for him personally, but also for all the factory workers! If we don't deal with him seriously today, tomorrow Li Yuzhu and Zhang Yuzhu might follow suit and think that using violence in the factory is no big deal! What kind of factory would that be? How could we manage production? How could we ensure safety?

He paused, then concluded, "We've already locked him up. The specifics of how to handle him will depend on the department's decision and the factory leadership's approval. Until then, no one is allowed to interfere or visit him. Go back, reassure your families, and await further instructions from the factory."

At this point, there was no room for negotiation. Yi Zhonghai knew that staying any longer would only bring him further humiliation. He stood up, his face ashen, his lips moved, and he finally managed to say dryly, "Well... then we'll trouble Captain Liu. We... we'll head back now."

Liu Haizhong quickly stood up as well, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon.

The two men were humiliated and "invited" out of the security office. Walking back to the courtyard house, Yi Zhonghai remained silent, his face so dark it seemed to drip water. Not only had he failed to help Sha Zhu, but Liu Changqing had also bluntly rebuked him, leaving him utterly humiliated.

More importantly, he sensed the seriousness of the situation from Liu Changqing's attitude. This time, Sha Zhu was probably really in big trouble! His retirement backup plan had just begun to take shape when it encountered such a major setback!

Liu Haizhong, on the other hand, was full of complaints, feeling that Yi Zhonghai had screwed him over and made him lose face in the security department. He kept muttering to himself the whole way, but Yi Zhonghai couldn't be bothered to pay him any attention.

……

When the two returned to the courtyard, it was already in an uproar. Those who hadn't gone to work or had left early had all gathered in the central courtyard, discussing the matter animatedly.

The three aunties, Jia Zhangshi, Qin Huairu, and several other women were all there, their faces displaying various expressions—curiosity, worry, schadenfreude, and indifference. Upon seeing Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong return, they immediately surrounded them.

"Uncle, Uncle, how is it? How is Zhuzi?" "What did the security department say? How long will he be detained?" "Where is Xu Damao? Why did they fight?" A barrage of questions came flooding in.

Yi Zhonghai was in a terrible mood and didn't bother to deal with it. He simply waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "Stop arguing! The factory will handle things. Everyone go back to what you were doing and don't gather here!"

After saying that, he ignored everyone and walked straight towards the deaf old woman's house in the backyard. He was in a state of utter confusion and needed to get some advice from the old woman; she was experienced and might have a solution.

Liu Haizhong was surrounded by his wife and second son, Liu Guangtian, and began to vividly recount his experiences in the security department (of course, omitting the parts where he was humiliated), focusing on how fierce Sha Zhu was and how strict Captain Liu was, which drew another round of exclamations and discussions from those around him.