Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Wei Chen pulled two boxes of "Daqianmen" cigarettes from the newspaper bag, stuffed them into the inner pocket of his work jacket, picked up an enamel mug with the words "Labor is Glorious" printed on it, and went to the boiler room at the end of the corridor to fill the mug with hot water.

While doing these things, his face remained expressionless, but he was calculating in his mind. Last night, Yi Zhonghai and his group came to his door. Although their words were eloquent, he knew he couldn't be too eager; appearing too proactive would be counterproductive. But since he had promised, he had to do it, and do it flawlessly, making sure the person who should appreciate it understood how hard-won this favor was.

After slowly sipping a few mouthfuls of hot water and feeling a bit warmer, Wei Chen picked up the tub and strolled leisurely toward the bungalow in the backyard where the detention cells were located. He didn't go directly to the office of Liu Changqing, the brigade leader—that was the last resort; he needed to get a feel for things first.

The detention cells were several separate bungalows with high windows secured by iron bars. Next to them was a small guardhouse, made of red bricks, with a chimney emitting wisps of ash.

Wei Chen walked to the window of the duty room and looked inside through the somewhat blurry glass. Inside, two young team members were warming themselves around a small iron stove. On the stove lid were several dark cornbread buns, which looked like their breakfast.

Wei Chen knocked on the window. The two men inside looked up, and upon seeing Wei Chen, one of them, a round-faced team member named Xiao Wang, immediately stood up with a smile and opened the door: "Officer Wei? So early? Come in and warm up, it's freezing outside!"

Wei Chen stepped inside, bringing with him a blast of cold air. The duty room wasn't large; besides an iron stove, an old table, and two chairs, there were several uniform gray quilts piled in the corner. Another tall, thin team member, surnamed Li, smiled and nodded at Wei Chen. In the security department, Wei Chen was somewhat of a special case. He was young, but had earned merits, and most importantly, he was low-key and unassuming. He would occasionally get some "benefits" for his colleagues, so he was well-liked.

"You two have worked hard, night shifts are the toughest." Wei Chen put the enamel mug on the table, and casually took out a pack of "Da Qianmen" cigarettes from his inner pocket, handing one to each of them. "Here, have a smoke to perk yourself up."

"Oh! This...this is too much!" Xiao Wang's eyes lit up, and he politely accepted the cigarette. The "Daqianmen" cigarettes with filters were in high demand and rationed; even the junior team members might not be able to afford them for a month.

Xiao Li quickly thanked him, his smile becoming much more genuine: "Officer Wei, you're too kind! Please don't hesitate to ask if you need anything!"

"Nothing much, just passing by this morning." Wei Chen waved his hand, pulled up a chair and sat down, took out his cigarette, lit one, and casually asked, "I heard it was quite lively here last night? Two people were locked up?"

"You bet!" Xiao Wang eagerly lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and wore a blissful expression. Then he started talking non-stop, "He Yuzhu from the cafeteria, you know him, right? Good heavens, yesterday afternoon he was like a madman, carrying around this long iron rod!"

He gestured with his hand, indicating it was over half a meter long, "He chased Xu Damao all over the factory, beating him! The female workers were screaming in terror! If it weren't for our team patrolling nearby and tackling him in time, there would have been bloodshed!"

Xiao Li chimed in, lowering his voice, "Officer Wei, do you think this Sha Zhu is really stupid? He resorted to violence over a mere argument—that's a serious matter! Captain Liu slammed his fist on the table, saying he absolutely has to teach him a lesson for his recklessness!"

Wei Chen flicked his cigarette ash and asked, "Where's Xu Damao? What happened?"

"Hey, that kid's even worse!" Xiao Wang scoffed. "I heard he was gossiping outside and ruined a relationship that Sha Zhu had finally managed to find someone. He said a lot of rubbish. That's why Sha Zhu got so worked up. But Xu Damao vehemently denied it, saying he was just joking and that Sha Zhu was making a mountain out of a molehill."

"How are the two of them now?" Wei Chen asked the crucial question.

Wei Chen nodded, paused for a moment, and then casually asked, "Has Captain Liu... made a decision? How does he plan to handle it? The commotion has been quite significant; the factory office has probably heard about it too."

Xiao Wang and Xiao Li exchanged a glance. They knew Wei Chen lived in the same courtyard as the two imprisoned men, and his inquiries clearly indicated his intentions. However, they felt obligated to help him, having accepted his gifts and cigarettes, and Wei Chen's question was reasonable and not excessive.

Xiao Wang leaned forward, lowering his voice even further: "Officer Wei, let me tell you something, but please don't tell anyone. Last night, Captain Liu and the deputy captain were discussing something, and I vaguely overheard a few words when I was delivering hot water. Captain Liu's idea was that these two, especially Sha Zhu, behaved extremely badly and must be severely punished as a warning to others. However," he changed his tone, "considering that no actual harm was caused, and they are internal employees and first-time offenders, it's estimated that in the end, they'll be severely punished but leniently let off."

Xiao Li added, "I reckon a few days of solitary confinement, to let the whole factory know how serious this is, then a demerit, a fine, and a public reprimand, that's the most they'll do. Dismissal... I doubt it'll happen. Sha Zhu is the head chef in the canteen, the factory still relies on him for special meals. Xu Damao is the projectionist, he's skilled too."

This was pretty much what Wei Chen had expected. He felt even more confident. After chatting for a few more minutes about other things in the factory, such as which workshop had produced a production pacesetter or which leader might be transferred, Wei Chen glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost time for his official work start time, so he got up to say goodbye.

"My two brothers are busy, I'm going back to the front. Have a smoke, it's been a tough night shift." Wei Chen said, slapping the pack of cigarettes he had opened and smoked three times on the table and picking up his enamel mug.

"Take care, janitor! Just let me know if you need anything!" Xiao Wang and Xiao Li warmly saw him to the door.

Leaving the duty room, Wei Chen didn't return to his own office. Instead, carrying the jar, he headed straight for the corner office on the first floor. The door was closed, so he knocked.

"Come in," came Liu Changqing's somewhat hoarse voice from inside.

Wei Chen pushed open the door and entered. Liu Changqing was sitting behind his desk, several sheets of paper spread out in front of him, a red and blue pencil in his hand, his brows furrowed. He looked up and saw Wei Chen, somewhat surprised, but his expression softened slightly. He gestured to the chair opposite him: "Wei Chen, sit down. So early, is something the matter?"

Wei Chen closed the door, sat down in a chair, and placed the jar aside. He didn't rush to speak, but first asked with concern, "Captain Liu, you don't look well. Didn't you sleep well last night?"

"Ugh, don't even mention it!" Liu Changqing threw down his pencil and rubbed his temples. "It's all because of those two rascals in your department! They kept us up all night, and the report has to be rewritten! Director Li from the factory office even called to ask about the situation and told us to deal with it seriously and be careful about the impact!" He complained, but his tone didn't show any anger towards Wei Chen. Instead, it had a sense of "You're also a member of the department, you be the judge."

Wei Chen promptly revealed an apologetic and understanding expression: "I'm sorry to have troubled you, Captain Liu. I've heard about this too; it's outrageous. Especially He Yuzhu, you absolutely cannot touch metal. If he were to make a mistake, the consequences would be unimaginable." He first stated his position, agreeing with Liu Changqing's stern attitude.

Liu Changqing sighed, "Yeah! These young people nowadays, why are they so hot-tempered! They don't know any sense of proportion!" He picked up the cigarette pack on the table, took out a cigarette for himself, and pushed the pack towards Wei Chen.

Wei Chen waved his hand, took out an opened pack of "Da Qianmen" cigarettes from his pocket, pulled one out and handed it over: "Captain Liu, have one of these."

Liu Changqing didn't stand on ceremony and accepted it. Wei Chen lit it for him with a famous match, and then lit one for himself. The two of them silently took a few puffs, and the smoke filled the office.

"Captain Liu," Wei Chen began, his tone sincere, "to be honest, last night three of the managers in our compound, Master Yi, Master Liu, and Teacher Yan, came to my place together. It was all about He Yuzhu and Xu Damao."

Liu Changqing raised an eyebrow, remained silent, and waited for what was to come.

"These gentlemen are all quite old, and they're extremely worried about the younger generation in the courtyard. Their words are full of concern. They're worried that the younger generation will suffer inside, and even more worried that the punishment will be too severe and ruin their future."

Wei Chen spoke calmly, as if stating a fact, "They know their words have no effect, so they came to me for help, hoping I could find out what the procedure is. I told them I'm just a junior staff member, and I have to follow the leader's instructions. Pleading for leniency would be against principles, and I can't do that. But I can help ask for opinions on how to handle it and understand the situation. If it complies with regulations, it will be an explanation to the elders in the institute."

His words not only made it clear that he was acting on someone else's behalf (not because he was meddling), but also drew a clear line (he wasn't pleading for favors, he was just inquiring), and he adopted a very humble attitude, giving Liu Changqing plenty of face.

As Liu Changqing listened, he slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, his expression unreadable. He already had a solution in mind, and Wei Chen's questioning was giving him an opportunity to both implement the plan and do Wei Chen a favor.

He appreciated Wei Chen's understanding and sense of propriety. If it were one of the older men in the compound who came directly to plead for him, or if Wei Chen had immediately offered his full support and made his own appeal, he might have been more forceful. But Wei Chen's approach made him feel comfortable.

"Hmm..." Liu Changqing pondered, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. "Yi Zhonghai and the others are veteran workers, so it's understandable that they care about the younger generation in the factory. However, Wei Chen, this matter is indeed egregious. The factory is currently focusing on safety and discipline, and they've gone against the grain. If they aren't severely punished, it won't be enough to appease the public."

"Captain Liu is right." Wei Chen nodded immediately. "The necessary punishments must be given, otherwise it won't have an educational effect, and others will follow suit. I came here mainly to hear your opinion on how to handle this, so I can explain it clearly to the old men in the compound, make them give up their unrealistic ideas, and also give He Yuzhu and the others a good lesson."

Liu Changqing was satisfied with Wei Chen's response. He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice: "Since you're here, and we've gotten to the point, my initial suggestions are: First, a factory-wide public reprimand, naming names, to embarrass them! Second, each person will receive an administrative warning, recorded on file! Third, each person will be fined ten yuan and have their monthly bonus deducted! Fourth," he paused, looking at Wei Chen, "and placed in solitary confinement for reflection and self-criticism! Originally, it would have been at least three days!"