Courtyard House: In times of famine, my hamster became a spirit.

Yi Zhonghai trembled, his legs went weak, and he almost knelt down on the spot.

I've been tagged!

A roll call will be held throughout the entire factory!

"As a veteran comrade and senior technician in the factory, Yi Zhonghai not only failed to dissuade He Yuzhu, but also used his seniority and prestige to try to protect and condone He Yuzhu's criminal behavior! He even interfered with the security department's law enforcement! This kind of clique-forming and unprincipled 'good guy' style seriously damages the purity of the working class!"

"In light of Yi Zhonghai's past technical contributions, and after careful consideration, the factory has decided to: issue a factory-wide reprimand to Yi Zhonghai; deduct all of his bonus for this month; and disqualify him from the selection of advanced producer for this year and the following year!"

Dead silence.

The entire first workshop fell into a deathly silence.

All eyes turned to Yi Zhonghai.

The respect that once filled their eyes was gone, replaced by shock, doubt, and even blatant contempt.

"So this is what kind of person the old man is..."

"I knew it! He always seems so respectable, so why doesn't he care that Sha Zhu steals? Instead, he's helping to cover it up!"

"This is what they call knowing a person's face but not their heart! All that talk about respecting the elderly and caring for the young, I think it's all an act!"

He felt as if his face had been forcibly ripped off and thrown on the ground to be trampled to pieces.

He opened his mouth to explain, but his throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton.

The carefully cultivated persona, built up over decades, collapsed in an instant, leaving not a trace.

At the entrance of the cafeteria.

Qin Huairu was at the end of the line, clutching the net bag she was going to use to hold the leftovers tightly in her hand.

At this moment, her face was ashen, and she felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

Every word on the radio broadcast proclaimed that the Jia family's lifeline had been completely severed.

Sha Zhu going to clean toilets means there will be no more freebies.

The double fine and the deduction of wages meant that the wallet that had been providing long-term financial support to the Jia family was now completely empty.

"It's over...it's all over..." Qin Huairu murmured to herself, her eyes vacant.

Without Sha Zhu's lunchbox, what will those three big, ungrateful kids in the house eat?

What does that lazy, wicked mother-in-law eat?

She subconsciously touched her pocket, where there were only a few pitiful meal tickets.

"Hey! Make way! Everyone make way!"

Just then, a commotion broke out at the entrance of the cafeteria.

Wang Zhenggang, the head of the security department, strode in, dressed in a crisp uniform and holding a bright red certificate in his hand.

He was followed by two security officers, who were carrying cameras, looking quite imposing.

Wang Zhenggang's face was beaming with a bright smile, a genuine expression of heartfelt joy.

He walked straight through the crowd, his gaze precisely locking onto Zhou Jianguo, who was about to queue up.

"Comrade Zhou Jianguo!"

His voice was strong and powerful, drawing the attention of all the workers around him.

Zhou Jianguo stopped and turned around, his face displaying just the right amount of surprise and humility: "Section Chief Wang?"

"Well done!" Wang Zhenggang stepped forward and excitedly patted Zhou Jianguo on the shoulder. "The announcement on the loudspeaker hadn't finished yet. In view of Comrade Zhou Jianguo's courage to fight against bad practices, his fearlessness in the face of power, and his bravery in exposing and reporting wrongdoings, thus safeguarding our collective property, the factory has decided to award Comrade Zhou Jianguo the honorary title of Outstanding Security Activist!"

As he spoke, he solemnly handed the gold-embossed certificate to Zhou Jianguo in full view of everyone.

Immediately afterwards, he pulled an envelope from his pocket and held it high: "This is a special material reward approved by the factory! Ten yuan in cash! Two jin of pork coupons! Five feet of cotton cloth coupons!"

"Wow--"

A collective gasp of envy erupted from the crowd.

Ten yuan! That's more than half a month's wages for an apprentice! Not to mention the meat and cloth coupons that are hard to buy even if you have money!

At that moment, Zhou Jianguo stood in the center of the crowd, with a certificate in his left hand and banknotes in his right, becoming the most dazzling guy in the entire factory.

In the shadows not far away, Yi Zhonghai sheepishly carried his lunchbox, wishing he could disappear into the ground.

This back and forth was like a resounding slap in the face, publicly humiliating him.

Zhou Jianguo accepted the reward, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, glancing at Yi Zhonghai in the corner, and then at Qin Huairu, whose face was ashen.

He didn't say anything, but simply flicked the brand-new ten-yuan note in his hand, making a crisp "snap" sound.

The voice wasn't loud, but it was extremely insulting.

"Thank you, factory leaders, thank you, Section Chief Wang." Zhou Jianguo smiled slightly, neither humble nor arrogant. "I just did what every conscientious worker should do. After all, our factory belongs to the workers, not to some corrupt officials who hoard their private granaries."

These words were extremely well said, both elevating themselves and once again putting down Sha Zhu and Yi Zhonghai.

"Good! Well said!" Wang Zhenggang led the applause.

Thunderous applause erupted around them.

Amid the applause, Zhou Jianguo turned and walked towards the food serving window.

Today's cook is Liu Datou, the former second chef of the cafeteria.

With Sha Zhu down, Liu Datou, as the most senior second chef, naturally took over the ladle.

When Zhou Jianguo came over, his fat face was covered with wrinkles.

This is the ruthless guy who took down that tyrant, Sha Zhu!

Moreover, he was a popular figure in the factory; who would dare to offend him?

"Hey, Jianguo, brother! Come on over!" Liu Datou greeted him with the enthusiasm of someone seeing their own father. "Try the braised pork that just came out of the pot today! I specially saved the best part!"

As he spoke, he steadily slammed a large ladle full of bright red, marbled braised pork into Zhou Jianguo's lunchbox with a "thud".

There was no trembling, not a single rotten vegetable leaf; it was a real, overflowing mountain of meat.

"Thanks, Master Liu." Zhou Jianguo nodded with a smile.

He carried a lunchbox full of meat and vegetables and sat down in the most conspicuous spot.

Under the watchful eyes of hundreds of people, Zhou Jianguo picked up a trembling piece of braised pork and put it in his mouth.

Rich but not greasy, it melts in your mouth.

He chewed slowly, but his gaze went through the glass window of the cafeteria to the distant, dejected figure carrying a broom, being escorted by the security guards to the toilet in the cold wind.

That was He Yuzhu.

The once mighty warrior of the courtyard house now cowers with his neck hunched, like a stray dog.

Zhou Jianguo swallowed the meat in his mouth.

This meat smells delicious.

But this is just the beginning. Sha Zhu is finished, Yi Zhonghai is infamous, so what's next...?

Out of the corner of his eye, Zhou Jianguo glanced at Qin Huairu, who was squatting in the corner, looking at the bland cabbage stalks in her hand, on the verge of tears.

Without Sha Zhu's blood transfusion, shouldn't it be time for the Jia family, these bloodsuckers, to tear each other apart?