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

A cold wind swept through Nanluoguxiang.

When Zhou Jianguo and Lou Xiao'e stepped into the courtyard house, there was a sense of oppressive tension in the air, as if a storm was brewing.

"Jianguo, do we really want to go in now?"

Lou Xiao'e clutched the warm divorce certificate, her fingertips turning bloodless from gripping it so tightly.

Zhou Jianguo turned his head to the side, a playful smile on his lips: "Sister E, the climax of this drama has only just begun. If you don't go in, all the blame you've carried for the past few years will have been for nothing."

Just then, a piercing scream rang out from the middle court.

"Old Yi! Something terrible has happened! A truly horrific tragedy!"

Aunt Er stumbled in, her cloth shoes slipping on the thin ice, and she almost fell directly into the pool.

The two rotten cabbages in her arms fell to the ground with a "thud" and shattered into pieces.

"Da Mao...Xu Da Mao was handcuffed and taken away by Zhao Gang from the security department! That silver bracelet was so dazzling!"

That voice sounded like a ladle of water had been poured into a frying pan.

Yi Zhonghai, who was holding an enamel mug and preparing to sit at the stone table and enjoy his tea, suddenly jerked his wrist.

"Bang!"

The jar printed with "Serve the People" shattered, and scalding hot tea spilled all over Yi Zhonghai's crotch, billowing white smoke.

He stood up abruptly.

"Who are you talking about? Zhao Gang? He... what right does he have to come into the alley and arrest people from our compound?"

Yi Zhonghai's voice trembled.

"Who knows! With that scene, Da Mao was dragged away before he could even pull up his pants!"

Before Yi Zhonghai could react, the gong in the courtyard was struck loudly.

"Bang—Bang! Bang!"

The urgent sound of gongs echoed through the corners, and neighbors crowded into the central courtyard.

A moment later, a square table was set up.

Yi Zhonghai sat in the main seat, his face so dark it could drip water.

Second Uncle Liu Haizhong's official airs collapsed by half, while Third Uncle Yan Bugui squinted, his mind full of scheming.

"Click."

A very soft yet abrupt crisp sound was unusually jarring in the quiet environment.

Everyone turned their heads.

Zhou Jianguo pulled a long bench from somewhere, planted it firmly at the doorway, crossed his legs, and leisurely ate some spiced melon seeds.

Lou Xiao'e stood behind him, cold and aloof, clutching the green booklet tightly in her hand.

"Zhou Jianguo!"

Yi Zhonghai slammed his hand on the table, making the broken teapot rattle: "You were at the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau when Xu Damao was arrested, weren't you?"

Zhou Jianguo spat out a sunflower seed shell, which traced an arc and landed steadily on the tip of Yi Zhonghai's shoe.

"Yes, I can see it clearly. Section Chief Zhao did it himself; he's very professional."

"How dare you say that!"

Yi Zhonghai found an outlet for his anger, his voice filled with anguish: "Our courtyard is a civilized compound! We've been neighbors for decades, seeing each other all the time, and what did you do? You just watched someone get arrested, not only did you not stop it, but you even handed them a knife!"

He surveyed his surroundings, skillfully manipulating public opinion: "Comrades, the reputation of this compound is everyone's face! Xu Damao is in jail. What will people say when we walk down the street? They'll say our compound produced a convict! How is Zhou Jianguo's opportunistic behavior any different from that of a bad element?"

The neighbors' expressions immediately changed, and whispers arose one after another.

"That's right, we're definitely out of the running now, and it's even ruined our reputation."

"Zhou Jianguo went too far in this matter; he showed no regard for the overall situation."

A smug glint flashed in Yi Zhonghai's eyes, and his tone hardened: "Zhou Jianguo, go to the security department right now and find Zhao Gang. Tell him it's a misunderstanding and have Xu Damao go back to the compound to handle it! This is called saving a life!"

"Oh."

Zhou Jianguo burst out laughing, dusted off his sleeves, and stood up.

"Sir, you've really hit the nail on the head. I suggest you weld it directly to the pillar of shame."

He walked step by step to the square table and stared at Yi Zhonghai.

"You want me to plead on your behalf? Sure, but first, you'll have to hear how big this misunderstanding is."

His voice suddenly rose, making everyone's ears ring: "Xu Damao, first crime: maliciously soliciting bribes and embezzling state assets during his time in the countryside, the amount being enormous! This is embezzlement!"

"Second crime: Using film copies to molest rural women and promote feudal superstition! This is hooliganism, even rape!"

"Third crime: Embezzling a huge sum of money of unknown origin. The factory's official stamp has already been affixed to the report! Yi Zhonghai, you want me to plead for this kind of scoundrel? Do you want me to go and keep him company, or do you want to go in and catch up with him yourself?"

The courtyard was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Liu Haizhong suddenly shrank back, looking at Yi Zhonghai as if he were a madman.

"Old Yi...why didn't you say so sooner? This is a serious crime punishable by death!"

The neighbors were in an uproar, leaving Yi Zhonghai alone in the middle of the square table.

"An old rogue and a corrupt official? Pah! I must have been blind to speak up for him just now!"

Yi Zhonghai's face turned pale and then purple. Just as he was about to speak, Qin Huairu made her move.

"Nation-building..."

Qin Huairu's eyes reddened, and tears welled up in her eyes, making her look as delicate as a willow in the breeze.

"Even if Da Mao was wrong, it was for the sake of making a living... We're neighbors, shouldn't we give him a chance?"

"Sister Qin, wait a minute."

Zhou Jianguo looked at her, his eyes full of mockery:

"Are you going to say next: Da Mao was just trying to make a living, and putting aside the facts, aren't you completely without fault?"

Qin Huairu froze, her throat tightening as she thought she had a whole speech ready.

"You should save this kind of nonsense that ignores the facts for when you tell it to the King of Hell."

Zhou Jianguo coldly withdrew his leg, his gaze like a sharp arrow fixed on Yi Zhonghai:

"Yi Zhonghai, stop pretending. You're so eager to get Xu Damao out of trouble for the sake of the compound's reputation? Don't be ridiculous. You're afraid that in the interrogation room, in order to get a reduced sentence, he'll spill all the secrets of your cover-ups and illicit dealings over the years!"

"You...you're talking nonsense!"

Yi Zhonghai jumped up in a fit of rage, but felt a violent churning in his chest.

Under the watchful eyes of dozens of people in the hospital, Yi Zhonghai's face turned deathly pale, and he abruptly lowered his head.

"Wow--!"

He spat a mouthful of blood directly onto the stone table, staining the old cover that read "Civilized Compound" red.

"An old man vomited blood!"

Screams erupted, sending a chill down everyone's spine.

A ruthless character like Zhou Jianguo had long ago figured out their Achilles' heel.

Just then, steady footsteps came from the gate.

Director Wang of the neighborhood office walked in with a dark face, glanced at the blood on the table, and looked extremely disgusted.

"Keep the change, please."

Director Wang stared at the limp Yi Zhonghai, his voice as cold as ice: "We received a report from Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill that Xu Damao from your institute is guilty of extremely serious offenses."

"It is hereby announced that all honors awarded to this institute this year are hereby revoked! Yi Zhonghai's management qualification is hereby revoked, and he is suspended from his duties pending investigation!"

"As for whether you, Yi Zhonghai, have protected criminals, we'll discuss that this afternoon when the accountability team arrives!"

"Bang!"

Yi Zhonghai huddled in the chair like a lump of mud.

Fame, status, and power vanished completely.

Zhou Jianguo coldly observed the mess and spat out the last sunflower seed shell.

"Sister E, this isn't over yet. The reckoning has only just begun."

……

In the dead of night, the courtyard was deathly silent.

Intermittent groans could be heard coming from Yi Zhonghai's house.

Zhou Jianguo lay on the bed, the system panel flashing in the darkness:

[Ding! Completely shattered Yi Zhonghai's core power, achieving the "abandoned by all" achievement!]

[Rewards: Master-level psychological game theory skills; 5 liters of soybean oil; one carton of premium Honghe cigarettes!]

[New Mission: Following the cancellation of honor, the entire team is launching a malicious attack. Please stabilize the situation.]

Zhou Jianguo closed his eyes to rest.