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

In Zhou Jianguo's mind, the system's notification sound was still echoing, and a strange warm current surged through his body. It was the "Grandmaster-level Bajiquan Mastery" reshaping his bones and ligaments.

"This feels great." Zhou Jianguo spread his five fingers, and a series of fine cracking sounds came from between his knuckles.

Meanwhile, in the backyard.

Yi Zhonghai, trembling all over, knocked on the deaf old lady's door.

His old face was frighteningly pale in the moonlight, and there were tears of suppressed frustration hanging in the corners of his eyes.

"Grandma...Grandma, please open your eyes! Something terrible has happened!"

A muffled cough came from inside the room, and the dim light came on.

The deaf old woman, wearing a black cotton-padded coat, clutched her shiny black cane tightly in her hand. When the door was opened a crack, her usually squinty, cloudy old eyes revealed a chilling light.

"Zhonghai, what kind of funeral wailing is this in the dead of night?"

Yi Zhonghai slammed his fist against the doorframe, his voice trembling uncontrollably: "Jianguo... Zhou Jianguo is going to turn the world upside down! He got Shazhu into the security department and sent Banggeng to the juvenile detention center! The Jia family has been completely wiped out this time. If you don't take action soon, this courtyard will truly become Zhou Jianguo's personal tyrant temple!"

"What?!" The old woman slammed her cane on the ground. "Zhu Zi's been arrested? How dare Zhou Jianguo! He's not some nobody who's left to call the shots in this courtyard!"

"Call for help! Call a meeting!" The old lady squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth, her face full of wrinkles trembling.

In less than ten minutes, the once quiet courtyard became lively again.

Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui went to knock on each house's door: "Get up, everyone! The ancestor has spoken; everyone must assemble in the central courtyard!"

The neighbors complained bitterly, and many of them came out wrapped in tattered quilts.

But when they saw the grand master's chair in the very center of the courtyard and the deaf old lady with a somber expression, everyone quieted down.

The old lady sitting there made it hard for people to breathe.

"Jianguo, come out and answer me," the old lady called out hoarsely, her eyes piercing as she looked straight into the backyard.

Zhou Jianguo was resting with his eyes closed, leaning against the headboard, when he heard the noise and his expression turned amused.

He put on his thick, fine coat, and even slowly drank some hot water before pushing open the door.

He walked at a leisurely pace, his leather shoes clicking on the frozen ground, the sound particularly poignant in the quiet courtyard.

In the central courtyard, the light from torches and flashlights flickered erratically.

Zhou Jianguo stopped three meters away from the old lady, hands in his pockets, and gave her a casual once-over: "Grandma, it's still early before dawn. Why aren't you on your kang (heated brick bed)? What are you doing here, letting the draft blow through the air?"

"You little brat, how dare you talk to an old lady like that?"

Eager to prove himself, Yi Zhonghai jumped out, pointed at Zhou Jianguo's nose, and yelled, "That's the pillar of the compound! Don't you have any respect for hierarchy or seniority?"

Zhou Jianguo glanced at him sideways and sneered, "Sir, if your back is really broken, go back inside and lie down. Don't show off your servile attitude here. I, Zhou Jianguo, worship the law of the country, not some private court."

"Well, that's quite a stretch!"

The deaf old woman snorted coldly, slamming her cane heavily on the bluestone slab: "Jianguo, I've lived in this courtyard for decades, and I've never seen anyone as heartless as you. How old is Banggeng? The child is naughty, and you have the heart to send him to a juvenile detention center to suffer? Shazhu is straightforward; he was just helping out as a neighbor, and you actually reported him for assaulting a police officer? You're ruining the atmosphere of our courtyard and cutting off everyone's escape route!"

Zhou Jianguo crossed his arms and looked at her leisurely: "So, according to you, how should I make amends?"

The old woman's eyes widened in displeasure. She gestured with her withered fingers and said, "Two options. First, come with me to the police station right now. You go and tell the police it was a misunderstanding between neighbors, that you were drunk and making a scene, and get him released."

"And the second one?"

"Secondly, to compensate the Qin family and Zhuzi for their reputation, you'll contribute two hundred yuan." The old lady's tone was decisive. "Furthermore, you'll be responsible for the Jia family's food rations from now on. It's a waste for a bachelor like you to earn so much money; consider it a way to accumulate good karma for your parents who passed away too soon!"

Upon hearing this, the entire hospital gasped in shock.

Two hundred yuan is a huge sum of money, but what's even more ruthless is that it includes food rations.

These days, food is something people risk their lives for. This isn't mediation; it's trying to drain Zhou Jianguo dry!

Qin Huairu, who had been huddled against the wall, immediately scrambled to the old lady's feet upon hearing this, crying pitifully, "Grandmother, save us! Jianguo, please listen to your grandmother this once! Are you really going to drive us to our deaths?"

Everyone was looking at Zhou Jianguo.

In their view, with the old lady acting like a powerful figure, even if Zhou Jianguo was arrogant, he would have to admit defeat.

However, Zhou Jianguo laughed, a laugh that was so unrestrained that it made Yi Zhonghai's heart tremble.

"Hahahaha... Old lady, I used to think you were just hard of hearing, but now I realize that your heart is also completely black."

Zhou Jianguo's smile faded, and he took a step forward.

"Closing the case? Do you think the police station is your private property, where you can come and go as you please? Bang Geng committed attempted armed robbery! Sha Zhu openly defied the instruments of dictatorship! You want me to bail them out? Old lady, do you want me to go to jail with them, or do you want the entire hospital to be charged with harboring a criminal?"

"You...you wretched child!" The old lady was so angry that her hands trembled.

"And there's the two hundred yuan and the food rations." Zhou Jianguo took a step closer, his eyes blazing. "I can give you that money. But I'm afraid the Jia family will find it a hot potato, and you'll suffer a short life if you take it! You're so adept at this kind of extortion; you probably got that martyr's family title through the same trick, didn't you?"

"Shut up!" Yi Zhonghai shrieked. "How dare you question the old lady's identity!"

"What I'm questioning is your bandit-like logic of placing yourself above the law!"

Zhou Jianguo's voice was firm and resolute: "Listen up, everyone! This courtyard belongs to the people, not to any particular family or clan. Anyone who thinks this cane is tougher than the law is welcome to try. Let's see if the prison walls are thicker, or if your old bones are stronger!"

The old lady's kind mask finally shattered completely.

She had originally hoped to subdue this troublemaker with her prestige, but she didn't expect that Zhou Jianguo would not only not fall for her trap, but would also expose her secrets.

"This is rebellion...this is a real revolt!"

The old woman stood up from her armchair: "Zhou Jianguo, your parents didn't teach you any manners, so today I, this old woman, will discipline you on their behalf!"

Before she finished speaking, the old lady raised her black cane.

call!

The cane whistled sharply as it swung down hard towards Zhou Jianguo's head.

If this hits hard, Zhou Jianguo's head will be smashed open.

People around screamed, and some even closed their eyes.

In the old woman's calculations, as long as Zhou Jianguo dared to dodge or fight back, she would take the opportunity to fall to the ground and make a scene. A charge of assaulting an elderly person and disobeying an elder would ruin him forever.

But she misjudged Zhou Jianguo's strength.

Zhou Jianguo didn't dodge at all.

He moved when the cane was less than half a foot from his head.

His right hand gripped the end of the cane firmly.

"Snapped!"

With a muffled thud, no matter how hard the old lady tried, the cane remained completely still.

"Let go! You wretched child, how dare you fight back?" the old woman screamed, her voice cracking.

Zhou Jianguo took half a step forward, his body instantly getting close.

"Fight back? Old lady, you dare to challenge me?"

Zhou Jianguo lowered his voice: "The Qing Dynasty is long gone. You should go tell Old Jia about your family rules. Modern society is all about materialism. If you dare to swing that cane around again, I'll sue you for disturbing public order."

The old woman was so frightened by the ruthlessness in his eyes that her hand went limp, and an unprecedented fear rose from the depths of her heart.

Zhou Jianguo snorted coldly, loosened his grip, and pushed outwards.

"You should go back and rest!"

A surge of internal force traveled through her, causing the old woman to lose her balance. She cried out in alarm and staggered backward, finally crashing heavily back onto the armchair with a thud.

The armchair creaked under the weight, nearly falling apart.

The old woman slumped in her chair, her face turning from red to pale. She pointed at Zhou Jianguo, her whole body trembling, but she couldn't utter a single word.

Yi Zhonghai stood frozen in place, wanting to help but not daring to step forward.

Zhou Jianguo dusted off his hands and glanced at Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui.

"Second Uncle, Third Uncle, are we going to continue this?"

Liu Haizhong shuddered in fright, shaking his head vigorously like a rattle-drum: "No...no, Jianguo, this was all the old lady's idea. I was just a messenger. I've gone back!"

Yan Bugui was even more straightforward. He took off his glasses and pretended to wipe them, saying, "Oh dear, it's too dark outside, and my eyes can't see very well. I'm going back to sleep now."

Zhou Jianguo sneered, turned around, and walked towards his room.

Just before crossing the threshold, he stopped, turned his head, and spoke in a cold voice:

"Yi Zhonghai, and all you who want to watch the show. Remember this scene today. If anyone dares to use their seniority or neighborhood status to intimidate me again, there are plenty of empty seats in the police station. If you don't believe me, feel free to try."

boom!

The door slammed shut.