Courtyard House: Starting as an eighth-grade worker, with too many wives.

He stiffened his neck, trying his best to look like an indignant victim:

"It was you! You fucking did this on purpose! You hate me, Sha Zhu, and that old man, so you made us move ore in the cold wind! Otherwise, would we have gotten stomach problems? Would I have fucking fallen into a latrine?!"

He spoke with righteous indignation. The more he spoke, the more convinced he became of his point, and the louder his voice grew.

"Li Jianguo! Don't think you're so great just because you're an engineer! You made me fall into a cesspool and eat shit; I'll definitely have a chronic illness from it! You have to pay me back! Pay for my medical expenses! Pay for my emotional distress!"

His eyes lit up at the mention of money, as if he could see stacks of banknotes flying before his eyes.

His family of five relied solely on his and Qin Huairu's meager salaries, barely scraping by each month, always running out of money before the end of the month. If they could extort some money from him, the rest of the month would be much easier!

"Pfft—"

A sneer, undisguised, came from the crowd.

Xu Damao popped out again at some point, laughing so hard he was doubled over.

"Holy crap! Jia Dongxu, I've never seen anyone so shameless in my entire life! He fell into a cesspool and ate shit, and now he has the nerve to ask others for money? What, does eating shit make your life so precious?"

"Xu Damao! You've been jumping around in the yard pretty loudly lately, haven't you? Get out of here! You have no right to speak here!"

Jia Dongxu was hit where it hurt, and immediately became furious and pointed at Xu Damao's nose to curse.

"I have a mouth, why can't I speak?"

Xu Damao was not intimidated at all and continued to add fuel to the fire:

"You think I enjoy mentioning you? Right now, the mere thought of you brings to mind the stench of that latrine; I want to avoid it like the plague!"

To kill someone is to destroy their spirit.

Upon hearing this, the onlookers seemed to catch a faint stench and instinctively took a step back.

Jia Dongxu was so angry that he was trembling all over, and he really wanted to rush up and punch Xu Damao.

But Jia Zhangshi held on to him tightly. Her goal remained clear and single-minded—money.

She pulled her son along and once again aimed her guns at Li Jianguo:

"My son is right! We need to pay! This whole thing won't be over without a hundred dollars!"

"Yes! Pay up!"

Pulled by her, Jia Dongxu snapped out of his daze and glared at Li Jianguo again.

"You used your position for personal revenge, forcing us to move ore and causing us to fall into a cesspool. You have to pay for this!"

Listening to the mother and son's back-and-forth chanting "cesspool" over and over again, Li Jianguo felt utterly disgusted.

He didn't want to get entangled with this family anymore over this disgusting matter.

He gave a cold laugh and spoke:

"It's really unfair to ask you to do some work for the country. Since you all act like pampered young masters and can't do this or that, then you might as well not do it at all."

"What...what do you mean?"

Jia Dongxu's heart skipped a beat, and he keenly sensed that something was amiss with those words.

"Don't you understand what Director Li means?"

Xu Damao immediately chimed in, a sly smile on his face:

"If you can't do it, then get out! Don't you understand?"

"You want me to get out?"

Jia Dongxu stared wide-eyed in disbelief. Then, as if he had heard the funniest joke, he burst out laughing:

"Who do you think you are? Are you the factory manager?! What right do you have to fire me?!"

He was extremely arrogant.

In those days, once you got a job in a factory and secured a stable position, you were unlikely to be fired unless you made a huge mistake. He was fearless.

But Li Jianguo didn't give him the chance to be arrogant.

"Xu Damao".

He turned his head to look at Xu Damao beside him. His tone was calm, yet left no room for argument:

"Go to the factory now and call the security personnel."

Clean and efficient, without any hesitation or fuss.

The meaning is clear—he not only wants to make a scene, but he wants to escalate it significantly. He wants to completely drive Jia Dongxu out of the steel rolling mill.

An uproar erupted in the courtyard.

Everyone stared at him in disbelief.

"Director Li, we're all neighbors, isn't this... a bit much?"

Uncle Liu Haizhong couldn't help but tentatively offer a word of advice.

Recently, Yi Zhonghai's prestige has plummeted. He felt that as the second uncle, he should speak up at this time to restore his image.

"Would Second Uncle like to experience it too?"

Li Jianguo asked in a calm tone.

Liu Haizhong's face stiffened, and he immediately shut his mouth. He shrank back into the crowd, not daring to utter another word.

"Okay! I'm going right now!"

Xu Damao was overjoyed. He grabbed the bicycle keys from Li Jianguo, jumped on the bike, and pedaled furiously. In a flash, he disappeared into the alleyway.

Yi Zhonghai, who had been hiding in the crowd and trying to make himself inconspicuous, suddenly changed his expression drastically.

He wanted to stand up and stop it, but he was afraid of getting himself into trouble and incurring Li Jianguo's wrath.

Although he is currently an eighth-level fitter, Li Jianguo could transfer him to move ore with just a word. Even if he couldn't be fired, he could still be assigned to the hardest and most tiring job.

His old bones really can't handle any more of this.

But he knew even better that if this matter really escalated and Director Yang found out the whole story, he would definitely not fare well either.

Under no circumstances should Li Jianguo be allowed to set this precedent!

Yi Zhonghai gritted his teeth and finally stepped out from the crowd.

"Does the old man have something to say?"

Li Jianguo saw him and gave him a half-smile.

Yi Zhonghai felt a chill run down his spine under his gaze. His lips trembled a few times, but he ultimately didn't dare to act like an elder and boss people around as he used to.

His tone even carried a hint of ingratiation and tact:

"Director Li, look... our neighbors are all neighbors. Pushing them so hard, driving them to the brink of ruin, is going too far. If word gets out, it won't look good on your reputation, will it?"

He sighed dryly, feeling rather unsure of himself.

"As the old saying goes, 'One should be lenient when possible.' No matter how this matter escalates, it's a matter for our courtyard. Can't we resolve it here?"

"Don't worry, we old folks will definitely give you a fair explanation."

As he spoke, he frantically winked at the second and third uncles in the crowd, hoping they would step forward and speak up for him.

As a result, Uncle Liu Haizhong and Uncle Yan Bugui, as if they had planned it beforehand, one looked down at the tips of his shoes, and the other looked up at the sky. They completely ignored him.

These two are shrewd; they figured it out long ago.

Li Jianguo is not someone they can afford to offend. Not only can they not offend him, they must also find ways to win him over and curry favor with him.

If we speak up now, wouldn't that be a blatant slap in Li Jianguo's face and an act of going against him?

Yi Zhonghai could handle this kind of offensive task on his own. They weren't going to risk their lives for a good-for-nothing like Jia Dongxu.

Seeing that the two had no reaction, Yi Zhonghai felt a lump in his throat and almost couldn't catch his breath.

Li Jianguo watched him perform a one-man show and felt both sorry for him and amused.

There is always a reason why someone is pitiful.

He swept his gaze across them coldly, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

"Don't think too highly of yourself. Do you think this can be resolved just by staying in the courtyard?"

Yi Zhonghai was so choked up that his face turned red and he couldn't speak.

"If you don't want to end up like him, shut up."

A seemingly casual remark struck Yi Zhonghai like a heavy hammer blow to the heart.

He shuddered, opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing. He silently stepped aside and shut his mouth completely.

Seeing this, Jia Dongxu finally realized that things seemed to have gone too far.

He panicked. He desperately cast pleading glances at Yi Zhonghai. But Yi Zhonghai didn't dare look at him at all.

The courtyard was deathly silent. The air seemed to freeze, and even breathing could be clearly heard.

At the same time, Xu Damao pedaled his bicycle so fast it was almost flying, rushing into the steel rolling mill like lightning.

He's been trying his best to win Li Jianguo's favor lately. He takes everything Director Li asks of him more seriously than anything else.

Before the car had even come to a complete stop, he started shouting at the top of his lungs:

"Section Chief! Is Section Chief Wang in?! Director Li needs your assistance!"

No sooner had the words been spoken than a figure emerged from not far away, even though the security office door remained closed.

Factory Director Yang had just finished working overtime and was leaving when he unexpectedly witnessed this scene.

"Xu Damao? What are you shouting about here? I heard you mention Director Li, what happened?"

Xu Damao was taken aback, then overjoyed. It was like a pillow being delivered just when he was sleepy!

His eyes darted around, and he immediately embellished the story for Director Yang:

"Factory manager, here's what happened! Jia Dongxu fell into the latrine today and insists that Director Li arranged for him to carry ore, which caused the accident! He's causing a scene in the yard now, blocking Director Li and demanding compensation! Director Li won't agree, so he sent me to find the security department!"

He spoke with obvious anxiety, as if the sky were about to fall:

"Factory Manager, what kind of situation is this! Director Li has only been with our factory for a few days and has already suffered this injustice! I can't say any more to you, we need to get Section Chief Wang over there right away! That Jia Dongxu is out of his mind, I'm afraid he'll lose his temper and attack Director Li!"

As he spoke, he was about to rush in again.

"Alright, stop looking."

Factory Director Yang raised his hand to stop him. His face had turned completely grim.

"What's the use of looking for him? Come on, you lead the way, I'll go with you and see for myself!"

Factory Director Yang was truly enraged this time.

He personally told Li Jianguo to pick anyone in the entire factory to fully cooperate with the research and development project.

Now look what's happened! A slacker in the workshop dares to cause trouble for Director Li?

If Li Jianguo were hurt, even if it only made him unhappy or delayed the project's research and development progress, Director Yang would want to chop the troublemaker up.

"Alright! Director Yang, please come with me!"

Xu Damao picked up his bicycle, turned around and left, his feet barely touching the ground.

Along the way, he kept talking, spilling all the dirty laundry from the courtyard house:

"Factory Director, you have no idea, the Jia family is notoriously difficult to deal with in the whole compound! When Director Li first moved in, they occupied his house, and it was only after the neighborhood committee intervened that the problem was resolved!"

"So arrogant?"

Director Yang listened carefully and kept it in mind.

He didn't completely believe Xu Damao's words. But since it concerned Li Jianguo, he preferred to believe it was true rather than not. And he would only think of the more serious possibilities.

"hurry up!"

He couldn't help but urge him on.

In the courtyard house.

Jia Dongxu has gone all out.

Since we've already offended Li Jianguo to this extent, let's just go all the way down this path!

"Li Jianguo! Don't think that just because you're a director and strong, you can act like a bully in this compound! I refuse to believe it!"

He stiffened his neck, veins bulging, looking like he was about to fight to the death.

Jia Zhangshi stood by, supporting her son, her voice even louder than his:

"Exactly! There are so many people in our compound, are we just going to stand by and watch you bully an honest person?!"

She used her special skill again, sitting down on the ground with a thud, slapping her thighs, and howling to the sky.

The cries were melodious and varied, with a unique rhythm—first a high-pitched opening, then a low sob, followed by a sudden slap of the thigh and a cry of "My poor, miserable life!" This cycle repeated itself endlessly.

At this rate, she could wail here all afternoon without getting tired.

"Everyone, come and see! The steel mill foreman is bullying honest people! He's abusing his power for personal gain! He's bullying us, a widow and her orphans! Is he even human?! We all need to stand up for us!!!"

The people in the courtyard had seen this trick countless times. Seeing it again now, they could only shake their heads and sigh; not a single person responded.

After howling for a while, Jia Zhangshi realized that no one was paying attention to her and she also felt bored.

She suddenly stood up, pointed at Li Jianguo, her face contorted with rage:

"You're a jinx! Our compound has been peaceful for years, nothing's happened! But since you came, everything's turned upside down, we haven't had a single day of peace!"

"I think you're just here to get revenge on our institute! Everyone, we have to work together to drive him out! Otherwise, nobody's going to have a good time!"

She changed her tactics, trying to drag everyone in the courtyard into it.

Even if we don't get the money today, we must kick Li Jianguo out of this courtyard!

Having lived for decades, her sixth sense told her that if Li Jianguo continued to stay in this courtyard, the Jia family would definitely suffer!

"Let's see who dares to kick Director Li out of this yard!"

A loud shout, like a thunderclap, rang out at the entrance of the compound.