Siheyuan: I, Shazhu, started out as an army and became a general.

The silence lasted for a full ten seconds.

Yi Zhonghai was the first to react. His old face tightened, he suppressed his anger, and put on his "I'm doing this for your own good" attitude again.

"Zhu Zi, what's wrong with you? You're usually so easy to talk to!"

"Did you suffer some mistreatment at the factory? Talk it out calmly, don't startle the neighbors like a firecracker."

As he spoke, he took a step closer to He Yuzhu, trying to use his status as an elder and his moral high ground to suppress He Yuzhu's arrogance.

"You're a grown man, arguing with an orphan and a widow. Does that make sense? You want the whole hospital to talk behind your back!"

He Yuzhu looked at him and smiled.

This set of moral blackmail PUA rhetoric was something that "Silly Zhu" had been listening to for over twenty years in his previous life.

It's always the same. First, they label you as "ignorant," then, under the guise of "we're all neighbors," they shamelessly exploit you and exploit you.

"Uncle Yi, you're absolutely right."

He Yuzhu's smile grew even brighter, but it sent a chill down Yi Zhonghai's spine.

"So I've decided, I'm not staying in this smoky, chaotic place anymore. I'm not living in this house anymore!"

"What?!"

Not only Yi Zhonghai, but even Qin Huairu was stunned.

Without saying a word, He Yuzhu turned around and went back into the house, dragging a dusty wooden box out from under the bed.

With a "click," it was opened, revealing a stack of yellowed land deeds and house deeds, as well as several property ownership certificates stamped with red seals.

This is the only valuable thing He Daqing left behind.

Three main rooms with a separate courtyard—in this prime location of Beijing, where land is incredibly valuable, it's priceless!

"I'll go see Director Li tomorrow and sell this yard directly to the steel rolling mill!"

He Yuzhu patted the property deed in his hand, his voice as calm as still water.

"I sold the house, took the money, and then joined the army."

"I never want to see this wretched yard, or you disgusting vampires again!"

boom!

These words were even more powerful than that kick, and they caused an uproar in the crowd!

"To join the army?"

Second Uncle Liu Haizhong was the first to jump out, with his bureaucratic belly sticking out and a face full of disdain.

"You? A cook who only knows how to stir-fry dishes? The army doesn't need you! What a pipe dream!"

"Besides, what will happen to your sister, Yushui, after you leave?"

He Yuzhu gave him a cold glance.

"My sister works in a textile factory. She gets a salary and a dormitory. You, an outsider, don't need to worry about her."

"Whether the military needs me or not is none of your business."

He put away the property deed and turned to go inside.

Qin Huairu was truly panicked now, completely panicked!

She grabbed He Yuzhu's clothes tightly, and tears streamed down her face as if they were free.

"Brother Zhu...you...you really have to be so heartless?"

"I've always remembered all the kindness you've shown our family over the years..."

"If you leave, how will we, a widow and her children, survive?"

She lunged forward, leaned close to He Yuzhu's ear, her breath sweet but her voice trembling: "Brother Zhu... how about tonight... I'll be yours... please don't leave..."

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face. Her tearful appearance almost melted the hearts of the several bachelors in the courtyard.

He Yuzhu laughed, a laugh filled with utter sarcasm.

He suddenly lowered his head and roughly pinched Qin Huairu's chin with two fingers, forcing her to raise her head.

"Qin Huairu, do you know what's most disgusting about you?"

Qin Huairu was so startled by his sudden action that she froze, forgetting to shed tears.

He Yuzhu leaned closer to her, speaking softly but each word piercingly:

"You clearly treated me like an animal, scheming against me, sucking my blood and draining my marrow, yet you insist on putting on an innocent and affectionate act, as if I'm being sold out and still have to be grateful to you!"

"Do you think I'm really stupid? Or do you think you're some kind of genius?"

"And don't pull that trick, I don't drive public transportation!"

He suddenly flung his hand away, and Qin Huairu staggered back two steps, her pretty face instantly draining of color, turning ashen white.

He Yuzhu's icy gaze swept across the entire room, and his voice suddenly rose:

"Your husband, Jia Dongxu, died in a work-related accident. The factory is paying your family a monthly pension of 27.5 yuan, not a penny less!"

"You work in the workshop yourself, with Deputy Factory Director Li looking after you, and your monthly salary is eighteen yuan!"

"That adds up to forty-five yuan and fifty cents! That's much more than my family's savings! More than enough to support your whole family!"

"But what about you? You cry poverty in front of me every day, and come to me every few days to borrow money and food, acting like a beggar!"

"Have you ever even once paid back the money and food coupons I lent you?!"

Qin Huairu's face turned from deathly pale to a purplish-red, looking extremely ugly.

The gossip and the way the neighbors looked at her also completely changed.

"And you, Jia Zhangshi!"

He Yuzhu's gaze was like a sharp sword, piercing the old woman hiding behind Qin Huairu.

"How much of the compensation money your son received at the cost of his life did you pocket?"

"Don't think I don't know, there's at least two hundred yuan saved in that broken metal box under your bed! What are you pretending to be poor for?!"

Jia Zhangshi's face instantly turned a deep purplish-red. She was about to open her mouth to make a scene, but He Yuzhu's imposing manner intimidated her and made her swallow her words.

He Yuzhu didn't give her a chance to speak and directly pronounced the verdict:

"From this day forward, I, He Yuzhu, sever all ties with the Jia family!"

"From now on, whether your family lives or dies, is rich or poor, has absolutely nothing to do with me!"

After saying that, he turned around and went back into the house, slamming the door shut with a loud bang!

The entire compound was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

……

Silent all night.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, He Yuzhu got up.

He quickly packed a few changes of clothes, put the property deed and all his documents into a canvas bag, and walked out of this place that had disgusted him for two lifetimes without looking back.

The deputy director's office at the steel rolling mill.

Li Huaide was engrossed in reviewing documents when he heard a knock on the door. Without looking up, he said, "Come in."

He Yuzhu pushed open the door and entered.

"Deputy Factory Director Li."

Li Huaide looked up and saw He Yuzhu, somewhat surprised: "Zhuzi? You've come to see me so early, is something wrong?"

He Yuzhu didn't beat around the bush; he simply took out the property deed from his bag and placed it neatly on the table.

"Deputy Factory Director Li, I want to sell my yard to the factory."

Li Huaide was truly stunned.

He picked up the property deed and looked at it carefully, then looked up and examined the young man in front of him again.

"Selling the house? What happened?"

"I want to join the army."

He Yuzhu's answer was concise, to the point, and resounding.

Li Huaide remained silent for a moment, then a strange smile appeared on his face.

"Good lad, you've got ambition!"

He stood up, put his hands behind his back, and walked to the window. "I know your courtyard. It's in a good location, with three main rooms and a separate courtyard wall."

"At market price, it's worth at least eight hundred yuan. But now with the public-private partnership, the procedures for buying and selling private real estate are complicated, as you know."

"Here's what we'll do. The factory will buy your yard for six hundred yuan. Also, I'll write you a letter of recommendation. Just take the letter to the conscription office, and I guarantee you'll be fine."

"How is it?"

(Ha, what a shrewd scheme. He pocketed two hundred yuan in one go), but He Yuzhu didn't hesitate at all.

"make a deal."

"happy!"

Li Huaide turned around, smiling as he extended his hand.

The moment their hands clasped together, a cold and grand mechanical voice boomed in He Yuzhu's mind!

[The system has detected that the host has severed ties with past karma and begun a completely new life trajectory!]

[The National Fortune Check-in System is being activated...]

【Activation succeeded! 】

[Check-in location: Deputy Director's Office, Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill!]

[Check-in Rewards: Enhanced Basic Physical Fitness! Proficient in Military Knowledge!]

The next second, an indescribable surge of immense heat exploded from his heart, instantly engulfing his limbs and bones!

He Yuzhu felt his muscles and bones humming with excitement, and a sense of power surged forth continuously.

Even more outrageous, it was as if countless streams of data were flashing through his mind—massive amounts of military training, tactical theories, and weapons usage knowledge—that were deeply imprinted in his memory, like an instinct!

system?

The cheat code that's a standard feature in time travel has finally arrived!

He Yuzhu's heart was in turmoil, but his face remained calm.

Li Huaide didn't notice anything unusual about him. He took out a stack of brand-new 100-yuan notes from the safe, carefully counted out 600 yuan and handed it to him, then immediately wrote down a 1,000-yuan note.

"Keep the money safe."

"I'll get the recommendation letter ready for you this afternoon, and you can go to the recruitment office to register tomorrow."

Li Huaide patted He Yuzhu's shoulder heavily, his eyes filled with the cunning of someone who had succeeded in his scheme.

"Silly Zhu, once you're in the army, do a good job and don't embarrass our steel mill!"

He Yuzhu nodded solemnly. Of course he had to do a good job, otherwise how could he live up to his second life?

"Thank you, Deputy Factory Director Li!"

He politely accepted the thick wad of money, then turned and left.

Stepping out of the deputy factory director's office and bathed in the morning sunlight, He Yuzhu took a deep breath.

Six hundred yuan is enough to settle my sister down and also enough to start a new chapter for myself.

As for the group of vampires in the courtyard?

From this day forward, bridges will remain bridges and roads will remain roads, with no further connection between them!