Courtyard House: The Road to an Industrial Power

It turned out that Lin Weidong and Zhao Xiulan had cooked chicken soup and were preparing to deliver it to Qin Huairu when they happened to pass by and witnessed this thrilling scene.

Xu Damao was terrified when he saw Lin Weidong.

He had witnessed Lin Weidong's prowess firsthand; his martial arts skills were far beyond what a lame man like him could withstand.

"Lin Weidong! Mind your own business!" Xu Damao shouted, his voice trembling with fear, before scrambling backward on all fours.

Lin Weidong was too lazy to waste words with him and took a step forward.

Seeing this, Xu Damao dared not linger any longer. He scrambled to his feet and limped wildly into the darkness, not daring to look back.

Lin Weidong didn't chase after them. He quickly squatted down, helped He Yuzhu up, and called out, "Silly Zhu! Silly Zhu! How are you?"

He Yuzhu opened his eyes groggily, touched the back of his head, and grimaced in pain: "Wei Dong... it's you... that bastard... ambushed me..." Then he fell silent again.

Lin Weidong breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, she had only fainted.

Together with Zhao Xiulan, who arrived shortly afterward, he helped He Yuzhu back to the hospital.

After examining the patient, the doctor said, "It's nothing serious, just a minor abrasion on the back of the head, a mild concussion. You'll be fine after a few days of rest. The bruises are just superficial injuries, nothing to worry about."

Lin Weidong couldn't help but sigh inwardly, this Sha Zhu truly lived up to his reputation as a ruthless person who could withstand Bajiquan. After taking such a beating, he was actually not seriously injured.

Xu Damao scrambled home, collapsing onto the floor as soon as he entered, his whole body trembling.

He knew that Lin Weidong would definitely not let him go, and the police station would come knocking on his door sooner or later.

"Dad! Mom! Hurry! Give me some money!" Xu Damao shouted into the inner room.

When Mr. and Mrs. Xu heard the noise, they came out and were shocked to see their son in such a disheveled state.

"Da Mao! What's wrong? What happened?"

"Stop asking! I hit He Yuzhu! Lin Weidong saw it! If I don't leave, I'll be arrested!"

"I'm leaving Beijing!"

Mr. and Mrs. Xu turned pale; they knew their son had committed a grave offense.

Staying in Beijing would definitely mean certain death.

Xu Wude turned and went back into the house, taking out a cloth bag containing their life savings.

"Da Mao! Take the money! Get out of here! Go as far away as possible! And never come back!"

Xu Damao took the money, didn't even glance at his parents, turned and rushed out of the house, disappearing into the vast night. He dared not delay, and immediately boarded a train heading south.

He planned to go to Guangdong and then try to get to Hong Kong. He had heard someone say that Hong Kong was full of gold when he was in a labor camp.

The next morning, the police from the local police station came to the Xu family.

Is Xu Damao home?

Xu's mother kept her head down, not saying a word, just wiping away tears. Xu Wude said, "She said she had something to do last night and went out, but she hasn't come back."

The police officer frowned. "Alright! Remember to let us know when you get back."

In the hospital, He Yuzhu was lying in bed recovering from his injuries.

He Daqing glared at his son, gritting his teeth in anger: "That Xu Damao! He's lucky he ran fast! Otherwise, I would have broken his legs!"

He Yuzhu nodded: "Otherwise, I won't let him off the hook!"

The group decided that they must not tell Qin Huairu about this.

She has just given birth and is physically weak. If she finds out, she will definitely be worried and it will affect her recovery.

He Yushui nodded repeatedly, "Don't worry! I definitely won't tell! If they ask, I'll just say that you got injured from an accidental fall!"

The southbound train clanged and clattered over the tracks, and Xu Damao huddled in a corner of the carriage.

He was wrapped in a tattered cotton-padded coat that he had picked up, and clutched his parents' savings tightly in his arms.

After a long and arduous journey involving hitchhiking on trains, dodging inspections, and enduring harsh weather, it took more than half a month before they finally arrived in Guangdong.

Standing on the bustling dock, Xu Damao looked at the crowd in front of him, and everything in front of him felt both strange and novel.

He didn't dare to delay, so he found a black market dealer, exchanged most of the money in his pocket for some crumpled Hong Kong dollars, and then followed a few illegal immigrants onto a dilapidated cargo ship in the dark.

After a night of rough seas, as the first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds in the morning, Xu Damao finally saw the outline of Hong Kong.

It was a cluster of towering buildings that stretched as far as the eye could see, densely packed along the seaside, their glass curtain walls gleaming brightly in the sunlight.

Xu Damao stood on the deck, his eyes wide with amazement.

He had never seen such a bustling scene in his life. Wangfujing, the most lively street in Beijing, looked like a rural market in front of Hong Kong.

"I'm rich! I, Xu Damao, am really rich this time! Once I've made a name for myself in Hong Kong, I'll definitely go back to Beijing and crush those two bastards, Lin Weidong and Sha Zhu, under my feet! I'll show them that I, Xu Damao, am not someone to be trifled with!"

He was so engrossed in his fantasies about the future that he forgot when he disembarked from the ship.

He didn't come to his senses until someone bumped into his shoulder.

A child in a short-sleeved shirt ran past him hurriedly, saying "I'm sorry."

Xu Damao didn't pay attention and was about to continue walking forward when he reached into his pocket and his face turned pale instantly. The Hong Kong dollars in his pocket had vanished!

"My money! Where's my money?!"

Xu Damao frantically searched his body, but couldn't find a single coin.

He then realized that the child had stolen his money! He tried to chase after him, but the child had vanished without a trace, leaving only the vast sea of ​​people.

Overnight, Xu Damao went from a "fugitive" with dreams to a penniless beggar.

In the days that followed, Xu Damao lived a life worse than that of pigs and dogs.

He slept under the bridge, drank tap water from the roadside when thirsty, and rummaged through trash cans to pick up leftovers when hungry.

Sometimes, if they couldn't get any food, they would just go hungry, huddled in a corner, shivering.

Looking at the well-dressed pedestrians on the street, and then at his own ragged and filthy appearance, his hatred grew stronger and stronger.

That evening, Xu Damao was so hungry he felt dizzy. He dragged his heavy steps into a secluded alley, hoping to try his luck by rummaging through the trash cans.

As soon as I got to the trash can, I heard hurried footsteps and panting.

A man covered in blood staggered in. He was limping and clutching his stomach, blood gushing from between his fingers.

The man's eyes flashed with wariness when he saw Xu Damao.

Then, as if he had just thought of something, he jumped into the trash can without saying a word, making sure to pull the lid up.

Xu Damao was so frightened that he didn't dare to breathe. Just as he was about to turn around and run away, a group of burly men carrying machetes rushed into the alley. The leader had a face full of scars.

The newcomer glared at Xu Damao and roared, "Where is he? Where did that cripple go?"

Xu Damao was so frightened his legs went weak, and he shook his head repeatedly: "I...I didn't see anything! I didn't see anything!"

The burly men sized him up and, seeing that he was ragged and reeked of sourness, looking exactly like a beggar, they immediately lost interest, turned around and left cursing.

The lid of the trash can was slowly pushed open only after the group of people had gone far away.

The limping man crawled out, dusted himself off, and clasped his hands in thanks to Xu Damao: "Thank you for saving my life, brother."

Xu Damao then saw the man's face clearly. Although his face was pale, he exuded an imposing aura.

Little did he know that the person he casually saved was none other than Crippled Ho, a notorious figure in both the underworld and legitimate society of Hong Kong.

Seeing Xu Damao's disheveled appearance, Limpy Ho took out a wad of Hong Kong dollars from his pocket and handed it to him: "Take this money and buy some food first."

From now on, you'll be working for me.

Xu Damao stared wide-eyed at the thick stack of Hong Kong dollars.

He quickly took the money and bowed repeatedly to Limpy Hao, saying, "Thank you, brother! Thank you, brother! I, Xu Damao, will do anything for you, even go through fire and water!"

Because he was quick-witted, had a sweet tongue, and, more importantly, was willing to go all out.

During his time with Limpy Ho, Xu Damao served him diligently, running errands, relaying messages, and gathering information, doing everything meticulously.

He also used his ability to read people, honed in the courtyard houses of Beijing, to help Limpy Ho resolve several crises.

Within a few months, Xu Damao became a favorite of Limpy Ho, not only shedding his beggar status but also donning a smart suit, gaining some power and money.