I painted an aircraft carrier on the courtyard house for Dongda University.

At first, Jia Dongxu was a little intimidated, after all, Zhou Weiguo's previous influence in the courtyard and factory was undeniable.

But then he thought about it again. He and his mother had both been to prison and had seen more ruthless things than Zhou Weiguo had ever eaten rice.

Zhou Weiguo may look glamorous, but he's just a hothouse flower. How could he withstand the torment of these "barefoot" people?

What's more, I have powerful backers now. As long as I can get Zhou Weiguo under my control, I can not only get him to pressure Qin Huairu to help me get my house and job back, but I could even get him to help me get promoted.

In particular, when his gaze swept over Tian Zao and Bai Yuechang, who were standing next to Zhou Weiguo in the east courtyard, as well as Lou Xiao'e, who was holding a child, and saw that they were all well-dressed and had decent appearances, and then thought about his own miserable situation, a strong sense of envy, jealousy and hatred welled up in his heart.

He gritted his teeth, steeled his resolve, and, mimicking the shrewish manner of those in prison, spoke in a sarcastic, threatening tone: "Hey, Zhou Weiguo, these women aren't all your wives, are they? And that little guy, is he your child?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the women and children, a malicious smile creeping across his lips. "Unexpectedly, Zhou Weiguo, you're quite the ladies' man! But I advise you to be sensible; you don't want anything to happen to your child and wife, do you?"

Upon hearing this, Sha Zhu in the east courtyard instantly flew into a rage. He slammed his fist on the table, stood up abruptly, and charged towards the kitchen, yelling, "You son of a bitch, Jia Dongxu! You dare touch my uncle or my sister-in-law?! I'll chop you up today!"

As he spoke, he grabbed a shiny kitchen knife from the kitchen, gripped the handle, and was about to rush out.

Zhou Weiguo remained calm, raised his hand to stop Sha Zhu, and even raised an eyebrow at him, signaling him to calm down.

When Jia Dongxu saw Sha Zhu draw his knife, his heart trembled. But when he saw Zhou Weiguo reach out to stop him, he thought Zhou Weiguo was afraid. He immediately felt smug. His eyes swept over the wine and dishes on the table in the east courtyard, and his stomach was instantly whetted.

He tugged at Jia Zhangshi's arm and lowered his voice, "Mother, we've suffered so much. Look, Director Zhou has prepared a delicious meal to welcome us. Wouldn't it be disrespectful if we didn't eat?"

As soon as Jia Dongxu said this, the neighbors in the courtyard immediately erupted in uproar, looking at him as if he were a fool, full of contempt and disdain.

Some couldn't help but roll their eyes, some secretly pursed their lips, and others huddled together, muttering under their breath, "Did those two, the Jia mother and son, lose their minds in jail? What a bunch of idiots! Who does Zhou Weiguo think they are, daring to mess with him? They've got a death wish!"

"Exactly! He's already courting death right after getting out. Does he think he's got the upper hand because of prison? Just wait and see, he's probably going to get into big trouble this time!"

Jia Dongxu was completely unaware of the strangeness of the crowd. He thought he had Zhou Weiguo under control and smugly pulled Jia Zhangshi toward the gate of the east courtyard.

But just as he reached the threshold, Zhou Weiguo, from the east courtyard, suddenly spoke with a half-smile, his tone slow yet carrying an inexplicable sense of oppression: "Jia Dongxu, what's wrong? You've been stuck in there for two years, and now you think you're all that, with nothing to lose?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Jia Dongxu's stiff face, before changing the subject: "You've probably forgotten that you have a son named Banggeng, haven't you? And don't you find it strange that you haven't seen Banggeng and Qin Huairu yet?"

These words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly poured over Jia Zhangshi and Jia Dongxu.

The two were startled at the same time and turned their heads sharply to look at their former house. There was a large lock on the doorknob, indicating that no one was inside.

Seeing this, Jia Dongxu felt relieved and subconsciously thought: Qin Huairu must have taken Banggeng out to play. She can't just run away and not come back.

With that thought, he felt relieved and broke free from Jia Zhangshi's hand, preparing to walk straight into the east courtyard.

"stop."

Zhou Weiguo raised an eyebrow, his tone becoming even more mocking. "Jia Dongxu, I advise you to think this through. If, and I mean if, you dare to step across this threshold today, then I really will have to reluctantly play a part in your 'triumphant homecoming' drama."

He leaned forward slightly, his voice turning colder, yet each word clear: "I can't guarantee anything else, but I can get you to see Bang Geng soon, and you'll be able to empathize with him. What do you think?"

"hiss......."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the courtyard gasped, and their eyes filled with pity as they looked at Jia Dongxu.

They all knew about Bang Geng's injury; both of his legs were ruined, and Qin Huairu rushed back to the hospital last night.

Zhou Weiguo's meaning was crystal clear: if Jia Dongxu dared to step into the east courtyard, he would cripple Jia Dongxu's legs.

The neighbors who had gathered around immediately erupted in uproar. "Isn't Zhou Weiguo exaggerating a bit? Does he really dare to cripple someone's legs in public? He'll be held responsible for that! I think he's just trying to scare Jia Dongxu!"

"That's right. This is a society governed by law. Publicly injuring someone is no small matter. Zhou Weiguo is a leader, no less. He shouldn't ruin himself for someone like Jia Dongxu!"

But others shook their heads in rebuttal, their tone certain: "Don't underestimate Zhou Weiguo! He's always decisive and wouldn't say anything he wasn't sure of. Besides, listen to what he just said; he didn't explicitly say he wanted to break his leg. If something really happens, he has plenty of ways to cover it up, and he might even be able to shift the blame onto Jia Dongxu!"

"I think Zhou Weiguo is really daring! Have you all forgotten what happened with the police a while ago? He didn't hold back at all, and Jia Dongxu is now deliberately walking into the line of fire, purely courting death!"

Yan Fugui, standing in the crowd, felt a chill run down his spine. He immediately thought of the police officer who had threatened the women. "He's gone mad, Jia Dongxu has gone mad... He really dares to do this... Zhou Weiguo is a ruthless man... This man is absolutely not to be trifled with, especially not to threaten his family."

But Jia Dongxu had no idea about Bang Geng's experience or what had happened during this time. He only felt that Zhou Weiguo was deliberately scaring him and looking down on him!

A surge of anger instantly rose in his head. He gritted his teeth, his eyes turning fierce: "Zhou Weiguo, stop playing tricks on me! I'm going in today, and I'll see what you can do to me!" With that, he stepped into the courtyard.

Jia Zhangshi, who was standing to the side, had sensed something was wrong earlier. Seeing the change in everyone's expressions and hearing their hushed whispers, her heart skipped a beat. Just as she was about to call out to Jia Dongxu, her mouth was suddenly covered tightly by a rough hand, and she couldn't make a sound. She could only struggle with a "woo woo woo" sound.