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

Liu Haizhong felt extremely uncomfortable under everyone's gaze. He subconsciously shrank back, his eyes darting nervously through the crowd, completely unsure of what everyone meant.

Just now, there was a commotion in the courtyard. He was chased by Jia Zhangshi with a kitchen knife and had to flee in a sorry state. Now, instead of talking about anything else, everyone was staring at him, which made him feel uneasy and unsure of what to do with his hands and feet.

In the chaos, he caught a glimpse of Yan Fugui standing at the front of the crowd, constantly winking at him with anxious eyes.

Liu Haizhong was puzzled and subconsciously raised his voice to ask, "Old Yan! What's wrong with you? Are your eyes twitching or something? Why are you blinking so much?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Fugui's expression instantly froze.

He glared at Liu Haizhong, cursing his old friend for being so clueless, before quickly turning to look at his wife.

The three women had a long face and shook their heads slightly at him, clearly not conveying their message.

Meanwhile, Liu Haizhong glanced at Zhou Weiguo in the distance and pondered: During the months he spent in the labor camp, he reflected on his fate and realized that he had underestimated Zhou Weiguo's power, which led to his current predicament. He not only lost his job but also got into trouble. Even now that he was back, he had become the laughingstock of the entire camp.

He was filled with regret: Was he stupid back then? If he had known that Zhou Weiguo was so capable and powerful, he should have eagerly fawned over him and clung to his coattails. He would never have ended up in a labor camp.

Perhaps I can take advantage of Zhou Weiguo's momentum to advance further in my career.

Thinking this, he subconsciously looked up in Zhou Weiguo's direction and met Zhou Weiguo's eyes, which were filled with a mix of amusement and curiosity. Clearly, the other man was also looking at him.

Liu Haizhong was overjoyed, as if he had grasped a lifeline. He quickly ran to Zhou Weiguo's side, a fawning smile plastered on his face, his back unconsciously bending down as he tried to flatter him: "Chief Engineer Zhou! Chief Engineer Zhou! It was all my fault for being ignorant and blind to your greatness back then! After this labor reform, I've completely seen the light and I'm determined to turn over a new leaf and start anew! Please, Chief Engineer Zhou, give me a chance to reform!"

Looking at him like this, Zhou Weiguo almost couldn't help but burst out laughing, and the mockery in his eyes deepened.

He raised an eyebrow, looking curious, and said with a hint of teasing in his voice, "Old Liu, it's not that I don't want to give you a chance. You've lost your job, and your file still shows you've been sent to a labor camp. These days, finding a decent job is hard enough, let alone going back to your old position. How can I give you a chance? That would be putting me in a difficult position!"

Liu Haizhong, however, remained completely unperturbed. His fawning expression intensified as he took two steps closer, lowering his voice but unable to conceal his urgency: "Chief Engineer Zhou, this might be difficult for others, but for someone of your stature, it's certainly no problem! Rest assured, as long as you give me a chance, I, Old Liu, will go through fire and water without hesitation, and will wholeheartedly repay your kindness!"

Zhou Weiguo shook his head slightly, but still said calmly, "Since you're so confident, let's see if you can get back to the steel rolling mill first. If you can get back in on your own merit, I'll consider giving you a chance."

Upon hearing this, Liu Haizhong instantly became energetic, his eyes lighting up.

He immediately straightened his back, excitedly patting his chest and promising, "Chief Engineer Zhou, don't worry! I, Lao Liu, will definitely do my utmost to get back to the steel rolling mill as quickly as possible! I will not let you down!"

Zhou Weiguo waved his hand casually, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and said with a half-smile, "No rush, finish your performance first. This courtyard is truly bustling today; it's been years since I've seen such a wonderful show. The previous actors have all left the stage; Lao Liu, it's your turn."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the courtyard immediately realized what was happening and burst into laughter, their eyes filled with amusement at the spectacle.

Even Yan Fugui, who had been keeping a straight face, couldn't help but turn around, cover his mouth, and chuckle.

The Xu Wude couple, who were in a corner of the crowd, turned extremely ugly upon hearing this. Zhou Weiguo's words clearly meant that it would be their family's turn to perform alongside the Liu family next.

Only Liu Haizhong remained bewildered, scratching his head and looking blankly at the laughing crowd, then at Zhou Weiguo, completely unaware of the deeper meaning behind those words, still pondering what "singing opera" really meant.

Just then, two young voices suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate, their tone full of excitement.

A slightly more mature voice asked, "Guangfu, tell me, is the hot pot lamb good today?"

Immediately afterward, another, slightly younger voice rang out, filled with satisfied relish: "Brother, it smells amazing! It's just too expensive. I'll treat you to it when I get to work!"

A mature voice replied with a laugh, "Haha, good! You'll be fifteen next year. I'll talk to Uncle Weiguo then and see if I can let you start as an apprentice in the factory so you can earn some wages for yourself."

As soon as they finished speaking, the two stepped into the central courtyard. Seeing the large crowd inside, they froze, their steps halting. Liu Guangtian's smile vanished, and he muttered in confusion, "Why are there so many people? What's going on in the courtyard?"

The brothers scanned the crowd, and when their eyes fell on Liu Haizhong standing next to Zhou Weiguo, they were shocked. The doubt on their faces was instantly replaced by astonishment, and they subconsciously took half a step back.

Liu Guangtian reacted the fastest, his eyes widening before he blurted out, "Liu Haizhong? You broke out of prison?"

As soon as he said that, the courtyard fell silent for a moment, then burst into laughter again, even louder than before.

Liu Haizhong was already confused by everyone and had a lot of pent-up anger. When his own son asked him this question, he rolled his eyes so hard that his chest heaved violently and his anger flared up instantly.

He reached for his waist and unceremoniously pulled out the seven-wolf belt tied there. He had been bullied a lot on the farm over the past six months and was seething with anger. Now that even his own son dared to make fun of him like this, he decided to take this opportunity to vent his anger.

Seeing Liu Haizhong's blustering, glaring expression and the way he pulled out his belt, Liu Guangtian felt a sudden chill run down his spine. He took a step back, instinctively shielding Liu Guangfu behind him. He tried to appear calm, but his voice trembled as he said, "You, you, you, Liu Haizhong, what are you trying to do? Let me tell you, this is a society governed by law. Don't do anything reckless!"