Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

The general meeting ended in discord, but the undercurrents in Courtyard No. 95 did not subside. Instead, they became more turbulent and complex due to the exposure of Wang Huanbo's identity.

Zhongyuan, Yi Zhonghai's house.

An older woman carefully closed the door, staring at Yi Zhonghai, who sat at the eight-immortal table, his face so gloomy it seemed to drip water. She didn't dare breathe. The tea in the enamel mug on the table had long since gone cold.

"Old Yi... have some water and calm down," an older woman said tentatively.

"Get over it? Get over it my ass!" Yi Zhonghai slammed his hand on the table, making the teacup clang loudly. "I never expected this little brat to be Wang Jinshan's son! And I never imagined that this old deaf woman would actually jump out and back him up at the very end!"

Yi Zhonghai's chest heaved violently; he felt his retirement plans were under unprecedented threat. Jia Dongxu's side was already somewhat unreliable, with Jia Zhangshi hindering him. As for Sha Zhu, this backup plan, he had invested considerable effort, even resorting to shady methods, to win him over; he was becoming increasingly obedient and dependent on him. But now, suddenly, Wang Huanbo had appeared!

This kid is rich, powerful, educated, and well-connected; even the neighborhood and higher-ups value him. If he stays in the compound long-term, given his circumstances and shrewdness, will Sha Zhu still be as obedient to him as before? Will Jia Dongxu also feel that his master, Yi Zhonghai, is inferior to that "young master" with the PhD who returned from America?

More importantly, Wang Huanbo's appearance was like a mirror, reflecting the despicable aspects of Yi Zhonghai's heart. His scheming against He Daqing, Sha Zhu, and Jia Dongxu was all for the sake of having someone to care for him in his old age, so he wouldn't end up like that old man in courtyard number 94, exploited and left destitute after death. But what about Wang Huanbo? He returned with honor, donating fifty million US dollars to the country! That's equivalent to trillions of yuan (in the first edition of RMB, ten thousand yuan was equivalent to one yuan in the second edition)! Yi Zhonghai's scheming seemed so despicable and utterly shameful in comparison!

This contrast filled Yi Zhonghai with a deep sense of humiliation and panic.

"No! I absolutely can't let him ruin my plans!" A ruthless glint flashed in Yi Zhonghai's eyes. "We need to hurry up with Sha Zhu! We need to make him hate He Daqing even more and rely on me even more! As for Jia Dongxu, we need to give him another warning, make him understand that without me, Yi Zhonghai, he can't get anywhere at the steel rolling mill!"

He began to rethink how to strengthen his control over Sha Zhu and Jia Dongxu, while also trying to test Wang Huanbo's limits and see if he could find his weaknesses.

The backyard, the Xu family's residence.

Xu Fugui closed the door and lowered his voice to say to his son, Xu Damao, "Damao, did you see that? This new Comrade Wang is incredibly powerful! His father, Wang Jinshan, was once on par with Director Lou Zhenhua, co-owning a steel rolling mill! Now he's a PhD and expert who returned from the US! He donated fifty million to the country right away! My God, fifty million! And in US dollars!"

Xu Damao's eyes widened, and he almost drooled: "Dad, does that mean it's a real dragon?!"

"More than a real dragon! That's a golden carp, no ordinary fish in a pond! It transforms into a dragon when it encounters wind and clouds!" Xu Fugui, having been involved in an opera troupe, quoted a literary phrase, "Let me tell you, keep your eyes peeled in the courtyard from now on! The Jia family, the Yan family, the Liu family, and that old bastard Yi Zhonghai—however much trouble they cause is their business. You, Xu Damao, stay away from them! Not only can you not offend Comrade Wang, but you also need to find a way to get along with him! If you can latch onto this powerful figure, getting into the propaganda department, or even a better unit, won't be a matter of just a word from him?"

Xu Damao nodded hurriedly, "Dad, don't worry! I understand! I can speak to people in a way that suits them. I can handle a fool like Sha Zhu, but I need to be even more sincere when dealing with a master like Comrade Wang! From now on, I'll be very polite to him and try to get close to him whenever I have the chance!"

The front yard, the Yan family's house.

Yan Bugui sighed and took off his glasses to wipe them: "It's over, there's absolutely no chance. He's the homeowner's son, it's only natural for him to come back and live in his own house. Our little schemes are just a joke in front of him."

The third aunt also looked worried: "What are we going to do about Jiecheng's wedding room?"

"What else can we do? Wait for the neighborhood committee to allocate it, or... see if we can partition off this room in our house?" Yan Bugui started calculating his pitiful little space again. "Sigh, I should have had more daughters back then, maybe we could have become relatives with the Wang family..."

The backyard, the Liu family's house.

Liu Haizhong vented all his anger on his two youngest sons. Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu were whipped with belts, howling and running around the room. The second aunt stood by, not daring to intervene or pull them away.

"Useless trash! Look at others! And look at you! How could I have given birth to two good-for-nothings like you!" Liu Haizhong cursed as he slapped himself. "A perfectly good house, just like that, gone! It's all because you're useless!"

Liu Guangqi hid in the inner room, listening to the screams and curses outside, a chill running through him. He had no attachment to the west wing, but he was filled with fear and weariness at the thought of staying in this house any longer. He clutched the copy of "How the Steel Was Tempered" that he had secretly hidden in his pocket, and the idea of ​​escaping this house grew wildly like weeds.

The Intermediate People's Court, the Jia family.

Madam Jia sat cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed), slapping the mat and cursing with spittle flying: "That damned little beast! That childless bastard! What's he showing off after coming back from America? So what if he's rich? Does having money give him the right to take over our poor people's houses? I curse him to be hit by a car, choke on his food, or drown his drink! That west wing will be ours sooner or later! Ours, our bastards!"

Qin Huairu held the terrified Banggeng, head bowed, not daring to utter a sound. Jia Dongxu smoked silently, his brows furrowed. He knew his mother's words were harsh, but he was also filled with jealousy and resentment towards Wang Huanbo. Why did he get to live in a detached house while his family had to squeeze into this dilapidated place?

Meanwhile, in the deaf old woman's house in the backyard, a completely different scene unfolded.