Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

The incident of Yi Zhonghai fainting during the parade was like a deep-water bomb dropped into No. 95 Courtyard, its aftershocks lingering for a long time.

After Yi Zhonghai was carried home, he fell seriously ill, suffering from a high fever and delirium, sometimes weeping bitterly, sometimes gritting his teeth. The old woman, heartbroken after this ordeal, was finally free. Too lazy to care for Yi Zhonghai, she packed her things and moved to the small side room where Sha Zhu had previously lived (after marrying Wang Huanbo, Sha Zhu mostly lived in the factory dormitory or the west wing of the courtyard), effectively separating them. Their marital bond was now over. No one in the courtyard sympathized with Yi Zhonghai; even Yan Bugui only made a perfunctory visit, offering a few perfunctory words of "take good care of yourself" before quickly leaving, afraid of being tainted by bad luck.

The happiest person was Xu Damao. He felt he had accomplished a "groundbreaking" feat, eliminating a potential rival for Chief Engineer Wang, ridding the institute of a scourge, and venting his own pent-up anger. He couldn't wait to "report his achievements" to Wang Huanbo and demonstrate his "value."

That evening, Xu Damao, carrying two bottles of Fenjiu liquor that he had managed to obtain with great difficulty and a plump roast duck, spotted that the light in Wang Huanbo's study was still on and eagerly knocked on the door of the west courtyard.

The driver, Xiao Zhao, opened the door and frowned when he saw Xu Damao: "Xu, projectionist, what's up?"

"Brother Zhao, could you please inform him? I need to report some work to Boss Wang." Xu Damao said with a smile, waving the wine and duck in his hand.

Xiao Zhao went in to ask for instructions, and came out a moment later: "Engineer Wang wants you to come in."

Xu Damao was overjoyed. He straightened his collar, bowed, and went inside. In the study, Wang Huanbo was sitting behind his desk reading documents, the lamplight outlining his calm profile.

"Mr. Wang! I hope I haven't disturbed you?" Xu Damao bowed and placed the wine and duck on the coffee table in the corner. "It's just a small token of my appreciation."

Wang Huanbo raised his head and looked at him calmly: "Comrade Da Mao, is something the matter?"

Xu Damao rubbed his hands together, took two steps closer, lowered his voice, and said in a boastful tone, "President Wang, that old bastard Yi Zhonghai is completely finished this time! Paraded through the streets, demoted, and now he's sick—it's truly gratifying! You didn't see how pathetic he looked, haha!"

Wang Huanbo remained calm: "Oh? This concerns you?"

Xu Damao thought Wang Huanbo was testing him, so he immediately puffed out his chest and vividly described how he had "observed things clearly," how he was "indignant," how he had "wisely offered a plan" to guide Director Li of the Women's Federation, and how he had "exposed Yi Zhonghai's hypocritical face," emphasizing his "wit" and "loyalty to President Wang."

"President Wang, I've known for a long time that Yi Zhonghai is a scoundrel! He's caused you a lot of trouble before! This time, I've finally helped you get revenge! From now on, no one in this courtyard will dare to bare their teeth at you again!" Xu Damao said, spittle flying everywhere.

Wang Huanbo listened quietly, his face expressionless, his fingers lightly tapping the table. Xu Damao's heart began to pound. This reaction...something wasn't right? Shouldn't it be praise and reward?

"Comrade Da Mao," Wang Huanbo began slowly, "it's good that you've noticed some of the negative phenomena within the institute. However, we must be mindful of our methods in resolving these issues. Utilizing the organization's resources and speaking with facts is the right thing to do. But we must also be careful not to let personal emotions get involved, and even more so, avoid underhanded tactics or using others to do our dirty work."

Xu Damao's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly explained, "President Wang, I... I was acting in the public interest! Yi Zhonghai, he..."

Wang Huanbo waved his hand, interrupting him: "I understand your thoughts. It's good that you want to advance and do something for the factory and the institute. But you should use your intelligence in the right way. For example, the factory is currently facing a heavy export task for Hongxing automobiles, and the publicity and reporting are not keeping up; we also need manpower for external liaison and cultural exchanges. You are quick-witted and have a wide network of contacts, so you can think of more ways to address these issues."

Upon hearing this, Xu Damao thought, "This is promising!" President Wang was giving him a task! Although he didn't directly praise him for bringing down Yi Zhonghai, he had pointed him in a new direction! He immediately seized the opportunity: "President Wang, don't worry! Publicity and reporting are no problem! I know several reporters from various newspapers! I'm even better at external communications! Having shown movies for so many years, I know all sorts of people! Just say the word, President Wang, and I, Xu Damao, guarantee to complete the task!"

"Hmm," Wang Huanbo nodded, "It's good that you mean well. We can talk about the specifics another time. Take these things back with you." He pointed to the wine and the duck.

"No, Mr. Wang! It's just a small token of my appreciation..."

"Take it back." Wang Huanbo's tone was calm, yet carried an unquestionable authority.

Xu Damao dared not insist any further and awkwardly picked up his things, saying, "Well... Mr. Wang, you're busy, I'll head back now."

Emerging from the west courtyard, Xu Damao felt a bit uneasy. He couldn't quite fathom Mr. Wang's attitude. He neither confirmed nor denied his involvement with Yi Zhonghai, but instead pointed out a new approach. Did Mr. Wang think his methods were too underhanded, or did he see another use for him?

He figured that no matter what, currying favor with the boss was the right thing to do! He needed to focus on doing things the "right way" from now on. For example, maybe he could actually contact the newspaper and give Red Star Motors a heads-up? Or perhaps he could find out about any new technological developments abroad and report them to Boss Wang? Yes! That's what he'd do! He had to show Boss Wang that he, Xu Damao, was "useful"!

In the study, Wang Huanbo watched Xu Damao's departing figure and shook his head slightly. Xu Damao was a talented man, but unfortunately, he was too cunning and ambitious. Used well, he was a sharp knife; used poorly, he could easily backfire. With Yi Zhonghai's downfall, the institute lost a troublemaker, but opportunists like Xu Damao also needed to be disciplined and guided. Water that is too clear has no fish; the institute needs all kinds of people, both inside and outside, the key is how to use them and how to maintain a balance.

He stopped thinking about these trivial matters and turned his gaze back to the blueprints on the table—an improved intake system plan for the V6 engine. Compared to the chaos in the courtyard, how to make the Red Star car more powerful and fuel-efficient was what truly mattered to him. The road ahead was long, and these minor setbacks were merely a few pebbles on the path forward.