Siheyuan (courtyard house): My father, Li Yunlong!

"What's going on in your district? Your investigation is superficial and lacks thoroughness! You're just jumping to conclusions! Comrade Li Zhenhua, through special channels, risked his own life to do a great deal of work to alleviate the food shortage for some people during this extremely difficult period! He's a meritorious official! Who gave you the authority to not investigate the real motives behind the report, but instead target the comrade who solved the problem? This is serious bureaucracy! This is putting the cart before the horse!"

A barrage of criticisms, like hailstones, pelted the district leader, leaving him completely stunned.

He was completely baffled as to why the wind direction above would reverse 180 degrees in just one or two hours.

Li Zhenhua's special channels?

A meritorious official?

Where is this going?

"Sir, we...we don't understand..."

He tried to defend himself.

"If you don't understand, then study properly! Execute the order immediately!"

The person on the other end of the phone didn't give him a chance to explain; their tone was firm and decisive.

"Furthermore, Wang, the director of that subdistrict office, acted rashly without sufficient verification or approval from higher authorities, causing a negative impact. She must be dealt with severely! She is immediately suspended from her duties pending investigation! The confiscated grain will be taken over by the district as emergency reserve supplies and cannot be returned!"

"Snapped!"

The call was disconnected, leaving only the busy tone.

The district leader stood frozen, microphone in hand, his back instantly soaked with cold sweat.

He realized that he might have stirred up a huge hornet's nest!

Li Zhenhua's background is far more unfathomable than he imagined!

Even the city's top leaders personally intervened and showed such a clear attitude of protection!

He dared not delay for a moment, and immediately summoned his secretary, almost shouting the order.

"Quickly! Immediately notify Old Zhang from the Discipline Inspection Commission that the investigation team targeting Li Zhenhua is to be disbanded! Disband it immediately! Seal all materials! Also, notify the street office that Director Wang... Wang Moumou, is to be suspended from his duties! He is to be investigated! The confiscated grain must be taken to the district grain depot immediately!"

The news spread like wildfire at an astonishing speed.

The members of the district discipline inspection commission investigation team, who had just been eager to get started, were all dumbfounded when they received the notice of disbandment. They looked at each other, not knowing what had happened.

Director Wang, who was sitting in the subdistrict office, smugly waiting for the district officials to arrive and preparing to cooperate with the "case investigation," was struck dumb when he received a call from the district organization department informing him of his suspension from duty. His face turned deathly pale, and the teacup in his hand crashed to the ground and shattered.

"Why? On what grounds am I suspended? What mistake did I make?"

She screamed into the phone in a panic. The voice on the other end was cold and formulaic.

"Comrade Wang, this is a decision made by the district. Please remain calm and cooperate with the investigation. The specific reasons will be explained to you during the investigation."

Director Wang slumped in her chair, her whole body ice-cold. She couldn't understand how, in the blink of an eye, she had become the one being investigated when it was a "rock-solid case" with the suspect caught red-handed and the evidence irrefutable.

Li Zhenhua...

What extraordinary abilities does he possess?

At the same time, this sudden order, like a boulder thrown into a stagnant pool, stirred up even greater waves in the courtyard that had just experienced a storm.

Representatives from the district came to the courtyard and announced the decision from higher authorities: An investigation revealed that Comrade Li Zhenhua's actions did not constitute speculation or profiteering, but rather stemmed from efforts to alleviate the difficulties faced by the people. However, given the current policy of unified purchase and sale of grain, the grain involved will be confiscated and centrally allocated. Director Wang of the subdistrict office has been suspended from his duties pending investigation due to inappropriate work methods.

After the announcement, the district officials left decisively, leaving the residents of the compound dumbfounded.

At first, when everyone heard that "Comrade Li Zhenhua's behavior does not constitute speculation and profiteering," they felt relieved. Immediately afterward, a great joy and hope spread like wildfire!

"Did you hear that? Did you hear that? Director Li is alright! And the grain... can we get our grain back now?"

Yan Bugui was the first to react, excitedly adjusting his glasses, his voice trembling.

"That's right! If it's not speculation, then the grain is something we bought legally! Quick, go and bring the grain back!"

With his belly sticking out, Liu Haizhong excitedly shouted, as if he could already see the golden cornmeal beckoning to him.

"Great! We can get the grain back! Honey, quick, get the sacks!"

The women wept with joy and called to their families to prepare to pack the grain.

The entire courtyard erupted in cheers, the despair and fear that had been building up all day replaced by ecstasy.

Everyone seemed to have forgotten their previous suspicions and complaints, their eyes now only on the food that was about to be recovered.

Yi Zhonghai mingled in the crowd, forcing an awkward smile, but his heart was filled with doubt and unease.

Li Zhenhua is alright so quickly?

Even Director Wang has been taken down?

This energy... it's terrifying!

But at this moment he was more concerned about food, as his family was almost starving.

However, they waited and waited, until it was almost dark, but no one from the district or the street office brought the grain back.

Some people couldn't contain their anger and went to the subdistrict office to inquire, only to be told that the grain had been taken away by the district and confiscated, and would not be returned.

This news was like another bucket of ice water, completely extinguishing the flame of hope that had just been ignited in everyone at the hospital!

"Confiscated? Why should it be confiscated? Isn't that our grain? We paid for it!"

Sha Zhu was the first to jump up, his eyes turning red.

He used up all the money he had saved up for a long time to get married just for this little bit of food.

"That's right! Director Li is all cleared up, so why are they confiscating our grain?"

The crowd was filled with indignation; a burning anger of feeling deceived and mocked raged in the courtyard.

"It must be that damned whistleblower! If he hadn't made that baseless accusation, how could Director Wang have taken the grain? And if he hadn't taken it, how could it have been confiscated?"

The second aunt slapped her thigh and started crying and cursing.

These words immediately awakened everyone.

Yup!

The root of the problem lies in those two whistleblower letters!

The anger was instantly directed at the unseen "traitor."

"Who wrote the whistleblower letter? Huh? You have the guts to write it but not the guts to admit it?"

"This is utterly immoral! If you don't want to live, don't drag the entire hospital down with you!"

"If I find out who it is, I'll tear them to shreds!"

Curses, cries, and questions filled the air, creating chaos in the courtyard, which resembled a powder keg ready to explode at any moment.

The eyes of everyone looking at each other were filled with hatred and suspicion, and the neighborhood relations that had just eased up instantly plummeted to freezing point.

Amidst the chaos, Li Zhenhua appeared at the Moon Gate, pushing his bicycle.

He was still wearing that crisp Zhongshan suit, his face expressionless, as calm as if he were just going home from get off work.

But instantly, all eyes in the hospital, like searchlights, focused on him.

"Director Li! You're finally back!"

Yan Bugui was the first to rush forward, as if he had seen his pillar of support.

"Have you heard? The grain... the grain has been confiscated by the district! They say they won't return it! What... what are we going to do?"

"Director Li, you have to stand up for us! This grain is our lifeline!"

A crowd gathered around, their faces filled with anxiety, grievance, and anticipation.

At this moment, Li Zhenhua became their only hope.

Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong squeezed in as well. Yi Zhonghai had a fawning smile on his face and spoke with unprecedented humility.

"Zhenhua, look at the mess this has made... It's all that bastard's fault for writing the whistleblower letter! Now the higher-ups are saying you're not speculating, but the grain... sigh, could you go and plead with the higher-ups again to get the grain back for everyone? Or... or think of another way to get some grain for everyone? It looks like we're really going to run out of food..."

Li Zhenhua stopped in his tracks, his cold gaze slowly sweeping over every face that had surrounded him.

He didn't speak immediately, but the coldness in his eyes silenced the noisy crowd.

The silence lasted for more than ten seconds, so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

Suddenly, Li Zhenhua spat out a loud "Pah!" The sound wasn't loud, but it felt like a slap across everyone's face.

The calm mask on his face instantly shattered, replaced by extreme anger and mockery. He pointed at Yi Zhonghai, then at Liu Haizhong, Yan Bugui, and everyone in the hospital, his voice like ice exploding, each word striking the crowd.

"Help? You want me to help? Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, Yan Bugui! And all of you! You fucking have the nerve to ask me for help?"

That angry outburst stunned everyone!

Even Sha Zhu and Xu Damao were stunned. They had never seen Li Zhenhua lose his composure like this, so... rude and direct in his cursing.

"I, Li Zhenhua, out of consideration for my neighbors and because everyone was starving, risked everything, using my connections and money, to get you this life-saving food! And what did I get in return? Someone wrote a report trying to kill me! The neighborhood committee came to arrest me for the stolen goods, and the district set up an investigation team! If it weren't for the fact that I have connections and influence, I'd be in jail by now! And you'd still be standing here asking me for food?"

He became increasingly angry as he spoke, his chest heaving violently and veins bulging on his forehead—a genuine outburst of emotion.

"Do you know how much I paid to settle this? Huh? My grain supply line! That life-saving supply line! Because of that traitor among you, it was targeted by higher-ups! It was directly requisitioned by the authorities! Completely confiscated! From now on, don't even think about getting a single grain of rice from there!"

This news is even more devastating than the confiscation of grain!

The distribution channels... have been requisitioned by the authorities?

Is it impossible to buy food anymore?

The entire hospital staff were stunned, as if struck by lightning!

"How could this be...?"

Qin Huairu's face turned deathly pale. She muttered to herself, swayed, and almost fainted.

Banggeng quickly helped his mother up, and the boy's face was also filled with fear.

Sha Zhu stared wide-eyed, unable to close his mouth for a long time.

Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong's faces instantly turned ashen.

They still held onto a sliver of hope: even if they couldn't get the grain back, as long as Li Zhenhua's channels remained, there would always be a way.

But now, even the distribution channels are gone!

This is the real catastrophe!

"No...it's impossible...Director Li, please...please think of another way..."

Yan Bugui pleaded with a sob in his voice.

"Think of a way? Think of my foot!"

Li Zhenhua interrupted him without any politeness, his gaze sweeping over everyone like a knife.

"I almost sacrificed my future and freedom for you! Now my channels are gone! Are you satisfied? Happy? Is this the result you wanted?"

He suddenly waved his hand, pointing outside the courtyard.

"From today onwards, if anyone dares to mention buying grain to me again, don't blame me, Li Zhenhua, for turning my back on you! Starving to death? You'll only have yourself to blame! Blame it on that heartless whistleblower in your compound! Blame that bastard who wrote the whistleblower letter!"

After saying that, Li Zhenhua ignored the desperate, regretful, and grief-stricken expressions on everyone's faces, as if they had lost their parents. He pushed his bicycle aside, knocked aside the distraught people blocking his way, and walked straight to the backyard.

His silhouette appeared resolute and cold in the twilight, leaving no room for retreat.

The entire courtyard was deathly silent.

Only the evening breeze, blowing up a few fallen leaves, adds to the desolate atmosphere.

After an unknown amount of time, a heart-wrenching cry broke the silence; it was the cry of a child who was starving.

Immediately afterwards, the woman's sobs, the man's sighs, and the cursing of the whistleblower rang out again, but this time, they were filled with a deeper, irreversible despair.

Hope has been completely shattered.

Not only is their immediate food supply gone, but their future livelihoods have also been completely cut off by those two mysterious whistleblower letters.

At this moment, the hatred of everyone in the entire hospital towards the hidden whistleblower reached its peak.

Under the suspicious and angry gazes of the crowd, Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Yan Bugui felt extremely uneasy, their backs tingling with cold.

They knew that if it was discovered that the whistleblower letter was related to them, they would have nowhere left to stand in this courtyard.

The night was deep, and the courtyard was shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere.

Every household turned off their lights early, not because they were asleep, but because they had no desire to keep them lit and no energy to talk.

A sense of despair hung in the air, occasionally broken by the faint cries of children from hunger, which were quickly interrupted by the suppressed shouts of adults.

In the front yard, at Yan Bugui's house, the house was pitch black except for a small kerosene lamp lit on the kang table in the inner room. The flickering flame barely illuminated the few people sitting around the table.

On the table, there sat a solitary, dull-colored steamed bun made from mixed flour, barely larger than a fist. This was the Yan family's ration for the night.

Yan Bugui sat in the main seat, his face looking particularly haggard and ashen under the dim light.

The three women were secretly wiping away their tears.

The children stared longingly at the steamed bun, their throats bobbing up and down, and the rumbling of their stomachs was especially clear in the quiet room.

Yan Bugui picked up the cornbread, his hands trembling slightly, and began to cut it with extreme care using a small knife.

He divided the pieces extremely fairly, spending a long time visually assessing each piece to ensure they were all the same size.

Even so, each person only gets a tiny piece the size of an egg, not even enough to fill a tooth gap.

Yan Jiecheng took his small piece of cornbread, but did not eat it immediately.

He was young and strong, and had the biggest appetite. This little bit of food not only failed to quench his hunger, but instead aroused an even stronger feeling of hunger.