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

Calling the police might be manageable, but if the neighborhood committee comes, especially if Director Wang gets involved, then the fact that the three old men are favoring the Jia family and trying to suppress their new neighbors will no longer be able to be covered up!

At that point, not only will they lose their advanced status in the compound, but it's also hard to say whether they can even maintain their "big shot" positions!

The courtyard was thrown into chaos. Jia Zhangshi was so frightened that she forgot to groan. Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu looked at each other, their faces filled with fear.

The other neighbors were buzzing with discussion, their gazes towards Yi Zhonghai and his group filled with amusement and a sense of anticipation.

Li Zhenhua glanced coldly at the flustered Yi Zhonghai, the furious Liu Haizhong, the frustrated Yan Bugui, and the ashen-faced Jia family members, and then ignored them completely.

He bent down, picked up the bowl of braised pork that was still unfinished from the ground, tapped the rim of the bowl with his chopsticks, making a crisp sound that attracted everyone's attention.

"All of you neighbors can be my witnesses. Before the police and neighborhood committee arrive, if anyone dares to cause trouble or act arrogantly at my door again, or touch anything in my house..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across Sha Zhu and Jia Dongxu like lightning, his tone chilling.

"Then don't blame me for being reckless in self-defense!"

After saying that, Li Zhenhua said no more. Holding the bowl, he walked back to his backyard hut with a calm gait, amidst a crowd of complicated gazes, and slammed the door shut.

The door shut out the noise from the outside world, but Li Zhenhua could imagine how panicked and resentful those people from the Intermediate People's Court must be.

He didn't care at all, and slowly finished the rest of the braised pork. The aroma of the meat filled his mouth, bringing him a real sense of satisfaction.

After cleaning up the dishes, he even had the leisure to boil some water and brew a cup of cheap but luxurious jasmine tea that he bought from the system store. He sat down at his new desk and waited quietly.

Sure enough, not long after, a jumble of footsteps and voices came from outside the courtyard, including Yan Jiecheng's shrill voice as if he wanted to take credit, and a middle-aged woman's serious voice with an official tone.

Li Zhenhua smiled knowingly, put down his teacup, straightened his collar, and then calmly got up to open the door.

At the moon gate, Yan Jiecheng led three people in with a smug look on his face.

The two were police officers dressed in white uniforms and wearing peaked caps, with serious expressions.

The other was a middle-aged woman in her forties with short hair and wearing a gray Lenin suit. Her eyes and brows revealed competence and sternness. She was Director Wang from the street office.

Three elderly men, including Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong, hurriedly went to greet him, their faces plastered with nervous yet ingratiating smiles.

Jia Zhangshi had also climbed up from the bamboo chair and hid behind Jia Dongxu, her eyes darting around, full of fear.

Director Wang's sharp gaze swept across the entire room, lingering for a moment on Yi Zhonghai's face, her eyes filled with obvious dissatisfaction. However, she did not immediately react, but instead spoke politely to the two police officers.

"Comrade Zhang, Comrade Li, thank you for making this trip. Our subdistrict office has a preliminary understanding of the situation and will definitely cooperate with you to handle it properly."

The older police officer, Zhang, nodded, his expression serious.

"Director Wang, we have received reports that there are cases of people occupying public housing and beating cadres here. The nature of these cases may be quite serious, and we need to verify them."

Before Yi Zhonghai and the others could speak in their defense, Li Zhenhua strode forward, his posture upright and neither humble nor arrogant.

He first nodded slightly to Director Wang as a greeting, and then faced the two police officers, clearly and calmly recounting the events of the afternoon.

From the Jia family's long-term occupation of the side room, to obstructing the cleanup, Jia Zhangshi's preemptive attack, to the evening's courtyard meeting where Yi Zhonghai and others took sides, and Sha Zhu's proactive attack, the narrative is clear and the key points are highlighted.

Finally, he said loudly.

"Comrades, everything I said is true, and many neighbors present witnessed it. The country has its laws, and the factory has its rules. Whether the actions of the Jia mother and son constitute a violation of the law, and whether the three gentlemen's handling of the matter was fair, I urge the police officers and street leaders to make a clear judgment."

Li Zhenhua's words were reasonable and well-founded, and his demeanor was calm and composed, which contrasted sharply with the panic of Yi Zhonghai and others.

Although the neighbors dared not loudly agree, many nodded subconsciously, clearly agreeing with his statement.

After listening, Zhang Gong'an frowned and his gaze toward Jia Zhangshi and Jia Dongxu became stern.

"In this day and age, seizing public property and attacking officials are no small matters if investigated thoroughly," he said in a deep voice.

"If the situation is true, Jia Zhangshi and Jia Dongxu, your behavior is indeed egregious and you need to come with us to the police station for further investigation!"

Upon hearing "go back to the police station," Jia Zhangshi's legs went weak, and she began to scream like a pig being slaughtered.

"I won't go! I haven't broken the law! He hit me! Your Honor, I'm innocent!"

Jia Dongxu was also terrified, his face turning pale, and he looked to Yi Zhonghai for help.

Yi Zhonghai was sweating and about to plead for leniency when Director Wang spoke first.

Before she arrived, she had already learned the general outline of the matter from Yan Jiecheng. Given that this incident occurred in her jurisdiction, Director Wang would not allow it to escalate in order to protect his career.

She forced a smile that seemed kind but was actually tinged with pressure, and said to Officer Zhang.

"Comrade Zhang, you see... this matter is mainly a neighborhood dispute. Jia Zhangshi is uneducated, muddle-headed, and doesn't think things through. Section Chief Li, on the other hand, is young and impetuous, and may have acted a little rashly. Our subdistrict is striving to become an 'Advanced Civilized Subdistrict' this year. If this matter escalates to the police station, the impact will be too great, and it will damage the image of our entire subdistrict. Besides, I'm quite familiar with your Chief Liu. What do you think... could we focus on education and handle this internally within the subdistrict, ensuring they deeply understand their mistakes and never repeat them?"

Director Wang's words were a mix of soft and hard, highlighting both the "impact" and "image" while also hinting at his relationship with the police station leadership, clearly indicating his intention to suppress the matter.

Officer Zhang and his colleague exchanged a glance, clearly understanding what Director Wang meant.

They looked at the scene, then at Li Zhenhua, whose face was calm but whose eyes were firm, and then at the Jia family mother and son, who were pale with fright. They hesitated for a moment.

Finally, Officer Zhang sighed and said to Director Wang.

"Director Wang, since the neighborhood committee is willing to take over, we'll head back now. However, we must seriously educate people about these kinds of issues to prevent them from happening again."

Director Wang quickly assured him.

"Definitely! Thank you both for your hard work!"

The two police officers gave the Jia mother and son a warning glare, shook their heads, and turned to leave the courtyard.

Seeing that the police, the biggest "threat," had left, Director Wang's smile vanished instantly, replaced by a suppressed anger.