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

Upon hearing Sha Zhu's words, Yi Zhonghai abruptly raised his head, a complex emotion flashing in his bloodshot eyes—anger, warning, but mostly a sense of powerlessness.

He opened his mouth, but in the end he said nothing and lowered his head in anguish.

Director Yang glanced at the seemingly deranged Yi Zhonghai, then at the "volunteer" Sha Zhu, and then, thinking of the troublesome Jia Zhangshi and the frail Qin Huairu from the Jia family, he sighed and waved his hand.

"Alright, He Yuzhu, you go then! Be careful how you do it, don't scare anyone! When you get to the street office, please ask Director Wang to come along and do some work as well."

"Alright! Factory manager, just you wait and see!"

Sha Zhu looked as if he had received a royal decree, his face practically glowing. He turned and ran outside, his steps so light that it seemed more like he was going to pick up a bride than to announce a death.

Factory Director Yang, his face ashen, looked at the mess and the wailing Yi Zhonghai before him. He suppressed his frustration and anger, waved to Sun Weimin, and spoke in a hoarse and weary voice.

"Old Sun, get someone to clean up this mess right now! What kind of scene is this?!"

Sun Weimin immediately responded and directed the security personnel to begin cleaning up the shocking bloodstains and remains. He also had people help the nearly exhausted Yi Zhonghai away from the scene, using a combination of persuasion and support.

"All factory committee members and workshop directors, proceed to the small conference room immediately for a meeting!"

Director Yang tossed out a sentence, turned around, and strode towards the office building, his back view heavy.

The small meeting room was filled with smoke, and the atmosphere was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

Director Yang sat in the main seat, tapping his fingers impatiently on the table, his gaze sweeping over each of the factory leaders present, each with a different expression.

"Speak."

Director Yang's voice was deep and carried an undeniable authority.

"What exactly happened in the forging workshop? We talk about safety every day and enforce it every month, how could such a huge mistake happen? And someone even died! Who can give me an explanation?"

Qian Youli, the deputy factory director in charge of production and safety, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and spoke first, his tone eager to distance himself from the situation.

"Factory manager, after the accident, I immediately organized a preliminary investigation. Based on the workers' accounts and our initial assessment, this was entirely a serious accident caused by a person's violation of regulations!"

He paused, then, noticing Director Yang's sharp gaze, quickly added.

"Jia Dongxu himself had a weak sense of safety. When operating the overhead crane to lift large steel ingots, he seriously violated the operating procedures, failed to wear a safety rope, and leaned over to operate the crane before it had fully stopped, resulting in his fall... This is entirely his personal problem. The factory's equipment is regularly inspected, and the safety system is comprehensive. Our production department... it's really impossible to prevent such incidents!"

As soon as he finished speaking, another deputy factory director in charge of logistics quickly echoed his words.

"Yes, Factory Manager, Old Qian is right. This was purely an accident; it was Jia Dongxu's own carelessness. Our factory has already done a good job in safety investment and management. We can't possibly have someone watching every worker 24 hours a day, can we?"

"Yes, it's mainly a matter of the individual qualities of the employees..."

"He's been trained on the operating procedures, but he just doesn't follow them, sigh..."

For a moment, the meeting room was filled with excuses and attempts to absolve themselves, as if Jia Dongxu's death was entirely his own fault and had nothing to do with the factory.

Everyone's goal was clear: to classify it as an individual liability accident and minimize the factory's losses and responsibilities.

As Director Yang listened to these remarks, his expression grew increasingly grim.

How could he not know what these people were thinking?

But right now, the most important thing is to calm the situation down, especially to appease the family members and prevent the matter from escalating and affecting the factory's stability and performance evaluation.

He slammed his hand on the table in frustration.

"Enough! This isn't the time to figure out who's more or less responsible! The person's dead, what's the point of saying all this? What I'm asking now is, how should this be handled? What's the follow-up?"

The meeting room fell silent instantly. Everyone kept their eyes down, no one willing to be the first to take on this hot potato.

If handled well, it's simply a matter of duty; if handled poorly, it can cause a lot of trouble, especially since the Jia family has a notorious shrew, Jia Zhangshi.

Just then, Li Huaide, the logistics director who had been silent all along, adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, cleared his throat, and spoke.

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a sense of composure and experience, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

"Director Yang, comrades."

Li Huaide said slowly.

"I think Director Qian and his team have some merit in their analysis, and the determination of the nature of the accident needs to be based on evidence. However, the overriding task at present is to properly handle the aftermath and stabilize public morale."

He abruptly changed the subject, hitting the nail on the head.

"The person died at the factory, that's an indisputable fact. You've probably all heard about the Jia family's situation—a widow and her child, struggling to make ends meet. If we keep emphasizing that it's just one person's responsibility, it might escalate the conflict. If the family members lose control and come to the factory to cause trouble, or report it to higher authorities, then... it won't be something that can be covered up as a simple production accident. It will have an extremely negative impact on the factory's reputation and on everyone here."

He glanced at Director Yang, who nodded slightly, and continued speaking.

"Therefore, my opinion is that the most urgent task is to do a good job in compensating the family. We must be sincere and the compensation must be adequate. As long as we can appease the family, prevent them from causing trouble, and agree to treat it as a 'work-related death,' then this matter can be kept to a minimum, classified as an unfortunate accidental production accident, and we can move on as soon as possible without affecting the overall situation of the factory."

Li Huaide's words not only pointed out the huge potential risks, but also offered what seemed to be the safest solution, elevating "settling the families" to the level of protecting the interests of the entire factory. It sounded grand and was highly practical.

Factory Director Yang's tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed a little.

Li Huaide's words struck a chord with him.

What he needs most right now is to quell the situation as soon as possible and prevent any further complications.

As for determining liability, that's a matter for later, and it can even be manipulated.

"Comrade Huai De spoke very well; he has a great sense of the big picture!"

Factory Director Yang immediately expressed his approval.

"Stability is the top priority right now! We must do our best to reassure the family members and not let them feel disheartened. We also cannot allow this incident to disrupt our factory's normal production order and stability!"

His gaze swept around the room before finally settling on Li Huaide.

"Huai De, you're the head of logistics, responsible for employee welfare and logistical support. Communicating with the families and discussing compensation plans is best left to you! I'm giving you full authority. Provide the necessary personnel and funds… within a reasonable compensation range, try your best to meet the families' demands! The bottom line is: speed, stability, and thoroughness! Handle this matter as quickly as possible!"

"Yes, Factory Director! I will do my best to handle it well. Please rest assured, Factory Director and colleagues!"

Li Huaide stood up and solemnly accepted the task. He had just arrived at the steel rolling mill and it was time for him to prove himself.

Meanwhile, Sha Zhu rode the bicycle he borrowed from his coworkers at the factory, pedaling so hard that sparks were practically flying out of the pedals, and sped all the way back to No. 95 Nanluoguxiang.

As soon as I entered the front yard, I saw several women gathered around the pond in the middle yard. They were Qin Huairu, an older woman, and two other neighboring older women, chatting while washing clothes.

Water splashes on the bluestone slabs, mingling with the scent of soapberry, creating a sense of everyday tranquility.

An older woman with sharp eyes noticed that Sha Zhu was rushing back at this hour. Finding it strange, she straightened up, ran her wet hands through her hair, and teased him.

"Hey, Sha Zhu? Did the sun rise in the west today? What time is it and you're already back? Look at the way you're rushing around, are you being chased by a dog?"

Sha Zhu had no interest in responding; his gaze was fixed on Qin Huairu, who was squatting on the ground, vigorously scrubbing a piece of workwear.

Qin Huairu looked up when she heard the noise, her face showing some fatigue from her work, and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Panting heavily, Sha Zhu rushed to Qin Huairu in three steps at a time, not caring that there were other people around. With an almost cruel urgency to "announce a death," he shouted.

"Sister Qin! Stop washing! Something terrible has happened! Brother Dongxu... Brother Dongxu... had an accident in the workshop... he... he's dead!"

"That's it?"

Qin Huairu didn't react for a moment, or rather, she couldn't believe it. The clothes she was washing fell back into the basin with a "plop," splashing water everywhere.

She tilted her head back, her face drained of all color in an instant, her lips trembled, and her eyes stared intently at Sha Zhu.

"Silly Zhu...you...what nonsense are you talking about?"

"It's true! Absolutely true!"

When Sha Zhu saw that she didn't believe him, he became even more anxious and stomped his feet.

"Just now! A steel ingot fell from the sky and crashed into the rolling mill... The factory is in complete chaos! Director Yang told me to come back and report immediately!"

Qin Huairu felt a "buzz" in her ears, as if she had been hit hard on the head by a heavy hammer. Her vision went black and the world spun around her.

She let out a short whimper, her body went limp, and she collapsed to the ground, completely unaware that the dirty water in the basin had soaked her pants and shoes.

Tears welled up silently, not as a wail, but as a numbness and disorientation born of extreme terror and despair.

"Oh dear! Dongxu is gone?"

"Good heavens! Really?"

"What...how can you say that!"

The older woman and two other older women nearby were stunned. After a brief moment of shock, they immediately erupted in a cacophony of exclamations, forgetting about the laundry basin, and rushed over to help Qin Huairu up.

The sudden commotion in the courtyard immediately attracted the attention of neighbors in the front and back yards. A small group of people quickly gathered in the yard, and the sounds of discussion, exclamations, and sighs filled the air, completely shattering the previous tranquility.

Just as things were getting chaotic, Jia Zhangshi strolled back slowly from the public toilet outside, pulling up her pants and muttering, "This lousy toilet is freezing."

As soon as she entered through the moon gate, she saw a crowd gathered at her doorstep. Her daughter-in-law was slumped on the ground, Sha Zhu was standing there, and several old women looked terrified. Jia Zhangshi's heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition welled up in her mind. Her triangular eyes narrowed, and she began to shout in a shrill voice.

"What's going on? What are you all doing gathered around my door? Huai Ru! What are you doing sitting on the ground? It's embarrassing! Sha Zhu! Did you bully my Huai Ru?"

Sha Zhu was already annoyed by everyone's questions. When he saw Jia Zhangshi returning and still acting like a mother-in-law, his reckless attitude kicked in. In addition, he was eager to "complete the task" and didn't care about being tactful. He directly yelled back at Jia Zhangshi.

"I bullied her? Old hag! Your son, Jia Dongxu, was crushed to death by a rolling mill at the factory! He was unrecognizable! And you're still yelling about it!"

"Bullshit!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi reacted as if a cat had its tail stepped on, her hair practically standing on end. She simply couldn't believe it, or rather, she dared not believe it.

She was convinced that Sha Zhu was cursing her son, and suddenly she became enraged. She lunged at him, her long fingernails aimed straight for Sha Zhu's face.

"You idiot Zhu! I curse your ancestors for eight generations! How dare you curse my son! I'll scratch you to death, you childless bastard!"

Sha Zhu didn't expect the old woman to attack so suddenly. Caught off guard, he was immediately scratched several bloody welts on his face, which stung painfully.

He got anxious too, dodging and cursing at the same time.

"You old geezer! I came here out of kindness to deliver a message! And you're scratching me! If you don't believe me, go ask Director Wang! I told the neighborhood committee before I came back!"

The courtyard immediately descended into chaos.

Jia Zhangshi chased after Sha Zhu, crying and cursing. Sha Zhu blocked and retreated. Qin Huairu collapsed on the ground, silently shedding tears. Several older women pulled Jia Zhangshi away, some tried to persuade Sha Zhu, and others sighed and lamented. The children were so frightened that they cried loudly. The whole courtyard was in chaos.

Just as things were getting chaotic, a dignified shout came from outside the courtyard gate.

"Stop it! What kind of behavior is this?!"

Everyone turned around and saw Director Wang from the subdistrict office walking in quickly with two staff members, their faces grave.

It was obvious that Sha Zhu had notified the neighborhood committee beforehand, which is why Director Wang rushed over.

Director Wang's appearance temporarily brought the chaotic scene under control.

As if she had seen a savior, Jia Zhangshi forgot about scratching Sha Zhu and rushed over to grab Director Wang's arm, crying out in a sob.

"Director Wang! Director Wang, you have to do me justice! That scoundrel Sha Zhu is utterly despicable! He cursed my son to death! Tell him to stop spewing nonsense!"

Director Wang looked at Jia Zhangshi's appearance, then at Qin Huairu, who was slumped on the ground, looking utterly dejected. He glanced at Sha Zhu, who had a bruised face and was fuming, and at the neighbors who were gossiping around them. He sighed heavily, supported Jia Zhangshi, and said in a pained but clear voice.

"Sister-in-law! Calm down! Comrade He Yuzhu wasn't lying... The steel mill just called the neighborhood committee to confirm. Comrade Jia Dongxu... this morning in the workshop, he really did die in the line of duty due to an accident. Please accept our condolences!"

A loud "Boom!"

Director Wang's official confirmation was like a bolt from the blue, striking Jia Zhangshi squarely on the head!

All her tantrums, disbelief, and anger just now were actually a subconscious resistance and fear.

At this moment, the personal confirmation from the highest-ranking leader of the neighborhood completely shattered her last shred of hope.

Madam Jia froze on the spot, her eyes wide open and her mouth agape, but she couldn't utter a sound.