Courtyard House: I Have Countless Bodyguards

Seeing this, Yi Zhonghai quickly stepped forward and spoke before Liu Jianguo could express his opinion, his face plastered with his usual peacemaker smile, and he said earnestly:

"Jianguo, look at the mess this has made... Actually, it's not a big deal. They're all neighbors in the same compound, we see each other all the time. Zhuzi was wrong to hit someone, I already criticized him. But there was a reason for it. Damao was the one who said something hurtful about Zhuzi's father first, and Zhuzi acted impulsively... What do you think, how about we have them apologize to each other, and that'll be the end of it..."

Yi Zhonghai's overly familiar "Jianguo" made Liu Jianguo frown slightly, feeling a surge of annoyance.

It seems that the last time He Daqing embezzled remittances, this old man still hasn't learned his lesson enough. He's still so self-righteous, trying to use seniority and so-called courtyard rules to hold me hostage.

Liu Jianguo's eyes turned cold, and he decided that this time he had to make Yi Zhonghai understand completely who had the final say in this courtyard.

Liu Jianguo looked sharply at Yi Zhonghai, his tone icy and carrying an undeniable air of authority:

"Comrade Yi Zhonghai. When you're at work, please refer to your position and the occasion. I'm currently handling a serious assault case based on a report from the public. Are you expecting me, the deputy director of the security department, to disregard the facts, muddle through, and abuse my power for personal gain? Who gave you the authority to arbitrarily make decisions for the victim, Comrade Xu Damao, and forgive the perpetrators on his behalf? Are you representing the organization or just yourself?"

His voice rose a few decibels, his words lashing at Yi Zhonghai's face like whips:

"Comrade Yi Zhonghai, what do you mean by repeatedly interfering with my performance of official duties? Do you intend to place yourself above factory rules and regulations and make decisions for the country and the organization? Hmm? I'm warning you, this time I'm only issuing a serious reprimand because you're a senior comrade. I hope this is the first and last time. If you dare to openly obstruct official duties and protect the perpetrator again, don't blame me, Liu Jianguo, for being impartial and strict in accordance with regulations. At that time, there will be no room for sentimentality."

Liu Jianguo's righteous and principled words were like a bucket of ice water, chilling Yi Zhonghai to the bone.

Yi Zhonghai's face turned a deep purplish-red, his lips trembled, and he tried to defend himself but couldn't find any plausible reason. Under the strange gazes of his neighbors, he was filled with shame and indignation, and could only retreat to the edge of the crowd in utter embarrassment and dejection, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Having intimidated Yi Zhonghai, Liu Jianguo wasted no more time and turned to shout sternly:

"Li Bing!"

"arrive!"

Li Bing, who had been waiting under the moon gate, responded to the call and ran forward to stand at attention.

"Take Li Wu with you and immediately apprehend He Yuzhu, the one who assaulted people. Take him back to the factory security office's interrogation room and keep him under strict guard. No one is allowed to visit him without my orders."

"yes!"

Without hesitation, Li Bing called out to Li Wu and walked towards He Yuzhu.

Although He Yuzhu was reckless and unruly, he wasn't completely brainless.

Seeing that Liu Jianguo was truly enraged, even the old man was rendered speechless and taken back to the factory. This was clearly going to be dealt with as a serious violation of discipline or even the law.

He panicked instantly, his arrogance vanished without a trace, and he muttered something under his breath.

"I...I didn't mean to do anything to him..."

But he dared not resist, and obediently stretched out his hands for Li Bing to handcuff. He was dejected as Li Wu and Li Bing escorted him out of the courtyard.

After dealing with He Yuzhu, Liu Jianguo squatted down and said to Xu Damao, who was still slumped on the ground:

"Comrade Xu Damao, you are now the victim. You have any specific requests and opinions regarding the handling of this matter. You can formally raise them to me now. Reasonable and legal requests will be considered by the organization."

Upon hearing this, Xu Damao reacted as if he had received a royal decree. He immediately clutched his crotch and said in an exaggerated, tearful tone:

"Director Liu, you have to stand up for me! He Yuzhu is trying to kill me! I... I demand he compensate me for my medical expenses, nutritional supplements, and lost wages. At least... at least a month's salary. Also, he must give a public, profound apology at a hospital-wide meeting and admit his mistakes. Otherwise... otherwise, I'm not finished with him."

In an era that places extreme emphasis on collective honor and personal reputation, public self-criticism is tantamount to social death and a devastating blow to personal dignity.

Upon receiving the news, Xu Fugui rushed back. Seeing his son's miserable state, he was heartbroken and his heart ached.

But he was a sensible man. Seeing that Liu Jianguo had dealt with He Yuzhu swiftly and decisively, and had Xu Damao make his demands, he quickly stepped forward, helping his son up while profusely thanking Liu Jianguo.

"Thank you, Director Liu, thank you for upholding justice. I'll take this worthless thing back first, and then I'll leave it to you to decide what to do with it."

After saying that, he half-helped, half-carried Xu Damao, who was still groaning, back to the backyard.

Liu Jianguo watched the departing figures of the Xu family father and son and shook his head helplessly.

This Xu Damao, his balls are about to break, and all he's thinking about is money and embarrassing Sha Zhu. He doesn't even say he should go to the hospital to get checked out.

Could it be that the reason he couldn't have children was because of Sha Zhu's fatal kick that left him childless?

The thought flashed through his mind.

He didn't bother to interfere any further, turned around, pushed his bicycle, and returned to his quiet east courtyard.

Inside the house, Qin Huairu had already quickly prepared dinner, and the aroma of the food filled the air.

At Liu Jianguo's place, the standard of food is far beyond that of an ordinary family. On the table are braised pork, scrambled eggs, and steamed buns.

After a hearty meal, Liu Jianguo was in high spirits. Looking at Qin Huairu, who was tidying up the dishes under the lamp and had a plump figure, he pulled her aside for a deep and friendly conversation after the meal, which lasted until late at night.

The next morning, Liu Jianguo walked into the steel rolling mill with the flow of people going to work, accompanied by the rousing music of "We Workers Have Strength".

Upon arriving at the deputy director's office, he had just brewed a strong cup of tea and hadn't even taken a few sips when the internal phone on his desk rang.

The call came through, and it was the voice of Secretary Nie Huaiyuan's secretary, informing him to go to the Party Secretary's office immediately.

Liu Jianguo knew that something important must be happening, so he didn't dare to delay. He straightened his clothes and hurried to the factory building.

Upon arriving at Secretary Nie's office, Liu Jianguo took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Please come in!"

A calm voice came from inside.

Liu Jianguo pushed the door open and entered, then gently closed it behind him.

Only Secretary Nie was in the office, sitting behind a large desk reading documents, and the atmosphere was somewhat heavy.

Secretary Nie put down the documents, gestured for Liu Jianguo to sit down opposite him, looked at him seriously, and asked bluntly:

"Comrade Jianguo, do you know why I called you here so early?"