Courtyard House: The Fisherman Never Goes Sick

With Yang Wei's assurance, Sha Zhu breathed a long sigh of relief, like a drowning man pulled ashore. His biggest fear in this position was favoritism and abuse of power—Yang Wei had privately told him that he appointed him head of security not because of connections, but because he was the most suitable person for the position and could ensure fairness among his colleagues. Yang Wei told him not to feel burdened just because he had recommended him, and to treat everyone equally.

But when the time came, Sha Zhu realized he couldn't do it at all. He was, after all, just a mortal, not a saint, and his conscience was still tipped—he always wanted to do Yang Wei a favor within his authority. Just like now, the security personnel were being very polite to Yang Wei, unlike how they treated the other workers with hostility.

"Yang Wei, tell us." In the interrogation room, Deputy Factory Director Du Jun said sternly, "Some people have reported that you openly accepted bribes and took them home. You need to give an explanation for this, otherwise you will inevitably be punished and dismissed from the factory."

Because it involved the honorary deputy factory director, the interrogator was changed to Du Jun, who was in charge of the security department—Sha Zhu had to avoid suspicion, so it was fine to bring people to call Yang Wei over, but it wouldn't do to interrogate him here.

Yang Wei vaguely remembered Du Jun, only knowing his name but not his temperament. He glanced up at the man, his voice calm: "Someone has reported me, and it should be investigated. As the honorary deputy director of the steel rolling mill, I don't want to bear this stigma. They say I accepted bribes, but I don't admit it—I, Yang Wei, wouldn't do such a thing, especially since I'm currently just a figurehead with no real power or responsibility. What would people who give me gifts want? Do they want an extra spoonful of food for lunch?"

Du Jun slammed his fist on the table: "Yang Wei, is this your attitude? Do you know this is defying the organization? Confess honestly, or don't blame me for being impolite!"

Yang Wei's face also turned cold: "Deputy Factory Director Du, you don't need to do this. I have a clear conscience and am naturally not afraid. I work honestly and live an upright life—if you can find evidence, I will accept the punishment without hesitation. But if it is found that someone deliberately framed me, I will not let it go. Before, Xu Damao reported me for dereliction of duty, and I did not investigate it thoroughly; now I have received the honor of head chef for state banquets, bringing glory to the factory and becoming an honorary deputy factory director, and you didn't even investigate properly before arresting me for interrogation—I want to ask, what gives you the right? What are you doing? What exactly do you want?"

"You? You want to do your job honestly?" Du Jun sneered. "Flies don't land on eggs without cracks. If you were truly clean, would you have been reported time and time again?"

"Why didn't anyone else report this? This shows that you still have problems with your character and conduct!" Du Jun stared at Yang Wei, a sinister smirk playing on his lips.

This is the logic of many people. When a bad person stabs you in the back, bystanders not only don't condemn the bad person, but instead think that flies don't land on eggs without cracks; since someone is biting you, you must have a problem yourself. In this world, those who are truly clear-headed are ultimately a minority.

"Alright, let's wait and see. The truth will come out eventually." Yang Wei was too lazy to waste any more words with him. Since they were convinced he had accepted bribes, then let them investigate. There was only a phonograph in the house; the valuables had long been stored in the system space. Let's see what they can find out.

"Fine, then keep being stubborn." Du Jun sneered. "I hope you'll still be this defiant when I bring the stolen goods back and put them in front of you."

He turned to the young man beside him and instructed, "Xiao Wei, contact that informant right now. You two go to his house and get the stolen goods back! I don't believe he can deny it now that the evidence is conclusive!"

"Yes, Director Du!" Xiao Wei replied and turned to run outside.

Not long after, Xiao Wei contacted the whistleblower, Xu Damao, and the group headed straight for the courtyard house.

In the backyard, Lou Xiao'e was sitting in the house, listening to the "Symphony No. 5" playing on the gramophone, trying to calm her mind. Suddenly, she heard a series of noisy footsteps outside. She frowned and pushed open the door, just in time to see Xu Damao leading two people barging into the house.

"Xu Damao? What brings you here?" Lou Xiao'e frowned, her eyes filled with disgust. Having spent a long time with Yang Wei, she had already heard from Wu Xiuqin about Xu Damao's past public accusations against Yang Wei, and she was thoroughly fed up with him. She usually wouldn't even bother to acknowledge him when she bumped into him in the courtyard, but today he actually brought people to her door.

"Hmph, I saw your Yang Wei accept bribes with my own eyes yesterday!" Xu Damao raised his chin arrogantly. "Now the security guards from the steel mill are here to collect the stolen goods and convict Yang Wei!"

"What bribe? That was given to Yang Wei by someone else... What nonsense are you talking about?" Lou Xiao'e didn't react for a moment and subconsciously retorted.

"Did you hear that? She admitted it herself—it was a gift from someone else!" Xu Damao grinned from ear to ear upon hearing this. He had finally found his chance to get revenge on Yang Wei; he had been waiting for this day for a long time!

"Get out of my way! Don't obstruct the security department's law enforcement!" Xu Damao said, stepping forward and shoving Lou Xiao'e aside, leading his men straight into the house.

Upon entering, the exquisite gramophone on the table immediately caught Xu Damao's eye. His eyes lit up; it was clearly very valuable. He secretly rejoiced: Yang Wei was truly finished this time! Who would give away something so expensive for no reason? The charge of bribery was now firmly established!

Xiao Wei from the security department and his colleague exchanged a glance, said nothing, stepped forward, picked up the phonograph, and turned to leave.

"What are you doing! This is my property, are you trying to steal it?!" Lou Xiao'e rushed forward to stop them, her face full of anger.

But how could a frail woman like her stop three grown men? The old woman inside, hearing the commotion, tried to struggle out to see what was happening. Xu Damao, fearing something might happen to her and she would blame him, quickly urged Xiao Wei, "Hurry, hurry!"

In the blink of an eye, the three of them grabbed the phonograph and made a quick getaway, heading straight for the steel rolling mill.

Back at the factory, Xu Damao, wanting to witness Yang Wei's miserable fate firsthand, also squeezed into the interrogation room.

When Yang Wei looked up and saw Xu Damao's smug face, he immediately understood—it was that bastard's doing again!

The pent-up frustration and anger that had been building up inside him exploded instantly. Yang Wei abruptly stood up, his eyes blazing as he glared at Xu Damao, and roared through gritted teeth:

"Xu Damao, you're really asking for it!!!"

At this moment, Yang Wei truly had the intention to kill.

The auxiliary abilities of the god-level fighting technique erupted instantly, and a tangible killing intent swept across the entire area. Everyone inside felt a chill run down their spines, as if they had suddenly fallen into an ice cellar, and couldn't help but shiver.

"What's going on? Why is it suddenly so cold?" someone asked, rubbing their arms in confusion. "It's not even late autumn yet."

No one could answer their questions, but Xu Damao felt it most acutely. At that moment, he felt as if he were being stared at by an ancient beast. Yang Wei's deep, unfathomable gaze seemed to see right through him, making him feel like he had no secrets from this man, as if he had been stripped naked and thrown into the snow.

An unprecedented fear surged through him, and he even had the urge to run away.

Just then, Xiao Wei stepped forward and slammed the phonograph on the interrogation table, breaking the suffocating atmosphere.

"Director Du, these are the stolen goods we found at Yang Wei's house. They look like they're worth a lot of money!"

Du Jun's gaze fell on the phonograph, and he couldn't hide the greed in his eyes. The casing was made of fine mahogany with delicate grain, and the golden stylus and knobs were clearly gilded masterpieces.

A voice inside me was screaming, "This is amazing! I have to get my hands on it!"

Du Jun twirled his eyes for a moment, then slammed his hand on the table and shouted at Yang Wei, "Yang Wei! Now that you've been caught red-handed, what do you have to say? Are you still going to try to deny it?"

Faced with his questioning, Yang Wei merely glanced at him indifferently, ignoring him completely. Instead, he turned to Xu Damao beside him, his voice eerily calm: "Did you report this again? If I'm not mistaken, you saw me carrying this home yesterday, didn't you?"

Staring into Yang Wei's deep gaze, Xu Damao felt a chill run down his spine, but he forced himself to remain composed, not wanting to show any weakness. He straightened his back, barely meeting Yang Wei's eye, and shouted, his voice trembling with fear, "It was me! What can you do about it? Who told you to accept bribes! As an honest person, I have to speak up! Someone like you doesn't deserve to work in a steel mill; you should be punished!"

He spoke with an air of righteous indignation, appearing impartial and selfless, even believing himself to be the embodiment of justice and the coolest guy in the entire factory.

Little did he know, Yang Wei had already firmly marked him as someone destined to die.

"Heh, very good, very good." Yang Wei sneered twice, his tone chilling. "Looks like Sha Zhu didn't teach you a lesson enough last time. Fine, don't worry, this time I'll show you the consequences of offending me."

Seeing that Yang Wei dared to openly threaten the whistleblower in front of him, Du Jun felt his authority had been challenged and was furious: "Yang Wei! You better behave yourself! Even at a time like this, you still dare to be arrogant and threaten the whistleblower? You're incredibly audacious! It seems I have to teach you a lesson before you'll learn your lesson!"

"No need to shout so loudly." Yang Wei said calmly, as if watching a clown. "You'd better go find the factory manager right now, or I'm afraid you'll end up losing face. Really, I'm doing this for your own good, I'm not lying to you."

The phonograph was a gift from a high-ranking leader, verifiable and a legitimate donation, not constituting bribery. No matter how the investigation proceeded, the result would be the same—acquittal. This incident provided Yang Wei with the perfect excuse to vent his anger.

After speaking, Yang Wei's eyes were fixed on Xu Damao as if he were looking at a dead man. Although his gaze was calm and expressionless, Xu Damao felt his hair stand on end, as if he were being pricked by thorns.

The killing intent brought by the god-level fighting technique was so strong that even a trained fighter like Yang Yourong dared not look directly at it, let alone a coward like Xu Damao.

"Well... well, Director Du, I have something to attend to, I'll be going now!"

Finally, Xu Damao could no longer withstand the psychological pressure and, terrified, demanded to leave, turning and fleeing the interrogation room in a disheveled state. He now regretted it, truly regretted it; he shouldn't have provoked Yang Wei for revenge. But there's no going back in life; from the moment he picked up the caller ID, his fate was sealed.

Outside the door, Sha Zhu, who had been waiting for news, saw Xu Damao slink out and immediately stepped forward to block his way, staring at him with eyes blazing with anger.

"Xu Damao! If Brother Yang is alright this time, then so be it. But if anything happens to him, you just wait! You'll never have an easy time again! My fists have gotten a lot harder lately!"

Xu Damao was so frightened by Sha Zhu's fierce gaze that he dared not utter a sound. He lowered his head and slunk away, fleeing the security department as if his feet were greased.

Sha Zhu spat as he stared at Xu Damao's disappearing figure, then turned and took one last deep look at the tightly closed interrogation room door, his heart pounding with anxiety. The phonograph that Xiao Wei had just brought out—even though Sha Zhu was naive and inexperienced, its workmanship and condition clearly indicated it was no ordinary item. Du Jun and his gang were obviously trying to ruin Brother Yang.

He gritted his teeth, turned around, and strode out—heading straight for the factory director's office. Director Wang had to know about this!

……

The atmosphere in the interrogation room remained oppressive.

Du Jun sat behind the table, toying with the pen in his hand, his eyes fixed on Yang Wei with a sinister gaze: "Yang Wei, I advise you to confess honestly. Where did this phonograph come from? Who gave it to you? Besides this, what other benefits did you receive? If you confess now, the organization might give you leniency."

No matter how he threatened or bribed him, Yang Wei remained leaning back in his chair, his expression indifferent, as if the person sitting in front of him was not the deputy factory director, but a clown.

"Du Jun, I'm saying this one last time," Yang Wei raised his eyelids, his tone so calm it was unsettling, "Contact Factory Director Wang immediately. This is not something you can handle."

"Hmph! You're still being stubborn!" Du Jun slammed his hand on the table. "You think you can use the factory manager to pressure me? No way! I know you have a close relationship with the factory manager, but let me tell you, now that you've been caught red-handed, even if the factory manager came, he couldn't save you! You think you can buy time by resisting interrogation? Dream on!"

The more he looked at Yang Wei's composed demeanor, the more annoyed he became. If he informed the factory manager, the matter would likely be smoothed over and downplayed. Now that he had a handle on Yang Wei, he had to strike while the iron was hot and completely crush him!

"Yang Wei, don't even think about escaping this by resisting interrogation. Let me tell you, even if you don't confess, this phonograph alone is enough to ruin your reputation and make you suffer the consequences!"

The words had barely left his mouth—

"Bang!!!"

With a loud bang, the tightly closed wooden door of the interrogation room was kicked open, and the door panel crashed against the wall with a deafening roar.

Du Jun trembled with fright, dropping his pen onto the table. Just as he was about to unleash his anger, Factory Director Wang strode in, his face contorted with rage.

As soon as Director Wang entered, he saw Yang Wei sitting on a small stool like a prisoner, facing Du Jun and Xiao Wei's "interrogation," while the so-called "stolen goods," the phonograph, was casually placed on the table. This scene instantly ignited an unnamed fire in Director Wang's heart.

"Du Jun! Look what you've done!"

Factory Director Wang's loud shout made it seem as if dust from the roof was about to fall.

"Who gave you the authority? Huh? How dare you interrogate a leader of the same rank without authorization? Who gave you the audacity to set up a private court?!"

Du Jun turned pale from the yelling and was about to explain, "Factory Manager, I..."

"Shut up!" Factory Director Wang didn't give him a chance to speak, pointing his finger at Du Jun's nose and cursing, "The security department was sent to protect the factory, not to stir up internal strife! How dare you interrogate the workshop director without solid evidence or approval from superiors! You have some nerve! I think your job as deputy factory director is over!!"

After berating Du Jun, Factory Director Wang immediately changed his demeanor, quickly walked to Yang Wei's side, bent down with a face full of guilt, and spoke in an extremely sincere tone:

"Xiao Yang, I'm so sorry! I'm really sorry! I knew absolutely nothing about this, and you've been wronged! It's all that bastard Du Jun's fault, he has no respect for anyone and acts recklessly! Don't worry, I'll definitely give you an explanation!"

After hanging up the phone, Wang Xinmin felt cold sweat soaking through his shirt.

The top leader is actually coming in person!

This is a huge deal!

Originally, it was thought to be just an ordinary "bribery" case, at most involving disciplinary issues in the factory. But who would have thought that it would involve a high-ranking leader?

Moreover, although the senior leader's tone on the phone was calm, how could Wang Xinmin, a seasoned official, not understand? It was an attitude of extreme protection for Yang Wei! Even the senior leader's last sentence, "I'm coming in person," was less about dealing with the problem and more about supporting Yang Wei!

Wang Xinmin put down the phone, turned to look at Du Jun, who was standing to the side and whose face was now as pale as paper, his eyes blazing with anger.

"Du Jun! You're amazing! You really are amazing!"

Wang Xinmin's finger trembled as he pointed at Du Jun. "Do you know how big of a mess you've made? That was a souvenir given to Comrade Yang Wei by the leader! How dare you classify it as stolen goods? And how dare you interrogate him privately? Are you trying to bring me down from my position as factory director because you think I'm too comfortable in it?!"

"Factory...factory manager, I...I don't know..."

Du Jun was completely terrified. His legs went weak, and he could barely stand. "That phonograph looked...it...I never expected it was a gift from the commander..."

"Don't know? You dare arrest people arbitrarily just because you don't know? You dare convict people just because you don't know?" Wang Xinmin was furious, slamming his fist on the table. "I think you've lost your mind! I usually turn a blind eye to power struggles, but now you've really messed things up!"

Du Jun knelt down with a thud. He knew this time it was really over. Not to mention targeting Yang Wei, now even whether he could keep his job or his freedom was in question.

"Alright! Stop embarrassing yourself here!"

Wang Xinmin glanced at Du Jun with disgust. Now was not the time to deal with him. The most urgent task was to appease Yang Wei and welcome the arrival of the big leader.

"You, right now, immediately, get back to the security section and write a profound self-criticism! Keep an eye on everyone involved in today's interrogations and arrests. No one is allowed to move without my orders! Wait for the commander to arrive and await further instructions!"

"Yes...yes! I'll go right away!" Du Jun felt like he had been granted a pardon and scrambled out of the room.

Once outside the factory manager's office, Du Jun realized he could barely walk. His earlier arrogance had vanished, leaving only fear and regret.

Wang Xinmin took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, tried to calm himself down, and walked quickly toward the interrogation room.

Inside the interrogation room.

Yang Wei was sitting leisurely in his chair, even playing with a matchstick he had just picked up from the table, his expression indifferent, as if everything that had just happened had nothing to do with him.

When Yang Wei saw Wang Xinmin push the door open and enter, without Du Jun following behind, he merely raised his eyelids slightly.

"Director Wang, are you done making the call?"

Wang Xinmin immediately put on a fawning smile, quickly stepped forward, and even took the initiative to help Yang Wei straighten his cuffs, which were not buttoned properly, acting as warmly as an elder in his family.

"Xiao Yang, I'm so sorry you had to go through all this! I'm so sorry, so sorry!"

Wang Xinmin spoke sincerely, even with a hint of lingering fear, "I just spoke with the commander on the phone. He is very concerned about your situation, and... he said he will come to pick you up personally right away."

"Oh? You came in person?"

Yang Wei raised an eyebrow, threw the matchstick in his hand on the table, and slowly stood up. "It seems this matter has indeed become quite a big deal, even alarming the commander."

"Yes, yes, it was our mistake, we didn't do our job properly!" Wang Xinmin nodded repeatedly, showing none of the airs of a factory manager. "Xiao Yang, look at this gramophone..."

As he spoke, Wang Xinmin carefully picked up the phonograph himself, as if he were holding some rare treasure, and even wiped away non-existent dust with his sleeve.

"This is valuable, I'll carry it for you myself. Let's go to the door and wait for the commander now. What do you think?"

Yang Wei sneered inwardly at Wang Xinmin's demeanor. This was the way of officialdom; once you had a powerful backer and influence, these people who were usually so arrogant would naturally bow and scrape before you.

"Okay, then I'll trouble Factory Manager Wang to get it for me."

Yang Wei smiled faintly and took the lead in walking outside. "Let's go, don't keep the commander waiting."

"No trouble at all! It's nothing!" Wang Xinmin, carrying the gramophone, actually followed Yang Wei out like a follower.

In the corridor, those who had been peeking around, ready to see Yang Wei make a fool of himself, were utterly astonished by what they saw.

The factory manager personally fetched things for Yang Wei? And even followed him around like a shadow?

Did the sun rise in the west?

Soon, the two arrived at the factory gate.

By this time, a large crowd had gathered at the entrance, including Sha Zhu, Deputy Factory Director Li, and Xu Damao, who had just been scared away. They were all waiting to see the outcome.

When everyone saw Wang Xinmin carrying a gramophone and following behind Yang Wei with a fawning expression, they were all stunned.

Sha Zhu stared wide-eyed, his face filled with disbelief.

"What...what's going on? Why is Brother Yang out here? And why is the factory manager giving him things?"

Xu Damao was terrified, his face turning deathly pale. He hid behind the crowd, barely daring to breathe. He couldn't understand how a clear-cut "bribery" could suddenly turn into such a dramatic shift in the political climate.

Just then, a sudden screech of brakes came from the factory gate.

Two black Hongqi sedans slowly pulled up at the factory gate.

The car door opened, and a guard jumped out first, opening the back door.

An elderly man dressed in a Zhongshan suit, with an extraordinary air about him, came down.

It was that big boss!

The entire room fell silent instantly.

Everyone held their breath, watching as this important figure, whom they often saw in the newspapers, actually came to the steel rolling mill in person for Yang Wei's sake.

Upon seeing this, Wang Xinmin immediately grabbed the phonograph and jogged over to greet him, his face beaming with smiles.

"Commander! Why did you come in person? This is such a small matter; I can handle it and report back to you!"

Everyone held their breath, watching as this important figure, whom they often saw in the newspapers, actually came to the steel rolling mill in person for Yang Wei's sake.

Upon seeing this, Wang Xinmin immediately grabbed the phonograph and jogged over to greet him, his face beaming with smiles.

"Commander! Why did you come in person? This is such a small matter; I can handle it and report back to you!"

The senior leader ignored Wang Xinmin and went straight to Yang Wei, who was standing to the side. He looked Yang Wei up and down, frowned slightly, and spoke with a hint of reproach but more concern in his tone.

"Xiao Yang, are you alright?"

"Sir, I'm fine, I'm just a little hungry," Yang Wei replied with a smile.

"Good! That's good!" The big leader nodded, then turned to look at Wang Xinmin. His face instantly darkened, and an imposing aura made Wang Xinmin almost unable to breathe.

"Is this how your steel rolling mill operates? Interrogating my guests like criminals? Confiscating souvenirs from friends as stolen goods?"

The leader's voice wasn't loud, but it resounded like thunder in everyone's ears.

Wang Xinmin shuddered in fright, cold sweat instantly broke out, and his hands holding the phonograph trembled.

"Sir, this...this is a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! It was a mistake on our part in the security department, and I have already severely criticized them!"

"A misunderstanding?" The high-ranking leader scoffed. "I don't think it's a misunderstanding; some people are simply acting lawlessly!"

After saying that, the senior leader ignored Wang Xinmin, turned to look at Yang Wei, and smiled again.

"Xiao Yang, get in the car. Since you're hungry, let's go to my place and have a couple of drinks. I happen to have a bottle of good wine and would like to hear your new insights on 'Boiled Cabbage in Clear Broth'."

"Alright, then I'll gladly accept your offer." Yang Wei didn't stand on ceremony and got into the car directly.

The top leader then got into the car.

Before leaving, the senior leader rolled down the car window and said something to Wang Xinmin, who was still standing there in a daze.

"Director Wang, we really need to address the issue of work style at the steel rolling mill. We need to get rid of those bad apples without hesitation."

After saying that, the Hongqi sedan slowly started and drove away.

Wang Xinmin was left standing alone in the wind, still holding the hot gramophone in his hands, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.

The onlookers in the distance, watching the departing Hongqi car and then looking at Wang Xinmin standing still, were all filled with shock and disbelief.

Yang Wei has truly risen to prominence and become a phoenix this time!

Anyone who dares to mess with him again is really asking for trouble—like an old man eating poison!