Courtyard House: The Fisherman Never Goes Sick

After hanging up the phone, Wang Xinmin turned to look at Yang Wei, who was sitting there, his gaze becoming increasingly meaningful. He never expected that the top leader would rush over to explain himself as soon as he heard that Yang Wei was in trouble. Just how much importance must this show that a high-ranking leader have to go to such lengths to make such a fuss?

At that moment, Wang Xinmin felt a pang of bitterness; it would be a lie to say he wasn't envious and jealous. He had served him faithfully for so many years, only to be less valued than a mere young upstart. He smacked his lips, feeling deeply resentful.

But he reacted quickly, his expression instantly switching to one of deep remorse: "Xiao Yang, I'm truly sorry about what happened today. I never imagined these people would be so audacious, daring to interrogate people without even investigating the matter properly—they have absolutely no regard for factory regulations! Don't worry, I will deal with this matter severely and without any leniency!"

At this point, his tone became serious, and he declared righteously, "These black sheep must absolutely not remain in the revolutionary ranks!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Wei smiled faintly: "I naturally trust the factory director because he is fair and selfless. It is a blessing for us workers that Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill has a factory director like you."

Everyone wants to be a good match, but Yang Wei still needs to work at the steel mill, and he doesn't want any real rift with Wang Xinmin. Besides, this matter really wasn't Wang Xinmin's fault, so he didn't need to hold a grudge.

"The commander will be here soon, let's go ahead and greet him."

"Okay!" Yang Wei replied, got up and followed.

As they passed the factory office, Wang Xinmin gave the order to have all the deputy factory directors assemble at the entrance to greet the big leader. Before long, all the deputy factory directors had arrived, including Du Jun and the future Deputy Factory Director Li.

Seeing Yang Wei standing next to Wang Xinmin, who was fawningly explaining what had happened that day, everyone's gazes turned serious. They had initially thought this honorary deputy factory director position was just a nominal, sinecure, something to be taken lightly, something they wouldn't even need to attend meetings for. But now it seemed things were far more complicated than that.

Yang Wei's importance in their eyes instantly increased. Especially since news of what had just happened had already reached their ears. Some people's eyes flickered, looking at Du Jun with a hint of pity. If he were removed this time, who would fill the vacant position? That would be a real battleground. Who wouldn't want to grab more resources?

Half an hour later, the leader's car finally drove into the steel rolling mill.

After the car came to a stop, Secretary Chen got out first, opened the back door, and the senior leader stepped out.

Yang Wei and Wang Xinmin went to greet them. Wang Xinmin quickly stepped forward and sincerely apologized, "Sir, it was my dereliction of duty that made you come all this way. I take responsibility, please punish me as you see fit, I will not say a word."

"We'll talk about your business later. I need to take care of mine first." The senior leader glanced at Wang Xinmin, then looked at Yang Wei, and calmly ordered, "Find a room."

"Yes, sir, please follow me!"

Wang Xinmin quickly agreed and led everyone towards the conference room.

The group filed into the conference room and took their seats in order of rank. Yang Wei sat calmly and confidently in the head seat on the right. In this setting, no one dared to compete for anything, and no one even dared to utter a sound.

The presence of the top leader in person is a very strong signal in itself. In particular, Wang Xinmin's immediate admission of his mistake and willingness to accept punishment upon seeing the top leader made it clear to everyone that this matter would not end easily unless a satisfactory result was achieved for the top leader.

At this moment, everyone looked at Du Jun with a hint of pity. Of all people to mess with, why did he have to provoke Yang Wei? Now look what happened—not only did he fail to bring Yang Wei down, but he also got himself into trouble. Only this complete idiot would do something so foolish as to lose both his wife and his army.

"I'm here today because I heard someone is maliciously framing Comrade Yang Wei, a meritorious official who just won great honor for your steel rolling mill!"

As soon as the top leader sat down, he got straight to the point, his tone stern: "If someone reports you, investigating is your duty, and there's nothing wrong with that. However, the power the organization has given you is not for you to act recklessly or eliminate dissidents, but to uphold the principles of fairness and impartiality in your work!"

This one sentence directly defined Yang Wei's identity—a meritorious official.

Once this tone was set, it meant that anyone who wanted to touch Yang Wei would have to consider whether they could withstand the wrath of those above. Upon hearing this, Yang Wei simply glanced calmly at the senior leader, then lowered his head, remaining silent and quietly awaiting the final outcome.

"Go and bring me the so-called 'stolen goods' you seized."

The senior leader gave the order. A moment later, the phonograph was brought over by the staff and placed on the conference table.

The senior leader pointed to the gramophone and said in a deep voice, "This is my personal item, which I personally delivered to Comrade Yang Wei yesterday. I never imagined that such a private matter would be used as a weapon by someone with ulterior motives to frame Comrade Yang Wei! Is this how your steel rolling mill conducts its work? Is this the result of your investigation?"

Old Xu continued his questioning, his tone aggressive. Yang Wei had never seen Old Xu so serious since they first met. Whether he was genuinely angry or simply trying to do Yang Wei a favor, Yang Wei's impression of him improved dramatically at that moment.

The proverb "It's good to have a big tree to lean on" is perfectly exemplified at this moment.

"Director Wang, I don't care what you do, this matter must be dealt with seriously, without any leniency! We absolutely cannot allow this kind of arbitrary and malicious behavior, this framing of comrades, to spread in the factory!" Old Xu turned to Wang Xinmin, his tone leaving no room for doubt. "Otherwise, sooner or later, there will be serious trouble. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir! I will definitely handle this seriously and give Comrade Yang Wei an explanation!" Wang Xinmin immediately stood up and replied with utmost respect.

"Alright, I've explained things clearly. Leave the rest to your steel mill. I have a meeting, so I'll be leaving now!"

After speaking, Old Xu got up and left decisively. From beginning to end, he didn't say another word to Yang Wei, or even glance at him, as if their meeting was merely a business transaction. But among the people present, no one dared to underestimate Yang Wei anymore.

With such a powerful figure protecting him, who in this steel rolling mill would dare to offend Yang Wei so easily in the future? Unless Yang Wei himself does something that is conclusive and incurs the wrath of heaven and man, from now on, Yang Wei will not only be able to walk around the factory with impunity, but he will also be an existence that no one dares to mess with.

"Sir, if you're not in a hurry, why don't you stay for lunch? It's almost lunchtime." Wang Xinmin knew that Lao Xu liked Yang Wei's cooking, so to ease the tension, he cautiously suggested, "I'll have Yang Wei cook some Sichuan dishes for you to try."

"No need, I have another meeting." Old Xu waved his hand, saying as he walked out, "I'm handing over the steel rolling mill to you. You've done a good job these past six months, but don't cause any more trouble at the end of the year. Deal with this matter quickly; the capable will rise, the incompetent will fall!"

Before getting on the bus, Lao Xu gave him one last piece of advice.

With just this one sentence, Du Jun's position is completely in jeopardy. The implication is very clear—Du Jun is the "mediocre" one who deserves to be removed.

"Yes, sir, rest assured, I understand!"

"Okay, that's settled then!"

With a roar of its engine, the big-butt Jeep floored the gas pedal and sped away from the steel mill in an instant.

Watching the jeep disappear from sight, Wang Xinmin dropped his previous respectful demeanor and turned around with a cold face. He glanced at Du Jun, whose face was ashen, and without saying a word, addressed Yang Wei first:

"Xiao Yang, I'll arrange for someone to send the gramophone back to you later. I'll handle things here; you can go back to your post now."

"Yes, factory manager!"

Yang Wei agreed and turned to leave the conference room with a calm expression.

Once Yang Wei's figure had completely disappeared through the doorway, Wang Xinmin's face darkened considerably. His gaze, sharp as a knife, swept over everyone around the conference table, finally settling on Du Jun, and he coldly uttered two words:

"Meeting!"

"Really? You promise me you won't do anything stupid?"

Lou Xiao'e raised her head, her eyes slightly red, and gripped Yang Wei's arm tightly, as if afraid that he would rush out to kill and set fires at any moment.

"Silly girl, when have I ever lied to you?" Yang Wei took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the rage in his heart, his eyes regaining their clarity and depth. He reached out and gently stroked Lou Xiao'e's nose, his tone gentle yet revealing an undeniable firmness, "Murder is illegal, that's what a brute does. Dealing with someone like Xu Damao, I don't need to lift a finger, much less risk my future."

Hearing this, Lou Xiao'e finally felt relieved, but the pain in her leg made her frown.

Yang Wei immediately noticed her unusual behavior, quickly helped her sit down, and turned to get the first-aid kit. He skillfully took out the medicinal wine, poured it into his palm, rubbed it to warm it, and then gently massaged it onto the bruises on Lou Xiao'e's legs.

"Does it hurt?" Yang Wei asked with concern as he massaged the area.

"A little, but it will feel much better if you rub it." Lou Xiao'e looked at Yang Wei's focused and caring expression, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart. Her previous panic and grievances instantly disappeared.

"Bear with it, it will heal faster if you rub it in." Yang Wei's movements were gentle, as if he were handling a rare treasure.

After treating the wound, Yang Wei went to the kitchen to heat up the food. After the two finished eating, he told Lou Xiao'e to rest early.

Lying on the kang (a heated brick bed), Lou Xiao'e quickly fell into a deep sleep, as the day's fear and anxiety had already exhausted her.

Yang Wei turned to his side, using the moonlight streaming through the window to quietly watch Lou Xiao'e's sleeping face. Seeing her brows still slightly furrowed even in her sleep, the tenderness in Yang Wei's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a chilling coldness.

"Xu Damao..."

He silently recited the name in his heart, as if he were sentencing someone to death.

"Xu Damao..."

He silently recited the name in his heart, as if he were sentencing someone to death.

As he told Lou Xiao'e, he wouldn't kill anyone, nor would he be foolish enough to beat up Xu Damao and get arrested by the police. That would be too lenient and too low-class.

In this day and age, there are countless ways to ruin a person.

Especially someone like Xu Damao, whose own background is tainted, and who is extremely vain, greedy, and lustful.

"Since you enjoy playing dirty tricks so much, let's have some fun."

Several thoughts flashed through Yang Wei's mind, and a cruel smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

Didn't Xu Damao want to climb the ranks? Didn't he want to become an official?

Then I'll let you climb high, and then I'll let you fall and be smashed to pieces, never to rise again!

And then there's Du Jun, who was stirring things up behind the scenes. Since he dared to set his sights on me and even allowed Xu Damao to hurt my wife, we'll have to settle this score with him slowly.

Silent all night.

The next morning, Yang Wei got up as usual, prepared breakfast for Lou Xiao'e, told her to rest well at home and not to move her leg injury, and then rode his bicycle to the steel rolling mill.

As soon as Yang Wei entered the factory gate, he could clearly sense that something was wrong with the atmosphere around him.

His former coworkers, who used to either envy or ignore him, now looked at him with awe, curiosity, and even a hint of flattery.

"Good morning, Master Yang!"

"Master Yang, you've arrived!"

Several workers who didn't usually interact with Yang Wei greeted him warmly, their faces beaming with smiles.

Yang Wei nodded slightly, responding calmly.

Clearly, news of the top leader personally picking him up at the factory yesterday and reprimanding the factory director has spread throughout the entire steel rolling mill.

Now everyone knows that Yang Wei is not only skilled and a good cook, but he also has incredibly powerful connections! Even the factory manager has to be mindful of his reputation.

Yang Wei didn't care about this and went straight to the cafeteria.

Just as he changed into his work clothes and before he even entered the kitchen, Sha Zhu rushed over in a flurry of activity.

"Viagra! Are you alright? You scared me to death yesterday!"

Sha Zhu looked at Yang Wei anxiously, "I heard that Xu Damao brought people to your house to cause trouble? How is Lou Xiao'e? Is she alright?"

Yang Wei patted Sha Zhu on the shoulder, signaling him to keep his voice down, and then said coldly, "He's alright, but he's bruised on his leg."

"Damn it! That Xu Damao is a beast!" Upon hearing this, Sha Zhu flew into a rage, rolled up his sleeves, and was about to rush out. "I'm going to cripple that bastard! He dared to touch my sister-in-law? He's got a death wish!"

"stop!"

Yang Wei grabbed Sha Zhu, his eyes sharp. "You're a cadre now, don't act so impulsively. Beating him up is easy, but that's what a brute does. Besides, he's probably hiding right now, where are you going to find him?"

Sha Zhu was stunned for a moment before he realized that Xu Damao was the whistleblower yesterday. Although it turned out to be a misunderstanding, he was probably in a state of panic right now and would definitely not dare to show his face.

"Then, Wei Ge, what do you suggest we do? I can't swallow this!" Sha Zhu said through gritted teeth.

"Can't swallow it? Then don't swallow it."

Yang Wei's lips curled into a chilling smirk. "Xu Damao wants to mess with me? Then I'll let him taste what it's like to be messed with. Zhu Zi, keep an eye on the security department, especially Du Jun and Xu Damao's interactions. I need them very much."

"Okay! Wei-ge, you give the word, I'll get right to it!" Sha-zhu nodded emphatically. Although he didn't know what Yang Wei was going to do, he believed that following Yang Wei was the right thing to do.

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out at the entrance of the cafeteria.

Several people in uniform walked in with serious expressions. The one in the lead was the new head of the security department (after yesterday's incident, Du Jun was suspended from his duties for investigation, and a new person was sent to take charge of the work).

He walked straight up to Yang Wei and gave him a respectful salute.

"Hello, Mr. Yang. I'm Zhao Gang, the newly appointed head of the security department. The factory has informed us that, in light of Comrade Du Jun's misconduct, the factory leadership has decided to remove him from his post and place him under isolation and investigation. In addition, regarding Comrade Xu Damao's malicious accusation and suspected harassment and assault, the factory has also opened a case for investigation, and the police officers from the local police station will be there soon."

Yang Wei was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected Wang Xinmin to act so quickly.

It seems that this Factory Director Wang is really afraid of the big boss and really wants to win back some goodwill in front of him.

"Okay, I understand." Yang Wei nodded lightly. "Thank you for your hard work, Section Chief Zhao."

"It's no trouble at all! It's what we should do." Zhao Gang quickly waved his hand, his eyes filled with awe as he looked at Yang Wei. This was someone even the factory director had to curry favor with; how could he dare to be negligent?

Not long after, a police car came to a stop in front of the cafeteria with its siren blaring.

Two police officers walked in and, led by Zhao Gang, headed straight for the workshop.

It turned out that Xu Damao had been hiding in the workshop early in the morning, pretending to inspect things, and didn't dare to come to the canteen at all.

Less than ten minutes later, Xu Damao was seen being escorted out by two police officers, looking dejected, with his hands still handcuffed.

His body trembled violently, a hint of fear and resentment flashing in his eyes, but more so, despair.

Yang Wei stared at him quietly, his face expressionless, but his eyes were as calm as if he were looking at a dead man, so calm it was chilling.

"Xu Damao, this is what they call—you reap what you sow."

Yang Wei's voice wasn't loud, but it reached Xu Damao's ears clearly.

Xu Damao's body went limp, and he almost collapsed to the ground. The police officer picked him up and put him into the police car.

As the police car drove away, the workers who had been watching the commotion began to discuss among themselves, marveling at Yang Wei's powerful connections and applauding Xu Damao's downfall.

Sha Zhu stood behind Yang Wei, watching this scene, and felt incredibly happy!

"Viagra, awesome!" Sha Zhu gave a thumbs up and said in a low voice.

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