Sha Zhu's Rebirth in the Courtyard: Starting with Hitting Someone in the Head

Chapter 96 Gathering Information

In July, the weather was so hot it felt like being in a sauna, and the cicadas in the pomegranate trees chirped incessantly. He Yuzhu had been suspended from his job for more than ten days, spending his days either teaching Ma Hua and Ma Qiang how to cook or going out in the evenings to follow Yang Honglin.

Ma Hua was peeling radish flowers with a kitchen knife at the kitchen door, while Ma Qiang was learning to carve melons, occasionally tiptoeing to peek outside the yard, hoping that the supply and marketing cooperative would notify them to come soon.

Director Zhou visited a few days in July.

He entered the courtyard, didn't let He Yuzhu pour him tea, dragged over a stool and sat under the pomegranate tree, immediately saying he had found out. The head office had verified with Comrade Chen Xiangqian, and those reported locations were all unfounded. To put it bluntly, it was just a formality; he could go back to work in a while.

He Yuzhu handed him a cigarette. Director Zhou took it, lit it, took a couple of puffs, and looked at He Yuzhu. "Zhuzi, you need to be prepared. Your position will be reinstated, and you'll still be the deputy section chief. But once there's an investigation record in your file, any future promotions, awards, or transfers to important positions will be basically impossible."

He stood up and patted He Yuzhu on the shoulder, "I'm sorry! I couldn't protect you."

He Yuzhu smiled easily, sensing that Xiao'e was inside. "Director Zhou, please don't take it to heart. I never even thought about promotion or a raise. My wife's family background means she'll basically only reach the section chief level at best. I knew that before we got married."

A few days later, Li Huaide arrived. He was carrying two cartons of special-edition Zhonghua cigarettes. He pushed open the main gate of the courtyard and placed the cigarettes on the stool before even sitting down.

He Yuzhu was lying on a recliner under the pomegranate tree, with a fan covering his face. He lifted the fan when he heard footsteps.

Li Huaide sat down, unbuttoned two buttons on his shirt, and loosened the collar to let some air in. He lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and moved closer to He Yuzhu, lowering his voice: "Brother, how's your rest this time? I was so worried these past few days. Someone even checked my logistics accounts. Luckily, all the receipts were clear and there was no evidence left."

He Yuzhu fanned him.

Li Huaide's expression was unusually serious. "I haven't been idle these past few days either. I asked my father-in-law to inquire at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. They gave me the inside scoop: your problem has been investigated and it's nothing serious. The notification will come down in a while, and it will be announced at an appropriate meeting that you've been reinstated, your reputation restored, and your benefits reinstated. Your salary for the period of suspension will be paid in full, so you'll be back in good shape."

He paused, looking at He Yuzhu's expression, "Brother, that's how the organization does things. There's nothing we can do about it. It's not a punishment, just a formality. From now on, you can continue doing your job as usual, and no one can use this to cause you trouble."

He Yuzhu lit a cigarette, leaned back in his chair, and slowly smoked it, the smoke drifting through the leaves of the pomegranate tree.

Seeing that he still didn't speak, Li Huaide gritted his teeth and said, "Brother, let me tell you the truth. There's a record of the investigation in your file, so you're basically out of luck when it comes to promotions, awards, and important positions. You'll most likely stay at the section chief level for life and never get promoted. Just you wait, once I've gathered enough strength to take down Yang Honglin, you can come to the steel mill, and I'll hand over all the logistics work to you. Your salary and benefits will be no less than what you're doing now."

He Yuzhu flicked his cigarette ash and said, "Brother Li, I'll remember your kindness. Let's put aside whether or not I go to the steel mill."

Li Huaide put a cigarette in his mouth, his eyes darting around, and his tone suddenly became much more relaxed: "You can come anytime you want. Based on the ideas you've come up with for me, I'll definitely back you up. As long as I'm still at the steel mill, this promise will always be valid."

He Yuzhu sat up and nodded.

After seeing Li Huaide off, the courtyard quieted down. A gentle evening breeze blew by, still carrying a hint of warmth.

He Yuzhu sat in the armchair in the main room, his fingers slowly tapping on the armrest. The head office had come to investigate him; the logistics accounts had been searched, he was suspended from duty pending investigation, and his personnel file was kept on file. Yang Honglin was behind all of this. He shouldn't have messed with him.

He had been looking for an opportunity all this time. Yang Honglin, however, took the bus to and from get off work every day and had no chance at all.

Yang Honglin's office was on the third floor, with windows facing the factory's main road. It would be easy for him to get into the steel rolling mill, but if he tried to do something in Yang Honglin's office, someone would immediately trace it back to him.

He tried it at night too. Yang Honglin lived in a small red brick building in the government compound, with many neighbors. There were streetlights in front of and behind the building, and a guard at the entrance of the compound.

Taking direct action would be the riskiest option, leaving no way out if he failed. He needed an absolutely foolproof method, one that would leave no trace, allowing him to approach Yang Honglin when no one was around and then take him into his spatial storage.

At night, He Yuzhu lay in bed with his eyes closed, beginning to search through the fragments of memories in his mind. The Judge had left behind too much, a mixture of various skills, some of which he had never encountered before.

He searched for a long time and finally found a fragment of traditional Chinese medicine tucked inside. It contained acupoints, meridians, acupuncture, massage, various prescriptions, medical records, and even a number of poison formulas.

He was overjoyed and dragged the fragment into his memory.

One by one, the names and locations of various acupoints appeared. The Yifeng acupoint is located behind the ear, close to the earlobe.

Fengchi acupoint is located on both sides of the back of the neck, next to the large tendon, parallel to the earlobe.

Anmian acupoint is located at the midpoint of the line connecting Yifeng and Fengchi acupoints. It is mainly used to treat insomnia and dizziness. Insert the needle perpendicularly one to one and a half inches.

The Hegu acupoint is located at the web between the thumb and index finger; pressing it can relieve toothache. The Zusanli acupoint is located on the outer side of the lower leg; pressing it can cause soreness and distension, and can refresh the mind.

The Yongquan acupoint is located on the sole of the foot. A single needle prick can cause someone to jump up in pain. This could be used as a form of punishment in the future.

There are also acupoints like Shenmen, Neiguan, and Sanyinjiao, all of which are good for calming the mind and stabilizing the spirit.

The "sleeping acupoint" that makes people fall asleep instantly, as depicted in martial arts novels, does not exist in proper medical books. The Anmian acupoint is not something that can induce sleep with a single touch; it is only used to treat insomnia.

However, the Xingyi Quan that He Yuzhu learned included Xingyi acupoint striking, with the incantation: "One touch disperses the wind, another touch brings peace to the dreams." But the soul he devoured only knew the incantation, not Xingyi acupoint striking.

Now that he has a foundation in Traditional Chinese Medicine, he can give it a try with peace of mind.

He Yuzhu opened his eyes and took out several embroidery needles from his spatial storage. The needle tips gleamed silver in the moonlight, so fine they were almost invisible. He picked one up and gently pricked it into his Hegu acupoint. A tingling sensation shot up his arm to his elbow; any more force and it would have been excruciatingly painful.

He changed the acupoint, gently inserting the needle tip into the Anmian acupoint behind his ear. A dull, tingling sensation climbed up his neck, his scalp tightened slightly, and although he was still conscious, he was indeed much more confused.

It has some effect.

How deep are the Yifeng and Fengchi acupoints? Is a single embroidery needle enough? We'll have to find someone to test it.

There are plenty of suitable candidates in the courtyard: Jia Dongxu, Jia Zhangshi, Yan Bugui, Liu Haizhong, and Banggeng and Xiaodang should also be given a try. There are also children in Yang Honglin's building. They all need to be put to sleep with acupressure points, in case they wake up their parents and ruin his plans.

He put the needle into his spatial storage. The shadow of the pomegranate tree swayed gently on the curtains. The next step was to find someone to test it on, to see how long it would take him to fall asleep and how long he could sleep.