Courtyard House: From Deputy Division Commander to Civilian, Progressing All the Way

"On my first day in office, I led my men to wipe out those gangs of thugs in Jiaodaokou who had been extorting protection money and bullying men and women for years! A few of them were so foolish that they even dared to pull out knives and resist arrest, but I broke their legs on the spot and threw them all into the police station's death row!"

"Now, the thugs and hooligans in that area, when they hear the name He Yuzhu, they have to sleep with one eye open!"

Listening to He Yuzhu's murderous report, Lin Fan couldn't help but click his tongue in astonishment. Was this still the same silly Zhu who used to fight Xu Damao for peanuts in the courtyard? This was practically a living god of death!

After listening, Lin Yang did not show an approving smile, but instead frowned slightly.

He picked up his teacup and gently tapped it on the table, making a muffled sound.

The muffled thud made He Yuzhu's heart tremble. He immediately suppressed his murderous aura and sat up straight in a tense manner.

"Zhu Zi, your courage and fighting spirit on the battlefield are your strengths. But now you've taken off your military uniform and put on a police uniform. Your identity has changed."

Lin Yang's voice was deep, carrying an undeniable authority and a sense of instruction.

"The police are the shield for maintaining social order and protecting the lives and property of the people. You can't solve all problems with just your fists and a gun."

"Beijing is not the Battle of Changjin Lake, nor is it the Battle of Shangganling. The struggle here is sometimes more complex than on the battlefield. Those enemy agents hiding in the shadows, those bad elements who carry out sabotage under the guise of legality, will not confront you head-on with guns. They will use conspiracies, tricks, and sugar-coated bullets to corrupt you!"

Lin Yang stared intently into He Yuzhu's eyes, his gaze sharp and unwavering.

"If you only know how to use brute force, you'll suffer a terrible setback sooner or later! You might even be used by someone with ulterior motives and become a tool in their hands!"

"Starting tomorrow, go buy me some books. Study law, criminal investigation, and psychology! Use that ruthlessness wisely. When facing vicious criminals, show no mercy; but when dealing with complex cases, you must learn to use your brain!"

"An uneducated police officer is, at best, just a uniformed thug. What I need you to be is a sharp sword capable of distinguishing right from wrong and vanquishing evil! Do you understand?!"

Lin Yang's resounding rebuke was like a bucket of ice water poured over He Yuzhu's head, which had become somewhat swollen and feverish due to his promotion.

He Yuzhu shuddered, and a layer of cold sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.

He suddenly recalled how Lin Yang, on the Korean battlefield, lured the American forces into a death trap without firing a single shot by deciphering radio communications and analyzing the terrain. That was true wisdom and strategy!

"Thump!"

He Yuzhu suddenly stood up, took a step back, his knees buckled, and he knelt heavily on the cold blue brick floor.

The impact of the fall was solid, producing a dull thud.

A man's knees are worth their weight in gold, especially for a tough guy like He Yuzhu who crawled out of piles of corpses; his knees are harder than steel.

But in front of Lin Yang, he knelt willingly, prostrating himself completely!

"Commander!"

He Yuzhu's eyes instantly reddened, and his voice became hoarse and trembling.

"I, He Yuzhu, am a rough man, and I haven't had much schooling. If it weren't for you pulling me out of this quagmire of a courtyard house and taking me to the battlefield, I would have been nothing more than a useless cook in the canteen, tossing ladles and being schemed against to death by those beasts!"

"You gave me a second life! You gave me this glorious uniform!"

"Your words today are like a knife etched into my heart! I, He Yuzhu, swear to God, when I get back, I will study like crazy! I will learn to solve cases with my brain! I will never let you, never let our special forces division lose any face!"

After saying that, He Yuzhu put his hands on the ground and kowtowed heavily to Lin Yang.

Lin Fan was moved by what he saw and was about to step forward to help him up, but Lin Yang stopped him with a look.

Lin Yang sat in the chair, looking down at He Yuzhu kneeling at his feet, his eyes deep.

A full half minute passed.

Lin Yang slowly stood up, walked to He Yuzhu, stretched out his big, thick hands, grabbed his shoulder, and lifted the burly man weighing over 200 pounds up like a chicken.

"Hold back your tears! Soldiers of the special forces shed blood, not tears!"

Lin Yang shouted sternly, then patted He Yuzhu's chest forcefully.

"Remember what you said today. You made your own way, and how high you climb depends entirely on your own destiny. Go back to the police station and do a good job."

"Yes, Commander!" He Yuzhu quickly wiped his eyes, stood at attention, saluted, and strode out of the main room. His back view had shed a trace of impetuosity and gained a calm and steady demeanor like a deep pool and a towering mountain.

Watching He Yuzhu's departing figure, Lin Fan sighed with emotion.

"Yangzi, Zhuzi has truly transformed himself this time. In this courtyard, only the He family has truly followed the right path."

Lin Yang sat back down in his chair, picked up the tea which had cooled slightly, and drank it all in one gulp.

"elder brother."

Lin Yang put down his teacup, his gaze becoming unusually bright and domineering.

"We can't let this momentous occasion of the first month since the founding of the People's Republic of China pass by quietly."

"My nephew, Lin Yang's nephew, is the only son of the new generation in the Lin family. This full moon celebration must be a grand affair! And it must be a spectacular, earth-shattering event!"

Lin Fan paused for a moment, then said hesitantly, "Yangzi, isn't this... a bit too high-profile? Our statuses aren't ordinary now; what if people start gossiping..."

"What's there to be afraid of!" Lin Yang sneered, unleashing an aura of unparalleled dominance over thousands of troops.

"We're not greedy or thieving; we're using our own salaries to host the banquet. Who dares to gossip?"

"This full moon celebration is not only to celebrate the birth of Jian Guo, but also to declare to the entire city of Beijing that our Lin family has firmly established its deepest and most solid foundation on this land!"

Lin Yang stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the neighbors in the courtyard outside, who were peeking around with jealousy and fear in their eyes. A cruel smile appeared on his lips.

"The venue will be the General Staff Headquarters' First Guesthouse!"

"I'll personally send out invitations. Invite Old Li, Old Zhao, Old Ding, and all the others! Invite all my old commanders from the Fourth Field Army too!"

"I'll show those beasts in this courtyard what true, overwhelming power really is! What a world of difference they could never hope to reach!"

……

three days later.

The First Guesthouse of the General Staff Headquarters in Beijing.

This is the military's highest-level reception venue, normally used only for receiving central leaders and high-level foreign military delegations. The entire guesthouse is surrounded by towering red walls, and armed, hawk-like guards stand at the entrance.

Today, Lin Yang has booked the entire banquet hall here to hold a full moon celebration for Lin Jianguo.