Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Everyone instinctively straightened their backs, and some people quietly touched the old scars on their waists.

"Thank you for the reminder, leader. I'll remember it," Qian Wentao replied, his eyes lowered, his attitude sincere and without a trace of perfunctoriness.

The old leader had just finished approving the last document when he drove to the military region. He shook hands with Xiao Yao and the others one by one, asking about the saltiness of the canteen food and whether the dormitories had heating. His conversation was so warm and friendly that it made people's hearts flutter.

……

At the toy factory, the first month's wages arrived on time. Everyone, clutching their brand-new work badges, lined up and headed towards the finance office.

When the first employee received his payslip, the crowd erupted in cheers—a full thirty yuan, not a penny less! What's even more reassuring is that this is still his apprenticeship salary, and the promise made last time that "it will increase to fifty next month" seems to be more than just empty talk.

At noon, Han Chunming stood on the cement platform in the center of the workshop and held a mobilization meeting: "Comrades! We just received an overseas order. From today onwards, the entire factory will work harder to catch up! Overtime pay will be paid in full—the factory's future depends on everyone's concerted efforts!"

Before he finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted. The previous orders hadn't even been cleared out yet, and new orders were already pouring in. It was clear that foreigners were investing real money; where was the prospect of bankruptcy?

That afternoon, the machines roared back to life in the factory, sparks flew everywhere, and the production line surged forward again.

On the other side, a red paper notice was posted at the entrance of the toy store, which as expected attracted the attention of the neighbors who stopped to watch and peeked out.

When asked, they found out that everything was sold out; upon further inquiry, they learned that even overseas customers had placed several orders in advance, resulting in a temporary supply shortage in China. This only fueled their curiosity: if foreigners are scrambling to buy it, how could it be of poor quality?

Many people immediately grabbed Han Chunyan, saying things like, "Please reserve a baby walker for me!" "Call me as soon as you have any in stock!" and "I've left my WeChat and phone number here, first come, first served!"

Han Chunyan couldn't stop smiling every day, inwardly marveling at how Xiao Wuzi was a genius: his products were so well-made, and he was so clever in his approach that even foreigners were chasing after him to place orders. She could sit in the shop and not even need to write sales pitches.

She carried two pounds of apples to Han Chunming's house. Su Meng had just finished buying groceries and entered the house when she saw her second sister standing in the entryway, her scarf still damp with the chill of early winter.

"Second sister? When did you arrive? You didn't even give me a heads-up, so I could have bought a chicken to stew!"

Su Meng's eyes lit up, and she quickly took the bag.

"I just got off the bus and made a phone call on the way. Chunming said he would be back right away."

Han Chunyan shook the snow off her scarf, her smile bright and clear.

"I heard you're in charge of sales at the toy store? Is business booming?"

Su Meng asked casually, not really caring much about making money—nowadays, she was more concerned about whether her life was stable and whether her meals were warm.

"It's a hit! They're practically selling like hotcakes! The stock sold out in five minutes as soon as it arrived! Kids are clinging to it and won't let go, and adults aren't even haggling!"

Han Chunyan raised her eyebrows and unconsciously made the famous closing gesture with her fingertips, her face full of undisguised pride.

Her trip was specifically about the toy store: demand was exploding, orders were piling up, and baby walkers were especially in high demand; even those leaving their phone numbers to urge delivery were genuine customers. Expanding production was an urgent matter.

At the dinner table, the siblings ate and chatted. Han Chunming readily agreed: "We'll recruit people tomorrow morning and debug the equipment overnight to ensure uninterrupted supply."

But no one expected that the next morning, an enforcement vehicle would be parked at the factory gate—the toy factory had been sealed off.

The reason field clearly states "No explanation yet".

As soon as Han Chunming received the news, he rushed to the factory.

The factory gate was already crowded with people, and the workers were all clenching their fists, loudly questioning the law enforcement officers who had sealed off the factory.

"You're driving us to the brink! We have no work, no food, are you expecting us to give us relief food?"

"Yes! They won't even give us a job, not even a way to survive?"

"If you don't give us an explanation, we'll fight you to the bitter end!"

The uniformed officer leading the team had a stern face and a cold voice: "We are enforcing the law under orders, and the seizure procedures are complete. If you have any objections, report them to your superiors. Don't obstruct official business."

Han Chunming squeezed forward, took out a pack of cigarettes, and handed it over with a smile: "Gentlemen, calm down, let's sit down and talk slowly—what exactly happened?"

Seeing his sincere attitude, the other party softened their tone slightly: "Someone has filed a real-name report, saying that your factory has neither a business license nor a safety production permit, and that you are overstaffed, which is a serious violation."

"The license is under review and will be issued within three days; the employment registration has already been filed with the Labor Bureau, and Deputy Director Zhang personally approved the expansion of recruitment." Han Chunming spoke steadily and clearly.

"We don't care about that. The task assigned from above must be completed today with the sealing off of the premises. We'll discuss the follow-up actions after the investigation is complete."

The words had barely left his mouth when the crowd erupted in chaos. Some stomped their feet, some slapped their thighs, and one even grabbed a wrench and slammed it to the ground: "The work's piling up on the assembly line, and we haven't even gotten our overtime pay yet!"

"This job isn't tiring, and the pay is good—it's even better than working in a Chinese-language film studio—if anyone dares to come in, we'll block the doorway!"

Han Chunming looked at the familiar faces, his heart burning. These people weren't hired; they treated this place like their own backyard.

He strode forward and bowed slightly to the law enforcement officers: "Comrades, I understand that you are doing your job. How about this—I'll go with you to the bureau to explain the situation in person; let everyone get back to work first. If we delay for even one day, it will be a problem for hundreds of people to eat."

The leader waved his hand, his voice already tinged with impatience: "It's no use reasoning with me. If you want to appeal, go find your supervisor. If you keep blocking us, we'll have to call the police to maintain order."

Han Chunming's heart sank. These people didn't want to hear any explanations; they only cared about a written order. He always followed the rules, but rules shouldn't be a brick that could be used to smash whomever they wanted.

He raised his voice, his gaze sweeping over the number tags on each person's chest: "Who's the whistleblower? You can't just blacklist the factory with an anonymous phone call, can you? If I report a Chinese-language production factory for tax evasion tomorrow, are you all going to raid its gates right away?"

"Whether it's reckless or not is none of your business. We're just following orders—shut down the factory, now!"

The man suddenly waved his hand, and the two people behind him immediately pulled out the seal and tore off the tape.

The crowd instantly became agitated, with some pushing forward, others shouting slogans, and the sounds of pushing and yelling blending together.

Han Chunming's mind cleared instantly: this wasn't law enforcement; they were after the factory. The hand behind his back was waiting to see him fall.

He gritted his teeth and suppressed his anger—it was no use trying to tough it out; if someone died, the workers would be the ones who suffered.

A wise man doesn't fight a losing battle. Let them seal it up then; he can settle the score later.

"Don't do anything! I'll go with you!" He grabbed several young men who were about to rush forward, turned around and stretched out his hand to the law enforcement officers, "I'll cooperate with the investigation, and I'll take responsibility for what happens at the factory."

The group hesitated for a moment, then nodded in acknowledgment.

The workers, however, surrounded the enforcement vehicle, their eyes red and refusing to leave. Han Chunming clung to the car window and shouted, "Go back! Get back to what you were doing. The factory won't collapse, and neither will I, Han Chunming!"

"Don't worry, factory manager! We'll go to the police station to file a complaint right away. We won't give up until we get justice!"

He smiled and waved, then the car door slammed shut.

The car didn't drive to the police station; it went straight into the detention center.

The other party retorted, "The case isn't clear, and the person won't be released."

Several young cadres were pale-faced and their fingers were trembling—it was the first time in their lives they had been handcuffed, and they didn't even dare to touch the police car seats.

Han Chunming calmed down and said softly, "Let me make a phone call. My family is waiting for me for dinner."

After receiving permission, he took out his phone and dialed Xiao Yao's number.

……

Xiao Yao was currently squatting in the military region's materials laboratory, repeatedly performing calculations around a fighter jet model. A professor from the military region had specifically requested their team to participate in the verification of the compatibility of a new alloy, and even the blueprints were spread out on the operating table.

When his phone rang, he was wearing protective goggles and adjusting the spectrometer—all electronic devices were locked in lockers when he entered the laboratory.

"Hello, this is Su Man. Who is this?"

She was discussing the cooking time for goji berries with a military doctor when she casually swiped the screen and didn't see the caller ID.

"I am Han Chunming. Something happened at the toy factory, and I need to let Xiao Yao know—we ran the factory together."

"What happened? I'm going to find him right away!" Su Man's tone immediately tightened upon hearing this.

"The factory was forcibly shut down, without even a proper explanation. I'm in detention now. Tell Xiao Yao not to worry, I have my own arrangements."

"Okay, I'll go right now!"

Su Man hung up the phone, her face immediately darkening. Just then, Commander Li came to the infirmary to pick up his blood pressure medication. Seeing her heavy steps and furrowed brows, he casually asked, "Little Su, who upset you?"

"It's okay, I'll go to the lab first." Before she could finish speaking, she had already quickly walked across the corridor.

He hurried along, pushed open the door and rushed into the laboratory. Only after Xiao Yao took off his goggles and freed his hands did he lean closer and whisper what had happened.

Xiao Yao told Wang Yutong to keep a close eye on the experimental table, then turned and followed Su Man out of the laboratory, taking out his phone to dial Xiao Zhiyuan's number.

"Dad, this is Xiao Yao. I heard Han Chunming was detained by the police? What happened? That toy factory was something I co-founded with him."

There was a slight pause on the other end of the phone, then Xiao Zhiyuan's voice, steady yet tinged with surprise, said, "I haven't received any notification about this yet. I'll contact the branch office immediately to find out—where is he being held? I'll be there right now."

He frowned slightly: there hadn't been any surprise inspections assigned today, let alone one targeting a properly registered factory with compliant employment practices. It was highly unusual that he, the city bureau chief, hadn't noticed such a large-scale operation.

"The Second Detention Center," Xiao Yao said calmly, "I only demand a fair and just investigation. If there are any problems, handle them according to the law; if anyone takes this opportunity to smear me or set a trap, I will absolutely not allow it."

"Focus on what you're doing, and leave the rest to me," Xiao Zhiyuan said confidently.

After hanging up, Xiao Yao returned to the lab. Every word of that phone call had reached Commander Li's ears. He then understood why Su Man's face had suddenly turned pale—the storm had already reached right before his eyes.

Commander Li immediately dialed the military region leadership's hotline. After listening to the report, the other end of the line gave a heavy snort: "We've already investigated that factory! It can secure orders from Europe and America, support 500 people, and its background can withstand three rounds of political vetting. The labor bureau dared to sign off on it not because they were bold, but because they knew exactly what they were doing!"