Siheyuan: At the beginning, I can integrate everything!

The snowstorm stopped, and the city of Beijing was shrouded in a desolate, pale white.

In the Hongxing Courtyard, the festive atmosphere of the first day of the Lunar New Year was completely overshadowed by the fact that the Jia family grandfather and grandson were taken to the police station overnight.

The Jia family in the Intermediate People's Court has been completely wiped out.

The room was as quiet as a graveyard. After Qin Huairu returned, she locked herself inside, and not a single cry could be heard.

The Yi family next door, however, had their kerosene lamps burning brightly.

Yi Zhonghai, wearing a thick cotton-padded coat, sat at the octagonal table.

Several sheets of paper covered in writing were laid out in front of him, and the fountain pen was gripped tightly between his rough fingers.

His brows furrowed into two knots.

"Old Yi, what are you doing up so late at night instead of sleeping?"

An older woman walked over with a cup of hot water, looked at the pile of papers on the table, and sighed.

"You still want to deal with the mess the Jia family made? Jia Zhangshi has already been arrested for assaulting a police officer, and they even stole from a martyr's family—that's a serious crime!"

Yi Zhonghai waved his hand impatiently and slammed his pen on the table.

"What do women know! They're all talk and no action!"

He stood up and paced back and forth in the cramped room, his eyes shifting between light and shadow.

"Dongxu is finished, and the Jia family only has Banggeng left with a son. If I don't lend them a hand now, who will be there to help us when we're old?"

"Although Banggeng is a dirty kid, as long as we teach him carefully, he will definitely be obedient in the future."

Yi Zhonghai gritted his teeth, walked to the table, and picked up the letters.

"I've worked at the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill for most of my life, and my rank as an eighth-grade fitter speaks for itself. The factory director and the Party Secretary, which one of them wouldn't give me some face?"

"Tomorrow morning, I will take these letters to the factory leaders and ask them to intercede with the district authorities on my behalf."

"Just say it's a misunderstanding, that it's the family member of a model worker the factory is grooming. I refuse to believe that with my connections, I can't get a little brat out of trouble!"

Yi Zhonghai's face was full of calculation, as if everything was under his control.

He firmly believed that in this area, his reputation as an eighth-grade worker was more effective than anything else.

Unfortunately, he overestimated himself and underestimated Zhang Huaimin's methods.

At this moment, in the front yard.

Inside the east wing, the stove was burning brightly.

Zhang Huaimin sat cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed), fiddling with a few small wooden carvings in his hands.

Hearing the sounds coming from inside the Yi family's house through the system's powerful perception, a mocking sneer curled at the corner of his lips.

"The prestige of an eighth-grade worker? Trying to get someone out of trouble?"

Zhang Huaimin casually tossed the wooden carving in his hand onto the kang table.

"You old bastard, you can't even keep your own clay idol status, yet you want to help others cross the river?"

He turned his head and looked at Chen Bing, who was sitting by the stove warming himself.

Chen Bing was wiping his sidearm with a soft cloth, his movements meticulous.

"Brother Chen," Zhang Huaimin called out crisply.

Chen Bing stopped what he was doing and looked up: "What's wrong, Huaimin? Are you cold?"

Zhang Huaimin shook his head, leaned closer, and deliberately lowered his voice, putting on a mysterious and worried look.

"Brother Chen, I heard something from my father's former colleague in the security department."

"Uncle Yi Zhonghai in our compound seems to have some shady dealings."

Chen Bing frowned.

He has now received a death order to absolutely guarantee Zhang Huaimin's safety and eliminate all potential threats in the surrounding area.

He became alert immediately upon hearing that there was something wrong with the "manager" in the compound.

"Oh? How is it unclean?"

Zhang Huaimin blinked, his tone carrying a hint of certainty.

"Uncle Zhu has a biological father named He Daqing, who went to Baoding many years ago. He sends living expenses to Uncle Zhu and Aunt Yushui every month."

"But Aunt Yushui used to be so hungry that she couldn't even get food, and Uncle Zhuzi never received any money."

Zhang Huaimin paused for a moment, then dropped a bombshell.

"Because all that money was embezzled and misappropriated by Yi Zhonghai!"

"Moreover, this has been going on for several years, and the total amount must be at least a thousand yuan!"

"Bang!"

Chen Bing slapped his thigh and stood up abruptly, a sharp, murderous glint of a soldier flashing in his eyes.

"How dare you!"

In this day and age, embezzling or misappropriating other people's remittances of thousands of yuan is a serious crime punishable by death!

Moreover, He Yushui's father was also a long-time employee of the factory.

On the surface, Yi Zhonghai appears righteous and respectable, but behind the scenes he has committed such heinous and bloodthirsty acts!

"Having this kind of scum in human skin around is like having a ticking time bomb!"

Without saying a word, Chen Bing picked up the military cap on the table and put it on his head.

"Huaimin, don't worry. I'll immediately report this to both the military region's security department and the factory's security section!"

"Use special, secure channels to conduct a thorough investigation. Even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, we must find out what this old fox is really up to!"

Watching Chen Bing storm out, his murderous aura palpable, and disappear into the wind and snow.

Zhang Huaimin leaned against the warm pile of quilts and stretched comfortably.

Use someone else's strength against them.

There's no need to lift a finger to deal with these self-righteous old foxes.

With just a slight flick of the higher-dimensional state machinery, he could be crushed to dust.

Early the next morning.

Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill.

Yi Zhonghai put on his most presentable Zhongshan suit, with a model worker medal pinned to his chest.

He arrived at the factory early, clutching the letters of appeal tightly in his hand.

As he walked through the workshop, several apprentices and familiar workers greeted him with smiles.

"Grandpa, Happy Chinese New Year!"

"Master Yi, you look great today!"

Yi Zhonghai smiled and nodded in response, feeling extremely pleased.

"Looks like my old face still works in the factory."

He was secretly pleased with himself, and his steps became lighter as he walked straight toward Director Yang's office.

At this moment, inside the factory manager's office.

Director Yang was sitting behind his desk, his face ashen, holding an urgent confidential letter bearing the official seals of both the military region and the Ministry of Industry.

Beside him, the head of the factory's security department stood ramrod straight, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

"Investigate! Investigate immediately!"

Factory Director Yang slammed the confidential letter on the table with a loud "bang," his anger barely contained.

"They even dare to embezzle remittances from the families of martyrs and veteran employees! These parasites are utterly ruining the reputation of our Red Star Factory!"

"Immediately take someone to the post office to retrieve all remittance slips from the past five years!"

Factory Director Yang is really in the news this time.

Zhang Huaimin is now a "national treasure" personally protected by the military region leaders.

That old bastard Yi Zhonghai actually thought of using his connections to bail out the thief who had offended this little ancestor?

Moreover, once the evidence of his embezzlement is verified, not even a god could save him!

Yi Zhonghai was completely unaware of all of this.

He walked to the door of the factory manager's office, straightened his collar, and was about to knock.

But then he saw the head of the security department rush out of there, not even glancing at him, and then he ran off with a few officers.

"What's going on so urgently?"

A slight doubt arose in Yi Zhonghai's mind.

But he didn't think much of it, knocked on the door, and went inside.

"Factory manager, Happy New Year!" Yi Zhonghai said with a broad smile.

Factory Director Yang raised his head and looked at the eighth-grade worker in front of him, whom he usually respected. His eyes were filled with deep disgust and indifference.

"Master Yi, is something the matter?"

Director Yang spoke curtly and didn't even offer him a seat.

Yi Zhonghai hesitated for a moment, but still braced himself and handed over the prepared letter.

"Factory manager, it's like this. Jia Dongxu's son from our factory got into a little misunderstanding..."

"Alright!"

Factory Director Yang interrupted him without hesitation and didn't even pick up the letter.

"Yi Zhonghai, you still have the mind to meddle in other people's business?"

"Take care of yourself first!"

Yi Zhonghai was stunned.

"Factory manager, what do you mean by that?"

Factory Director Yang gave a cold laugh, did not answer, and simply looked down at the documents.

Yi Zhonghai was met with a cold shoulder and felt a chill run down his spine.

He had a vague feeling that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

He could only leave the office dejectedly and return to his workshop.

Back in the workshop, Yi Zhonghai sat at his workstation.

Although he felt uneasy, he regained some confidence by looking at the respectful disciples around him.

"Hmph, he's just a factory director. I'll go find Deputy Factory Director Li, he'll definitely respect me."

Yi Zhonghai was holding a teacup, smugly planning his next steps to bail people out.

Sudden.

The workshop door was pushed open with a loud bang.

Two officers in security uniforms, with stern expressions, strode in.