Courtyard House: The Frog Boy Brings Back a Genetic Potion at the Start

Xu Damao scratched the back of his head and muttered, "Goodness, am I dreaming? Has Jia Zhangshi changed her ways? Has she forgotten all those things she used to say to Hao Jianguo?"

Yan Jiecheng also looked puzzled: "Could it be... that she has really reformed? That's even more unusual than the sun rising in the west."

Liu Guangfu shook his head and whispered, "Something unusual must be going on."

"Jia Zhangshi's sudden outburst suggests she might be plotting something wicked."

The crowd began to discuss the matter amongst themselves, each harboring their own suspicions about Jia Zhangshi's unusual behavior.

Ultimately, her behavior today was far removed from the Jia Zhangshi they knew in the past.

Jia Dongxu's eyes almost popped out of their sockets as he looked at his mother with a gaze full of incomprehension and confusion.

He couldn't understand how his mother could be so heartless as to sever ties with him for the sake of Hao Jianguo.

Despite the resentment churning within him, Jia Dongxu knew that at this point, saying anything more would be useless, and he could only swallow his anger.

"Hao Jianguo... I have to thank you."

Jia Dongxu finally managed to squeeze out these words, "If it weren't for you, I probably would have lost my life long ago."

Hao Jianguo simply nodded.

Although he found Jia Zhangshi's actions strange, he was unwilling to delve into it—he had never cared about the rights and wrongs within this compound.

However, this matter spread like wildfire throughout the entire courtyard.

Hao Jianguo's name was once again thrust into the spotlight, and amidst the heated discussions, his reputation rose rather than fell.

The news quickly spread to several neighboring courtyard houses, and eventually even the factory leaders heard about it.

The next morning, Hao Jianguo had just stepped into the factory gate when he was called into the office by Deputy Factory Director Liu.

Upon seeing him, Deputy Factory Director Liu burst into laughter, his eyes full of admiration: "Excellent, truly excellent! I never imagined that besides your superb medical skills, you possessed such other talents!"

Hao Jianguo remained calm and asked directly, "Did the factory manager call me here to assign you some tasks?"

Deputy Factory Director Liu was taken aback at first, then laughed even harder.

He patted Hao Jianguo on the shoulder forcefully: "Young man, be down-to-earth! I admire your temperament."

I called you in today because I have a new position I'd like to give you—one that will allow you to utilize your strengths and also offer a raise.

"The security department is short of someone in charge, so this whole thing will be handed over to you from now on."

What do you think?

Upon hearing this, Hao Jianguo's heart stirred slightly.

The security department holds a special position in the factory, not only responsible for internal security, but also sometimes getting involved in disputes in the employees' and their families' residential areas.

In this day and age, this is undoubtedly a position with real power.

The intention behind Deputy Factory Director Liu's arrangement is self-evident.

"Thank you for the promotion, factory manager."

Hao Jianguo immediately said, "I will always remember your kindness and care."

Seeing his decisiveness, Deputy Factory Director Liu nodded in satisfaction, a hint of something deeper in his smile.

Although the Third Steel Rolling Mill was a state-owned enterprise, the undercurrents between the several factory directors never ceased.

Especially the deputy factory directors, who wouldn't want to be called "deputy"?

Remove the words and sit in the proper position?

Hao Jianguo understood that Deputy Factory Director Liu's attempt to win him over was precisely because of his current influence within the factory.

The competition between factory leaders is ultimately a contest of how many capable people they have under their command.

With Hao Jianguo on his side, Deputy Factory Director Liu naturally felt more confident.

Recently, Hao Jianguo has been very popular in the factory and has become one of the most recognized talents in the factory area.

For Deputy Factory Director Liu, if he could truly bring him into his camp, his words would naturally carry more weight in this factory area in the future.

However, Deputy Factory Director Liu is also a seasoned expert in interpersonal relationships.

Even though she desperately wanted to bring Hao Jianguo under her wing, she wasn't in a hurry to reveal her intentions. Instead, she chose to approach him indirectly, slowly building up his goodwill.

Deputy Factory Director Liu had his concerns: if Hao Jianguo was unwilling to take sides, speaking up rashly might damage the current relationship.

Therefore, when faced with such a top talent, he planned to slowly and gradually bring Hao Jianguo to his side.

Hao Jianguo was well aware of Deputy Factory Director Liu's intentions, but since the other party hadn't revealed them, he was happy to pretend not to know.

For him, the most important thing right now is to protect his own interests.

Moreover, Hao Jianguo also had some hesitation in his heart. Whether he should really join Deputy Factory Director Liu's team depended on how much leverage the other party could offer.

The two talked for a while longer before Deputy Factory Director Liu let Hao Jianguo leave.

Before leaving, Deputy Factory Director Liu still made subtle hints and even made a vague promise: if Hao Jianguo was willing to support him, he would definitely reward him handsomely once he became the factory director, and even the position of deputy factory director was not out of the question.

Unfortunately, Hao Jianguo has never given a clear response.

Watching Hao Jianguo's departing figure, Deputy Factory Director Liu couldn't help but sigh to himself.

He truly admired Hao Jianguo's talent and believed in his heart that he was a rare talent.

Hao Jianguo's calm and composed demeanor throughout pleased Deputy Factory Director Liu even more—if he were to take charge of the factory one day, he could certainly cultivate Hao Jianguo into his right-hand man.

What frustrated him was that Hao Jianguo seemed to have no demands.

Anyone else would have been overjoyed and eager to pledge their loyalty upon receiving such a veiled promise, but Hao Jianguo remained calm as if nothing had happened.

If it weren't for the fact that Liu knew Hao Jianguo was a sensible person, he would have almost doubted whether Hao Jianguo understood his unspoken message.

"You're a rare talent... but I believe you'll eventually come to my side."

Deputy Factory Director Liu pondered silently, a hint of certainty flashing in his eyes.

After all, he was the one who took the initiative to maintain contact with Hao Jianguo from beginning to end.

Whether before or after Hao Jianguo's rise to power, the other factory directors had little contact with him—this was precisely where Deputy Factory Director Liu had an advantage over others.

In fact, he also knew that other factory directors also wanted to win over Hao Jianguo, but they just didn't have a suitable opportunity.

According to previous reports, several factory managers did try to contact Hao Jianguo, but Hao Jianguo remained indifferent.

To those individuals, this was tantamount to a polite refusal. Although they were displeased, they had no choice but to give up and not pursue the relationship any further.

In Deputy Factory Director Liu's eyes, those people were so impatient, yet they still wanted to gain Hao Jianguo's support; it was simply laughable.

It was precisely because of this comparison that Deputy Factory Director Liu felt more confident.

The factory is quite large, covering a vast area and employing a large number of workers; this is an undeniable fact.

This factory is not large, so any little thing can spread to every corner in a short time.

Before Hao Jianguo even returned to the workshop, the news that he was to be appointed as the director of the security department had already spread throughout the factory.

The workers in his workshop came up to him, surrounding him to congratulate and praise him.

In their eyes, Hao Jianguo was incredibly capable—otherwise, how could he have become the workshop director in just one or two years, and now also serve as the head of the security department? Such a thing would be unthinkable for ordinary people.

After the news spread, people naturally came to Hao Jianguo's courtyard house with gifts.

The workshop director and the security chief are quite different, after all.

Although he was a director in the past, his influence was mostly limited to his own workshop, and outsiders were at most a little envious.

However, the head of the security department wielded real power and could intervene in all kinds of disputes in the compound, which was already a remarkable position.

To the surprise of many, Hao Jianguo declined all the gifts offered.

"Now I understand why he was able to become a leader; he was truly upright."

"If it were any other leader, seeing so many good things, why would they refuse?"

"If Hao Jianguo becomes an official in the future, he will definitely be a good one."

Amid the discussions, news of his refusal to accept gifts gradually spread, and an image of integrity was established in everyone's minds.

Of course, they didn't know that in Hao Jianguo's eyes, those gifts were nothing at all—the supplies in his storage space were far more than those.

Moreover, the head of the security department bears a heavy responsibility. If he accepts a gift, he will inevitably lose his impartiality in handling matters in the future, which is by no means what he wants.

Hao Jianguo's actions quickly reached the factory.

When Deputy Factory Director Liu initially suggested that he concurrently serve as the head of the security department, many factory directors were not happy about it.

Who cares about Deputy Factory Director Liu's ulterior motives? But Hao Jianguo's performance has silenced these dissenting voices.

Deputy Factory Director Li was even more triumphant, looking quite pleased with himself in front of the other factory directors, as if he had a keen eye for talent.

The other factory managers were secretly unhappy, but they had nothing to say—they couldn't guarantee that the people they recommended would be as impartial as Hao Jianguo.

This matter naturally became the hottest topic in the hospital.

For several days in a row, the residents talked about Hao Jianguo during their leisure time, and the topic remained popular for a long time.

"I told you Hao Jianguo was going to be successful. Look, he's become a leader again, the head of the security department—isn't that almost the same as a police station chief?"

A loud shout immediately rang out from the crowd.

When that person said this, he deliberately craned his neck to look at Hao Jianguo's position. Anyone could see from his appearance that he clearly had the intention of flattering and currying favor.

"That makes sense! Some people tried to outsmart Comrade Hao Jianguo before, but now they're probably regretting it to the core."

Xu Damao also laughed in a high-pitched tone, but unlike the flatterer, he glanced at Yi Zhonghai and the He family as soon as he finished speaking, his implication was clear.

Yan Bugui then walked out slowly, hands behind his back, like an old gentleman taking a stroll.

His face was full of smiles, as if he were silently boasting about his foresight—he, Yan Bugui, was the first person in the compound to take the initiative to befriend Hao Jianguo and try to get along with him.

This is something he can be proud of for half his life.

Of course, Yan Bugui's behavior drew the attention of many onlookers.

Many people felt a surge of regret: if only they had followed Yan Bugui's example and curried favor with Hao Jianguo, wouldn't they have benefited from his rise to power? Because of this thought, many people in the courtyard secretly harbored resentment towards Jia Zhangshi.

If they hadn't tried to put Hao Jianguo down on behalf of the Jia family, their relationship with Hao Jianguo wouldn't have ended up like this.

Unfortunately, there's no going back in life.

For most people in the compound, maintaining this mediocre situation is already a stroke of luck.

As for Liu Haizhong, he sighed repeatedly.

He was determined to become a "leader".

Even the title of "Uncle Yi" in the courtyard was a respectable one in his eyes.

Unfortunately, this career-obsessed man never fulfilled his dream in his entire life.

Therefore, when he looked at Hao Jianguo at this moment, he couldn't hide the envy in his eyes. Sometimes he even really wanted to go up and ask Hao Jianguo how he managed to get promoted so quickly.

But he also understood that Hao Jianguo would not easily reveal such a thing. Besides, their relationship was already distant, and he had even strained things with their previous interactions.

Thinking of this, Liu Haizhong felt like crying, and his resentment towards Yi Zhonghai deepened even further.

"Damn it... Yi Zhonghai, just you wait, don't give me any leverage over you, or you'll be sorry."

Liu Hai cursed under his breath, his eyes practically spitting fire as he glared at Yi Zhonghai's house.

Actually, there was another person cursing inwardly at that moment, and that was Yi Zhonghai.

He was determined to bring Hao Jianguo down, but no matter what methods he used, it all came to nothing.

Now Hao Jianguo has risen through the ranks, while Yi Zhonghai is constantly hitting roadblocks. He has not only lost money, but his position as the eldest uncle is also meaningless. In the eyes of the people in the courtyard, there is probably only Hao Jianguo left. Who still remembers Yi Zhonghai?

Despite the anger, life goes on as usual.

These past few days have been particularly difficult for He Daqing.

His brows were always furrowed, never relaxed for a moment, and his face was full of gloom, which caused many people in the courtyard to avoid him when they saw him—in everyone's eyes, this man was full of bad luck.

He Daqing longed for an easier life, but reality left him no choice.

These past few days, He Daqing felt as if a stone was pressing on his heart, so heavy that he could hardly breathe.

Both children are currently imprisoned, and there is still no definite explanation. However, the situation is clearly heading in the worst direction—even if He Daqing is confused, he can see that his two children are likely to go to jail.

This is definitely not the ending he wanted to see.

After holding back for several days and having nowhere else to turn, he finally mustered the courage to knock on Yi Zhonghai's door.

Ultimately, Yi Zhonghai was still counting on his son to take care of him in his old age and see him off in his final days. He Daqing believed that in this matter, Old Yi would not really stand idly by.

Once inside, He Daqing got straight to the point and explained his purpose.