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

As soon as he said this, the neighbors started whispering among themselves.

When Yi Zhonghai and the deaf old lady saw the young man appear, their faces lit up with joy.

The deaf old lady had changed into a brand new set of clothes, stood up straight, and looked energetic, as if she had become several years younger.

This unusual behavior left the other residents in the courtyard completely bewildered and at a loss for what to do.

"Grandma, why are you so happy? Do you perhaps have some connection with this person?"

Xu Damao, who never holds back, couldn't help himself and blurted out a remark to the deaf old woman.

After saying that, she didn't forget to glance in Hao Jianguo's direction in a flattering manner.

Little did he know that Hao Jianguo almost rolled his eyes at his words.

In Hao Jianguo's view, if Xu Damao knew the inside story, he would probably regret it to the core—in the current situation, it is clear that only Hao Jianguo and a few others, including the deaf old woman, know the true purpose of the young man's trip.

The more people around them talked about it, the happier Yi Zhonghai and the deaf old woman felt.

In their view, the moment of triumph had finally arrived.

This "grandson"

Their abilities far exceeded their initial expectations.

Yi Zhonghai had even begun to plan that once he got in touch with this line, he might be able to use it to bring down Hao Jianguo and remove him from the factory.

At that time, I will not only regain my former status, but I will probably rise to a higher level.

Just thinking about it almost made him burst out laughing, and he barely managed to hold it in.

The deaf old woman was beaming from ear to ear.

For her, it was an immense honor for her bloodline to achieve such success.

However, their overjoyed expressions only brought more confusion and bewilderment to Xu Damao and the others.

"If you ask me, these guys must be ecstatic! They're laughing like that."

Xu Damao curled his lip and whispered a sarcastic remark in the direction of the deaf old woman.

Yan Jiecheng rolled his eyes at the old woman, thinking to himself: This old woman is probably really a bit confused.

"That's right, look how enthusiastic they are. Anyone who didn't know better would think the old lady was really that important person's grandmother."

Someone muttered quietly to themselves.

Yan Bugui's expression, however, was not very pleasant.

He was one of the few people in the neighborhood who understood the deaf old lady's temperament—this old lady never did anything without being sure of what she was doing.

She looks excited and confident right now, so she probably has something to rely on.

Thinking of this, Yan Bugui's heart sank. He turned his head and glared at his son, Yan Jiecheng, signaling him to keep quiet.

Although Yan Jiecheng was holding back his anger, he ultimately listened to his father and kept quiet.

Just as everyone was whispering among themselves, the big leader they kept talking about walked slowly from the other end of the alley, heading straight for the compound.

Everyone was stunned for a moment, exchanging puzzled glances—why was this person here? And what could he possibly have to do with them?

"grandmother!"

A loud shout broke the silence.

Before anyone could react, the leader strode into the courtyard, went straight to the deaf old woman, and bowed respectfully.

The scene left everyone stunned.

Xu Damao and his companions, who had just been mocking the deaf old woman, felt their faces burning with embarrassment—who would have thought that this old woman actually had such a respectable relative? But hadn't she always been a lonely old woman? When did a grandson suddenly appear?

Several older people in the courtyard seemed to be deep in thought.

One of them lowered his voice and said, "Don't make wild guesses. The old lady did have a grandson when she was young, but he later joined the army."

I heard he was quite famous in the military a few years ago; I never expected him to be a leader after being demobilized.

Upon hearing this, everyone around suddenly realized what was happening.

Many people were secretly shocked, especially Xu Damao, who was so regretful that he wanted to slap himself—if he had known this would happen, why did he have to be so quick to speak? If the old lady held a grudge now, his days in the courtyard would probably be difficult in the future.

Although Hao Jianguo is considered a cadre, compared to the man in front of him, he probably has nothing to say.

"The deaf old lady has finally made it through!"

Someone muttered, "With a grandson like that backing them up, won't they be able to walk around the yard with their heads held high from now on?"

Thinking about this, many people felt a bitter taste in their mouths.

The deaf old lady was never easy to get along with, but thanks to Hao Jianguo's control over her these past few years, things have finally calmed down in the courtyard.

Now that her backer has returned, judging from the respectful way her grandson is behaving, it seems that this courtyard will once again be under her control.

Some of those who had previously joined Hao Jianguo in bullying the deaf old woman were now even more uneasy.

Who doesn't know about the old grudge between the old lady and Hao Jianguo? If she were in her shoes, now that she's in power, wouldn't she want to get revenge?

The atmosphere in the courtyard quietly changed.

Some people began to hesitate—should they switch sides and distance themselves from Hao Jianguo because of this suddenly appearing grandson?

Everyone knew perfectly well that they had reached a critical moment to reconsider their stance.

If we don't take a stand and choose sides now, we'll likely face difficulties in this compound and life won't be easy.

"Good heavens, haven't any of the people in your compound heard anything?"

Seeing the people in the courtyard talking amongst themselves, someone who knew the inside story couldn't help but step forward and whisper this sentence.

Upon hearing this, the neighbors in the courtyard, who were already full of curiosity, were even more confused and had no idea what the other person meant.

"Stop beating around the bush, just tell me who this person is, is he some big shot?"

Xu Damao couldn't hold back and blurted out.

Upon hearing this, the man glared at Xu Damao several times in annoyance.

"Is that even a question? Just look at their demeanor and their air of authority; they're clearly no ordinary person!"

He seriously doubted whether Xu Damao was missing a screw—why would he ask such an obvious question? He must not be very bright.

Caught off guard, Xu Damao choked and opened his mouth, unable to speak.

Yan Jiecheng, who was standing nearby, chimed in at the right moment to save the situation: "Alright, stop keeping everyone in suspense. Tell us quickly, what exactly is this person's identity?"

The man then stopped teasing and grinned at Yan Jiecheng.

"Since you don't know, let me tell you—this is the grandson of the deaf old lady in your courtyard, named Zhao Hai."

"Zhao Hai was a formidable figure, renowned in the army back then. However, he was forced to retire due to a hidden injury sustained during a mission."

Even after retiring, he still holds an important position in the district and his words carry considerable weight.

"He had just been transferred back from another place and was going to take up his new post in the district. He came here specifically to pick up the old lady so she could enjoy her retirement."

As he spoke the last few sentences, he unconsciously raised his voice, and his eyes secretly glanced at Zhao Hai, unable to hide his desire to curry favor—if Zhao Hai could hear him, he might receive some help in the future.

Upon hearing this, a collective gasp filled the air.

The people in the courtyard looked at each other in disbelief. No one had expected that the deaf old lady would have such an extraordinary grandson.

Thinking back on how they had treated the old lady in the past, many people felt a chill run down their spines—if she held a grudge, they would probably never have a peaceful life again.

Some of the more cunning individuals had already secretly turned their attention to Hao Jianguo, feeling a pang of worry for him.

Who doesn't know that Hao Jianguo and the deaf old lady have a deep-seated grudge? Now that the old lady has such a powerful backer, how could she easily let him go?

Many people believe that Hao Jianguo's future is likely to be difficult.

Although he now holds a high position in the Third Steel Rolling Mill and was recently promoted to Director of the Security Department, this position is probably not even worthy of carrying Zhao Hai's shoes.

A single, casual remark from someone could potentially render all his efforts futile.

"Sigh, Hao Jianguo is in trouble this time... The peaceful days he finally managed to get through are going to be ruined by the old lady."

Someone lowered their voice and sighed secretly, glancing nervously at the deaf old woman after speaking, as if afraid that their words would be overheard.

Whispers filled the courtyard, passing by like a gentle breeze.

"They showed no mercy when dealing with Hao Jianguo before, and now that they have such a powerful backer, how can they easily back down? This courtyard is probably not going to be peaceful from now on."

"Those things from the past were fine, Hao Jianguo could always handle them, but the one who came this time was a big shot from the district."

Even if Hao Jianguo truly possessed extraordinary abilities, he probably wouldn't escape their grasp.

Someone glanced at Yi Zhonghai and saw that he always had a smile on his lips and his gaze kept falling on Hao Jianguo, clearly not having any good intentions.

Amidst the whispers, some long-buried emotions gradually surfaced.

Hao Jianguo has been too conspicuous these days, and while others envy him, they also secretly feel jealous.

That's just human nature; people can't stand seeing others who are far superior to themselves.

However, when he was at the height of his power, no one dared to reveal their true thoughts; they only dared to approach him and say flattering things.

Now that a big shot has arrived, everyone feels that Hao Jianguo is bound to suffer this time, so there's no need to hide anything anymore.

So the cursing gradually rose, each one louder than the last, as if the louder the voice, the more it would please the old lady, and the more it would be considered a pledge of loyalty.

"Pah! Don't mention Hao Jianguo! He used to bully the old lady and Uncle Yi because of his power in the factory. Now that the old lady's own son is here, do you think you can let him off easily? If you ask me, arresting him wouldn't be an exaggeration!"

"Exactly! With such a rapid rise, there must be something fishy going on. I don't believe it."

"They must have secretly bribed him and pulled some strings."

"I always thought that the old lady and Uncle Yi were the most upright people in the courtyard. I don't know what methods Hao Jianguo used to suppress them before."

Now, thankfully, the clouds have cleared and the moon is shining brightly.

These words distort the truth and are spoken with great passion.

Many people around rolled their eyes inwardly, feeling contempt, but no one dared to refute them.

Despite their disapproval of such behavior, everyone in the courtyard knew that Hao Jianguo was indeed at a disadvantage at the moment.

If Zhao Hai really wanted to punish him, Hao Jianguo would probably be powerless to resist.

Anyone who speaks up for him now might get themselves into trouble, and their days in the courtyard would be difficult from now on.

So everyone fell silent, each with their own thoughts, and no one wanted to get involved in this mess.

Helping either side won't bring any benefits, so it's better to keep quiet and observe.

Even Liu Haizhong, who had always followed Hao Jianguo closely, began to waver at this moment.

He pondered: if Hao Jianguo could survive this ordeal, helping him now would earn him his favor in the future; but if Hao Jianguo really fell from power, those who had helped him would likely be implicated.

Liu Haizhong was caught in a dilemma and couldn't help but look at Yan Bugui—he knew that Yan Bugui was probably even more conflicted.

Yan Bugui's face turned ashen.

They had finally gained some benefits by taking advantage of Hao Jianguo's influence, and their lives were starting to feel more comfortable, but then Zhao Hai suddenly appeared.

The mountain of support right in front of us is about to collapse.

Yan Bugui was always shrewd and calculating, and at this moment he knew perfectly well that the deaf old woman and her gang would never let Hao Jianguo go, and those who were close to Hao Jianguo would also suffer.

The Yan family was naturally included on that list of targets.

He had considered this in his mind: if he were to "put righteousness before family" and take the initiative to expose or express his opinion, he might win the old deaf woman's favor, and at least she wouldn't immediately turn on him.

Just as he was hesitating, Yan Bugui looked up and glanced in Hao Jianguo's direction.

Just then, Hao Jianguo also turned his gaze, and when their eyes met, Yan Bugui couldn't help but shudder slightly.

He could be considered a lake, yet at this moment, Hao Jianguo's face showed not a trace of panic.

The entourage Zhao Hai brought seemed to completely ignore him; he didn't even flinch.

The calm was too unusual, and Yan Bugui's heart was pounding. If he were in Hao Jianguo's position, he would probably be completely flustered and would not be able to pretend to be so nonchalant.

"Could it be... that he still has a backup plan?"

A thought flashed through Yan Bugui's mind, and he finally hardened his heart: He would stand on Hao Jianguo's side! Anyway, everyone in the compound already considered him to be one of Hao Jianguo's gang. If he switched sides now, the deaf old lady might not believe him, and he would only be seen as fickle.

Besides, when has Hao Jianguo ever been underestimated yet always managed to pull through? Of those who opposed him, which one ended up well?

Thinking of this, Yan Bugui suddenly straightened his back and shouted to those around him:

"Shut up, all of you! When Hao Jianguo was all the rage, weren't you all scrambling to curry favor with him? Now that the deaf old lady has someone to rely on, you turn around and start criticizing her—I never knew you were so two-faced!"

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, and his words grew increasingly sharp: