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

But as soon as they spoke, they were shut down by those opportunists—who didn't know that Liu Haizhong always favored Hao Jianguo? How could his words carry any weight? Knowing that these people were always quick to kick someone when they were down, Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui were still furious and were about to argue again when Hao Jianguo gently raised his hand to stop them.

The two immediately fell silent.

They knew perfectly well that they were far inferior to Hao Jianguo in terms of dealing with such situations.

At this moment, they were also curious to see what method Hao Jianguo would use to prove himself to Zhao Hai.

In fact, everyone in the courtyard was secretly watching Hao Jianguo, curious about what he would say next.

"You must be Comrade Zhao Hai. Judging by your bearing, you must be a high-ranking official."

Hao Jianguo spoke slowly and deliberately.

As soon as she said that, a smile appeared on the old lady's lips.

In her view, Hao Jianguo's opening remarks already revealed his cowardice—his previous calm demeanor was nothing but a paper tiger; when he actually met the big leader, he was ultimately afraid.

The thought that Hao Jianguo would completely lose power in the courtyard and factory after today filled the old lady with a sense of pleasure.

The surrounding crowd burst into laughter, especially the few who were always good at flattery, who pointed at Hao Jianguo and sneered incessantly, as if they were watching a huge joke.

"Hao Jianguo, I originally thought you were a sensible person, but I never expected you to say such foolish things!"

"Isn't Leader Zhao's ostentatious display clear enough?"

"Could it be that he was so intimidated by Leader Zhao's imposing manner that he's rambling incoherently?"

"Sigh, if you're really scared, you might as well give in."

Bowing down to someone like Leader Zhao isn't shameful.

"Although you have some past grievances with the old lady, as long as you sincerely admit your mistakes, I'm sure Leader Zhao will be lenient with you."

There was a flurry of discussion, with every word filled with a confident excitement, as if Hao Jianguo had already admitted defeat.

Despite the commotion, Hao Jianguo remained calm, merely glancing at the crowd.

Whether it was due to lingering influence or not, those who were touched by his gaze felt a chill in their hearts, and their mouths, which had been babbling incessantly just moments before, suddenly seemed to be blocked by something, and they could no longer utter a single word.

"Am I speaking to you?"

Hao Jianguo's simple words silenced the uproar.

Upon hearing Hao Jianguo's words, many people present immediately turned grim.

Speaking on behalf of Zhao Hai? That's absurd.

Everyone immediately spoke up to refute it. If Hao Jianguo really pinned this label on them, those of them who changed their tune with the wind would probably have a hard time in the future.

"Since we can't make decisions for Zhao Hai, please keep quiet."

Those who had been so aggressive just moments before suddenly turned ashen-faced.

They hadn't expected Hao Jianguo to remain so defiant even now.

At the same time, the group gradually realized that even with Zhao Hai in charge, Hao Jianguo was not someone they could easily ridicule or manipulate.

Looking back now, all that jumping around and scrambling seems as ridiculous as a clown's antics.

Upon realizing this, everyone's expressions grew even more grim.

"Hao Jianguo, you're really making quite a show of force."

Just then, a cold laugh rang out.

Zhao Hai turned his face and glared at Hao Jianguo.

With that glance, everyone present understood: Zhao Hai was completely enraged.

Those who wavered were secretly delighted.

They couldn't do anything to Hao Jianguo, but Zhao Hai might not take him seriously.

To put it bluntly, Hao Jianguo might not even be worthy of carrying Zhao Hai's shoes.

Low snickers rose from all around, but Hao Jianguo remained unmoved.

Especially when he looked at Zhao Hai, a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes.

What made Zhao Hai extremely uncomfortable was that being stared at like that gave him a fleeting illusion—as if he had become a complete fool in the other person's eyes.

This feeling fueled his anger even more.

"Standing posture?"

Only then did Hao Jianguo slowly utter two words.

"I think it's you, Leader Zhao, who's really putting on airs. As a superior, is it proper for a person in charge to make judgments without verifying the facts?"

"The higher the position, the more cautious one should be in one's actions."

I did not refute your previous accusations, not out of fear, but because I was waiting for your evidence.

"If you can't produce any evidence but make baseless accusations, then no matter how high your position, I dare to accuse you of slander."

Hao Jianguo spoke calmly and clearly.

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone in the room was stunned.

People looked at each other in disbelief; no one had expected Hao Jianguo to dare to say such things.

To most people, this is almost outrageous.

If it were them, even if they had ten times the courage, they would never dare to talk back like that.

Yan Bugui and his companions secretly cheered.

As expected of Hao Jianguo, even when facing someone like Zhao Hai, his words remained sharp as a knife.

The taut string in the center of Liu Hai's hair also relaxed a little.

Judging from the current situation, perhaps Hao Jianguo can truly turn the tide once again and create a miracle.

"you……"

Zhao Hai felt a surge of anger rising within him.

He had never encountered such an oddball.

Anyone else would have been terrified under his previous oppressive aura, and would not have been able to stand up to him so fiercely and refuse to give an inch.

But Zhao Hai was ultimately a seasoned veteran with deep cunning. After hearing Hao Jianguo's words, he merely forced a faint smile and suppressed his surging anger.

Comrade Hao Jianguo, I think there might be some misunderstanding here.

I was not accusing you of any wrongdoing; I was merely relaying some rumors circulating outside.

If that is not the case, you are welcome to explain it to me, and I will give you justice.

Zhao Hai straightened his back at this moment, and his tone was particularly righteous and stern.

If one were unaware of the background, one might be genuinely moved by his demeanor and mistake him for a righteous and incorruptible person.

Hao Jianguo couldn't help but let out a contemptuous sneer as he looked at his behavior.

Seeing Zhao Hai's current demeanor, Hao Jianguo knew perfectly well that this was clearly a fox skilled in disguise.

In this respect, he and that deaf old lady are indeed of the same ilk.

Hao Jianguo now completely believes that the two are indeed related, otherwise they would not have been able to put on such a hypocritical and distorted act.

Hao Jianguo clearly understood the deeper meaning behind Zhao Hai's words.

The so-called upholding of justice is nothing more than a disguised way of forcing him to bow down and submit.

"No need."

Hao Jianguo refused decisively.

He always adhered to the principle of not provoking each other, but now that the other party had blatantly come to his door, why should he show any mercy?

"To be honest, based on what you just did, I really can't believe you."

A truly fair person will never favor one side or muddy the waters with vague statements.

But from the moment you stepped into this courtyard, you took care of the deaf old lady in every way.

As you mentioned before, you inquired about the situation in the hospital before you came.

In that case, you should know what kind of behavior this relative usually exhibits.

I don't expect you to do something so drastic as to betray your own family, but an upright leader would never utter such a ridiculous statement as "they are the pillars of the institute."

Hao Jianguo's words were as direct as a knife.

The moment the words left his mouth, Zhao Hai's face turned ashen.

The accompanying personnel all held their breath, too frightened to move.

No one expected that Hao Jianguo would dare to utter such sharp words to their face.

To many, this is nothing short of madness.

"Is he crazy? How dare he speak to Leader Zhao like that?"

"I knew Hao Jianguo was not someone to be trifled with, but I didn't expect him to be even more difficult to deal with than He Yushui when it came to getting serious."

"Doesn't he understand how much power Leader Zhao wields? He's completely offended him now, and he's likely to suffer the consequences later."

"Does he really think he can do whatever he wants just because he's become the head of the security department? One word from that leader and he can be dismissed."

A faint murmur of discussion arose from all around, and everyone found Hao Jianguo's actions unbelievable.

At this moment, in everyone's mind, Hao Jianguo's actions were no different from madness.

Naturally, these discussions were kept extremely low in the background, and no one dared to let their voices reach Hao Jianguo's ears—even if he were really dismissed, it would not be a good thing to be remembered by such a reckless person.

Yi Zhonghai and He Daqing exchanged a glance, and an undisguised joy flashed across their faces.

For them, the most welcome thing was Hao Jianguo seeking his own demise.

It now seems that they didn't even need to sharpen their knives themselves before the man had his neck placed under the blade.

He Daqing's body trembled slightly, unable to suppress it. At this moment, he was finally able to do his best for his son, Shazhu.

"Hao Jianguo, shut up! Is this the kind of attitude you should have when facing a superior? It's utter nonsense!"

Yi Zhonghai immediately stepped forward and loudly rebuked Hao Jianguo.

In his view, now was the perfect opportunity to show his loyalty to Zhao Hai—as long as he vehemently refuted Hao Jianguo and stood firmly on Zhao Hai's side, Zhao Hai would surely remember this favor.

"Who doesn't know about Leader Zhao's deeds? He is a recognized model of integrity! Your slander is clearly defaming Leader Zhao's reputation."

According to your own previous statement—where is the evidence? Produce the evidence!

He Daqing followed suit, joining the condemnation without backing down.

The two of them kept referring to him as "Leader Zhao".

He addressed her as "Leader Zhao" with the utmost respect, as if addressing an elder in his family.

Seeing this, those who had been observing the situation also joined in the condemnation of Hao Jianguo.

At this moment, an indescribable excitement was surging through the hearts of this group of people.

However, by simply uttering a few insults, they could curry favor with Zhao Hai, which they considered a sure-fire way to make money.

Some people were even secretly grateful to Hao Jianguo—if this fool hadn't contradicted Zhao Hai in public, where would they have gotten such a rare opportunity to curry favor? After all, Zhao Hai was usually aloof and superior, and ordinary people didn't even have the right to get close enough to say a word.

Zhao Hai himself stood with his hands behind his back, accepting the flattery of the crowd with an air of composure, showing no humility whatsoever, as if all of this was the courtesy he deserved.

"Hao Jianguo, do you see this clearly? This is where the people's hearts are."

If I were truly as worthless as you say, why would everyone be so protective of me? So…”

Zhao Hai spoke slowly, his voice carrying a composed authority.

Why did they do that?

Hao Jianguo interrupted him impatiently, "The reason is very simple—I just want to hold on tight to you, my big tree."

In their eyes, marrying you is a sure way to live a worry-free life.

This blunt revelation plunged the room into an awkward silence.

Many of those who had been loudly echoing him just moments before now had unfocused eyes and stiff expressions.

Zhao Hai's composed demeanor crumbled instantly, his eyes flashing with furious anger as he glared fiercely at Hao Jianguo—in his mind, this man was the most detestable person in the world.

Hao Jianguo turned to Yi Zhonghai, his tone mocking: "Yi Zhonghai, didn't you just say that Leader Zhao is a well-known incorruptible official? And even claimed that 'who doesn't know him'? Then tell me specifically what incorruptible deeds this Leader Zhao has actually done? After all, the 'everyone' you mentioned obviously doesn't include me—I've never heard of any of these things."

On the contrary, I heard he only recently took office? Can he really achieve a reputation for incorruptibility so soon after taking office? I'm listening intently here.

Yi Zhonghai was speechless.

Anyone could tell that the flattery he had just made was an attempt to curry favor. Even if an ordinary person knew this, they would never dare to point it out to his face—no one could afford the consequences of offending Zhao Hai.

But Hao Jianguo had already broken ties with them, so there was no need for him to show them any mercy.

The air seemed to freeze at that moment; the surroundings were so quiet that you could hear suppressed breathing, and every breath carried a heavy sense of unease.

Many people are already feeling regretful; if they had known things would turn out this way, they would never have come to join in the fun.

The crowd was caught in a dilemma, but eventually, staff from the 820 Subdistrict Office stepped in to help, resolving Zhao Hai's embarrassment and dispersing the gathered crowd.

To be honest, the neighborhood committee was also quite helpless at this point.

If it were anyone else who dared to talk back to Zhao Hai like that, they would certainly reprimand them severely.

But Hao Jianguo was different—he was the savior of the daughter of the street office director, so they had no choice but to help him out.

As the crowd gradually dispersed, Zhao Hai followed the deaf old woman and others into her house.

The other leaders who came with him were temporarily arranged to rest in other rooms in the compound, since he wanted to catch up with the deaf old lady more right now.

But as soon as the door closed, the smile that had been plastered on Zhao Hai's face vanished instantly, replaced by a layer of gloomy resentment.