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

But now that Zhao Hai brought it up himself, the meaning is different—this is not them gossiping behind each other's backs, but Zhao Hai wants to hear it.

They were simply going along with what the other person wanted to hear.

Thinking of this, Sha Zhu felt even happier.

He hurriedly recounted to Zhao Hai everything the others had said about Hao Jianguo and how they had speculated about his rapid rise in rank.

Naturally, when it came to the crucial points, Sha Zhu couldn't help but add his own embellishments and exaggerations, his enthusiasm almost as if he wanted to crush Hao Jianguo to death.

Their initial speculation about Hao Jianguo was malicious, but after Sha Zhu's embellishment, the truth and falsehood were mixed together, making it seem no longer a guess but a certainty.

Zhao Hai's face gradually darkened.

He remained silent for a moment, and under Sha Zhu's expectant gaze, he finally nodded.

Seeing Zhao Hai's reaction, Yi Zhonghai and Sha Zhu almost cheered on the spot—as long as Zhao Hai believed this explanation, did it matter whether it was true or false? Even if it was false, it could become true.

"Your idea is very likely correct."

Zhao Hai put it bluntly: "It's hard to believe that a young lad with skills exceeding those of an eighth-level fitter, capable of solving problems that even experienced masters can't handle."

If you say there's nothing fishy going on here, I'm the first person who won't believe it.

Zhao Hai had long harbored resentment towards Hao Jianguo and had been looking for an opportunity to suppress him.

For him, all it took to bring down Hao Jianguo was a pretext, and it didn't matter if the reason was far-fetched or absurd.

Moreover, to him, Sha Zhu's explanation was not only not far-fetched, but was enough to completely crush Hao Jianguo.

Zhao Hai turned around and walked to the deaf old lady, bowing respectfully: "Grandma, don't worry, I will never let those who dare to bully you or make you suffer get away with it."

But Hao Jianguo is nothing to be afraid of.

"I have plenty of ways to deal with your grandson."

With Zhao Hai's assurance, the old lady's worries of the past few days vanished completely.

Her smile deepened the wrinkles around her eyes, and her gaze towards Zhao Hai was full of satisfaction.

The old woman reached out and grasped Zhao Hai's hand, patting it gently: "Good, good, you are truly a good grandson of mine."

With you protecting Grandma like this, Grandma feels at ease.

She paused, her tone suddenly softening, with a hint of understanding: "But dear grandson, if this matter causes you trouble or makes things difficult for you, Grandma won't force you."

"Your own well-being is the most important thing; Grandma can do whatever she wants."

The deaf old lady spoke with kindness and compassion, appearing to be someone who always thought of her grandson.

She naturally hated Hao Jianguo to the core, but having lived to this age, she understood even better what it meant to retreat in order to advance.

This stance is far more shrewd than direct cursing and instigation.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Zhao Hai felt a surge of anger.

The more considerate the old lady was, the more he felt that Hao Jianguo was utterly despicable.

To Zhao Hai, Hao Jianguo was the ringleader who had to be eliminated, for he even targeted his elderly grandmother, causing her to suffer such injustice.

As the grandson of the elderly woman, Zhao Hai felt that if he could not help his grandmother eliminate this scourge, he would be unworthy of being a son and even less worthy of this blood relation.

"Why do you say that, Grandmother? Hao Jianguo's actions have violated the law, so it is only right for me to deal with him. How could I possibly get into trouble?"

I wanted to see just how far his hand could reach.

Don't worry, the good days for the Hao family are over.

Zhao Hai spoke calmly, as if taking action against Hao Jianguo was a trivial matter.

"Leader Zhao, there's one more thing."

Yi Zhonghai suddenly turned his eyes and called out to him.

Zhao Hai looked over upon hearing the sound, a sense of unease creeping into his heart: everything that needed to be said had already been said, what else was there to say? He naturally knew that these people had come to his door simply to bring down Hao Jianguo.

Since I have already agreed, there should be no follow-up.

"I just remembered that Hao Jianguo has been making a lot of money lately, and the source of that money is probably illegitimate."

You understand that ordinary people earn their money through hard work, but what about Hao Jianguo? His dining table is always full of fish and meat, which is really suspicious.

"Perhaps we can start from here, investigate him carefully, and we'll definitely be able to bring him down."

Yi Zhonghai lowered his voice and uttered this sinister suggestion.

Sha Zhu, who was listening nearby, immediately chimed in excitedly, taking the opportunity to criticize Hao Jianguo.

In his eyes, Hao Jianguo must have bribed his superiors and accepted gifts from his subordinates, otherwise how could he have such a lavish display?

"To be honest, this man is a hypocrite! He pretended to be fair and honest in the courtyard, publicly driving away those who offered gifts, but behind everyone's back he still amassed wealth—bah! Absolutely awful!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Hai's expression turned solemn, and his words carried a warning tone.

He was reminding Shazhu not to act rashly.

Even with his position in the district, it would be no easy task for him to extend his influence entirely into the factory on his own.

The circumstances were unique, and even for him, it would be extremely difficult to completely change the situation in the factory. A slight misstep could backfire and cause trouble for himself.

Given that Zhao Hai was dealing with someone like Sha Zhu, he naturally wouldn't act rashly.

All he could do was use the existing pretext to stir up some trouble in the factory.

Just like dealing with Hao Jianguo, he also needed a plausible pretext; as for the "outstanding worker" claim...

The selection process requires that the contestants themselves possess genuine technical strengths.

Sha Zhu naturally understood as well.

However, in his view, the cooks in the factory were practically his juniors and successors. Those people wanted to compete with him? Absolutely not!

"Alright, I'll go prepare the food for you right away!"

Before he finished speaking, Sha Zhu rushed out of the deaf old lady's house, eager to prepare ingredients to cook some good dishes for Zhao Hai.

He now understands: to win over this leader, you must first win his stomach.

If Zhao Hai is satisfied with the meal, he might be able to transfer to the district if he's in a good mood.

At that time, he will be the one cooking for the district leaders, which is much more respectable than serving those rough men in the factory.

In Sha Zhu's heart, this was undoubtedly a tremendous honor.

Moreover, this can also help you build a relationship with the leader, which will give you hope for future wealth and prosperity.

It must be said that Sha Zhu's considerations were indeed far-sighted.

The thought crossed his mind, and he vanished in the blink of an eye.

Seeing him leave in a hurry, the deaf old lady couldn't help but laugh out loud, still speaking well of Sha Zhu in front of Zhao Hai: "Xiao Hai, look at this kid, he's always so energetic."

But it is precisely this personality that makes him seem honest, and that makes him easy to manipulate by someone like Hao Jianguo.

From now on, you two are brothers, so you'll have to take good care of your younger brother who's a cook.

The deaf old lady did everything she could for Sha Zhu.

Not wanting to disappoint the old woman, Zhao Hai took her hand and replied with a smile, "Don't worry."

He Daqing, who remained silent to the side, was already overjoyed inside.

He didn't say much from beginning to end. At most, he joined in the banter with Sha Zhu and Yi Zhonghai, but he didn't rush to flatter Zhao Hai.

But in his mind, now that Sha Zhu had made something of himself, he, as his father, would naturally be able to enjoy the good life in the future.

He is, after all, my own son. How could I not be filial to him?

Just thinking about it made He Daqing's fingers tremble with excitement.

Sha Zhu's culinary skills were personally taught to him by him, and He Daqing had great confidence in his son's cooking abilities.

He believed that with Sha Zhu's abilities and Zhao Hai's guidance, they would be a strong contender in this "Outstanding Worker" selection.

It's absolutely a sure thing.

Based on his understanding of Sha Zhu, if this kid really becomes successful, he will never forget his father.

At that time, wouldn't we also be able to share in some of the wealth and glory?

Just thinking about it like that gave He Daqing a burst of energy.

Yi Zhonghai was equally delighted.

From Zhao Hai's words, he could tell that he was about to replace Hao Jianguo—not only would he become the director, but he would also be recognized as an outstanding employee.

This was something he never dared to dream of before.

Even for someone who was once an eighth-grade fitter, it is by no means easy to be rated as excellent.

Now, thanks to Zhao Hai, it has all come true in one fell swoop.

Yi Zhonghai bowed and nodded repeatedly to Zhao Hai, his posture as respectful as if he were treating a benefactor.

Sha Zhu was indeed quick and agile.

In no time, he paid out of his own pocket to buy a batch of ingredients and got busy preparing meals for Zhao Hai.

After tasting Sha Zhu's cooking, Zhao Hai couldn't help but nod repeatedly and give a thumbs up in praise.

To be honest, Zhao Hai was initially skeptical when everyone praised Sha Zhu's cooking skills, thinking that it was at most the level of an ordinary restaurant.

He thought these people had limited knowledge, so how could they truly understand the exquisite skills of a so-called master chef? But this taste was beyond his expectations.