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

Yi Zhonghai was so shocked by these words that his face turned pale and then red, and his old face burned, but he couldn't utter a single word in response.

He would rather die than reveal his family's wealth in public.

His private affairs are not for others to comment on.

Hearing Hao Jianguo's resounding response, many of the neighbors nodded in agreement, for his words had indeed struck a nerve with their doubts.

Immediately, calls for Yi Zhonghai to reveal his financial situation arose one after another.

Yi Zhonghai's expression grew increasingly grim.

The gazes around him tightened like an invisible net, his breathing became increasingly rapid, and the veins on his neck bulged slightly.

"You, you all... I've always been an honest person, what's there to doubt? I don't eat meat every day, do you think? Who's ever seen me buy two bicycles at once? Besides, I'm a level eight fitter, my salary is more than enough to buy a bicycle."

But what about Hao Jianguo? He used to be just a—"

The words were on the tip of his tongue when he suddenly stopped.

"Poor wretch"

The two words almost slipped out, but they were too undignified and sounded like a tantrum.

Just then, a light, mocking laugh drifted over.

Hao Jianguo glanced at him sideways, a mocking smile on his lips: "You used to be nothing but a poor wretch, right? Uncle Yi, I thought you were so high and mighty, but it turns out you look down on those of us who earn less."

Your eyes really know how to look downwards.

Yi Zhonghai's face instantly turned pale and then flushed.

He never expected his thoughts to be exposed so openly.

Upon hearing this, many people in the courtyard with low incomes glared at him, their eyes filled with anger and hurt.

"I...I didn't mean that! Don't listen to Hao Jianguo's nonsense!"

Yi Zhonghai hurriedly waved his hands to explain, but no one believed a word he said.

"Uncle, so what if you're poor? Does being poor mean you can never turn your life around?"

Hao Jianguo's tone was not loud, but every word hit everyone's eardrums like a small hammer: "Everyone can see what my situation is like in the factory now."

Earning money honestly and saving every penny, can't you even afford a bicycle after all these years of savings?

He paused, his voice suddenly softening at the end, yet it was even more piercing:

"After all, I'm not like you or Sha Zhu—I don't need to help the Jia family."

This last sentence is like a needle suddenly piercing an old wound.

The shadow of the cellar and the rumors of the hospital bed suddenly stirred up vague memories in many people's minds.

Yi Zhonghai stood frozen in place, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, his embarrassment mixed with resentment.

"You're saying you didn't take the shortcut?"

He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to keep his voice steady, "What will you say if the neighborhood committee officials find out something when they arrive?"

He and Sha Zhu had previously pondered this: apart from that wicked path, where did Hao Jianguo get such extravagance? Even if he had savings in the past, he couldn't afford to spend them like this.

The more Hao Jianguo reacted, the more guilty he felt.

"Want to take a gamble?"

Hao Jianguo simply leaned his bicycle against the wall, his expression indifferent.

Yi Zhonghai stomped his foot resolutely: "I'll bet! Do you dare?"

Amidst the low gasps around him, he actually pulled out fifty yuan and slapped it on the windowsill.

Many people's expressions immediately changed.

To the neighbors, this action was seen as blatantly throwing money at people, arrogant and contemptuous.

"Me too!"

Sha Zhu hurriedly shouted, then turned to Yi Zhonghai and borrowed fifty yuan. His eagerness seemed to indicate that he was afraid of missing out on a windfall if he delayed even a moment.

A buzzing sound of murmurs arose all around:

"Look at our Uncle Yi's wealth... he can easily throw around two fifty-yuan bills."

"Exactly! He doesn't even blink when he spends a hundred yuan of his own money, but it's a problem when someone else spends money to buy a car? Tsk tsk, where is his bias?"

The surrounding chatter was incessant, and the gazes directed at Yi Zhonghai became increasingly undisguised, filled with disgust.

Those whispered words entered Yi Zhonghai's ears, making him feel a metallic taste in his throat, almost causing him to vomit blood.

He never expected that his casual action would provoke such public outrage.

After this incident, the reputation he has cultivated in this courtyard for many years will likely be completely ruined.

Yi Zhonghai steeled himself and pretended not to hear the gossip.

He was certain that as long as Hao Jianguo's crime of speculation was confirmed this time, he could get back everything he had lost, with interest.

From beginning to end, he and Sha Zhu were convinced that Hao Jianguo was up to no good and that they would find out the truth once they investigated.

Recalling his past encounters with Hao Jianguo, in which he had never gained the upper hand, this was the perfect opportunity to wash away the humiliation of the past.

"Hao Jianguo, do you dare to accept this?!"

Yi Zhonghai took a deep breath, forced himself to adopt a righteous and stern demeanor, and asked loudly.

"I'd be happy to oblige."

Hao Jianguo readily agreed.

He felt he shouldn't let down Yi Zhonghai and Sha Zhu's "good intentions" since someone was so eager to give him money.

Just then, a commotion arose outside the courtyard.

Curious, everyone peered out and saw Director Liu leading several street office staff members, walking briskly toward the courtyard.

"They've finally arrived! Hao Jianguo, you're completely finished this time!"

Sha Zhu couldn't contain himself and burst into laughter, as if the anger that had been building up in his heart for so long had finally found an outlet.

He had intended to follow Yi Zhonghai's advice and endure it for the time being, but he couldn't suppress his excitement.

Yi Zhonghai, on the contrary, put on airs at this moment.

He put his hands behind his back, looking at Hao Jianguo with a pained expression. "Jianguo, although you lived a hard life before, you had integrity and never did anything like stealing chickens or dogs."

How did you end up on the wrong path? Sigh, I'm so...disappointed in you.

He shook his head and sighed, his tone earnest, "Is this kind of speculative business something you can get involved in? Here's what I'll do: I'll give you a chance to confess and receive leniency."

"If you admit it now, I'll risk my reputation to plead for you, and I'll make sure you get a few fewer years in prison."

He pretended to be sincere, but Hao Jianguo found his demeanor nauseating.

"You truly live up to your reputation, Uncle Yi."

Hao Jianguo slowly shook his head. "The phrase 'hypocritical' is not even a suitable description for you."

Things have escalated to this point, is there any room for reconciliation? Are you just trying to erect a moral high ground in front of the neighbors again by saying all this? It's utterly ridiculous.

"You're the one who reported me, and now you're pretending to be doing it for my own good."

His gaze swept over everyone in the courtyard. "Do you really think everyone here is blind?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Liu Guangfu and the others immediately pointed and whispered among themselves at Yi Zhonghai, and the murmurs of discussion began again.

Although the others did not speak, the contempt in their eyes when they looked at Yi Zhonghai was all too obvious.

Yi Zhonghai gritted his teeth in anger, but he didn't waste any more words arguing with Hao Jianguo. He turned around and put on a smiling face to greet him at the courtyard gate. "Director Liu, you've finally arrived! Please come in quickly. I've stopped Hao Jianguo here; you can come in and inspect the house at any time."

He spoke solicitously, but sensed something was off—Director Liu completely ignored him. Her originally serious face broke into a genuine smile when she saw Hao Jianguo, and she seemed to be meeting an old acquaintance with such familiarity.

Yi Zhonghai's heart sank suddenly, and an ominous thought arose in his mind.

Could it be... that something went wrong?

The way Director Liu looks doesn't seem like he's here to interrogate someone at all.

"You must be Comrade Hao Jianguo? Good, good! I didn't expect you to be so young, truly a promising young man!"

Director Liu walked forward with a smile and took the initiative to shake hands with Hao Jianguo.

This unexpected scene left the residents of the courtyard looking at each other in astonishment.

Why was Yi Zhonghai's tone so resolute just now? He clearly said that this Director Liu came to investigate evidence of Hao Jianguo's speculation and profiteering. How could things have turned out like this in the blink of an eye? Not to mention the neighbors in the courtyard, even Hao Jianguo himself felt confused—how could he have known this Director Liu before?

Director Liu turned and gestured, and his entourage immediately presented a banner. "Comrade Hao Jianguo, I've come today specifically to present this banner in recognition of your merit."

As Director Liu spoke, he unfurled a banner, revealing eight large characters: Selfless Hero, Ordinary Person.

Hero? Rescuer? Everyone in the courtyard was stunned for a moment.

These days, "hero"

What weight do these two words carry? It's not a title that an ordinary person can bear.

A murmur of discussion immediately arose, with everyone speculating about what extraordinary thing Hao Jianguo had done.

Sha Zhu and Yi Zhonghai were frozen in place, the scene before them completely reversed from what they had imagined, leaving them feeling utterly bewildered.

When Hao Jianguo saw the words on the banner, his mind suddenly cleared.

Director Liu stepped forward and grasped his hand, her voice trembling slightly: "The little girl you saved is my daughter."

That day, in the perilous situation on the frozen lake, if it weren't for your selfless act...

At this point, the father choked up and could no longer speak.

What a coincidence!

Hao Jianguo was also surprised and said gently, "Director Liu is too kind."

Don't we always say we should be useful members of society? I was just doing my duty.

These words were spoken so earnestly that Director Liu's eyes welled up with tears, and he repeatedly exclaimed in praise, "Excellent! Excellent! If everyone had such a noble heart as you, how could the nation not prosper!"

The deeper their conversation went, the more bewildered Sha Zhu and Yi Zhonghai became.

Sha Zhu was straightforward and hesitated several times before finally finding an opportunity to interject.

Director Liu then turned to the crowd and said loudly, "Neighbors, Comrade Hao Jianguo's character is truly rare."

Even I felt a pang of envy that I could live in the same courtyard as him.

He then recounted the rescue in detail, his words filled with genuine emotion, which added to his infectious appeal.

After his account, the people in the courtyard looked at Hao Jianguo differently.

Although I didn't witness the perilous situation firsthand, that awe-inspiring courage and silent responsibility have seeped into everyone's hearts through his words. "Our department has produced a true role model."

"Hao Jianguo truly deserves this banner."

"Hey, what happened to you earlier?"

Many eyes quietly turned to Yi Zhonghai and Sha Zhu, which was quite meaningful.

Before parting, Director Liu specifically instructed: "Comrade Hao Jianguo doesn't need to work today; I'll make arrangements at the factory."

Later, colleagues from the newspaper will come to interview you—from now on, you will be a role model for our neighborhood.

As soon as these words were spoken, those who were paying attention sensed something amiss, exchanging glances with each other, and the courtyard fell silent.

Even Yan Bugui, who is usually shrewd and calculating, had his eyes shining at this moment.

"A model figure? A hero and role model? He even got a newspaper interview—tsk tsk, Hao Jianguo really hit the jackpot this time."

Once the story is published in the newspaper and spreads, its influence will be enormous.

The factory will have to show its appreciation, and a promotion to a leadership position is practically a done deal.

With this in mind, Yan Bugui made up his mind completely.

I must try to curry favor with Hao Jianguo in the future so that I can benefit from his success.

Although the others in the courtyard weren't as cunning as Yan Bugui, they all became quite active at this moment, crowding around Hao Jianguo and showering him with praise.

Some people looked at Hao Jianguo with a hint of reverence—after all, in this era, "heroes" are highly regarded.

The weight of those two words is truly immense.

"but--"

Just then, Director Liu suddenly spoke again.

As soon as he finished speaking, the previously lively atmosphere suddenly cooled down.

Everyone looked at each other in surprise, staring at Director Liu, not understanding why the leader had suddenly changed his expression.

When they followed his gaze and saw Yi Zhonghai and Sha Zhu standing to the side, they vaguely understood what was going on.

Director Liu's gaze swept over Yi Zhonghai like a razor blade, causing the latter to take several steps back in fright.

The gaze was terrifyingly sharp; Yi Zhonghai felt as if he had been scraped by a cold blade, and fear surged up from the bottom of his heart.

"But some people dare to slander our heroes, slander my daughter's savior—this kind of thing must not be let off lightly."

"Yi Zhonghai, now it's time to talk about your problem."

Director Liu's deep voice made Yi Zhonghai's heart pound like a drum as he typed each word.

He stood there trembling, a far cry from his usual "old man of the compound".

He had such a serious demeanor that he couldn't even squeeze out a complete sentence.

Discussions gradually arose from the surroundings, and many people began to point and whisper.

After all, Yi Zhonghai had just insisted that Hao Jianguo was "speculating and profiteering," but now Hao Jianguo has become a hero. To put it bluntly, this is malicious slander.

Once the charges are proven, Yi Zhonghai will likely never be able to hold his head up high again in this hospital.

"What do you mean, 'I'? Yi Zhonghai, what did you say to me yesterday? Do you want me to repeat myself?"

"Forgot? Let me help you remember."

Director Liu didn't stand on ceremony and waved his hand.

Immediately, someone brought over a cloth bag and dumped it at Yi Zhonghai's feet.