Chapter 21: Yi Zhonghai Argues in Every Way, He Yuzhu Desperately Pins the Blame

Yi Zhonghai looked at the transcript and thought carefully, finding that he really had nothing to argue about. If it were only the Street Office Director and Director Zhang, or only the Rolling Mill leaders present, Yi Zhonghai might still argue to try to muddle through.

Now that there were district leaders present, Yi Zhonghai also knew that his trick could fool the people in the courtyard, but it couldn't fool outsiders. This was also one of the reasons why Yi Zhonghai had always emphasized that things in the Siheyuan should be solved in the Siheyuan.

"Setting up a private court, turning back the wheel of history, and exploiting the people—I am also wronged on this point. When we three Grand Uncles mediate the conflicts between neighbors, how can it be called setting up a private court?"

"Respecting the elderly and loving the young—how can that be called turning back the wheel of history?"

"I admit that I have selfish motives and have been biased in handling the conflicts between the Jia family and the neighbors, but you cannot report me for exploiting everyone," Yi Zhonghai said.

Yi Zhonghai decided to refute by avoiding the important and dwelling on the trivial.

"He Yuzhu, what do you say?" Section Chief Ma looked at He Yuzhu.

"First, a mediator only has the power to mediate. If everyone listens to you, you can mediate; if everyone doesn't listen to you, you have no power to mediate. As for you, regardless of whether everyone listens to you or not, you forcibly hold a full-courtyard meeting and forcibly mediate;"

"Secondly, a mediator has no power to try cases. For example, if my house was stolen, even if it was just one cent, this belongs to a criminal offense. A mediator has no power to investigate, search, try, or punish. As for you, you have done this kind of thing quite a lot;"

"Thirdly, a mediator has no power to impose fines. Every time someone has a conflict with the Jia family, you force them to apologize to the Jia family and pay compensation."

"Yi Zhonghai, if this isn't setting up a private court and exploiting everyone, what is it?"

"Finally, your so-called respecting the elderly and loving the young is just purely respecting the elderly. As long as they are older, no matter what they do, the younger generation cannot resist. Once someone resists, you will immediately pin the hat of not respecting the elderly and loving the young on them, and then use all kinds of methods to retaliate."

"Yi Zhonghai, you are engaging in that set of 'ruler, ruler, minister, minister, father, father, son, son.' If this isn't turning back the wheel of history, what is it?" He Yuzhu sneered.

"Nonsense! I admit that sometimes I am a bit eager for quick success and instant benefits, but my starting point is good. I do this for everyone's good," Yi Zhonghai said anxiously.

"You are doing this for the Jia family and your own good! You say your starting point is good, then you should stop starting," He Yuzhu said coldly.

"Pfft~" A sound came. Xu Damao, who was hiding in the crowd, couldn't help but laugh out loud when he heard this sentence from He Yuzhu.

Everyone's eyes looked at Xu Damao in unison, scaring Xu Damao so much that he trembled all over and squatted down to hide in the crowd.

"Yi Zhonghai, you forcibly hold full-courtyard meetings and force everyone to donate money and grain to the Jia family. To a certain extent, it means you have mastered the means of survival in the Siheyuan;"

"Whenever someone has a conflict with the Jia family, you make them pay money to the Jia family. To a certain extent, it means you have mastered the power to punish others in the Siheyuan;"

"You can also order Wang Liugen and others. To a certain extent, it means you have mastered the armed force in the Siheyuan;"

"You also often arrange a temporary position for this person and a temporary position for that person. From a certain angle, it means you have mastered the power of appointment and removal of personnel in the Siheyuan..."

"Means of survival can be understood as financial power; the power to punish others can be understood as criminal power; armed force can be understood as military power... Yi Zhonghai, I don't need to say what you want to do."

"Yi Zhonghai, it's enough to fool those who don't understand the law. Section Chief Ma, Director Zhang, and Section Chief Chu are here; they only talk about evidence," He Yuzhu said sternly. After He Yuzhu finished speaking, he stopped talking and signaled Section Chief Ma and the others to proceed to the next step.

Yi Zhonghai wanted to avoid the important and dwell on the trivial and turn big problems into small ones, but He Yuzhu tried his best to elevate the matter to the level of principle and pin a black pot on him.

Factory Director Yang and the other leaders gasped again in unison. This was too ruthless; this was simply trying to finish Yi Zhonghai off.

Yi Zhonghai was instantly covered in sweat.

"Silly Pillar, you really misunderstood me. My actions were truly for everyone's good. I don't know who poured soul soup into you, making you so distort and twist my behavior."

"Silly Pillar, and leaders, I really don't have that intention. I am just a worker. I just want to make some contributions to the street and everyone within my ability after doing my job well," Yi Zhonghai said with a face full of grievances and heartbreak for not being understood.

Yi Zhonghai also reviewed what happened tonight after going to the hospital. Yi Zhonghai didn't think he was wrong, but suspected that someone had been babbling to He Yuzhu, causing He Yuzhu to misunderstand him.

The reason why Yi Zhonghai came to such a judgment was because before noon today, He Yuzhu was still obedient to him. It made no sense for He Yuzhu's contrast to be so big after just one afternoon.

Someone must have said something to He Yuzhu, and this person had a lot of weight in He Yuzhu's heart. First, Xu Damao was ruled out; He Yuzhu couldn't possibly listen to Xu Damao.

Secondly, the Deaf Old Lady was also ruled out, because this was not in the Deaf Old Lady's interest.

Yi Zhonghai thought and thought, and could only think of the leaders. In Yi Zhonghai's cognition, He Yuzhu was stubborn and straight-minded. He wouldn't listen to ordinary people's words at all, and only the leaders' words could he listen to.

Yi Zhonghai thought of Niu Fen immediately. Although He Yuzhu and Niu Fen didn't get along, Niu Fen was a leader after all, and was He Yuzhu's direct superior, the Canteen Director.

Yi Zhonghai was very stubborn and firmly believed that it was Niu Fen who was inciting He Yuzhu behind his back.

However, even if Yi Zhonghai thought of it, he had no way. Niu Fen was the Canteen Director and was Li Huaide's person. If Niu Fen were a workshop director, Yi Zhonghai might have tripped Niu Fen up and gotten him removed.

Unfortunately, Yi Zhonghai had no ability to get Niu Fen transferred to the workshop to be a workshop director. Yi Zhonghai hadn't thought about poisoning the canteen, but this matter was not easy to do. Even if it was done seamlessly, it would implicate the entire canteen and even the people in the kitchen.

Yi Zhonghai didn't care about them; what Yi Zhonghai cared about was what to do if the matter became big and professional personnel were sent to investigate and found him.

Yi Zhonghai thought and thought and decided that he still had to start from He Yuzhu. The first step was to restore He Yuzhu's trust in him.

Yi Zhonghai thought the Deaf Old Lady's strategy was good, but unfortunately, it died in the cradle before it was implemented.

"Alright, He Yuzhu, don't exaggerate and elevate things to the level of principle; Yi Zhonghai, don't avoid the important and dwell on the trivial and shirk responsibility. As public security officers, we only talk about evidence and only believe in evidence," Section Chief Ma said sternly.

To tell the truth, Section Chief Ma didn't want He Yuzhu to elevate things to the level of principle and make the matter big.

People like Yi Zhonghai were in every street and every alley. If they really wanted to elevate things to the level of principle, that would be engaging in widespread guilt by association. Currently, the new world had only been established for more than ten years, and the current situation was mainly about stability.

After Section Chief Ma finished speaking, he waved his hand and let everyone go home first; anyway, they couldn't run away. Then, the leaders came to He Yuzhu's house for a meeting to discuss.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 22 =====