Chapter 65

The Saturday afternoon West Wing Room hadn't dismissed yet, chalk dust on the blackboard hadn't been wiped, and the desks and chairs hadn't been collected. Zhao Jianguo stood at the podium, holding a small wrench, lightly tapped the edge of the table, his voice not loud, but everyone heard him clearly.

Let's not rush to finish the lesson; there's still something. Since everyone's here, let's take a few minutes.

Sha Zhu was about to get up to fetch water, but hearing this he sat back down. He Yushui closed her notebook, looked up at him. Jia Dongxu sat in the back row, unconsciously rubbing the edge of his notebook.

Zhao Jianguo took an old motor from the toolbox, placed it on the table; its casing was heavily rusted, but it could be recognized as an obsolete model discarded by the factory.

You guys familiar with this? he asked.

No one spoke.

This is the one that broke the day Jia Wu had his accident," he said. "Back then they said it was improper operation, the motor suddenly reversed. But do you know why it reversed?

San Daye narrowed his eyes: "Isn't it due to aging wiring?"

The wiring is aged, but it shouldn't reverse," Zhao Jianguo said, unscrewing the casing to reveal the terminal board inside. "Look here, this connection is the 'standard method' taught by Yi Zhonghai—just wrap the wire half a turn and tighten it.

He picked up a wire and demonstrated on the spot: 'Connected this way, it's fine at first, but after three or five years, thermal expansion and contraction loosen the wire. When it loosens, arcing causes a current backlash, reversing the motor. That day Jia Wu was pulled in by that force.'

Someone in the audience sucked in a breath of cold air.

My brother... was it because of wrong wiring?" Jia Dongxu said, his voice trembling.

Right," Zhao Jianguo nodded. "This method saves effort but isn't durable. The true standard is a double‑clamp lock, plus three layers of insulating tape. Yet Yi Zhonghai only teaches his apprentices the first part.

He pulled out a paper from his pocket and unfolded it: 'This is Article 17 of the factory technical manual, issued in 1960, black‑on‑white stating the wiring standard. Yet none of the apprentices Yi Zhonghai has trained have ever learned this clause.'

Why doesn't he teach it?" He Yushui asked.

Because he never intended for people to use it long‑term," Zhao Jianguo sneered. "Teach half, keep half; apprentices can't fix the machine, so they have to come back and ask him. Each time they must beg him. What is that? That's using technology as a shackle.

Sha Zhu slammed the table: 'My master failed his fourth‑class worker defense because the wiring was loose, the motor smoked, and he was outright rejected! He even said it was because I was clumsy!'

Not just you," Zhao Jianguo said, pulling out a stack of papers. "In the past ten years, the factory's technical exam failure list shows that whenever Yi Zhonghai served as an examiner, eight out of ten failures were due to 'non‑standard wiring.' Yet what they learned was exactly what he taught.

The room fell silent all at once.

San Daye slowly spoke: 'Jianguo, where did you get all this...?'

Photocopies of the warehouse ledger, given secretly by Old Zhang from the Technical Section." Zhao Jianguo slapped the paper on the table, adding, "He also said that when someone wanted to change the wiring method, Yi Zhonghai shut it down with 'Ancestral craft must not be altered arbitrarily.' Ancestral? His father sold sesame cakes!

The crowd burst into laughter, but the laughter carried anger.

Zhao Jianguo didn't laugh. He pushed the motor aside and took out a ledger from the box, its cover yellowed, the corners frayed.

This ledger records the warehouse's material in‑and‑out. From 1962 to 1965, the military‑grade copper wire handled by Yi Zhonghai was logged as 320 kg received, but actually 410 kg were issued. Where did the extra 89 kg go?

No one answered.

I checked," Zhao Jianguo said, flipping to a page. "In the old cabinet at the back of his yard, beneath a false bottom, lay three bundles of copper wire, all military spec, with numbered insulation. Last month, Guard Section Chief Lao Wang cleared the warehouse and recognized them at a glance.

He stole from the factory?" Sha Zhu glared.

Not just stealing," Zhao Jianguo said, his voice sinking. "He also intercepted Jia Wu's survivor's pension.

This time even breathing stopped.

He pulled out a paper and held it up: 'In March 1963, the martyr Jia Wu's survivor pension payout record shows 87 yuan, recipient: Yi Zhonghai. In April the same year, Yi Zhonghai married his second wife; matchmaker Aunt Liu's testimony reads: 'The bride price was just enough, not a cent more.'

Bullshit!" a shout suddenly came from the doorway.

Yi Zhonghai stood there, face ashen, still holding a lunch box, as if just returned from the factory. He glared at Zhao Jianguo: 'You're spitting blood! I handed the survivor pension over to Jia Zhangshi on the spot!'

Zhao Jianguo calmly took another paper from his notebook: 'Jia Zhangshi's receipt is dated three days later, but your marriage dowry was paid the next day. Where did the money come from?'

Yi Zhonghai moved his mouth but said nothing.

「Also. 」 Zhao Jianguo continued, 「Your family's radio, bought in 1964, market price 120 yuan. Your salary that year was only 47.5 yuan. Where did the money go? Your son's private elementary school, Study Permit thirty yuan a year, and your family filed for hardship subsidies over those years, yet claimed 'unable to support'——when you received the subsidy, your pocket held the money from selling stolen copper wire! 」

「You… you are spreading rumors! 」 Yi Zhonghai's voice trembled, 「You're an outsider, what right do you have to investigate me? 」

「On what basis? 」 Zhao Jianguo laughed, 「Just based on me now being the Joint Defense Team Leader, based on the people of this Courtyard trusting me, based on the things you've done—those should have been exposed in the sunlight long ago! 」

「You're taking public revenge for private grudges! 」 Yi Zhonghai roared.

「Fine. 」 Zhao Jianguo slammed the ledger onto the Desk, 「You say I'm spreading rumors, then let's confront. Where is the copper wire? Who received the pension? Where did your son's Study Permit money come from? In front of everyone, spell it out clearly, point by point. 」

Yi Zhonghai stood still, sweat beading on his forehead.

「Let me tell you another thing. 」 Zhao Jianguo lowered his voice, 「That little notebook you keep under the bed, recording every dirty money's destination. Last July, one entry? 」

The room erupted.

「What? Bought it? 」

「No wonder she never mentions her maiden family! 」

「Yi Zhonghai! Are you still human? You took the martyr's pension to buy a wife! 」

Yi Zhonghai stepped back two steps, bumping into the doorframe.

Jia Zhangshi squeezed out of the crowd, face flushed crimson: 「Jianguo! You can't talk like that! Old Yi may have a few quirks, but over the years he's helped the neighbors plenty—when someone ran out of coal, he'd 'borrow' from the warehouse; when a kid fell ill, he'd fork out money! He's not a bad person! 」

「Yeah, the coal he 'borrowed' was stolen from the warehouse; the money he 'forked out' was deducted from everyone's shares. 」 Zhao Jianguo looked at her, 「San Daye, you've overseen the Courtyard's material distribution for how many years? Tell me, which year did Yi Zhonghai's family report a coal shortage? Which year did they receive hardship subsidies? Yet Qin Huairu and He Yushui—when were they ever not the last to collect? 」

San Daye remained silent for a few seconds, then slowly nodded: 「Indeed…… his family has never lacked. 」

「His 'help' is just taking everyone's stuff to curry favor! 」 Zhao Jianguo slammed the Desk, 「He steals from the factory, embezzles public funds, squeezes his apprentices, deceives the neighbors—what of his deeds is clean? 」

「I… I was doing it for my family! 」 Yi Zhonghai suddenly shouted, 「My son needs to go to school! My wife needs medical treatment! If I don't steal or take, how are they supposed to survive? 」

「So you just let Jia Wu die? 」 Dong Xu Standing Up, eyes bloodshot, 「My brother suffered a work injury, you covered it up for ten years! You traded his life for your family's good life! 」

「I didn't! It was an accident! 」 Yi Zhonghai yelled.

「An accident? 」 Zhao Jianguo sneered, 「Then why did you alter the duty roster? Why suppress Jia Wu's accident report? Why prevent him from being honored as a martyr for ten years? Are you afraid that if he's recognized as a martyr, you'd have to hand over the pension, right? 」

Yi Zhonghai opened his mouth, but no words came out.

「You weren't doing it for your family. 」 Zhao Jianguo stared at him, 「You're greedy, fearful, selfish. You treat workers' lives as stepping stones for your climb. You treat technology as a tool to oppress others. You treat the crowd's trust as cover for your petty thefts. 」

He looked around: 「Does someone like this deserve to be a master? To be a neighbor? To be a member of this Courtyard? 」

No one spoke.

Only Sha Zhu Standing Up, kicked over the stool beside him.

「My master's work injury, you covered it up for ten years?! He shouted at Yi Zhonghai, 「I've called you master for ten years! Do you deserve this title?! 」

"Sorry!" Jia Dongxu also shouted, "My brother's life—what are you going to repay it with!"

"Pay back the money! Pay back the life!" He Yushui slapped the desk, "Spit out the compensation!"

"Get out of this courtyard!" San Daye struck his cane hard.

Yi Zhonghai staggered backward, hit the wall, his face turned deathly pale.

No one stepped forward to help him.

Zhao Jianguo stood by the desk, still clutching that account book in his hand.

He slowly closed it, his voice calm: "These matters have all been laid out today. Next, whatever should be investigated will be investigated, whatever should be punished will be punished. But before that——"

He raised his head, looking toward Yi Zhonghai.

"Do you have anything else to say?"