Chapter 730 Master's Position 6
However, the days that were originally as peaceful as a quiet lake did not last as long as everyone expected. The seemingly peaceful and harmonious atmosphere was like a thin layer of window paper, which would be broken in an instant with just a slight poke.
A sudden storm, like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, stirred up layers of turbulent ripples and ruthlessly broke the long-standing harmony and tranquility of the courtyard.
That day, the sky seemed to be painted by an invisible hand, gloomy and without a single ray of light. Large clumps of dark clouds, like a huge and heavy black curtain, weighed heavily on the sky above the courtyard, as if they would pour down at any time and swallow up the entire courtyard. The strong wind was like an angry beast, roaring wantonly between heaven and earth.
It whistled past, causing the branches in the yard to shake wildly. Those branches that were originally thick now looked so fragile in the strong wind. They collided and rubbed against each other, making a "creaking" sound. The sound was sharp and piercing, as if they were groaning in pain, or as if they were eagerly foreshadowing the impending crisis.
The news from the sub-district office suddenly exploded in the courtyard house like a bombshell. It turned out that the sub-district office decided to conduct a comprehensive safety inspection of the courtyard house, with a focus on checking for illegal construction and fire hazards.
The news spread quickly to every corner of the courtyard, just like wings. The residents, who were busy and contented, stopped what they were doing and showed expressions of surprise, worry, or nervousness. Everyone sat together and talked about it, and the whole courtyard was filled with a tense and restless atmosphere.
In this noisy crowd, when Liu Haizhong heard the news, his restless mind instantly became active again, like a ignited gunpowder barrel. He was a person who hated loneliness and liked to be in the limelight. He had always been eager to establish his own authority in the courtyard.
At this moment, he felt that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, as if the God of Destiny had specially opened a door to the pinnacle of power for him.
So, he stood up suddenly, put his hands on his hips, and shouted at the top of his voice: "This matter must be properly managed. Our courtyard is our common home, and there must be no problems. I suggest setting up a safety inspection team, with me as the team leader, to properly clean up the chaos in this courtyard." His voice echoed in the courtyard, sounding particularly harsh. His eyes flashed with greed and ambition, as if he had already seen himself standing at the pinnacle of power, receiving everyone's admiration and worship. As he spoke, he waved his arms, looking like a general about to go to war, eager to show his prestige.
Yi Zhonghai sat on the somewhat old rattan chair, leaning slightly, and his originally relaxed brows gradually twisted into the shape of a "川" character. The tightly furrowed brows seemed to hide endless worries and thoughts.
He knew Liu Haizhong's thoughts clearly, just like seeing through the handwriting on a transparent paper. Liu Haizhong's little thoughts of seeking attention and fighting for power and profit were already known to Yi Zhonghai. But Yi Zhonghai was a calm man who had experienced many ups and downs. Even though he was full of resistance to Liu Haizhong's proposal, he still tried to stay calm, with gentleness and rationality in his deep eyes.
He cleared his throat gently and said in a steady, powerful voice: "Old Liu, it is indeed a good idea to set up an inspection team. This will allow our courtyard's safety inspection work to be carried out in a more organized manner. However, the selection of the team leader must be very careful. We must choose someone who can handle things fairly and impartially, just like Bao Qingtian, who is impartial and only recognizes reason; and he must be someone who can gain everyone's trust, so that everyone will cooperate with the work wholeheartedly. Moreover, this inspection work is ultimately for everyone's safety, and personal selfishness cannot be mixed in. Once selfishness is involved, the work will become distorted, and it may even cause more conflicts and problems."
Liu Haizhong was originally fantasizing proudly about how he would become the team leader and how powerful he would be. Yi Zhonghai's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over his head.
When he heard that, his face instantly fell. The smug look on his face disappeared without a trace, and was replaced by gloom and dissatisfaction, just like an eggplant hit by frost, with its head drooping.
His neck instantly became straight, as if it was made of iron and could not bend. He raised his voice and shouted, "Yi Zhonghai, what do you mean by this? How can I be selfish? I do this for the good of our courtyard. I am sincere and the sun and the moon can testify to this! What right do you have to question me? What evidence do you have to say that I am selfish?" His voice echoed in the yard, with a sense of arrogance and unreasonableness, like an enraged bull, charging around and not listening to anyone.
Yan Bugui had been standing aside, watching the two people who were on the verge of a fight, and he was worried in his heart that the two would start quarreling over a disagreement, and then there would be no peace in this courtyard.
He quickly took a step forward, his face full of smiles, that smile was like a blooming chrysanthemum, trying to ease the tense atmosphere. He waved his hands in the air, as if to drive away something unpleasant, and said: "Lao Liu, Lao Yi are also for the smooth progress of the work. Everyone is for the good of our courtyard, and the starting point is the same. Let's not fight for the position of team leader. The key is to discuss the inspection first. This safety inspection is not a trivial matter, just like walking on a tightrope, there is no room for carelessness. If it is not handled well, the street office will blame us, and none of us can afford it. It will be a big trouble. Let's put the overall situation first and arrange the inspection work properly first."
But Liu Haizhong was like a donkey stuck in a rut, not listening at all. He held his hands tightly in front of his chest, as if he wanted to isolate himself from the outside world, and looked like he would not listen to anything.
He said angrily, "No, I have to be the team leader. If you don't let me, the inspection work will not go smoothly. I tell you, I am the most suitable person to be the team leader. I have experience and ability, and no one can compare to me. If you don't agree with me, this inspection work will fail!" His attitude was very tough, and there was an unquestionable arrogance in his eyes, as if the position of team leader was already in his pocket, and he would be angry with anyone who dared to snatch it from him.
Just when everyone was arguing with each other and in a stalemate, the air seemed to have solidified into hard ice, and every breath was filled with oppression and anxiety, Xu Damao suddenly appeared from somewhere.
He walked with a slightly frivolous pace, with a sly smile on his face, that smile was like a gust of cold wind in winter, with a bit of biting chill, making people feel creepy. He said in a sarcastic voice: "Hey, what's going on? Look at this scene, it's almost like a big show. Liu Haizhong, do you really think you are a big shot? Do you think you can be a team leader and show off your power and domineering in the courtyard? Don't you take a look at your own weight, don't let yourself fail to be a good team leader and become a laughing stock instead." As he spoke, he gestured with his hands, and he looked like a clown performing wantonly on the stage.
Liu Haizhong was immediately furious at Xu Damao's sudden words, like a ignited gunpowder barrel. His face instantly turned red, like a ripe tomato, and veins popped out on his forehead, as if little snakes were wriggling under his skin.
He suddenly stretched out his finger and pointed it directly at Xu Damao's nose. The finger was like a sharp dagger, as if it wanted to pierce Xu Damao. He cursed loudly: "Xu Damao, stop talking nonsense here.
I am doing this for everyone's safety, and I sincerely want to do something for Siheyuan. Unlike you, who only know how to be sneaky and cunning all day long, and don't care about the affairs of Siheyuan at all, just like an outsider, just watching the fun from the sidelines. " His voice became sharp and piercing because of anger, echoing in the yard, shaking the leaves rustling.
When Xu Damao heard what Liu Haizhong said, he was not willing to give up. He was like a cat whose tail was stepped on, and his fur instantly exploded. He suddenly jumped up and stomped his feet on the ground, and the sound was like thunder.
His face flushed as he retorted, "How could I not care? Although I didn't participate in the neighborhood mutual aid activities at the beginning, didn't I help with the work later? You, Liu Haizhong, just can't stand others doing well and are jealous of others' success. You want to take this opportunity to satisfy your desire for power and have a taste of what it's like to be an official. Don't you think about it? With your ability, can you be a good team leader? Don't make a mess of things." His eyes were as big as copper bells, and his eyes were full of anger and provocation.
The two quarreled more and more fiercely, and the sound became louder and louder, as if they were going to overturn the roof of the entire courtyard. Their quarrel attracted many neighbors to watch, and everyone came from all directions like a group of iron filings attracted by a magnet.
Some neighbors were still holding unwashed vegetables, and some had just come out of their houses without even putting on their shoes. Everyone gathered together, trying to persuade them, some pulling Liu Haizhong's arms, some pulling Xu Damao's clothes, trying to calm them down. But they simply wouldn't listen, like two bulls fighting with red eyes, neither of them willing to give in in the arena, only blaming and scolding each other, as if they wanted to eat each other alive.
Yi Zhonghai stood in the middle of the courtyard, looking at the chaotic scene in front of him, his heart was like a tangled mess, and he was extremely anxious. The originally quiet and peaceful courtyard was now in chaos due to the quarrel between Liu Haizhong and Xu Damao. The neighbors gathered in a circle, their faces full of helplessness and worry. He knew very well that if the quarrel continued endlessly, the harmonious atmosphere accumulated in the courtyard for many years would be completely destroyed, and the originally close neighborhood relationship would become fragmented. Thinking of this, he felt as if a huge stone was pressing on his chest, heavy.
He took a deep breath, as if he wanted to suck all the noise and disputes around him into his stomach, and then slowly exhaled to calm himself down. He straightened his back, clenched his fists, and said loudly: "Stop arguing! Now is the time to solve the problem, not the time to quarrel. Look at this yard, it's a mess, what a mess! We are all members of the courtyard, we should unite and face difficulties together. Liu Haizhong, Xu Damao, both of you calm down, stop arguing like children."
His voice was loud and powerful, like a loud bell, echoing in the yard, with an unquestionable majesty. The voice seemed to have a magical power. Liu Haizhong and Xu Damao, who were arguing fiercely, were stunned by his voice and stopped arguing temporarily, as if they were cast under a spell. But their eyes were still full of hostility, like two defeated roosters. Although they had temporarily stopped fighting, they were still holding back their anger and were ready to attack again at any time.
Yi Zhonghai looked at their expressions and knew that in order to completely resolve this conflict, he had to guide them patiently. He cleared his throat and continued, "This safety inspection is a major matter that concerns everyone in our courtyard. We have to work together to complete it, instead of arguing over the position of a team leader. We can put the selection of the team leader aside for now, and discuss it together to select someone who is truly capable and responsible. The most important thing now is that we must formulate a detailed inspection plan as soon as possible, conduct a comprehensive inspection of every corner and every facility in the courtyard, and not miss any place that may have safety hazards to ensure everyone's safety. If something goes wrong and the street office blames it, none of us will be able to escape responsibility, and then everyone will have a hard time."
Yan Bugui also quickly agreed, "Old Yi is right. Let's not worry about those nonsense for now. The real thing is to do a good job of inspection. If you have any good suggestions, please put them forward."
After being persuaded by Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui, Liu Haizhong and Xu Damao gradually calmed down. They sat together and began to discuss the inspection plan.
After a heated discussion, a detailed inspection plan was finally worked out. Everyone decided to work in groups to carefully inspect every corner of the courtyard. Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui were responsible for coordination and supervision, and Liu Haizhong and Xu Damao were also assigned to different inspection teams.
During the inspection, we found some problems. Some families had privately built small sheds in their yards, occupying public space; some people's home wires were aging, posing serious safety hazards.
Faced with these problems, Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui patiently communicated with everyone, explained the seriousness of the problem, and put forward suggestions for rectification. Most neighbors were very cooperative and said they would rectify the problem as soon as possible. However, some neighbors did not quite understand and felt that this was an exaggeration.
Liu Haizhong started to get restless again. He saw that some people were not cooperating and felt that his chance to show off was here. He said loudly with a stern face: "You must rectify the situation immediately. This is the requirement of the street office. Anyone who does not listen will be punished." His tone was very tough, which made those neighbors who did not cooperate feel very uncomfortable.
Seeing this, Yi Zhonghai stepped forward and said, "Old Liu, we have to pay attention to the methods and approaches. Everyone may have some concerns about the rectification. We have to explain it to them and let them know that this is for everyone's safety. We can't just force them blindly, which will only make everyone resist."
After Yi Zhonghai's persuasion, Liu Haizhong, although somewhat reluctant, still restrained his attitude. Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui patiently communicated with those uncooperative neighbors and finally convinced them to agree to the rectification.