Chapter 748 Liu Haizhong's Struggle 2
In that slightly old office, the air seemed to have frozen, and there was a tense and oppressive atmosphere. Liu Haizhong stood opposite the leader, his head originally straight and proud like a cock, but after hearing the leader's decisive words, it was as if an invisible big hand pressed it down hard, and it instantly lowered a few points. The arrogance that usually showed off in the courtyard seemed to be mercilessly blown away by a sudden cold wind, leaving only a few remaining, shaky traces.
His face seemed to be under a spell. The flattering smile that was originally on his face became extremely stiff, like a frozen mask. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly uncontrollably, and every twitch seemed to be telling of his inner panic and uneasiness. And his eyes, like a frightened deer, quickly swept across the leader's face, then dodged in panic, with a flash of panic that was difficult to conceal, as if a huge rock was suddenly thrown into a calm lake, stirring up layers of uneasy ripples.
However, how could Liu Haizhong give up so easily? After all, in the courtyard, he had patted his chest and boasted in front of Yan Bugui, vowing that he would definitely accomplish this. If he returned to the courtyard in vain, his prestige in the eyes of the people would plummet, and he would never be able to raise his head in the courtyard again. How could he give orders and show off in front of everyone in the future?
Thinking of this, he took a deep breath and tried to make his expression look more natural, but the smile he forced out was uglier than crying. His hands were like two headless flies, waving in front of him, rubbing his hands and waving his arms. The movements looked funny and ridiculous, as if he was trying to appease the leader who seemed to be a little impatient, and also as if he was trying to save face and hide his embarrassment and panic at the moment.
"Leader, please don't be angry. I'm just too anxious." His voice was trembling, and he tried to make his tone sound more sincere. "The people in our courtyard have really put in a lot of effort and hard work for this matter. Can you reconsider it? Even if it's just to give us a little convenience, it will be fine. Just think of it as a comfort to everyone, and everyone will be more motivated to work in the future, right?"
The leader sat behind his desk, his brows furrowed tightly into the shape of a "川" character, his eyes revealing a hint of impatience. He waved his hand again, his movements were crisp and clear, without the slightest hesitation, as if he was driving away an annoying fly. "Old Liu, stop talking. The factory's decision was made after careful consideration and will not be easily changed. If you really want to do good for the people in the Siheyuan, go back and do a good job of ideological work for everyone, so that everyone can work peacefully and stop making a fuss about this matter." The leader's voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable majesty, which made Liu Haizhong swallow back the words he wanted to say.
Outside the office filled with a depressing atmosphere, the sun shines through the gaps between the mottled leaves, forming irregular patches of light and shadow. Liu Haizhong stood at the door, looking at the tightly closed door of the leader's office, and his heart was like a pot of five flavors overturned, with sweet, sour, bitter, spicy and salty all coming up at once. He saw that the leader's attitude was as firm as iron, and the unquestionable tone and resolute expression made him clearly realize that it would be a waste of time to continue to entangle, just like an ant trying to shake a tree, unable to change the established facts at all.
In desperation, he had to drag his legs that seemed to be filled with lead and walked out of the office in disgrace. As soon as he stepped out of the office door, his steps became heavy and slow as if he was under a spell. Every step seemed to be stepping on his heart, making a dull "dong dong" sound, as if it was the desperate cry of his heart. His head drooped like a rooster wilted by a storm, his eyes were full of loss and frustration, empty and lifeless. The boasts he made in front of Yan Bugui just now, the confidence and complacency he showed, had disappeared without a trace at this moment, like a gust of wind, leaving no trace after blowing.
Along the way, he was like a soulless walking corpse, and everything around him had nothing to do with him. The hustle and bustle of the street and the laughter of pedestrians seemed to come from another world and could not enter his ears. The leader's cold words kept echoing in his mind, and every word was like a sharp knife, cutting his heart fiercely.
After a lot of effort, he returned to the familiar courtyard. The old gate looked a little mottled under the sunlight. Yan Bugui saw Liu Haizhong's dejected and listless look from afar, and his heart suddenly "skipped", as if being plucked hard by an invisible big hand. An ominous premonition surged into his heart like a tide. He quickly quickened his pace and went to meet him. His face was instantly filled with a smile. That smile was like a blooming fake flower, seemingly brilliant but lacking in the warmth of sincerity. He asked anxiously: "Lao Liu, how is it? What did the factory leaders say? Is this thing done?"
Liu Haizhong slowly raised his head, and when his eyes met Yan Bugui's, his eyes were full of guilt and helplessness, like a child who did something wrong and dared not look an adult in the eye. He opened his mouth, but his throat seemed to be blocked by something. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know where to start. His lips trembled slightly, and he hesitated.
Finally, he let out a long sigh, which seemed to come from the deepest part of his heart, filled with endless fatigue and loss. He said in a low voice: "Old Yan, this thing didn't work out. The leader said that the factory has its own rules and we can't be given special treatment just because we contribute more. He also criticized me, saying that I was too impulsive, and asked me to go back and do ideological work for everyone, and stop making a fuss about this matter."
Upon hearing this, the smile on Yan Bugui's face froze instantly, as if he was under a spell and couldn't move. A trace of anger and unwillingness flashed in his eyes. The anger was like a burning flame, blazing in his eyes; the unwillingness was like an icy snake, wandering in his heart. He clenched his hands into fists, and his knuckles turned white from the force, as if he wanted to release all the anger in his heart through these clenched fists. He gritted his teeth and squeezed out the words from between his teeth: "What's the big deal? We've worked so hard for so long, worrying from morning to night, but in the end we got nothing and were criticized. This factory is too unreasonable, it's simply bullying us honest people!"
In the slightly noisy courtyard, the sunlight lazily sprinkled on the mottled walls, but it could not dispel the melancholy that permeated the air.
Liu Haizhong saw that Yan Bugui was as excited as a volcano about to erupt, his face flushed red, veins bulged on his forehead, and his voice rose eight octaves with anger. He was afraid that Yan Bugui would do something out of line in the heat of the moment.
He quickly reached out his hand and gently pulled Yan Bugui's sleeve, with a flattering smile on his face, and urged anxiously: "Old Yan, don't get too excited. Once you get emotional, everything may go wrong. The factory has its own difficulties, just like our family life, there are times when money is tight, right? Let's just accept it and don't argue with the factory. Besides, this was originally our own wishful thinking, and the leaders didn't promise us anything. We thought we could get a house at the beginning, but we didn't make it clear to the leaders, and we didn't sign any agreement. Now it didn't work out, and we have nothing to complain about."
Yan Bugui was talking excitedly, and was stunned by Liu Haizhong's pulling and persuading. Then his eyes rolled around, and his mind became active like a cunning fox. He quickly calculated in his mind and felt that there might be a glimmer of hope if he changed his strategy, so he immediately adjusted the direction of his strategy.
He turned his head, put on a seemingly sincere smile, stared at his bangs, and said seriously: "Old Liu, in my opinion, you might as well go find those people who got the houses, talk to them, and ask them to give some actual benefits. Think about it, they have made a lot of efforts in the distribution of houses, but they worked hard for themselves to get the houses. Now that they have received benefits, they can't just show their appreciation, right? Our courtyard is originally a whole, and we see each other every day. If there are benefits, we should share them together, and they can't just take advantage of it."
When Liu Haizhong heard this, his heart was beating like a rabbit, and he immediately backed out. He frowned, and the wrinkles on his face were squeezed into a ball. He looked reluctant and stammered, "This... this is not good. I go to them to ask for benefits. What's going on? What if they think I'm being unreasonable and quarrel with me, making everyone unhappy? How can I live in the courtyard in the future? If my reputation is ruined, who will listen to me in the future? This will have a big impact."
Yan Bugui didn't care. He took a step forward, stretched out his hand and patted Liu Haizhong's shoulder heavily. The force was so strong that Liu Haizhong's shoulder sank slightly. He said earnestly: "Old Liu, don't think like that. We are doing this for the welfare of other residents of No. 95 Siheyuan! Think about it, in the process of distributing houses, everyone has contributed more or less. Some people help to run errands and inquire about information, some people help to clean and tidy up the room, and everyone is looking forward to being allocated a house so that they can live a more comfortable life. Now we can't just let those who get the house take advantage, we have to fight for the rights and interests of the majority. And, you see, most people in the courtyard support you to do this. Everyone told me privately that they think you are a warm-hearted and responsible person, and you will definitely be able to get this done. If you can succeed, your prestige in the Siheyuan will be further improved, and everyone will definitely respect you more in the future."
In the slightly noisy courtyard, the sunlight shone through the gaps between the branches and leaves, forming patches of mottled light and shadow, but it failed to dispel the sense of loss and unwillingness in the air caused by the failure of the room allocation. Liu Haizhong was originally like an eggplant hit by frost, with his head drooping, his eyes dim, and a strong sense of loss shrouding him. But when he heard Yan Bugui's "impassioned speech", the voice seemed to have a magical power, drilling straight into his ears, stirring up ripples in his originally lifeless heart.
He felt that the feeling of loss in his heart was instantly dispelled by an inexplicable impulse, just like a bright light suddenly lit up in the darkness. His eyes gradually brightened, like two polished black gems, flashing with excitement and anticipation. In a trance, he seemed to have regained the feeling of being surrounded by people and calling the shots when he was a "big boss". At that time, he had the final say in the courtyard, and people would nod and flatter him wherever he went. He had not tasted the feeling of being respected and admired for a long time.
"Old Yan, you are right!" Liu Haizhong slapped his thigh suddenly. The sound was particularly crisp in the quiet courtyard. His voice was raised a few degrees, with an uncontrollable excitement. His face was full of indignation, and his brows were tightly knitted together, like two twisted dough sticks, as if those who got the house but did not express any expression had done something unforgivable. "There are so many people in our courtyard who are busy running around. For the distribution of houses, everyone has contributed. Some people helped to run around to inquire about the news, and some people were exhausted from cleaning and tidying up the room. Why don't they express any expression after getting the house? There is no such thing in the world!"
Seeing this, Yan Bugui was secretly delighted, and the corners of his mouth rose slightly, like a cunning fox laughing. He quickly struck while the iron was hot, leaned forward, and said with a flattering smile on his face: "That's right, Lao Liu. You have a very high prestige in our Siheyuan, and you have to take the lead in this matter. Think about it, everyone usually listens to you, as long as you come forward, those who got the house will definitely give us an explanation. If they don't, they can't stand in the Siheyuan."
The neighbors who were watching also started to make a fuss, like a group of enthusiastic spectators. Some of them waved their arms and shouted at the top of their lungs: "That's right, Uncle Liu, this is something you have to do! If you do it, it will definitely be a success!" Others echoed: "Uncle Liu, we all support you! Just go ahead and do it, we all back you up!"
Liu Haizhong's head instantly felt hot after being praised by everyone, as if he had been poured with a pot of boiling water, and he became dizzy. His chest was puffed out like a towering mountain, full of confidence and pride. He waved his hand and said decisively: "Okay, I'll take care of this matter! I'll go talk to those who got the houses, and see what they can say!"
He did what he said, taking big steps with Liu Haizhong, his steps were firm and powerful, as if there was wind under his feet. He walked towards the first family who got the house with a heroic and high-spirited manner, and every step was full of determination and momentum. Along the way, he seemed to have seen those who got the house bowing their heads and admitting their mistakes in front of him, and obediently giving up the actual benefits. The corners of his mouth unconsciously rose, revealing a smug smile.
When he arrived at the door of the house, he stopped and took a deep breath, as if to encourage himself. Then, he raised his hand and knocked hard on the door, the door frame trembled slightly, as if he wanted to vent all his dissatisfaction and anger through the knocks.
The door creaked open, and a middle-aged man poked his head out. Seeing that it was Liu Haizhong, he was stunned for a moment and asked, "Uncle Liu, what can I do for you?"
Liu Haizhong crossed his arms in front of his chest, put on a majestic posture, and said, "I came to talk to you about the house. So many people in our courtyard have made a lot of efforts to distribute the houses. Now that you have a house, shouldn't you also express your gratitude?"
When the middle-aged man heard this, his expression changed instantly, his brows knitted tightly, and he said, "Uncle Liu, this house was allocated to me by the factory, why should I show any appreciation? Besides, I ran around and helped a lot when the house was allocated."
Liu Haizhong glared and said, "You can't say that. You got the house because you took advantage of everyone. Everyone was busy looking for leaders and writing applications to get the houses. Now that you got the advantage, you want to just let it go?"
The middle-aged man was a little anxious and raised his voice: "Uncle Liu, you are being unreasonable. The distribution of housing was arranged by the factory, and I didn't force the factory to give it to me. Besides, I have contributed a lot to the affairs of the Siheyuan. Didn't I also pay for and work hard to repair the water pipe last time?"
The two of them were arguing back and forth, and the neighbors around heard the noise and gathered around, talking about it.