Chapter 750 Liu Haizhong's Struggle 4

Chapter 750 Liu Haizhong's Struggle 4

However, under the seemingly peaceful life in the courtyard, Liu Haizhong never expected that Yan Bugui, who seemed to have a good relationship with him on weekdays, was thinking about something completely different. Yan Bugui was famous for being shrewd in the courtyard, as shrewd as an old fox who was always calculating how to find food. Moreover, he loved to take advantage of small things, and he didn't want to let go of even the slightest benefit, just like a hungry wolf that smelled the fragrance of meat, with greed always flashing in his eyes.

The reason why he kept urging Liu Haizhong to fight for the benefits of the house distribution was not out of kindness. In fact, he had a clear plan in his mind. He just wanted to use Liu Haizhong's "gun" to test the waters and see if he could get some real benefits from it. If he succeeded, he would make a fortune and maybe get some benefits for free; even if he failed in the end, he would not lose anything, at most he would just waste some words. Moreover, he could sell his "advice" to Liu Haizhong, making Liu Haizhong feel that he was smart and capable, and maybe he could get more benefits from Liu Haizhong in the future.

The days passed slowly one by one, and on the surface the courtyard seemed to have returned to its former tranquility. In the early morning, the sun shone on the blue bricks and gray tiles, the birds sang happily on the branches, and people went out to work and chat as usual. Everything seemed so peaceful and tranquil. But Liu Haizhong always felt like he had a little rabbit in his heart, thinking about what Yan Bugui had said to him before. He was like a hunter ready to attack at any time, always paying attention to every move in the courtyard. No matter which household made a little movement, or if there was any disturbance in the yard, he would prick up his ears and listen, staring with wide eyes, hoping to have a chance to show his "responsibility" again, so that everyone in the courtyard would look at him with admiration, thereby enhancing his prestige in the courtyard.

On this day, the sun was shining brightly and the breeze was not dry. The notice from the neighborhood committee was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples in the courtyard. It turned out that the neighborhood committee notified the courtyard to renovate the public toilets. This is a good thing that will actually improve everyone's living environment. Imagine that the renovated toilets are clean and tidy, without any odor, and everyone doesn't have to cover their noses when going to the toilet. How comfortable it would be. But when Yan Bugui heard the news, his originally cloudy eyes lit up instantly, like a bright light suddenly lit up in the darkness, as if he saw a new "business opportunity."

He didn't care about what he was doing, and hurried to find Liu Haizhong. When he saw Liu Haizhong, he was very excited, and the wrinkles on his face were squeezed together because of excitement, like a blooming chrysanthemum. He said with a beaming face: "Lao Liu, the opportunity has come! The renovation of this public toilet is not a trivial matter, and it must cost a lot of money. Think about it, this project from planning to construction, from buying materials to hiring workers, which one doesn't cost money. Maybe the higher-ups can give our courtyard some subsidies. We have to find a way to figure out this subsidy issue. If we can get more subsidies, then everyone in our courtyard will benefit. When the time comes, everyone who uses the renovated toilets will definitely think of your kindness and be grateful to you. Your prestige will be firmly established, and maybe it can even reach a higher level."

Liu Haizhong was originally sitting on a rattan chair under the eaves of his house, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan, his eyes somewhat distracted, as if he was thinking about how to stand out in the courtyard again. When Yan Bugui's excited and calculating words reached his ears, he was immediately like being injected with a shot of cardiotonic, and the whole person instantly became energetic. His originally languid body suddenly sat up straight, and he stopped fanning himself with a greedy and eager light in his eyes, as if he had already seen the subsidy flying towards him, and the scene of his prestige in the courtyard increasing greatly and being surrounded by people.

He slapped his chest hard, and the sound was particularly loud in the quiet courtyard, as if he was expressing his determination to Yan Bugui. He raised his voice and said with a bit of heroism: "Okay, Old Yan, I'll listen to you on this matter. You always have many ideas and a smart mind. You tell me what we should do, and I'll follow you. As long as I can get the subsidy and improve my prestige in the courtyard, I'll do anything!"

Seeing Liu Haizhong's wisdom, Yan Bugui was secretly pleased with himself, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously lifted slightly, revealing a barely perceptible sly smile. He touched his chin pretentiously, looking like a thoughtful wise man thinking about a major decision. He deliberately frowned, his eyes deep, as if he had already outlined a complete "battle plan" in his mind. After a long while, he slowly spoke, his voice was a little low, with a hint of mystery: "Let's go to the neighborhood committee to inquire about the specific situation of this subsidy. There may be many tricks in this subsidy. If the subsidy is small, we will argue with them. You can tell them that there are many people in our courtyard, coming and going every day, and the frequency of toilet use is so high that it is almost catching up with the 'hot spots' in public toilets. Moreover, our toilet is very old and it is very difficult to renovate it. It's like renovating a shabby old house, and the cost is more troublesome than building a new house, so we have to give more subsidies. If they don't agree, hmph, we will mobilize the people in the courtyard to make trouble together. When the time comes, everyone will flock to the neighborhood committee to let them know how powerful we are and see if they dare to look down on us."

After listening to what Yan Bugui said, Liu Haizhong felt that what he said was so reasonable, as if he had seen the dawn of victory. He was so excited that his face flushed, and he kept rubbing his hands together, as if he couldn't wait to implement this plan. The two hit it off immediately, and their tacit understanding was like that of old partners. They immediately stood up and walked hurriedly towards the neighborhood committee. Along the way, Liu Haizhong kept discussing with Yan Bugui how to reason with the people in the neighborhood committee and how to mobilize the people in the courtyard. They looked so excited, like two soldiers about to go to the battlefield.

When they arrived at the neighborhood committee, they walked straight to the staff member in charge of the toilet renovation. The staff member was sitting at his desk, lowering his head and carefully sorting out documents. Liu Haizhong cleared his throat and deliberately raised his voice, which was particularly abrupt in the quiet office. He asked about the subsidy right away: "Comrade, let's ask about the subsidy for the public toilet renovation. How much subsidy can we get for our courtyard house?"

The staff member raised his head and looked at the two anxious people in front of him with a gentle smile on his face. He patiently explained to them the standard and basis of the subsidy, with a clear and steady voice: "This subsidy is in accordance with relevant regulations. It is calculated based on multiple factors such as the area of ​​the courtyard house, the population, and the difficulty of renovation. It cannot be changed at will. We also strictly follow the policy and hope that everyone can understand."

Liu Haizhong's eyes were originally filled with a hint of expectation, but after hearing the staff's step-by-step explanation, he instantly became anxious like a flaming gunpowder barrel. His face turned red like a ripe tomato, and veins on his forehead bulged like winding little snakes.

He took a sudden step forward and slammed his hands hard on the table in the neighborhood committee office. The loud "bang" startled everyone around him.

He raised his voice, which was as sharp as an alarm, and said loudly: "Your rule is unreasonable! It is simply a general rule, and it does not take into account the actual situation of our courtyard. The situation in our courtyard is very special. There are so many people, like ants moving, and the place is so small. The toilet is small and broken. Every morning, everyone has to line up to use the toilet, just like going to the market. It is very inconvenient. Moreover, it is very difficult to renovate this toilet. The pipes inside are so old that they are tangled like the roots of an old tree. It takes a lot of effort to fix them again! You have to give more subsidies. Otherwise, after the toilet is renovated, it will still be uncomfortable to use. It may break down again in a few days. Then the renovation will be in vain!"

The staff member was caught off guard by Liu Haizhong's sudden loud voice and fierce words. He frowned and showed a look of embarrassment on his face. He sighed softly and tried to comfort Liu Haizhong in a calm tone: "Uncle, this subsidy standard is formulated uniformly. It is based on multi-faceted research and comprehensive consideration. It cannot be adjusted arbitrarily due to individual circumstances. Moreover, the toilet renovation is to improve everyone's living environment. This is something that benefits everyone. Everyone should understand and support each other and work together to get this done."

Yan Bugui watched Liu Haizhong's excitement from the side, secretly delighted in his heart, thinking that this was a good opportunity to continue to exert pressure. He hurriedly leaned forward, his eyes wide open, like two abacus beads, his face full of a seemingly sincere but somewhat cunning smile, and he echoed: "You can't be so rigid! Rules are dead, people are alive, you have to think about the people. It's not easy for us ordinary people to live, and we just hope to have a good living environment. If the subsidy is not enough, the quality of the toilet renovation will definitely not be improved. By then, the renovated toilet may leak and clog in a short time, so it's better not to renovate it. If there is a problem, can you bear the responsibility? This affects the lives of all the people in our courtyard!"

The staff member was a little frustrated by the two people's arguments. He shook his head helplessly, spread his hands, and pretended to be helpless. He had to explain again patiently: "Uncles, we understand your feelings. We know that you all hope that the toilets can be renovated well and you will feel comfortable using them in the future. But this subsidy really cannot be increased at will. There are strict regulations. But don't worry, we will strictly supervise the construction process and try our best to ensure the quality of the toilet renovation so that everyone is satisfied. We will also communicate with the construction party to let them do the best job within the limited budget."

But Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui were not willing to give up. They were like two angry bulls, charging around in the spacious and bright office of the neighborhood committee. Liu Haizhong's face flushed, and the veins on his neck bulged like earthworms. He waved his hands in the air, spitting everywhere, and shouted: "You are bullying us! How can you be so indifferent to the interests of so many people in our courtyard? If you don't give us a satisfactory answer today, this matter will not end!" The sound made the windows of the office buzz.

Yan Bugui was not to be outdone. He put his hands on his hips, his eyes wide open like bells, and echoed in a hoarse voice: "That's right! You officials only know how to follow the rules and don't know how to adapt at all. You don't understand the difficulties of us ordinary people at all. You must give us more subsidies today, otherwise we won't leave!" The sharp voice seemed to pierce the roof.

Their noise became louder and louder, attracting many onlookers. A group of people gradually gathered at the door of the neighborhood committee. Everyone was whispering and pointing. Some had curious looks on their faces, while others showed worried expressions. Seeing that they were so unreasonable and completely disregarded the occasion and the impact, the staff frowned tightly into the shape of the Chinese character "川". They tried again to persuade Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui to calm down and discuss things properly, but the two men were like possessed and simply would not listen. In desperation, the staff had to ask them to leave temporarily and let them go back to calm down. While pushing them out, the staff said helplessly: "Uncles, you go back first, let's calm down, and talk properly after we calm down."

Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui returned to the courtyard in dismay. Along the way, they both had gloomy faces, like the sky before a storm. They were both holding back anger, like a volcano about to erupt, which could erupt at any time. They felt that they couldn't just let it go, and they had to find a way to make the neighborhood committee compromise and get more subsidies.

So, they decided to mobilize the people in the courtyard to go to the neighborhood committee and make trouble, putting pressure on the staff. The two hit it off and took action immediately. They went door to door to lobby, and every time they arrived at a house, they talked nonstop like two enthusiastic salesmen. Liu Haizhong patted his chest and said confidently: "Fellow villagers, the subsidy for toilet renovation this time is too little! Think about it, if the subsidy is not enough, can the quality of this toilet renovation be good? It won't be long before it breaks down again, and we will have to suffer. If everyone doesn't fight together, we will be the ones who suffer in the future!"

Yan Bugui also chimed in. He frowned and said with a worried look on his face, "Yes, yes. There are so many people in our courtyard. We can't just let others bully us. Let's go and make a scene together, so that the neighborhood committee will know how powerful we are. Maybe they will give us more subsidies. Then we can all use good toilets. How comfortable it will be!"

At first, some neighbors thought they made sense. After all, everyone hoped that the toilets could be renovated and used more conveniently in the future. These neighbors nodded and expressed their willingness to go with them. Some of them said indignantly, "Yes, we can't just let it go. We have to fight for our rights!" Others were eager to try.

But some neighbors think that this is not appropriate. They worry that this will affect the progress of the toilet renovation. After all, everyone is looking forward to using a clean and tidy toilet as soon as possible. Some neighbors also think that it is not good to offend the neighborhood committee, and there may be trouble in the future. An elderly grandfather frowned and said earnestly: "Let's not make a fuss. The neighborhood committee also follows the rules. If we make a fuss, what if we annoy them and delay the toilet renovation?" A young mother also said worriedly: "Yes, if we offend the neighborhood committee, will they deliberately make things difficult for us if we ask them for help in the future?"

For a moment, the courtyard was divided into two groups, each holding their own opinion and arguing endlessly. The atmosphere became tense again, as if the air was filled with the smell of gunpowder. The originally harmonious courtyard was now shrouded in this tense atmosphere. Everyone had their own thoughts, not knowing how this storm would end.

Just when the two sides were deadlocked, the director of the neighborhood committee came to the courtyard in person. He stood in the middle of the courtyard and said loudly: "Everyone, please be quiet and listen to me. This toilet renovation is a livelihood project launched by the government to improve everyone's living environment. The subsidy standards have been strictly reviewed and formulated and cannot be changed at will. However, we will also fully consider everyone's actual situation and try our best to meet everyone's needs during the renovation process. If you have any reasonable suggestions and requirements, you can report them to us at any time and we will try our best to solve them. However, we will resolutely not allow such unreasonable and crowd-raising behavior. I hope everyone can understand our work and work together to do a good job in toilet renovation."

The words of the neighborhood committee director calmed down the neighbors in the courtyard. Everyone began to reflect on their own behavior and felt that Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui were indeed a bit excessive. Seeing everyone's reaction, Liu Haizhong panicked. He didn't expect things to turn out like this. He secretly glanced at Yan Bugui, hoping that he could come up with a solution.