Chapter 34: Old Foxes All

If Yan Jiecheng hadn't reacted quickly just now, his nose would have been pinched in the door frame.

The biggest difference between the Yan family and others is that they are "discreet and calculating." In truth, they are simply too shrewd, always considering every angle before taking action.

Take the current situation: if it were any other young man, regardless of whether he was right or wrong, if his expectations weren't met, he would surely be frustrated and at least offer a few parting remarks. But the Yan brothers, first and foremost, found the situation strange. As the saying goes, "When things happen unexpectedly, there must be a demon at play." They chose to go home and discuss it first. Their style of doing things is never reckless; they never stick their necks out, fearing that they might suffer a loss and find it not worth the cost.

And so, Yan Jiecheng, the eldest of the Yan family, headed home with a suspicious look on his face, clutching his empty bowl.

In the middle courtyard, at Yi Zhonghai’s house.

By the time Yan Bugui arrived, Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong were already waiting for him.

"Old Yi, Old Liu, what’s the matter?" Yan Bugui looked at the two of them. Seeing that they hadn't set out tea mugs nor were they holding cigarettes, he felt a slight pang of disappointment.

At home, Yan Bugui neither smoked nor drank tea—not because he didn't enjoy them, but to save money. He usually looked for opportunities to sit with others to discuss business or chat, just to snag a cigarette or a bit of tea leaves. It seemed there would be no such benefit today.

Seeing Yan Bugui arrive, Yi Zhonghai smiled and said, "It’s nothing major. It’s just that Director Wang from the neighborhood committee stopped me on my way home today. She specifically asked us to organize a fundraiser to renovate the houses of those in need within the neighborhood. It’s a voluntary donation, a gesture of charity."

"Renovate houses?" Liu Haizhong asked curiously. "What made them think of renovating houses?"

Yi Zhonghai replied, "You know as well as I do that our courtyard is doing better than most. Our houses are decent enough. But the neighboring courtyards are old and dilapidated. Many families are living in dangerous structures. With winter and snow approaching, the neighborhood committee has to take precautions."

Yan Bugui remarked, "Shouldn't that be the neighborhood committee's job? Why don't they just send someone to inspect and renovate them? Why bother with a fundraiser?"

Yi Zhonghai smiled and said, "Director Wang said the authorities take this seriously, but they are strapped for cash and have no surplus funds to spare for renovations. They simply don't have the energy to manage it. So, they have to rely on mobilizing the masses to show their support. This isn't a massive project; we’re just solving the issue of a few dangerous homes for now. The rest will be arranged when the neighborhood committee has more funds later."

Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui fell silent. They kept their eyes on their noses, their noses on their hearts, sitting as steady as if they were fishing from a rock. Both their houses were in good condition; they didn't fear the snow or leaks. This had nothing to do with them. When it came to spending money, the first person to speak up would be a fool.

Yi Zhonghai had anticipated this reaction and wasn't bothered. He waved his hand and continued, "Regardless, since the neighborhood committee has issued this task, we must respond and cooperate actively. I propose we hold a full courtyard meeting tomorrow evening after work to discuss this specifically. If the three of us cooperate well at the meeting, we can liven up the atmosphere, show that our work is proactive, and encourage everyone to donate generously."

Liu Haizhong thought for a moment and said, "I’m afraid that’ll be hard to manage. After all, our courtyard doesn't need repairs, and with the New Year approaching, everyone is saving their money. Who would be happy to part with it?"

Yan Bugui nodded repeatedly, supporting the sentiment with gestures but remaining silent.

Yi Zhonghai insisted, "That is exactly why we must do this work well. If we three organize a successful donation drive and support Director Wang's work, won't we gain even more support in our future endeavors? As for the motivation issue, that can be solved. Working requires strategy. We need to identify key targets and make breakthroughs. Once we have a breakthrough, the work will naturally flow."

Liu Haizhong frowned, struggling to understand. He scratched his head and said directly, "Old Yi, just tell us what you’re thinking. It’s getting late; let’s not waste time."

Yan Bugui nodded again, still silent.

Yi Zhonghai cleared his throat with a smile and said, "Each of us will be responsible for a section. I will take the middle courtyard. There are many people here, so it requires more effort. I will pick a target family in the middle courtyard and have them take the lead in donating to stir up enthusiasm. You two can each pick a target in the front and back courtyards, respectively. If we make breakthroughs in all three areas, the atmosphere will liven up, and we won't fail to stir up enthusiasm across the whole courtyard. With the three of us leading the way, won't this task be easily completed?"

As soon as Yi Zhonghai finished speaking, Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui were cursing him internally.

So, Yi Zhonghai had it all figured out. He had "Silly Zhu" in the middle courtyard to cooperate—someone who followed his lead and did whatever he asked. Plus, he had a high salary and only a two-person household.

But who could they turn to? They had no spare money to look after others' lives.

Both men looked at Yi Zhonghai with troubled, pleading eyes. Yan Bugui, in particular, had a face as wrinkled as a dirty rag. He was even considering whether he should continue being the "Third Master." If there was no benefit to be gained and only sacrifice required, what was the point? They were all old foxes; why play these games?

Finally, Yan Bugui spoke up: "Old Yi, that sounds simple enough, but who should we pick as our targets? I don't have the prestige you do in the courtyard; I'm not confident people will just listen to me."

This time, it was Liu Haizhong’s turn to just nod without speaking. However, given how quickly he was nodding, he clearly agreed with Yan Bugui.

Yi Zhonghai looked at them and sighed inwardly—what a pair of "pig teammates."

He tapped his fingers on the table, closed his eyes, and pretended to ponder for a moment before speaking slowly: "There is a method to finding targets. For example, I plan to approach Silly Zhu because he is enthusiastic and proactive. Young people are always emotional; it’s up to us old comrades to figure out how to leverage that and stir up their spirits. If you don’t have any good ideas, you can follow my lead—find someone young and active. For instance, in the back courtyard, Xu Damao is a good candidate. And in the front, don't you have Duan Chengliang?"

In fact, Duan Chengliang had been the first person on Yan Bugui’s mind. There were only a few households in the front courtyard, and given the options, Duan Chengliang was the obvious choice.

In the past, Yan Bugui would have been confident about squeezing two or three yuan out of him, maybe even five with enough prodding. After all, Duan was single and had no family to support.

But now, he felt uneasy. He had dealt with Duan Chengliang twice recently and felt that the young man was unpredictable and strange. His way of speaking and acting was completely different from before, making Yan Bugui feel like he couldn't get a handle on him.