Chapter 30: Shazhu’s Wrath Backfires, Used as a Pawn

Sha Zhu’s rationality lasted only three seconds.

When he saw the sight of Qin Huairu, tear-stained and looking utterly helpless, all his fear and hesitation were washed away by a rush of hot blood to his head.

Sister Qin had been bullied!

To hell with the factory director! To hell with those silver needles! If he, He Yuzhu, played the coward today, how could he ever call himself a man again?

"I don't care about your logic! I don't care about your rules!"

With veins bulging on his neck, Sha Zhu pointed at Chen Mo’s nose and cursed, "You’re a grown man, and you’ve pushed a widow to this point—have you no shame? Today, I’m going to act on behalf of heaven and teach you a lesson, you pretty-faced coward!"

Before the words were even out of his mouth, his sandbag-sized fist, whistling through the air, swung fiercely toward Chen Mo’s face.

The people in the courtyard let out a gasp.

Sha Zhu was actually going through with it!

A flicker of glee flashed in Qin Huairu’s eyes.

This was exactly the effect she wanted! Once Sha Zhu made a move and hit Chen Mo, the nature of the situation would change. Even if Chen Mo had the upper hand in reason, it would become a mutual brawl, allowing her to fish in troubled waters.

However, she had underestimated Chen Mo.

Facing Sha Zhu’s heavy, forceful punch, Chen Mo didn't even blink. Just as the fist was about to land, he tilted his body slightly, dodging it with ease.

Sha Zhu’s punch hit empty air, and his own momentum sent him stumbling forward two steps. Chen Mo, seizing the moment, extended his foot and gave a light hook to Sha Zhu’s ankle.

*Thud!*

Sha Zhu’s tall, sturdy frame, like a bull out of control, crashed face-first onto the ground in an incredibly clumsy fashion, taking a mouthful of dirt.

The entire sequence was fluid and swift, too fast for anyone to follow.

The courtyard fell into a deathly silence. Everyone stared, dumbfounded. The "God of War" of the courtyard, Sha Zhu, had just been… taken down in one move? Without even touching a corner of Chen Mo’s clothes?

"Ouch!"

Sha Zhu felt as if his front teeth were about to chip. He shook his head and scrambled up from the ground, his face a mess of mud and blood, looking both ridiculous and pathetic.

"You… you dared to play dirty!" he roared, preparing to charge again.

"He Yuzhu!"

A sharp shout rang out, but it didn't come from Chen Mo—it came from the usually silent Yi Zhonghai.

Yi Zhonghai’s face was ghastly. He strode over to Sha Zhu and, with a swift motion, slapped him hard across the face.

*Smack!*

The sound was crisp and loud, leaving Sha Zhu stunned.

"Uncle Yi, why did you hit me?"

"I hit you to wake you up, you idiot! Haven't you learned your lesson from last time? You’re acting like a fool again!"

Yi Zhonghai was trembling with rage, pointing at him and scolding, "Can’t you see? He never intended to fight you from the start! You’re the one who rushed in to get beaten! Aren't you embarrassed enough?"

That slap wasn't so much for Sha Zhu as it was for Chen Mo to see. It was a declaration of stance. Yi Zhonghai was siding with Chen Mo today.

Sha Zhu held his face, frozen in place, his mind finally cooling down. Indeed, Chen Mo had only hooked his ankle; he hadn't used any real force. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been just a simple fall.

Chen Mo watched Yi Zhonghai’s performance of a "bitter meat scheme" and sneered inwardly. *The old fox, he reacts quickly.*

Ignoring Sha Zhu, he turned his cold gaze toward Qin Huairu, who was slumped on the ground, deathly pale.

"See that? That was your plan."

Chen Mo’s voice was low, yet it reached everyone’s ears clearly.

"First, frame me, then provoke an idiot like Sha Zhu to strike me. Once I fight back, it confirms the accusation that I’m bullying a poor widow. Then, you cry and make a scene, Uncle Yi comes out to smooth things over, and the matter is buried. You keep your reputation and even gain the status of a victim. As for me, I take a beating for nothing and swallow the insult."

"Qin Huairu, I truly underestimated you. I didn't expect that just after Jia Zhangshi got out, you’d be plotting against me again. Your family really is full of deep schemes."

The people in the courtyard looked at each other, their eyes filled with disdain and disgust as they turned toward Qin Huairu. So, it was all a setup! This woman’s heart was truly vicious!

"I didn't… I wasn't…"

Qin Huairu was speechless, repeating herself over and over as her tears flowed even harder. But this time, no one sympathized with her.

Chen Mo walked up to Yi Zhonghai and looked down at him.

"Uncle Yi, now that we have both human and physical evidence—Qin Huairu committed malicious slander, and Sha Zhu committed assault in public. As the esteemed First Uncle of our courtyard, tell me, how should this be handled?"

He kicked the ball back to Yi Zhonghai.

Yi Zhonghai felt as though he were grinding his molars to dust. How should it be handled? How *could* he handle it?

Side with Qin Huairu? That would mean openly opposing Chen Mo and Factory Director Yang. Did he still want to be the First Uncle?

Handle it impartially? That would mean Qin Huairu and Sha Zhu were finished. Qin Huairu was a vital part of his retirement plan, and Sha Zhu was the most useful weapon in his arsenal. Chen Mo’s move had placed him directly on the fire.

"This…" Yi Zhonghai wiped the sweat from his forehead and spoke with difficulty, "Chen Mo, look, it’s late at night, and this is disturbing everyone’s rest. How about we discuss this tomorrow… tomorrow?"

He tried to use a delay tactic.

"Tomorrow?" Chen Mo smiled. "Uncle Yi, my time is precious. Tomorrow I have to see patients at the factory and make house calls for Director Yang; I don't have time to waste here with you."

He glanced at the clock on the wall and said calmly, "I’ll give you ten minutes to consider. If you haven't come up with a resolution by then, I can only assume that you, as the First Uncle, are no longer capable of managing the affairs of our courtyard."

"At that point, I will go to the police station myself and call the factory security department. I believe the police and the factory leadership will provide me with justice."

This was a naked threat! He was forcing Yi Zhonghai to make a choice on the spot!

Yi Zhonghai’s face turned deathly pale. He knew he had no way out. He looked at the desperate Qin Huairu and then at the bewildered Sha Zhu, feeling a profound sense of powerlessness for the first time. Since when had this courtyard stopped being under his control?

"Fine!"

Yi Zhonghai seemed to age ten years in an instant. He took a deep breath, as if summoning all his strength, and said to the crowd, "I propose we hold a full courtyard meeting right now! We will clear this matter up in front of everyone!"

He decided to cut his losses. Rather than being forced by Chen Mo to act, he would take the initiative to shoulder the responsibility and hold the meeting; at least he could save some face.

Chen Mo nodded, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Very well. I love transparency—putting everything out on the table."

He wanted this meeting. He wanted to nail Qin Huairu and Sha Zhu to the pillar of shame in front of everyone! He wanted everyone in this courtyard to remember one truth clearly:

Cross Chen Mo, and you will pay the price!