Ma Dabao thought he had dealt with Sha Zhu and that if the other party didn't pursue the matter, Xu Damao would definitely be able to back down and put the Fanghu matter aside. However, he didn't expect that Xu Damao insisted on achieving his goal through disciplinary means.

In fact, if this had happened under normal circumstances, Xu Damao would certainly not have pursued the matter further, and might even have covered for his subordinates.

However, Fang Hu lacked respect for Xu Damao from the beginning, even making arrogant remarks. Under these circumstances, Xu Damao had to make an example of Fang Hu, and Fang Hu was that example.

"Minister Xu, Lao Fang is my former subordinate. He's worked here for so many years. If he gets punished, it will affect his retirement. Could you give me some face and let's leave it at that?" Ma Dabao made a last-ditch effort.

"Go back and rest, everyone. You've all worked hard on duty." Xu Damao didn't answer, but told the others to disperse, and then followed the crowd out of the security department's office.

Watching Xu Damao leave, Ma Dabao spat on the ground.

"Minister, is Xu Damao really going to get me?" Fang Hu asked.

"Hehe, dealing with you would have to go through a departmental meeting, and he might not be able to get past that hurdle. Even if he does, the factory's supervisory department would still need to issue a decision on how to handle the situation."

Old Dai from the Supervision Office and I have been friends for decades, so he still gave me this much face.

"I'm angry that Xu Damao was so disrespectful; I'll remember this. And you, so arrogant, daring to challenge Xu Damao; you deserve to be taught a lesson," Ma Dabao said.

Faced with Ma Dabao's reprimand, Fang Hu had no intention of arguing at all.

"Should I find someone to teach Xu Damao a lesson?" Fang Hu thought for a moment and then voiced the idea that had been on his mind for a while.

"Stop thinking that way. This isn't fifteen years ago. Many of the rules of the underworld don't apply here. Otherwise, not only will you get into trouble, but I'll be in trouble too," Ma Dabao scolded.

But he had actually had this idea in his mind for a long time, but the current situation was not so tense that he needed to take this risk unless absolutely necessary.

Xu Damao is no ordinary person; he's a proper division-level cadre. If he suffers an accidental injury, he will definitely be investigated by special agencies. At that time, everyone with a conflict of interest with Xu Damao will be clear, and his previous misdeeds might even be exposed.

On the other side, Xu Damao accompanied Sha Zhu and Qin Huairu back.

"Xu Damao, thank you for today." After a long silence, Sha Zhu managed to utter the word "thank you."

He'd been at odds with Xu Damao since childhood, never once saying thank you—a word was as difficult to say as eating shit. But today, he was a direct witness to what had happened, knowing that Xu Damao had offended Ma Dabao to save him.

"Should I talk to Secretary Yang?" Sha Zhu added.

"I didn't realize you, Silly Zhu, were so capable. You even have connections with Secretary Yang. Why don't you put in a good word for me with the leaders? Maybe I can get promoted," Xu Damao said with a smile.

"Haha, there are many things you don't know. I'm not bragging, but I not only have a close relationship with Secretary Yang, but I also have a good relationship with the top leaders in the department. Besides cooking for them, I also play chess and chat with them."

Hearing Xu Damao's praise, Sha Zhu grinned, his slightly chapped lips spreading into a wide smile. During this time, to counter the alliance between Huang Xian and Li Xuewu, Lao Yang frequently visited the high-ranking leaders, occasionally bringing Sha Zhu along to cook a meal.

This silly Zhu's simple-minded personality actually won the appreciation of the big boss, who quite enjoyed chatting with him and even gave him some gifts.

"That's settled then. If you have the chance, put in a good word for me with the boss."

The three chatted as they slowly walked back to the courtyard house.

I didn't expect the front yard to be full of people.

"Zhu Zi, are you alright?" The first to rush over were Yi Zhonghai and an older woman.

The two were naturally very concerned about who would take care of them in their old age, and seeing that Sha Zhu could walk on his own, they felt relieved.

"Silly Zhu, you got beaten up." Liu Guangtian, this kid, had a lot of experience being beaten up, so his concerns were different from others.

After he mentioned it, other neighbors who had been watching the commotion came forward to check. Some looked at his face, some at his hands, and some even tried to lift up Sha Zhu's clothes, fully demonstrating the Chinese mentality of enjoying a good show.

"Shazhu, I told you a long time ago not to steal food from the factory, but you wouldn't listen. Now look what happened, you finally got caught," Liu Haizhong remarked.

"Second Uncle, what do you mean by stealing? I've been framed. Besides, since ancient times, if the cook doesn't cook properly, the harvest will be ruined, you know?" Sha Zhu didn't like Liu Haizhong at all. Not only did he not comfort her, but he also made sarcastic remarks at this time. Liu Guangtian and Liu Haizhong are truly a family.

"Silly Zhu, you've learned your lesson. From now on, be more discreet in your dealings with others. You don't know how many people you've offended with that mouth of yours." Yan Fugui, always eager to teach, had something to say.

"Shazhu, you should go to the hospital to get this injury checked out and have a medical examination done to rule out any potential problems. Often, you can't see anything on the surface, but your internal organs might be injured."

"I remember a case like this last time. On the surface, everything looked fine, but there was already a brain hemorrhage, and he was gone the next day," Xu Damao said to Shazhu.

"Xu Damao, don't scare me. Is it that serious? But you're right, I'm feeling a slight pain in my ribs. I should go get it checked out."

Thanks to Xu Damao's rescue, Sha Zhu's feelings towards him improved a bit. Normally, he would do the opposite of whatever Xu Damao said.

After exchanging a few words with his neighbor at the door, Xu Damao went home. He had only eaten a bite that evening and was actually quite hungry now.

When they got home, the children were already asleep, and Wang Minzhi was reading in the room. He made himself something to eat, then cuddled his wife and went to bed. The couple already had two children, so they were experienced in how to properly manage pregnancy. Tonight, Xu Damao planned to try a new method and see how it would work.

The next day at work, Xu Damao could clearly sense that the security guard at the gate treated him differently, with a mixture of respect and fear.

After giving the notification to the departmental meeting, Lei Min went into Xu Damao's office with a gossipy look on her face.

"Minister, are you really going to deal with Fang Hu?" Lei Min asked.

"Hehe, news travels fast, doesn't it? You already know about what happened last night. Your title as the King of Gossip is well-deserved," Xu Damao said with a smile.

"That's right, I actually knew last night. But putting that aside, Ma Dabao isn't someone you can easily talk to," Lei Min reminded her.

"Whether he's easy to talk to or not is not important; what matters is the truth," Xu Damao said.