Wang Dabao waved his hand.
"Take mine instead."
Wang Dabao took out a peony given to him by Sister Wang from the Political Affairs Department and handed one to Yan Jiecheng. "Jiecheng, there are no outsiders here. There's nothing we can't talk about between uncle and nephew, right?"
When Yan Jiecheng saw the peony cigarettes that Wang Dabao took out, his eyes widened, and he respectfully accepted them with both hands: "Uncle Dabao, please tell me what you want to say, I will listen carefully."
Yan Jiecheng was also puzzled. Wang Dabao had only been living in the compound for a short time, so why did he have a better reputation among the neighbors than Xu Damao, Jia Dongxu, Shazhu, and himself, who had lived in the compound for at least ten years?
Moreover, not only does he have a good reputation, but more importantly, he gets along well with everyone.
It's not surprising that he has a good relationship with his father, Yan Bugui. After all, his father is considered a kind-hearted person in the compound, always cheerful and never offending anyone.
Moreover, Wang Dabao had indirectly saved Yan Jiekuang's life, which was why Yan Jiecheng was willing to call him "uncle."
Furthermore, he had a very close relationship with Liu Haizhong and Xu Damao. Whenever something happened in the compound, Liu Haizhong would even have to consult Wang Dabao. Wasn't that putting him above the steward?
Needless to say, Xu Damao looked at Wang Dabao with more affection than he would at a blood brother; he was practically ready to change his name to Wang Damao!
Now there's another one, Sha Zhu. I heard he even went out of his way to offer Wang Dabao a cigarette this morning. Who is Sha Zhu? He's the most stubborn mule in the compound, but even he's been tamed by Wang Dabao!
The moment Yan Jiecheng decided to run for the position of steward, he thought of Wang Dabao. If he could get Wang Dabao's support, the matter would be half done.
“Jie Cheng, to be honest, people like Jia Dongxu and Sha Zhu really can’t compare to you. First of all, their emotions are extremely unstable. How can such people do a good job as mediators? How can everyone feel at ease entrusting such an important position to people with such temperaments!”
Wang Dabao lowered his head and asked Yan Jiecheng to light his cigarette for him. After exhaling a puff of smoke, he pondered and continued.
"I would definitely give my full support to Jie Cheng for the position of mediator. Others may not know, but I do. Look at you, you are young and energetic, and your ability is beyond doubt. You have been learning from Lao Yan for so many years, and you know how to deal with all kinds of conflicts in the compound just by watching."
"As for his character, there's nothing to praise. He's helpful and willing to stand up for his neighbors. These are the wonderful qualities a mediator should have. What can anyone else compare to him?"
Wang Dabao slapped the bicycle seat, "Those people are no match for you at all!"
Wang Dabao's praise immediately boosted Yan Jiecheng's mood, and Yan Jiecheng nodded repeatedly, his expression changing from apprehension to ecstasy.
Seeing Yan Jiecheng's barely suppressed elation, Wang Dabao felt it was time to pour cold water on him!
"But Jiecheng, let me reiterate, no matter how outstanding you are, no one wants to see two mediators in your Yan family. Think about it, if the mediators disagree in the future, you'll definitely side with your father, Old Yan. What are we supposed to do then?!"
"No, Uncle Da Bao, I can guarantee that I will always put the interests of my neighbors first."
At this moment, Yan Jiecheng had no time to savor the taste of the peony cigarette. He quickly took the cigarette out of his mouth and solemnly promised, "Even if it's my father, I will never compromise. This is my principle!"
Wang Dabao nodded solemnly and patted Yan Jiecheng's shoulder forcefully: "I believe you can do it, but it's not enough for just me to believe you, will everyone else believe me?!"
"And another thing, as the second-in-command, can Liu Haizhong tolerate your family having two stewards?"
"So, it's not that you're incompetent, it's just that you were born at the wrong time!" Wang Dabao sighed deeply. "Why don't you wait until Lao Yan retires before thinking about this? Forget about it now."
Yan Jiecheng's face immediately fell.
"Uncle Da Bao, I really want to do something practical for the neighbors in this compound!" Yan Jiecheng said, his head hanging low like a defeated rooster doused with ice water. "My broken life has finally found some hope, and I thought I could make a selfless contribution, but why is it so difficult!"
Seeing Yan Jiecheng's appearance, Wang Dabao almost couldn't hold back. Good heavens, anyone who didn't know better would think that Yan Jiecheng was going to go through fire and water for the residents of the compound!
"How about we wait until Lao Yan comes back from school, then you two can discuss it and see if Lao Yan has any thoughts about stepping down!"
"This... is a bit difficult!"
Yan Jiecheng clicked his tongue. "Alright, I'll ask later."
Meanwhile, at the home of Yi Zhonghai of the Intermediate People's Court.
"Dongxu, have you done what your master asked you to inquire about?" Yi Zhonghai sat in a chair, holding a teacup, his face full of worry.
"Master, I've already asked."
Jia Dongxu sat to the side and answered honestly and earnestly, "Many residents remember your kindness, but not a single one has mentioned asking you to come back and be this old man again. They are more interested in Liu Haizhong's proposal to appoint young cadres."
Yi Zhonghai frowned, grabbed his teacup and slammed it on the table. After catching his breath, he slowly said, "All these years of hard work for the compound have been for nothing. How could they treat me like this? Do they only remember me when the compound is in complete chaos?!"
“That’s right, these people are heartless. If it weren’t for you, Master, they could be receiving prizes from the street every year.”
Jia Dongxu, his face full of anger, lightly slapped the table to defend Yi Zhonghai. Then, he changed the subject and said, "Master, I think it's better if you support my candidacy for mediator. I will definitely teach them a lesson and let them know that we, master and disciple, are in charge in this compound."
"Dongxu, don't talk nonsense. What do you mean by 'we master and disciple have the final say'? If other people heard that, they wouldn't be able to stay in this courtyard anymore."
Yi Zhonghai glared at Jia Dongxu, "It's not that your master doesn't support you, but didn't you realize that Wang Dabao, Liu Haizhong, and others have already decided that Xu Damao will be the mediator this time? You and Shazhu are just going through the motions."
Jia Dongxu paused, then pondered, "No way, Master, would they really do that?"
“Why not? I’ve said it before: they’re forming cliques and colluding with each other in their backyard. The three of them are a small group, and with Liu Haizhong’s help, how could you and Sha Zhu possibly succeed?”
Yi Zhonghai said with a serious expression, "Wang Dabao and Yan Bugui also have a good relationship, so it's almost a certainty that Xu Damao will take over."
"What should we do, Master?"
Jia Dongxu was primarily afraid of Sha Zhu taking over, and secondly, he was also worried about Xu Damao; the two families had quite a grudge against each other.
Yi Zhonghai pondered for a moment, then let out a long sigh: "It seems that I can only use your fake election as a pretext to muddy the waters here. I will act according to the situation and hope that everyone will realize my importance."
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