Upon hearing Wang Dabao's whisper, Liu Haizhong's eyes lit up, and his mind instantly clicked. It was Brother Dabao who had a solution.
This compound would fall apart without Da Bao!
Liu Haizhong glared at Sha Zhu and pointed at him: "Sha Zhu, don't try to play dumb with me. Do you think this is a small matter?"
"Have you considered the impact on an ambitious young man like this? At the very least, it could ruin his reputation and cause him to lose his job. At worst, it would be hooliganism, which would land him in jail and get him shot."
Liu Haizhong couldn't help but slam his hand on the table. "And you, Yi Zhonghai, since you and Sha Zhu can't find the person who spread the rumors, we have reason to suspect that you two have ulterior motives. This matter is not as simple as a fight. It seems that in the end, we will have to have the police come in to resolve it."
Yi Zhonghai felt a chill run down his spine. He had originally intended to annoy Xu Damao and, incidentally, escalate the conflict between him and Sha Zhu.
Unexpectedly, instead of stirring up trouble, he ended up getting himself involved. Yi Zhonghai was furious and cursed Sha Zhu in his heart, thinking, "What are you doing spouting nonsense without any evidence?"
Sha Zhu was dumbfounded. It was just something he made up on the spot, so where was he going to find witnesses?
"Liu Haizhong, don't push your luck. I didn't spread this rumor, so why are you blaming me?"
Sha Zhu jumped up and, with his neck stiff, yelled at Liu Haizhong in front of him, "If you're so capable, go find the person who spread the rumors. What kind of skill is it to talk back to me?"
Liu Haizhong narrowed his eyes and said with a forced smile, "Shazhu, if you can't produce a witness, then you are the one spreading rumors. In order to maintain harmony in the compound, I can give you and Yi Zhonghai one day. If you can't find this witness by tomorrow night, then I will report you to the police and have you both arrested."
"Sir, wait a minute, I have something to say."
Xu Damao stepped forward with a serious expression and started talking to Liu Haizhong, who felt very comfortable being addressed as "Grandpa".
"That's right. Although Sha Zhu and Yi Zhonghai deliberately spread rumors and slandered me, my status is different now. As a mediator in the compound, I bear the important responsibility of upholding the honor of the compound."
Facing his neighbors, Xu Damao said in a heavy tone, "I may have left a bad impression on you all in the past, but this time I've decided to repay evil with kindness. Let's just let it go by reporting it to the police; it won't have a good impact on the compound."
"Uncle, how about this? Based on the principle of resolving matters within the compound, we'll give Sha Zhu and Yi Zhonghai two choices: if they can't produce witnesses by tomorrow night, they can either move out of the compound, or, like last time Sha Zhu made a mistake, they can be given fifty lashes!"
Liu Haizhong nodded approvingly, then looked at the neighbors: "Look, everyone! Sha Zhu and Yi Zhonghai maliciously smeared Xu Damao, but Xu Damao not only didn't send them to the police station, but also repaid evil with kindness and decided to give them a lenient punishment. What a broad mind he has!"
“I’ve made the decision, so it’s settled. Yi Zhonghai and Sha Zhu, you two heard that, right? Bring the witnesses over in one day. We’ll have another hospital-wide meeting tomorrow night. If there are no witnesses, you can choose one of the two options Xu Damao mentioned. If you dare to cause trouble, don’t force me to call the police and have you arrested.”
Sha Zhu and Yi Zhonghai sat below, their faces full of anger. This matter was neither a big deal nor a small one; if it really alarmed the police, they would be in serious trouble.
Yi Zhonghai snorted coldly, said a few words to the old lady, and got up to walk home.
Sha Zhu was both shocked and frightened. He was unwilling to move out of the compound. This house was left by his father, He Daqing. It was the best three-room house in the compound. Although it was his private property, he was sure that it would be taken by someone else once he left the compound.
The Jia family has been eyeing his house for a long time; they even wanted to swap houses with him a couple of years ago.
If he didn't move out of the compound, he would be whipped fifty times. Sha Zhu recalled his last experience, and now all the nerves in his body were twitching. That feeling was not something an ordinary person could bear. Last time, he concluded that Liu Haizhong's whip could kill!
Forget about witnesses; they don't even exist. You can't just grab someone to take their place, because if you confront them, they'll be exposed and it'll be even worse.
Seeing Sha Zhu's constantly changing expression in the crowd, Xu Damao was overjoyed. He had finally secured the position of the steward, but unexpectedly, he was immediately met with retaliation against Sha Zhu. He was determined to personally apply to give Sha Zhu fifty lashes and loosen up that bastard's muscles.
The neighbors understood that this was probably just a rumor spread by Sha Zhu. Yi Zhonghai, for some reason, joined in the fun and ended up getting involved with Sha Zhu.
"Alright, alright, everyone, don't rush into discussion. Also, Xu Damao, since someone has given you feedback, you need to reflect on it carefully."
After Yi Zhonghai left, Liu Haizhong seemed a bit dejected. He stepped forward and gestured for everyone to quiet down. "This election will still be based on the voting results. Xu Damao will temporarily serve as the mediator. I hope he can perform well in this position and serve the neighbors in the compound well!"
Xu Damao took a deep breath, stepped forward and said, "I may have done some things wrong in the past, but from now on, I will definitely work hard to do a good job in mediation and contribute to the harmony of our compound. I hope everyone can trust me!"
After speaking, Xu Damao bowed to everyone.
The neighbors downstairs started talking about it again.
Xu Damao glared fiercely at Sha Zhu, secretly vowing to conserve his energy and serve Sha Zhu well tomorrow. He vowed to beat Sha Zhu until he was bruised and battered, or else he would change his name.
Although Sha Zhu couldn't come up with a solution, he refused to admit defeat and acted indifferent. He snorted at Xu Damao, turned around, and carried his stool away.
The neighbors began to leave noisily, discussing the upcoming meeting the next day.
Yan Bugui chuckled and approached Xu Damao, offering his congratulations: "Damao, we'll be working together from now on. If anything good happens, be sure to think of your Uncle San!"
"What do you mean by 'Third Uncle'? You're the 'Second Uncle' now!"
Xu Damao smiled broadly. These past two days felt like a dream. It had only been a short time since Wang Dabao proposed appointing young cadres, and he had actually become the head of the household. "I will definitely follow in your footsteps and strive to make our compound more united and friendly."
Upon returning from the Intermediate People's Court, Xu Damao expressed his gratitude to Wang Dabao, stating that if Wang Dabao wanted to teach Shazhu a lesson, he would be willing to give up twenty lashes.
Wang Dabao got home at 11 p.m. After lying in the house for a while, he went to the island farm.
The island's pleasant climate forced him to take off his heavy clothes, then he carried a beach chair and led his two puppies to the beach.
Wang Dabao promoted Xu Damao simply because he didn't want to constantly guard against Yi Zhonghai, an unstable factor; he didn't think too much about anything else.
In fact, if he wanted, he could even build a prison on the island, or throw the people he hated directly into the sea to feed the fish. But he also knew in his heart that he should not start this unless absolutely necessary, otherwise he would be trapped in this vicious cycle.
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