Courtyard House: The Thief System of All Realms

Chapter 24 The Septic Tank Farce Disrupts the Entire Factory; A Chance Encounter with the Manager at

The steel rolling mill's punishments continued as usual. After finishing their work at their stations each day, Sha Zhu and Jia Dongxu had to take time to clean the factory's public toilets. The two of them were seething with anger, their faces dark and their tempers gloomy all day long.

Xu Damao was by nature vindictive and got along exceptionally well with Sun Jingyuan. Seeing his nemesis Sha Zhu in such a predicament, his wicked intentions were completely stirred up. He made up his mind to teach the two of them a lesson and vent his pent-up anger.

Xu Damao, as the factory's projectionist, had no fixed job in the factory except for going to the countryside to carry out projection tasks. He was bored all day long and always wanted to find some excuse to mess around.

That day, he simply moved a small stool and stood guard at the entrance of the public toilet, carrying an enamel mug and drinking water non-stop, chugging down cup after cup. In just one morning, he went to the public toilet six times. Anyone with eyes could see that he had come specifically to cause trouble and deliberately disgust Sha Zhu and the other man.

Not long after, an angry shout came from inside the public restroom. Sha Zhu, broom in hand, stared at Xu Damao, who had just finished relieving himself and deliberately spilled his excrement on the wooden step stool. His face instantly turned ashen, and he gripped the broom tightly, demanding, "Xu Damao! Are you deliberately trying to cause trouble? This is a perfectly good restroom, why did you have to urinate outside? What kind of evil intention are you having?!"

Xu Damao leisurely pulled up his pants, dusted off his clothes, and leaned casually against the public toilet door frame, looking completely unconcerned: "What's wrong with peeing outside? This public toilet belongs to the government, not your private property. Besides, aren't you two here to clean it? Just sweep it up and you're done. It's such a small thing, why are you yelling about it? Aren't you ashamed?"

"Stop acting like a scoundrel and twisting the truth!" Sha Zhu's chest heaved with anger, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, as he glared fiercely at Xu Damao, his eyes filled with rage. "I'm warning you, Xu Damao, if you dare to deliberately vandalize the public toilet or cause trouble for us again today, don't blame me for being impolite. A beating will be the least of my worries!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Damao showed no fear whatsoever. Instead, he craned his neck and took two steps forward, his face full of arrogance, his provocation barely concealed: "I'm terrified! Go ahead and try it! You're a notorious criminal in the factory now, already punished for falsely accusing an innocent person. You still dare to openly assault someone in the factory area? Aren't you afraid the factory will increase your punishment and make you clean toilets for the rest of your life, permanently nailing you to this public toilet?"

Sha Zhu was speechless, his face flushed red, and his anger surged to the top of his head, but he dared not actually make a move.

Now, they are all under close surveillance by the security department. If there is any physical conflict, the punishment will be even more severe. At that time, it may be impossible to control the situation, and they will have no choice but to suppress their anger.

Seeing his frustrated expression of anger, Xu Damao became even more smug. He curled his lip and waved his hand with a look of disgust: "Alright, alright, don't block my way. Your grandpa needs to take a dump. Get out of here and don't get in my way. It's annoying to look at you."

As he spoke, Xu Damao casually unbuckled his belt, squatted down in the latrine, and deliberately made a fuss, splashing filth everywhere. The wooden planks, corners, and edges were all stained, clearly intending to disgust Sha Zhu and Jia Dongxu and make their situation even more difficult.

Sha Zhu and Jia Dongxu exchanged a glance, a sinister glint in their eyes. They blinked in unison, instantly deciding to retaliate.

Immediately afterward, Jia Dongxu suddenly pointed to the roof of the public toilet, feigning surprise, and shouted in a high voice, "Hey? Look at that on the roof! It's a dark, eerie thing!"

Xu Damao was squatting casually, and upon hearing this, he instinctively looked up at the roof, muttering in dissatisfaction, "What nonsense is that? Where is it? I can't see it!"

The moment he looked up in distraction, Sha Zhu stepped forward without a word, reached out and shoved Xu Damao hard in the back.

The public toilets in the factory area during that era were all old-fashioned dry toilets, completely lacking the automatic flushing devices of later generations. The ground was simply covered with two narrow wooden planks, and below them was a bottomless cesspool filled with septic tanks that had accumulated year after year.

Xu Damao was already crouching and not quite steady. With this sudden push, he instantly lost his balance and half of his body fell straight into the cesspool. His body continued to slide down, and the extremely pungent stench exploded in his ears. He was so frightened that he let out a heart-wrenching scream on the spot.

"Oh no! Help! Someone has fallen into the cesspool!" Sha Zhu shouted at the top of his lungs, pretending to be panicked, as he yelled at the outside of the public toilet. His tone was extremely urgent, but his eyes were full of glee, and he wasn't genuinely worried at all.

The shout instantly caused an uproar in the factory area. The workers in the factory loved to join in the fun and spread rumors. The news spread like wildfire, and in just a few minutes, hundreds of people gathered around the public toilet to watch the excitement. The discussions were incessant and the place was in complete chaos.

"Quick! Don't just stand there! Someone's fallen into the cesspool! Help them out!"

"Go find Dr. Sun right away! Hurry, hurry, we can't let someone die!"

The commotion quickly reached the factory clinic, and upon hearing the news, Sun Jingyuan rushed to the public restroom.

He knew very well that the old-fashioned dry toilets had extremely deep latrines, and it was no small matter if someone fell in. If the filth blocked their mouth, nose, or airway, or if they were agitated and fell into a coma, it could really be fatal. He couldn't be careless at all.

When Sun Jingyuan arrived, Xu Damao was still struggling desperately in the cesspool, covered in filth and no longer the dignified person he used to be.

Workers had already found thick hemp ropes and tied them tightly around his waist. Seven or eight young men put all their strength into pulling him up. It took a lot of effort to finally pull Xu Damao out of the cesspool.

As soon as the person was pulled up, a pungent and offensive stench immediately spread out. Even though Sun Jingyuan was mentally prepared, he couldn't help but take several steps back and cover his mouth and nose to avoid the strong smell.

In those days, septic tanks were not cleaned year-round, and the filth was thick and sticky. Xu Damao was covered from head to toe, with not a single clean spot. He looked as if he had been pulled out of a pile of dung, and his appearance was both disheveled and disgusting.

"vomit!"

Many of the workers watching nearby couldn't stand the stench and immediately started vomiting violently, leaning against the wall and bending over, their eyes watering and their faces turning pale.

The women in the factory were terrified, their faces turning pale. They retreated repeatedly, only daring to stop after running a long distance, covering their mouths and noses and panting heavily, not daring to take a single step closer.

Sun Jingyuan pinched his mouth and nose, suppressing the churning in his stomach, and asked, "Xu Damao, what happened to you? How did you end up falling into the cesspool?"

Before Xu Damao could speak, Shazhu immediately stepped forward, feigning regret, but his tone was full of sarcasm: "Hey Damao, you're so careless! You can't even squat properly and fall into the toilet. Did you sneak out at night and mess around, making yourself weak and your legs all limp?"

Jia Dongxu immediately chimed in, speaking seriously to the surrounding workers: "Shazhu, don't talk nonsense. Da Mao isn't married yet. If this gets out, it'll sound bad and ruin his reputation."

"Yeah, I spoke too quickly and didn't think about these things." Sha Zhu slapped his mouth in feigned annoyance, but the teasing in his tone didn't diminish at all. He turned his head and muttered in feigned confusion, "How could a perfectly healthy person suddenly have their legs go weak and fall into a cesspool for no reason? This is too strange and really doesn't make sense."

The two men spoke in unison, and the surrounding workers instantly understood what they meant. They pointed at Xu Damao, their faces full of gloating smiles, whispering among themselves, and not a single person showed any sympathy.

After all, such a rare farce was a once-in-a-lifetime event in the factory, and everyone just treated it as a big joke, with no one caring about Xu Damao's situation.

Sun Jingyuan, always a keen observer, immediately noticed that Xu Damao was trembling uncontrollably, his eyes were bloodshot, and his face was contorted with anger and stench, indicating that he was on the verge of a complete breakdown.

Without saying a word, he turned around and quickly walked away to avoid the violent storm that was about to erupt.

Sure enough, Sun Jingyuan had only taken a few steps back when Xu Damao recovered and completely erupted.

He pointed at Sha Zhu and Jia Dongxu, letting out a heart-wrenching roar: "Sha Zhu! You insidious and vicious bastard, you dared to plot against me in secret! I'll fight you to the death!"

As the roar subsided, Xu Damao, disregarding the stench emanating from his body and the strong smell of filth, pounced directly on Sha Zhu and Jia Dongxu, grabbing them tightly in his arms and shoving the filth off his body into their faces and mouths.

The scene was so shocking that screams and vomiting filled the air, creating chaos.

Sha Zhu and Jia Dongxu refused to submit and struggled desperately. The three of them wrestled together next to the public toilet, filth splattering everywhere. Xu Damao was completely enraged at this moment, and the filth all over his body became his most invincible weapon. Even though Sha Zhu was known as the "Courtyard War God," he only wanted to escape and had no intention of fighting back. Jia Dongxu was already weak and was dizzy from the stench. He lay on the ground vomiting incessantly and didn't have the strength to resist at all.

During the scuffle, the filth on Xu Damao's body splashed onto many of the onlookers. Those workers who were splashed screamed in despair and ran frantically to the factory's water pool, desperately trying to wash off the filth.

Sha Zhu was vomiting violently while struggling to fight back and trying to save face. But Xu Damao had already turned red-eyed and become the "Toilet God of War" that no one dared to touch. No matter how Sha Zhu struggled, Xu Damao clung to him tightly.

The women in the distance were horrified. One by one, they leaned against the wall and vomited incessantly. The scene was extremely chaotic, and no one dared to step forward to stop them.

The farce lasted for a full fifteen minutes before the factory security personnel finally arrived. Upon seeing the situation, they immediately grabbed a high-pressure water gun and sprayed it at the three wrestling figures. It took them a lot of effort to separate them and completely stop the brawl.

After the farce ended, Sha Zhu and Jia Dongxu were covered in filth, their faces as pale as paper, their eyes red with grievance, but there was nothing they could do.

Within half a day, a rumor spread throughout the steel rolling mill: "Sha Zhu and Jia Dongxu were forced by Xu Damao to be fed filth." This became the biggest laughing stock in the factory, and the three of them were pointed at and talked about wherever they went, losing all face.

Subsequently, the three were taken to the security office, where they argued back and forth, each sticking to their own version of events.

Xu Damao insisted that Sha Zhu deliberately pushed him into the cesspool when he wasn't paying attention; Jia Dongxu, on the other hand, clung to the fact that Sha Zhu hadn't done anything and that it was all an accidental fall, desperately trying to give false testimony for Sha Zhu.

Both sides presented their own arguments, and with no witnesses to testify, the scene was chaotic and impossible to resolve.

The security personnel, annoyed by the noise and the lingering stench emanating from the three individuals, were too lazy to bother with arguing about this messy situation. They gave the three a severe scolding on the spot, increased their punishments, and then released them all.

When Sun Jingyuan returned to the infirmary, he was almost vomiting and exhausted. The chaotic scene in front of the public toilet was too intense, both visually and olfactorily. Even though he was used to all kinds of scenes, he couldn't withstand such extreme torment.

Before long, it was lunchtime. The farce in the factory had become common knowledge. Many workers were disgusted by the scene and had no appetite at all. The usually crowded canteen was unusually full of leftover food.

Sun Jingyuan also had no appetite. He drank some water in the infirmary and it took him a long time to calm down before his stomach finally settled down a little, but he still felt a slight churning discomfort.

Just then, the door to the infirmary was gently pushed open, and a middle-aged man with a smile walked in.

Sun Jingyuan looked up, stood up, and greeted him calmly, "Director Wang? What brings you here?"

The visitor was Wang Wenbin, the head of the canteen at the steel rolling mill.

The entire steel rolling mill has ten canteens, with nine of them being deputy directors. Wang Wenbin not only oversees the affairs of all the canteens in the factory, but also personally takes charge of the most important canteen, No. 1. He appears low-key in the factory on weekdays, but in reality, he is a key figure who holds real power and everyone has to give him face.

Wang Wenbin strode to the table, a polite and respectful smile plastered on his face. Without a word, he took out a stack of various receipts from his pocket and, without making a sound, gently pushed them across the table towards Sun Jingyuan. His tone was exceptionally humble: "Dr. Sun, I've long heard of your superb medical skills. Many of the factory's employees have received your treatment with remarkable results. I've been feeling unwell lately, constantly weak, so I came here specifically to see you. Thank you for your help."

Ever since Factory Director Yang Xugang personally delivered the sewing ticket to Sun Jingyuan, all levels of leaders in the factory knew that Sun Jingyuan was a person of importance and could not be offended. Whenever they came to see him for medical treatment, they would subconsciously bring some tickets or gifts, as if not bringing something would be disrespectful.

Sun Jingyuan glanced at the receipts on the table but didn't touch them. He simply looked at Wang Wenbin's face, shook his head slightly, and said directly, "Director Wang, I see that your face is pale, your eyes are sunken, and you have very heavy dark circles. You break out in a cold sweat with the slightest movement. Your body is severely depleted. You should take better care of yourself and be more restrained in your sexual activities. Don't overexert yourself."

Upon hearing this, Wang Wenbin was initially taken aback, clearly not expecting Sun Jingyuan to be able to pinpoint his problem so clearly just by looking at his face. Then, he revealed a bitter and helpless expression and sighed repeatedly, "Dr. Sun, you saw right through me. I won't hide it from you, I really have no interest in these matters anymore. I'm just forced into this situation and have no choice but to do it."

Sun Jingyuan raised an eyebrow slightly and asked calmly, "Since you didn't intend to, why is your body so weak?"

"In the end, it's all because I have a shrewish wife at home, and I can't make any decisions!" Wang Wenbin sighed, his face full of worry as he explained his predicament. "I got to where I am today entirely thanks to my father-in-law's support back then. Although he has retired, he still holds considerable prestige in the factory; even though he's dead, his authority remains. My wife, relying on her family's backing, has always been domineering and forceful. I dare not offend her in the slightest and can only grit my teeth and deal with her. Over time, I've worn myself down to this empty shell."

Sun Jingyuan was silent for a moment before slowly saying, "I have two treatment plans here. The first plan is to use medication to specifically treat your body and help you replenish your deficiencies so that you can quickly recover."

Before Sun Jingyuan could finish speaking, Wang Wenbin's eyes lit up, and he impatiently interrupted, his tone full of urgency: "I choose the first one! Dr. Sun, please proceed with the first plan. Please help me get better as soon as possible; I've really had enough of this body!"

Seeing his anxious expression, Sun Jingyuan's lips moved slightly, but he swallowed back the second solution he was about to offer. The second solution was to use medicine to regulate his wife's temperament, making her peaceful and free from desires, thus solving the problem at its root. However, Wang Wenbin was so eager that he didn't give him a chance to continue.