Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

Perhaps some of Xu Damao's friends in the courtyard had already noticed something was wrong, and they might know something that he didn't know. In this way, he might be able to get more powerful evidence through these seemingly ordinary conversations.

That night, the residents of the courtyard gathered in the courtyard as usual, chatting with each other and discussing miscellaneous trivial matters. The air in the courtyard was filled with the smell of barbecue and spices, a few children were playing in the corner, and a few familiar and friendly faces were sitting on the old-fashioned tables and chairs.

Li Xiangqian stood in the corner, his eyes scanning everyone around him sharply. His mood was extremely complicated. Whether the situation tonight could proceed as he expected depended entirely on whether he could guide the topic to Xu Damao at the right moment.

He walked gently to a table of people and greeted them with a smile. "Good evening, everyone. The weather is nice today. How are you doing?"

When the people in the courtyard saw Li Xiangqian coming, they all smiled warmly and responded enthusiastically. Several old neighbors joked and praised him for being more and more capable and doing a booming business. Li Xiangqian responded on the surface, but in his heart he was secretly observing everyone's reactions. Gradually, he felt that Xu Damao's relationship with these people was not as strong as he thought.

After a few casual greetings, Li Xiangqian decided to speak formally, "Speaking of which, has everyone noticed that Xu Damao has been a little strange lately, as if he did something and is feeling uneasy."

As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere around them seemed to freeze. Several old neighbors looked at each other, some lowered their heads to drink water, and some looked around nervously. Grandpa Zhang, who was sitting next to Li Xiangqian, was a little hesitant, but still smiled softly and said, "Xu Damao? He has indeed changed a bit recently, and seems to be different from usual."

Seeing this, Li Xiangqian had an idea and continued to push the topic: "Yes, the bigger his business is, the more uneasy I feel. Do you think he is doing something shameful?" He deliberately made his tone joking, trying to relax the atmosphere, while also laying the groundwork for what he would say next.

At this time, Aunt Wang, who was sitting opposite Li Xiangqian, suddenly said, "You are talking about Xu Damao. To be honest, I have heard some gossip recently. I heard that he has some unclear relationships with people outside."

Li Xiangqian's heartbeat suddenly accelerated. He did not respond immediately, but pretended to be casual and asked, "Oh? What's unclear? You are all good people, why do you have contact with those people?"

Aunt Wang looked around and seemed a little hesitant, but with Li Xiangqian's encouragement, she finally whispered, "You know, although Xu Damao's business seems legitimate, he often deals with some unknown people. Sometimes, when he goes out at night, those people are not good people. I heard that he may have something smuggled in."

Li Xiangqian raised his eyebrows slightly, but he did not show much reaction immediately. Instead, he pretended to be thoughtful: "Smuggling? This is not a good thing." He said lightly, but there was a hint of provocation in his tone, and his eyes were fixed on Aunt Wang's eyes.

Aunt Wang looked at him and suddenly felt something was wrong. She said something uncertain: "I only heard about this. No one knows whether it's true or not. Anyway, there are some things that I dare not say too much to avoid trouble."

Li Xiangqian did not continue to press the issue, but sighed softly: "Yes, there are some things that really cannot be said carelessly. But everyone must be careful in the future and not let such people do whatever they want."

The people in the courtyard were silent for a while, and the atmosphere became a little subtle. Li Xiangqian knew that this topic was just a preliminary guide, and the next step would be a real test of whether he could break through Xu Damao's defense.

Not long after, another person interrupted and said, "Li Xiangqian, don't worry about others. Let's worry about our own affairs. As for Xu Damao's affairs, everyone just needs to know about them. There's no need to pay too much attention to them." There seemed to be a hint of evasion in the tone.

Li Xiangqian was not discouraged by this reaction, but became more determined. These friends of Xu Damao in the courtyard were obviously not completely on his side, but their behavior was enough to prove that Xu Damao's image had begun to crack in their hearts.

He slowly sat back in the corner, looking at the people in the yard calmly. Li Xiangqian knew that today's "judgment" did not give him direct evidence, but from these reactions, he could already sense a potential change. Xu Damao was gradually no longer the omnipotent strong man, but a man who began to become anxious and even a little fragile.

In Li Xiangqian's mind, this game has just begun. The reactions of these ordinary people in the courtyard also gave him more confidence in his next plan.

As night fell, the courtyard of the quadrangle was still filled with the warm atmosphere after dinner. A few dim lights flickered, shining in every corner, reflecting a few familiar faces. The air was filled with a little dust and warm fragrance, and occasionally there were a few laughter and disputes, like an endless cycle. Li Xiangqian stood quietly in a corner of the yard, his heart as if a big stone was pressing down, heavy. He knew that today's conversation would be a turning point in the contest between him and Xu Damao - this time, he was no longer the forbearing bystander, but took the initiative.

Li Xiangqian looked at Xu Damao who was talking to his neighbor not far away, and a chill rose in his heart. He remembered the Xu Damao in the past, who always had a smug smile on his face and his eyes were full of indifferent pride, as if everything was under his control. But now, Xu Damao was obviously a little uneasy, looking around from time to time, as if he was alert to something.

A firm belief gradually emerged in Li Xiangqian's heart - he must make Xu Damao pay for his past actions, even if the price is a simple apology, even if it is just to expose the hypocrisy under his proud mask. At this time, he needs an opportunity, an opportunity that Xu Damao cannot avoid.

"Li Xiangqian, what are you doing?" Old Zhou at the side suddenly spoke and asked in a low voice.

Li Xiangqian came back to his senses and looked at Lao Zhou. The man had a doubtful look on his face and obviously didn't understand his actions in the past few days. "Nothing, I just want to let Xu Damao know that there are consequences for doing wrong things." He replied calmly, but did not reveal any more thoughts in his mind.