Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

Li Xiangqian felt a dull pain in his heart, and the uneasiness swept over him again. He knew that Xu Damao was right - everything he did was just to find gaps and space for his own interests. However, the dispute in the courtyard was not a simple economic game, but a tug-of-war for power, involving the game of people's hearts and interests, which was unfathomable.

"I don't need confidence." Li Xiangqian's voice turned cold, "I just need time."

Xu Damao frowned, obviously not fully understanding what Li Xiangqian meant. He never thought that Li Xiangqian could do anything substantial to fight back, but thought that Li Xiangqian's approach was just a slow compromise. But he did not refute immediately, but smiled lightly, his eyes sinister: "Time? Do you really think that time can help you solve all problems? In this situation, time is nothing more than a gamble. If you win the gamble, you may be able to get through it smoothly, but if you miscalculate, time will become a weight you cannot bear."

Li Xiangqian didn't want to continue to argue with him on this issue, but Xu Damao's words were like needles piercing his heart. Xu Damao knew that Li Xiangqian's most painful part was the sense of responsibility that he had never let go of, and his desire to control the situation. Xu Damao sneered again: "Don't you understand? Everyone is waiting for you to make a mistake, and you think you can win the situation by pretending to do nothing. This is simply a joke."

Li Xiangqian clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. He knew that Xu Damao's words had touched his soft spot. He had never felt that he was an outsider, and every move in the Siheyuan, although difficult and dangerous, still made him feel the charm of the challenge. But right now, this game seemed a little different.

He suppressed his emotions and took a deep breath: "Xu Damao, stop trying to provoke me. You know you can't succeed easily." His tone became colder and colder. "You shouldn't underestimate me, nor should you underestimate every force in the courtyard."

Xu Damao did not respond immediately, but smiled more meaningfully: "Underestimate you? I think you are just daydreaming. The power struggle in Siheyuan is not something you can solve alone. No matter how smart and calm you are, you will never understand the mystery here." He paused, and his eyes suddenly became sharp, "You think you are confident, you think you are in control of everything, but everyone in Siheyuan has their own calculations. Even if you are in a high position, you still have to look at their faces."

Li Xiangqian felt a sense of oppression rising in his heart. Every word of Xu Damao seemed to pierce deeply into his heart, like an invisible sword, cutting off his sense of control over the situation. Xu Damao's words seemed to ignite some kind of fire - Li Xiangqian suddenly realized that Xu Damao was not completely fighting back against him, but was trying to make him lose his mind and make him unable to cope with this game.

Li Xiangqian's expression changed slightly, and the uneasiness in his heart rose again. He understood that Xu Damao's purpose was to force him to expose his weaknesses and make mistakes. Xu Damao's sneer and provocation made him feel that he was in an extremely complicated game, and he was still in an unfathomable situation.

"Xu Damao, don't take yourself too seriously." Li Xiangqian finally fought back, his voice so cold that it could almost condense the air, "You are just a chess piece in the Siheyuan, and it is not worth my time to analyze it. You said you know the rules of the Siheyuan, but you are just used to controlling everything by suppressing the weak."

Xu Damao's expression froze for a moment, and then his face turned gloomy: "Do you think you can control everyone?" He smiled slightly, but behind that smile was an increasingly strong hostility. "Li Xiangqian, you think you have a way to fight back against me, but you are wrong. You don't understand the real rules."

"Then tell me, what are the real rules?" Li Xiangqian asked back, his tone showing no sign of weakness.

Xu Damao's smile became even colder, his eyes sharp as a knife: "The real rule is to always stand on top and control everything."

The confrontation between Li Xiangqian and Xu Damao spread across the courtyard of the quadrangle. The sharpness of their words collided with each other, and the atmosphere became increasingly tense. Every confrontation seemed to stir up an invisible wave in the air. However, just when they were about to explode, a slight cough suddenly came from the gate of the courtyard.

The two men stopped at the same time, and their eyes turned to the source of the sound. An old man in his seventies, wearing a slightly worn gray Chinese robe, slowly stood at the gate of the yard. His steps were steady and slow. Although he was old, he was surprisingly energetic and his eyes were as sharp as an eagle. He was leaning on a wooden cane, and the end of the cane gently tapped the ground, making a dull sound with each tap.

This old man is a frequent visitor to the Siheyuan, his name is Han Zemin. Almost everyone knows that Uncle Han has a special status. Although he is old, he never interferes in anything, but silently sees through everything in the Siheyuan. He is a silent observer who always seems to be able to appear at the most critical moment and perceive those subtle changes.

Li Xiangqian and Xu Damao were both stunned, and then they both showed a trace of barely perceptible embarrassment. Xu Damao smiled, but the smile was a little far-fetched, as if Han Zemin's sudden appearance made him lose some sense of control.

"Uncle Han, you've arrived at the right time." Xu Damao pretended to be relaxed, but his tone was obviously a little depressed. He knew that Han Zemin was not someone who was easy to mess with. Although he seemed to be indifferent to worldly affairs, he could accurately hit the sore spot every time he spoke.

Han Zemin walked slowly into the yard, and the sound of his cane was particularly clear in the silent air. Looking at Li Xiangqian and Xu Damao standing there, he did not speak immediately, but his eyes swept over the two of them, finally stopping at Li Xiangqian's face. Li Xiangqian's heart tightened, he always felt that the moment he was swept by Han Zemin's eyes, all his thoughts were exposed.

"What are you arguing about?" Han Zemin's voice was still calm, but it was as deep as a stone sinking into the sea, with a steadiness honed by time and a majesty that could not be ignored.

Li Xiangqian paused, thinking about what he had just said to Xu Damao. He didn't know how to speak, so he turned to look at Xu Damao, wanting to see how the other party would respond.

Xu Damao's face changed slightly, and then he smiled casually: "Uncle Han, you are too worried. We just had a small dispute, it's no big deal."