Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 28: Attempt to Steal Technique Backfires, Empty Hammering Reveals True Character

In March, as the last trace of winter's chill faded from Beijing, the blast furnaces in the forging workshop of the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill had already regained their former blazing heat. Lin Chen, wearing his faded but still crisp work clothes, was squatting in the precision forging area, adjusting the newly improved jigs. The unique, metallic smell of hot pig iron filled his nostrils, and the sounds of hammering and machine tools created a unique symphony in the workshop.

"Director Lin, the hardness test report for this batch of crankshaft blanks is out!" Liu Guangtian strode over, carrying a blue-covered test booklet. Beads of sweat trickled down his cheeks, leaving a small dark stain on his work uniform collar. He handed the report to Lin Chen, pointing excitedly to one line of data, "Average Rockwell hardness 58.2, far exceeding the 55 required by the drawings, 100% pass rate!"

Lin Chen took the report and carefully reviewed it, a faint smile playing on his lips. Over the past two weeks, he had not only fully unleashed Liu Guangtian's forging talent but also optimized the forging process through the system, increasing the precision group's production efficiency by nearly 40%. "Not bad," he patted Liu Guangtian on the shoulder, "Remember this temperature and hammering frequency ratio; try adjusting the parameters independently next time."

As the two were talking, a series of dragging footsteps came from the workshop entrance. Liu Haizhong, wearing a worn-out work jacket, strolled in with his hands in his pockets, his eyes unconsciously glancing at the jigs in the precision forging area and the process drawings hanging on the wall. Ever since Lin Chen "relented" and agreed to the technical exchange three days ago, he had been showing up here on time every day, ostensibly to "learn," but in reality, his eyes had never left those core technical documents.

"Director Lin, are you busy?" Liu Haizhong asked with a forced smile as he approached the jig being adjusted, feigning curiosity. "Is this new thing the treasure that can produce high-hardness blanks? It doesn't look particularly special." He reached out to touch the core component of the jig, but Lin Chen calmly blocked him with a wrench.

"The high temperature has just cooled down, be careful not to burn your hands." Lin Chen said calmly, his hands moving non-stop as he inserted a calibration pin into the positioning hole of the jig. "The core of this jig is the angle compensation design; even a slight deviation will result in a substandard part." He paused deliberately, noticing Liu Haizhong's Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily, and continued, "If Master Liu is interested, I can explain the basic positioning principle to you. As for the core parameters, they involve workshop secrets and are really inconvenient to disclose."

Liu Haizhong's smile froze for a moment, then returned to normal: "Look at you, I was just asking casually. By the way, I asked your sister-in-law to stew some sauerkraut and vermicelli for dinner, and also buy a pound of braised pork knuckle. Shall we have a good chat, you and I?" As he spoke, he glanced at a blue notebook on Lin Chen's workbench out of the corner of his eye—it was Lin Chen's special notebook for recording process parameters and debugging insights, with the red seal of the precision group printed on the cover.

Lin Chen understood. Last night, he had monitored through the system that Liu Haizhong had sneaked over to his workstation and lingered there for a long time during the night shift change. If it weren't for the security guard on duty, he probably would have made a move then and there. "Tonight probably won't work," Lin Chen said, closing his calibration tools. "Director Zhou asked me to work overtime to organize the experimental data for the new alloy, and I need to submit it by tomorrow morning."

A hint of disappointment flashed in Liu Haizhong's eyes, but he still pretended to be magnanimous: "Alright, work comes first! I'll go check on Guangtian's work over there first, so that the kid doesn't mess things up." As he spoke, he walked towards Liu Guangtian's workstation, but his eyes never left the blue notebook, like a hungry wolf eyeing its prey.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, Lin Chen received a notice from Director Zhou to attend a technical innovation seminar at the factory. Before leaving, he deliberately placed his notebook in the most conspicuous position on the workbench and even "accidentally" placed a pen on it to create the illusion that he was temporarily leaving. Through the micro-monitoring system (made from recycled parts from old radios), he clearly saw that as soon as he walked out of the workshop, Liu Haizhong, under the pretext of instructing Liu Guangtian on the operation, slowly moved to his workstation.

"Guangtian, your hammering is too light! You need to use a little more force!" Liu Haizhong scolded his son while blocking the view of his coworkers with his body. He quickly pulled out the notebook and stuffed it into his pocket, then took out an identical blank notebook from his pocket and placed it in its place, even deliberately pressing a pen on top of it, mimicking the action perfectly. After doing all this, he pretended to scold Liu Guangtian a few more times before hurriedly leaving the workshop.

The factory's seminar lasted a full two hours, and Lin Chen deliberately lingered until after six o'clock before returning to the workshop. By then, most of his coworkers had already gone home, except for Liu Guangtian, who was still working overtime polishing parts. Seeing Lin Chen return, he hurriedly went up to him: "Director Lin, my father left around four o'clock this afternoon. He told me to thank you before he left."

Lin Chen hummed in agreement, walked to his workstation, picked up the blank notebook, and feigned surprise, saying, "Strange, I remember there was a lot of data recorded in this, how come it's blank?" Liu Guangtian leaned over to take a look, scratched his head, and said, "I don't know, I've been working over there all afternoon and didn't notice anyone coming by."

Lin Chen didn't press further, simply putting away the blank notebook without a word, though he already knew the whole story. He opened the system panel, looking at the location notification that "Target Liu Haizhong returned to the courtyard with the notebook," and a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips. The "process parameters" in the notebook seemed detailed, but in reality, the key data had been modified, especially the proportions of the new alloy, where the sulfur content had been deliberately increased by three times—workpieces forged with this proportion would appear intact on the surface, but would actually be riddled with pores inside, and would shatter under pressure.

The next morning, as soon as Lin Chen entered the workshop, he heard a heated argument coming from the forging group. He hurried over and saw Liu Haizhong pointing at a pile of broken workpieces on the ground, shouting at the group leader, Master Wang, "This is impossible! I clearly followed the process parameters, how could they all break? There must be something wrong with your steel!"

More than a dozen unfinished crankshafts lay scattered on the ground, each one broken after forging, the fracture surface showing obvious honeycomb-like pores. Master Wang, holding a process sheet, was furious, his face flushed: "Master Liu, this steel just arrived yesterday, and all the spot checks passed! Look at these process parameters, the sulfur content is almost as high as cast iron, no wonder it broke!"

Liu Haizhong's face turned pale and then flushed. He had stayed up all night copying notes and even memorized the key parameters. This morning, he rushed to make a batch of "demonstration parts" as soon as he got to work, hoping to show off his skills to his colleagues and build up his capital for a job at a heavy machinery factory. But to his surprise, the first batch of parts broke as soon as they were forged, wasting more than ten kilograms of high-quality steel and delaying the workshop's production schedule.

"These parameters..." Liu Haizhong wanted to argue, but when he saw Lin Chen walking over, he immediately deflated like a punctured balloon. He had been too hasty in copying his notes last night and hadn't noticed the key data that had been modified. Now, facing Lin Chen, he felt even more guilty and didn't dare to look up.

"Master Liu, are these the process parameters you used?" Lin Chen picked up the process sheet from Master Wang's hand, glanced at it, and frowned. "These parameters are problematic. The sulfur content is seriously excessive, which doesn't meet the requirements for precision forging at all. Where did you get these parameters?"

Liu Haizhong stammered, "I...I heard it from someone and thought it was the latest technology." He dared not admit that he had stolen the notes. If he were exposed, he would not only be unable to stay in the workshop, but he would also lose his job at the heavy machinery factory.

"You heard that from someone?" Lin Chen feigned seriousness. "Master Liu, you're a veteran forger, you should know that process parameters can't be used haphazardly. This steel is all imported high-quality alloy, costing more than two yuan per kilogram. These dozen or so parts wasted nearly thirty kilograms, which adds up to more than seventy yuan—that's half a month's worth of auxiliary materials for the workshop!"

The surrounding workers gathered around, chattering amongst themselves. "Seventy-odd yuan! That's enough for an ordinary worker's monthly salary!" "Master Liu was so careless! How could he just use parameters from an unknown source?" "I think he was just trying to steal the credit, but he ended up losing more than he gained!" The comments stung Liu Haizhong like needles, his face turning bright red, wishing he could disappear into the ground.

Just then, workshop foreman Zhou Jianguo walked in. Seeing the broken workpiece on the ground, his face immediately darkened: "What happened? Wasn't this batch of crankshafts supposed to be delivered tomorrow? How come there are so many defective products?"

Master Wang quickly recounted what had happened. Zhou Jianguo's gaze fell on Liu Haizhong, and his tone was stern: "Liu Haizhong, as a level seven forger, how could you make such a basic mistake! You must compensate for the wasted materials at cost, and your entire bonus for this month will be deducted! In addition, you must write a profound self-criticism, which you will read aloud at the workshop meeting tomorrow morning!"

The compensation of over seventy yuan, plus the deduction of his bonus, was equivalent to two months' salary for Liu Haizhong. This was a devastating blow to him, as he desperately needed money for his son's dowry. He opened his mouth to explain, but Zhou Jianguo's stern gaze stopped him: "No need to explain. If you make a mistake, you have to take responsibility! If you make this kind of mistake again, you'll be relegated to menial tasks in logistics!"

After Zhou Jianguo finished speaking, he turned to Lin Chen, his tone much gentler: "Director Lin, can this batch of crankshafts still be produced? The customer is pressing us hard." Lin Chen nodded: "No problem, Director Zhou. I'll have the precision group work overtime to catch up, and the finished products will be available tonight, ensuring timely delivery."

Zhou Jianguo nodded in satisfaction: "Okay, then it's up to you. Let me know if you need any resources." After saying that, he turned and left the workshop, leaving Liu Haizhong standing there alone, his face ashen.

After get off work, Liu Haizhong didn't go straight home. Instead, he hid in a corner near the workshop entrance, waiting for Lin Chen to come out. When Lin Chen walked out of the workshop carrying his toolbox, he immediately rushed up to him, his face pleading: "Director Lin, please help me! I really can't come up with seventy-odd yuan. If my bonus is deducted, I won't be able to afford Guangqi's dowry!"

Lin Chen stopped and looked at the once arrogant level seven blacksmith before him, who now resembled a helpless child. He felt no sympathy, but rather that Liu Haizhong deserved this lesson. "Master Liu," Lin Chen said calmly, "I told you long ago, skills aren't stolen; they have to be learned step by step. If you truly wanted to improve your skills, I could teach you, but you insisted on taking the crooked path, and now that problems have arisen, you have to bear the consequences yourself."

"I know I was wrong!" Liu Haizhong was so anxious that tears were almost coming out. "I shouldn't have stolen your notes, and I shouldn't have misused the parameters. Director Lin, please forgive me this time! I promise I will never do it again and will learn the technology from you diligently!" For the sake of his son's dowry and his own job, he had no choice but to put aside all his dignity and bow his head to Lin Chen, who was more than 20 years younger than him.

Lin Chen looked at his sincere expression and remained silent for a moment. Although Liu Haizhong was greedy and impatient, he was, after all, a level seven blacksmith with rich practical experience. If he could genuinely serve the workshop, he would be a considerable force. "I can help you if you want," Lin Chen finally relented, "but you have to agree to two conditions. First, return the stolen notes to me and promise never to steal the workshop's technical data again. Second, starting tomorrow, you will join the precision group as a technical consultant, responsible for training new apprentices, and your salary will be calculated as a level eight worker. However, if any more mistakes are made, you will be fired immediately."

Liu Haizhong was overjoyed that Lin Chen not only helped him but also gave him a raise. "I agree! I agree to anything! I'll get the notes back for you right now. I promise I'll work hard from now on and never do anything underhanded again!" He was about to go home to get the notes when Lin Chen stopped him.

"I'll cover the compensation for you first, but it will be deducted from your salary monthly, ten yuan each month, until it's all gone," Lin Chen added. "Also, regarding Guangqi's betrothal gift, I can help you find a solution, but you can't continue to favor Guangqi like before, constantly beating and scolding Guangtian and Guangfu. They are both your sons, and they are all your flesh and blood."

Liu Haizhong nodded repeatedly: "I know, I know! I was confused before, but from now on I will treat all three sons equally! Guangtian is where it is today entirely thanks to your guidance. I will definitely discipline them well in the future and teach them to be honest and upright people!"

After retrieving the notebook from Liu Haizhong's house, Lin Chen had just entered the courtyard when he saw a group of people gathered in the open space of the central courtyard. Qin Huairu was squatting on the ground crying, Jia Zhangshi was standing to the side with her hands on her hips cursing, and Yan Bugui was holding an abacus and calculating something rapidly.

"What happened?" Lin Chen asked as he walked over. Grandpa Wang, standing nearby, sighed and explained what had happened. It turned out that Jia Zhangshi had stolen half a bag of cornmeal from Yan Bugui's house that day and had been caught red-handed. Yan Bugui insisted that Jia Zhangshi compensate him, not only for the cost of the cornmeal but also for "interest." The two started arguing, and when Qin Huairu tried to mediate, Jia Zhangshi pushed her, causing her to fall to the ground and cry in distress.

"You old hag, you stole my cornmeal and you dare to hit me!" Yan Bugui pointed at Jia Zhangshi's nose and cursed, "This half-bag of cornmeal is worth three yuan, plus interest, you have to pay me three yuan and fifty cents! Not a penny less!" Jia Zhangshi retorted, "Who stole your cornmeal? I picked it up myself! Why should I pay you?"

Lin Chen frowned, walked over to Qin Huairu, and helped her up. "Sister-in-law Jia, are you alright?" Qin Huairu shook her head and wiped away her tears. "I'm fine, I just feel wronged." Lin Chen looked at her swollen eyes and recalled seeing her diligently learning fitter techniques in the workshop that afternoon. He couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion. Since Yi Zhonghai was arrested, Qin Huairu had indeed changed a lot. She no longer deliberately feigned pitifulness to gain sympathy, but instead began to learn the skills diligently, wanting to support her family with her own hands.

"Aunt Jia, there's a hole in Master Yan's cornmeal bag, and it's covered in coal ash from your stove. How do you explain that?" Lin Chen turned to Jia Zhangshi, his tone serious. "Also, you pushed Qin Huairu. If you hurt her, it won't be something that can be resolved by just paying for some cornmeal."

Jia Zhangshi's expression changed; she hadn't expected Lin Chen to find evidence so quickly. Yan Bugui quickly chimed in, "That's right! There are marks on my bags; you can't deny it!" Seeing she couldn't deny it, Jia Zhangshi resorted to shamelessness: "So what if I took some cornmeal? Her Qin Huairu used to take so much stuff from Sha Zhu, and you never said a word!"

"The past is the past, the present is the present," Lin Chen said firmly. "Qin Huairu is currently learning a skill, wanting to earn a living with her own hands, and has never taken anything from others again. But you, you've repeatedly failed to learn your lesson, stealing time and time again. You must compensate me today!" He paused, then said to Yan Bugui, "Master Yan, the cornmeal is worth three yuan, so there's no need to calculate interest. We're all neighbors, we'll see each other all the time, why make things so harsh?"

Seeing Lin Chen intervene, Yan Bugui couldn't insist on interest any longer and nodded, "Alright, for Director Lin's sake, I won't ask for interest, but the three yuan must be paid!" Jia Zhangshi wanted to throw a tantrum, but Qin Huairu stopped her, "Mom, we were wrong, so we should compensate. I'll send the three yuan to Master Yan tomorrow."

Jia Zhangshi glared at Qin Huairu, about to say something, but was stopped by the firmness in Qin Huairu's eyes. Ever since Lin Chen gave her "Precision Fitter Technology" and measuring tools, Qin Huairu had made up her mind to turn over a new leaf, no longer relying on others as before, and even less wanting Jia Geng to follow Jia Zhangshi's bad example.

After the crowd dispersed, Qin Huairu walked up to Lin Chen and bowed deeply: "Director Lin, thank you. Without you, I don't know how much injustice I would have suffered today." Lin Chen shook his head: "No need to thank me. The key is that you must stick to the right path. Tomorrow I'll take you to see Master Li in the fitter's workshop. He's an eighth-level fitter with excellent skills. I'll have him take you on as his apprentice."

Qin Huai looked up in surprise: "Really? Thank you, Director Lin! I will definitely study hard and live up to your expectations!" Lin Chen nodded: "Study the skills well, and you can earn a living with your own skills in the future. That's better than anything else."

Back inside, Lin Chen had just sat down when a notification popped up on the system panel: "The host has successfully guided Liu Haizhong onto the right path, resolved neighborhood conflicts, and completed the 'Positive Guidance' task, rewarding 800 points. The hidden task 'Technical Inheritance' side quest has been upgraded, guiding Liu Haizhong and Qin Huairu to improve their skills. Reward: 1500 points, unlocking the intermediate 'Skill Sharing' permission (allows sharing intermediate skills with others, usable twice daily, each session lasting two hours)."

Lin Chen was overjoyed. The intermediate skill sharing permission meant he could improve Liu Haizhong and Qin Huairu's technical skills much faster. He clicked on the permission description and found that in addition to basic skills, they could also share intermediate forging and intermediate fitter skills, which would greatly help the development of the Precision Group and Qin Huairu's growth.

The next morning, Lin Chen took Qin Huairu to the fitter's workshop and found Master Li. Master Li was a renowned skilled technician in the factory, an upright man. Seeing Qin Huairu's sincere attitude and with Lin Chen's recommendation, he agreed to take her on as an apprentice. "Qin girl, learning to be a fitter is hard work. You need to be able to endure hardship and have patience," Master Li said earnestly. "As long as you are willing to learn, I will teach you all the skills I have learned in my life."

Qin Huairu said firmly, "Master Li, I'm not afraid of hardship, I will definitely learn well!" With Lin Chen's help, she also applied for a temporary dormitory in the workshop, so that she could have more time to learn the skills and no longer have to be distracted by taking care of her child and Jia Zhangshi every day.

Meanwhile, Liu Haizhong joined the precision forging team as promised. He indeed tempered his previous temper, diligently mentoring apprentices and proactively seeking guidance from Lin Chen whenever he encountered technical difficulties. Lin Chen didn't hold back either, teaching him basic precision forging techniques and even sharing intermediate forging skills with him using his skill-sharing privileges. Liu Haizhong's skills improved rapidly; in less than a week, he independently completed the forging of a batch of precision workpieces, achieving a 95% pass rate.

Seeing the changes in the precision group, Zhou Jianguo valued Lin Chen even more. He specifically praised Lin Chen and Liu Haizhong at the workshop meeting: "The precision group's production efficiency has nearly doubled compared to before, and the pass rate has reached 98%. This is all thanks to the joint efforts of Director Lin and Master Liu. I hope everyone can learn from them, diligently study the technology, and contribute to the development of the workshop!"

However, the peaceful days didn't last long. That afternoon, Lin Chen received a call from He Yushui, whose voice was very anxious: "Lin Chen, something bad has happened! Sha Zhu has been reported by Xu Damao for stealing pork from the canteen, and he's been arrested by the factory security!"

Lin Chen's heart sank. Although Sha Zhu was honest and straightforward, he would never steal pork from the cafeteria. He immediately asked, "What exactly happened? Tell me slowly." He Yushui took a breath and explained, "Xu Damao said that he saw Sha Zhu steal half a pig from the cafeteria's warehouse yesterday afternoon, and he even said he had a witness. The security guards found a piece of pork in Sha Zhu's dormitory and arrested him."

Lin Chen knew that Xu Damao must have deliberately framed Sha Zhu. Xu Damao had lost face because Lin Chen had exposed his previous rumors, and he had also been disciplined for misconduct. He had been holding a grudge ever since, and this time he was definitely trying to take revenge on Sha Zhu. "Don't worry, I'll go to the security department right now." Lin Chen hung up the phone and immediately rushed to the security department.

Upon arriving at the security office, Lin Chen saw Sha Zhu locked in a small room, his face ashen. Xu Damao stood to the side, a smug smile on his face. Security Chief Li, seeing Lin Chen enter, hurriedly went to greet him: "Director Lin, what brings you here?"

"Section Chief Li, I'm here to testify for Sha Zhu." Lin Chen got straight to the point. "Yesterday afternoon, Sha Zhu was helping me repair the forging press in the precision group. Everyone in our group can testify that he didn't have time to steal pork from the canteen." Section Chief Li frowned: "But we found pork in Sha Zhu's dormitory, and Xu Damao said that a witness saw Sha Zhu enter the canteen warehouse."

"I asked Sha Zhu to buy that pork for me, so I could treat my coworkers to dinner tonight," Lin Chen explained. "As for the witness Xu Damao mentioned, I suspect he deliberately hired someone to give false testimony. Section Chief Li, you can go to the precision group and investigate, ask our group's coworkers if Sha Zhu was in the workshop all yesterday afternoon."

Xu Damao's face changed: "You're lying! I clearly saw Sha Zhu stealing pork!" Lin Chen looked at him coldly: "Master Xu, you need evidence to back up your claims. You say you saw Sha Zhu go into the cafeteria warehouse, then tell me, who was the warehouse manager yesterday afternoon? What time did Sha Zhu go in? And where did he go after stealing the pork?"

Xu Damao was rendered speechless by the questioning, stammering and unable to utter a word. Seeing this, Section Chief Li also noticed something amiss and immediately sent someone to investigate the precision group. Soon, the investigators returned and confirmed that Sha Zhu had indeed been helping Lin Chen repair the forging press in the precision group yesterday afternoon and had not left the workshop at all.

The truth came out: Xu Damao was given a major demerit and had three months' bonus deducted for deliberately framing others. Sha Zhu was released and excitedly grasped Lin Chen's hand, saying, "Lin Chen, thank you! If it weren't for you, I would have been terribly harmed by that scoundrel Xu Damao!" Lin Chen smiled and said, "No need to thank me. An upright person has nothing to fear. Stay away from Xu Damao in the future, and don't let him find any more leverage against you."

After leaving the security office, Sha Zhu insisted on treating Lin Chen to dinner. Lin Chen couldn't refuse, so he agreed. During the meal, Sha Zhu remarked, "I used to think Uncle Yi was genuinely good to me, but now I realize the people who are truly good to me are you and Yu Shui. I won't be foolish anymore; I won't be used as a pawn by others."

Lin Chen nodded: "It's good that you understand. Keep up the good work as a cook. If there's a chance, I'll try to get you transferred to the factory's canteen; the benefits are better there." Sha Zhu said gratefully, "Thank you, Lin Chen! If you ever need anything, just let me know. I, Sha Zhu, will go through fire and water for you!"

It was late at night when Lin Chen returned to the courtyard house. Standing by the window, gazing at the moonlight, he was filled with mixed emotions. Liu Haizhong had reformed, Qin Huairu was diligently learning her skills, and Sha Zhu had finally seen through Yi Zhonghai's true colors. The atmosphere in the courtyard was slowly improving. But he knew this was just the beginning. Xu Damao would never let it go, and although Yi Zhonghai had been arrested, his remaining followers might still be operating in the shadows. More challenges awaited him in the future.

The system panel popped up again with a notification: "The host has successfully cleared Sha Zhu's name, exposed Xu Damao's conspiracy, and completed the 'Guardian of Justice' mission, rewarding 1000 points. The system level has been upgraded to level 7, unlocking the 'Equipment Improvement' expert privileges." Lin Chen clicked on the privilege description and found that he could independently design and improve large-scale mechanical equipment, which meant that his technological innovation plan had taken another important step.