Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 53: Planning for Retirement from the Bedside; Undercurrents Flow on the Eve of the Lecture

The October autumn wind swept withered leaves across the wall of the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill. Lin Chen had just put the blueprints for the lecture into a leather bag when he heard a series of dragging footsteps coming from the workshop entrance. Looking up, he saw Yi Zhonghai standing there, wrapped in a faded old cotton-padded coat, his face sallow, followed by Qin Huairu carrying a thermos. Yi Zhonghai had been discharged from the hospital three days ago, and Director Zhou had granted him a week of sick leave; he should be resting at home right now.

"Director Lin, busy?" Yi Zhonghai's voice was weak from illness, yet he deliberately adopted a senior's air. Lin Chen put down his work and went to greet him: "Master Yi, what brings you here? You're still not fully recovered, aren't you resting at home?" Qin Huairu quickly stepped forward and handed over the thermos: "Junior Brother Lin, this is millet porridge I cooked for Master to help him recover. I also brought you a bowl, thank you for running around for him at the hospital last time."

Lin Chen glanced at the thermos but didn't take it—ever since thwarting Yi Zhonghai's scheme, he had become even more wary of the master and apprentice. "No need for the porridge. There are rules in the workshop that prohibit eating personal food during work hours." He stepped aside to let the two into the room. "If you have something urgent, we can talk in the office." A hint of displeasure flashed in Yi Zhonghai's eyes, but he still nodded and followed Lin Chen into the workshop office.

As soon as he sat down, Yi Zhonghai sighed, rubbing the calluses on his hands. "Xiao Lin, I was foolish about this lecture." He then changed the subject and began to complain, "I've been a fitter for thirty years, working my way up from apprentice to eighth-grade technician. I've spent my whole life upholding the reputation of a 'technical role model,' but I never thought I'd fall for this. Now I've lost my job, my bonuses have been cut, and my son and daughter-in-law, who live in another city, haven't even called me once after hearing about it."

Lin Chen picked up the enamel mug on the table and slowly sipped his water without replying. He knew Yi Zhonghai was playing the emotional card, waiting for him to respond. Sure enough, seeing his silence, Yi Zhonghai continued, "You're a promising talent, more clever than Sha Zhu, more upright than Xu Damao, and your skills surpass your master's. If this lecture is successful, you'll definitely be promoted to deputy workshop director, and your future in the factory will be limitless."

At this point, Yi Zhonghai lowered his voice, hinting, "I still have some old connections in the bureau. One of the judges for this lecture is my former senior. If you don't mind, let's keep in touch. I'll put in a good word for you with my senior, and I'll also speak up for you if there are any promotion opportunities in the workshop." The meaning behind his words couldn't be clearer—he wanted to develop Lin Chen into a new "retirement candidate" to replace Sha Zhu.

Lin Chen put down his enamel mug, looked up at Yi Zhonghai, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips: "Master Yi, I appreciate your kindness. But I remember last year during the fitter workshop assessment, you helped modify Senior Sister Qin Huairu's sample, right?" He paused, noticing the sudden change in Yi Zhonghai's expression, and continued, "That batch of samples was for parts made for military units, requiring extremely high precision. If the factory management finds out that you helped modify your apprentice's assessment sample, won't it affect your model worker title? Oh, by the way, you're no longer a technical instructor, so you don't need to worry about that anymore."

Yi Zhonghai's face instantly turned a deep purplish-red, and he abruptly stood up: "What nonsense are you spouting! When did I ever help her modify the sample?" "Whether you're lying or not, you know perfectly well." Lin Chen took out a workshop ledger, flipped to last year's assessment record, "This is the sample testing report from back then. The processing marks on it are exactly the same as your usual methods. Moreover, I heard that before Senior Sister Qin Huairu's assessment, she went to your house every night for a week to 'ask for technical advice,' staying until late each time."

Qin Huairu, standing at the door, turned pale and quickly came in to smooth things over: "Junior Brother Lin, you misunderstood. I really didn't understand back then, which is why I went to ask Master for help..." "Does asking for technical advice require staying up until late at night? Does it require Master to personally revise your assessment sample?" Lin Chen interrupted her, "As a direct apprentice of an eighth-level fitter, you still need Master to write your assessment for you? Aren't you afraid of embarrassing Master if word gets out?"

Yi Zhonghai was speechless, pointing at Lin Chen's nose, trembling with anger: "You, Lin Chen, I kindly tried to build a relationship with you, and you bring up old grievances to humiliate me!" "I wouldn't dare humiliate you," Lin Chen stood up. "I'm just reminding you that instead of looking for a 'retirement alternative' here, you should think about how to keep your level eight fitter qualification. If I report the sample evaluation to the factory management, you might lose your allowance."

Yi Zhonghai swayed, almost falling. Qin Huairu quickly supported him, saying, "Master, let's go, don't bother with him!" The two stumbled out of the office, and just as they reached the workshop door, they bumped into Liu Haizhong, who was carrying a wrench. Liu Haizhong glanced at Yi Zhonghai's back, walked into the office, and laughed, "Xiao Lin, I heard everything just now. Well done! That old bastard deserved it. He used to bully so many people in the workshop just because he was an eighth-grade technician."

Lin Chen smiled and said, "Just giving him a heads-up, so he won't try anything with me again. By the way, Master Liu, has all the equipment for the lecture been checked? We need it tomorrow, so we can't afford any mishaps." Liu Haizhong patted his chest and assured him, "Don't worry, I took Guangtian and a few apprentices and disassembled and reassembled the equipment. We even checked the screws three times. There won't be any problems."

Despite Liu Haizhong's assurance, Lin Chen was still uneasy. After all, Yi Zhonghai had mentioned his "old buddies" on the phone, and who knew what kind of trouble they might cause? After get off work, Lin Chen didn't go straight home. Instead, he secretly went to the Municipal Workers' Cultural Palace with the system-integrated "metal detector + miniature camera".

The staff at the cultural center had already gone home, with only the gatekeeper dozing in the duty room. Lin Chen used the "universal key" created by the system to open the door to the lecture hall, which was pitch black inside. He turned on his flashlight and carefully inspected the podium and equipment area. When he checked the sound equipment, the metal detector suddenly beeped. Lin Chen crouched down and used a screwdriver to disassemble the speaker casing, discovering a miniature jammer inside—it would interfere with the microphone signal as soon as it was powered on, making the lecture impossible to conduct normally.

"Something fishy is definitely going on." Lin Chen sneered, took off the jammer, and used the system to analyze it, finding Yi Zhonghai's fingerprints on it. He put the jammer in his pocket, checked the other devices again, and only after confirming there were no problems did he lock the door and leave. As he reached the entrance of the Cultural Palace, he saw a familiar figure flash past the street corner—it was Xu Damao, carrying a black bag, clearly having just returned from setting up the jammer.

Lin Chen didn't chase after him. Instead, he used the system to create a simple tracking device by combining an old cell phone with a signal receiver, and secretly attached it to Xu Damao's bicycle. He knew that Xu Damao would definitely meet up with Yi Zhonghai, and as long as he followed them, he could find out who that "old buddy" was.

Sure enough, Xu Damao rode his bicycle straight to Yi Zhonghai's house. Lin Chen hid at the alley entrance and overheard the conversation inside through the signal from the tracking equipment. "Master, it's done. The jammer is installed. Tomorrow, once it's powered on, Lin Chen's microphone will be silent." Xu Damao's voice was smug. Yi Zhonghai's voice came through: "Well done. I've already spoken to my senior brother. If Lin Chen's lecture goes wrong, he'll tell the judges that Lin Chen's 'technical skills are lacking, he can't even handle the equipment.' At that point, forget about promotion, he might not even be able to keep his position as deputy workshop director."

"Master is truly brilliant!" Xu Damao said obsequiously. "Once Lin Chen falls from grace, we'll expose his black market tool-selling activities and kick him out of the steel mill!" Yi Zhonghai snorted coldly, "No rush. Let him embarrass himself at the lecture first, cutting off his path to promotion. By the way, how's Qin Huairu doing? Did she do as I said?"

Hearing Qin Huairu's name, Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat. Xu Damao said, "Don't worry, Qin Huairu has already agreed. Tomorrow at the lecture, she'll 'ask for technical advice,' deliberately asking a few tricky questions that Lin Chen won't be able to answer. Then you can step in and 'give guidance,' which will both showcase your superior skills and embarrass Lin Chen."

Lin Chen frowned, surprised that Qin Huairu would join forces with them. He had thought Qin Huairu had reformed, but it seemed he had been too naive. Lin Chen put away the tracking equipment and turned to go home. When he reached the gate of the courtyard house, he saw Qin Huairu standing in the yard, holding a mended garment, seemingly waiting for him.

"Junior Brother Lin, you're back." Qin Huairu greeted him, handing him the clothes. "This is the work uniform you asked me to mend last time. I've finished it. See if it fits." Lin Chen took the clothes, glanced at them, and noticed the stitches were very fine; he had clearly put in the effort. "Thank you," Lin Chen said calmly. "Are you going to the lecture tomorrow too?"

Qin Huai nodded, her eyes flickering slightly. "Yes, my master asked me to go and learn. By the way, I have a few questions about fitter techniques that I'd like to ask you about tomorrow. Is that convenient for you?" Lin Chen looked at her and suddenly smiled. "Sure, but I advise you, there are some things you'd better not do, or you'll only suffer the consequences."

Qin Huairu's face paled instantly, and she quickly lowered her head, saying, "I... I just wanted to ask for some technical advice." Lin Chen didn't expose her further and turned to go home. He knew that Qin Huairu had only agreed to Yi Zhonghai's request to keep her job. After all, she was just a temporary logistics worker, and if Yi Zhonghai were to be reinstated, he would definitely retaliate against her.

The next morning, Lin Chen arrived at the Cultural Palace early with his equipment and lecture notes. He handed the jammer he had removed from the sound system to Officer Li, who was in charge of technology: "Officer Li, this is what I found in the sound system yesterday. Someone is trying to interfere with the lecture." Officer Li's expression changed, and he immediately ordered someone to check the other equipment while calling the police.

The police arrived shortly after. Using the fingerprints on the jammer, they quickly identified Yi Zhonghai. When the police went to Yi Zhonghai's home to arrest him, he was on the phone with his "old buddy"—Wang, a judge from the Municipal Industry Bureau—discussing how to give Lin Chen a low score. The police seized the recording on the spot, completely exposing Yi Zhonghai and Wang's conspiracy.

At nine o'clock in the morning, the lecture officially began. The director of the Municipal Bureau of Industry was present in person, and the audience was filled with technical experts and judges from major factories throughout the city. Lin Chen, dressed in a crisp Zhongshan suit, walked onto the stage and first used the projector to show you the jammer: "Distinguished leaders and experienced colleagues, before we begin the lecture, I would like to show you something—this is a jammer that someone hid in the speakers yesterday, trying to disrupt today's lecture. Fortunately, I discovered it, and the person involved has now been taken away by the police for investigation."

A murmur rippled through the audience, and the bureau chief's face darkened. Lin Chen didn't bring up the matter again, but instead began explaining the improved technology of the forging equipment. Combining drawings and physical demonstrations, he explained the complex technical principles in a simple and easy-to-understand way, occasionally citing actual production cases from the workshop, which won rounds of applause from the audience.

During the Q&A session of the lecture, Qin Huairuo stood up and asked a tricky question: "Director Lin, I would like to ask, how do you solve the problem of mold sticking when forging 12CrNi3A alloy?" This question was very professional, and even some of the veteran technicians in the audience frowned.

Lin Chen looked at Qin Huairu and smiled slightly: "That's a very good question. The 12CrNi3A alloy has a high nickel content, which does make it prone to mold sticking. There are two solutions: one is to spray a titanium nitride coating on the mold surface to improve its wear resistance and anti-sticking properties; the other is to adjust the forging temperature, lowering it by 50 degrees Celsius and extending the holding time. However, the second method will reduce production efficiency, so I recommend the first method more."

Lin Chen paused, then continued, "Actually, your master, Yi Zhonghai, should have taught you this problem. After all, he's an eighth-level fitter; he couldn't possibly be unaware of the solutions to such common technical issues. However, I heard that you studied fitter work under Master Yi for five years, but you didn't even pass the third-level exam. Is it because you didn't study the technique properly and instead focused your attention on other things?"

Qin Huairu's face flushed red and then paled, and she stood there at a loss. The people below the stage began to whisper among themselves. Someone recognized Qin Huairu: "Isn't this Yi Zhonghai's apprentice? How come she has to ask someone else such a basic question?" "I heard that she used to work in the fitter's workshop, and she only got by because her master favored her. She doesn't have any real skills at all."

The bureau chief frowned and asked the staff member beside him, "What is Qin Huairu's identity?" The staff member quickly replied, "She's a temporary logistics worker at the steel rolling mill, and used to be Yi Zhonghai's apprentice." The bureau chief's face darkened: "A temporary logistics worker, why would she attend a technical lecture? And ask such a question? Is she deliberately trying to cause trouble?"

Lin Chen quickly smoothed things over, saying, "Director, Comrade Qin just wanted to learn the technology, which is understandable." He knew that if the matter were really investigated, Qin Huairu would definitely be fired, and the Jia family would be in trouble again. After all, Qin Huairu had already started working diligently, and if she was fired because of this, all her previous efforts would be wasted.

The director glanced at Lin Chen and nodded: "Since you want to learn, then you should learn properly and not resort to any underhanded methods." He then gestured for Lin Chen to continue. During the ensuing Q&A session, no one dared to deliberately make things difficult; everyone focused on technical issues, and the atmosphere was very lively.

After the lecture, the bureau chief patted Lin Chen on the shoulder and praised him highly: "Comrade Lin, you gave an excellent lecture, combining theoretical depth with practical experience. You are a rare technical talent. The bureau has decided to award you a first-class merit, a bonus of five hundred yuan, and recommend you to join the Municipal Technological Innovation Committee!"

A round of enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience. As soon as Lin Chen stepped off the stage, he was surrounded by a group of technical experts, all eager to ask him technical questions. Yan Bugui pushed through the crowd, running over with a broad smile: "Director Lin, congratulations! I knew you'd succeed! Don't forget to invite me to the celebration banquet tonight!" Lin Chen smiled and said, "Don't worry, I've already booked Quanjude; I'm just waiting for you to settle the bill."

Just then, Qin Huairu walked over, her eyes red-rimmed. "Junior Brother Lin, thank you." She knew that Lin Chen had deliberately let her off the hook earlier; otherwise, she would definitely have been expelled. "No need to thank me," Lin Chen said, looking at her. "You have to walk your own path. Work hard from now on and stop following Yi Zhonghai and his gang in their schemes. Your fitter skills are actually quite good. As long as you study hard, you'll be able to pass the Level 3 worker exam sooner or later."

Qin Huairu nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. "I understand. I will definitely study hard from now on and never do anything crooked again." Lin Chen took out a book called "Introduction to Fitter Techniques" from his pocket and handed it to her. "This is a book I bought before. It contains many practical technical points. Take a look and ask me if you have any questions." Qin Huairu took the book and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Junior Brother Lin."

The celebratory banquet at Quanjude that evening was a joyous occasion for everyone. Liu Haizhong raised his glass to Lin Chen, saying, "Lin, I was wrong before. I treated you badly and even went against you. From now on, you're my boss. If there's anything in the workshop, just let me know, and I'll do my best!" Lin Chen smiled and said, "Master Liu, you're too kind. We're all doing this for the good of the workshop; we should help each other out in the future."

Sha Zhu also came over with a wine glass: "Director Lin, congratulations! I heard the bureau is going to give you a raise and recommend you to join the Technical Innovation Committee. That's amazing! If I want to transfer to the logistics department as the head chef in the future, I'll have to rely on your help." Lin Chen patted him on the shoulder and said: "Don't worry, I'll talk to Director Zhou when I get back to the factory. It won't be a problem."

As the banquet was drawing to a close, Lin Chen received a call from the police, informing him that Yi Zhonghai and Xu Damao had been detained for fifteen days for "disrupting public order," and that Judge Wang had also been dismissed and was under investigation. Lin Chen nodded, feeling a sense of relief—this time, Yi Zhonghai was completely finished.

It was late at night when Lin Chen returned to the courtyard house. As soon as he reached the gate, he saw Jia Zhangshi standing there, holding a cloth bag. "Little Lin, you're back," Jia Zhangshi said, her voice slightly hesitant. "These are cotton shoes that Qin Huairu and I made for you. It's getting cold, these will keep you warm. Thank you for helping our family so much. I was foolish before; I'll never steal again."

Lin Chen took the cotton shoes, felt them, and saw that they were well-padded and the stitches were very fine. "Thank you, Auntie." Lin Chen smiled, "Live a good life from now on. If you have any difficulties, you can tell me. Don't go astray again." Jia Zhangshi nodded repeatedly and turned to go home.

Back inside, Lin Chen opened the system panel, which displayed: "Main quest 'Fallen Yi Zhonghai's conspiracy with external forces' completed, reward 5000 points, current points: 76500. Side quest 'Guiding Qin Huairu onto the right path' completed, current progress 100%, reward 3000 points, current points: 79500. New feature unlocked: Technical blueprint generation."

Lin Chen nodded in satisfaction. The technical drawing generation function was perfect for designing new mechanical equipment, laying the foundation for future development. He knew that although Yi Zhonghai had fallen, the troubles in the courtyard were not completely resolved—the deaf old lady in the backyard was still enjoying special treatment under the guise of a fake martyr's family member, and would sooner or later become a new hidden danger.

Just then, light footsteps sounded outside the courtyard gate. Lin Chen frowned, walked to the window, and saw the deaf old woman leaning on her cane, secretly standing under his windowsill, seemingly eavesdropping on his conversation. Lin Chen sneered inwardly—it seemed his next target was this hypocritical old hag.

He didn't make a fuss. Instead, he used the system to create a night-vision camera by combining an old camera with a night-vision lens, and secretly filmed the deaf old woman eavesdropping. He knew that to expose the deaf old woman's false identity, footage alone wasn't enough; he needed to find more compelling evidence. Lin Chen opened the system panel and began studying the newly unlocked "technical blueprint generation" function. He already had a plan in mind—as long as he obtained the original of the deaf old woman's fake martyr's family certificate and used the system to identify the forgery, he could completely expose her to the light of day.