Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 45: Factory Management's Accountability Serves as a Warning; The Abacus's Precise

May sunlight streamed through the glass windows of the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, casting dappled shadows on the concrete floor of the forging workshop. Lin Chen was squatting beside a newly assigned machine tool, repeatedly measuring the freshly machined turbine blade blank with calipers. The system panel displayed real-time data: "Diameter error 0.02mm, surface curvature deviation 0.01mm, meeting IT5 level precision requirements." He had just breathed a sigh of relief when Xiao Li, the workshop communicator, came running over with an official document, beads of sweat still clinging to his forehead: "Master Lin, the factory office urgently summons you. They say the results of the investigation into the Jia family's iron theft are in, and they want you to attend the meeting."

Lin Chen wiped the machine oil off his hands and put the calipers into the measuring tool case sewn by Qin Huairu—this cloth case was indeed useful; after several days, the surface of the measuring tools showed no signs of wear or damage. He followed Xiao Li through the noisy workshop corridor and saw a large crowd gathered at the entrance of the fitter's workshop. Yi Zhonghai stood outside the crowd with his hands behind his back, his face as gloomy as a piece of charcoal soaked in water. When he saw Lin Chen coming, his eyes were full of resentment, but he dared not step forward to retaliate.

The atmosphere in the factory's conference room was so tense it was almost suffocating. The factory director sat at the head of the table, clutching the investigation report submitted by the security department. Director Zhou and the head of the labor and personnel department sat on either side of him. Qin Huairu sat in the corner, head bowed, her hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, her eyes red-rimmed. Seeing Lin Chen enter, the factory director nodded to him: "Little Lin, you're here. Sit down. I called you here today for two reasons: first, to have you testify, and second, to hear your opinions on workshop anti-theft and technical confidentiality matters."

As soon as Lin Chen sat down, the factory director slammed the investigation report on the table: "The situation has been verified. Jia Zhangshi repeatedly instigated her grandson Jia Geng to steal workshop materials. This time, he stole leftover 30CrMnSiA alloy material from a military order, which is extremely serious! Labor and Personnel Department, read out the disciplinary decision." The head of the Labor and Personnel Department pushed up his glasses and cleared his throat: "After deliberation by the factory management, the following decisions have been made: 1. Jia Zhangshi instigated a minor to steal important factory materials, which is a serious offense. Her remaining wages in the logistics workshop will be deducted to offset the losses, and she will be transferred to the street for one year of labor reform; 2. Qin Huairu, as Jia Geng's guardian, failed to supervise him effectively. 5 yuan will be deducted from her monthly salary, she will receive a warning, and she will be disqualified from all performance evaluations this year; 3. Strengthen workshop security measures. Comrade Lin Chen from the forging workshop will take the lead in formulating a material management system, which will be submitted to the factory management for record-keeping by next week."

Before he could finish speaking, Yi Zhonghai suddenly walked in from outside, holding a crumpled notebook. "Factory Director, I have something to say." He walked to the conference table, opened the notebook, and said, "Qin Huairu is my apprentice of five years. She has always been very diligent in her work. This matter was mainly caused by Jia Zhangshi being blinded by greed; it has nothing to do with her. Could you please consider the difficulties she faces raising three children and show leniency?"

The factory manager glanced at him, his tone full of sarcasm: "Master Yi, you still have the nerve to plead for her? Last time during the fitter assessment, you cheated for her, and you were demoted and had your pay cut. Haven't you learned your lesson? Now your apprentice can't even manage his own child, letting his mother-in-law instigate him to steal from the factory. What kind of master are you? I think your title of 'technical instructor' should have been revoked long ago!" Yi Zhonghai's face instantly turned liver-colored. His lips moved, but he couldn't utter a word in rebuttal and could only stand aside dejectedly.

Qin Huairu suddenly stood up and bowed deeply: "Factory manager, I accept the factory's punishment. It was my fault for not taking good care of my family and bringing shame to the workshop. I will definitely take better care of my children in the future and never let this happen again." Her voice was choked with tears, but it was more determined than before. "I have already applied to the neighborhood committee for a sewing training class. I will go to study after get off work to earn more money to support my family and never get involved in those crooked ways with my mother-in-law again."

Lin Chen looked at her reddened eyes and, recalling the "guilt + determination" emotions displayed by the system, took the initiative to speak: "Factory Manager, Senior Sister Qin has been working very diligently in logistics lately. She washes all the workshop uniforms, keeping them clean and tidy. This incident was indeed orchestrated by Jia Zhangshi, and Senior Sister Qin is also a victim. I suggest that when the neighborhood committee comes to educate her child, our workshop should send a representative to accompany her and help supervise the child." The factory manager nodded: "What Xiao Lin said makes sense, let's do it that way. Director Zhou, please arrange this."

As the meeting adjourned, Qin Huairu deliberately stopped Lin Chen, taking out five yuan from her pocket: "Junior Brother Lin, take this money. I know I was docked five yuan from my wages because of my negligence, but this money should have been used to compensate the workshop for its losses. You've helped me so much; I can't let you suffer a loss." Lin Chen pushed the money back: "Senior Sister Qin, this is a factory disciplinary action, not a matter of you having to pay me back. If you really want to make amends, when the training course starts, you can come and teach the apprentices some basic fitter work when you have time. That's better than anything else." Qin Huairu was taken aback, then nodded vigorously: "I'll definitely come! I'll organize my old fitter notes tomorrow."

Back in the workshop, Lin Chen had just told Liu Haizhong about the factory's requirements when Yan Bugui walked in carrying a cloth bag, a fawning smile on his face: "Little Lin, busy?" He approached the machine tool, looking at the turbine blades, his eyes gleaming: "These must be parts for a military order, right? They look very valuable. My son Jie Kuang has enrolled in a training course. He's always been smart, good at math, he'll definitely learn the technology quickly. Please take good care of him."

Lin Chen smiled, "Don't worry, Teacher Yan. The training class admits students based on exam scores, it's all about ability. If Jie Kuang is truly talented, he'll definitely get in." Yan Bugui took two steamed buns from his cloth bag and stuffed them into Lin Chen's hands, "These were steamed by my wife, have a taste. I'm entrusting Jie Kuang's matter to you. If you can make an exception, I'll get you some food coupons." Lin Chen returned the buns, his tone turning cold, "Teacher Yan, exams are about fairness and impartiality, there's no room for leniency. Take the buns back for Jie Kuang to eat, let him study hard, that's more important than anything else."

Yan Bugui was rebuffed, his smile froze, but he was already plotting something else. He knew Lin Chen had the technology for military orders, and if he could teach Jie Kuang even a little, he'd definitely be able to secure a place in the workshop. His eyes darted around, and he forced a smile again: "Then I won't bother you any longer. By the way, I heard you're going to develop a materials management system. I used to manage teaching aids at school, so I have experience. If you need help with bookkeeping, I'll lend a hand for free." Lin Chen understood immediately. This old guy wanted to use bookkeeping as an excuse to find out about the workshop's materials, and maybe even steal some scrap to sell for money. He immediately refused: "Thank you, Teacher Yan, but the workshop has a dedicated custodian, so I won't trouble you."

Yan Bugui, having been rebuffed, left the workshop dejectedly. Liu Haizhong chimed in, "That old bastard's got a lot of tricks up his sleeve; he's definitely trying to steal the workshop's materials. Last time he tried to steal the scrap copper, but I yelled at him and drove him away. You need to make sure the regulations are strict enough; don't let him find loopholes." Lin Chen nodded, took out paper and pen, and began drafting the regulations. A prompt popped up on the system panel: "It is recommended to add a triple mechanism of 'material coding + inbound/outbound registration + periodic inventory,' which can be integrated with a coding tool made from discarded stamps."

In the afternoon, Lin Chen and Liu Guangtian set up a makeshift material warehouse in a corner of the workshop. Using the system, they combined discarded wooden signs and steel stamps to create a set of material coding stamps. Each part was engraved with a unique code, and entry and exit required registration and signature. Liu Guangtian held the register and diligently wrote down, "Master Lin, this way, everyone who takes something is recorded, and we're no longer afraid of theft." Lin Chen patted him on the shoulder, "Not only do we need to prevent theft, but we also need to prevent mixing up materials. Materials for military orders and ordinary materials must be kept separate; mixing them up could lead to a major accident."

As they were talking, Qin Huairu walked over carrying a stack of notebooks. The notebooks contained her basic fitter's notes, written in neat handwriting, and included many diagrams of measuring tools. "Junior Brother Lin, these are notes I took when I was learning fitter's. See if you can use them." She opened one of the notebooks. "It contains basic filing techniques and drilling skills, all taught to me by Master Yi." Lin Chen took the notebooks and scanned them with the system. The panel displayed: "Basic fitter's skills notes detected. Can be integrated and upgraded to 'Advanced Fitter's Tutorial', requiring 500 points." He was immediately interested; these notes would be perfect for the apprentices in the training course.

"Senior Sister Qin, these notes are excellent. They'll be perfect as teaching materials for the apprentices," Lin Chen said with a smile. "Once the training course starts, you can come and teach two classes a week on the basics of fitter work. I'll pay you for the lessons." Qin Huairu quickly waved her hand, "No need, no need. I'm happy as long as I can help. I used to always try to hide my skills, but now I realize that true ability can't be hidden, nor should it be." Her eyes were full of relief. Doing manual labor in the logistics workshop during this period had made her understand the security of earning a living with her own hands, and had also made her see through the true colors of Jia Zhangshi and Yi Zhonghai.

Back at the courtyard house that evening, the central courtyard was bustling with activity. Yan Bugui was showing off to the neighbors, holding a small account book: "My Jie Kuang is definitely going to get into the training class this time. I tutored him in arithmetic for three days, and he learned the decimal points for those technical parameters in no time." He caught sight of Lin Chen returning and immediately went over: "Master Lin, Jie Kuang has memorized all the notes. Could you arrange a better seat for him in tomorrow's exam so he can perform better?" Lin Chen shook his head: "Exam seats are randomly assigned; I can't make exceptions. Teacher Yan, if you really care about Jie Kuang, don't teach him these crooked methods. Let him take the exam based on his real abilities."

Yan Bugui was frustrated after his attempt failed, and when he got home, he took his anger out on Yan Jiekuang: "How could you be so stupid! Did you even remember all the test-taking techniques I taught you? If you don't pass the exam tomorrow, I'll break your legs!" Yan Jiekuang said aggrievedly, "Dad, Master Lin's notes are too difficult. I can't understand any of those forging terms." Yan Bugui's eyes lit up, and he pulled out a cloth bag from under the bed. Inside were chalk he had secretly taken from school: "Tomorrow during the exam, write the key formulas on your palm. The proctors are all from the workshop; they won't be too strict."

Lin Chen happened to see this scene while passing by. He sneered and turned to go home. A system notification popped up: "Cheating risk detected. It is recommended to enable the 'handwriting recognition + metal detection' proctoring mode." Lin Chen immediately took action, using the system to combine a discarded metal detector and radio parts to create a simple cheating detector; he also prepared answer sheets of different colors to prevent copying. He knew that someone like Yan Bugui would never learn the meaning of rules unless he was taught a lesson.

The next morning, the entrance exam for the training course was held in the workshop break room. Lin Chen and Director Zhou were the proctors. A cheating detector was placed at the entrance, and each candidate had to pass through it before entering. Yan Jiekuang's palms were covered in formulas, and he was so nervous that they were sweating. As soon as he reached the detector, it beeped. Lin Chen took out a tissue: "Jiekuang, wipe your palms clean before you come in. The exam relies on real ability; cheating won't work." Yan Jiekuang's face turned bright red, and he could only lower his head, wipe his palms clean, and slink into the exam room.

After the exam, Lin Chen and Director Zhou graded the papers together. Liu Guangtian answered the questions quickly and accurately, especially the practical questions, where his drawing of the calibration steps for measuring instruments was flawless, earning him a perfect score. Yan Jiekuang's paper, however, was a mess. He got most of the basic questions wrong, and his practical questions were a complete disaster. Director Zhou shook his head: "Yan Jiekuang is just like his father, his mind is all on crooked ways. What a pity." Lin Chen smiled: "If he's not cut out for it, forcing him won't help. When we select apprentices, we should choose someone like Liu Guangtian who is down-to-earth and willing to learn."

At noon, just as Lin Chen posted the admission list on the bulletin board, Yan Bugui rushed over, pointing to the absence of Yan Jiekuang's name on the list, and angrily said, "Lin Chen, you must have done this on purpose! My Jiekuang is so smart, how could he not pass the exam? Are you deliberately making things difficult for him because I didn't give him food coupons last time?!" The surrounding workers gathered around, gossiping. Lin Chen took out Yan Jiekuang's exam paper: "Teacher Yan, take a look for yourself. He answered 'arithmetic formula' for the basic question 'Accuracy of Commonly Used Measuring Tools for Fitters,' and all the calibration steps for the measuring tools in the practical question were wrong. How can he pass the exam?"

Yan Bugui stared at the exam paper, his face turning pale and then red. He argued defiantly, "This must be because you graded the papers unfairly! I'm going to report you to the factory!" Lin Chen took out the answer sheets: "All the candidates' answer sheets are different colors. There were also cheat detectors during the exam. It was fair and just throughout. If you don't believe me, you can go to the factory and check the surveillance footage." Yan Bugui knew the surveillance footage was clear and that he was in the wrong, so he could only slink away, but he harbored resentment towards Lin Chen and plotted his revenge.

In the afternoon, Lin Chen was debugging his newly fused ceramic cutting tools—made by fusing ceramic fragments and alloy materials using the system. These tools were three times harder than ordinary tools, perfect for machining the curved surfaces of turbine blades. Qin Huairu led Jia Geng into the workshop. Jia Geng, holding a brand-new notebook, lowered his head and said, "Uncle Lin, I was wrong. I'll never steal again. I'll study hard and learn a trade from you when I grow up." Qin Huairu handed Lin Chen a cloth bag: "This is a tool bag I made for you using materials from my sewing training class. It's perfect for holding your ceramic tools."

Lin Chen took the tool bag; it was lined with soft cotton, perfect for protecting the knives from bumps and scratches. A system notification popped up: "Hand-sewn tool bag detected. Maker: Qin Huairu. Emotion: Gratitude + Reassurance." He patted Jia Geng's head: "It's good that you know you were wrong. This is a notebook I bought for you. Study hard from now on, and you can ask me if you don't understand anything." Jia Geng's eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously: "Thank you, Uncle Lin! I will definitely study hard!"

Just then, the workshop supervisor ran over: "Master Lin, something terrible has happened! Yan Bugui sneaked into the material warehouse to steal alloy materials, but the warehouse keeper caught him!" Lin Chen and Qin Huairu exchanged a glance and rushed over. Inside the warehouse, Yan Bugui was being held down on the ground by the warehouse keeper, still clutching a piece of alloy material in his hand, his face filled with panic. Seeing Lin Chen approach, he shouted anxiously, "I didn't steal it! I was just looking!"

Lin Chen took out the materials registration book: "Teacher Yan, all the alloy materials in the warehouse have codes. The code on this piece you have is 008. There's no record of it leaving the warehouse in the registration book. How do you explain that?" Yan Bugui opened his mouth, but couldn't speak. The warehouse keeper added, "I saw him pick the lock on the warehouse with my own eyes, go in and steal materials, and even try to grind off the code!" Lin Chen picked up the alloy material. There were obvious grinding marks on it, which was the code he had just engraved that morning.

Director Zhou rushed over upon hearing the news. Seeing the scene, he was furious, his face turning ashen: "Yan Bugui, you, a teacher, actually stole factory supplies! I'll call the local primary school right now and have them deal with you!" Yan Bugui's legs went weak with fear, and he knelt on the ground, begging for mercy: "Director Zhou, I was wrong! I was just confused for a moment, trying to sell some materials to pay for Jie Kuang's tuition! Please don't tell the school!" Lin Chen looked at his humble appearance without a shred of sympathy—this kind of cunning person, unless dealt a fatal blow, will never learn to repent.

That evening, the principal of the local primary school came to the courtyard and summoned Yan Bugui. He announced publicly, "Comrade Yan Bugui, due to the seriousness and egregious impact of stealing factory supplies, the school has decided to suspend you from your duties pending investigation, revoke your 'Excellent Teacher' title, and deduct six months' bonus!" The news caused an uproar throughout the courtyard. Old Wang shook his head, "He really brought it on himself. All his scheming and plotting led to his own job being lost." Liu Haizhong laughed and said, "This is karma! Who told him to always try to take advantage? Now he's got what he deserves!"

Yan Bugui returned home, locked himself in his room, and didn't even eat dinner. Yan Jiekuang stood at the door and whispered, "Dad, I'll never take any more training courses again. I'll study hard." Yan Bugui suddenly exploded, slamming the abacus on the table to the ground: "It's all that Lin Chen's fault! If it weren't for his ridiculous rules, I wouldn't have been caught! I'm not finished with him!" He picked up the broken pieces of the abacus, his eyes filled with resentment, but he didn't notice that Lin Chen outside the window had seen everything.

Lin Chen returned home and opened the system panel. A new notification popped up: "The host has successfully thwarted Yan Bugui's theft, promoted fair enrollment for the training class, and completed the 'Establishing Authority Through Rules' mission, earning +4000 points. Current points: 48000. New feature unlocked: Skill Copying (can copy others' basic skills and convert them into training materials)." He looked at the new feature on the panel and smiled—with this feature, the training class's teaching materials could be even more abundant.

Just then, Qin Huairu knocked on Lin Chen's door with Jia Geng, holding a mended work uniform. "Junior Brother Lin, your work uniform was torn, so I mended it for you. Jia Geng said he wants to learn arithmetic from you. If you have time, could you teach him?" Lin Chen looked at Jia Geng's expectant eyes and nodded. "Sure, I'll teach you tomorrow night." Jia Geng jumped up excitedly. "Thank you, Uncle Lin!"

The following evening, Lin Chen's room was packed with people. Liu Guangtian was asking questions about forging techniques, Jia Geng was learning arithmetic, Qin Huairu was helping organize the training course materials, and even Liu Haizhong had come over to learn new mold designs from Lin Chen. Outside the window, moonlight spilled onto the bluestone slabs of the courtyard, creating a warm and cozy scene. Looking at everything before him, Lin Chen was filled with emotion—this courtyard, once filled with scheming and strife, was slowly becoming warm and reassuring.

At Yan Bugui's house, Yan Bugui was squatting on the ground, glued together a broken abacus, muttering, "Lin Chen, you wait, I'll make you pay!" His eyes darted around, and he remembered Yi Zhonghai—the man who also hated Lin Chen to the core. He stood up, dusted himself off, and headed towards Yi Zhonghai's house. He knew that to bring down Lin Chen, he needed an accomplice, and Yi Zhonghai was the best choice.

Lin Chen stood by the window, watching Yan Bugui enter Yi Zhonghai's house, a cold smile playing on his lips. A system notification popped up: "Potential alliance risk detected. Advance planning is recommended; gather evidence of collusion between Yi and Yan." He immediately activated the system, upgrading his previous recording equipment and installing it in a hidden corner of the courtyard. He knew a new contest was about to begin. And he was already prepared.