Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 31 Counterfeit Money Exposed, Old Grudges Unfold, Poisonous Scheme Fails, Alliance Shattered

Mid-April in Beijing was already warm. In the central courtyard of the Hongxing Courtyard, several Chinese toon trees sprouted tender red buds, but the tranquility of spring was shattered by an argument in the corner of the courtyard. Lin Chen had just entered the courtyard carrying the enamel mug that the factory manager had awarded him when he saw two employees of the supply and marketing cooperative standing in the center of the courtyard. One of them, clutching a crumpled banknote, shouted at Yi Zhonghai with a livid face, "Master Yi, this money was spent by your son, Sha Zhu, at our supply and marketing cooperative. It's blatantly fake! We demand an explanation today!"

Yi Zhonghai, dressed in a worn blue Zhongshan suit, stood with his hands behind his back, his forehead furrowed in wrinkles. Sha Zhu stood behind him, head drooping, his work jacket stained with canteen grease, clearly having just returned from the factory and been caught red-handed. A number of neighbors had gathered around. Yan Bugui stood on the steps with his arms crossed, secretly twirling an abacus in his hand, his eyes darting back and forth between the banknotes and Yi Zhonghai's face; Liu Haizhong squatted on the doorstep, smoking a pipe, a smug smile playing on his lips—ever since Lin Chen had helped him pay for the steel compensation, his prejudice against Yi Zhonghai, this "moral exemplar," had only intensified.

"Comrade, take another look. Sha Zhu is an honest and simple man, how could he use counterfeit money?" Yi Zhonghai tried to stabilize the situation, his tone carrying a bit of the authority of a technical backbone. "Could it be that your shop assistants have misjudged? I am an eighth-grade fitter from the steel rolling mill, and I would never condone my family members doing such a thing."

"You mistook it?" The shop assistant held up the banknote to the sunlight. "Look at this paper, it's half the thickness of a real bill. The watermark is just printed on; it'll come off with a touch! Our supply and marketing cooperative accepts grain coupons and cash every day; how could we not tell the difference?" He took a step forward, lowering his voice so those around him could hear, "If it weren't for the fact that you're a veteran technician, we would have called the police right away!"

These words struck a nerve with Yi Zhonghai. His reputation as a "moral exemplar" was paramount; if things escalated to the police, not only would Sha Zhu be punished, but he, as a "good teacher," would also lose all face. Yi Zhonghai glared at Sha Zhu and lowered his voice, asking, "Where did the money come from? Tell the truth!"

Sha Zhu shrank back, his eyes unconsciously glancing towards the backyard. He stammered, "It... I found it. I found it at the alley entrance yesterday, and I thought it was real..." He was interrupted by the sound of Yan Bugui's abacus: a crisp "clink." Yan Bugui cleared his throat. "Sha Zhu, that's not fair. Spending found money without checking its value is one thing if it's real, but counterfeit money is a serious offense. At market price, the pound of brown sugar and two pounds of peach crisps you bought are worth one yuan and twenty cents. This counterfeit bill is worth ten yuan; that's enough to get you charged with speculation and profiteering."

"Stop talking nonsense!" Sha Zhu retorted, his neck stiff with anger. "I was just confused for a moment!" But his heart was pounding—this money wasn't something he found; it was given to him yesterday by the deaf old lady, who asked him to buy some nutritional supplements and specifically instructed him, "Don't let Master Yi know." He had taken the money without thinking much of it because it was neatly folded, never imagining it was fake.

Lin Chen stood on the periphery of the crowd, taking in the entire scene. He immediately recognized the counterfeit bill—it was the "high-quality replica" he had created last month using the system to combine cardboard, paint, and wax. He had deliberately made several obvious flaws to thwart the deaf old lady's scheme. Last time, he had intentionally placed the counterfeit bill in a wooden box under the bed, using the loose floorboards to make noise and attract Sha Zhu's attention. Sure enough, Sha Zhu secretly took it that very night.

"Master Yi, this is easy to handle." Lin Chen stepped forward, his voice not loud but clearly reaching everyone's ears. "Master Shazhu has definitely been fooled. However, the rules of the supply and marketing cooperative cannot be broken. The counterfeit money must be confiscated, and the money for the purchase must be made up. The ten-yuan counterfeit bill must be handed over to the street office according to regulations. As for compensation, one yuan and twenty cents will suffice based on the actual amount spent."

The shop assistant was taken aback, clearly not expecting anyone to step in and smooth things over. Yi Zhonghai also breathed a sigh of relief and quickly chimed in, "Yes, Xiao Lin is right! I'll pay the compensation; we'll hand over the counterfeit money to the local street committee immediately." He then headed inside, intending to settle the matter with real money. But the shop assistant shook his head: "No! Our supply and marketing cooperative has a rule that regardless of the amount, using counterfeit money requires compensation equal to the face value of the counterfeit bill! This is to deter speculators!"

Yi Zhonghai's face darkened completely. Ten yuan was no small sum; it was equivalent to half a month's salary. Just as he was about to argue, the backyard gate creaked open, and the deaf old lady slowly walked out, leaning on her cane. She was still wearing her faded cotton-padded jacket labeled "Family of Martyrs," and her face showed just the right amount of surprise: "Oh dear, what's going on? All this noise is disturbing my old woman's sunbathing."

She walked up to the shop assistant and deliberately raised her voice: "Comrade, I know Shazhu well. He's not the kind of person who would engage in speculation. Are you sure you've made a mistake? I'm a martyr's family member. Everyone in the neighborhood knows my character. I can vouch for Shazhu; he would never use counterfeit money!" These words seemed like a plea, but in reality, she was using her status as a "martyr's family member" to put pressure on the shop assistant and imply that they weren't giving her face.

The shop assistant, clearly wary of the victim's family member's status, softened his expression somewhat, but still insisted, "Auntie, these are the rules. If everyone used counterfeit money and claimed they were cheated, how could our supply and marketing cooperative operate?" Just as the deaf old woman was about to continue feigning helplessness, Lin Chen suddenly spoke up, "Auntie, you're wrong. Everyone is equal before the rules, and the victim's family member should take the lead in obeying them. Besides, you probably know better than we do where Master Shazhu's money came from."

Lin Chen stared directly at the deaf old woman, making her heart skip a beat. She remembered that when she slipped money to Sha Zhu yesterday, she had specifically told him "not to let Lin Chen know." Had the boy found out? But she remained calm on the surface, instead putting on a stern face: "Little Lin, what do you mean by that? I live alone in the backyard, how would I know where Sha Zhu's money came from? You can't make false accusations!"

"I'm not making false accusations." Lin Chen took a small cloth bag out of his pocket. Inside were a few red wax shavings. "I found these in the corner of the yard yesterday. The wax composition is the same as the one used by Master Shazhu in the counterfeit money. The floorboards under my bed were loose. I heard some noise last night, and when I got up this morning, I found that the counterfeit money in the wooden box was gone—I confiscated those counterfeit money from a black market dealer last time. I was going to hand it over to the neighborhood committee, but someone stole it."

Upon hearing this, all eyes turned to the deaf old woman. Last night, many people saw Sha Zhu sneak into the backyard and stay for a long time before coming out. Yan Bugui's calculations started again: "So, someone stole Lin Chen's counterfeit money and then let Sha Zhu spend it? That's instigation, much more serious than using counterfeit money!"

Sha Zhu finally realized what was happening and pointed at the deaf old woman, shouting, "That's right! You gave me the money! You told me to buy you nutritional supplements and told me not to tell Master Yi!" The deaf old woman trembled with anger, slamming her cane on the ground. "You're talking nonsense! When did I ever give you any money? You got caught using counterfeit money, and now you're trying to frame a lonely old woman like me!"

The scene instantly descended into chaos. Yi Zhonghai stood in the middle, caught in a dilemma. On one side was Sha Zhu, whom he hoped to rely on for his old age; on the other was the deaf old lady, a family member of a martyr, whom he had been trying to win over. He knew that although Sha Zhu wasn't very bright, he would never lie. But if he admitted that the deaf old lady had instigated him, it would be tantamount to offending this elderly woman who received special treatment in the neighborhood. If he sided with the deaf old lady, Sha Zhu would definitely be resentful, and his future care arrangements would be in jeopardy.

Just then, Director Zhang from the neighborhood committee happened to pass by and, hearing the commotion, came in: "What's going on? Why are people arguing in the courtyard every day?" The shop assistant, seeing the director, quickly went to report the situation. After listening, Director Zhang looked sternly at the deaf old woman: "Madam, you are a martyr's family member; you need to be even more careful about your image. If you really incite others to use counterfeit money, you'll lose your martyr's family benefits!"

The deaf old woman's biggest fear was losing her status as a martyr's family member, so she immediately stopped her tantrum and instead wiped away her tears: "Director Zhang, I'm innocent! I just felt sorry for Sha Zhu and gave him a dollar to buy food, who knew he was using counterfeit money!" Seeing this, Yi Zhonghai quickly seized the opportunity: "Director Zhang, it must be a misunderstanding. I'll pay the ten dollars, and we'll hand over the counterfeit money to the neighborhood committee. Let's just leave it at that."

He went inside, grabbed ten yuan, handed it to the shop assistant, and then took the counterfeit bill and gave it to Director Zhang. The shop assistant took the money, muttered a few words, and left. Director Zhang didn't ask any more questions, just told him to "be careful next time" and left. The neighbors in the courtyard, seeing that there was no more excitement to watch, gradually dispersed, leaving only Yi Zhonghai, Sha Zhu, the deaf old lady, and Lin Chen.

"Come inside with me!" Yi Zhonghai dragged Sha Zhu towards his house, his face so dark it could drip water. The deaf old lady glared at Lin Chen, then leaned on her cane and went back to the backyard. Lin Chen stood there, a cold smile playing on his lips—this was exactly the effect he wanted, not only thwarting the deaf old lady's scheme but also creating a rift between her and Yi Zhonghai.

Sure enough, an argument soon erupted from Yi Zhonghai's house. Lin Chen, leaning against the Chinese toon tree, could vaguely hear Yi Zhonghai roaring, "Are you stupid! You do whatever that deaf old lady tells you to do! Ten yuan! Enough for us to eat for half a month!" Then came Sha Zhu's defense: "I thought she meant well… Besides, didn't you tell me to get along with her? That we could rely on her for support in our old age!"

Not long after, Sha Zhu stormed out of the house and bumped into Lin Chen. Just as he was about to explode, Lin Chen spoke first: "Master Sha Zhu, don't be angry. Some people pretend to be pitiful, but they're actually full of bad intentions. You help her buy things, she cheats you with counterfeit money, and in the end, Master Yi has to pay to clean up her mess. She's quite the shrewd businessman."

Sha Zhu was stunned for a moment, recalling how every time he and Xu Damao fought, the deaf old lady would seemingly try to mediate but actually side with Xu Damao; every time he brought something back from the cafeteria, the deaf old lady would take half of it under the pretext of "trying something new." He used to think she was one of his own, but now he realized it was all a scheme. "That old lady... was she really doing it on purpose?" Sha Zhu couldn't believe it.

"Whether it was intentional or not, you can decide for yourself." Lin Chen handed him a cigarette. "Last time, my family lost sweet potatoes, and Jia Geng said he found them, but we found sweet potato scraps on him; this time you used counterfeit money, which just happened to be the one I was going to hand in. Everyone in this courtyard is scheming, but you treat everyone like a good person."

Sha Zhu lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and frowned. He remembered Yi Zhonghai brainwashing him every day, telling him to take care of him in his old age; he remembered Qin Huairu constantly feigning pitifulness to get food from him; he remembered the deaf old lady always mentioning her "martyr's family" status to get him to help with chores. These things that he used to take for granted now seemed like nothing but manipulation. "So what am I going to do?" Sha Zhu asked, somewhat lost.

"I earn my living with my skills, I don't rely on anyone else." Lin Chen patted his shoulder. "You're a good cook, so bring food back from the cafeteria and keep it for yourself. Master Yi needs to retire, why should you bear the burden alone? Qin Huairu has a hard time raising three children, but she has the fitter skills Master Yi taught her, she can easily pass the exams and get a raise, why should she take your food every day?"

Sha Zhu fell silent. He used to think Lin Chen was young and impetuous, lacking understanding of "social etiquette," but now he realized that he was the fool who had been bound by social obligations. As the two were talking, Qin Huairu returned from outside, carrying an empty basket. Seeing Sha Zhu, she gave him a pitiful look: "Brother Sha Zhu, my Huaihua wants to eat meat. Did you bring any from the cafeteria today?"

Sha Zhu would usually have brought out the meat long ago, but today he frowned: "No. The canteen is serving cabbage stew today, no meat." Qin Huairu's smile froze, and she looked at Lin Chen: "Director Lin, you were praised at the factory today, right? I heard the factory manager even gave you a bonus. Could you lend me two yuan? My child is almost out of food."

Lin Chen smiled faintly: "Sister-in-law Jia, I just gave the supply and marketing cooperative ten yuan in compensation—it was for Master Shazhu. Besides, aren't you learning to be a fitter? Master Li said you're progressing very quickly and you'll be able to take the exam next month. Once you pass the exam, your salary will increase, and then you won't have to borrow money from others anymore." He deliberately brought up the exam, hitting Qin Huairu's weakness of hiding her talents.

Qin Huairu's expression changed instantly. She forced a smile and said, "My skills are nothing compared to what I'd learn to pass an exam. Director Lin, you're joking." She hurried home, her heart pounding with anxiety. She had deliberately concealed her skills to maintain her "weak apprentice" image, allowing her to continue morally blackmailing Sha Zhu and clinging to Yi Zhonghai. If Lin Chen revealed her skills, her good days would be over.

Lin Chen watched her retreating figure and said to Sha Zhu, "You see, it's not that she can't support herself, it's that she doesn't want to." Sha Zhu nodded, the scales in his heart gradually tipping. He turned and walked towards the cafeteria, deciding that starting tomorrow, he would no longer give Qin Huairu food indiscriminately.

That night, the lights in Yi Zhonghai's house stayed on until late. Lin Chen, through the "simple eavesdropping device" integrated into the system (made from scrap radio parts and thin copper wire), clearly heard Yi Zhonghai arguing with the deaf old woman. "Auntie, what you're doing is so dishonest!" Yi Zhonghai's voice was filled with anger. "Ten yuan! That's half a month's salary for me! If you're trying to scheme against Lin Chen, don't drag Sha Zhu into it!"

"I'm doing this all for you!" The deaf old woman's voice rose as well. "That kid Lin Chen is too shrewd. If he continues to develop like this, you'll lose all your prestige in the courtyard! Sha Zhu is your support in your old age. Is it wrong for me to make him stumble so he'll rely on you even more?"

"Even if you rely on me, you can't use counterfeit money!" Yi Zhonghai stomped his feet angrily. "Now everyone in the compound knows that Sha Zhu uses counterfeit money, and they even suspect that you instigated him. Where do I put my face? How will the neighborhood committee view me, an eighth-grade fitter?" The two argued until their faces were red, and finally parted on bad terms.

Lin Chen turned off the bugging device, a satisfied smile appearing on his lips. A notification popped up on the system panel: "Host has successfully thwarted the deaf old lady's scheme, sowing discord between Yi Zhonghai and the deaf old lady, completing the 'Disintegrate the Retirement Group' mission, points +800. Current total points: 7100."

The next morning, Lin Chen had just arrived at the workshop when Zhou Jianguo called her into his office. Zhou Jianguo handed her a document: "Lin, the factory has decided to establish a tool research and development team, and you will be the team leader. This is Qin Huairu's application; she wants to be transferred to the research and development team as an administrator. What do you think?"

Lin Chen took the application; the handwriting was neat, yet it conveyed a deliberate humility. He knew Qin Huairu wanted a change of scenery to continue relying on him, this "newly rich." If it were anyone else, they might give Yi Zhonghai face, but Lin Chen had other plans. "Director Zhou, Qin Huairu is known for her meticulousness; she's no problem being an administrator." Lin Chen paused, "But I have one condition: she must participate in next month's fitter certification exam. The administrator of the R&D team must have at least a Level 4 fitter certificate; that's the rule."

Zhou Jianguo paused for a moment, then understood. He had also heard that Qin Huairu had been studying with Yi Zhonghai for several years but had never taken the exam. "Okay, we'll do it your way. I'll inform her right away and tell her to prepare for the exam," Zhou Jianguo said with a smile. "With you overseeing things, I feel at ease."

Lin Chen returned to the workshop and told Qin Huairu the news. Her face turned deathly pale, and she stammered, "I...I'm not ready yet. Can we wait a little longer?" Lin Chen shook his head: "Sister-in-law Jia, this is the factory's regulation. The R&D team is a core technical department, and the administrators must have the corresponding technical level. You've been learning from Master Yi for five years; you're more than qualified for the Level 4 fitter exam. If you lack confidence, I can tutor you."

These words, seemingly well-intentioned, actually cut off Qin Huairu's escape route. If she refused, she would remain in her current position with no chance of promotion; if she agreed, she would have to expose the truth about her hidden abilities—she hadn't learned Yi Zhonghai's core skills at all and couldn't even pass the fourth-level fitter exam. Qin Huairu gritted her teeth and reluctantly agreed: "Okay, I'll take the exam."

For the next few days, Qin Huairu was constantly frowning. She secretly went to Yi Zhonghai, hoping he could help her highlight the key points, but Yi Zhonghai was still angry about the counterfeit money incident and only said perfunctorily, "The exam requires real skills; I can't help you cheat. You should study hard yourself." Qin Huairu was rebuffed and went to Sha Zhu, hoping he could ask Lin Chen to make an exception for you, but this time Sha Zhu refused: "Lin Chen is right; you have to earn a living with your own skills. I can't help you."

Just when Qin Huairu was at her wits' end, Xu Damao suddenly found her. Xu Damao had been relegated to menial tasks in logistics due to his previous sabotage of production, and he harbored a deep resentment. He handed Qin Huairu a note: "These are the actual exam questions for the Level 4 fitter certification exam. I copied them from the technical department. If you can get me the blueprints for the twist drill developed by Lin Chen, I'll give you the questions."

Qin Huairu looked at the note, a thought flashing through her mind. She knew that the twist drill was Lin Chen's core technology, and if it were given to Xu Damao, Lin Chen would definitely be severely punished. But thinking about the grading exam, she hardened her heart: "How do I know this exam paper is real?" Xu Damao sneered: "You can ask Yi Zhonghai. This is last year's exam paper; he was a grading examiner, so he definitely recognizes it."

Qin Huai took the note to Yi Zhonghai, and it was indeed confirmed to be the real exam question. She returned home and agonized over it all night. Early the next morning, while Lin Chen was in the bathroom, she sneaked into his office, intending to steal the blueprints for the twisted drill. But as soon as she opened the drawer, Lin Chen caught her red-handed: "Sister-in-law Jia, what are you doing?"

Qin Huairu turned deathly pale with fright, dropping the blueprints in her hand. Lin Chen picked them up; they were fake blueprints he had deliberately drawn, with key parameters altered. "You wanted to steal my R&D blueprints?" Lin Chen's tone was icy. "I truly misjudged you. I helped you secure the administrator position, mentored you in technical matters, and you try to sell out the workshop's core technology!"

Just then, Zhou Jianguo and Yi Zhonghai walked in. It turned out that Lin Chen had anticipated Xu Damao's attempt to win over Qin Huairu, and had deliberately installed a makeshift surveillance system (made from system-integrated components) in the office, and even intentionally placed fake blueprints in the drawer. Seeing the blueprints on the floor, Zhou Jianguo's face turned ashen with anger: "Qin Huairu! You've gone too far! The workshop has treated you well, and you actually tried to steal technical data!"

Yi Zhonghai was utterly astonished by Qin Huairu's actions. He had always considered himself a "good teacher," but his apprentice had stolen technical data, causing him to lose face completely. "Qin Huairu, you're coming back with me!" Yi Zhonghai trembled with rage. "From today onwards, I am no longer your teacher!"

The matter was quickly reported to the factory administration. The factory director personally approved: Qin Huairu's application for administrator position was revoked, she was demoted to a temporary worker, and transferred out of the technical workshop; Xu Damao was dismissed from his post for stealing technical data and instigating others to leak secrets. When the news reached the courtyard, everyone was stunned. Jia Zhangshi was so angry that she cursed at home all day, and Jia Geng, because he had no one to back him up, dared not steal from his neighbors anymore.

That evening, Lin Chen had just returned home when she saw Sha Zhu standing at her door. Sha Zhu handed her a package of oiled paper: "This is braised pork I brought from the cafeteria. Thank you for reminding me. I was so foolish before, being used as a pawn. I'll never do that again." Lin Chen took the package and smiled, saying, "No need to thank me. It's good that you've figured it out yourself. Work hard from now on. With your cooking skills, you'll be the cafeteria manager sooner or later."

Sha Zhu nodded and turned to leave. Lin Chen opened the oil paper package, and the aroma of braised pork wafted out. Looking at the moonlight outside the window, he understood that the alliance of the retirement group had cracked. Yi Zhonghai had lost Qin Huairu, his capable assistant; the deaf old lady was isolated; and Yan Bugui and Liu Haizhong each had their own ulterior motives. The counterattack to come would be much smoother.

The system panel popped up again with a notification: "The host has successfully thwarted Qin Huairu and Xu Damao's conspiracy to leak secrets, dismantled the master-disciple alliance between Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu, and completed the 'Precision Strike' mission, earning +1000 points. The current total points are 8100, unlocking the basic 'Skill Copying' permission (allowing the copying of others' basic skills)."

Lin Chen was overjoyed. The basic skill copying permission meant that he could copy Yi Zhonghai's fitter skills and further improve his own technical level.