Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 121 Stealing a Picture on a Cold Night with Malicious Intent, Laying a Trap in the Dark to A

The commendation ceremony for the military orders had just ended when Yi Zhonghai, leaning on his cane, slipped into the workshop's storage room. A thick layer of dust covered the old grinding wheels piled in the corner, but he seemed oblivious. His thin, withered fingers repeatedly rubbed the brass key in his pocket—a replica of the archive key he'd had his old buddy at the watch shop for half a month make. The key's teeth had been modified three times before it could finally fit into the archive's lock, but he hadn't yet tested whether it could turn the lock cylinder.

"Liu Guangtian... Lin Chen..." He gritted his teeth as he uttered the two names, his gums turning white from the effort. At the commendation ceremony that morning, the "Outstanding Apprentice" medal on Liu Guangtian's chest dazzled his eyes in the sunlight. What embarrassed him even more was that Zhou Jianguo, in his speech, specifically mentioned "breaking the seniority system and judging heroes by their skills," a veiled criticism that he had monopolized precision technology for years without any innovation. What made him even more uneasy was that the factory had published the list of technical backbone personnel for assessment last week, and his name was marked "Under Observation," while Lin Chen and the newly promoted Liu Guangtian were prominently listed. If he failed this assessment, his level eight fitter allowance would be halved.

The window of the storage room faced the archives room, and the setting sun cast long shadows of the archives' iron railings. Yi Zhonghai watched Lin Chen and Liu Guangtian push a cart into the tool shop, the cart loaded with car half-shafts they had just salvaged from the scrap yard. The two men discussed forging techniques as they walked, their hearty laughter punctuating their conversation. That laughter pierced Yi Zhonghai's heart like needles. He remembered three months ago when he had someone deliver two kilograms of premium flour to Zhou Jianguo, hoping to get his distant nephew, Yi Xiaochuan, into the precision group, only to have Liu Guangtian, recommended by Lin Chen, snatch the job away; he remembered six months ago during the workshop renovation, when his outdated proposal was outdone by Lin Chen's "waste heat utilization forging method," even earning praise from the factory manager for Lin Chen's innovative ideas.

"It's not that I can't tolerate them, it's that they've cut off my livelihood." Yi Zhonghai pulled a crumpled envelope from his pocket. Inside was information he'd gathered through connections: Lin Chen was applying for a patent for "high-efficiency wear-resistant gears." If approved, he would not only receive a hefty bonus but also be promoted to deputy head of the technical department. At that point, Yi Zhonghai, an eighth-grade fitter, would have no place in the factory. At the bottom of the envelope was a slip of paper with the archives' duty roster—tonight's duty officer was Old Wang, recently retired and rehired. He was said to have an early-to-bed habit and would nap in the duty room after ten o'clock.

Night fell like ink, and the lights in the courtyard flickered on and off one by one. The abacus in Yan Bugui's front yard stopped, and the oil lamp on Qin Huairu's sewing machine in the middle yard went out. Only Chen Qing's tool shop remained lit, the soft whirring of its machines emanating from within. Yi Zhonghai, wearing an old cotton-padded coat and leaning on his cane, paced back and forth at the courtyard gate, glancing occasionally in the direction of the tool shop. Aunt Liu, carrying a bowl of hot soup, passed by and, seeing him shivering in the cold wind, couldn't help but advise, "Uncle Yi, it's so cold, go back inside. Guangtian was just lucky, don't take it to heart."

Yi Zhonghai suddenly turned his head, and the sinister look in his eyes startled Aunt Liu. He forced a smile: "It's nothing, I just wanted to see Guangtian's new work clothes. It's a good thing that young people are promising." After Aunt Liu walked away, he took out an oil paper package from his cotton-padded coat pocket. Inside was half a bottle of liquor and a packet of braised dried tofu—this was a "stepping stone" he had specially prepared. If Old Wang wasn't asleep, he would use the liquor to get him drunk.

In the tool shop, Lin Chen was using the system to scan the newly forged gear blank. On the pale blue screen, the gear's metallographic structure was clearly visible, with red markers indicating several tiny impurities. [Material defect detected: Local carbon content exceeds standard by 0.02%, local annealing recommended.] He had just written down the annealing parameters when he noticed an anomaly notification pop up in the corner of the system panel: [High-frequency metal vibration signal detected, source: direction of the workshop archives, suspected to be the vibration frequency of a key being inserted into a lock.]

Lin Chen's heart sank. He looked up at the clock on the wall; the hands had just struck 9:30. He remembered that when he came out of Zhou Jianguo's office that afternoon, he had run into Yi Zhonghai lingering at the entrance of the archives. At the time, he thought Yi was there to look up old blueprints, but now it seemed strange. "Guangtian, you keep an eye on the annealing furnace. I'll go check on the workshop." He grabbed a flashlight from the table and took a homemade miniature recording device from the tool rack—it was made from parts of an old radio and could record continuously for four hours.

Liu Guangtian was marking the gear blanks when he heard this and looked up, saying, "Brother Lin, do you want me to come with you? It's dark in the workshop tonight, I can help you out."

"No need. Just keep an eye on the furnace temperature, don't let it exceed 650 degrees." Lin Chen patted his shoulder and casually stuffed a switchblade into his pocket—not to hurt anyone, but to deal with emergencies. There was a lot of scrap steel piled up in the workshop's storage room, which could be used as a tool in case of danger. He had just stepped out of the tool shop when he saw Sha Zhu walking towards him with a lunchbox, steaming from it.

"Lin Chen, I just happened to be looking for you." Sha Zhu shoved the lunchbox into Lin Chen's hands. "Manager Wang from the military guesthouse tasted my braised pork and said he wants me to order a set of energy-efficient stoves for them. Could you draw up the blueprints for me?" Seeing Lin Chen's hurried expression, he couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong? What happened?"

Lin Chen opened the lunchbox and smelled the delicious aroma, but he had no appetite. "Shazhu, do me a favor. Go to the workshop duty room and see if Lao Wang is there. Tell him I asked you to bring him some braised pork to go with his drinks." He handed the lunchbox to Shazhu. "Remember, don't mention that I went to the workshop. Just say I'm waiting at the tool shop to fix his radio."

Although Sha Zhu was honest and simple, he knew that Lin Chen never assigned tasks haphazardly, so he quickly nodded, "Okay, leave it to me." He carried his lunchbox towards the workshop, and as soon as he reached the door of the duty room, he heard even snoring coming from inside. Pushing open the door, he saw Old Wang fast asleep, his head resting on the table, with an empty wine glass and half a plate of peanuts on it. Sha Zhu thought to himself, "He's already asleep at just past nine o'clock, he can sleep so much." He put the lunchbox on the table, tiptoed out, and gestured to Lin Chen from a distance that he was sound asleep.

Hiding in the shadows of the workshop's outer wall, Lin Chen watched in the moonlight as Yi Zhonghai climbed over the drain in the courtyard wall. He was wearing soft-soled cloth shoes, walking silently, and his cane was tucked into his pocket, clearly indicating he was prepared. Lin Chen held his breath and waited until Yi Zhonghai entered the workshop before tiptoeing after him, simultaneously pressing the switch on his recording device.

The workshop was pitch black, with only the faint green glow of the emergency lights. Yi Zhonghai, familiar with the place, found his way to the archives room door, took out a brass key from his pocket, and carefully inserted it into the lock. With a soft click, the lock turned, and a smug smile appeared on his face as he gently pushed open the door. The archives room was filled with the smell of paper and mothballs. Using a flashlight he had prepared beforehand, he walked straight to the filing cabinet labeled "Precision Gears"—there lay the core blueprints for military orders, and also the key technical data for Lin Chen's patent application.

Yi Zhonghai pulled a paper package from his pocket, containing several blank sheets of drawing paper and a charcoal pencil. He opened the filing cabinet, took out the "High-Precision Gear Shaft Machining Drawings," and quickly began to trace them in the dim light. His hands trembled slightly, not from fear, but from excitement—once he had this drawing, he could slightly modify a few parameters, forging it into his own "innovative achievement," which would not only pass the technical backbone assessment but also ruin Lin Chen's patent application. When tracing the crucial tolerance markings, he deliberately slowed down to ensure that every number was accurate.

Lin Chen frowned as he hid outside the archives room. He had initially thought Yi Zhonghai would steal the blueprints directly, but it turned out he was just copying them. This way, even if he was caught red-handed, Yi could claim it was for "study and reference." As Lin Chen was thinking of a solution, he suddenly heard footsteps at the workshop door, followed by Yan Bugui's voice: "Old Yi? Are you in there? I just saw you climb over the wall."

Yi Zhonghai's hand trembled in fright, and the charcoal pencil drew a long diagonal line on the drawing paper. He hurriedly stuffed the drawing back into the filing cabinet, wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, and called out to the door, "I just came to look up some old information, what brings you here?"

Yan Bugui walked in carrying an abacus, sizing up Yi Zhonghai by the light of the emergency lamp: "I got up in the middle of the night and saw the lights in the workshop, I thought a thief had broken in. Why didn't you come during the day to check the data? Why did you have to come in the middle of the night, and climb over the wall? It's so unsafe." His gaze swept over the table in the archives room and saw the few sheets of drawing paper and charcoal pencils. His eyes lit up immediately—he had long heard that Yi Zhonghai was competing with Lin Chen for the position of technical backbone. Now that he saw this scene, he immediately had a plan in mind.

Yi Zhonghai's expression changed, and he quickly crumpled the drawing paper into a ball and stuffed it into his pocket: "I'm too busy during the day, and it's quiet at night. Since you're here, I'll go back with you." He said, and was about to walk out, but Yan Bugui stopped him.

"Old Yi, what are those blueprints you're drawing?" Yan Bugui reached into his pocket to ask, "Are they blueprints for a military order? I heard those blueprints are very valuable; if they get leaked, you'll be held responsible."

Yi Zhonghai shoved Yan Bugui away, his cane slamming loudly on the ground. "Mind your own business! I think you're just trying to extort me!" He knew Yan Bugui's character; if he caught him red-handed, Yan would definitely demand an exorbitant price, ranging from a few kilograms of grain coupons to half a month's salary.

Yan Bugui was pushed and nearly bumped into the filing cabinet. He immediately panicked and shouted, "Help! Someone's stealing blueprints!" This shout brought all the lights in the courtyard to life, and Liu Haizhong, Qin Huairu, Liu Guangtian, and others rushed over with lanterns.

"What's wrong? Who stole the blueprints?" Liu Haizhong ran ahead, holding a forging hammer, clearly thinking a thief had actually broken in. Liu Guangtian followed behind, flashlight in hand. Seeing Lin Chen standing outside the archives room, he quickly ran over: "Brother Lin, what happened?"

Lin Chen gave Liu Guangtian a wink, signaling him to be quiet. Then he walked into the archives and looked at Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui, saying, "Uncle Yi, Uncle Yan, what are you doing here so late?" His gaze fell on the bulging thing in Yi Zhonghai's arms, and he already had an idea in mind.

Seeing that there were more people around, Yi Zhonghai calmed down. He straightened his clothes and said, "I couldn't sleep last night, so I came to the workshop to check some old blueprints, hoping to improve the forging process. Grandpa Yan got up in the middle of the night, saw me, and followed me. I don't know why, but he started shouting." As he spoke, he took out the wad of drawing paper from his pocket and deliberately unfolded it for everyone to see. "Look, I just drew some rough sketches. It's not finished yet. How can you say I stole the blueprints?"

Everyone crowded around to take a look, and all they saw on the drawing paper was a blurry outline of a gear and a long diagonal line; they couldn't make anything out of it. Qin Huairu, holding Jia Huaihua, said softly, "Uncle Yi is just doing this for the good of the workshop, wanting to implement technological innovations. Uncle Yan probably misunderstood." She now made a living by sewing and didn't want to offend anyone, especially a veteran skilled worker like Yi Zhonghai. If she needed to repair farm tools in the future, she would still have to ask him for help.

Yan Bugui's face turned red with anxiety: "I didn't misunderstand! He climbed over the wall and was secretly copying the blueprints. He definitely had bad intentions! Lin Chen, you're a key technical member, tell me, doesn't this count as stealing blueprints?" He threw the question to Lin Chen, hoping Lin Chen would judge, so that he could both avoid offending Yi Zhonghai and clear himself of any wrongdoing.

All eyes were on Lin Chen. Yi Zhonghai also looked at Lin Chen, a hint of provocation in his eyes—he knew Lin Chen had no direct evidence, and even if he suspected him, he couldn't do anything to him. Liu Guangtian was a little anxious and tugged at Lin Chen's sleeve: "Brother Lin, he's definitely trying to steal the blueprints to frame you. We can't just let this go."

Lin Chen smiled, walked to the filing cabinet, opened the cabinet door and took out the "High-Precision Gear Shaft Machining Drawings". He pointed to a mark on it and said, "Uncle Yi, you said you are looking up old information. Do you know what the triangular mark on this drawing means? This is a confidential mark on military drawings. Only core technical personnel know what it represents."

Yi Zhonghai's heart skipped a beat. When he was copying the design, he only paid attention to the dimensions and tolerances, and hadn't noticed any security markings at all. He tried to appear calm and said, "Of course I know, it's just a regular serial number."

"Oh? Is that so?" Lin Chen handed the blueprints to Zhou Jianguo—it turned out that Zhou Jianguo had also been woken up and had just rushed over. "Director Zhou, could you explain to Grandpa Yi what this triangular mark represents?"

Zhou Jianguo took the blueprints, his face darkening. "This mark represents 'Level 1 Confidentiality.' Only technical personnel approved by the factory can access it, and each viewing must be registered and filed. Yi Zhonghai, when did you get permission to view Level 1 Confidential blueprints?" He had long suspected Yi Zhonghai's underhanded tactics, but lacked evidence. Now that Lin Chen had brought the matter to light, he could take this opportunity to give him a warning.

Yi Zhonghai's face turned deathly pale, and his hand, gripping his cane, began to tremble. He opened his mouth, wanting to say he had seen it by accident, but didn't know how to explain. Seeing this, Yan Bugui immediately said, "I knew he had ulterior motives! Top-secret blueprints, how dare he look at them without permission? He definitely wants to steal them and sell them for money!"

"I didn't!" Yi Zhonghai shouted anxiously. "I was just confused for a moment. I wanted to look at the technical parameters on the blueprints and improve my forging process. I never thought about selling it for money!" As he spoke, he was about to bow to Zhou Jianguo, but he almost fell over because of his excitement.

Lin Chen stepped forward to help him up and said softly, "Uncle Yi, technological innovation relies on real skills, not cheating. You are an eighth-level fitter with more experience than us. If you are willing to work with us on research, we would certainly welcome you. But your unauthorized viewing of confidential blueprints not only violates factory regulations but also discourages everyone."

Yi Zhonghai looked at Lin Chen, his eyes suddenly reddening. He recalled when he first entered the factory, full of ambition and eager to make a name for himself through his skills. But later, in order to protect his position, he became increasingly selfish and calculating. Especially seeing Lin Chen and Liu Guangtian supporting each other and making progress together, he felt both jealous and envious.

Zhou Jianguo sighed and said, "Old Yi, considering you've worked for the factory for decades, I won't call the police this time. But you won't be participating in the technical backbone assessment. Tomorrow, go to the factory headquarters to write a self-criticism and copy the confidentiality regulations ten times. If you break the rules again, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Yi Zhonghai nodded and said in a hoarse voice, "I understand. Thank you, Director Zhou. Thank you, Lin Chen." He finally understood that even if he got the blueprints, he wouldn't be able to learn Lin Chen's technology, let alone win everyone's approval.

After everyone left, Lin Chen and Liu Guangtian stayed in the workshop to tidy up. Liu Guangtian looked at Lin Chen and asked suspiciously, "Brother Lin, did you already know that Grandpa Yi was going to steal the blueprints?"

Lin Chen nodded, took out his recording equipment, and said, "I felt something was off about him this afternoon, so I installed a miniature camera at the entrance of the archives and recorded it. I initially thought he was going to steal the blueprints, but it turned out he was just copying them. Luckily, Grandpa Yan suddenly appeared and helped us out." He paused, then added, "Actually, Grandpa Yi is quite pitiful. He's made a living with his skills his whole life, and now that he's old, he's afraid of being left behind, which is why he's making such a fuss. Let's talk to him more about technology in the future; maybe we can help him get out of this predicament."

Liu Guangtian nodded: "Okay, I'll listen to Brother Lin. Tomorrow I'll organize our improved forging process and show it to Grandpa Yi. Maybe it can help him improve his old craft."

As the two were talking, they suddenly heard a slight noise coming from the archives. Lin Chen alertly picked up his flashlight and shone it on the filing cabinet—he saw that Yi Zhonghai had returned and was squatting in front of the filing cabinet, carefully wiping the places he had just touched.

"Uncle Yi, what brings you back?" Lin Chen asked as he stepped forward.

Yi Zhonghai was startled and quickly stood up, holding a rag in his hand. "I... I came back to wipe the cabinet. I accidentally bumped into it and got it dirty." He looked at Lin Chen, hesitated for a moment, then took out a cloth bag from his pocket and handed it to Lin Chen. "This is some forging experience I collected when I was young. There are a few mold blueprints that I improved. They might be useful to you."

Lin Chen took the cloth bag, opened it, and found a yellowed notebook filled with dense handwriting and several hand-drawn mold drawings. Although the lines were somewhat messy, the annotations were very detailed. He knew this was Yi Zhonghai's hard work and quickly said, "Uncle Yi, this is too valuable, I can't accept it."

"Take it." Yi Zhonghai waved his hand. "I'm old and my mind isn't working well anymore. It would be a waste for these things to stay in my hands. You young people are educated and have ideas. It's better than anything else if you can pass on these skills." After he finished speaking, he turned around and walked out. Although his steps were a little unsteady, they were much lighter than before.

Lin Chen watched Yi Zhonghai's retreating figure, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He opened the system panel, which displayed a new notification: [The host resolved the crisis with goodwill, promoting technological inheritance. The "Craftsman Spirit" buff is activated, increasing the team's technological research and development efficiency by 20%. 1500 points gained, current total points: 18100.]

Liu Guangtian leaned closer, looked at the blueprints in the notebook, and said excitedly, "Brother Lin, look at this mold blueprint! If we make a few minor modifications, we can use it for our gear machining, saving us a lot of time!"

Lin Chen nodded and patted Liu Guangtian on the shoulder: "This is the power of technology inheritance. In the future, let's communicate more with Grandpa Yi and combine his old skills with our new technologies. We'll definitely be able to develop better products."

Moonlight streamed through the workshop windows, illuminating the two men. The handwriting in the notebook appeared exceptionally clear in the moonlight, as if telling the story of generations of craftsmen's perseverance and inheritance. Lin Chen knew that Yi Zhonghai's transformation was just the beginning. As more and more people put aside their prejudices and support each other, this courtyard full of life, this steel rolling mill that carries the dreams of countless people, will surely shine even brighter in this magnificent era.

The next morning, Lin Chen brought Liu Guangtian to Yi Zhonghai's house and handed him the forging process data he had compiled. Looking at the detailed parameters and diagrams in the data, Yi Zhonghai's hands trembled with excitement. He took Lin Chen and Liu Guangtian's hands and said, "Come on, let's go to my workshop. Let's try out this new process right now!"