Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 114 Yi Zhonghai Saves the Emperor, But Gets Implicated Instead

In the newly lit courtyard of Hongxing, after the snowfall, icicles dripped water from the eaves, splashing onto the bluestone slabs. Yi Zhonghai, clutching his paycheck—half of his factory allowance had been withheld—stepped heavily through the gate, only to bump into Yan Bugui and his three sons sweeping snow in the central courtyard. The rustling sound of the bamboo brooms cutting through the ground was accompanied by the third son's sarcastic muttering: "Some people, they haven't even cleaned their own messes, yet they're busy cleaning up after swindlers. They're practically reincarnations of Lei Feng!"

Yi Zhonghai's face instantly darkened. The scene of giving a self-criticism at yesterday's workshop meeting was still vivid in his mind—the workshop director slammed his self-criticism on the table and scolded him in front of more than fifty workers for "immoral conduct and corrupting the factory's reputation." The promised technical innovation subsidy was also completely lost. He clutched the pay purse in his pocket. The money in it was just enough to repay part of Qin Huairu's debt. Now, it wasn't even enough to buy coal briquettes for his family to get through the winter. He had no mind to argue with the Yan family's brat.

"Old Yi, you're finally back!" Liu Haizhong came out of the backyard carrying a shovel, the shovel tip still covered in frozen dirt. "The neighborhood committee just sent someone over, saying that the old lady's things need to be cleared out quickly, as the new tenants will be moving out the day after tomorrow. You know, that old lady is really something, she just ran away and left behind a pile of junk, who's going to clean it up for her?" His words seemed casual, but his eyes glanced at Yi Zhonghai, with a hint of schadenfreude.

Yi Zhonghai's heart skipped a beat. He had tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep, his mind filled with the image of the old woman scolding him for being "ungrateful." Although he had instigated the old woman to adopt a false identity, after twenty years of living together, he had long regarded her as a tool to manipulate Sha Zhu, and an important pawn in his retirement plan. Now that the pawn had fallen, if the neighborhood committee found out that the subsidies he had helped the old woman collect and the rice and noodles he had given her over the years had not been properly returned, his punishment would only be more severe. He had to dispose of any "evidence" that the neighborhood committee officials might have left in the old woman's house before they arrived.

"I'll go clean it up," Yi Zhonghai said in a muffled voice, walking towards the old lady's sealed-off north room. Just as he reached the door, Yan Bugui stopped him: "Master Yi, this won't do! The street has been sealed off, and you'll be held responsible if you break it! Besides, why would you touch this swindler's stuff? Don't get yourself into trouble and ruin our neighborhood's reputation!" As soon as he said this, the neighbors who were shoveling snow gathered around and started chattering.

"Teacher Yan is right! Old Yi, don't be foolish!" Aunt Li, holding her grandson, stepped forward. "The factory just gave you a major demerit yesterday. If you get involved with this swindler again, you'll lose your job!" "That's right!" Grandpa Wang from the backyard nodded in agreement. "This old lady has swindled so much money from the government; who knows what stolen goods she's hiding in her house? Don't help her dispose of them!"

Yi Zhonghai's face turned pale and then flushed. He knew the neighbors had a point, but he was more afraid that the old lady might be hiding letters or ledgers from when she forged documents years ago. Suppressing his anger, he took out a cigarette case from his pocket and offered cigarettes to the men around him: "Fellow neighbors, I'm not trying to help the old lady hide things, I just thought it must be difficult for her, almost seventy years old, to run away. There are still some of her clothes and medicines in the house, I'll pack them up and take them to the nursing home for her, it's my way of showing neighborly kindness."

"Oh, so you're thinking about neighborly relations now?" Jia Zhangshi suddenly popped out of the house, holding a half-finished shoe sole in her hand. "Back when you helped the old lady bully our Qin Huairu, why didn't you think about neighborly relations? Now that the old lady has fallen from power, you're pretending to be a good person again. I think you're just afraid she'll come back and bite you!" Her words hit Yi Zhonghai's sore spot and also stirred up Qin Huairu's sad memories. Standing at the door, Qin Huairu's eyes instantly reddened.

"Jia Zhangshi, stop talking nonsense!" Yi Zhonghai trembled with anger. "When have I ever bullied Widow Qin? Back then, when I was injured at Dongxu, I was the one who ran around helping her apply for compensation!" "Apply for compensation?" Qin Huairu suddenly spoke, her voice trembling slightly. "Master Yi, you did help with the compensation, but the compensation was supposed to be 120 yuan, but I only got 70 yuan. Where did the other 50 yuan go? And during the two years I was an apprentice, I was given 2 yuan less in benefits every month. Where did that money go?"

These words caused an uproar. Yan Bugui quickly put down his broom and leaned closer: "Widow Qin, are you telling the truth? Old Yi withheld your husband's compensation?" Qin Huairu took out a small notebook from her pocket, opened it, and handed it to everyone: "It's all recorded here. On such and such a date, Master Yi said that a handling fee was deducted from the compensation; on such and such a date, Welfare said that it was all deducted by the factory for public welfare. But I later asked the factory accountant, and there was no such thing!"

Yi Zhonghai's face turned deathly pale. He hadn't expected Qin Huairu to reveal this in public. He quickly stepped forward, trying to snatch the notebook: "Widow Qin, don't make false accusations! I was saving that money for you, afraid you, a widow, would be cheated!" "Saving it?" Qin Huairu sneered. "Then show me the passbook! In these three years, besides occasionally giving me some food coupons, when have you ever given me any money?"

The onlookers erupted in uproar. Liu Haizhong pointed at Yi Zhonghai and cursed, "Old Yi, you're a complete scoundrel! Dongxu was your own apprentice! His body is barely cold, and you're already withholding his compensation? How can you face him?" "That's right!" Aunt Li chimed in, "Qin Huairu is a widow raising three children; it's so hard for her, and you have the nerve to withhold her money? It's utterly heartless!"

Yi Zhonghai was so ashamed by the scolding that he knew he wouldn't get away with it if he didn't give an explanation today. Suddenly, he remembered something that the old lady might be hiding in her room. An idea struck him, and he pointed to the seal on the north room and said, "I'll go get the evidence for you right now! There's money in the old lady's room that I helped Widow Qin save back then. I'll go get it right now!" As he spoke, he picked up a stone from the corner of the wall and was about to smash open the seal on the door.

"Stop!" Lin Chen's voice suddenly rang out. He had just returned from outside, carrying the special lubricant that Sha Zhu had bought for him, and happened to witness Yi Zhonghai trying to break the seal. "Master Yi, the seal was put up by the street office. Breaking it without permission is illegal. If you really want to take the things, you have to go to the street office to complete the procedures first." Lin Chen walked to Yi Zhonghai's side and pressed down on the stone in his hand. "Besides, if you really helped Widow Qin save money, why didn't you take it out sooner? Why wait until now?"

Yi Zhonghai was speechless, and the stone in his hand clattered to the ground. The neighbors' chatter grew louder, and Yan Bugui even started calculating: "Old Yi, the money you withheld from Widow Qin, plus the subsidies you helped the old lady swindle, adds up to at least three hundred yuan, right? That's a serious crime. If it gets to the factory, you'll definitely lose your job as an eighth-grade fitter!"

Just then, the sound of a bicycle bell came from outside the courtyard gate, and Wang Huai'an, the street director, arrived with two officers. Seeing so many people gathered in the courtyard, Director Wang frowned: "What's going on? What are you all doing here?" Yan Bugui quickly stepped forward and embellished the story of Yi Zhonghai withholding Qin Huairu's compensation and benefits, finally pointing at Yi Zhonghai and saying, "Director Wang, you must stand up for Widow Qin! Old Yi is knowingly breaking the law; his crime is even more serious!"

Director Wang's face instantly darkened. He looked at Yi Zhonghai: "Yi Zhonghai, is what Master Yan said true? You withheld Qin Huairu's work injury compensation and apprentice benefits?" Yi Zhonghai opened his mouth, wanting to defend himself but not knowing what to say, and finally could only lower his head. Qin Huairu handed the small notebook to Director Wang: "Director Wang, this is my record. It has Master Yi's signature on it. You can take a look."

Director Wang took the notebook and carefully examined it, his face growing increasingly grim. He looked up and said to the officer behind him, "Write this down and inform the factory. Yi Zhonghai, come with us to the neighborhood committee and explain things clearly!" Yi Zhonghai's body went limp, almost collapsing to the ground. He looked at the neighbors surrounding him, his eyes filled with regret and resentment. He never imagined that his momentary greed would lead to such an end.

Lin Chen watched Yi Zhonghai being led away, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He knew Yi Zhonghai had only himself to blame for his current predicament, but looking at his aged back, he felt a pang of pity. After all, he was a veteran worker who had spent decades at the steel rolling mill; if he really lost his job, his future would be difficult. He turned to Qin Huairu: "Sister-in-law Qin, what do you plan to do about this?"

Qin Huai sighed, "I don't want to make a big deal out of this, but these past few years have been so hard for me. I just hope Master Yi can return the money he withheld from me and stop making things difficult for us, a widow and her child." Lin Chen nodded, "I'll talk to Director Wang and ask him to be lenient. Don't worry, with me here, no one will dare to bully you again."

Back inside, Lin Chen took out the special lubricant that Sha Zhu had bought for him and began to study how to use the system's "Equipment Improvement" function to repair the precision instruments in the steel rolling mill. He poured the lubricant into a small bowl, tested it with the system, and found that the lubricant had a very high purity, just enough to meet the requirements for repairing the instruments. He activated the system, placed the previously forged high-precision screwdriver and the lubricant together on the panel, and the system immediately popped up a prompt: [Materials required for repairing precision instruments detected. Consume 500 points to simulate equipment repair?]

Lin Chen clicked "Yes," and a 3D model of the precision instrument immediately appeared on the system panel, marking the parts that needed repair and the specific steps. Following the system prompts, he first used a high-precision screwdriver to disassemble the instrument's casing, then carefully wiped the worn parts with a cotton swab dipped in lubricant, and finally replaced the damaged parts with small, enhanced parts from the system. Although the whole process was complex, it progressed smoothly with the system's assistance.

Just as Lin Chen was focused on repairing the equipment, there was a knock at the gate. It was Sha Zhu. He was carrying a lunchbox and said as he entered the house, "Little Lin, I brought you some braised pork. Try it quickly. By the way, how's the precision equipment at the factory? Do you need any help?" Lin Chen looked up and smiled, "Thanks, Brother Sha Zhu. The equipment is almost fixed. The lubricant you bought saved me a lot of trouble." He picked up the repaired equipment parts and showed them to Sha Zhu, "Look, this part was worn out and unusable, but after being enhanced by the system, it works even better than new."

Sha Zhu leaned forward to take a look and exclaimed in surprise, "My God, this is amazing! Xiao Lin, your skills are incredible! From now on, if any of the equipment in the factory breaks down, we won't need to look for outside technicians anymore, we can just come to you!" Lin Chen smiled and said, "I have to thank Sister Su Qing for this. She recommended me to be the leader of the technical problem-solving team, which gave me the opportunity to work with these precision instruments."

Just then, Su Qing arrived. She was wearing a blue cadre uniform and carrying a document. As she entered the room, she smiled at Lin Chen and said, "Lin Chen, I have good news for you. The factory has approved the establishment of a technical research team, and you will be the team leader. This is the appointment document." She handed the document to Lin Chen. "In addition, the factory has allocated funds to purchase materials needed to repair the equipment. Please see what you need and make a list for me."

Lin Chen received the appointment document, his heart pounding with excitement. He knew this was a crucial step in establishing himself at the steel rolling mill. He quickly took out a pen and paper, made a materials list, and handed it to Su Qing: "Sister Su Qing, I need these materials; they're all essential for repairing and improving the forging equipment." Su Qing took the list, glanced at it, and nodded: "No problem, I'll go purchase them tomorrow and deliver them to you as soon as possible."

That evening, Lin Chen was in his room researching improvement plans for the forging equipment when the system suddenly popped up a notification: [The system detected that the host is currently designing equipment improvements, triggering the main quest "Forging Equipment Innovation." Quest Requirements: Complete the improvement of the forging equipment in the steel rolling mill within one month, increasing production efficiency by 30%. Quest Rewards: 5000 points, system level increased to 8, unlocking the "Intelligent Manufacturing" function.] Lin Chen's eyes lit up. Although this quest was challenging, the rewards were substantial, and he quickly accelerated his design process.

Meanwhile, at the street office, Yi Zhonghai was listening to Director Wang's reprimand with his head down. "Yi Zhonghai, tell me yourself, how outrageous were you! Withholding apprentice benefits, embezzling workers' compensation, assisting others in forging martyrs' certificates—each one is enough to get you into serious trouble!" Director Wang slammed Qin Huairu's notebook on the table. "The factory has already called, saying they're going to deal with you seriously. They'll not only recover all the withheld funds, but also revoke your level eight fitter title and demote you to level six!"

Yi Zhonghai swayed, nearly fainting. His status as an eighth-grade fitter was the pride of his life; if he were demoted to sixth grade, not only would his salary decrease significantly, but he would also lose all face in the factory. He knelt on the ground with a thud and pleaded with Director Wang, "Director Wang, I know I was wrong! I beg you, please give me another chance! I'm willing to return all the withheld money and write a profound self-criticism. Please don't demote me!"

Director Wang sighed and helped Yi Zhonghai up: "Old Yi, it's not that I didn't give you a chance, it's that you pushed yourself to the limit. But don't be too discouraged. The factory has decided to leave you a way out, considering that you are a senior employee and have taken the initiative to admit your mistake. As long as you can assist the technical team in improving the forging equipment within a month, you can retain your eighth-level fitter title, but your technical allowance and model worker status will still be canceled."

Yi Zhonghai was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed: "Really? Director Wang, are you serious? As long as I can keep my Level 8 fitter's certificate, I'll do anything!" Director Wang nodded: "The leader of the technical task force is Lin Chen. Go to the factory tomorrow to report to him and cooperate fully with his work. Remember, this is your last chance. If anything goes wrong again, no one can save you!"

It was already past midnight when Yi Zhonghai left the neighborhood office. Walking through the alleyways where the snow had melted, he was filled with mixed emotions. He hadn't expected that he would ultimately have to rely on his former "rival," Lin Chen, to keep his job. He recalled all the scheming he had done towards Lin Chen and felt a deep sense of regret. He secretly resolved to cooperate fully with Lin Chen from now on and never resort to any underhanded tactics again.

The next morning, Yi Zhonghai went to the factory to report to Lin Chen. He was wearing a clean work uniform, and his hair was neatly combed. Upon seeing Lin Chen, he bowed respectfully: "Team Leader Lin, I am Yi Zhonghai. I have been ordered to assist you in the equipment improvement work. Please give me your guidance." Lin Chen looked at his sincere appearance and smiled: "Master Yi, let bygones be bygones. Now we are colleagues. As long as you cooperate well, I believe we can definitely complete the task on time."

Lin Chen handed the improved forging equipment to Yi Zhonghai: "Master Yi, this is my preliminary plan. Please take a look and see if there are any problems. You are the factory's veteran fitter and are very familiar with the forging equipment. Please feel free to offer any good suggestions." Yi Zhonghai took the plan and looked at it carefully. The more he looked, the more surprised he became. Lin Chen's plan not only considered improving production efficiency but also took into account the safety and durability of the equipment. Many details were even more comprehensive than he had thought of before.

"Team Leader Lin, your plan is excellent!" Yi Zhonghai exclaimed sincerely. "However, I think we can improve this part a bit more. Replacing this component with high-strength alloy steel would extend the equipment's lifespan. Also, adding an automatic lubrication system here would reduce wear and tear." Lin Chen's eyes lit up; Yi Zhonghai's suggestions perfectly solved the two problems he had encountered earlier. He quickly took out a pen and paper, wrote down Yi Zhonghai's suggestions, and said to him, "Master Yi, thank you for your suggestions. This makes the plan even more complete."

The two discussed it together all morning, and finally finalized the improvement plan. At lunchtime, Sha Zhu brought over a large lunchbox filled with braised pork, scrambled eggs, and rice. "Xiao Lin, Chef Yi, come and eat!" Sha Zhu placed the lunchbox on the table. "I specially asked the cafeteria staff to make this. You two work hard on this technical project, so eat well!"

Looking at the braised pork in the lunchbox, Yi Zhonghai felt a surge of emotion. He remembered how he had always schemed to take advantage of Sha Zhu's lunchboxes, and his heart was filled with guilt. He picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of braised pork, and handed it to Sha Zhu: "Sha Zhu, I was wrong before, always scheming to take your things. I'm sorry. You can have this piece of meat; consider it my apology." Sha Zhu was taken aback for a moment, then smiled: "Master Yi, I've long forgotten about the past. We're from the same courtyard; we can help each other out from now on."

In the afternoon, Su Qing delivered the purchased materials. Lin Chen and Yi Zhonghai worked together to improve the forging equipment. Yi Zhonghai's skills were indeed impressive; the parts he forged were not only highly precise but also durable, and they quickly completed the processing of several key components. Lin Chen was responsible for installation and debugging, and with the assistance of the system, the installation of the equipment progressed smoothly.

Just as the two were working feverishly, Xu Damao suddenly arrived. Wearing a brand-new cadre uniform and carrying a briefcase, he walked into the workshop and said sarcastically, "Oh, isn't this Master Yi? How did you end up working as an assistant to a young man? And Team Leader Lin, I heard you got your position by using your cleverness. Don't break the equipment, or no one will take responsibility!"

Yi Zhonghai's face instantly darkened. He was about to lash out when Lin Chen stopped him. Lin Chen looked at Xu Damao and said with a smile, "Director Xu, we are currently upgrading our equipment. We welcome any suggestions you may have. If you're just here to make sarcastic remarks, please leave and don't disrupt our work."

Xu Damao was furious at Lin Chen's blatant disrespect. He pointed at Lin Chen and said, "Lin Chen, don't be so arrogant! I'm the head of the labor and personnel department in the factory. If you dare to disrespect me again, I'll make things difficult for you!" Lin Chen sneered, "Director Xu, I'm only being polite to you because I respect you as an elder. If you really dare to make things difficult for me, I'll report you to the factory manager about stealing and selling factory equipment parts back then. Then we'll see who gets what!"

Xu Damao's face turned deathly pale instantly. He hadn't expected Lin Chen to know about his theft and sale of equipment parts. He quickly forced a smile and said, "Team Leader Lin, I was just joking. Don't take it seriously. I just came to check on your progress, that's all. I'll be going now." With that, he turned and ran out of the workshop, afraid that Lin Chen would really expose his affair.

Watching Xu Damao's disheveled figure, Yi Zhonghai couldn't help but laugh: "Xiao Lin, you're really something, you scared him away with just a few words. But are you telling the truth? Xu Damao really stole and sold parts from the factory?" Lin Chen nodded: "Of course it's true. I saw the parts he was selling at the scrap yard last time, they even had the factory's serial number on them. I didn't want to expose him, but he just showed up at my doorstep."

Over the next few days, Lin Chen and Yi Zhonghai worked overtime together, and the improvement of the forging equipment progressed smoothly. Qin Huairu also frequently came to the factory to bring them meals. Watching the two busy figures, she felt very gratified. She knew that Lin Chen had not only changed her fate, but also the fates of Yi Zhonghai and Sha Zhu, and had made the entire Hongxing Courtyard more and more harmonious.

Two weeks later, the forging equipment was finally improved. Lin Chen pressed the start button, and the equipment began to run, much quieter than before, with a noticeable increase in production efficiency. The factory director and the head of the technical department came to visit. Seeing the improved equipment, the factory director happily said, "Lin Chen, Yi Zhonghai, you've done a fantastic job! After testing, the equipment's production efficiency has increased by 35%, even better than expected! I hereby announce that the technical team is awarded a collective third-class merit, and Lin Chen and Yi Zhonghai are each awarded an individual second-class merit, with a bonus of five hundred yuan!"

Upon hearing the news, enthusiastic applause erupted in the workshop. Yi Zhonghai was moved to tears; he had finally retained his Level 8 fitter title and regained everyone's respect. Lin Chen was also overjoyed. He knew this was just the beginning of his career, and with the system's help and everyone's support, he was sure he could create even more miracles in this era.

That evening, the neighbors of the courtyard house gathered in the central courtyard for a feast to celebrate Lin Chen and Yi Zhonghai's successful equipment upgrade. Yan Bugui cooked several of his signature dishes, Liu Haizhong bought a bottle of baijiu (Chinese liquor), Sha Zhu brought a large pot of braised pork from the canteen, and Qin Huairu also prepared several cold dishes. Everyone sat together, drinking and chatting, creating a lively atmosphere.

Yi Zhonghai, holding a wine glass, walked up to Lin Chen and bowed respectfully. "Xiao Lin, thank you. If it weren't for you, I might have been fired from the factory by now. This glass is for you; from now on, you're my benefactor. If you need anything, just let me know, and I, Yi Zhonghai, will do anything for you!" Lin Chen quickly helped him up, smiling, "Master Yi, you're welcome. We're from the same compound; helping each other is only right. Let's work hard together and make our lives better."

Night deepened, and the banquet gradually ended. Lin Chen returned to his side room and activated the system. A notification popped up on the panel: [Completed the main quest "Forging Equipment Innovation," gaining 5000 points, system level increased to level 8, unlocking the new function "Intelligent Manufacturing."] Lin Chen looked at the points on the system panel; he had already reached 10000 points, and he was very happy. He knew that with the "Intelligent Manufacturing" function, he could manufacture more advanced equipment in the future and contribute his strength to the country's development.