Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 107 Factory Management Actions, Initial Fragmentation of the Alliance

When Xu Damao was escorted away by the quality inspector, his legs were so weak that he almost needed to be supported to walk. As he passed Yi Zhonghai's house, he didn't forget to turn back and glare venomously at the tightly closed wooden door, muttering indistinctly, "Just you wait and see." Beside the stone millstone in the middle courtyard, the broken pickled vegetable jar hadn't been cleaned up yet, and the yellowish-green pickled vegetable shreds mixed with muddy water soaked on the ground, like a stain that could not be washed away, just like the hearts of the people in the courtyard at this moment.

Lin Chen had just finished the steamed egg custard that Qin Huairu had brought him, with half a spoonful of rich, eggy broth still at the bottom of the bowl, when he heard the voice of Zhou Jianguo, the workshop director, coming from outside the courtyard gate. He put down his bowl, wiped his mouth, and knew that what was coming would eventually come—Xu Damao had made such a scene in the courtyard that the factory administration couldn't possibly ignore it.

Zhou Jianguo entered the central courtyard with two factory office staff members, his face so grim it could drip water. He first glanced at the mess on the ground, then at the neighbors whispering amongst themselves, and finally fixed his gaze on Lin Chen: "Lin Chen, come with me to the factory headquarters and we'll explain things clearly. Yi Zhonghai, you come too; Xu Damao said this matter concerns you."

The door to Yi Zhonghai's house creaked open. He was wearing a crisp blue Zhongshan suit, his hair neatly combed, but the fine lines around his eyes betrayed his panic. He tried to appear calm as he straightened his collar: "Director Zhou, I have nothing to do with this. It was all Xu Damao who made it up to try and drag me into it."

"Whether it's fabricated or not, we'll find out when we get to the factory." Zhou Jianguo didn't give him any face and turned to walk out of the courtyard. Lin Chen followed closely behind. As he passed Sha Zhu, Sha Zhu secretly tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Tell the factory something clearly. Don't let them wrong you. Yu Shui and I can vouch for you." Lin Chen patted the back of his hand, indicating that he knew what he was doing.

In the factory office, the long table was packed with people at both ends. Factory director Li Jianjun sat in the main seat, clutching the forged "agreement" by Xu Damao, his brows furrowed deeply. Zhou Jianguo placed the recycling register he had obtained from Lao Wang on the table and pushed it in front of the director: "Director Li, this is the official register of the scrap yard. Every entry is signed and recorded. Lin Chen has no record of stealing or selling scrap steel. Xu Damao, on the other hand, stole and sold three scrap steel pipes last month. The evidence is conclusive."

Xu Damao huddled in a chair in the corner, his head almost touching his knees. Hearing Zhou Jianguo's words, he jerked his head up, his voice trembling with tears: "Factory Director, I was wrong! But I really was instigated by Yi Zhonghai! He said Lin Chen had ruined his retirement, and that I should get rid of Lin Chen. He even said he'd help me get my special allowance back and arrange a job for my wife! I still have that five yuan of 'activity money' in my pocket; you can search it!"

All eyes turned to Yi Zhonghai. His face flushed crimson, and he slammed his hand on the table as he stood up: "You're talking nonsense! That five yuan was a loan from you, supposedly for your wife to buy nutritional supplements. How did it become 'activity funds'? When did I ever instigate you to frame Lin Chen? You're dishonest yourself, and now you want to drag me down with you!"

"I'm not lying!" Xu Damao exclaimed anxiously, pulling five yuan from his pocket and slamming it on the table. "This is what you gave me! You told me that night under the locust tree in the courtyard, saying that if I succeeded, you'd think of me whenever there were benefits in the workshop! Old Wang in the backyard must have heard it; you can go ask him!"

The factory manager immediately sent an assistant to the courtyard to verify with Grandpa Wang. Taking advantage of this break, Lin Chen took out the handwriting comparison tool he had made and compared the forged agreement with his own technical approval documents: "Factory Manager Li, look, this forged signature not only writes the character 'Chen' as a simplified version of 'Chen,' but the strength and connection of the strokes are also completely different. Moreover, I was transferred to the precision forging group three months ago and have never been in contact with the scrap materials in the forging workshop. Xu Damao doesn't even know my job position. This agreement is obviously fake."

Factory Director Li examined the forgery tool for a long time, then flipped through Lin Chen's technical documents, and nodded: "This signature is indeed forged. Lin Chen, your recent technological innovations in the workshop have yielded remarkable results. The factory values ​​you highly and won't doubt you because of such a clumsy attempt to frame you." He paused, then turned his gaze to Yi Zhonghai, "Yi Zhonghai, you're a model worker in the factory, an eighth-grade fitter. If you were really involved in something like this, it would be a huge disappointment for the factory."

Cold sweat streamed down Yi Zhonghai's face. He clenched his fists, repeatedly muttering, "I didn't, I really didn't." But his eyes darted around, avoiding the factory manager's gaze. Lin Chen saw this and knew that Yi Zhonghai was now in a dilemma. Admitting it would mean ruining his reputation, while denying it meant he had no evidence to refute it.

Not long after, the clerk brought Grandpa Wang back. Grandpa Wang walked into the office, saw Yi Zhonghai, and was stunned for a moment before truthfully saying, "That night I did hear Master Yi and Master Xu talking in the yard. I was too far away to hear the specifics, but I vaguely heard the words 'Lin Chen,' 'kick him out of the factory,' and 'retire.' Later, Master Xu started keeping an eye on Master Lin in the yard and even took notes in a small notebook."

Grandpa Wang's words exploded like a thunderbolt in the office. Yi Zhonghai's face turned deathly pale, his legs went weak, and he almost collapsed into his chair. The factory manager's expression also turned serious: "Yi Zhonghai, what do you say about Grandpa Wang's words?"

Yi Zhonghai opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't utter a word. He knew that saying anything now was useless; although Grandpa Wang's testimony wasn't direct, it was enough to prove that he was involved in Xu Damao's conspiracy. He could only lower his head and say in a hoarse voice, "I... I just complained to Xu Damao a few times that Lin Chen didn't know the rules, I didn't mean for him to frame Lin Chen."

The factory manager clearly didn't believe him, but considering that Yi Zhonghai was a long-time employee and a model worker, he didn't want to push things too far. He pondered for a moment and said, "This matter has a very bad influence and must be dealt with seriously. Xu Damao fabricated evidence to frame his colleague and stole and sold workshop property. He will receive a major demerit, have three months' salary deducted, have his special allowance for film projectionists revoked, and be transferred to the forging workshop as an ordinary worker."

Upon hearing the outcome, Xu Damao slumped into his chair, speechless. He knew his good days were over; not only had he failed to bring Lin Chen down, but he had also gotten himself into trouble.

The factory manager then looked at Yi Zhonghai: "Yi Zhonghai, although there is no direct evidence to prove that you instigated Xu Damao, the content of your conversation with Xu Damao was inappropriate, which led to the subsequent framing incident and had a negative impact on the factory. Your eligibility for this year's 'Model Worker' award is revoked, one month's salary is deducted, and you are required to submit a profound self-criticism. In addition, as Qin Huairu's mentor, you have been teaching her for two years but have not been able to help her pass the assessment. From today onwards, Qin Huairu will be transferred to Lin Chen's apprenticeship, and Lin Chen will be responsible for her training."

This outcome struck Yi Zhonghai like a thunderbolt. His most prized possession was the title of "Model Worker," and the certificates displayed in his main room were his greatest pride. Now, his eligibility for the award had been revoked, a blow far more painful than a pay cut. What he found even more unacceptable was that Qin Huairu had been transferred to Lin Chen's team—Qin Huairu was his carefully cultivated candidate for retirement, now becoming Lin Chen's apprentice, completely disrupting his retirement plans.

"Factory Director, I'm not having this!" Yi Zhonghai suddenly stood up. "I've worked here my whole life. Even if I haven't made any great contributions, I've certainly put in a lot of hard work. Just because I didn't hear a few words clearly, they've revoked my model worker status and transferred my apprentice. This is so unfair!"

"Fair?" The factory manager sneered. "You think framing a colleague is fair? You've been teaching your apprentice for two years, and he can't even teach you the basics of grinding parts. You have the nerve to talk about fairness? Lin Chen has only been in the precision group for a short time, yet he's already trained a good apprentice like Liu Guangtian. Letting him train Qin Huairu is giving Qin Huairu an opportunity, and also giving the factory an opportunity. That's settled then, no need to say more."

Yi Zhonghai wanted to argue, but Zhou Jianguo pulled him out. Only Lin Chen and the factory director remained in the office. The factory director looked at Lin Chen and said earnestly, "Lin Chen, the factory knows you're a promising talent—skilled and of good character. This incident is a test for you, but also an opportunity. Qin Huairu may lack technical skills, but she's not unintelligent. Train her well; the precision group will need more manpower in the future."

Lin Chen nodded: "Thank you for your trust, Factory Manager. I will take good care of Qin Huairu and make sure she passes the assessment as soon as possible."

As Lin Chen exited the factory, he saw Yi Zhonghai and Xu Damao arguing by the roadside. Yi Zhonghai pointed at Xu Damao's nose and yelled, "It's all your fault, you good-for-nothing! You're more trouble than you're worth! I only complained to you a few times, and you went and fabricated evidence. Now look what happened, I've lost my model worker status, and my apprentice has been transferred away. Are you satisfied now?"

Xu Damao also got angry and retorted, "You have the nerve to talk back to me? Didn't you tell me to ruin Lin Chen? Now that things have gone wrong, you're trying to pin the blame on me. You're a coward! If you hadn't given me that five yuan, would I have done something like this? I think you just wanted to use me so you could reap the benefits!"

"I used you?" Yi Zhonghai's face twisted with rage. "That five yuan was a loan from you! Who told you to take it as activity funds? If you hadn't been so cowardly and betrayed me, would I be in this situation?"

The two argued more and more fiercely, escalating from mutual accusations to dredging up old grievances, venting all the pent-up frustrations they had kept hidden. Passing workers stopped to watch, pointing and whispering among themselves. Lin Chen shook his head and turned to leave—he knew that the alliance between Yi Zhonghai and Xu Damao had, from that moment on, completely shattered.

When Lin Chen returned to the courtyard, it was already crowded with neighbors. Seeing him, everyone gathered around, bombarding him with questions. Sha Zhu was the most anxious, grabbing Lin Chen's arm: "How did it go? What did the factory say? They didn't wrong you, did they?"

Lin Chen smiled and shook his head: "Don't worry, it's all over. The factory has found out that Xu Damao fabricated evidence to frame me, and they've dealt with him." He explained the factory's decision, and the neighbors immediately erupted in discussion.

This book is first published on 111k.com, providing you with a reading experience without errors or disordered chapters.

"Great! Xu Damao deserves to be punished!" "Yi Zhonghai has finally fallen. Who told him to always scheme against others for their old age!" "Qin Huairu has been transferred to Master Lin's apprenticeship. Now there's hope. Master Lin is skilled and will definitely be able to teach her well."

Qin Huairu stood on the outskirts of the crowd. Hearing that she had been transferred to Lin Chen's apprenticeship, her eyes lit up. She knew Lin Chen's skills were exceptional; if she could learn diligently from him, she might actually pass the assessment and escape her apprenticeship. She quickly walked to Lin Chen and bowed deeply: "Master Lin, I'll be relying on you from now on. I will definitely learn the skills diligently and never slack off."

Lin Chen nodded: "As long as you're willing to learn, I'm willing to teach you. Come to the workshop tomorrow and I'll make a learning plan for you." He could tell that Qin Huairu genuinely wanted to learn the skills this time and stop relying on scheming to make a living, and this change made him very happy.

Just then, Yan Bugui squeezed out from the crowd with a fawning smile on his face: "Master Lin, congratulations on clearing your name! I knew it! How could someone as upright as you do such opportunistic things? Xu Damao is just dishonest, and so is Yi Zhonghai. They should be role models, but they have to resort to scheming and trickery."

Lin Chen looked at Yan Bugui's hypocritical face and sneered inwardly. He knew that Yan Bugui had previously joined Xu Damao in stirring up trouble, but now he was opportunistic and trying to curry favor with him. Lin Chen didn't respond to him, but simply said calmly, "Teacher Yan, the factory has also said that you participated in the false accusation. The school has already issued a notice of criticism against you and reduced your salary. You should reflect on your behavior."

Yan Bugui's face flushed red and then turned pale. He gave an awkward laugh and slunk away. The neighbors around him also started to laugh at him, and Yan Bugui wished he could disappear into the ground.

When Yi Zhonghai returned, he saw the lively scene in the courtyard and heard the neighbors' mocking laughter; his face turned ashen. He ignored everyone, went straight home, and slammed the door shut. Inside, Aunt Yi was anxiously waiting for him. Seeing him return, she rushed forward and asked, "How did it go? How did the factory handle it?"

Yi Zhonghai recounted the factory's decision, and Aunt Yi immediately burst into tears: "My God! We've lost our model worker status, and our apprentice has been transferred away. What are we going to do about our retirement plans? Without Sha Zhu and Qin Huairu, who will take care of us when we're old?"

"What are you crying about!" Yi Zhonghai roared irritably. "It's all that old bastard Yan Bugui's fault! If it weren't for his bookkeeping giving him away and Lin Chen getting hold of it, Xu Damao's conspiracy wouldn't have been exposed! And that good-for-nothing Xu Damao, he's utterly useless, he even betrayed me!"

He grew angrier the more he thought about it, and grabbed the teacup on the table, smashing it to the ground. The teacup shattered, spilling tea everywhere. Aunt Yi, terrified, dared not cry anymore, silently cleaning up the broken pieces. Yi Zhonghai sat in his chair, clutching his hair, his heart filled with regret and resentment. He knew he had truly failed this time; he had not only lost his honor and status, but his meticulously planned retirement was also ruined.

At dinner time, Yan Bugui returned home and slammed the account book on the table as soon as he entered. He yelled at his wife, "It's all that idiot Yi Zhonghai's fault! His plans were poorly made, and he even got me criticized by the school and had my salary reduced! I don't even have enough money for groceries this month, how are we going to pay for the children's tuition?!"

Aunt Yan said cautiously, "Don't just blame others. Didn't you join in the commotion yourself? I told you long ago not to get involved in these things, but you wouldn't listen."

"I'm doing this for the family!" Yan Bugui roared. "If I could bring Lin Chen down, Yi Zhonghai would definitely be grateful to me. When there are any benefits in the workshop, would he still think of me? Who knew he was so useless and dragged me down instead!" The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He picked up the pickled vegetable jar on the table and threw it, scattering pickled vegetables all over the floor.

Hearing the commotion, the children hid in their rooms, too afraid to come out. Yan Jiecheng peeked through the crack in the door and saw his father's agitated state, filling him with resentment. He felt his father was too calculating, willing to participate in false accusations for a little profit, and now he had brought this upon himself.

As night deepened, the courtyard gradually quieted down. Lin Chen sat under the lamp, opened the system panel, and smiled as he looked at the 1000 points that had been added. This time, thwarting Xu Damao and Yi Zhonghai's conspiracy not only cleared his name but also dismantled their alliance, and even brought Qin Huairu under his wing as an apprentice—a truly multifaceted achievement.

He used his points to redeem the "Advanced Materials Analysis" function, then took out Qin Huairu's technical assessment file to look at it. The file recorded Qin Huairu's scores in all her assessments, and indeed, she had failed every time. The main problem was that she didn't hold the file at the right angle, making it easy for her to deviate from the center when drilling. Lin Chen thought for a moment and decided to develop a targeted training plan for Qin Huairu tomorrow, starting with basic techniques and gradually improving her skill level.

Just then, the system suddenly popped up a notification: "The system detected that the host has successfully dismantled the retirement group alliance, completed the 'Divide the Opponent' phase mission, and was rewarded with 500 points and the 'Skill Transfer Efficiency Improvement' buff, which will last for 30 days."

Lin Chen was overjoyed. This buff would come in handy, greatly improving his efficiency in teaching Qin Huairu skills. He closed the system panel, lay on his bed, and looked at the moonlight outside the window, filled with confidence. He knew the struggle within the courtyard was not yet over, and Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui would certainly not let it go, but he already had enough strength and confidence to face the challenges ahead.

At Yi Zhonghai's house, the lights stayed on all night. Yi Zhonghai and his wife sat at the table, repeatedly discussing their next plan. Yi Zhonghai's eyes were sinister as he muttered, "Lin Chen, you ruined my retirement plans. I won't let you get away with this. We'll see. I refuse to believe that a level eight fitter like me can't beat a mere brat like you."

The light in Yan Bugui's house stayed on late into the night. Yan Bugui slumped over the table, meticulously calculating his wages and expenses over and over, his face filled with worry. He knew he had suffered a heavy loss this time and had to find a way to make up for it. He looked out the window towards Lin Chen's house, his eyes filled with calculation, and a new idea had already formed in his mind.