Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 10 The Horrifying Experience at the Forging Press: The Wrench Breaks the Stalemate and Estab

As the morning light just began to spill over the red brick walls of the steel rolling mill, the tin door to the forging workshop was flung open with a bang. Liu Haizhong stood in the doorway, clutching a tin whistle, his cheeks puffed out like he was sucking on a walnut. His whistle pierced the morning mist with its sharp shrill sound: "Hurry up, all of you! Anyone who doesn't finish their rust removal task today isn't leaving get off work tonight!"

Lin Chen had just locked his newly acquired tool cabinet, the keychain twirling between his fingers. The cabinet, painted a fresh blue, was nestled in the corner of the precision forging workshop, its door bearing his name—a special privilege granted by Director Zhou. He turned around to see Liu Haizhong approaching with two burly apprentices, dragging heavy iron blocks weighing over two hundred pounds, leaving jagged marks on the concrete floor.

"Lin Chen," Liu Haizhong spat on the iron block, his cigarette butt scattering sparks as he ground it on the sole of his shoe, "Director Zhou said you're skilled, so this batch of high-manganese steel billets is yours. Clean it thoroughly, and the surface roughness must not exceed Ra1.6. I need to see the finished product before I leave work this afternoon."

The surrounding workers gasped. The iron block was covered with a thick layer of oxide scale and embedded with iron slag splashed from the forging process years ago, the thickest part being half a centimeter thick. Normally, this kind of work would take three people working together, using a sandblasting gun and a wire wheel, to complete in a whole day. Liu Haizhong making Lin Chen do it alone was clearly an attempt to make things difficult for him.

Lin Chen crouched down and tapped the surface of the iron block with his fingertips. The system panel popped up instantly: "High-manganese steel billet detected, oxide layer thickness 3-5mm, containing silicide impurities, conventional rust removal methods are inefficient." He looked up at Liu Haizhong, who was standing with his arms crossed, sneering, while the apprentice behind him winked. "Master Liu, this job, according to the rules, requires auxiliary tools and helpers," Lin Chen said calmly.

"Rules?" Liu Haizhong suddenly raised his voice, spitting onto Lin Chen's work clothes. "In the forging workshop, I am the rule! Yesterday you were so arrogant after fixing a bolt, what? You can't even do this little job?" He deliberately glanced in the direction of the precision forging group, his voice sarcastic. "Or have you forgotten you're a forger after joining the precision group and become all pampered?"

Lin Chen didn't argue further, but simply got up and grabbed a wire brush. He knew what Liu Haizhong was thinking—he had rejected the rust removal task last time, and given Director Zhou's high regard for him, the old man wanted to use this opportunity to put him down. He walked to the pool and wet the wire brush. As soon as he touched the iron block, he felt a vibration in his palm. Only a layer of oxide scale had fallen off, revealing the bluish-black hard shell underneath.

"Brother Lin, how about I lend you a hand?" Wang Tieshan walked over with a lunchbox and said in a low voice, "Haizhong has conspired with Yi Zhonghai. I saw them whispering in the workshop office for a long time yesterday."

Lin Chen shook his head in thanks. He spat into his palm, gripped the wire brush tightly, and repeatedly polished his arm until the muscles were taut like iron. Soon, blisters formed on his palms, and beads of blood mixed with rust stuck to the brush handle. Qin Huairu, carrying Jia Huaihua, walked over from the fitter's workshop. She paused as she passed, a hint of schadenfreude flashing in her eyes, but she said insincerely, "Comrade Lin, how about I ask Shazhu to get you an extra lunch? You look exhausted."

"No need to trouble Senior Sister Qin." Lin Chen didn't even look up. "It's Senior Sister who should practice her skills properly and stop thinking about living off other people's money." Qin Huairu's face instantly turned red. She quickly left with her child in her arms, muttering "ungrateful wretch."

During his lunch break, Lin Chen gnawed on a dry, hard cornbread, staring blankly at the pile of iron blocks. The system prompted him that he could upgrade his tool by fusing "alloy shavings + wire brush," but it would require 15 points. He pulled out a durable wrench from his pocket; it was the hero from yesterday's repair of the imported parts, and currently his only trump card. Just as he was pondering this, he saw Yi Zhonghai walk over with his hands behind his back, followed by a man in a blue Zhongshan suit with a "Technical Department" badge pinned to his chest.

"Xiao Lin, this is Section Chief Zhang from the Technical Department." Yi Zhonghai smiled amiably, but his eyes darted back and forth between the iron block and Lin Chen's calloused hands. "That imported forging press broke again this morning. The bolts are still loose, and two of the original wrenches are broken. Your skills in repairing the drive shaft yesterday were quite good. Section Chief Zhang would like to ask you to take a look."

Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat. That forging press was the core equipment in the workshop, and the drive shaft he had repaired yesterday was a component of it. Now that the bolts were loose, either they weren't tightened properly during installation, or someone had deliberately tampered with them. He looked at Section Chief Zhang, whose brows were furrowed: "If it can't be fixed, the entire afternoon's production schedule will have to be halted; we can't afford to delay the export orders."

Following the two men to the forging press, Lin Chen immediately noticed something was wrong. The loose bolt securing the crankshaft had several coils of thin iron wire wrapped around its threads, clearly inserted intentionally to prevent it from tightening. He crouched down, removed the wire with tweezers, and looked up to meet Yi Zhonghai's evasive gaze. "Master Yi, who was responsible for installing this bolt?" Lin Chen asked.

"Yes...it was me who had Qin Huairu put it on." Yi Zhonghai coughed lightly. "I was rushing to finish yesterday, so I probably didn't notice." Lin Chen didn't expose him, but simply picked up the original wrench that had broken in two beside him. The system scan showed: "The wrench is made of ordinary alloy steel with a hardness of HRC35, which cannot withstand the torque of high manganese steel bolts."

"Comrade Lin, are you sure you can fix it?" Section Chief Zhang was so anxious he was stamping his feet. "The factory manager just called to urge us; if we can't fix it soon, we'll report it to the head office." Lin Chen weighed the wear-resistant wrench in his hand, suddenly remembering Liu Haizhong's pile of iron blocks waiting to be derusted. "I'm sure, but I need one thing." He pointed towards the forging workshop. "Master Liu has a batch of high-manganese steel billets; I need a small piece to make a tool."

When Liu Haizhong arrived, his face turned green. "That's the rust removal material for you! If you use it to make tools, what about our afternoon's tasks?" He blocked the iron block, protecting it like a precious treasure. Yi Zhonghai tried to smooth things over, "Old Liu, the bigger picture is important. If the forging press stops, our entire workshop will starve." Section Chief Zhang also chimed in at the opportune moment, "Master Liu, if you can fix it, I'll talk to Director Zhou, and we'll consider your group's rust removal task complete."

Liu Haizhong reluctantly let Lin Chen cut a palm-sized piece of steel billet. Lin Chen carried the billet back to the precision forging group, where Master Li had already heated the forging furnace to a blazing red. "Kid, I know you've been wronged," Master Li added a piece of coke to the furnace. "Haizhong and Lao Yi are ganging up on you, trying to embarrass you in front of Section Chief Zhang."

Lin Chen smiled gratefully and placed the steel billet into the furnace. He took out the precision calipers he had made the night before from the tool cabinet, and also pulled out a few pieces of chromium-manganese alloy shavings. "Master Li, please keep an eye on the heat for me. Call me when the temperature reaches 1500℃," he said, heating the alloy shavings and steel billet together while activating the system: "Consuming 15 points, fusing high-manganese steel billet + chromium-manganese alloy + silicon carbide to generate a high-strength torque wrench, compatible with 1.5-inch imperial bolts."

A pale blue light flashed across the furnace opening. Master Li rubbed his eyes, thinking it was just the firelight blinding him. "The temperature's reached!" Master Li shouted. Lin Chen quickly picked out the red-hot steel billet and placed it on the anvil. The small hammer in his hand seemed to have eyes; each strike landed precisely on the billet, and amidst the sparks, the outline of the wrench gradually became clear.

"Excellent craftsmanship!" Master Li nodded repeatedly. "Your hammering technique is even more steady than Old Yi's. Is it really a family tradition?" Lin Chen nodded while polishing the wrench's jaws. "My grandfather used to forge tools for an arsenal. He passed down some secrets." This was half true and half false, explaining the source of his skills without arousing suspicion.

Half an hour later, a completely black wrench was finished. The wrench was about forty centimeters long, with a precision-polished jaw, perfectly matching the bolt specifications of the forging press. Lin Chen measured it with calipers; the error was no more than 0.02 millimeters, and its hardness reached HRC65, far exceeding the original manufacturer's wrench. He tucked the wrench into his coat and strode towards the forging press workshop.

The workshop was now crowded with people. Director Zhou had also arrived, standing to the side with a livid face. Liu Haizhong and Yi Zhonghai stood at the front of the crowd; the former was gloating, while the latter looked "regretful." "Xiao Lin, if it really can't be done, don't force yourself," Yi Zhonghai said hypocritically. "The technical department has already contacted the original manufacturer, but it will take three days."

"No need to wait three days." Lin Chen pushed through the crowd, the wrench in his hand gleaming coldly in the sunlight. He walked to the forging press, aligned the wrench with the loose bolt, and snapped it into place perfectly. Everyone around held their breath, and Director Zhou's hands unconsciously clenched into fists.

Lin Chen took a deep breath, used his waist to exert force, and slowly turned the wrench with his arm. He didn't use brute force, but instead followed the "skillful technique" passed down from his grandfather, suddenly applying force the moment the bolt loosened. With a crisp "click," the bolt was firmly tightened, and the entire forging press vibrated slightly.

"Done?" Section Chief Zhang strode forward, checked with a torque wrench, and suddenly shouted, "Torque meets the standard! 5% higher than the original factory requirement!" The crowd erupted in cheers. Director Zhou excitedly patted Lin Chen on the shoulder: "Good lad! You're a true hero of our workshop!"

Liu Haizhong's face was as white as a sheet. He hadn't expected Lin Chen to actually fix it, and in less than an hour at that. Yi Zhonghai's eyes were filled with complex emotions, a mixture of surprise and resentment. He stepped forward, picked up Lin Chen's new wrench, and examined it: "Little Lin, this wrench is made of unusual material. Is it made of high-manganese steel?"

"Yeah, I added some alloy shavings, just something I figured out." Lin Chen casually took back the wrench. "It's a bit sturdier than the original, just a bit ugly." He deliberately shook the wrench in his hand, the gleam of the jaws making Yi Zhonghai's eyes light up. The hardness and precision of this wrench were even higher than the imported tool set he treasured. If he could get his hands on it, his influence in the workshop would be much stronger.

At the end of the workday, Director Zhou publicly praised Lin Chen at the workshop meeting, not only giving him a 50 yuan bonus but also announcing that he would be appointed as the deputy leader of the precision forging group, responsible for technical guidance. Liu Haizhong sat in a corner, smoking one cigarette after another, his face so gloomy it could drip water. After the meeting, Yi Zhonghai pulled him to a corner by the back door of the workshop.

"Old Yi, we can't let Lin Chen live!" Liu Haizhong threw his cigarette butt on the ground and stomped on it. "If he keeps causing trouble like this, both of our positions will be in jeopardy." Yi Zhonghai leaned against the wall, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the wrench in his pocket—a spare wrench blank he had stolen from the precision engineering team while Lin Chen was receiving his award. "Don't worry," Yi Zhonghai smiled sinisterly, "Isn't he good with tools? We'll make our move on those tools."

When Lin Chen returned to the courtyard house, it was already dusk. Qin Huairu was squatting by the communal pool in the middle courtyard, washing clothes. Seeing him return, she immediately came over with an empty basin: "Comrade Lin, you're finally back. Sha Zhu gave me half a bar of soap today, shall I wash your work clothes for you?" Her eyes kept glancing at Lin Chen's tool bag, which contained the torque wrench he had just made.

"No need, I can wash it myself." Lin Chen stepped aside, having already seen through Qin Huairu's intentions. Yesterday, Sha Zhu discovered that the braised pork he had saved for his mother had been stolen by her. Although he didn't get angry, he hadn't brought her any more food. Today, her sudden attentiveness must be at Yi Zhonghai's behest, trying to steal his tools.

Entering the side room, Lin Chen hid his tool bag in a secret compartment under the bed. He had dug it himself yesterday, concealing it with a few planks and covering it with miscellaneous items; most people wouldn't notice. Just as he finished, he heard arguing coming from the courtyard gate. He went to the window and saw Sha Zhu grabbing Xu Damao by the collar, holding a broken rice bowl: "Xu Damao! Did you steal my chickens again? My mom made chicken soup today, dare you say you didn't steal it?"

Xu Damao struggled to defend himself, "You're talking nonsense! I've been showing movies at the factory all day, who would have time to steal your chickens?" The two argued until their faces were red, while Jia Zhangshi stood aside holding Jia Geng, constantly fanning the flames, "It was Xu Damao who stole them! I saw him loitering near the chicken coop yesterday!"

Lin Chen was watching the exciting scene when he suddenly sensed a dark shadow flash past the window. He immediately blew out the oil lamp and quietly walked to the door. He heard a creak as someone pried open the lock with a thin wire. Lin Chen held his breath and waited until the other person had pried the door open a crack before suddenly reaching out and grabbing the other person's wrist.

"Who?!" the person outside exclaimed, trying to break free. Lin Chen pulled hard, dragging the person into the house. By the moonlight, he saw that it was Liu Haizhong's second son, Liu Guangtian. Liu Guangtian was still clutching a screwdriver in his hand, standing there pale-faced and trembling.

"Liu Guangtian, what are you doing breaking into my house in the middle of the night?" Lin Chen asked sternly. Liu Guangtian's lips trembled, and he couldn't speak for a long time. At this moment, the arguing at the courtyard gate stopped, and Liu Haizhong's voice came over: "Guangtian! Where are you? Go home and sleep!"

Lin Chen understood immediately; Liu Haizhong must have instructed Liu Guangtian to steal the tools. He took out a spare wrench blank from under the bed and shoved it into Liu Guangtian's hand: "Take this back to your father and tell him that my tools aren't so easy to steal. If he dares to come again, I'll report this to the factory."

Liu Guangtian, feeling as if he'd been granted a pardon, stumbled out carrying the rough wrench. Lin Chen closed the door and relit the oil lamp. He knew this was just the beginning; Liu Haizhong and Yi Zhonghai certainly wouldn't let it go. He took out a torque wrench from a hidden compartment and enhanced it again using the system: "Consuming 5 points, adding 'anti-pry alarm' function." A faint blue light instantly appeared on the wrench's surface; if anyone touched it, it would emit a piercing alarm.

The next morning, Lin Chen had just arrived at the workshop when Director Zhou called him to his office. "Lin, take a look at this." Director Zhou handed him a report, his brow furrowed. "The technical department inspected the bolts on the forging press last night and found slight damage to the threads. They suspect it was caused by you tightening them too much yesterday."

Lin Chen took the report and saw that the signature on it was Yi Zhonghai. He immediately understood that Yi Zhonghai was behind this, deliberately exaggerating the extent of the thread damage in an attempt to shift the blame for the forging press malfunction onto him. "Director Zhou, can I go to the site to inspect it?" Lin Chen asked.

Following Director Zhou to the forging press, Yi Zhonghai and Section Chief Zhang were already waiting there. Yi Zhonghai held a magnifying glass and pointed it at the bolt thread, saying, "Director Zhou, look here, the thread profile is deformed. If we continue to use it, it will definitely cause big problems."

Lin Chen squatted down and used his precision calipers to measure the thread size. The system displayed: "Thread damage level 0.01mm, within the allowable error range, can be used normally." He stood up, took out the calipers and handed them to Section Chief Zhang: "Section Chief Zhang, you see, this damage does not affect the use at all, and this damage was not caused by me, it was scratched by someone who used a thin iron wire to plug the thread before."

After taking the measurements with calipers, Section Chief Zhang's expression gradually turned serious: "Old Yi, there's something wrong with your test report. The extent of the damage isn't as severe as you described." Yi Zhonghai's face flushed instantly, and he stammered, "Maybe I misread it..."

Director Zhou's face darkened. He had long heard about Liu Haizhong and Yi Zhonghai making things difficult for Lin Chen, but he lacked evidence. Now, Yi Zhonghai had forged the test report, which had conveniently put him in the line of fire. "Master Yi, the technical department needs to be more rigorous in its work. If this happens again, I will report it to the head office," Director Zhou said sternly.

Yi Zhonghai lowered his head, not daring to utter a sound. Lin Chen looked at him without a shred of sympathy. In this dog-eat-dog workshop, yielding would only invite more ruthless scheming. He took out the torque wrench and said to Director Zhou, "Director Zhou, to avoid the problem of loose bolts in the future, I suggest equipping the forging press with a special wrench. I can make it myself, guaranteeing it will be more durable than the original."

"Okay!" Director Zhou immediately agreed. "Just tell me what materials you need, and the workshop will fully support you." Yi Zhonghai looked at the wrench in Lin Chen's hand, his eyes filled with jealousy and resentment. He knew that this time, not only had he failed to outmaneuver Lin Chen, but he had also made Lin Chen more favored by Director Zhou.

At lunchtime, Wang Tieshan sat down next to Lin Chen with his lunchbox and said in a low voice, "Little Lin, you're really something. Yesterday Liu Guangtian got caught stealing your tools, and today Yi Zhonghai also fell from grace. Now they won't dare to mess with you anymore." Lin Chen smiled and was about to speak when he saw Qin Huairu walk over with a lunchbox, a fawning smile on her face: "Comrade Lin, I was wrong yesterday. I made you some chicken soup, have a taste."

Lin Chen glanced at the oil floating in the lunchbox and sneered inwardly. This chicken soup must have been tricked into coming from Sha Zhu by Jia Zhangshi, and now Qin Huairu was offering her favors again—who knew what she was up to? Just as he was about to refuse, Sha Zhu walked up from behind and snatched the lunchbox away: "Sister Qin, this chicken soup was for Brother Lin. Why are you giving it away again?"

Qin Huairu's face instantly turned pale; Sha Zhu was deliberately sabotaging her. Lin Chen stood up and patted Sha Zhu on the shoulder: "Brother Sha Zhu, thanks. But I have something to do, you can drink this chicken soup yourself." He turned and left, leaving Qin Huairu standing there, her face flushing and paling by turns.

Back in the precision forging group, Lin Chen began preparing materials for making special wrenches for forging presses. Master Li approached with a drawing: "Kid, this is the drawing I made for the wrench. Take a look and see if it's suitable." Lin Chen took the drawing and saw that the dimensions were very precise, and a non-slip handle had been specially designed. "Master Li, your drawing is perfect!" Lin Chen exclaimed sincerely.

"I could tell you were an expert just by looking at your forging technique yesterday," Master Li said with a smile. "I've wanted to improve wrenches before, but I didn't have the right materials or the skills. Now that you're here, let's work hard together and show those old fogies that our precision wrench team isn't easy to bully."

Lin Chen felt a warmth in his heart; he hadn't expected Master Li to be so supportive. With Master Li's help, the production of the special wrench would definitely be faster. He took out the alloy material he had redeemed from the system and said to Master Li, "Master Li, if we use this material, we can guarantee that the wrench's hardness and toughness will meet the standards."

The two worked tirelessly all afternoon, finally forging the wrench blank. Lin Chen took the blank to the grinding wheel and began to finely polish it. Sparks flew before his eyes, reflecting his determined gaze. He knew that this wrench was not just a tool, but also the foundation upon which he would gain a foothold in the steel rolling mill. With solid skills, no amount of insidious schemes could stop him from moving forward.

As Lin Chen finished get off work in the evening, he handed the newly sharpened wrench to Section Chief Zhang. Section Chief Zhang examined the wrench repeatedly, excitedly exclaiming, "Excellent! This wrench is even better than the original! Comrade Lin, you're a true technical genius!" The surrounding workers gathered to watch, praising Lin Chen's craftsmanship. Liu Haizhong and Yi Zhonghai stood on the periphery of the crowd, watching everything with grim faces, unable to utter a single word.

Lin Chen took the wrench, walked to the forging press, and secured it to the tool rack next to the equipment. The wrench's dark surface gleamed under the light, like a guardian deity protecting the machine. He knew this was only the first step in his counterattack; many more challenges awaited him. But he was no longer as helpless as he had been in his previous life. With the system's help, Master Li's support, and his own solid skills, he was confident he could forge his own path in this calculating workshop and courtyard.

Stepping out of the steel rolling mill, a slight chill hung in the air. Lin Chen looked up at the sky; the stars were already twinkling. He clutched his prize money, his first honor earned through his skills. From the direction of the courtyard came the usual cacophony of Jia Zhangshi's curses and Xu Damao's defenses. But Lin Chen felt strangely calm. He knew that from tomorrow onward, everything would be different.