mtlumby2d Chapter 27: The Apprenticeship Scene Conceals Subtlety; The Sound of the Forging Hammer Reveals Huma
Chapter 27: The Apprenticeship Scene Conceals Subtlety; The Sound of the Forging Hammer Reveals Huma
The capital city was still shrouded in a chilly atmosphere at the end of the first lunar month, but the blast furnaces in the forging workshop of the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill were already glowing red. Lin Chen, wearing his newly received blue overalls, stood beside the modified forging press, measuring the freshly forged crankshaft blank with calipers. Amidst the steady hum of the machine tools, the slightly hesitant hammering of Liu Guangtian could be heard—for the past two weeks, the young man had practically made the workshop his home; the calluses on his hands had grown three layers thick, and the youthful naiveté in his eyes had been replaced by a steady composure.
"Director Lin, is this dimension correct?" Liu Guangtian ran over carrying the forged billet, beads of sweat on his forehead hitting the scorching steel billet and creating a fine white mist. Lin Chen took the calipers and measured carefully, nodding and saying, "The error is controlled within two micrometers, that's rapid progress. Remember, forging isn't about brute force; judging quality by the sound is key." As he spoke, he picked up a small hammer and lightly tapped the steel billet. "Listen to this sound; a crisp, resonant sound indicates there are no air pockets inside. If it sounds dull, it needs to be reforged."
Liu Guangtian listened intently, nodded as if suddenly understanding, and was about to speak when he heard familiar footsteps coming from the workshop door. Liu Haizhong walked in carrying a bulging net bag, his face beaming with a smile even more enthusiastic than the flames of a blast furnace, and called out from afar, "Director Lin, busy, huh!" The pig's head meat in the net bag was wrapped in oil paper, and a tempting aroma wafted out, causing several young workers nearby to secretly swallow their saliva.
Lin Chen put down the calipers and watched him approach without showing any emotion. Since Yi Zhonghai was arrested and Lin Chen himself was promoted to deputy director, Liu Haizhong's attitude had undergone a complete 180-degree turn. He had gone from being arrogant and difficult to everyone to now being obsequious. "Master Liu, what brings you here today?" Lin Chen asked casually, his gaze sweeping over the pound of pig's head meat—a generous gift in those days of scarcity. Liu Haizhong was usually stingy, so his sudden generosity must mean he wanted something from Lin Chen.
Liu Haizhong placed the net bag on the control panel, rubbed his hands together, and leaned closer, saying, "I heard you've modified the forging press so well, so I came here specifically to learn from you!" He glanced at Liu Guangtian beside him, then changed the subject, "Speaking of which, Guangtian's success today is all thanks to your guidance. As his father, I feel really bad about it. That's why I queued up this morning to buy a pound of pig's head meat. How about we have a couple of drinks tonight?"
Liu Guangtian's eyes lit up, and he was about to agree when Lin Chen stopped him with a look. Lin Chen picked up a piece of scrap material and weighed it in his hand: "Master Liu, you're too kind. Guangtian is a good piece of work; I was just giving him some pointers. As for drinking, the workshop has been busy rushing to meet orders lately, so I'm afraid we don't have time." He deliberately paused, noticing that Liu Haizhong's smile falter slightly, and then added, "If there are any technical issues, we can talk about them now."
Seeing this, Liu Haizhong stopped beating around the bush and lowered his voice, "Director Lin, to be honest, I want to become your apprentice!" Upon hearing this, the other workers stopped what they were doing, and even Liu Guangtian was stunned, his mouth agape. Liu Haizhong was a level seven forging worker, a team leader in the workshop for over ten years, far more senior than Lin Chen. It was truly unbelievable that he wanted to become the apprentice of a young man who had just turned nineteen.
Lin Chen sneered inwardly, just as he expected. He had already heard from Uncle Wang that Liu Haizhong's eldest son, Liu Guangqi, had a girlfriend, and the girl's family demanded a dowry of three large items and twenty catties of grain coupons. Liu Haizhong had been demoted in the past two years for embezzling scrap iron, resulting in a significant pay cut, and he simply couldn't afford the money. Meanwhile, the heavy machinery factory was currently recruiting technical personnel, offering salaries 30% higher than the steel rolling mill. Liu Haizhong was clearly trying to steal his precision forging techniques so he could switch jobs and secure a higher-paying position.
"Master Liu, you flatter me," Lin Chen said, feigning surprise. "You are a level seven blacksmith, while I have only just been promoted to deputy director. In terms of skill and seniority, I should be the one learning from you. I really don't deserve to be your apprentice." He picked up the pound of pig's head meat and stuffed it into Liu Haizhong's hand. "Take this gift back and use it to nourish Guangqi. We can save up for the betrothal gifts slowly; there's no rush."
Liu Haizhong pulled his hand away, refusing to take it no matter what, and his smile became somewhat urgent: "Director Lin, I sincerely want to learn from you! Your precision forging skills and ability to modify forging presses are unmatched in the entire capital! I know it's against the rules to become an apprentice, but I have no choice—Guangqi is already twenty-five, and if this marriage falls through, his life will be ruined!" As he spoke, his eyes reddened, and he reached out to wipe his face.
This moving performance touched the hearts of the workers nearby. Uncle Wang leaned over and advised, "Director Lin, Master Liu is just a parent with a heart full of love and concern. How about this, not a formal apprenticeship, but just a technical exchange, where we can learn from each other?" Liu Guangtian chimed in, "Team Leader Lin, my father is truly determined. Please agree!"
Lin Chen pondered for a moment, having already made up his mind. Liu Haizhong wanted to learn the core technology, which Lin Chen deliberately refused to teach him; however, directly refusing would leave him with accusations of being "unapproachable." It would be better to agree on the surface, only teaching him the basics, thus silencing the critics while revealing Liu Haizhong's true intentions. "Since Master Liu is so sincere, I'll presume to do so," Lin Chen finally relented. "But let's make it clear beforehand, this is merely a technical exchange, not a formal master-disciple relationship. I'll teach you some basic precision measurement techniques; as for the core forging skills, you'll have to figure that out yourself."
Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Liu Haizhong nodded vigorously, "Okay, okay! I'm so grateful that you're willing to teach me! Tonight I'll have your sister-in-law cook some fancy dishes, and we have to have a couple of drinks!" Afraid that Lin Chen would change his mind, he put down the pig's head meat and pulled Liu Guangtian to ask for advice, but his eyes kept glancing at the core components of the forging press, trying to remember the details of the modifications.
For the next few days, Liu Haizhong spent almost every day in Lin Chen's work area. As planned, Lin Chen only taught him basic caliper usage skills and simple billet processing methods, refusing to mention the proportions of the new alloy or the principles of the automatic feeding device on the forging press. Every time Liu Haizhong tried to probe, Lin Chen would deflect with phrases like "that's a workshop secret" or "it's still in the experimental stage."
That afternoon, Lin Chen deliberately left a "new alloy formula" on the operating table, then made an excuse to go to a meeting in the workshop office. Not long after he left, he saw through the simple monitoring system (made from fused scrap parts) that Liu Haizhong was indeed sneaking over, quickly copying down the formula with paper and pen. Not satisfied with just copying it, he then tiptoed to look into the control cabinet of the forging press, trying to memorize the wiring layout.
When Lin Chen returned to the workshop, Liu Haizhong was pretending to instruct Liu Guangtian on forging, but his face betrayed his smugness. Lin Chen calmly picked up the "recipe" and casually tossed it into the scrap bin. Liu Haizhong caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye, his heart skipped a beat, and he tentatively asked, "Director Lin, what's written on that paper...?"
"Oh, that's a formula that failed in a previous experiment. It contained too much sulfur, and the forged parts would break with a single tap," Lin Chen said casually. "I was going to throw it away, but I accidentally left it here." Liu Haizhong's face turned deathly pale instantly, and the iron hammer in his hand clattered to the ground—the formula he had just copied was actually a useless one!
Liu Guangtian, oblivious to his father's unusual behavior, excitedly said, "Team Leader Lin, I just forged a part using the method you taught me. What do you think?" Lin Chen walked over, picked up the part, measured it with calipers, and nodded in satisfaction: "Not bad, the error control is excellent. I'll bring a bottle of wine to your house tonight, and we can have a good chat about the follow-up technical improvement plan."
As evening fell, Lin Chen arrived at Liu Haizhong's house carrying a bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor). The Liu family's small house was fairly tidy, with scrambled eggs, cold potato salad, and a pound of pig's head meat on the table. Liu Guangqi was also home. Seeing Lin Chen enter, he quickly stood up to offer him a seat, his eyes full of gratitude—he knew that his dowry was secured entirely thanks to Lin Chen's willingness to teach his father the skills.
After a few rounds of drinks, Liu Haizhong became more talkative. Emboldened by the alcohol, he brought up the heavy machinery factory's recruitment again: "Director Lin, do you think I could get a job at the heavy machinery factory with the skills you taught me?" Lin Chen picked up a piece of pig's head and put it in his mouth, slowly saying, "Master Liu, I'm not trying to discourage you, but the heavy machinery factory needs technical backbones who can independently complete precision forgings. If you actually use that formula you copied, not only will you not get the job, but you'll also have to pay for the materials."
Liu Haizhong's face flushed red and then paled, his hand holding the wine glass trembling slightly. Lin Chen changed the subject: "However, our factory is about to expand the precision group, and I was thinking of recommending a few experienced veteran workers to Director Zhou as deputy group leaders. If you're willing to stay, with your qualifications, this position is perfect for you."
These words were like a ray of light, illuminating Liu Haizhong's thoughts. Although the deputy team leader's salary wasn't as high as that of a key employee at the heavy machinery plant, it offered stability, and he could learn real technical skills from Lin Chen. He quickly put down his wine glass, stood up, and bowed to Lin Chen: "Director Lin, I was wrong! I was blinded by greed before, wanting to steal your technology to jump ship. If you're willing to give me this opportunity, I will definitely work diligently under your guidance from now on, without any disloyalty!"
Lin Chen helped him up, smiling as he said, "Master Liu, it's good that you admit your mistakes and are willing to correct them. We're all working together to improve the workshop. If we cooperate, things will only get better." He knew that Liu Haizhong, this kind of "official-minded" person, valued position and face the most. Giving him a deputy team leader position would both keep him in check and allow him to use his seniority to manage the veteran workers—a win-win situation.
As Lin Chen left Liu Haizhong's house and entered the courtyard of the siheyuan, he saw Qin Huairu mending Jia Geng's work clothes. Unlike before, she no longer pretended to be weak and pitiful; her needlework was quick and efficient, and next to her was a book called "Basic Fitter Tutorial," its pages filled with dense notes.
Seeing Lin Chen enter, Qin Huairu put down her needlework, stood up, and greeted him, "Director Lin, you're back?" Lin Chen nodded, his gaze falling on the book. "Have you been learning fitter skills lately?" Qin Huairu said somewhat embarrassedly, "You were right before, relying on yourself is worse than relying on anyone else. After Master Yi's accident, I realized that you can't succeed without real skills. I've been asking Master Wang in the workshop a few questions these past few days, and I feel like I've learned a lot."
Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat, and he picked up the book and flipped through it. The notes on the pages were meticulous, with key points marked in red pen. It seemed Qin Huairu genuinely wanted to learn the skills this time, instead of deliberately hiding her abilities as before. "This book is too basic," Lin Chen said. "Tomorrow I'll bring you a copy of 'Precision Fitter Technology,' which has many practical examples that will help you with your certification exam."
Qin Huairu's eyes lit up instantly, and she thanked him repeatedly, "Thank you, Director Lin! Don't worry, I will definitely study hard and will never cause you any more trouble in the future." Jia Geng, who was next to her, also raised his head and whispered, "Uncle Lin, I will never steal anything again. I want to learn forging from you."
Looking into Jia Geng's sincere eyes, Lin Chen recalled how this child, due to Jia Zhangshi's doting on him in his previous life, ultimately turned to theft and crime, and couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion. He patted Jia Geng's head: "Alright, when you're a bit older, after you graduate from junior high school, if you're really interested, I'll take you on as my apprentice."
Just as Lin Chen returned to his room, he heard Yan Bugui's shrill shouts coming from the courtyard gate. Lin Chen went to the window and saw Yan Bugui grabbing Jia Zhangshi's arm, cursing, "You old hag, you stole my cabbages and you dare to deny it! I saw you pull them from my yard with my own eyes, you still have cabbage leaves on you!"
Jia Zhangshi sat on the ground, throwing a tantrum, yelling, "You're talking nonsense! I grew this cabbage myself, why do you say it's yours? I think you're trying to extort money from me!" The two argued fiercely, attracting a crowd of neighbors. Yan Bugui, his face flushed with anger, pulled out his abacus and started calculating rapidly: "This cabbage weighs at least three jin, worth two cents at market price! If you don't compensate me, I'll report you to the neighborhood committee!"
Lin Chen knew that Yan Bugui had recently been suspended from his job for providing paid tutoring, and his family was struggling financially, so he was extremely careful with every penny. Meanwhile, Jia Zhangshi's bad habits were incurable; without Yi Zhonghai's protection, she had started stealing from her neighbors again. Lin Chen initially didn't want to get involved, but considering Qin Huairu's recent change in demeanor, he decided to step in and mediate.
He walked up to the two women and pointed to the cabbage leaf on Jia Zhangshi's body: "Aunt Jia, Master Yan's cabbage leaves have a special mark he made—a small dot with red ink. You have it on this leaf." Jia Zhangshi looked down and indeed saw a small red dot on the leaf, immediately losing her confidence. Lin Chen then said to Yan Bugui, "Master Yan, it's just a cabbage. Aunt Jia was just confused. How about this, I'll compensate you two cents, and we'll call it even."
Seeing that Lin Chen had intervened and that he could get compensation, Yan Bugui decided to take the opportunity to back down: "Since Director Lin has spoken up, I'll give you face. But this is a one-time exception. If she steals from my house again, I will never forgive her!" After saying that, he took the money and turned to go home. Jia Zhangshi also got up and slunk back into the house, glaring at Lin Chen before leaving.
Qin Huairu walked over, her face full of guilt: "Director Lin, I'm sorry to have troubled you again. I will discipline my mother-in-law properly, and this will never happen again." Lin Chen shook his head: "Disciplining her is for your own good. You should focus on learning your skills now and don't let these things affect your mood."
Back inside, Lin Chen had just sat down when a notification popped up on the system panel: "The host has successfully resolved the neighborhood conflict and guided Qin Huairu onto the right path, completing the 'Positive Guidance' task, rewarding 500 points. The hidden task 'Technical Inheritance' side quest has been triggered, guiding Liu Guangtian and Qin Huairu to improve their skills. Task reward: 1000 points, unlocking the basic 'Skill Sharing' permission (allowing you to share your basic skills with others)."
Lin Chen was delighted; skill-sharing permissions were a great thing. This way, he could more efficiently guide Liu Guangtian and Qin Huairu in learning technology, and also cultivate his own technical team in the workshop more quickly. He clicked on the permission description and found that the basic permission allowed him to share basic skills once a day for one hour.
The next morning, Lin Chen brought Qin Huairu the book "Precision Fitter Techniques" and a set of precision measuring tools he had developed. "These tools are highly accurate. Using them to practice measurement will help you master the skills more quickly," Lin Chen said. "This afternoon, I'll share 'Basic Fitter Skills' with you. Focus your attention and you'll avoid many pitfalls." Qin Huairu was deeply grateful, accepting the book and tools, and solemnly said, "Director Lin, I will never forget your immense kindness!"
In the afternoon, Lin Chen used skill sharing with Qin Huairu in the workshop's break room. The moment he shared his basic fitter skills, Qin Huairu's eyes lit up instantly. Many technical difficulties she hadn't understood before suddenly became clear. She picked up the measuring tools and skillfully measured the parts in front of her, her movements precise and fluid, completely unlike the "perpetual apprentice" she had been before.
Master Wang, standing nearby, was dumbfounded: "Qin girl, your skills have improved so quickly! Yesterday you couldn't even use the measuring tools properly, and today you can measure accurately!" Qin Huairu's face beamed with a confident smile: "It's all thanks to Director Lin's excellent teaching! I plan to sign up for the fitter's certification exam next month and try to pass level four on my first try!"
Lin Chen watched this scene with great satisfaction. He knew that Qin Huairu's transformation would not only free her from her past predicament but also positively influence Jia Geng, preventing him from repeating the mistakes of his previous life. As for Liu Haizhong, since agreeing to stay as deputy team leader, he had indeed worked diligently, leading the veteran workers to complete several urgent orders, significantly improving the workshop's production efficiency.
However, the peaceful days didn't last long. That day, Lin Chen received a call from Li Jianguo, whose voice was very serious: "Lin Chen, something's happened. Yan Bugui's resale of grain coupons has been confirmed, and he also confessed that he was involved in Yi Zhonghai's sale of high-quality materials from the workshop to the black market, and was responsible for contacting buyers. The public security department has now opened a case and wants you to be a witness."
Lin Chen's heart sank. He hadn't expected Yan Bugui to be colluding with Yi Zhonghai. He immediately agreed, "Okay, I'll go to the branch office right away." After hanging up the phone, he looked at his busy coworkers in the workshop, especially Liu Guangtian and Qin Huairu who were diligently learning the technology. He secretly made up his mind: he must thoroughly eradicate the malpractices in the workshop and the courtyard, and make those who scheme against others pay the price they deserve.
On the way to the branch office, Lin Chen reviewed all of Yan Bugui's misdeeds through the system: paid tutoring, reselling grain coupons, participating in Yi Zhonghai's black market transactions, scheming against his neighbors for small gains... Every single one of these acts revealed shrewdness and selfishness. Lin Chen knew that Yan Bugui's good days were truly over this time.
Upon arriving at the branch office, Li Jianguo placed a thick stack of evidence in front of Lin Chen: "These are the grain coupons and embezzled funds we seized, as well as Yan Bugui's confession. He admitted that he had repeatedly helped Yi Zhonghai contact black market buyers, taking a 10% cut in the process. Yi Zhonghai has also confessed, and their testimonies match."
Lin Chen carefully reviewed the evidence and then told the police officers everything he knew. He also provided a recording he had previously made of the system, in which Yan Bugui tried to sell him old iron kettles and scheme for personal gain, further confirming Yan Bugui's greedy nature.
It was already dark when Lin Chen left the police station. Walking home, he looked at the streetlights that had come on, his heart filled with mixed emotions. Yi Zhonghai had been arrested, Liu Haizhong had been apprehended, Qin Huairu was beginning to reform, and now Yan Bugui was about to be captured as well. The "retirement group" in the courtyard had completely collapsed. But he knew this wasn't the end, but a new beginning. His technological innovation plan had only just begun, and a much wider world awaited him in the future.
Back at the courtyard house, Yan Bugui's house had been sealed off, and several police officers were on duty at the gate. Neighbors gathered around, discussing amongst themselves, their faces showing satisfaction. Jia Zhangshi hid inside, too afraid to come out, while Qin Huairu and Jia Geng were painting their doors and windows. Seeing Lin Chen return, she proactively greeted him, "Director Lin, you're back? Master Yan, he…"
"He did something illegal, so naturally he should be punished by law," Lin Chen said calmly. "Qin Huairu, remember, no matter what, you must earn your living with your own hands. You can't get by through crooked means." Qin Huairu nodded solemnly: "I remember, Director Lin. I will definitely learn the skills well, take good care of the children, and be an upright person."
Night deepened, and Lin Chen stood by the window, gazing at the moonlight. The system panel popped up again with a notification: "Host assisted the public security department in cracking the Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui black market transaction case, completing the 'Eliminating Unhealthy Practices' mission, rewarding 2000 points. System level upgraded to level 6, unlocking 'Mechanical Design' advanced permissions."
Lin Chen opened the mechanical design permissions, and various complex mechanical drawings immediately appeared before his eyes, including car engines, precision machine tools, etc.