Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 85 Skilled Apprentices Take Charge, Cleverly Uncovers a Secret Workshop

The morning broadcast at Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill had just finished its "Learn from Daqing in Industry" editorial when Zhou Jianguo, the forging workshop director, strode into the precision forging group's work area, carrying an appointment letter stamped with the factory's red seal. At that moment, Lin Chen was squatting beside the machine tool, patiently instructing Liu Guangtian on how to level the forging die. His oil-covered fingertips traced precise graduations on the cool metal surface, while Liu Guangfu stood nearby, meticulously recording key data in his notebook.

"Lin Chen!" Zhou Jianguo's voice broke the roar of the machines in the workshop. He waved the appointment letter in his hand, his face filled with undisguised approval. "The factory's emergency meeting just passed an order to officially appoint you as a key technical member of the precision forging group, enjoying the benefits of a level five worker, and primarily responsible for overseeing the apprentice training work throughout the workshop!"

The workshop fell silent instantly upon hearing this. The veteran technicians operating the machine tools all stopped what they were doing and turned their gazes to Lin Chen. It's important to understand that at the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, the appointment of technical backbone personnel has always been based on seniority; many people spend over a decade trying to even reach the required level. Yet Lin Chen, having only been with the mill for six months, had risen from an ordinary apprentice to a technical backbone—an unprecedented event in the mill's history.

Liu Guangtian dropped the wrench with a clatter, his eyes wide with surprise. "Master Lin, you...you're really going to take us on?" Liu Guangfu was even more excited, his face flushed, his knuckles white as he gripped his notebook tightly. Since the two brothers started learning from Lin Chen, they had not only stopped being beaten and scolded by their father, Liu Haizhong, but they had also gained confidence through repeated practice. Now that Lin Chen was officially in charge of the apprentices, they were naturally the happiest.

Lin Chen stood up, dusted the oil off his hands, and accepted the appointment letter from Zhou Jianguo. The three large, gold-embossed characters "Appointment Letter" on the red cover were particularly eye-catching, clearly outlining his responsibilities: responsible for apprentice technical training, leading the improvement of precision forging processes, and assisting the director in managing workshop technical quality. He nodded slightly: "Thank you for your trust, Director Zhou. I will certainly live up to the factory's expectations."

Zhou Jianguo patted him on the shoulder and lowered his voice: "The factory has high hopes for you, especially for the high-efficiency forging mold you improved last time, which increased our workshop's production efficiency by 30%. The factory director specifically praised you at the meeting. However, I have to remind you of something: Yi Zhonghai... isn't entirely satisfied with your appointment. You'll have to be more careful in your work from now on."

Lin Chen understood. Yi Zhonghai, an eighth-grade fitter at the steel rolling mill, had worked in the technical department for many years and always considered himself a "technical authority." Knowing Lin Chen's personality, he was bound to sabotage his promotion, bypassing many senior colleagues. Lin Chen calmly replied, "Thank you for the reminder, Director Zhou. I focus on my technical work and believe that as long as I do my job well, no one can find fault with me."

The news of the appointment spread like wildfire throughout the courtyard. When Lin Chen returned home from get off work at noon, a large group of neighbors had already gathered in the middle courtyard. Liu Haizhong, unusually calm, greeted him from afar, carrying an oil paper package and sporting a rare smile: "Master Lin, no, now you should call me Backbone Lin! This is some pig's head meat I had someone buy. Come to my house for drinks tonight, let's celebrate!"

Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu followed behind their father, their backs ramrod straight. Since learning the trade from Lin Chen, the two brothers had become increasingly respected in the workshop, which also boosted Liu Haizhong's confidence in the courtyard. He used to be ridiculed by Yan Bugui for "raising two good-for-nothing sons," but now he could finally hold his head high.

Qin Huairu also came over carrying a bowl of freshly steamed egg custard, a sincere smile on her face: "Master Lin, congratulations on your promotion. This egg custard is for the children, I made an extra bowl, please try it. Thanks to your guidance before, I can now work steadily in the logistics mending team without having to do those superficial things anymore." Her hands were still covered with cotton lint from the needle and thread, and the fine lines at the corners of her eyes held a sense of relief—since she stopped scheming for Sha Zhu's lunchbox and started making a living with her mending skills, she felt much more at ease.

Lin Chen smiled and accepted the steamed egg custard, then politely declined Liu Haizhong's invitation: "I appreciate Master Liu's kindness, but I need to work on the apprentice training plan tonight. Let's get together another day. Guangtian and Guangfu have a good foundation. If they learn well from me, they will definitely become technical backbones in the future." Liu Haizhong nodded repeatedly, his eyes full of gratitude.

Yan Bugui, standing in the crowd, wore a complex expression. He fiddled with his abacus, clicking away as if calculating something. Since Lin Chen mediated the matter of him pressuring his daughter Yan Jiedi for child support yesterday, he had been harboring resentment. Now, seeing Lin Chen's rapid promotion, he spoke with a sour tone, "Master Lin, you've become a key member at such a young age, truly impressive. I just wonder if you can treat all apprentices fairly during the training."

Lin Chen glanced at him and replied calmly, "Apprenticeship training depends on talent and effort. I'll focus on teaching whoever is willing to work hard. As for whether I can treat everyone equally, the other workers in the workshop are watching." His words were neither too soft nor too hard, clearly stating his principles while also subtly alluding to Yan Bugui's previous scheming against his children. This caused Yan Bugui's face to turn a deep purplish-red, and he reluctantly shut his mouth.

Back in his room, Lin Chen carefully put away the appointment letter before opening the "All Things Fusion System." The light blue panel showed that he had accumulated 2300 points, and the system notification read: "Host promoted to technical backbone, unlocking the new function 'Process Simulation,' which can consume points to simulate optimization schemes for various forging processes." Lin Chen was delighted; this function would be perfect for apprentice training, allowing apprentices to understand complex forging processes more intuitively.

He was studying the system's new features when there was a soft knock at the door. Opening it, he saw He Yushui, holding a thick book on mechanical fundamentals, her face slightly shy. "Master Lin," she said, "I heard you're in charge of apprentice training now. My brother... he's been making a lot of mistakes in the canteen lately, and the factory manager said if this continues, he'll be transferred to logistics. He used to work in the forging workshop; could you mentor him and help him learn a new skill?"

Lin Chen was taken aback. Ever since Sha Zhu realized he should stop supporting the Jia family, his behavior in the canteen had been poor. Last time, he even accidentally fed expired flour to the workers, causing several to get stomach aches, and he received a demerit from the factory management. As his younger sister, He Yushui was naturally worried. He thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "Sha Zhu has a basic skill, but he's too straightforward. If he's willing to learn, have him report to the precision group tomorrow and start as a basic apprentice."

He Yushui was so excited that she repeatedly thanked him, "Thank you, Master Lin! I'll go back and tell my brother right away. If he dares not to learn seriously, I'll be the first to punish him!" Watching He Yushui's hurried departure, Lin Chen smiled and shook his head. Sha Zhu wasn't a bad person at heart; he was just tricked and made a fool of by Yi Zhonghai and the Jia family. If he could settle down and learn the skills now, he might very well achieve something great.

The next morning, Lin Chen officially began classes with his eight newly recruited apprentices. He led them to the scrap heap in the workshop, pointed to a pile of discarded forgings, and said, "Today, our first lesson isn't about forging, but about identifying materials. The essence of forging lies in understanding materials—what kind of material is suitable for forging what kind of parts. There's a lot to learn about this."

As he spoke, he picked up a piece of scrap steel and, after analyzing it using the system, explained, "This is No. 45 steel, with a carbon content of 0.42%-0.50%. It has high strength and good toughness, making it suitable for forging gears and shaft parts. And this piece is No. 20 steel, with a low carbon content and good plasticity, making it suitable for stamping parts. Each of you will pick three pieces of scrap and identify their material and applicable scenarios by the end of this afternoon. Only those that pass the test can proceed to the next step of learning."

The apprentices sprang into action, with Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu being the most diligent. They took out the basic manual Lin Chen had given them and studied the appearance and hardness of the scrap materials repeatedly. Sha Zhu, on the other hand, seemed somewhat distracted, squatting in a corner smoking and glancing towards the workshop door every now and then, as if waiting for someone. Lin Chen observed this without criticizing them on the spot, but simply watched them discreetly.

During the lunch break, Yi Zhonghai indeed appeared at the workshop entrance. He was wearing crisp work clothes, holding a thermos, and walked straight to Sha Zhu, lowering his voice to say, "Sha Zhu, what do you think about what I told you? Lin Chen is too young and not qualified to be a technical backbone at all. If you're willing to side with me, I'll talk to the factory manager and get you transferred back to the fitter's workshop to be my assistant. That's much better than being an apprentice under Lin Chen."

Sha Zhu hesitated for a moment. He remembered He Yushui's persuasion last night, and also Lin Chen's kindness in teaching him skills. He shook his head: "Uncle Yi, I listened to you before and gave my wages and food coupons to the Jia family. What happened to me? Master Lin is willing to teach me real skills. I can't let him down." Yi Zhonghai didn't expect Sha Zhu to refuse. His face instantly darkened: "You ingrate! If I hadn't helped you back then, you would have been fired from the factory long ago. Now that you've grown up, you dare to disobey me?"

"Master Yi, you're not quite right about that, are you?" Lin Chen's voice suddenly came from the side. He was holding the apprentice's evaluation report and slowly walked over. "Sha Zhu was able to stay in the factory back then because he was a good cook; the canteen couldn't do without him. It had little to do with you. As for you, if the factory management finds out that you helped Qin Huairu revise the assessment sample last time, you might lose your level eight fitter title, right?"

Yi Zhonghai's face turned pale, then flushed. He hadn't expected Lin Chen to know about this. Back then, Qin Huairu failed her assessment, and in order to keep her by his side as a backup plan for retirement, he secretly modified her practical demonstration sample. He had done this extremely discreetly, but Lin Chen had still discovered it. He forced himself to remain calm: "Lin Chen, don't make false accusations! When did I ever modify the assessment sample?"

"Whether it's slander or not, just ask Old Chen in the technical department," Lin Chen said calmly. "Back then, the file marks on Qin Huairu's test sample were completely inconsistent with her usual operating methods. Old Chen had long been suspicious, but he didn't say anything because you're a senior technician. If you continue to sow discord in the workshop, I don't mind reporting this to the factory administration."

Yi Zhonghai trembled with rage, pointing at Lin Chen, unable to utter a single word for a long time. He knew Lin Chen was telling the truth; Old Chen from the technical department had indeed asked him about this privately. If Lin Chen really reported it to the factory administration, his "Factory-Level Model Worker" title and his eighth-grade fitter qualification would be in jeopardy. He glared fiercely at Sha Zhu, then turned and left the workshop in a disheveled state.

Looking at Yi Zhonghai's retreating figure, Sha Zhu said gratefully to Lin Chen, "Master Lin, thank you. If it weren't for you, I would have been fooled by Uncle Yi again." Lin Chen patted him on the shoulder, "As long as you learn the skills well, no one will be able to bully you in the future. Do well in the practical class this afternoon, and I will teach you the technique of forging precision gears." Sha Zhu nodded vigorously, his fighting spirit rekindled in his eyes.

In the afternoon's practical lesson, Lin Chen personally demonstrated the forging process of precision gears. Holding a forging hammer, he flicked his wrist, and the hammer landed precisely on the heated steel billet. The force and angle of each strike were just right. The steel billet gradually deformed in his hands, slowly revealing the outline of a gear, and the flying sparks reflected a resolute line on his face.

The apprentices were all stunned, especially Sha Zhu, who had worked in the forging workshop before and knew how difficult it was to forge precision gears. Lin Chen's technique was even more skillful than that of the veteran technicians in the workshop. When it was the apprentices' turn to practice, Liu Guangtian was the first to step forward. Following Lin Chen's instructions, although his movements were a little clumsy, he performed each step quite well. Lin Chen kept pointing out the flaws: "Keep your wrist steady, make the tapping even, and pay attention to the degree of deformation of the steel billet."

Sha Zhu mustered his courage and stepped forward to try. At first, he kept hitting the wrong spot with the forging hammer, and he was sweating profusely with anxiety. Lin Chen didn't criticize him. Instead, he took his hand and taught him how to adjust his posture: "Forging requires the unity of eyes, hands, and mind. You need to concentrate on the steel billet and feel the force transmission between the forging hammer and the steel billet." Under Lin Chen's guidance, Sha Zhu gradually got the hang of it. Although the precision of the forged gears was not yet sufficient, they had already taken shape.

Just then, Zhou Jianguo, the workshop director, walked in with several people from the factory headquarters. Leading them was Li Jianming, the head of the factory's technical department. He held a blueprint in his hand and said to Lin Chen with a serious expression, "Lin, this is the blueprint for high-strength bolts ordered by the military factory. The tolerance is required to be no more than 0.02 millimeters, and the material is chromium-molybdenum alloy. Our workshop has tried several times before without success. The factory headquarters hopes that you can take the lead in overcoming this problem."

Lin Chen took the blueprints and examined them carefully. Forging chromium-molybdenum alloys is extremely difficult, requiring not only precise control of the heating temperature but also extremely high precision in the forging die. He pondered for a moment and said to Li Jianming, "Give me three days. I'll conduct a process simulation and develop an optimization plan." Li Jianming nodded: "The factory believes in your abilities. If you can overcome this challenge, you'll not only receive a generous bonus but also be awarded a major commendation."

After the factory staff left, the apprentices gathered around. Liu Guangtian excitedly said, "Master Lin, this is a military factory order! If we can make it, our workshop will be famous!" Lin Chen smiled and said, "This is a great opportunity to show you real precision forging technology. Starting tomorrow, we'll have extra classes in the evenings. I'll teach you the forging process of chromium-molybdenum alloys." The apprentices cheered, their eyes full of anticipation.

That evening, Lin Chen didn't go home but went straight to the workshop office to study the blueprints. He opened the system's "process simulation" function, consuming 500 points to simulate the forging process of chromium-molybdenum alloy. Detailed process parameters appeared on the light blue panel: heating temperature 1050℃, holding time 40 minutes, hammer impact force 500 kN, die gap 0.01 mm... Lin Chen recorded the parameters while making adjustments based on his experience.

In the early hours of the morning, he finally finalized a detailed process plan. Just as he was about to rest his head on the table for a while, he heard a slight noise coming from the workshop. He quietly went out to take a look and saw Sha Zhu squatting next to the machine tool, practicing his forging hammer technique by the moonlight streaming through the window. Sha Zhu's forehead was covered in sweat, and his work clothes were soaked through, but his eyes were exceptionally focused.

Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat. He stepped forward and said, "Sha Zhu, are you still practicing so late?" Sha Zhu was startled. Seeing that it was Lin Chen, he scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly. "Master Lin, I want to learn precision forging as soon as possible so I'll never go back to the cafeteria again." Lin Chen nodded, picked up a forging hammer, and handed it to him. "I'll teach you the heating techniques for chromium-molybdenum alloys. This is the key to forging high-strength bolts."

Under the moonlight, the master and apprentice busied themselves in the workshop. Flames leaped in the furnace, illuminating their focused faces. Lin Chen patiently taught Sha Zhu how to control the heating temperature, explaining the material properties of the chromium-molybdenum alloy; Sha Zhu listened attentively, occasionally asking questions. At that moment, the roar of the machines in the workshop seemed to disappear, leaving only the sounds of the master and apprentice conversing and the crackling of the flames.

Early the next morning, Lin Chen and his apprentices began preparing to forge high-strength bolts. Following the established process, he first placed the chromium-molybdenum alloy billet into the forging furnace and heated it, precisely controlling the furnace temperature. Liu Guangtian was responsible for recording the heating time, Liu Guangfu for preparing the forging die, and Sha Zhu assisted Lin Chen in adjusting the parameters of the forging hammer. Everyone performed their duties diligently, working together seamlessly.

When the temperature reached 1050℃, Lin Chen gave the order: "Open the furnace!" Sha Zhu quickly used pliers to remove the scorching hot billet and placed it on the forging die. Lin Chen held the forging hammer, his eyes focused, and with a slight flick of his wrist, the forging hammer precisely struck the billet. "Clang! Clang! Clang!" The crisp sound of the hammering echoed in the workshop. Under the hammer's blows, the billet gradually deformed, slowly taking on the shape of a bolt.

After repeated forging and polishing, the first high-strength bolt was finally formed. Lin Chen took the bolt to the testing instrument and fixed it in place. The instrument showed a tolerance of 0.015 millimeters, far below the 0.02 millimeters required by the military factory. "Success!" The apprentices cheered, and Sha Zhu jumped up excitedly, hugging Liu Guangtian tightly: "We succeeded! I never have to go back to the canteen again!"

Upon receiving the news, Zhou Jianguo and Li Jianming rushed to the workshop. When they saw the data on the testing equipment, Li Jianming excitedly grasped Lin Chen's hand: "Lin, you've truly made a great contribution! The precision of this bolt is even higher than the military factory's requirements! The factory has decided to award you a major merit, a bonus of 500 yuan, and also approve the establishment of a 'Precision Forging Technology Breakthrough Team,' with you as the team leader!"

A round of enthusiastic applause filled the workshop as the apprentices surrounded Lin Chen, their eyes filled with admiration. Lin Chen watched the scene unfold, his heart brimming with emotion. From struggling to survive in the cold nights of his rebirth to becoming a key technical member of the workshop, overcoming major technical challenges, his journey had been built not only by the system's assistance but also by his own hard work and perseverance. He knew this was just the beginning; in this era full of opportunities and challenges, a wider world awaited him to explore.

That evening, a simple celebratory feast was held in the central courtyard of the traditional courtyard house. Liu Haizhong specially slaughtered a chicken, Qin Huairu cooked several of her signature dishes, and He Yushui bought a bottle of baijiu (Chinese liquor). Sha Zhu, holding a wine glass, bowed respectfully to Lin Chen: "Master Lin, thank you for leading us to overcome this difficult problem. I'd like to toast you!" Lin Chen smiled, accepted the glass, and clinked it with his: "This is the result of everyone's hard work. In the future, our technical research team must continue our efforts to produce more high-precision products."