diskusbooks Chapter 38 The burglar alarm rings and the thief is caught; a joint report leads to his sent to a la
Chapter 38 The burglar alarm rings and the thief is caught; a joint report leads to his sent to a la
The news of Lin Chen winning the citywide skills competition spread like wildfire throughout the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill and several alleys surrounding Nanluoguxiang. The next morning, a red banner was hung at the entrance of the steel rolling mill that read, "Congratulations to Comrade Lin Chen of our mill for winning the title of Citywide Forging Skills Expert." Director Zhou personally delivered the certificate of honor and a 500 yuan bonus to the forging workshop, attracting all the workers in the technical workshop to gather around and watch the excitement.
"Xiao Lin, you've really given our factory manager a lot of credit!" Director Zhou patted Lin Chen on the shoulder, his voice so loud that the entire workshop could hear it. "The factory has decided to award you a third-class merit, and starting next month, your salary will be increased by two levels, from level five forging worker directly to level six!" The surrounding workers instantly burst into enthusiastic applause. Liu Haizhong squeezed into the crowd, his face full of complex emotions—he envied Lin Chen's good fortune, but was also grateful to him for teaching him quenching techniques. If it weren't for Lin Chen, he definitely wouldn't have been able to deliver the crankshaft forgings last time.
"Thank you, Director Zhou. I will definitely work hard and contribute more to the factory." Lin Chen accepted the certificate and bonus, responding politely. He knew that this promotion was not only a recognition of his skills but also a way to firmly establish himself in the factory. From now on, Yi Zhonghai would have to think twice before trying to make things difficult for him. Just then, Qin Huairu walked over carrying a part, a shy smile on her face: "Junior Brother Lin, congratulations! This is a fitter's part I processed yesterday. Could you take a look and see where it's not done well? I'll learn the skills from you from now on."
Lin Chen took the part and scanned it with the system's "Item Appraisal" function. The panel displayed: "Ordinary carbon steel part, dimensional error 0.1mm, surface roughness Ra1.2, meets the second-level precision requirements, but there are burrs at the chamfer, and it has not been polished." He pointed to the burrs and said, "Senior Sister Qin, these burrs need to be cleaned up, otherwise they will easily scratch other parts when assembling the machine. Also, the chamfer can be polished a little more rounded, which will make it look better." He paused, "This afternoon I will take you to the precision forging group. They have specialized polishing equipment there, and I will teach you how to use it."
Qin Huairu nodded hurriedly, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Junior Brother Lin. I will definitely learn well." Her voice was much more sincere than before. Ever since Lin Chen agreed to teach her the skills yesterday, she had completely given up the idea of following Yi Zhonghai in scheming against people—she had long been fed up with that kind of life of constant anxiety. Now that she had the opportunity to become a full-fledged employee based on her own abilities, she naturally wouldn't miss it. Seeing Qin Huairu's change in attitude, the surrounding workers began to discuss among themselves: "It seems that Miss Qin really wants to learn the skills well. We've never seen her so serious before." "It's all thanks to Team Leader Lin's ability to keep her so obedient."
Yi Zhonghai stood at the entrance of the fitter's workshop, watching this scene, his face ashen. He hadn't slept a wink last night, his mind filled with images of Lin Chen's triumphant performance in the martial arts arena and Qin Huairu's betrayal by siding with Lin Chen. Now, seeing Qin Huairu learning techniques from Lin Chen, he trembled with rage—his carefully cultivated pawn had become someone else's ally; how could he accept this? He gritted his teeth, turned, and returned to his workstation, secretly plotting to cause Lin Chen some trouble.
At lunchtime, Sha Zhu ran over with a large lunchbox filled with braised pork, scrambled eggs, and rice. "Lin Chen, I specially asked the cafeteria chef for extra dishes today. Let's celebrate your promotion!" He pushed the lunchbox towards Lin Chen. "Where's Qin Huairu? Call her to eat with us. She's learning from you now, so she's practically family." Lin Chen smiled and was about to call Qin Huairu when he saw her come in from the cafeteria entrance with an empty lunchbox, her face pale.
"Senior Sister Qin, come eat with us." Lin Chen waved to her. Qin Huairu hesitated for a moment, then walked over and said softly, "No, I brought my own cornbread." She opened her lunchbox; inside were only two dark cornbreads, without even a single pickled vegetable. Sha Zhu frowned: "What's going on at your house? Didn't I bring you two pounds of cornmeal yesterday? Why are you eating this?" Qin Huairu's eyes reddened, and she lowered her head, saying, "My mother-in-law took it. She said she wanted to save it for Geng Geng as a snack."
Lin Chen's heart sank. He knew Jia Zhangshi was lazy and gluttonous, but he hadn't expected her to be so extreme, even cutting back on her daughter-in-law's and grandson's food rations. He placed a piece of braised pork in Qin Huairu's lunchbox: "Eat up. Health is the foundation of everything. You need a healthy body to learn a skill." Sha Zhu also picked up several pieces of meat and eggs: "Yes, let me know if you need more. There's plenty of food in the cafeteria." Looking at the meat and eggs in her lunchbox, Qin Huairu couldn't help but shed tears, choking back sobs as she said, "Thank you. I will definitely repay you in the future."
In the afternoon, Lin Chen took Qin Huairu to the precision forging group to learn polishing techniques. As soon as they entered the workshop, they saw Director Zhou and several technical staff discussing something, with a pile of scrapped parts on the floor. "Director Zhou, what's wrong?" Lin Chen asked, walking over. Director Zhou sighed, "These are precision parts made for military units. Because the surface roughness didn't meet the standards, they're all scrapped, resulting in a loss of several thousand yuan. We're worried about finding someone to solve this problem."
Lin Chen picked up a scrapped part and scanned it with the system. The panel displayed: "30CrMnSiA precision part, surface roughness Ra0.4, required Ra0.2, does not meet military standards. Problem cause: insufficient precision of polishing equipment, polishing paste particles are too large." His eyes lit up, and he said to Director Zhou, "Director Zhou, I have a way to solve this problem. I can improve the polishing equipment and integrate a new type of polishing paste to guarantee a precision of Ra0.2."
Director Zhou was somewhat surprised and quickly asked, "Really? How long will it take?" Lin Chen thought for a moment and said, "Give me three days, and I guarantee I'll finish it." Director Zhou was overjoyed and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Great! I'll get you the best materials. If you can solve this problem, the factory will give you a special bonus!" Qin Huairu stood to the side, her eyes full of admiration—she hadn't expected Lin Chen to be so skilled, even able to solve the problem of military parts, which further strengthened her determination to learn the technology from him.
After getting off work, Lin Chen returned to the courtyard house and saw Grandpa Wang and Grandma Li standing at the gate, their faces grim. "Little Lin, you're finally back!" Grandpa Wang grabbed Lin Chen's hand. "My chickens were stolen again last night! It was that old hen that lays eggs. I was planning to keep it to nourish my grandson." Grandma Li chimed in, "Half a bag of millet was stolen too. It must have been Jia Zhangshi! She saw me bring the millet back yesterday, and her eyes lit up."
Lin Chen's heart sank. He had thought Jia Zhangshi would restrain herself after being warned yesterday, but he hadn't expected her to become even more outrageous. He activated the system and glanced in the direction of Jia Zhangshi's house. The panel displayed: "Jia Zhangshi, Emotions: Greedy + Smug, Current Possessions: One hen (unprocessed), half a bag of millet, Weaknesses: Fear of being caught red-handed, fear of going to a labor camp." He sneered, "Let's go take a look."
As the group approached Jia Zhangshi's house, they heard a clucking chicken coming from inside, along with Jia Zhangshi's voice: "You dead chicken, if you squawk again I'll kill you and make soup!" Lin Chen kicked open the half-closed door and saw Jia Zhangshi holding a cleaver, preparing to kill the chicken. A half-sack of millet lay on the ground, belonging to Aunt Li. "Jia Zhangshi, how dare you! You dare steal!" Grandpa Wang trembled with rage and rushed forward to snatch the cleaver.
Jia Zhangshi was startled, and the kitchen knife in her hand clattered to the ground. Seeing Lin Chen, Grandpa Wang, and Grandma Li, her face instantly turned deathly pale, but she still tried to appear calm: "You...you trespassed! I'm going to report you!" Her tantrum flared up again, and she rolled up her sleeves, ready to charge, but Lin Chen grabbed her wrist. "Treating? We're catching a thief!" Lin Chen's voice was icy. "You stole Grandpa Wang's chicken and Grandma Li's millet; the evidence is irrefutable. Are you still trying to deny it?"
Just then, Yan Bugui and other neighbors gathered around. Seeing the chicken and millet on the ground, Yan Bugui immediately pulled out his ledger: "Mrs. Jia, Grandpa Wang's hen is worth 5 yuan, Aunt Li's millet is worth 1.5 yuan, and adding the money you stole from my chicken last time, you owe everyone a total of 6.5 yuan! You must pay it back today!" The neighbors chimed in, "Yes! You must pay it back! Otherwise, we'll take you to the neighborhood committee!"
Seeing that she couldn't defy the public's anger, Jia Zhangshi quickly knelt on the ground, slapping her thighs and wailing, "I was wrong! I'll never dare to do it again! My family is poor, and Genggeng is still growing, I had no choice!" She tried to get away with playing the victim, but she didn't expect Lin Chen to be so unmoved. "Having no choice means you can steal?" Lin Chen took out his phone (a simple recording device integrated into the system), "I already warned you last time you stole chickens, but you still haven't learned your lesson. It seems I have to teach you a lesson."
"Let's go, let's go to the neighborhood office!" Lin Chen said, pulling Jia Zhangshi along. Grandpa Wang and Grandma Li followed behind with the evidence. Neighbors also volunteered to testify, and soon the entire courtyard was filled with people, marching in a large procession towards the neighborhood office. Yi Zhonghai stood at the door, watching this scene, his face extremely grim—he wanted to intervene, but Sha Zhu stopped him. "Master Yi, don't go and join the fun. Jia Zhangshi's theft is a fact; no one can protect her." Sha Zhu's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable firmness. Ever since Lin Chen's revelation, he no longer wanted to scheme against people with Yi Zhonghai.
Seeing so many people coming to report the theft, Director Wang of the neighborhood office warmly received them. Lin Chen laid out the evidence of Jia Zhangshi's past thefts one by one: there were testimonies from neighbors, blurry images of Jia Zhangshi being caught on camera by the security bell (a simplified monitoring function integrated into the system), and the IOU for the grain coupons from the last chicken theft. "Director Wang, Jia Zhangshi has repeatedly stolen from her neighbors, refusing to change her ways despite repeated warnings, which has seriously affected neighborly relations. I request that the neighborhood office take this matter seriously!" Lin Chen's tone was firm, and the surrounding neighbors echoed, "Yes! It must be dealt with seriously!"
Terrified, Jia Zhangshi trembled and knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly. "Director Wang, I was wrong! I'll never do it again! Please forgive me this time!" Director Wang looked at the evidence, his expression growing increasingly serious. He had heard rumors of Jia Zhangshi's petty theft before, but lacked concrete evidence. Now, with the evidence irrefutable, he naturally wouldn't tolerate it. "Jia Zhangshi, according to the 'Regulations on Administrative Penalties for Public Security,' you have repeatedly stolen collective and personal property, and the circumstances are serious. It has been decided that you will be sentenced to one month of labor reform and sent to a brick kiln in the suburbs!"
Upon hearing the words "labor reform," Jia Zhangshi nearly fainted. She dreaded going to a labor camp; it was exhausting and there was no food. "No! Director Wang, I was wrong! I'll never do it again!" she cried, clinging to Director Wang's leg, her sobs heart-wrenching. But the street office staff pulled her up and dragged her away. Passing the courtyard house, Jia Zhangshi saw Qin Huairu standing at the door, her eyes filled with indifference. She tried to plead for help, but the staff gagged her.
Back in the courtyard, the neighbors all breathed a sigh of relief. Grandpa Wang patted Lin Chen on the shoulder: "Little Lin, we owe you so much this time! Without you, Jia Zhangshi would definitely have continued stealing." Aunt Li also smiled and said, "Yes, now we can finally live in peace!" Yan Bugui took out his account book and carefully wrote: "Jia Zhangshi, for stealing other people's property, was sentenced to one month of labor reform, and owes the neighbors 6.5 yuan, to be repaid."
Lin Chen smiled and was about to speak when he saw Qin Huairu standing to the side, her face pale and her eyes full of worry. "Senior Sister Qin, what's wrong?" Lin Chen walked over and asked. Qin Huairu lowered her head and whispered, "My mother-in-law has been sent to a labor camp, and I have three children to take care of at home. I... I really don't know what to do." Her voice was choked with sobs. Before, when Jia Zhangshi was at home, although she stole things, at least she could help take care of the children. Now that Jia Zhangshi was gone, she had to go to work and take care of the children all by herself, and she simply couldn't manage it all.
Lin Chen thought for a moment and said, "Senior Sister Qin, don't worry. When you go to work, leave the child with Aunt Wang and Aunt Li to help take care of him. I'll give them some food coupons every month as payment. When I teach you my skills in the evenings, I can also help you tutor the child with his homework." Uncle Wang and Aunt Li nodded quickly, "Yes, Miss Qin, you can go to work with peace of mind. We'll take care of the child, and we guarantee there won't be any problems!" They had long disapproved of Jia Zhangshi's actions and felt quite sympathetic towards Qin Huairu and her child.
Looking at Lin Chen, Grandpa Wang, and Grandma Li, Qin Huairu couldn't help but shed tears: "Thank you, you are all such good people." She secretly vowed to learn the skills well, get a permanent position as soon as possible, support her child with her own abilities, and never again have to live by scheming like before.
That evening, Lin Chen was at home studying blueprints for improving polishing equipment when Sha Zhu walked in, carrying a wine jug. "Lin Chen, want a couple of drinks?" Lin Chen put down the blueprints and took the jug. "What's wrong? Something on your mind?" Sha Zhu took a sip of wine and sighed. "I just feel like I was too stupid before, completely fooled by Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu. If it weren't for you, I'd still be in the dark." He paused. "I'm never hanging out with Yi Zhonghai again. I'm going to learn the technology from you and earn a living on my own."
Lin Chen smiled and said, "Okay, I'll take you to the workshop tomorrow and teach you forging techniques. You're quite skilled, so you'll definitely learn forging quickly." Sha Zhu's eyes lit up. "Really? That's great! I've been wanting to quit being a chef for a long time. I'm so annoyed by Jia Zhangshi asking me for things every day." The two drank and chatted, getting more and more into each other's conversation, and before they knew it, it was late at night.
The next morning, Lin Chen took Sha Zhu and Qin Huairu to the workshop. He first taught Sha Zhu the basic forging techniques, which Sha Zhu learned quickly and soon mastered the essentials of forging. Then he taught Qin Huairu polishing techniques, which Qin Huairu learned very diligently, not overlooking any detail. Seeing this, Director Zhou smiled and said, "Little Lin, you're truly a good teacher, teaching your two apprentices so well." Lin Chen smiled and said, "They're both very talented; they learn quickly."
During the lunch break, Lin Chen was adjusting the improved polishing equipment when Yi Zhonghai approached, his face grim. "Lin Chen," he said, "don't be so smug. Qin Huairu is my apprentice; you have no right to teach her." Lin Chen stopped what he was doing and looked at Yi Zhonghai. "Master Yi," he said, "technology is for exchange, not for monopolization. Senior Sister Qin wants to learn well, and I'm willing to teach her. What's the problem with that?" He paused. "Besides," he continued, "if you're so capable, why don't you teach Senior Sister Qin the core techniques? Why have you let her hide her skills for so many years?"
Yi Zhonghai's face flushed crimson instantly, rendered speechless by Lin Chen's question. He truly didn't want to teach Qin Huairu the core technology, fearing that once she learned it, she wouldn't rely on him anymore, and he wouldn't be able to control Sha Zhu through Qin Huairu. "You...you're just making excuses!" Yi Zhonghai was so angry his hands trembled, and he turned to leave, but Lin Chen stopped him. "Master Yi, there's something else I want to talk to you about." Lin Chen took out a drawing, "This is the drawing of my improved polishing equipment. There are a few questions about fitter work on it, and I'd like to ask you about them."
Yi Zhonghai paused for a moment, then took the blueprints. He initially wanted to refuse, but his eyes lit up instantly when he saw the technical parameters on the blueprints—this improved polishing equipment was far more advanced than what the factory currently used. If he could participate, he would definitely receive a reward from the factory in the future. He carefully examined the blueprints and found several difficult points for fitter processing. After pondering for a while, he said, "Here, we can use precision scribing to position the parts; there, we can use grinding to improve accuracy." Lin Chen nodded, "Thank you, Master Yi, I understand." He knew that although Yi Zhonghai was selfish, he was still quite skilled. Rather than going against him, it was better to use his skills for his own benefit.
In the afternoon, Lin Chen used the improved polishing equipment and the new polishing paste (a high-precision polishing paste integrated with the system) to process the military parts, and the results were excellent. After testing by the technical department, it was found that the surface roughness reached Ra0.1, far exceeding the military requirement of Ra0.2. "That's fantastic! Lin Chen, you're amazing!" Director Zhou excitedly patted Lin Chen on the shoulder, "The factory has decided to give you a special bonus of one thousand yuan, and will also submit your improvement plan to the Municipal Federation of Trade Unions!"
The news caused a stir throughout the steel rolling mill. The workers all looked at Lin Chen with new respect, eagerly seeking his advice on technical matters. Qin Huairu and Sha Zhu also benefited, with many workers coming to them for technical guidance, significantly elevating their status in the workshop. Yi Zhonghai watched this scene with a mixture of jealousy and helplessness—he knew that Lin Chen had completely replaced him as the authority in the workshop.
When Lin Chen returned to the courtyard house, he saw Qin Huairu washing clothes for the children, with Grandpa Wang and Grandma Li helping to look after them. The courtyard was filled with a warm atmosphere. Seeing Lin Chen return, Qin Huairu smiled and said, "Junior Brother Lin, thank you so much for today. The children are very well-behaved; Grandma Wang and Grandma Li have taken excellent care of them." Grandpa Wang also smiled and said, "Little Lin, you're such a good person. Not only did you help us catch the thief, but you also relieved Miss Qin of her worries."
Lin Chen smiled and was about to speak when a system panel popped up with a notification: "The host has successfully assisted the neighborhood committee in handling the theft case involving Jia Zhangshi, resulting in her undergoing labor reform; helped Qin Huairu solve the problem of childcare; improved her own technical status; and completed the 'Combating the Elderly Gang + Helping the Weak' mission, earning +3000 points. Current points: 21000. New feature unlocked: Skill Inheritance (allows you to pass on your skills to others, improving the efficiency of the transfer)."
Lin Chen was overjoyed; the skill inheritance function was a wonderful thing. Teaching Qin Huairu and Sha Zhu techniques would be much more efficient, and before long, they would be able to stand on their own. Looking at the cozy courtyard house before him, he secretly planned—Jia Zhangshi had already been dealt with; next up were Yan Bugui and Liu Haizhong. Once the retirement group was completely dismantled, he could consider starting his own business.
Just then, there was a knock at the gate. Opening it, he saw a worker from the suburban brick kiln. "Excuse me, are you Comrade Lin Chen?" the worker asked, handing him a letter. "This is a letter from Jia Zhangshi. She says she has something important to tell you." Lin Chen took the letter, somewhat puzzled—what important thing could Jia Zhangshi possibly have to tell him while he was in the labor camp? He opened the letter and saw the words, written in a shaky hand: "Lin Chen, I know a secret about Yi Zhonghai. He stole the precision blueprints from the workshop and hid them under his bed at home. I'll trade with you; let me out early."
Lin Chen's eyes lit up instantly. He hadn't expected Jia Zhangshi to know such an important secret. Yi Zhonghai stealing precision blueprints was a serious crime! He gripped the letter tightly, his eyes resolute—it seemed the opportunity to dismantle the retirement group had arrived ahead of schedule. He looked up in the direction of Yi Zhonghai's house, a cold smile playing on his lips; he already had a plan in mind.
That evening, Lin Chen called Sha Zhu and Qin Huairu to his house and showed them Jia Zhangshi's letter. "Yi Zhonghai stole the precision blueprints; that's a serious crime. We must report him," Lin Chen said firmly. "But we can't alert him; we need to find evidence first." Sha Zhu clenched his fist: "I support you! Yi Zhonghai has always schemed against me; this time, he must pay the price!" Qin Huairu nodded as well: "I support you too. I know there's a hidden compartment under Yi Zhonghai's bed; the blueprints are likely hidden there."
Lin Chen nodded: "Okay, tomorrow we'll split into two groups. Sha Zhu, you go to the workshop and keep an eye on Yi Zhonghai, don't let him discover our plan. Qin Huairu, you go to Yi Zhonghai's house under the guise of asking for technical advice, and try to confirm the location of the hidden compartment. I'll prepare the tools, and we'll go find evidence together tonight." The two nodded quickly, their eyes full of determination—they had had enough of Yi Zhonghai's scheming, and this time they were determined to expose his true colors completely.
Night deepened, and the courtyard gradually quieted down. Lin Chen stood by the window, looking at the lights in Yi Zhonghai's house, and silently vowed, "Yi Zhonghai, your good days are over. This time, I will make you pay for what you've done!"