novelnext Chapter 63 The Apprentice Shows His Talent, the Old Craftsman Trips Him in the Dark
Chapter 63 The Apprentice Shows His Talent, the Old Craftsman Trips Him in the Dark
As the overhead crane lifted a coil of steel from the forging workshop of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, the exclamation of quality inspector Lao Zhang echoed through the workshop: "Wow! That's a beautiful job! Liu Guangtian, you're something else!" Liu Guangtian, who was tidying up his tools, suddenly looked up, his face still covered in iron filings, his eyes filled with disbelief. The semi-finished gear he held in his hands had teeth as smooth as a mirror, with a pitch error of less than half a millimeter. Normally, only forging workers of level five or above could achieve this level of precision.
The workers who gathered around were full of amazement. "Guangtian's skills are no worse than Old Chen's in our workshop!" "Just a while ago, I saw him struggling to hold a chisel properly, and now, he's like a completely different person!" Liu Guangtian gripped the gear in his hand tightly, his gaze unconsciously drifting towards Lin Chen in the corner of the workshop. At that moment, Lin Chen was modifying parameters on the blueprints. Noticing his gaze, Lin Chen looked up and gave him an encouraging look. Liu Guangtian quickly blushed and lowered his head, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.
Liu Haizhong, standing at the workshop entrance, witnessed everything. He held an enamel mug in his hand; the tea inside had long since gone cold, but he seemed oblivious. Since being demoted to a level six forging worker and stripped of his group leader position, he had lost his former authority in the workshop, and even the apprentices who used to fawn over him had gradually distanced themselves. But he had clearly seen the gear in his son's hands just now—the precision, the heat control—it was definitely not just a lucky guess.
As the get off work bell rang, Liu Guangtian, clutching the quality inspector's signed pass certificate, ran to Liu Haizhong, his voice trembling, "Dad! Look! The pass rate is 98%! Master Zhang said my work can be rated as excellent!" Liu Haizhong took the pass certificate, his fingers repeatedly rubbing the three characters "Liu Guangtian," his rough fingertips making the paper fuzzy. He looked up at his son and noticed that in the past six months, the once impetuous boy who always loved to fight had broadened his shoulders, brightened his eyes, and developed calluses on his hands thicker than when he was an apprentice.
"Hmm, not bad." Liu Haizhong said curtly, turning to leave. No one saw the moment he turned, and cloudy tears slid down his cheeks and into his collar. Reaching the corner of the workshop, he bumped into Lin Chen. He paused, his lips moved, but ultimately said nothing, only nodding slightly—the first time he had lowered himself to show goodwill since Lin Chen entered the workshop. Lin Chen smiled in response. He knew that this tacit thanks were more precious than any polite words.
Back in the courtyard house, Liu Haizhong, unusually, didn't lose his temper with his wife and children. Instead, he asked his wife to fry some peanuts, and he poured himself two ounces of loose liquor. Liu Guangtian posted the qualification certificate on his doorframe, attracting a crowd of neighbors. Yan Bugui came over, examined it for a long time with a magnifying glass, and clicked the abacus beads loudly: "If Guangtian's skills stabilize, he can become a level three blacksmith in less than three years, earning more than me, a teacher!" Jia Zhangshi also squeezed into the crowd, her eyes full of envy as she looked at the qualification certificate. She turned and glared at Qin Huairu, who was sewing: "Look at Guangtian, and then look at your kids!"
Qin Huairu paused in her needlework, not replying, but simply looking up in the direction of Lin Chen's house. In the past six months, Lin Chen had not only helped her get a spot in the cafeteria renovation team, but also patiently taught her how to use spreadsheets to categorize and compile statistics when she encountered difficulties with material registration. Even more remarkably, after discovering her talent for drawing, Lin Chen lent her several books on industrial drawing, asking her to help refine the PowerPoint presentation for the cafeteria renovation. At this moment, the light in Lin Chen's house was on, and his silhouette, bent over his writing, was reflected in the window. A strange emotion suddenly welled up in Qin Huairu's heart—a longing for a stable life, and also a sense of guilt for her past calculations.
Lin Chen was revising his speech for the industrial conference when a notification suddenly popped up on the system panel: "Successfully detected that the host has cultivated technical talent, triggering the side quest 'Assisting Liu Guangtian in Technology Upgrade'. Quest objective: Help Liu Guangtian master precision forging technology and thwart Yi Zhonghai's covert suppression. Reward: 10000 points, unlocking the 'Skill Inheritance' function." Lin Chen raised an eyebrow. He had long anticipated that Yi Zhonghai wouldn't let it go easily. After Sha Zhu broke free of control, Yi Zhonghai's influence in the courtyard and factory had weakened considerably. Now that Liu Guangtian was showing promise and was his apprentice, Yi Zhonghai would undoubtedly see him as a thorn in his side.
Sure enough, the next day at work, Director Zhou called Lin Chen into his office. "Lin, for the technical demonstration segment of the city's industrial conference, the factory leaders have decided to add a 'Master-Apprentice Skills Inheritance' project. Master Yi will lead an apprentice to demonstrate fitter skills, and you will lead Liu Guangtian to demonstrate forging skills, creating a perfect contrast." Director Zhou's tone was full of anticipation. "Master Yi has already agreed and even said he'd demonstrate his 'blind key duplication' skill. How are your preparations going?"
Lin Chen's heart sank. Blind key duplication was Yi Zhonghai's signature skill, which had kept him firmly in the position of an eighth-level fitter in the factory for twenty years. But to have Liu Guangtian demonstrate alongside him was clearly Yi Zhonghai's way of suppressing him—how could a novice possibly compare to an eighth-level master craftsman? "Director Zhou, Liu Guangtian has only just mastered basic precision forging. Isn't it too presumptuous for him to perform alongside Master Yi?" Lin Chen tried to decline.
"This is also the factory leadership's idea, saying it reflects our factory's 'mentoring' spirit of passing on skills," Director Zhou sighed. "Master Yi even volunteered to compete with your apprentice in 'same material, same mold forging,' using the same steel and mold to see whose finished product has higher precision. You know Master Yi and you don't get along, he's just deliberately picking a fight." Lin Chen pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "Okay, I'll take it. But I have one request: I'll prepare the mold and steel, and I need to test the precision on-site."
Back in the workshop, Lin Chen called Liu Guangtian to his side and took out a palm-sized piece of alloy material: "This is a 'high-toughness alloy' that I fused together from scrap alloy materials discarded in the workshop. It's 30% harder than ordinary steel and has better ductility. I'll teach you a 'segmented temperature-controlled forging method,' which you must master within three days." Liu Guangtian looked at the alloy in Lin Chen's hand, then at his master's serious expression, and nodded heavily: "Master, I can do it!"
For the next three days, Lin Chen devoted almost all his time to Liu Guangtian. He used the system to create a "precision temperature controller" by integrating a thermometer, ammeter, and magnifying glass, helping Liu Guangtian accurately control the temperature during forging. He also made a set of "progressive polishing tools" out of hardwood and sandpaper, teaching him to control the polishing intensity. Liu Guangtian went all out, sleeping only four hours a day. When blisters formed on his hands, he would wrap them with gauze and continue practicing, even using chopsticks to mimic forging postures while eating.
Yi Zhonghai wasn't idle either. Every day, he deliberately gave his apprentice loud instructions in the fitter's workshop, and would occasionally walk to the door of the forging workshop to watch Liu Guangtian practice, a contemptuous smile always on his lips. Once, he even "kindly" handed Liu Guangtian a chisel: "Guangtian, this is the chisel I used when I was young. The steel is good, you can take it." Just as Liu Guangtian was about to take it, Lin Chen stopped him. Lin Chen took the chisel and used the system to examine it, discovering a tiny crack on the cutting edge. If too much force was applied, it would break, which would not only ruin the workpiece but could also injure his hand.
"Thank you for your kindness, Master Yi, but we Guangtian are used to using our own tools." Lin Chen smiled and handed the chisel back. "Master Yi is getting old, so you should keep this treasure for yourself, lest you accidentally break it and it would be a waste of your skills." Yi Zhonghai's expression changed, and he took the chisel and turned to leave, cursing Lin Chen for being nosy in his heart—he had originally wanted to embarrass Liu Guangtian during the demonstration, but he didn't expect Lin Chen to see through his plan.
On the day of the industrial conference, the Beijing Workers' Cultural Palace was packed. The audience included not only city leaders but also factory representatives from all over the country. Zhou Ming from the Southern Machinery Factory was also seated in the front row, and when he saw Lin Chen, he gave him a thumbs-up from afar. Lin Chen was wearing brand-new work clothes, and Liu Guangtian stood beside him, his palms sweating with nervousness, but his back ramrod straight.
During the demonstration, Yi Zhonghai took the stage first. Dressed in a crisp Zhongshan suit, he held an old lock and a pile of copper plates. After standing on the stage, he bowed to the audience and said in a loud voice, "Distinguished leaders and colleagues, today I will demonstrate 'blind key duplication.' Without looking at the lock cylinder structure, I can duplicate a working key just by feel." He then blindfolded himself, and the copper plates flew under his file. In less than ten minutes, he had dug a key. He walked to the lock, gently turned it, and with a "click," the lock opened. The audience immediately erupted in enthusiastic applause.
Yi Zhonghai glanced smugly at Lin Chen, and as he stepped off the stage, he deliberately bumped into Liu Guangtian. Liu Guangtian stumbled, almost dropping his tool bag. Lin Chen patted him on the shoulder: "Don't panic, watch us." The master and apprentice walked onto the stage, where two forging furnaces were already set up, with the alloy materials and molds Lin Chen had prepared next to them—the molds were made by him using the system to fuse "high-carbon steel + diamond powder," making them ten times more precise than ordinary molds.
"Distinguished leaders, fellow colleagues, what we are showcasing is 'Precision Gear Forging'." Lin Chen picked up an alloy material. "This is a new type of material made by fusing scrap alloy materials discarded in the workshop. We will use the same material and molds to forge gears with a precision of 0.01 millimeters." The audience immediately fell silent. A precision of 0.01 millimeters was difficult even for an eighth-level forging craftsman to achieve, let alone an apprentice. Yi Zhonghai sat in the audience, a cold smile playing on his lips. He wanted to see how Lin Chen would handle this.
The forging began. Lin Chen was in charge of temperature control, while Liu Guangtian, holding the hammer, followed the "segmented temperature control method" taught by Lin Chen. He first heated the alloy material to 800℃, and when the material turned dark red, he quickly placed it into the mold to forge. The first hammer blow was evenly applied, and the material perfectly conformed to the groove of the mold; the second hammer blow landed precisely on the teeth of the gear, and excess iron filings were skillfully removed. Lin Chen would occasionally call out the temperature and force data, and Liu Guangtian coordinated flawlessly. Sweat streamed down his cheeks, dripping onto the scorching iron plate with a sizzling sound.
Twenty minutes later, when Liu Guangtian picked up the forged gear with tweezers, a gasp of amazement rippled through the audience. The gear was entirely silver-gray, without a single burr, and the teeth were clearly and precisely aligned. After testing it with a precision measuring instrument, the staff loudly announced the data: "The gear diameter error is 0.008 millimeters, and the tooth pitch error is 0.005 millimeters, perfectly meeting the standards for precision parts!"
Zhou Ming was the first to stand up and applaud, his voice booming, "Great! Director Lin, this isn't just a demonstration of skills, it's technological innovation! The utilization rate of this alloy material is 30% higher than our factory's!" The leaders below the stage nodded in approval, and Director Wang of the Municipal Industry Bureau even went up on stage himself, shaking Lin Chen's hand: "Comrade Lin, your Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill is full of hidden talents! This precision forging technology deserves to be promoted throughout the city!"
Yi Zhonghai's face turned deathly pale. He hadn't expected Liu Guangtian to actually forge such a high-precision gear. He abruptly stood up, pointing at the gear on the platform: "This is impossible! How could an apprentice achieve this level of precision? Lin Chen must have made it beforehand!" His shrill voice shattered the lively atmosphere. Lin Chen looked at him coldly: "Master Yi, you need evidence. The entire forging process was recorded, and the alloy material was sampled on-site. The mold was opened in front of everyone. If you don't believe me, you can test it yourself."
Director Wang's face darkened. "Master Yi, the Industrial Conference is a platform for showcasing technology, not a place to act like a rogue. If you have objections to the results, you can follow the proper technical evaluation process, but you can't slander others here." Yi Zhonghai opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but he noticed that the people below the stage were looking at him with strange eyes. Those colleagues who once admired him now had eyes full of contempt. He knew that his image as a "moral exemplar" had completely collapsed today.
After the demonstration, Zhou Ming immediately approached Lin Chen: "Director Lin, our factory urgently needs this precision forging technology and alloy material formula. On behalf of Southern Machinery Factory, I formally propose a cooperation with you!" Lin Chen smiled and nodded: "Director Zhou, that's exactly what I was thinking. We can jointly establish a technology research and development team to transform this technology into actual productivity." The two hit it off immediately and finalized the preliminary framework for cooperation on the spot.
Backstage, Liu Guangtian was too excited to speak, only bowing repeatedly to Lin Chen. Liu Haizhong, who had arrived unnoticed, walked up to Lin Chen and bowed deeply: "Director Lin, thank you. I was confused before and had prejudice against you. If you ever need my help, please don't hesitate to ask." Lin Chen quickly helped him up: "Master Liu, Guangtian's success today is mainly due to his own hard work. From now on, let's work together to improve the technology in the forging workshop; that's more important than anything else."
When they returned to the courtyard house that evening, all the neighbors were waiting at the door. Sha Zhu held a bottle of baijiu (Chinese liquor) in his hand, a sincere smile on his face: "Director Lin, Guangtian, I cooked a few dishes, let's celebrate!" Qin Huairu also came over carrying a lunchbox containing braised pork that she had specially made: "Director Lin, this is a small token of my appreciation, thank you for helping me and Guangtian."
Looking at his neighbor, Lin Chen felt a sudden pang of emotion. The once scheming courtyard house now possessed a touch of warmth and human connection. He smiled and accepted the lunchbox: "Let's all have a good time together." The lights in the courtyard came on, and laughter echoed through the night. Yi Zhonghai, hiding in his room, listened to the commotion outside, his heart filled with jealousy and resentment. He took out a small notebook, writing down Lin Chen's various "crimes," the pen leaving deep marks on the paper—he would never admit defeat so easily.
Night fell, and the neighbors had all left. Lin Chen returned to his house and opened the system panel, which displayed: "Side quest completed 'Assisting Liu Guangtian in upgrading his technology and thwarting Yi Zhonghai's covert suppression,' reward: 10000 points, current points: 197500. Main quest completed 'Successfully showcasing R&D achievements and canteen renovation experience at the city's industrial conference, reaching a cooperation agreement with Southern Machinery Factory,' reward: 25000 points, current points: 222500. New features unlocked: 'Skill Inheritance' and 'Technology Transfer.'"
"Skills Transfer" allows him to impart his skills to others, improving teaching efficiency; "Technology Transfer" enables him to transform researched technologies into concrete production solutions and patents. Lin Chen nodded in satisfaction, knowing that these two functions would be crucial to his future entrepreneurial endeavors.
Just then, a new main quest popped up on the system panel: "Expose Yi Zhonghai's many years of misdeeds, such as embezzling high-quality materials from the workshop and suppressing new technical personnel by abusing his position, and bring him to justice. Reward: 30000 points, unlocking the 'Networking' function." Lin Chen's eyes sharpened. He knew that the ultimate showdown with Yi Zhonghai was about to begin.
Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating Lin Chen's face; his gaze was resolute and sharp. He picked up the letter of intent on the table, the signatures of "Lin Chen" and "Zhou Ming" standing out prominently. He knew he was no longer the bullied educated youth returning to the city, but a technical powerhouse about to rise to prominence in the tides of the times. The conflict in the courtyard was drawing to a close, and his life was just beginning a new chapter.
The next morning, Lin Chen had just arrived at the workshop when he received a notice from the factory office, instructing him to lead the establishment of a technical research and development team, specifically responsible for the promotion of precision forging technology and the optimization of alloy materials. Liu Guangtian was promoted to deputy team leader, and his salary was directly increased to the standard of a third-level forging worker. Liu Haizhong volunteered to join the research and development team, responsible for the modification of the forging furnace. The former "official-minded" man was now wholeheartedly devoted to technology.
Yi Zhonghai was completely isolated. His apprentices in the fitter's workshop all applied to the factory office to have their masters transferred, and the administrators who used to fawn over him avoided him like the plague. He tried to complain to the factory leaders, saying that Lin Chen was suppressing veteran employees, but the leaders only told him to "reflect on your own problems first." Yi Zhonghai returned to the workshop and looked at the slogan on the wall, "Technology is fundamental, integrity comes first," and suddenly felt an intense sting. He knew that his era was truly over.
Lin Chen stood by the workshop window, watching Liu Guangtian and Liu Haizhong work together to debug the forging furnace, their faces filled with focused concentration. Qin Huairu approached with a new material report, her smile sincere: "Director Lin, this is this month's material consumption report. The utilization rate of alloy materials has increased by 30%, and costs have decreased by 15 percentage points." Lin Chen took the report and nodded: "Senior Sister Qin, you've done a great job. Next month, I plan to apply to the factory leadership to have you in charge of the R&D team's material management."
Qin Huairu was stunned for a moment, then tears welled up in her eyes. She hadn't expected that the person she had once schemed against would give her such great trust. She nodded vigorously: "Director Lin, I will definitely do my job well and never let you down." Lin Chen looked at her and suddenly understood that the best revenge was not to wipe them out completely, but to use his abilities to make his former adversaries realize their mistakes and to reward his kindness and hard work.
As the sun sets, the evening glow paints the workshop windows gold.