Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 19 Anonymous Letter Stirs Up Trouble, Secret Showdown Determines the Outcome

The Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill was still shrouded in a thin mist in the early morning. Old Zhang, who worked in the factory office's mailroom, had just sorted the letters in the mailbox when an unsigned envelope caught his eye. The envelope was made of ordinary kraft paper, its edges worn rough. On the front, neatly written in pencil, were the words "To the Director of the Factory Office." The back had no signature, only faint rust marks commonly found in the workshop's scrap heaps. Old Zhang muttered, "Another anonymous letter," but still dared not delay, and quickly ran to the office building with the letter in his hand—recently, the factory was in an uproar over Jia Zhangshi's chicken theft and the apprentice's gift-giving, and any anonymous letter could potentially contain a bombshell.

Lin Chen was busy at his workstation in the precision forging group. He had just used his "Material Enhancement" privilege to process an old chisel; the silver-gray tip gleamed with a cold luster, reflecting fine lines in the morning light. The "Material Enhancement" icon on the system panel was still flashing slightly. The remaining 1300 points from enhancing the wrench last night lay quietly, and a newly popped-up notification made him smile slightly: "Triggering the hidden storyline 'Clean Up the Workshop Atmosphere,' promoting the investigation and punishment of violations, can earn 500-2000 points and unlock the basic 'Equipment Diagnosis' ability."

"Xiao Lin, this chisel of yours looks special!" Team leader Lao Wang came over, picked up the chisel and weighed it in his hand, his face full of surprise. "Its hardness is probably comparable to alloy steel. Where did you get such a good thing?" Lin Chen's hands didn't stop moving. He aimed the chisel at a piece of round steel to be processed and gently tapped it to make a neat engraving. "I picked up an old chisel from the scrap heap yesterday. I figured out how to polish it myself, and I didn't expect it to be so useful." Lao Wang clicked his tongue in amazement. Just as he was about to ask something else, a series of hurried footsteps came from the entrance of the workshop. Lao Zhang from the labor and personnel department led two factory office staff members in quickly, his face as serious as if it were frozen.

"Is Xu Damao here?" Old Zhang from the Labor and Personnel Department broke the silence of the workshop. Xu Damao, who was wiping projector parts in the corner, felt a jolt in his heart, and the screwdriver in his hand clattered to the ground. He stood up, forcing himself to remain calm: "Section Chief Zhang, is there something you need?" "Come with us to the factory office. The director has something to ask you." Two clerks stood on either side of Xu Damao, their tone leaving no room for argument. Out of the corner of Xu Damao's eye, he saw Lin Chen working intently, seemingly unconcerned, but his mind was in turmoil—he had lost face at the Intermediate Court yesterday, and now the factory office wanted to talk to him; it must be Lin Chen's doing!

After Xu Damao was taken away, the workshop erupted in chaos. Old Wang pulled Lin Chen aside and huddled in a corner: "What do you think Xu Damao did wrong? Could it be that his rumor-mongering yesterday got reported to the factory office?" Lin Chen put down his tools, picked up his enamel mug, and took a sip of water: "Hard to say. Master Xu has a wide network of connections in the factory. Maybe it's something else." He spoke casually, but he knew in his heart that the anonymous letter had already worked. After returning from Sha Zhu's house last night, he transcribed the conversation between Xu Damao and Li Juan from the recording, highlighting the rumors, accusations, and misconduct, and sent it to the factory office mailbox overnight—to deal with someone like Xu Damao, you have to strike decisively, leaving no chance for retaliation.

The factory director's office was filled with smoke. Director Li Jianguo held the anonymous letter between his fingers, and on the table in front of him sat a cassette tape and an old-fashioned tape recorder. Xu Damao sat awkwardly in his chair, constantly rubbing his trouser legs, avoiding Li Jianguo's eyes. "Xu Damao, listen to this yourself," Li Jianguo said, pressing play. The office was instantly filled with the sounds of Xu Damao and Li Juan's flirtatious banter. Xu Damao's face flushed crimson; he wished he could disappear into the floor.

"Enough!" Xu Damao stood up abruptly, his voice trembling. "Director, this is a frame-up! Lin Chen deliberately framed me! He made an enemy of me at the Intermediate People's Court yesterday, so he made this fake recording to get revenge!" Li Jianguo turned off the recorder, picked up the anonymous letter on the table, and threw it in front of Xu Damao: "Frame-up? Then tell me, is it true that you fabricated the story about Lin Chen stealing corn seeds? Also, the personnel department checked your attendance records. Last month, you were late or left early five times under the pretext of 'inspecting the lines.' Were you out fooling around with Li Juan all those times?"

Xu Damao picked up the anonymous letter, his heart sinking as he looked at the neat handwriting. The letter detailed his actions in detail, recording every key word he exchanged with Li Juan in the storage room. It even included a photograph as evidence of him delivering movie tickets to Li Juan—a photo Lin Chen had taken yesterday morning while Xu Damao was in the restroom, showing the movie ticket stub he had left in his toolbox. "I...I..." Xu Damao stammered, unable to speak. He hadn't expected Lin Chen to have gathered such comprehensive evidence.

"What do you mean, 'what do you mean, 'what do you mean'?" Li Jianguo slammed his hand on the table, his voice rising eight octaves. "Our steel rolling mill is a key national enterprise, and we can't tolerate someone like you who has such a corrupt work style and spreads rumors! The factory's Party Committee has already discussed it and decided to give you a major demerit, deduct your special allowance for this month, and send you down to the forging workshop as an apprentice. You can only return to the filming team when you've reformed!" Xu Damao was struck dumb, slumping into his chair. His special allowance was his main source of income, and being sent down to the forging workshop meant even more hardship and toil, which was worse than death for him.

The news spread like wildfire to the Hongxing Courtyard. When Xu Damao returned to the courtyard with his head down, he bumped into Liu Haizhong, who was squatting by the door smoking. "Hey, what happened to Xu Damao, the projectionist?" Liu Haizhong said sarcastically. "Did the factory office fire you? I told you, don't be too arrogant, you'll get your comeuppance sooner or later!" Xu Damao glared at Liu Haizhong, wanting to say something but unable to refute, so he lowered his head and quickly walked back to his house, slamming the door shut.

Inside the courtyard, Yi Zhonghai sat at a stone table drinking tea, while Qin Huairu squatted beside him, wiping his bicycle. Upon hearing the news of Xu Damao's disciplinary action, Yi Zhonghai paused, his brow furrowing deeply. "Master, do you think this might be Lin Chenqian's?" Qin Huairu asked softly, her wiping also stopping. Yi Zhonghai was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "No one but him could have prepared such solid evidence. That kid is too cunning; we should avoid dealing with him in the future."

A complex mix of emotions welled up in Qin Huairu's heart. Ever since Lin Chen agreed to teach her the skills yesterday, she had been thinking about learning a trade properly so she wouldn't have to rely on scheming to make a living anymore. This morning, when she went to the workshop to learn how to read blueprints from Lin Chen, he patiently drew her simple part diagrams, marked the key dimensions, and even found her an old copy of "Fitter's Basics" to study. But now, hearing how Lin Chen had treated Xu Damao so badly, she felt a pang of fear—what if she offended him someday? Would she end up like that?

"Sister Qin, what are you daydreaming about?" Lin Chen's voice suddenly came from behind, startling Qin Huairu, who almost dropped the rag in her hand. Lin Chen walked over with a paper package in his hand and handed it to Qin Huairu: "This is 'The Complete Book of Sewing Techniques' that I borrowed from the workshop library. It has many patterns for clothing designs. If you want to start a sewing business, you might find it useful." Qin Huairu took the package, her fingers touching the warmth of the pages, and the fear in her heart gradually gave way to warmth: "Comrade Lin, thank you. About yesterday..."

"What happened yesterday is in the past." Lin Chen interrupted her, his gaze falling on the teacup on the stone table. "Master Yi, you've heard about Xu Damao's matter, haven't you? The factory administration is serious this time. If anyone spreads rumors or causes trouble in the workshop again, their fate probably won't be any better than his." Yi Zhonghai put down his teacup, looking into Lin Chen's eyes, trying to read something from his face, but Lin Chen's expression was as calm as a deep pool, unfathomable. "Little Lin, you did the right thing. People who corrupt the atmosphere like this should be properly dealt with." Yi Zhonghai finally chose to agree. He knew that Lin Chen was no longer someone he could control, and it was better to go with the flow than to oppose him.

As evening fell, Sha Zhu excitedly ran back to the courtyard carrying a lunchbox. As soon as he entered, he shouted, "Lin Chen! Lin Chen!" Lin Chen was inside, studying the newly unlocked "device diagnostics" function of the system. Hearing Sha Zhu's voice, he quickly opened the door. "Look what good stuff I brought you!" Sha Zhu opened the lunchbox; it was full of braised pork, its aroma filling the air. "Manager Wang from the guesthouse praised my cooking and gave me extra dishes. I specially saved half for you!"

Lin Chen smiled and accepted the lunchbox, inviting Sha Zhu inside. As soon as Sha Zhu sat down, he eagerly said, "That kid Xu Damao got demoted to the forging workshop. Today, Liu Haizhong gave him a thorough dressing-down, it was so satisfying! By the way, did you do this? I knew you could handle him!" Lin Chen didn't admit it directly, but poured Sha Zhu a cup of hot water: "The factory office found out about his conduct, it has nothing to do with me. But Brother Sha Zhu, you'd better be careful at the guesthouse from now on, don't give anyone a handle against you."

Sha Zhu nodded and took a sip of hot water. "I know. Now that He Yushui is keeping an eye on things for me, no one can scheme against me. By the way, Qin Huairu told me today that she wants to learn a skill from you. She said she wants to earn a living with her skills in the future, unlike before." Lin Chen put down his water glass, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes. "If she can really learn diligently, I will definitely teach her well. If everyone in our courtyard could earn a living with their own hands, there wouldn't be so many conflicts."

Just then, a quarrel broke out outside the courtyard gate. Lin Chen and Sha Zhu exchanged a glance and quickly went out. They saw Xu Damao and Liu Haizhong wrestling. Xu Damao had several bloody scratches on his face, and Liu Haizhong's clothes were torn to shreds. "You dare hit me! I'll fight you to the death!" Xu Damao lunged at Liu Haizhong like a madman, cursing incessantly, "It's all your fault, you old bastard, deliberately making things difficult for me in the workshop! I'll make you wish you were dead!"

"So what if I'm making things difficult for you?" Liu Haizhong retorted, punching Xu Damao in the stomach. "You depraved bastard deserve a good lesson! I haven't even settled the score with you for seducing my neighbor back then!" More and more neighbors gathered to watch, but no one dared to step forward to mediate—Xu Damao was now completely reckless, and Liu Haizhong was known for his explosive temper; anyone who went up against him would suffer.

"Stop!" Lin Chen shouted, his voice carrying an undeniable authority. Xu Damao and Liu Haizhong both froze, stopping what they were doing. Lin Chen stepped forward, looking coldly at the two men: "Fighting in the yard, if the neighborhood committee finds out, you two will both be sent to labor camps! Mr. Xu, if you think Liu Haizhong is giving you a hard time, you can complain to the factory office; Mr. Liu, if you don't like Mr. Xu, you can report it to the workshop foreman. Hitting someone solves nothing, it will only make things worse!"

Liu Haizhong, panting heavily, glared at Xu Damao and was the first to release his grip: "For Lin Chen's sake, I'll let you off today! But if you dare to slack off in the workshop again, I won't let you off!" Xu Damao didn't dare to be arrogant anymore, clutching his stomach and squatting on the ground, muttering something under his breath. Lin Chen looked at him and knew that this kind of person wouldn't easily repent, but at least for now, he didn't dare to cause trouble in the yard anymore.

After the crowd dispersed, Yi Zhonghai walked up to Lin Chen and patted him on the shoulder: "Little Lin, thanks to you today, otherwise this matter would have dragged on indefinitely. It seems we still need you to keep this courtyard in check." Lin Chen smiled but didn't say anything. He knew there was a test in Yi Zhonghai's words, but also some sincerity. This courtyard was like a small martial arts world, full of scheming and games. To truly establish oneself here, skills and methods alone weren't enough; one also needed the charisma to command respect.

Back inside, Lin Chen opened the system panel, which displayed that the "Clean Up the Workshop Atmosphere" mission was complete, rewarding him with 1500 points, and the "Equipment Diagnosis" basic ability was unlocked. He clicked the "Equipment Diagnosis" icon, and a detailed explanation immediately appeared on the panel: "Can diagnose faults in ordinary mechanical equipment with an accuracy rate of 60%, consuming 50 points per diagnosis." Lin Chen was overjoyed; with this ability, his position in the workshop would be even more secure.

Late at night, Lin Chen was awakened by soft footsteps. He quietly went to the window and, by the moonlight, saw a dark figure pacing beneath his windowsill, holding something in his hand. Lin Chen recognized it as Xu Damao; the object in his hand was a hammer! Lin Chen's heart tightened. It seemed Xu Damao had truly been pushed to the brink and wanted revenge. Lin Chen remained silent, instead taking a reinforced wrench from under the bed and quietly waiting for his opportunity.

Xu Damao hesitated for a long time before finally raising the hammer, intending to smash Lin Chen's window. Just then, Lin Chen suddenly opened the door and shouted, "Xu Damao! What do you think you're doing?" Xu Damao was startled, and the hammer clattered to the ground. He turned around and saw Lin Chen holding a wrench, his eyes sharp as knives, with Sha Zhu and Yi Zhonghai, who had been woken up, standing behind him. Xu Damao knew he was completely finished this time; his legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground.

"Xu Damao, how dare you seek revenge!" Yi Zhonghai trembled with rage. "I'll report you to the authorities right now and send you to jail!" Xu Damao scrambled to his feet, kneeling on the ground and kowtowing repeatedly. "Uncle Yi, Comrade Lin, I was wrong! I'll never do it again! Please forgive me this time!" Lin Chen looked at Xu Damao's pathetic state without a shred of sympathy. "I can forgive you, but you must write a guarantee promising not to spread rumors, cause trouble, or seek revenge again. You also have to apologize in front of all the neighbors in the courtyard. In addition, you have to return the money you stole from Aunt Li's chicken, otherwise we will still report you to the authorities."

Xu Damao nodded hurriedly, "I'll write! I'll write right away! I'll pay back the money! Please don't report me to the authorities!" After saying that, he scrambled to get paper and pen, his hands trembling so much that he could barely write. Sha Zhu looked at Xu Damao's state and sighed, "He really brought this on himself. If he had been more honest and upright earlier, he wouldn't have ended up like this." Lin Chen nodded, knowing in his heart that this was just a small episode in the turmoil of the courtyard house, and there would be more challenges waiting for him in the future, but he was already prepared.

The next morning, Xu Damao read a letter of guarantee in front of all the neighbors in the courtyard and returned the money he had stolen from Aunt Li's chicken. Watching Xu Damao slink away, Lin Chen felt a pang of emotion. People in this era often resort to unscrupulous means to survive, but as long as they retain a shred of conscience, there is still a chance to repent. He believed that as long as he persisted in using his skills and kindness to influence those around him, this calculating courtyard would eventually become a warmer place.

As soon as Lin Chen entered the workshop, Director Zhou called him into his office. "Lin, you've done a great job!" Director Zhou smiled and handed Lin Chen a document. "The factory's Party Committee has decided to appoint you as the deputy leader of the precision forging group, responsible for technical guidance. From now on, the workshop's technological innovation will depend on you!" Lin Chen took the document, his heart filled with excitement. This was not only recognition of his skills but also an affirmation of his abilities. He knew that his journey of struggle in this era had only just begun.

Stepping out of the office, the sunlight bathed Lin Chen, warm and bright. Looking at his busy coworkers in the workshop and the towering chimneys in the distance, he felt a surge of confidence. With the system's support, his own skills, and sincere friends around him, he believed he could definitely carve out his own niche in this unique era.