Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 8 Treasure Hunt in Scrap Metal, The Edge of Alloy

The morning mist hadn't yet dissipated when Lin Chen entered the steel rolling mill, his feet damp with dew. The iron door to the forging workshop had barely opened a crack when the ear-piercing sound of rust grinding against each other mingled with the faint hum of machines heating up inside. Clutching the high-strength forging hammer he'd fused the night before—the handle was deliberately wrapped in old cloth, making it look no different from an ordinary hammer—he headed straight for the scrap heap in the corner. The rust removal task he hadn't finished yesterday still needed to be completed, but more importantly, the alloy scraps hidden among the iron scraps were his real target for today.

Just as I squatted down, Liu Haizhong strolled over, a cigarette dangling from his lips, the embers of the cigarette butt flickering in the morning mist. He glanced sideways at the pile of scrap metal, most of which had been rusted, and let out a cold snort: "Oh, you really didn't slack off? I thought you were going to give up." As he spoke, he kicked the pile of scrap metal, and several pieces of unrusted scrap metal collided, making a crisp "clang."

Lin Chen's chisel didn't stop; rust peeled off in patches under the chisel tip, revealing the shiny metal underneath. "The task Master Liu assigned me, I must naturally complete properly." He didn't even look up, his tone so flat that it was impossible to discern any emotion, but he knew in his heart that this old man was definitely here for the grain coupons he hadn't gotten yesterday.

Liu Haizhong didn't beat around the bush. He squatted down and pointed with his cigarette at the chisel in Lin Chen's hand—the tool Lin Chen had fused yesterday. Although it looked ordinary, its rust-removing efficiency was much higher than the commonly used tools in the workshop. "Kid, this chisel of yours is quite handy." He paused, the implication in his eyes becoming increasingly obvious, "But in the forging workshop, just having a handy tool isn't enough. You saw how much Director Zhou valued you yesterday. You'll inevitably have to deal with the technical department a lot in the future. Without some 'social skills,' you won't go far."

Lin Chen stopped what he was doing and looked up at Liu Haizhong. Morning light streamed in through the workshop's high windows, illuminating the scar on Liu Haizhong's forehead, making the old wound appear particularly menacing. "What does Master Liu mean?" he asked, feigning ignorance to see how blunt the other man would be.

Seeing that he had finally responded, Liu Haizhong's face showed a hint of smugness. He glanced in the direction of the workshop office and lowered his voice: "You should know the rules, right? When a newcomer joins the team, he should give the senior workers a little something. I won't ask for much, just half a jin of grain coupons and a jug of bulk liquor. From now on, I guarantee no one will dare to bully you in the workshop." He spoke with such confidence, as if this was some kind of self-evident rule.

Lin Chen sneered inwardly. In his past life, he had been tricked by these kinds of "rules" countless times. When he first returned to the city, grain coupons were more precious than gold. Half a jin of grain coupons was enough for an ordinary person to eat their fill for three days. This Liu Haizhong was really asking for an exorbitant amount. However, he didn't show it on his face, but only showed a troubled expression: "Master Liu, to be honest, I just returned to the city, and I only have the resettlement grain coupons that the street office gave me. I left some with my family yesterday, and I really don't have any more. I will definitely make it up to you when I get my salary this month."

These words clearly did not satisfy Liu Haizhong. His face darkened, and he stomped on the cigarette butt, grinding it hard under his foot. "Can't produce it? I think you just don't want to!" He stood up, looking down at Lin Chen. "Fine, since you don't understand the rules, don't blame me for being ruthless in the future. This rust removal work must be completed today, not a single piece can be missing!" After saying that, he turned and left, deliberately coughing as he walked to the center of the workshop, attracting the attention of several older workers who looked over with schadenfreude in their eyes.

Lin Chen watched his retreating figure, gripping the chisel tightly. He knew Liu Haizhong would definitely try to trip him up, but he wasn't afraid. The chisel and forging hammer he'd fused yesterday were still there; their rust-removing efficiency far surpassed ordinary tools, making completing the task no problem. More importantly, the alloy scraps he'd discovered were the real "treasures"—according to the system's prompts, this chromium-manganese alloy was a scarce material in the current era, worth 5 points per pound, five times more than ordinary scrap iron. If he could collect more, he could not only exchange them for points to upgrade the system but also fuse them into more advanced tools.

Ignoring the stares around him, he crouched down again, removing rust while discreetly scanning the scrap heap with the system. A pale blue scanning interface appeared in his mind, marking the material of each piece of scrap iron: "Ordinary cast iron, no points value," "Low carbon steel, 1 pound for 1 point," "Chromium-manganese alloy, 1 pound for 5 points," and so on. His eyes moved quickly across the scanning interface, like a gold prospector searching for gold in a sand pile.

Soon, he found a fist-sized piece of alloy scrap at the bottom of the scrap heap. It was covered in thick rust and looked no different from ordinary scrap iron. Lin Chen picked it up discreetly, pretending to remove the rust, and gently tapped away the surface rust with a chisel, revealing a silvery-gray metallic luster—the unique color of chromium-manganese alloy. When no one was looking, he stuffed the scrap into the inside pocket of his work clothes, where he also hid several small pieces he had collected the day before.

Throughout the morning, Lin Chen quickly removed rust while secretly collecting alloy scraps. Sunlight slowly moved through the workshop's high windows, illuminating the scrap iron scattered on the floor and reflecting a blinding light. The roar of the machines in the workshop grew louder and louder; the clanging and banging of the forging presses was ear-piercing. The workers, shirtless, sweat streamed down their dark backs, instantly evaporating into a cloud of white mist on the scorching iron plates.

"Lin Chen, take a break and have some water!" a gruff voice called out. Lin Chen looked up and saw Wang Tieshan, an older worker in his group, holding a military green water bottle and waving at him. Wang Tieshan was in his fifties, with gray hair and a face full of wrinkles. He was one of the few honest people in the workshop who didn't engage in shady dealings. In his previous life, when Lin Chen was bullied in the workshop, he would occasionally speak up for him.

Lin Chen put down his chisel and walked over. Wang Tieshan handed him a water bottle and lowered his voice, "Don't go head-to-head with Liu Haizhong. He's a bully who picks on the weak and fears the strong. You're new to the workshop, your foundation isn't solid yet, so be patient. Once you're familiar with the technology, he won't dare to mess with you anymore."

Lin Chen took the kettle, took a sip of cool water, and felt a refreshing coolness slide down his throat, dispelling much of his fatigue. "Thank you, Master Wang, I understand." He smiled gratefully, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Wang Tieshan glanced at the chisel in his hand, then at the pile of scrap iron that was almost completely derusted, a hint of approval in his eyes: "You've got some tenacity, better than I was back then. We all saw how well you unscrewed that rusty nut yesterday; you're a good student. Keep up the good work, and you'll definitely surpass that Liu Haizhong guy in the future." He paused, then added, "By the way, we need to be wary of that old bastard Yi Zhonghai. He appears to be a technical authority, but he's got a lot on his mind, especially towards that widow Qin Huairu—he cares for her more than his own apprentice. You'll gradually understand the ins and outs of that."

Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat. Wang Tieshan's words confirmed Liu Haizhong's statement from yesterday. It seemed that the fact that Yi Zhonghai was withholding materials from the workshop to help the Jia family wasn't unknown in the workshop; everyone was just afraid to speak out because of his authority. He nodded: "Thank you for reminding me. I will be careful."

As they were talking, Qin Huairu carried Jia Huaihua in through the workshop door. Today she was wearing a faded blue cotton jacket, the sleeves rolled up high, revealing her red, swollen, and cracked wrists—clearly, she had deliberately soaked them in cold water to create the illusion of hard labor. Her gaze swept around the workshop, quickly locking onto Lin Chen, who was talking to Wang Tieshan. A complex look flashed in her eyes, a mixture of embarrassment and wariness.

Yesterday, He Yushui publicly exposed her scheme against Sha Zhu, causing her to lose face in the workshop. Many workers looked at her with disdain. She knew that Lin Chen had seen everything, and she felt a little more wary of this newcomer to the workshop—Lin Chen was not as soft-hearted as Sha Zhu, nor was he afraid of Yi Zhonghai's authority like the other workers. If he were to expose her tricks one day, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Qin Huai hesitated for a moment, then walked over and forced a smile at Lin Chen and Wang Tieshan: "Master Wang, Comrade Lin, are you resting?" Her voice was very soft, afraid of waking Jia Huaihua, who was fast asleep on her back.

Wang Tieshan simply nodded without saying a word. He despised Qin Huairu's behavior of gaining sympathy by feigning weakness and scheming against Sha Zhu, and rarely interacted with her.

Lin Chen simply gave a curt "hmm," not intending to chat with her any further. He could tell that Qin Huairu had come today again because of Sha Zhu. Sure enough, not long after, Sha Zhu came walking from the direction of the cafeteria carrying two lunchboxes, looking somewhat unwilling—clearly, Qin Huairu had stopped him beforehand, forcing him to bring her food.

"Sister Qin, here you go." Sha Zhu handed a lunchbox to Qin Huairu, his tone somewhat perfunctory. He Yushui's words yesterday had left him feeling uneasy, and although he still couldn't help bringing Qin Huairu lunch, his attitude was noticeably colder.

Qin Huairu took the lunchbox, her face immediately showing a wronged expression, her eyes slightly red: "Brother Shazhu, about yesterday... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scheme against you, I just had three children at home waiting to eat, I had no choice." As she spoke, she secretly observed Shazhu's expression, and seeing that his expression relaxed, she continued, "Don't worry, once I get my salary this month, I'll return all the food coupons I borrowed from you."

Sha Zhu was most susceptible to her charms, and his expression immediately softened: "It's alright, Sister Qin, I'm not blaming you. It's just that Yu Shui is a stubborn girl, don't take it to heart. There's some stir-fried vegetables and cornbread I left for you in the lunchbox, eat some quickly, don't go hungry."

Qin Huairu quickly thanked him, opened her lunchbox as if to eat, but secretly glanced at the other lunchbox in Sha Zhu's hand—it clearly contained better food. Seeing this, Sha Zhu sighed helplessly and handed over his own lunchbox as well: "There's a piece of braised pork in here. Take it back to Jia Geng; the child is growing very fast."

"Brother Shazhu, you're such a good person!" Qin Huairu's eyes lit up. She quickly took the lunchbox and carefully put it into her cloth bag, afraid that others would see it. Lin Chen saw this scene and sneered inwardly. Qin Huairu's acting skills were getting better and better. With just a few words, she had coaxed Shazhu into willingly giving away his food.

Wang Tieshan coughed lightly and pulled Lin Chen toward the scrap heap, saying, "Never mind them, let's get to work." Once they were in a secluded spot, he lowered his voice and said, "Look, that kid Sha Zhu is such a sucker, he's been sold out and he's still counting the money for them. As for that woman Qin Huairu, she just uses the 'widow with a child' label to gain sympathy every day. She knows perfectly well how many people in the workshop badmouth her behind her back, but she just can't change."

Lin Chen nodded without speaking. He knew it wasn't the time to expose Qin Huairu yet; he needed to accumulate enough strength first. He returned to the scrap heap and quickened his pace. The chisel seemed to come alive in his hands, each strike precisely hitting the thickest part of the rust, making him even more efficient than before.

At lunchtime, Lin Chen squatted beside the scrap heap, munching on the coarse grain biscuits he had brought. Liu Haizhong walked over, holding a white steamed bun in his hand, and deliberately waved it in front of him: "Kid, how's it going? This job isn't easy, is it? If you regret it now, bring me some food coupons, and I'll talk to Director Zhou and get you an easier job."

Lin Chen looked up, chewing on a coarse grain biscuit, and mumbled, "Thank you for your kindness, Master Liu, I can do it." He knew in his heart that Liu Haizhong just wanted to see him give in, but he wouldn't. Although there was a lot of scrap metal, with the tools integrated by the system, it was more than enough to complete the task.

Seeing that he was unmoved by Liu Haizhong's words, his face grew even uglier. He stuffed a mouthful of steamed bun into his mouth and mumbled, "Fine, you've got guts! When Director Zhou comes to inspect later, if you don't complete the task, see how I deal with you!" After saying that, he turned and left. When he walked to Qin Huairu's side, he made a point of chatting with her for a few words, his eyes occasionally glancing towards Lin Chen, clearly discussing something.

Lin Chen observed this and became more vigilant. He knew Liu Haizhong might deliberately make things difficult for him during Director Zhou's inspection, and might even collude with Qin Huairu to frame him. He quickened his eating pace, and immediately returned to the scrap heap to continue derusting. At the same time, he used the system to quickly scan the surrounding environment, ensuring that no alloy scraps were missed.

Around 2 PM, the pile of scrap metal, half a person's height, was finally completely rusted. Lin Chen straightened up, stretched his aching back, and looked at the gleaming scrap metal before him, letting out a sigh of relief. He touched the inside pocket, which contained over five pounds of alloy scraps, enough to exchange for more than twenty points according to the system's exchange rate—enough for him to fuse a more advanced tool.

Just then, Director Zhou entered the workshop with several people from the technical department, followed by Liu Haizhong. As soon as Liu Haizhong entered, he pointed in Lin Chen's direction and loudly proclaimed, "Director Zhou, look! That kid Lin Chen isn't doing his job properly at all. The rust removal on this pile of scrap metal is sloppy; it definitely won't meet recycling standards!"

Director Zhou frowned, walked to the pile of scrap iron, and squatted down to examine it closely. The scrap iron had been thoroughly cleaned of rust, its surface smooth and shiny, without a trace of rust remaining—clearly, considerable effort had been put into the work. He turned to look at Liu Haizhong, his eyes filled with displeasure: "Liu Haizhong, what do you mean by that? This rust removal work is very thorough; how is it sloppy?"

Liu Haizhong was surprised that Lin Chen could actually complete the task, and do it so well. A hint of panic flashed across his face, and he quickly said, "Director Zhou, take another look. This kid definitely cut corners. Otherwise, how could he have finished so much scrap metal in just one day?" As he spoke, he kicked a piece of scrap metal. "I think he used some kind of cheating method. The material of this scrap metal must have been damaged!"

Lin Chen stood aside and calmly said, "Director Zhou, I didn't try anything illegal; I just used the right tools and methods. The materials of these scrap irons are all intact. You can have the technical staff check them." He had long anticipated that Liu Haizhong would pull this stunt and already had a plan in mind.

A young technician from the technical department came over, took out a vernier caliper, randomly selected a few pieces of scrap iron to measure, tapped them with a small hammer, listened to the sound, and then said to Director Zhou, "Director Zhou, there is no problem with the material of these scrap irons, and the rust removal is very thorough, fully meeting the recycling standards, and even better than the usual rust removal quality."

Director Zhou's face darkened completely as he coldly stared at Liu Haizhong: "Liu Haizhong, what do you have to say now? I think you're deliberately making things difficult for the newcomer! Lin Chen just joined the workshop and is working so diligently and responsibly. As the senior worker, you not only fail to mentor him properly but also constantly find fault with him. Is that acceptable?"

Liu Haizhong's face flushed red, and he stammered, unable to speak. The surrounding workers gathered around, their eyes full of mockery—he often bullied newcomers because he was a senior worker, and everyone had long disliked him. Now that Director Zhou had exposed him in public, he deserved it.

"Director Zhou, I... I didn't mean to, I was just worried that Lin Chen lacked experience and wouldn't be able to do the job well." Liu Haizhong made up an excuse, his tone tinged with panic.

"If you're worried, then teach him properly. Don't resort to these underhanded tricks!" Director Zhou said sternly. "Starting today, Lin Chen's rust removal task is halved. You are responsible for removing all the remaining scrap iron. You can leave work whenever you finish!" After saying that, he turned to Lin Chen, his tone softening considerably. "Lin Chen, you did a great job. This afternoon, you will go with Master Li to the precision forging group to familiarize yourself with the environment. You will officially start working tomorrow."

"Thank you, Director Zhou!" Lin Chen quickly expressed his gratitude, feeling a sense of relief. This time, he not only completely escaped Liu Haizhong's刁难 (difficulties/challenges), but also entered the precision forging group ahead of schedule, bringing him one step closer to his goal.

Liu Haizhong stood there, his face ashen, but dared not refute. The surrounding workers secretly laughed. He glared at Lin Chen, turned around, picked up a chisel, and reluctantly began to remove the rust—he knew that he had completely lost face today, and he would never be able to put on airs as an old worker in front of Lin Chen again.

In the afternoon, Lin Chen followed Master Li to the precision forging group. The environment here was much better than in a regular forging workshop; the machinery was more advanced, the floor was cleaner, and the workers were all wearing uniform blue overalls, their faces showing a serious expression. Master Li, in his fifties, wore reading glasses and looked more like a technician than a forger. He was a key technical member of the workshop, an eighth-grade forger, even higher than Liu Haizhong, but he was a low-key person and didn't like to get involved in the workshop's gossip.

"Xiao Lin, I heard about how you unscrewed the rusted nut yesterday," Master Li said as he showed him around the equipment. "You have a good idea; you know how to use skill instead of brute force, which is rare in forging. Precision forging is different from ordinary forging; it requires very high precision. Even the slightest deviation is unacceptable. From now on, follow me and learn well. I'll teach you everything I know."

Lin Chen quickly thanked him, "Thank you, Master Li! I will definitely learn well!" He knew that being able to learn a skill from Master Li was a rare opportunity. Master Li was not only skilled but also honest. Following him, he could learn real skills without worrying about being taken advantage of.

Master Li showed him around various precision forging equipment, explaining in detail the purpose and operation of each piece of equipment. Lin Chen listened attentively, occasionally asking questions. He had extensive experience in mechanical engineering from his previous life and was familiar with these machines; he just needed to familiarize himself with the operating procedures of the current era. Seeing that he understood everything so quickly, Master Li's eyes showed some approval, and he explained even more in detail.

As Lin Chen left the workshop in the evening, he followed Master Li out and ran into Sha Zhu. Sha Zhu was carrying an empty lunchbox and looked rather grim—clearly, Qin Huairu had taken his food again. Seeing Lin Chen, his eyes lit up, and he quickly walked over: "Brother Lin, you're already going to the precision forging group? That's impressive! Come to my house for drinks tonight, I'll have my sister cook you a couple of dishes!"

Just as Lin Chen was about to agree, Qin Huairu caught up from behind, carrying a cloth bag containing several dirty clothes. "Brother Shazhu, wait a minute!" she said, panting, as she ran to Shazhu. "My son Jia Geng's clothes are dirty. I need to mend them for the child tonight, so I don't have time to wash them. Could you help me wash them?"

Sha Zhu's expression immediately turned somewhat troubled. He looked at Lin Chen, then at Qin Huairu, and finally nodded: "Okay, leave it here with me, I'll wash it tonight."

"Brother Shazhu, you're such a good person!" Qin Huairu quickly stuffed the cloth bag into Shazhu's hands, a grateful smile on her face, and turned to leave without saying a word of politeness.

Lin Chen looked at the cloth bag in Sha Zhu's hand and shook his head helplessly: "Brother Sha Zhu, why are you doing this? She has hands and feet, why doesn't she wash her own clothes?"

Sha Zhu sighed and said with a wry smile, "Brother Lin, you don't understand. It's not easy for Qin Huairu, a widow raising three children alone. It's only right that I help her out. Besides, I'm an old acquaintance of her husband, Jia Dongxu. Seeing her struggling makes me feel bad too."

Lin Chen knew that saying anything now was useless. Sha Zhu was already deeply deceived by Qin Huairu's "pitiful" act, and he would only wake up when he suffered enough. He patted Sha Zhu on the shoulder: "Brother Sha Zhu, I'm not against you helping her, but you have to know your limits. Don't ruin your own life too. I won't go to your house tonight. I have some things to do. Let's get together another day."

Sha Zhu paused for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, I'll treat you another day." He looked at Lin Chen's back and felt a little uncomfortable—he vaguely felt that Lin Chen's words made sense, but when he thought of Qin Huairu's difficult life with her child, he couldn't bring himself to refuse.

When Lin Chen returned to the courtyard house, it was already dusk. By the communal pool in the middle courtyard, Qin Huairu was serving Jia Zhangshi water to wash her feet, saying sweet words: "Mom, Shazhu brought us braised pork again today. I saved a big piece for you. You should eat some to nourish yourself."

Sitting on a small stool, Jia Zhangshi squinted, looking completely matter-of-fact: "That's more like it. That silly Zhu kid needs a good beating. You should try to get closer to him and get him under your thumb, then we won't have to worry about food. By the way, how was Lin Chen at the workshop today? Did he cause you any trouble?"

"No, he went to the precision forging group today and didn't talk to me much." Qin Huairu's voice was a little low. "Mom, I always feel that Lin Chen is not easy to deal with. He seems to have read my mind. We should avoid provoking him in the future."

"So what if he sees through us? He's just a newcomer, what can he do to us?" Jia Zhangshi said disdainfully. "As long as we have Master Yi helping us, what can he do? Besides, Sha Zhu is our backer. As long as Sha Zhu still trusts us, it won't matter if Lin Chen sees through us."

Lin Chen stood at the door of his side room, having heard everything clearly. He sneered, pushed open the door, and locked it behind him. He took out the alloy scraps from the inside pocket of his work clothes and placed them on the table. Moonlight streamed in through the window cracks, falling on the silver-gray metal, giving it a faint luster.

He sat at the table, activated the system, and a pale blue light instantly enveloped the alloy scraps. The system panel appeared in his mind: "5.2 jin of chromium-manganese alloy detected, redeemable for 26 points, redeem?" Lin Chen thought for a moment and decided not to redeem the points—he planned to use these alloys to fuse a more advanced precision forging tool, so that he could gain a foothold in the precision forging group more quickly.

"Select fusion, target: precision forging chisel," Lin Chen silently recited in his mind. A fusion progress bar immediately appeared on the system panel, the pale blue light growing brighter and brighter, the air filled with a strong smell of rust, mixed with a faint metallic fragrance. The alloy scraps slowly melted in the light, forming a mass of silvery-white liquid metal, which then gradually solidified, taking the shape of a chisel.

Half an hour later, the light faded, revealing a pure silver chisel on the table. The chisel's handle was made of a fused high-strength alloy, engraved with fine, non-slip grooves. The hammerhead was sharp and refined, slightly smaller than a typical forged chisel, but its quality far surpassed that of ordinary tools. Lin Chen picked up the chisel; it felt excellent in his hand, its weight just right, as if it were an integral part of his palm.

He used the system to examine it, and the panel displayed: "Precision alloy chisel, containing chromium-manganese alloy, with a hardness 8 times that of an ordinary chisel, and comes with the 'Precision Positioning' attribute, which can improve the accuracy of precision forging and reduce errors." Lin Chen smiled with satisfaction. With this chisel, he was sure he could give Master Li a surprise in the precision forging group tomorrow.

He hid the chisel in a wooden box under the bed, checked the doors and windows again to ensure safety, and then lay down to rest. The moonlight outside the window grew brighter, shining on the gray bricks and tiles of the courtyard house, giving them a faint silvery glow. Lin Chen closed his eyes, and the scenes from the workshop that day flashed through his mind—Liu Haizhong's刁难 (difficulties/obstruction), Qin Huairu's scheming, Wang Tieshan's kindness, Master Li's approval… He knew that his battle for survival in this era had only just begun. But he was no longer as lost and helpless as he had been in his previous life. With the system's help, and with his own wisdom and perseverance, he was certain he could rewrite his destiny and make those who had schemed against him pay the price they deserved.

Night deepened, and the courtyard gradually quieted down, save for the occasional bark of a dog and the rustling of leaves in the wind. Lin Chen slowly drifted off to sleep. In his dream, he saw himself standing in a modern factory, surrounded by advanced machinery, with his family and friends all around him, their faces beaming with happiness. He knew that this dream would one day become a reality.