The Fitter Master in the Courtyard: Surrounded by Dead Men

The opportunity to shine that should have been his was snatched away by this quiet kid, who didn't even get a chance to curry favor with the big boss.

The fire burning inside him was intense, making his chest feel suffocated.

"Fatty, you probably understand the ins and outs of this better than I do."

Ma Hua took over the conversation, his tone **.

From the moment he stepped onto the stove, he knew this would happen, so there was no trace of panic on his face.

The fat man opened his mouth, but didn't say anything.

He didn't want to get involved, but with Sha Zhu standing there, he didn't dare to move.

"Get out of the way!"

Seeing that the fat man had been retorted, Sha Zhu shoved him aside and forced himself in front of Ma Hua.

"MCA, you've betrayed your teachers and ancestors, showing no mercy whatsoever, and you still dare to spout nonsense here?"

He shouted at the top of his lungs, and his spittle almost splashed onto people's faces.

"He Yuzhu,"

MCA directly addressed him by his real name, saying, "I'd like to ask you, what have you taught me? What kindness have you shown me?"

Having said all that, with all pretense already laid bare, he no longer needed to leave any room for maneuver.

"I...I am your master! A teacher for a day is a father for life. You went elsewhere to steal my teachings, which broke the rules! Today I'm going to teach you a lesson, you traitor, and let everyone see!"

Sha Zhu stammered as he began to speak.

He knew in his heart that he hadn't really taught Ma Hua anything properly; even a novice could do chores like washing and chopping vegetables.

But he just couldn't swallow this insult!

He grabbed a rolling pin from beside the cutting board and swung it at MCA, intending to punish this "traitor."

They gave him a good beating.

"Idiot Zhu! What are you doing?!"

Li Chengde stepped through the door and came upon this scene. He immediately shouted to stop them.

"Director Li..."

Sha Zhu's hand trembled, the rolling pin hovered in mid-air, and his expression suddenly changed.

"Shazhu, let me make this clear: if you dare to cause any more trouble like this, you're fired! I've already spoken to Director Yang about this."

Li Chengde's tone was firm and unyielding, leaving no room for negotiation.

Factories don't usually fire workers easily, but if someone behaves out of line, they still can't be kept.

Moreover, his promotion to deputy factory director is a foregone conclusion. The higher-ups already have some reservations about He Yuzhu. If he causes any more trouble and it gets back to the leaders, he will definitely suffer a lot.

"I won't dare to do it again, Director Li. I promise I won't cause any more trouble!"

He Yuzhu hurriedly made a promise.

Even if he wanted to punish the MCA, he would never dare to risk his own livelihood.

He didn't even dare to think about how he would live after losing this job.

"snort!"

Li Chengde let out a cold snort.

"Effective today, MCA has also been promoted to head chef, using his own stove, and is no longer Ho Yu Chu's apprentice."

He announced it to the public.

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces showed envy.

"MCA, your salary won't be adjusted until the next grading assessment, but the factory will give you a two-dollar allowance every month. Is that acceptable?"

Li Chengde walked up to Ma Hua and asked.

"Sure! Of course!"

Ma Hua's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement.

He was already content to be free from He Yuzhu and to take over the cooking duties.

52. The Boiling Dusk at the Steel Rolling Mill

The sun was setting in the west.

Yang Ping walked out of the workshop and headed towards the parking shed.

MCA was already waiting there.

Upon seeing Yang Ping, he quickly approached and said sincerely, "Yang Ping, we really owe you a lot this time!"

He knew perfectly well that if Yang Ping hadn't given him the opportunity to show off his skills, he wouldn't have even had the chance to demonstrate his abilities, let alone take charge of cooking or break away from He Yuzhu.

"It's nothing."

Yang Ping waved his hand casually.

Helping those you trust is simply your duty.

Moreover, every time MCA (Malaysian Chinese Association) serves him food, they pile his lunchbox overflowing, far exceeding the usual amount.

He should repay this favor in some way.

After Yang Ping finished cleaning up the dishes, he was about to leave when Ma Hua leaned over and whispered, "Brother Yang, don't worry, next time there are big leaders present, I'll definitely show you all my skills."

"OK."

Yang Ping gave a brief reply and patted him on the shoulder.

He really needs someone like MCA to step up in critical moments, so that if there are any issues later and he needs to get things sorted out from above, he'll have a reason to do so.

Just as he reached the vicinity of the publicity department, he heard Gao Yue calling his name at the door.

Seeing this, Ma Hua waved his hand tactfully: "You guys chat, I'll go check the kitchen first."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Yang Ping went up to her, and Gao Yue smiled, "Is there something good for you today?"

"What good news?"

"Corey has received another commendation for you. I've already prepared the speech, and it will be read on the radio first thing tomorrow morning."

Her tone was light and cheerful, clearly showing that she was happy for him as well.

Yang Ping wasn't surprised—at the dinner table yesterday, the senior leader had indeed mentioned acknowledging his "selfless contribution."

Let's promote it properly.

It's perfectly normal for the factory to use the loudspeaker to praise someone.

"That's good."

He smiled, pushed his bicycle over, and said, "Let's go, I'll take you home."

The two chatted casually on the way, the evening breeze was cool and refreshing.

The next day, Yang Ping got up early and sped up his work, and sure enough, he didn't run into Ma Xiaoling in the washroom.

He breathed a sigh of relief and went straight to the factory.

Upon arriving at the workshop, he made his usual rounds, gave a few pointers on technical points to the fitters in his group, and then returned to his workstation to carefully polish the grade 7 part.

The other members of the group are not yet ready to take higher-level exams, so he is not in a hurry to let them take on too difficult tasks.

The clock struck ten o'clock sharp.

Gao Yue's clear voice rang out over the factory's loudspeaker: "Comrades, we are now broadcasting a commendation notice."

Comrade Yang Ping from Workshop 1 has passed the Level 7 fitter assessment thanks to his outstanding talent.

What's even more commendable is that he selflessly shared his technical experience, helping his mentor Xie Quancai and colleagues Lin Dahai, Zhao Qiancheng, and Su Gui to improve their skill levels.

Currently, our factory has added two Level 7 fitters and two Level 6 fitters...

The workers were taking a break to drink water and wipe their sweat when an announcement made everyone stop what they were doing.

At first, people just sighed in hushed tones—how long had Yang Ping been promoted to level six? And now he had already crossed the threshold of level seven.

But when they heard that he had brought out four highly skilled technicians in one go, the entire workshop fell into an eerie silence.

Then, a sense of excitement spread among the veteran craftsmen.

Those who had been stuck at level 5 or 6 for years gradually brightened up.

Like Xie Quancai and his group, most of them did not receive proper instruction from a master and had to figure things out on their own, taking countless detours along the way.

Even when encountering highly skilled seniors, they often keep their abilities tightly under wraps, just like Yi Zhonghai.

And now, Yang Ping has appeared.

A person who is truly willing to teach and share.

Someone stood up first and whispered, "Go to Workshop One."

This sentence is like a spark falling into a haystack.

The fifth and sixth grade workers put down their tools, their eyes under their hat brims exchanging the same determination.

Some people started jogging, while others urged their companions, "Hurry up, don't let anyone beat us to it."

The experienced technicians in the entire workshop tacitly and silently merged into a stream of people, all surging in the same direction.

In a short while, only the machines remained in the huge factory, silently flashing their cold light.

A dense crowd surged into the workshop like a tidal wave, each person burning with a fire in their heart—to find Yang Ping, break through the bottleneck in their skills, and earn a more generous reward.

Inside the workshop, Lü Shuitian, gripping a megaphone, slammed his voice down, silencing all the commotion: "Stay where you are! Anyone who dares to go to Yang Ping without permission will have three months' wages withheld!"

Having experienced the chaos of the last time, he was well-prepared this time.

The workers were stunned by these words, and their feet froze in place.

Three months' salary is no small matter; the whole family depends on it for their livelihood.

Lu Shuitian glanced around and, seeing that no one was moving, softened his tone: "Don't worry, everyone will have a chance to learn from Yang Ping."

I'll arrange it; it will definitely be fair.

These words were like a reassuring pill, putting everyone at ease.

There are over a thousand people in the workshop, but only about a hundred are level five or six fitters. As they take turns working, everyone eventually gets a turn.

After finishing speaking, Lü Shuitian turned and walked outside.

Watching the director's retreating figure, Jia Dongxu leaned closer to Yi Zhonghai and whispered, "Master, what do we do next?"

Yi Zhonghai remained silent and did not respond.

He really didn't know what to do.

Yang Ping has grown too fast, and he can even lead so many people to break through together. This ability has long exceeded his expectations.

At this moment, a faint sense of regret welled up in his heart—if only he had known this would happen, he should have kicked the boy out of the compound when Yang Ping's father passed away, thus saving himself from all this trouble later.

On the other end, Xie Quancai grinned from ear to ear, draped his arm over Yang Ping's shoulder, and gestured with his chin toward Lin Dahai and the others: "Look at him, this is my apprentice! How about it, is he capable enough?"

Lin Dahai and the others nodded repeatedly, laughing and agreeing, "Capable, truly capable!"

The crowd outside the workshop surged like a tide, their faces huddled together, forming a dense, dark mass.

They kept walking, as if propelled forward by an invisible force, completely ignoring the figure blocking their way.

Lu Shuitian gripped the megaphone tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning white.

He raised his voice and shouted twice more, but his voice seemed to sink into a deep pool without even a splash.

The crowd continued to surge forward, their footsteps creating a chaotic cacophony, and dust rose slightly in the dry, cold air of early winter.

He paused for a moment, and the confidence he had as a workshop director suddenly wavered.

Just then, another voice suddenly rang out, deep and sharp, like a stone smashing into the noise.

"Stop right there!"

"Who allowed you to crowd in here?"

The crowd was startled by the sudden shout, and their forward surge finally slowed down.

Many eyes turned to look for the source of the sound.

On the outskirts of the crowd, a figure in a dark blue Zhongshan suit was walking briskly, his face tense and his brows furrowed with obvious anger.

That's Factory Director Yang.

He pushed aside the people blocking his way and walked all the way to Lü Shuitian's side before stopping, his gaze sweeping over the throng of heads in front of him.

The scene, which had been shoving and pushing just moments before, froze for a moment upon his arrival, and whispers began to spread softly.

Director Yang didn't speak immediately, but stood silently, his gaze sweeping over each face.

That silence carried more weight than shouting, and those nearby involuntarily shrank back.

After a long while, he finally spoke, his voice not loud, but loud enough for the people in the front rows to hear clearly.

"Are all the workshops now free of work?"

"Who started it?"

No one answered.

In the crowd, people looked at each other, some lowered their heads, some hid behind, but no one stood up.

Many of them had heard that Yang Ping, a seventh-level fitter, was there and could even guide people to get promoted. They were curious and had some hope, so they followed the crowd all the way here.

But when confronted by the factory leaders, that blind enthusiasm cooled down considerably.

Lu Shuitian finally regained his composure. He leaned closer to Director Yang and quickly explained in a low voice.

Director Yang listened with little expression on his face, only nodding almost imperceptibly.

Meanwhile, the scene inside the workshop was quite different.

Xie Quancai was chatting animatedly with Lin Dahai and a few of his old friends.

He finally found an outlet for the smugness he had been holding in all morning.

"Look at my apprentice!"

He flicked his thumb backward, pointing to a young figure not far away who was looking down at blueprints at a workbench. "How old is he? Level 7! The only one in the factory! And that's not all, several people he mentored have jumped up a level."

Go ask around elsewhere, has this ever happened before?

Lin Dahai and the others clicked their tongues and nodded repeatedly as they listened.