The Fitter Master in the Courtyard: Surrounded by Dead Men

He didn't linger; after exchanging a few pleasantries, he returned to his room.

Inside the Liu family's house, however, the scene was quite different.

Liu Haizhong sat silently at the table for a long time without making a sound.

The news of Yang Ping's promotion to deputy director weighed heavily on his heart—based on seniority and seniority, it should have been his turn, so why did it fall on a young man? This world is just too unreasonable.

Liu Guangfu and Liu Guangtian hid behind the door of the inner room, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Seeing their father's gloomy face, the two men felt uneasy: they were probably going to get another beating tonight, so it was best to stay away.

The three women sat to one side, their eyes shifting back and forth between their husbands and the pillar—there their eldest son, Liu Guangqi, was tied up, his wrists marked with deep red welts from the hemp rope.

She couldn't help but sigh.

"Have a meal!"

Liu Haizhong suddenly picked up his chopsticks and tapped them heavily on the edge of the table twice.

The door to the inner room immediately opened a crack, and the two boys hunched over and slipped out.

Taking advantage of the moment, the third aunt asked softly, "His father, Guangqi... when can you loosen the reins?"

She didn't really care who became the deputy director, but seeing her son tied up like this made her heart ache.

Liu Haizhong turned his head to look at the pillar and asked, "Guangqi, what do you say? Are you still going to run or not?"

"I'm not running anymore..."

Liu Guangqi's voice was hoarse and weak, and he had long lost his previous stubbornness.

All he wants now is to go out—even if it's just to see Xu Banxia.

"That's right."

Liu Haizhong's expression finally softened a little.

A look of joy immediately spread across the aunt's face; her son had finally understood.

"Untie him!"

Liu Haizhong gave the order.

As he spoke, he continued:

"Guangqi, it's not that your father is deliberately making things difficult for you, I'm just thinking of you."

"Why did you have to pick someone with no connections? What wouldn't a woman like that do just to have a place to stay?"

He began to launch into a long lecture.

A flash of anger crossed Liu Guangqi's eyes, but he suppressed it and remained silent.

After the rope was untied, he sat back down at the table and buried himself in his food, eating quickly and voraciously, even eating one of the two eggs in Liu Haizhong's bowl.

Liu Guangfu and Liu Guangtian felt a chill run down their spines.

The two glanced at their father, and seeing that he was not angry, they secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Eat slowly, no rush. If you're not full, ask your mom to make you some more."

Liu Haizhong said with a smile on his face.

His eldest son was the only way for him to become a leader. Now that Yang Ping had been promoted to deputy director, the fire in his heart burned even brighter. He just hoped that the neighborhood committee would arrange a job for Liu Guangqi as soon as possible so that he could also benefit from it.

Liu Guangqi didn't say much, he just kept swallowing.

He had been holding on for days without eating properly, and now that he had outwardly yielded, he naturally needed to eat his fill and conserve his strength—he hadn't given up on the idea of ​​leaving, but after this ordeal, his temperament had subtly changed.

The next morning.

Yang Ping pushed open the door and came out, only to be startled to see Liu Guangqi sitting motionless on the threshold of his house, lost in thought.

For the past few days, Liu Guangqi had always been seen bound. When he was suddenly untied, he sat there blankly, and those who didn't know the situation thought something had happened.

However, he quickly regained his composure, as if he hadn't seen anything, and walked straight past.

Liu Guangqi ignored Yang Ping and remained silent.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated when Yang Ping walked through the courtyard, and a faint smell of engine oil suddenly brushed past his nose.

He paused slightly, a hint of doubt flashing across his face, but he didn't pay much attention and walked straight toward the water tank in the central courtyard.

A sudden shout shattered the tranquility of the front yard.

"A thief broke in! My house has been robbed!"

"My bicycle wheel is missing!"

It was Yan Fugui's voice, sharp and urgent, like someone had stepped on his tail.

The enamel cup in Yang Ping's hand wobbled slightly, and a few drops of hot water splashed out.

His gaze darkened. The strong smell of engine oil on Liu Guangqi last night suddenly came vividly to mind—that kid had been tied up, and as soon as his hands and feet were loosened, he turned around and attacked Yan Fugui.

Back then, wasn't it Yan Fugui's mouth that made everyone in the courtyard know that Liu Guangqi had secretly gone to Shimen?

Yang Ping's lips twitched slightly, but he remained silent.

He slowly rinsed his mouth, wiped his face, went back inside to eat breakfast, and then pushed his bicycle and leisurely strolled towards the front yard.

Yi Zhonghai and several others had already gathered there.

Yan Fugui was gesturing with his fingers, his face flushed. Beside him lay a bicycle missing its front wheel, its bare axle pointing to the sky, looking rather comical.

Everyone frowned as they listened to him, glancing around as well, but no one actually made a move.

As the sun rose higher, Yi Zhonghai cleared his throat: "Old Yan, there's no use in being anxious."

Let's have everyone help us look for it first. If we really can't find it, we'll talk about it again when everyone is here tonight.

They're all rushing to work.

"Quick, quick, help me find it!"

Yan Fugui stamped his feet in frustration.

The crowd moved a few steps symbolically, glancing at corners and peeking under the bike shed, before dispersing.

Ultimately, it wasn't their own business, so who would bother to put in the effort? Before long, only Yan Fugui was left in the courtyard, staring at the wrecked vehicle.

He had no choice but to reluctantly drag the bicycle frame back into the house, repeatedly telling the third aunt to keep a close eye on the door, before grabbing his bag and hurrying to work.

Yang Ping rode his bicycle through several streets and alleys that gradually became bustling, until he arrived at the entrance of the steel rolling mill.

He subconsciously turned towards the workshop, and only after he had already stepped out did he suddenly remember that he was now a member of the R&D department.

He stopped walking, paused for a moment, and then turned and walked towards the quieter building on the other side.

The door to the R&D department's office was ajar.

He pushed open the door and went inside. The room was empty, with morning light shining through the glass window onto a few neat but deserted desks.

We arrived way too early.

Without stopping, Yang Ping walked straight into the parts manufacturing area.

The entire set of battery production equipment was displayed quietly, arranged in an orderly manner.

Battery manufacturing is a whole process, and naturally, there is more than one machine involved.

The six machines are arranged in sequence, starting from homogenization and ending with power-on, forming a complete production line.

It must be said that those princes did have some connections; they actually managed to get their hands on this set of items in just one day.

Yang Ping knew in his heart that this was because the equipment had been scrapped.

If it were a brand new assembly line, they might not be able to move it even if they cut off their heads.

Without hesitation, he immediately began the inspection.

I had already reviewed all the relevant information on battery manufacturing machinery yesterday, so checking it now shouldn't be too difficult.

After a careful examination, a hint of relief flashed across Yang Ping's face.

Fortunately, only some parts were rusted, and the main mechanical structure was not seriously damaged.

Once properly repaired, it can be put back into operation.

Yang Ping immediately took action.

He spread out the blueprints, sketched the shapes of the parts, and marked each one with precise dimensions.

As an eighth-level fitter, and now also possessing the knowledge of an eighth-level engineer, repairing a battery manufacturing machine is not a difficult task for him.

It's not impossible for him to even build a completely new one.

However, manufacturing from scratch is time-consuming and requires repeated testing and adjustments, which takes even more effort.

It would be better to repair the existing ones and start lithium battery production as soon as possible, which would save more time.

"Master Yang!"

"Team Leader Yang!"

Cao Dayu and Song Zixu walked over.

They looked around, their faces filled with amazement, and couldn't help but marvel at Yang Ping's extraordinary abilities.

"Go and clean all the machines; the dust buildup is too thick."

Yang Ping gave the instructions.

"Okay!"

The two responded and immediately got to work.

At this time, other workers also arrived one after another to start work.

Seeing the commotion in the parts manufacturing area, everyone gathered around to see what was going on.

The battery production line displayed deep inside the workshop initially held a certain novelty, but after only half an hour, that interest faded, and the visitor turned and left on his own.

Yang Ping seemed oblivious to the commotion around him, burying himself in the spread-out drawings, his pen scratching across the paper.

On the other side, Cao Dayu and Song Zixu were sweeping up the scattered debris.

In the parts processing area, the three of them each occupied a corner, maintaining a silent coexistence, with only the occasional soft clinking of tools.

The sun had unknowingly moved to its zenith, and lunchtime was approaching.

"Phew, finally finished!"

Cao Dayu straightened up and let out a long breath.

A look of relief appeared on Song Zixu's face.

What kept them going through the tedious morning of work was nothing more than the hope that they would be remembered in the future; otherwise, they probably would have already put down their tools and gone to find some leisure.

Yang Ping glanced at the two of them, a hint of surprise flashing through her mind.

In the R&D department, it's rare to find people who are willing to grit their teeth and persevere like this; in fact, they are quite uncommon.

He pondered for a moment, then said, "Let's try polishing the parts this afternoon. I'll teach you."

These words caused both Cao Dayu and Song Zixu to slump in their shoulders.

They thought they could catch their breath in the afternoon, but they had to continue dealing with these lumps of iron. They couldn't help but feel a wave of fatigue seeping from their bones.

"What, don't you want to be famous anymore?"

Yang Ping's voice was not loud, but it carried a clear questioning tone.

"think!"

The answer was clear and concise, without the slightest hesitation.

It's tiring, but if it can earn some fame and let those elders in the family who always think they're useless see it for themselves, it's all worth it.

Upon seeing this, Yang Ping nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Let's go eat."

"Okay!"

The three of them left the workshop one after the other, had a simple lunch, and then returned to the space filled with the smell of metal to continue working on their unfinished tasks.

The R&D department gradually emptied in the afternoon, with colleagues finding their own corners to rest, leaving only two separate areas of activity facing each other, clearly distinct.

The sun quietly slipped through the windowpane, and before we knew it, it was already past three in the afternoon.

Yang Ping got up and walked towards the workshop, giving a few pointers to everyone amidst the hum of the machines.

When the clock struck midnight, he saw Gao Yue off as usual before turning back to the familiar compound.

As soon as I stepped into the courtyard, I saw Yan Fugui squatting in the corner, his face wrinkled like a crumpled piece of paper.

Yang Ping paused for a moment, then remembered—the old man had lost the wheel of his bicycle.

"Third Uncle".

He called out with a smile.

Yan Fugui managed a mumbled reply through his nose, his brows still tightly furrowed.

At that moment, his mind was completely occupied with the missing iron wheel, and he had no time to deal with anyone else.

Yang Ping walked up to him and suddenly lowered his voice: "I know who moved your car wheels."

Old Yan suddenly raised his head, his cloudy eyes flashing with light: "Who?"

I'm not going to tell you.

Yang Ping deliberately dragged out the melody, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

"You little rascal, don't make fun of this old man!"

Yan Fugui stamped his feet in frustration, gritting his teeth as he said, "If you really know, you can take either of those two pots of black chrysanthemums in my yard!"

Yang Ping didn't respond to that, but instead casually suggested, "Think carefully, has there been any unusual activity in the courtyard these past few days?"

"What kind of commotion could there be...?"

Yan Fugui muttered to himself, then suddenly gasped, "Could it be the Liu family? They just brought Liu Guangqi out of there a few days ago, could it be..."

His words abruptly stopped, his eyes widened suddenly, and he froze on the spot.

The Yan family's courtyard was bathed in a thin layer of gold by the morning light, but Yan Fugui's heart felt as if it were in an ice cave.

Liu Guangqi knew better than anyone why he had escaped – it was his loose tongue that had first leaked the news to his father, and then spread like wildfire throughout the compound, which had completely exposed his trip to Shimen.

Now that Liu Guangqi has returned safely, who else but himself would be the first to settle scores?

"You bastard Liu Guangqi, how dare you remove my car wheels!"