The Fitter Master in the Courtyard: Surrounded by Dead Men

Yang Ping released the chuck, holding a component with a cold, gleaming finish in his palm. Its outline was exquisite, and its lines were imposing.

Xie Quancai took it and examined it carefully. He compared it with the blueprints in his hand for a moment, and only after confirming that it was correct did he let out a soft breath and return the item.

The metal part lay quietly in the palm of his hand, its lines clean and its edges sharp, gleaming with a cold, hard luster under the dim lights of the workshop.

With just one glance, Xie Quancai's last remaining doubts vanished—only a seasoned veteran with years of experience could possess such skillful technique.

Without using a ruler, he could estimate the exact fraction simply by running his fingertips across the smooth surface.

"This is utter chaos!"

A sudden shout broke the noise in the workshop.

两人同时转身。

The newcomer was a middle-aged man in overalls, slightly overweight, with a furrowed brow and an expression of barely suppressed anger.

He was followed by a large group of people, including Yi Zhonghai and Jia Dongxu.

Yi Zhonghai didn't speak, but glanced at the control panel without making a sound. His gaze lingered on the pile of fine metal shavings for a moment before he casually looked away.

Jia Dongxu couldn't hide his schadenfreude; the corners of his mouth were upturned, and his eyes were gleaming, as if he had caught something incredibly serious.

The other workers who gathered around mostly looked on curiously, whispering among themselves.

Mixed in with the crowd were a dozen or so experienced workers who were usually quiet, including Lin Dahai—one of the few level-six fitters in the factory, who was also standing silently at the back.

"Xie Quancai, you're a senior worker, don't you understand the workshop rules? Letting a level-two worker handle level-six parts, what if something goes wrong? Who will bear the factory's losses?"

Director Lü's voice grew increasingly stern, his finger almost touching Xie Quancai's nose.

Xie Quancai remained calm and held the part high, displaying it to everyone: "Director Lü, I know the rules."

But this is no joke—look at this, how well is the work done?

Lu Shuitian suddenly stopped himself from uttering the reprimand that was on the tip of his tongue.

He squinted, staring at the part.

Although he himself only reached level five, he had been in this line of work for most of his life and had long since developed a keen eye for detail.

The precision and smoothness of that thing were exactly what a level 6 component should look like; there wasn't a single flaw to be found.

Yi Zhonghai, who was standing to the side, was also stunned, and a very subtle change flashed across his originally calm face.

Lin Dahai understood perfectly; his master's comprehension was truly remarkable.

Ever since he shared his memories of being a fitter, his skills have improved dramatically. At this rate, it won't be long before he's promoted to a level seven fitter.

On the other side, Jia Dongxu and his few junior fitters remained in a spectator's mood, dutifully performing their duties as onlookers, waiting for the show to begin.

"Let me take a look."

Lu Shuitian reached out and took the part, examined it for a moment, and then handed it to Yi Zhonghai.

"Master Yi, please take a closer look and see if there are any errors."

"OK."

Yi Zhonghai couldn't refuse.

He took the parts, picked up the measuring tools, and began to measure them little by little.

Every time he measured a perfectly accurate mark, his heart sank – he never expected Yang Ping's talent to be so great, that in such a short time he had already acquired the true skills of a sixth-level fitter.

Just now, it was he who caught sight of Yang Ping in the sixth-level parts of the car, which prompted him to rush to find Director Lü to report him.

That's how this whole situation came about.

"no problem,"

He finally spoke, his voice a little dry, "This part meets the level six standard."

With so many people watching, and plenty of level-six workers in the factory, if he makes up stories, he'll likely find it hard to stay in the factory in the future.

Therefore, he dared not utter a single lie.

As soon as Yi Zhonghai finished speaking, the workshop fell silent.

Standards for Level 6 parts.

Jia Dongxu and several low-ranking apprentices, who had been waiting to watch the spectacle, were now stunned.

They hadn't expected that the work Yang Ping produced would actually meet the requirements for Level 6.

But this is really strange.

Someone muttered first, "...Just two days ago, he only passed Level 2? How could he jump to Level 6 in the blink of an eye?"

"That's right, there's probably something fishy going on."

"Whether it's true or not, just have him drive another one on the spot and we'll know."

"Yes, in full view of everyone, what kind of tricks could they possibly pull?"

Amidst the whispers, disbelief was written on most people's faces.

Yi Zhonghai didn't reply, but turned his gaze to workshop director Lü Shuitian—ultimately, this matter had to be decided by him.

Lu Shuitian pondered for a moment, then looked up at Yang Ping: "Make one more."

If you can maintain this level, I will grant you a special promotion of six levels, with a monthly salary of sixty-two dollars and fifty cents.

Upon hearing this, Yi Zhonghai's expression darkened slightly: "Director Lü, this... isn't this against procedure?"

He knew perfectly well that although Yang Ping had shown his skills, his official status was still uncertain and he would have to wait until the next assessment to be officially recognized.

If Lü Shuitian were to be promoted now, it would be difficult to stop him.

Lu Shuitian merely glanced at him indifferently: "Master Yi, I know how to handle matters related to regulations."

Yi Zhonghai's lips moved, but in the end he just closed them in silence.

As an eighth-grade fitter, he was ultimately just a worker, and he was powerless to change anything in the face of the factory leaders' decisions.

"Yang Ping, hurry up and thank Director Lü!"

Xie Quancai urged him repeatedly from the side.

"Thank you, Director Lü."

Yang Ping thanked her, but felt as if something had struck her heart.

His salary jumped from 27.5 yuan to 62.5 yuan, an extra 35 yuan per month, not to mention the status of a level 6 fitter—such a good thing was something he never dared to dream of before.

"Don't thank me yet,"

Lu Shuitian waved his hand, "Let's talk about it after we've made the Level 6 parts."

"clear."

Yang Ping responded and turned back to the lathe.

He recalibrated the distance between the car and checked the engine oil and various parts, his actions were meticulous to the point of being almost obsessive.

This is about promotion, about the extra thirty-five yuan every month, and there's absolutely no room for error.

After confirming that everything was in order, he picked up the blank of the sixth-level part to be processed and steadily fed it into the chuck.

The crowd fell silent; no one spoke or approached, as if they were all waiting for some miracle to quietly unfold.

Only Yi Zhonghai stood there, his face growing increasingly grim. Watching Yang Ping stride towards becoming a level six fitter was more painful than being stabbed.

Director Lü was watching from the side, and he couldn't do anything, he could only stare blankly, his mind a complete mess.

Jia Dongxu also craned his neck, staring intently at Yang Ping's actions.

Although I was just a junior fitter, I had developed a keen eye after watching my master, Yi Zhonghai, work for so long.

At this moment, he could clearly see that Yang Ping's skillful techniques and steady rhythm were clearly the work of a sixth-level craftsman.

At this point, it was too late for any obstacles. He could only grit his teeth and hope that Yang Ping would suddenly make a mistake and that the part would ultimately fail to be produced as a finished product.

But this hope was ultimately dashed.

More than twenty minutes passed in oppressive silence.

Yang Ping stopped what she was doing, gently picked up the part that had been completed after the last step, examined it carefully in the light for a moment, and only after confirming that it was correct did she straighten up from the workbench.

He handed the gleaming metal part to Lü Shuitian, his tone calm: "Director Lü, the part is finished. Please take a look."

"it is good."

Lu Shuitian took the part, ran his fingertips over its surface, and examined it repeatedly in the light streaming through the workshop's overhead window. Finally, he nodded and handed it to Yi Zhonghai, who was standing to the side: "Master Yi, please measure the precision."

Yi Zhonghai's face looked as if it were being weighed down by something heavy, his lips taut and tightly pressed together.

Those twenty-odd minutes felt like an eternity to him, and now he had to announce the result himself—a thought that made him almost want to bang his forehead against the cold machine tool.

He silently took the measuring tools, and the calipers and angle gauges were lowered one by one, each reading clear and accurate.

After a long silence, he raised his eyes, his voice dry: "It meets the standards for a level six workpiece, with no error."

"Congratulations, Yang Ping, from today onwards you are a Level 6 fitter."

Lu Shuitian smiled and patted the young man on the shoulder.

Congratulations, Yang Ping!

"Still called Yang Ping? You should start calling him Master Yang!"

"Yes, yes, Master Yang, congratulations!"

Congratulations rang out from all around, and countless gazes were cast in, filled with undisguised envy.

Twenty years old, a level six fitter, earning 62.5 yuan a month—who wouldn't feel a surge of emotion upon hearing this? Several experienced craftsmen who were already standing in the crowd also forced smiles and joined in the congratulations, with Lin Dahai's eyes showing particular enthusiasm.

They knew in their hearts that this young man was meant to be in a higher position.

Xie Quancai stood on the outside of the crowd, unable to suppress the smile on his face.

He himself was a level six worker, and his apprentice also became a level six worker. Two level six workers came from one school. I've only seen this a few times in all these years in this factory.

Yang Ping bowed slightly to those around him, a humble smile playing on his lips: "Thank you, everyone."

Lu Shuitian took another half step forward and raised his voice a little to make sure everyone could hear him clearly: "Yang Ping, starting next month, you will receive your salary according to the standard for a level six worker, which is 62.5 yuan."

The road ahead is long, and we must continue to work diligently.

The buzzing discussions in the workshop rose and fell like waves, while the part that had just passed inspection lay quietly on the workbench, reflecting a slanting ray of light coming in from the window.

"Remember, you can't stop practicing. Getting your Level 8 worker certificate sooner is like adding a solid brick to the factory."

Yang Ping's hands were born to be fitters.

In Lü Shuitian's eyes, the technical level of an eighth-grade worker was only a matter of time.

If another eighth-level craftsman could emerge from the workshop he was in charge of, not only would it bring him glory, but the entire First Workshop would also gain a different level of prestige.

"I've got it!"

Yang Ping's voice was deep and resonant, carrying a strong force.

"good!"

Lu Shuitian looked around at the workers who were gradually gathering around him, and raised his voice, "It's time to change the stuffy atmosphere in our factory."

Yang Ping, you have to take the lead and get that fresh energy flowing.

If something needs to go up, a path must be provided; it cannot be blocked at the bottom, understand?

These words were spoken not only to Yang Ping, but also to the person standing on the periphery of the crowd.

Lu Shuitian had already placed Yang Ping in the position of leader, and the meaning couldn't be clearer—don't think that just because there's only one pillar in this workshop, you can arbitrarily block out the light for others.

Yi Zhonghai's face immediately darkened, as if covered with a layer of gray.

Director Lü was well aware of his hidden, subtle thoughts of suppressing others' ambitions and preventing them from standing out; he had long harbored resentment towards him.

"Director Lü, I understand."

Yang Ping responded.

"Alright, everyone disperse. Your work is more important."

Lü Shuitian waved his hand.

The crowd dispersed, buzzing with discussion, and returned to their roaring machines. But the news of Yang Ping's exceptional promotion to level six fitter spread like wildfire throughout every corner of the workshop.

Yi Zhonghai and Jia Dongxu walked out of the noisy workshop gate one after the other without saying a word, their faces ashen.

Once they reached a quiet corner outside, Jia Dongxu hurriedly spoke up: "Master, now that he's a level six worker, what about that house we were discussing earlier..."

This means that the original plan has failed.

A twenty-year-old level-two worker might not attract much attention; but a twenty-year-old level-six worker will definitely come into the factory's sights, and it will be difficult to touch him again.

"We can't touch him now."

Yi Zhonghai gazed into the distance, his voice low, "Let's wait and see, there will always be other opportunities."

Dongxu, I've got the house sorted out for you, I'll take care of it sooner or later.

Yi Zhonghai made a solemn promise.

His long-planned retirement security plan must not be allowed to fail in any way.

"OK!"

Jia Dongxu responded and turned to walk towards the workshop.