The Fitter Master in the Courtyard: Surrounded by Dead Men

"If you find out anything, you must let me know."

"Don't worry, come tomorrow morning, and you'll know everything you need to know."

"Then it's settled."

Xie Quancai and several colleagues were talking in hushed tones, their tone unusually lively for a workday.

Yang Ping recalled that one of their fathers seemed to hold a leadership position in the police department.

Cao Dayu didn't stay long before returning to his workstation to continue his tasks.

Song Zixu also quietly returned to his position.

A short while later, Guo Gang strode back into the workshop and called out, "Everyone, come out here for a second!"

Upon hearing the sound, Cao Dayu was the first to rush out, followed closely by Song Zixu, both of them with their faces filled with barely suppressed curiosity.

Yang Ping remained calm and unhurried, smoothing out the last scratch on the part in his hand before wiping his hands and slowly walking out.

"I need to tell you something."

Guo Gang looked around at everyone and said calmly, "Li You will no longer be working in the R&D department."

Yang Ping has taken over his office. From now on, if you have any technical difficulties, you can consult him.

Upon hearing this, Yang Ping raised his eyebrows almost imperceptibly.

Li You's office... this is almost equivalent to sitting in the position of deputy director of the R&D department.

Now that Li You is absent, he is effectively the second-in-command, with the same authority and responsibilities as the deputy. The only difference is that the salary figures on his paycheck have not changed.

If they are legitimate co-directors, they should at least add twenty yuan.

Seeing that Guo Gang had fallen silent after speaking, Cao Dayu couldn't help but anxiously ask, "Engineer Guo, what... what happened to Engineer Li?"

Several pairs of eyes from the surroundings focused on them, full of inquiry.

"He is an enemy agent."

Guo Gang was concise and made no attempt to conceal anything: "I was arrested yesterday, and will be dealt with according to the law in a few days."

This can't be kept secret; these "young masters" all have their own connections.

They'll find out sooner or later, so we might as well lay it all out on the table.

The fact that it was Yang Ping who uncovered this enemy spy sent a ripple of surprise through his heart.

However, he did not point this out at the moment.

"No wonder he always seemed so strange; there was definitely something wrong with him!"

Someone whispered in realization.

"He's always holed up in his office and never around. If I'd known this would happen, I should have taken immediate action and shut him down."

"What a pity, such a great achievement has slipped through our fingers."

The noisy discussions in the office gradually subsided.

"With so many of us, are we really afraid of just one Li You?"

"That's true, it's a pity, otherwise he could have made the old man proud."

Everyone chimed in with their own opinions, mostly expressing regret—having missed the chance to catch the enemy spy meant losing something to brag about to their elders.

Guo Gang didn't reply and turned back to his office.

Yang Ping quietly walked back to the parts manufacturing area and continued to polish the workpieces at hand.

After a long while, Cao Dayu and Song Zixu finally dragged their feet back, their faces still showing frustration—as if the credit they had just earned had vanished, leaving them feeling stifled.

"You two, don't just stand there!"

Yang Ping didn't even look up. "Go and tidy up Li You's office. Move all the things on my desk in there too."

The two men were just wondering what to do with their time when they heard about this job, and they immediately perked up.

"Okay!"

With a thud, the figure darted away.

Rather than grinding parts under Yang Ping's nose, they preferred to do something that allowed them to take a break—cleaning the house, which always gave them an excuse to rest.

Yang Ping let them do as they pleased, the sandpaper in his hand rubbing against the metal surface, the rustling sound fine and even.

More than two hours later, Cao Dayu and Song Zixu finally returned.

"Mr. Yang, the office is all cleaned up."

Cao Dayu wiped the sweat from his brow. "All the clutter inside has been cleared out to the doorway, and your belongings have been moved in too. Would you like to take a look?"

"OK."

Yang Ping responded and slowly finished polishing the part in front of him before putting down his tools, straightening up and walking towards the newly cleaned room.

From this day forward, he finally has his own office—at least worthy of the title of deputy director.

As for whether he could actually get the position of deputy director of the R&D department... he secretly pondered in his heart.

If it succeeds, not only will it be legitimate, but I'll also get more salary every month.

Leaving the parts workshop, Yang Ping walked down the corridor toward Li You's office.

When he pushed open the door, his view was first blocked by the mountain of books and papers piled up by the door—he hadn't originally planned to look at them closely, but a drawing spread out on top caught his eye.

The cross-sectional structure of the firearm was meticulously sketched on the paper with a pencil, the lines so clear they looked as if they had just flowed from an engineer's pen.

He bent down to pick up the blueprint, his fingertips brushing over the intersecting cross-sectional lines, and gradually recognized the outline of the weapon: it was the structural blueprint of **.

In that instant, a string of bright sparks flashed through my mind—several ideas for modification burst forth one after another, and I could almost see a brand-new gun gradually taking shape in my imagination.

A smile involuntarily crept onto his lips. Perhaps he could actually try to build one, both as a self-defense tool and to submit the improved blueprints in the future.

He carefully folded the blueprints and put them into his pocket, then casually flipped through the stack of documents at his feet.

Most of them are technical books or factory archives, and the content is almost the same as that in the archives room, with nothing particularly new.

Yang Ping straightened up and stopped searching.

Cao Dayu and Song Zixu waited quietly by the door.

The blueprints and texts were like gibberish to them. Neither of them got close, they just exchanged glances and waited for Yang Ping to speak.

"Alright, go in."

Yang Ping said as she stepped into the office.

The interior layout was almost identical to Guo Gang's: a wooden desk, a set of tables and chairs for entertaining guests, so simple that it was even a bit rigid.

The only thing that made him pause for a moment was the black telephone on the corner of the table—which was quite unexpected.

According to the factory's regulations, deputy directors are not entitled to be provided with telephones; only figures like the factory director and deputy factory director are.

Even in the office of workshop director Lü Shuitian, such equipment had never been seen.

"Master Yang, how's this place being cleaned up? Isn't it spotless?"

Cao Dayu approached with a hint of pride, as if showing off some remarkable achievement.

"It's quite clean."

Yang Ping nodded.

They were indeed decisive in their packing: regardless of whether it was useful or not, they cleared it all out.

The two cabinets by the wall are now completely empty, not even a piece of paper left inside. Even a cockroach would probably get lost if it crawled in.

Yang Ping sat down behind the desk, leaning back in her chair. Her gaze swept over Cao Dayu and Song Zixu, who were standing in front of the desk, and a relaxed smile unconsciously appeared on her lips.

Ultimately, it's more comfortable to sit here and observe people—I was always being watched before, and I wasn't used to it.

Now that he has this ** office, he finally feels like a real director.

"Alright, go back to work."

Yang Ping sat for a moment, then, estimating that it was about time, stood up.

"Okay!"

The two agreed in unison.

The three returned to the parts manufacturing area and buried themselves in their workbenches.

Time slipped away quietly amidst the hum of files and lathes.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, Yang Ping walked into the workshop as usual.

This trip didn't cause any ripples; everything remained the same as before.

He walked to Zhao Qiancheng's workstation and noticed that the other man had improved the precision of the level 6 parts to the top-grade level, so he said:

"With a bright future, we can begin trial production of level seven parts."

Zhao Qiancheng was a trusted confidant whom he had personally trained. They had already shared all the technical skills and memories of an eighth-level fitter before, and now he was simply being promoted step by step.

"Understood, Master Yang!"

Zhao Qiancheng agreed readily, a hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes.

He had been waiting for this opportunity for some time.

He immediately got up, walked to Xie Quancai who was not far away, and took a set of raw materials and blueprints for a level 7 part.

Xie Quancai looked up at him, a complex envy flashing across his face. He then turned and muttered a few words to his team members before bending down again to work on the parts in his hands.

Nowadays, it's not uncommon to find a level 7 fitter in a workshop. Unless someone can reach level 8, they're unlikely to attract much attention.

Zhao Qiancheng was fully aware of this, and quietly returned to his workstation with the materials.

He carefully studied the blueprints and repeatedly checked the lathe's spacing and parameters before picking up his tools and steadily making the first cut.

Yang Ping stood quietly to the side, her eyes following the movements of his hands.

Zhao Qiancheng's promotion came naturally.

The level 7 fitter assessment was a breeze for him. The freshly polished part lay quietly on the inspection table, gleaming with a cold and precise metallic luster—level 7, intermediate level, impeccable.

Yang Ping glanced at it only once, and a faint smile of satisfaction appeared on her lips. "Very good."

His voice wasn't loud, but the few fifth and sixth grade workers who gathered around could hear it clearly.

The group of people exchanged glances of amazement and barely concealed envy as they whispered among themselves.

Deeper into the workshop, the other level seven workers, and even level eight worker Lin Dahai, never looked up from their respective workstations.

The roar of the machines never stopped, as if this small promotion was just an ordinary pulse on the assembly line.

Yang Ping was fully aware of this.

Level 7 has already caused little ripple in this workshop.

Only by reaching the threshold of level eight can one truly stir up this pool of water.

However, he thought that this situation wouldn't last long.

As the number of Grade 8 workers increases, what is ordinary today will become the norm in the future.

His gaze swept across the workshop, as if he were taking inventory of an invisible stockpile.

A dozen or so names came to mind—all his men, buried in inconspicuous positions, their fitter level no higher than level five, yet possessing a loyalty more reliable than steel.

These are the real foundations; once cultivated, they are much easier to master than those of ordinary craftsmen.

Only by pushing them one by one to the eighth level can the workshop's base color be completely dyed into the pattern he desires.

Having made up his mind, he turned around and walked toward the workshop director's office.

Lu Shuitian was writing something at his desk when he looked up and saw it was him. His face immediately broke into a warm smile, like spring melting frozen earth. "Master Yang!"

He quickly stood up, practically dragging a chair over, and brushed away non-existent dust with his sleeve. "Please, have a seat!"

"Director Lü."

Yang Ping sat down gracefully, and after exchanging pleasantries, she got down to business, "How's everything going in the workshop lately?"

"Everything went smoothly, very smoothly!"

Lu Shuitian leaned forward, his voice light with relief, "Especially after Comrade Lin Dahai became an eighth-grade worker, those tricky odd-shaped parts finally found a solution, and now the success rate is steadily above 70%."

"It's all thanks to you, Master Yang. Without your guidance and mentorship back then, I really wouldn't have had any confidence at all."

As he spoke, his gratitude was evident, and his gaze fell on Yang Ping as if he were looking at a pillar of strength.

Yang Ping had no intention of taking credit for himself. He readily gave the honor to whoever it belonged to, clearly pointing the credit to Yang Ping in front of everyone.

It was just a coincidence.

Yang Ping simply smiled.

After a moment's thought, he presented his plan to Director Lü.

"Director Lü, I'm considering training another batch of fitters, this time specifically selecting from junior workers."

We need to give the people below something to look forward to, otherwise the workshop will always be lifeless and lack motivation.

"That's a great idea!"

Upon hearing this, Lü Shuitian immediately nodded in agreement.

Indeed, those junior workers have no ambition all day long. If Yang Ping can really lead them to higher levels, the atmosphere in the whole workshop might liven up.

"I'll go and put together the list right away. You'll see it when you come tomorrow, and then you can choose the people."

He stood up as he spoke, looking like he was about to get things done.

"Okay, that's settled then."

Yang Ping agreed.