Siheyuan: I will never tolerate gambling and drugs!

Inside the courtyard, the night was deep.

The study light pierced the darkness outside the window. Xu Lin was hunched over his desk, his pen flying across the blueprints, making a scratching sound. He had spent the entire night meticulously copying all the inspiration that had sprung up in the afternoon, the magnificent industrial blueprint in his mind, onto paper.

The diameter of every pipe, the torque of every valve, the heat conversion rate of steelmaking furnace exhaust gas and cooling water... countless data flowed from his pen, eventually converging into breathtakingly precise drawings of parts. Radiators, connectors, even solutions for converting scrapped lathes into simple stamping equipment—every detail was meticulously crafted.

As the last stroke fell, Xu Lin straightened his stiff back, his joints cracking with a series of subtle pops. His face showed no signs of fatigue from working all night; instead, his eyes burned with the fervent light unique to a creator.

He turned his neck and realized that, without him noticing, Qin Huairu and Madam Tan had fallen into a deep sleep, one on each side of the desk, their heads resting on their arms.

The soft light illuminated their peaceful sleeping faces. Xu Lin remembered that after returning home last night, he ate a few bites of food and went straight to his study without saying a word. He figured the two women must have been worried and had been silently keeping him company. His gaze fell on Tan's silk pajamas, and he guessed that she must have gone home to settle the children before sneaking over from the basement.

A warm feeling washed over him, only to be replaced by a mischievous thought. At this moment, he was full of energy and at his peak.

Xu Lin leaned down, a wicked grin on his face.

……

Tan was awakened by Qin Huairu's repeated, indistinct calls of "commander".

She groggily opened her eyes, feeling weak all over. The moment her consciousness returned, she realized with a start that the enemy had already invaded...

The morning exercise, which started at five o'clock, didn't end until more than two hours later. In the end, it was only because Mrs. Tan was worried about getting home before seven o'clock to make breakfast for her two daughters that it ended abruptly.

Looking at the two "soldiers" who were covered in sweat and had no fighting ability, Xu Lin felt a little unsatisfied, but he magnanimously implemented a policy of treating prisoners of war well.

After Tan left, Qin Huairu, her face beaming as always, continued to meticulously attend to Xu Lin's needs, helping him wash up and eat. After a steaming hot breakfast, Xu Lin felt refreshed from every pore of his body. He hopped on his bicycle and, bathed in the morning light, headed straight for the steel mill.

Not long after, the "Heating System Reform Plan," which embodied his hard work overnight, lay quietly on Yang Anguo's desk.

Yang Anguo sat behind his large desk. This time, he did not immediately adopt his usual defensive posture.

He picked up the document, glanced at it twice, and his furrowed brows relaxed.

for free.

This is the core information he extracted from this thick plan.

Xu Lin's report was impeccably written. It outlined a plan to utilize the high-temperature waste gas and residual heat from cooling water generated during steelmaking, circulating it through pipelines to provide heating for the workshops and office areas. Implementing this plan would not require the factory to spend a single penny of its own money to purchase new equipment.

All he needed was to utilize the pile of substandard steel pipes and scrap iron sheets that no one wanted in the abandoned warehouse, as well as some spare time in the machine repair shop.

The reasons given were even more plausible.

"Improve employee productivity in winter and reduce frostbite-related staff losses."

Yang Anguo took off his reading glasses, which he only wore when reading, and slowly wiped the lenses with a soft cloth. His knuckles turned slightly white from the force of the wipe.

He was pondering it.

Has this kid changed his ways? Yesterday, we almost fell out over that million-dollar project and he got a real slap on the face. And today he's switched to doing these menial, repair-and-fix logistical tasks?

Is the intention to adopt a conciliatory approach and gain a good reputation among the workers?

A moment later, Yang Anguo scoffed inwardly. Still too naive. Even if this petty stunt succeeds, the credit will go to him, Factory Director Yang, for his effective leadership and consideration for his subordinates. In this steel rolling mill, the ultimate winner will only be him.

Young people have too much energy. It's better to give them some light, unimportant work than to make them focus on core production capacity and power in the factory every day.

As long as the money isn't touched and production isn't delayed, let him do whatever he wants.

If his efforts fail, it will only confirm his reputation as a young and impetuous deputy factory director who is good at nothing but empty talk.

"OK."

Yang Anguo picked up his pen and signed his name at the end of the document in a flamboyant style.

"I agree in principle. But Xu Lin, let me make this clear from the start: production is the top priority. You cannot take up normal working hours, and you certainly cannot use a single penny of production funds."

"clear."

Xu Lin took the document, his face expressionless, and he spoke very little. He didn't linger for a second longer before turning and leaving.

The door slammed shut.

Yang Anguo's gentle smile vanished instantly. Xu Lin's calm and composed attitude stirred a strange unease within him; this matter was probably not as simple as he had thought.

After thinking it over for a while, Yang Anguo still asked someone to call Li Huaide, who had just been promoted to deputy factory director.

A moment later, Li Huaide's fawning smile squeezed through the crack in the door, carrying two cans of broken tea leaves wrapped in newspaper.

"Factory manager, you wanted to see me?"

Yang Anguo ignored the tea leaves, calmly wiping imaginary dust off his glasses. After a while, he finally spoke.

"That Xu Lin, what's he up to with the heating system this time? Keep a close eye on him. Since he patted his chest and said he wouldn't use any funds, then don't let a single penny leave the account. Also, to the materials department, except for the key to the scrap warehouse, all materials not listed in the plan are to be blocked. Don't give him a single screw! Let him know that in this factory, everything must be prioritized for key production."

The fat on Li Huaide's face trembled as he nodded repeatedly.

"Don't worry, Factory Manager, I know what I'm doing! On matters of principle, I, Li Huaide, will definitely ensure everything is handled properly!"

After leaving the factory director's office, Li Huaide wiped his forehead. He originally intended to go straight back to his own office, but after thinking for a moment, he turned around and went straight to Xu Lin's office.

Without knocking, Li Huaide pushed the door open and entered, then immediately locked the door. His face, which had been so subservient to Yang Anguo, was now filled with shrewdness and sincerity.

"Brother Xu!"

When Li Huaide came in, Xu Lin knew it was him and guessed why he had come to see him, so he continued to draw the pipeline route on the blueprints without looking up.

"Let me guess, Old Yang had you block my supplies and also sabotage my personnel allocation?"

"Amazing!"

Li Huaide slapped his thigh, leaned over to the table, and lowered his voice to a whisper.

"He said that apart from the scrap yard, not a single good screw outside the plan can be given to you. Brother, this is a difficult situation for me. If I give you the green light, I won't be able to get past Old Yang. If I really block you, I'll be betraying our brotherhood..."

"Brother Li, don't be embarrassed."

Xu Lin finally put down his pen and looked up at the old fox's performance.

"Keep the checkpoint open as usual. Make sure everything looks good on the surface, so he can't find any fault with it. As for the supplies, I wasn't planning on using any new ones anyway."

Xu Lin paused, then smiled and changed the subject, speaking slowly and deliberately.

"But you also need to think this through. This is for the benefit of all the factory workers. If it succeeds, Director Li, who has been giving his full support behind the scenes, will definitely be remembered by everyone. After all, to truly live up to the title of Director Li, you need to have solid achievements."

Li Huaide's eyes darted around twice in quick succession.

The words "Director Li" instantly made him overjoyed, his face crinkling into a wide smile. He understood Xu Lin's unspoken message: if the heating reform plan succeeded, he would share the credit, just like Li Xiaoli during the last major physical examination. So, with a fawning smile, he pulled out a cigarette and offered it to him.

"You've got the wrong title, I'm just a deputy factory manager. Brother Xu, don't worry, I'm a few years older than you, I'm not stupid. If you really have any shortfalls, as long as you don't use official accounts and don't make too much noise, I can turn a blind eye for the sake of the workers. As for the workers being transferred and taking up working hours, that's easy to handle..." After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Li Huaide took the opportunity to carefully review Xu Lin's project proposal before taking his leave.

After seeing Li Huaide off, Xu Lin looked out at the gray sky and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

Trying to mess with me? Just you wait and see...

Machine repair workshop.

A strong, almost unbearable smell of engine oil mixed with the acrid odor of burning metal crashed down on us like an invisible wall. The ear-piercing sounds of friction and heavy impacts mingled together, making our eardrums ring.

Xu Lin seemed oblivious to this and walked straight into the depths of the workshop.

A man in oil-stained work clothes was lying on a huge Soviet-style grinding machine, almost half of his body inside, cursing and struggling with a pile of parts.

"Engineer Wu."

Xu Lin handed him a cigarette.

Wu Jianchuan, the chief engineer of the machine repair workshop, is a well-known tech fanatic. Unlike Guo Liwei's smooth-talking nature, Wu Jianchuan's temper is harder than the wrench in his hand. Wu Jianchuan looked up from the machine tool, his face covered in grease, his eyes showing the stubbornness of someone who has worked with machines for a long time.

He glanced at Xu Lin but didn't take the cigarette.

"Deputy Factory Director Xu."

The sound was harsh, like two pieces of iron rubbing together.

"If you're here to talk about heating, you'd better leave now."

As Wu Jianchuan spoke, he wiped his forehead with his greasy sleeve, leaving a new black mark.

"I've looked at the plan you sent me; it's all theoretical. Making heat sinks requires a stamping machine, and making pipe fittings requires a pipe bending machine. All we have here are lathes and milling machines. You can't expect the workers to bend sheet metal by hand, can you?"

Xu Lin withdrew his hand, lit a cigarette, and took a deep drag.

"If we don't have guns or cannons, can't we make them ourselves?"

He exhaled a smoke ring, which quickly dissipated in the noisy workshop.

Wu Jianchuan remained expressionless, his impatience almost overflowing in his eyes, clearly unmoved by this.

Xu Lin wasn't annoyed. He took out another stack of neatly rolled-up blueprints from his pocket. He walked to the workbench covered with parts and oil stains, slapped the blueprints on it with a "smack," and slowly spread them out on the workbench.

"Mr. Wu, take a look at this."

Wu Jianchuan frowned and glanced at it reluctantly.

In that instant, his gaze was fixed on the blueprint, and he even paused for half a second.

That was a diagram for modifying a machine tool.

The picture shows a C616 lathe that had long been scrapped completely disassembled. An eccentric wheel with an unusually ingenious structure was added to the spindle, and the tool post was transformed into a simple stamping die holder.

Ignoring the grease on his hands, he grabbed the blueprints, held them up to the dim light bulb above his head, and began muttering incantations, his voice growing faster and faster.

"Using an eccentric wheel to turn rotary motion into reciprocating motion... This is... this is using a lathe as a punch press?"

"The travel distance, the lever arm, it's designed just right..."

The impatience in his cloudy eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a fire that burned ever brighter.

"And this cold stamping die... genius! Absolutely a genius design! It can directly press and shape metal using scrap iron! The precision is a bit lacking, but it's more than enough for making heat sinks!"

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes fixed on Xu Lin, no longer looking at an inexperienced leader, but as if looking at a monster.

"This...you came up with this?"

"I read it in a book and just made some minor modifications."

Xu Lin made up a story off the top of his head and flicked off his cigarette ash.

"There are several old lathes lying around in the scrap yard. This renovation plan doesn't require new parts; we can just piece together what we have. Mr. Wu, can your machine repair team handle this job?"

"capable!"

Wu Jianchuan let out a low growl, clutching the blueprints tightly to his chest, as if protecting a newborn son. His earlier arrogance, so aloof and unapproachable, had vanished completely. That's how engineers are; no amount of money can compare to the satisfaction of building a machine tool by hand.

"If this doesn't work, I, Wu Jianchuan, will eat this wrench on the spot!"

His eyes were bloodshot, and his voice trembled with excitement. "Those bastards in Workshop One, every winter their hands would freeze like carrots, and the scrap rate would skyrocket! They should have gotten this problem fixed a long time ago!"

With Wu Jianchuan, a technical expert, leading the way in explaining and arranging the work, the entire machine repair workshop, upon hearing that they might be able to have heating all day in winter, felt like they'd been injected with adrenaline, and everyone was eager to get started.

Li Huaide secretly observed for two days and discovered that Xu Lin hadn't issued a single material requisition form. Every day, he was just leading a group of people to scavenge for scraps in the waste mountain, constantly clanging and banging away. He was completely relieved and ran to report to Yang Anguo, his words full of contempt, saying that Xu Lin, the new official, was "picking up trash" in the factory and doing performance art.

Upon hearing this, Yang Anguo merely sneered and completely forgot about the matter, plotting to see Xu Lin make a fool of himself.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

October has arrived in Beijing, and the autumn chill is gradually deepening. The temperature difference between day and night has suddenly increased, and there is already a hint of coldness in the morning air.

In the factory area, many strangely shaped pipes have appeared without anyone noticing.

They were ugly, rough, with welds that snaked like centipedes. In some places, they were even wrapped with tattered burlap sacks for insulation. These pipes stretched out from the blast furnace area like giant pythons, climbed the walls, crawled into the workshop, and finally connected to rows of radiators made of scrap iron sheets that looked extremely shabby.

Nobody had any faith in this pile of junk.

Xu Lin's plan was originally just a sample project for the street office, so he didn't go to great lengths to bury the pipes underground. This exposed approach naturally attracted more questions and ridicule.

"These few broken iron pipes, what good will they be when it gets really cold?"

"Deputy Factory Director Xu is still too young, he's making a mess of things and wasting manpower."

When the rumors reached Xu Lin's ears, he ignored them.

That morning, Xu Lin stood at the entrance of Workshop One, holding a huge valve wrench in his hand. Behind him, Wu Jianchuan, his face covered in grease, grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, his eyes filled with a mixture of nervous fervor.

"Open the valve!"

At Xu Lin's command, his arm muscles tensed, and he abruptly turned the main valve.

The scalding heat was the surging energy "stolen" from the steel furnace. High-temperature steam flowed through the pipes, emitting a low rumble, and rushed wildly into every cold heat dissipation end.

ten minutes.

Ten minutes of deathly silence.

In the workshop, an old worker who was closest to the radiator was smoking idly. Suddenly, he stopped what he was doing and, with a hint of suspicion, tentatively reached out his hand towards the row of ugly iron lumps.

A wave of scorching heat rushed towards us.

The temperature was so high it was almost scalding!

"It's hot!"

"It's fucking hot!"

The old master shouted out, his voice completely changing with immense surprise.

The entire workshop was instantly in an uproar.

The workers, like a powder keg that had been lit, dropped what they were doing and rushed over like madmen.

The ugly iron pipe that they had been complaining about for over a week was now more appealing to them than their own daughter-in-law.

"Amazing! In such a short time, the temperature inside the room has clearly risen!"

Hot air circulates rapidly within the huge workshop.

The room temperature in Beijing, which was originally chilly and damp in the early morning of October, was rising at an alarming rate. In the early morning of October, the temperature was only around ten degrees Celsius, and the iron lumps in the workshop were bone-chilling to the touch. But now, this warmth was so real and so domineering.

Xu Lin looked at the cheering workers, at the deep wrinkles on their faces smoothing out with warmth, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

This heatwave not only warmed the workshops but also ignited the entire steel rolling mill. The news spread like wildfire from one workshop to another.

The workshop workers who didn't have heating were green with envy. Thinking of the harsh winters in Beijing in previous years, when ears could freeze off, and the suffering they endured while working with cold iron tools, they almost organized a protest against the factory.

Factory Director's Office.

There was a knock on Yang Anguo's door, and Li Huaide slipped in, his expression extremely strange, like he was laughing and crying at the same time.

"Factory manager, Xu Lin's situation... is settled."

"What's done?"

Yang Anguo was looking at the documents, not even looking up, and asked casually.

"Heating."

Li Huaide pointed out the window, his voice somewhat hoarse.

"Right now, the thermometers in Workshop 1, Workshop 2, and the machine repair team are all pointing to almost 30 degrees Celsius. Wu Jianchuan said that at this rate, when winter officially arrives, the equipment preheating time can be reduced by half, and production capacity..."

He swallowed hard.

"Production capacity... can increase by at least 30%!"

Yang Anguo's hand, which was holding the document, froze in mid-air.

Production capacity increased by 30%?

Without a single penny of investment from the government or a single penny of funding from the factory, Xu Lin and his men spent half a month collecting scrap metal.

He suddenly stood up and walked a few steps to the window.

He couldn't see anything outside the window, but he could almost feel an invisible heat wave sweeping through the entire steel rolling mill, centered on Xu Lin.

That kid really did it.

And it was done in a way that he couldn't refute at all, and even slapped him hard across the face.

"Let's go take a look."

Yang Anguo's steps were heavy, and his voice carried an unsuppressed gloom.

He knew that he might have truly underestimated the young man this time. However, considering that it was just a minor incident at the factory, still within his control, he didn't lose his composure.

At this moment, Xu Lin had no intention of going to Yang Anguo to ask for credit or reward. In Xu Lin's view, the first step had only just been completed.

He was sitting in his office, which was also getting increasingly hot, recording various usage parameters. It was midday in October, and the sun was already quite warm; combined with the power of the new heating system, he simply took off his shirt, shirtless, and began writing furiously. After a while, he finally instructed someone to turn off the valve and stop the heating.

"The pilot program was a success."

Xu Lin murmured to himself.

"Next, it's time to move on to the second step. Find Director Wang of the subdistrict office and talk to him about this great opportunity. While the weather is still warm and construction is convenient, we need to promote it as soon as possible."

As for what Yang Anguo thought, Xu Lin didn't care at the moment. His thoughts had already flown out of the rusty gate of the steel rolling mill. He left the office's heat, a mixture of sweat and success, behind, and the moment he stepped onto his bicycle, a cool breeze rushed into his collar, instantly invigorating him.

The bicycle was pedaled very fast, making a crisp sound as it rolled over the small pebbles on the road.

His goal was clear: the neighborhood committee.

Yang Anguo's gloomy face and Li Huaide's fawning expression flashed through his mind, but he quickly cleared them from his memory.

The vision is too narrow.

Fighting these people, even if you win, is meaningless.

What Xu Lin wanted was for the sky over Beijing to change color because of him.

……

"Sister Tan!"

Before the wind stirred up by the bicycle had even stopped, Xu Lin spotted the busy figure going in and out of the street office from afar.

His shout was full of energy.

Tan Liya was talking to a neighbor lady when she heard the noise and turned around. When she saw Xu Lin's smug smile, her eyes lit up instantly.

She quickened her pace, taking two steps at a time, to meet Xu Lin in front of his car.

"Xiao Xu! What are you doing at the neighborhood office at this hour?"

Her voice carried an irrepressible hint of surprise, and she naturally moved closer, almost touching the front wheel of the bicycle.

Xu Lin jumped out of the car, not in a hurry to answer.

He used his long legs to steady the car, then leaned forward slightly, his nose almost touching Tan Liya's hair.

He closed his eyes and made an extremely exaggerated deep breathing motion.

He inhaled the unique scent emanating from her, a blend of face cream and her natural fragrance, and a look of extreme enjoyment spread across his face.

"Something big has happened!"

He opened his eyes, his tone solemn, but his gaze wandered up and down, deliberately keeping everyone in suspense.

A blush instantly rose to Tan Liya's cheeks.

She never expected that Xu Lin would dare to make such a bold and intimate gesture in front of the street office gate, in front of people coming and going.

She subconsciously looked around, and thankfully, most people were busy with their own things and hadn't noticed her.

She was furious and reached out to lightly pat Xu Lin's arm.

The force was very light; it was more like a caress than a hit.

"You're never serious!"

Her voice was both sweet and reproachful, carrying a hint of playful scolding.

"They're all married, yet they're still acting like this."

As she said this, the smile in her eyes deepened.

"You're here to see Director Wang, right? He's inside. Come on, I'll take you there."

Ms. Tan liked Xu Lin's occasional frivolity, so she naturally turned around, swaying her hips, and led the way for Xu Lin.

Xu Lin grinned, casually leaned his bicycle against the wall without bothering to park it properly, and quickly followed after him.

The two walked one after the other through the somewhat noisy front yard.

"Director Wang, Factory Manager Xu is here to see you. He says it's something important."

Tan Liya smiled and pushed open the door to Director Wang's office; her voice preceded her entry.

She deliberately added the word "small" before the word "Xu," with a slight upward inflection at the end, carrying a hint of teasing that only the two of them understood.

Xu Lin followed behind her, and raised an eyebrow when he heard this address.

His gaze lingered on Tan Liya's voluptuous figure for a second before he nodded meaningfully at her.

He didn't say anything, but he had already made up his mind.

Tonight, it's necessary for her to experience firsthand just how terribly wrong the word "small" really is. We can't let her not take a proper measurement!

Director Wang was buried in a pile of documents, checking some list, when he heard Tan Liya's voice and looked up.

She was somewhat surprised to see Xu Lin in her office.

But she reacted quickly, immediately stood up, and put on a warm smile.

"Factory Director Xu is Factory Director Xu, not 'Little Factory Director Xu,' Liya, you shouldn't say that."

Director Wang pointed to the chair next to him and gestured for Xu Lin to sit down, while giving Tan Liya a light but not harsh "criticism".

These words, seemingly meant to protect Xu Lin's identity, were actually a reminder to Tan Liya to be mindful of the occasion.

After all, Xu Lin's status is different now than before. He is a factory-level cadre and a figurehead in the Ministry of Industry, so his rank is almost the same as hers.

Upon hearing this, Xu Lin deliberately puffed out his chest, slightly raised his chin, and glanced sideways at Tan Liya.

His smug look was exactly like that of a child who, having gained the support of an adult, was eager to show off to his friends.

Tan Liya saw this and found it both amusing and somewhat helpless. She could only purse her lips, remain silent, and obediently pour water for the two of them.

Director Wang only touched on the topic briefly, adjusting her glasses and steer the conversation back on track.

"Alright, enough of the small talk."

Her gaze fell on Xu Lin, with a hint of inquiry.

"Director Xu doesn't come to our office without a reason. He must have some instructions for coming here today. Tell us."

Director Wang's tone was crisp and to the point.

Xu Lin didn't hesitate either. He picked up the water glass but didn't drink it. Instead, he gently rubbed his fingers on the enamel glass.

He leaned forward slightly, looked into Director Wang's eyes, and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"The steel rolling mill can now provide 24-hour heating in winter to residents within a 10-kilometer radius."

He paused, then added a sentence.

"So, are you interested?"

The office fell silent instantly.

The smile on Director Wang's face froze.

She had just been worrying about the winter coal storage quotas for the elderly living alone and impoverished households in the neighborhood, and even considered whether she should shamelessly ask the steel mill for help.

As a result, Xu Lin's opening remarks were filled with such earth-shattering news.

24-hour heating?

Within a 10-kilometer radius?

What does this mean? In the entire city of Beijing, how many households would dare to even dream of such a thing?

Within a 10-kilometer radius, excluding government compounds, there are still tens of thousands of households and tens of thousands of people.

Her first reaction was that Xu Lin was joking.

But when she met Xu Lin's gaze, that thought was instantly dispelled.

There wasn't a trace of a joke in those eyes.

It was a pure, unquestionable seriousness, and an absolute confidence that was well-prepared.

Director Wang swallowed back all the words he had prepared about the difficulties in supplying coal for winter and the challenges posed by the large number of personnel.

She sat up straight, her expression more serious than ever before.

She stared at Xu Lin seriously, uttering two words with a tone of doubt and expectation.

"really?"

Xu Lin smiled.

Instead of answering directly, he turned his gaze to Tan Liya, who looked bewildered, and pointed at her.

"I'll stake Sister Tan on this as a guarantee."

Ms. Tan: "..."

Director Wang: "..."