Siheyuan: I will never tolerate gambling and drugs!

Early morning steel rolling mill

The next day, the sky above the steel mill was pressed down very low by a thick layer of lead-gray clouds, which mixed with the thick smoke that the factory chimneys tirelessly spewed out, forming an impenetrable gloom.

An emergency meeting of factory leaders, personally chaired by Yang Anguo, was held in a deliberately created somber atmosphere.

In the old conference room, even the sound of enamel teacups clinking against the table seemed particularly jarring. Smoke swirled and curled in the dim light, making one's throat tighten. Every attendee's face was solemn, and the air was so oppressive it almost felt solid.

Xu Lin sat in the second-in-command position near the front, yet he seemed like an outsider ready to leave at any moment.

He remained calm, his back ramrod straight, his gaze fixed on the mottled wall in front of him, seemingly oblivious to the undercurrents swirling within the room.

But if someone could peer into his heart, they would find it to be a cold, silent void.

Last night, he and Guo Liwei practically stayed up all night in the steelmaking workshop, using his improved process and formula to restart the furnace for smelting.

The results won't be available until this afternoon at the earliest.

Yang Anguo deliberately chose this inconvenient time to hold the meeting, and his intentions are self-evident.

"Ahem!"

At the head of the table, Yang Anguo cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention to himself. His usually kind and honest square face was now taut, his eyes filled with heartache and indignation.

"Comrades, I've called you all here today on an urgent matter to report a very, very serious problem!"

His voice echoed through the smoke, carrying a deliberately amplified sense of heaviness.

"A batch of military-grade special steel produced by our factory yesterday afternoon has been scrapped!"

boom!

Although many people had expected it, when the word "scrapped" came out of the factory manager's mouth, a suppressed gasp still filled the conference room.

"This has not only caused enormous economic losses, but more importantly, it could affect our defense missions! This is an extremely serious production accident!"

Yang Anguo's gaze swept heavily across the room, carrying a scrutinizing and unquestionable pressure. Finally, his gaze landed precisely on Xu Lin.

Before anyone else could react, the workshop director, who usually followed Yang Anguo's lead, slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly.

His thick fingers pointed directly at Xu Lin across half the conference room.

"Factory Director, I think this matter must be thoroughly investigated! Ever since Deputy Factory Director Xu carried out that heating system renovation on the blast furnace, the veteran workers on our production line have been talking about it non-stop!"

"Perfect production equipment, a vital national asset, and they had to add all sorts of random pipes! This will definitely affect the stability and airtightness of the blast furnace! I think this accident is most likely due to this!"

These words ignited the fuse that had already been laid.

Immediately, someone echoed loudly, "That's right! Director Wang is right! I've always felt that heating system renovation was unreliable! To carry out his vanity project and give the workers a few small favors, he's jeopardizing military production. Who will take responsibility for this?"

"Technological innovation is a good thing, but we can't be so reckless! Deputy Factory Director Xu is still too young; he doesn't consider things thoroughly and lacks the respect we older generation have!"

In an instant, the conference room was filled with a cacophony of voices, a web of words that seemed to descend upon Xu Lin.

These people were all trusted confidants whom Yang Anguo had informed in advance. Their words were carefully crafted, sounding reasonable and every word aimed at the heating system renovation and Xu Lin.

Li Huaide sat opposite Xu Lin, his brows furrowed, a perfectly measured look of worry on his face.

He even stood up and spoke out for Xu Lin.

"Hey, everyone, don't say that." He waved his hand, his voice sincere. "Deputy Factory Director Xu's original intention was good; he wanted to improve the lives of us frontline workers, which is obvious to everyone. Maybe...maybe there are just some technical immature aspects. Everything has to be done step by step. It's understandable to make some mistakes in the early stages of exploration."

These words sounded weak and feeble, as if they were an attempt to exonerate Xu Lin.

In reality, however, it used a "mild" tone to directly "confirm" the core "crime" of "immature technology" in heating system renovation.

Guo Liwei, sitting next to Xu Lin, had a flushed face and his chest heaving violently.

Several times he wanted to stand up abruptly, slam the meticulously calculated data on the table, and tell this group of people that the heating system renovation would absolutely not affect the boiler structure.

But his wrist was gently pressed down under the table by a steady and strong hand.

Guo Liwei turned his head and saw Xu Lin shake his head almost imperceptibly at him.

That look in his eyes was so calm that it didn't show a single ripple.

Guo Liwei understood instantly. At this moment, any explanation would be futile. Before the new steelmaking results were released, saying anything more would only be a pointless struggle and would only put them in the opponent's rhythm.

Xu Lin just sat there quietly.

There was no anger, no anxiety.

His gaze swept past the jostling faces and Li Huaide's hypocritical smile, coldly fixed on Yang Anguo, who was directing this grand drama in the main seat.

That look in his eyes was devoid of warmth, as if he were watching a clumsy play whose ending he already knew.

In Yang Anguo's view, his silence was an acquiescence to his inability to resist, and irrefutable proof of his guilt and incompetence.

The atmosphere is almost set.

"Bang!"

Yang Anguo slammed his hand on the table, making a final decision.

"That's enough!"

His shout silenced the entire room instantly.

"Comrades, when problems arise, we cannot blame each other; we must be brave enough to take responsibility and learn from our mistakes!"

Yang Anguo stood up, adopting an air of impartiality and sternness.

"Comrade Xu Lin is young and promising, and he dares to think and act—these are his strengths. However!" He abruptly changed his tone, his voice suddenly becoming stern, "His overconfidence, even bordering on recklessness, on technical issues ultimately led to this serious production accident! This lesson is profoundly painful!"

"To prevent similar mistakes from happening again, and to serve as a warning to all comrades, I propose that, effective today, Comrade Xu Lin be temporarily relieved of all management positions related to production!"

Yang Anguo paused, his gaze sweeping across the entire room, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying a ruthless intent.

"From now on, Deputy Factory Director Xu will be fully responsible for the factory's medical and sanitation work."

"As for the work on technological reform and innovation that he was previously in charge of, Comrade Li Huaide will temporarily take over."

"As for the work of receiving foreign guests, our factory does not have any foreign guests to handle for the time being, so we will put it on hold for now. Once Deputy Director Xu has properly arranged the medical and sanitation work, we will give him more responsibilities."

Finally, Yang Anguo turned his gaze to Xu Lin, forcing a look of regret and heartache onto his face, but the smugness deep in his eyes could not be hidden.

"Deputy Factory Director Xu, what do you think...?"

These words caused an uproar in the room.

Everyone understands that this is no longer a simple criticism; it is a naked and devastating crackdown!

A deputy factory director who was in charge of the factory’s technological innovation and held the power of production was stripped of his power and left with only the authority to manage the clinic and clean toilets. What’s the difference between this and simply putting him back to his original position and making him a factory doctor?

This is an absolute disgrace!

An uncontrollable surge of ecstasy instantly overwhelmed Li Huaide's facade, but he reacted swiftly, immediately lowering his head and vigorously rubbing his face with his hands, feigning a heavy and troubled expression, while his shoulders trembled slightly.

"Factory manager! This isn't fair!"

Guo Liwei could no longer hold back and suddenly stood up, his eyes bloodshot.

"The cause of the accident has not yet been definitively determined, so we cannot..."

"sit down!"

Yang Anguo shouted sternly, his voice and expression both fierce.

"Comrade Guo Liwei, watch your attitude! This is an organizational decision! It's a democratically reached opinion after thorough discussion! What, you have a problem with it? Do you want our steel rolling mill to become someone's 'one-man show'?"

A huge hat was slapped down on Guo Liwei, leaving him choked and his face turning red, unable to utter a single word.

Just then, Xu Lin also made a move.

He slowly stood up, his movements unhurried. First, he reached out and straightened the wrinkles in his collar, then he raised his hand and gently patted Guo Liwei's stiff shoulder.

He didn't look at those gloating, sympathetic, or fearful faces; he simply looked calmly at Yang Anguo.

"Director Yang, I will obey the organization's arrangements."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear, each word reaching everyone's ears.

There was not a trace of resentment, not a trace of anger; it was eerily calm.

"However, there's still a batch of special steel being smelted, and I need to personally oversee that batch. We have to find out the cause of the problem so everyone can feel at ease."

"I'll be going now, you guys continue."

After speaking, he pulled out the chair behind him and, amidst the extremely complex gazes of everyone present, turned around and walked out of the conference room.

Watching his tall and solitary figure disappear through the doorway, Yang Anguo felt no sense of victory, but rather a strange sense of unease and restlessness.

He always felt that things weren't that simple to end.

As Xu Lin stepped out of the conference room, he was greeted by the cold draft of the corridor, which rustled his clothes.

The outline of his lips silently traced a cold curve.

Well done, Yang Anguo! I really underestimated your courage.

Deprivation of power?

Just right.

What he needs most right now is this kind of blatant targeting, this kind of drastic suppression.

Director Wang is expected to arrive soon with the city's approval documents and special funds. The batch of special steel he personally oversaw, crucial to the success of the entire project, is also about to be produced.

I was still thinking about how to deal with you, the factory manager, after things escalated.

That's good now.

When the time comes, you can just hand over the work to me directly.

Thinking about this, Xu Lin found things getting more and more interesting, so his steps became lighter as he headed straight for the steelmaking workshop. Now he needed to ensure that this batch of special steel would not have any more problems.

......

The air in the workshop was scorching hot, and the huge fans roared, but they couldn't dispel the unique smell of coke, rust, and human sweat.

In the final countdown, time stretched on endlessly.

Finally, just before the end of the workday, a new batch of special steel, under everyone's watchful eyes, completed the entire testing process once again.

The air was filled with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation.

Guo Liwei's forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, which slid down his deeply lined cheeks and dripped into the collar of his work clothes. His eyes were fixed on the thin report in the inspector's hand, so nervous that he forgot to breathe.

My heart was pounding wildly in my chest.

The inspector's hands were shaking.

The color was slowly returning to his young face, and he opened and closed his lips several times before managing to squeeze out a few words.

"Chief Engineer Guo..."

His voice was soft, trembling with the shock of surviving a disaster.

"You passed."

"All indicators have met the standards, and... even better than our previous data and quality."

The sound, which should have been easily swallowed up in the deafening factory, was like a thunderclap piercing the sky, exploding in everyone's eardrums.

A moment of deathly silence.

one second.

two seconds.

The next moment, an uncontrollable roar and cheers erupted from the surrounding area. The workers banged their wrenches and pliers together with deafening force, and some even threw their hard hats into the air.

Guo Liwei felt as if all his bones had been pulled out in an instant; his legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground.

He knew all too well what this meant.

It wasn't just about saving this one batch of steel; it was about saving the lifeline of the entire steel rolling mill for the next few years.

He leaned against the control panel beside him, panting heavily, his gaze sweeping over the cheering crowd and landing on the figure standing not far away.

Xu Lin.

The young man showed no trace of arrogance or pride on his face.

He simply let out a long sigh of relief, a genuine sense of liberation as if a heavy burden had been lifted. In his eyes, there was the purest satisfaction and joy for this batch of fine steel.

Upon seeing that smile, Guo Liwei's heart clenched.

A bittersweet feeling, a mixture of admiration and resentment, choked him.

He is not a fool.

Having worked in the factory for decades, he knows all the ins and outs.

This accident had an eerie quality from beginning to end. It didn't happen earlier or later, but it just happened when Xu Lin was at the height of his heating renovation project.

Now, miraculously, it's healed again.

This is no miracle at all; it's as if the words "man-made disaster" have been branded onto the faces of everyone in the know with molten steel.

Xu Lin has offended Factory Director Yang and has been thoroughly humiliated.

But what could he say?

Guo Liwei, a chief engineer who only knew technology, was a nobody with little influence. What did he have to offer to challenge the factory leaders? His blueprints filled with formulas?

Looking at Xu Lin's clean smile because the furnace of steel hadn't run into any problems, he felt a tightness in his chest.

What a wonderful young man.

They are capable, enterprising, and have ideas that their generation wouldn't even dare to dream of.

During this period, whether it was boiler renovation or the production and installation of new spare parts, Xu Lin was always the first to roll up his sleeves and rush to the front.

The blueprints were too complicated for the experienced craftsmen to understand, so he stayed up several nights in a row to personally create an identical sample using a scrap metal cart, breaking it down and explaining it in detail.

The results of it?

The result was that he was stabbed in the back in the blink of an eye.

Guo Liwei's lips moved, the phrase "The factory is sorry" rolled around on his tongue, but he found that he couldn't utter a single word.

In places like this, fair words are the most useless thing.

Xu Lin had already walked over, placed his hand on his shoulder, and patted him gently. His expression was calm as still water, without a single complaint or utterance of grievance.

"Old Guo, something's not right."

His voice, though not loud, drowned out the surrounding cheers and clearly penetrated Guo Liwei's ears, carrying an undeniable power.

"From now on, any critical process involving special steel must be carried out by two people."

"One person will operate the equipment, and the other will stand by to record and supervise. The wrench and pen must be separated from me. If there's a problem, we'll both be held responsible."

Guo Liwei's heart skipped a beat. He looked up and met Xu Lin's gaze.

This kid...

Far from being defeated by this unexpected blow, he devised a way to plug the loophole the moment he escaped danger.

That mind, that courage...

He nodded heavily, his voice hoarse.

"Okay, I'll arrange it right away."

After giving his instructions, Xu Lin didn't say anything more. He turned around, walked out of the sweltering workshop, and returned to his office.

While Xu Lin was waiting for the final test results in the workshop, a crowd of people had already gathered in front of the notice board in the center of the factory area.

Three layers inside and three layers outside, a dark mass.

A notice stamped with a bright red seal was posted in the most conspicuous center position.

The characters were large, written with a brush by the factory's propaganda department. The strokes were powerful, but the content sent a chill down the spine of every literate person.

"...After deliberation by the factory committee, it has been decided to suspend Comrade Xu Lin's work related to technological innovation and foreign affairs, while retaining him as deputy factory director to be responsible for factory medical and health work..."

"...Comrade Li Huaide has outstanding work ability and works diligently without complaint. The factory committee has decided that, effective immediately, Deputy Factory Director Li Huaide will take over the technical innovation work from Deputy Factory Director Xu Lin..."

Someone in the crowd read it aloud, word by word.

"...Regarding this production accident, Comrade Xu Lin, as the main person in charge, exhibited reckless thinking and a tendency towards individual heroism. He is hereby given a factory-wide reprimand, and all employees are urged to take this as a warning..."

The voice stopped abruptly at this point.

A moment later, a buzzing sound erupted in the crowd, like a swarm of wasps exploding. Some sighed in regret, some gloated, and most remained silent. It was clear to everyone that this was a case of discarding someone after they'd served their purpose.

In the courtyard house, news spread faster than the wind.

Liu Haizhong practically jogged back to the courtyard after get off work today. His perpetually slightly hunched back straightened ramrod, and he greeted every neighbor he encountered in a loud voice, as if afraid they wouldn't know he was back.

Seeing that there were quite a few people in the yard, gathered together picking vegetables and chatting, he deliberately walked to the center of the yard and cleared his throat.

"You've all heard about it, haven't you?"

"A notice issued by the factory!"

He had a large, protruding belly, and his voice was eight octaves louder than usual, spitting out saliva that flew quite a distance.

"I told you so! Young people, you can't be so arrogant! You can't let your tails sway in the air! You don't respect us old men in charge in the yard, and when you get to the factory, you don't put the leaders in your eyes either. What do you call that? That's called being reckless and willful!"

He looked around, basking in the gazes of everyone, and became increasingly smug.

"See? Now they've been punished, haven't they? That's what you call getting what you deserve! It's so satisfying!"

Jia Dongxu and Xu Damao followed behind him, one on each side, like two lapdogs who had gotten a bone, constantly chiming in.

"Second Uncle is right! I've disliked him for a long time! What's with all the swagger?"

"Exactly! That young punk, always so arrogant, he's quieted down now! Let's see how he dares to be so cocky now!"

Yi Zhonghai strolled slowly out of his house, his hands behind his back.

He wore his usual hypocritical, compassionate smile, but uttered sarcastic remarks.

"Hey, you can't say that. Comrade Xu Lin is still young, it's inevitable that he'll make some mistakes. We should still try to help and educate him with the attitude of treating the illness and saving the patient."

Sha Zhu squatted under the eaves not far away, puffing on his cigarette, a look of smugness in his eyes, muttering incoherently.

"Serves him right! Let him keep showing off!"

"Let's see if Sister Qin is still willing to stay with him now!"

The entire courtyard seemed to be holding a silent celebration for Xu Lin's "misfortune." They forgot that even in his worst state, Xu Lin was still the deputy factory director...

Of course, some people are worried about him.

Liu Lan overheard the news in the cafeteria and was so anxious she nearly jumped out of her skin. She made a huge fuss about her work, almost sprinkling salt into the food instead of sugar. Using a stomachache as an excuse, she slipped out the back door of the cafeteria without even saying goodbye and headed straight for Xu Lin's office.

Upon hearing this in the infirmary, Ding Qiunan's eyes immediately welled up with tears. She slammed the infirmary door shut from the inside, and without caring whether there were any patients outside, she rushed into Xu Lin's office next door.

The two arrived almost simultaneously.

When I opened the door, Xu Lin was calmly packing his things.

"Brother Xu..."

Ding Qiunan looked at him, her voice already trembling with sobs, tears welling up in her eyes.

"How could they do this..."

Liu Lan stood to the side, nervously twisting the hem of her clothes, at a loss for what to do. Her watery eyes were filled with worry and heartache that were about to overflow.

She wanted to comfort the man in the way she was best at.

But Ding Qiunan was standing right there with a huge light bulb, not leaving her side for a second, so Ding Qiunan didn't even have a chance to get close.

Looking at the two girls with tears streaming down their faces, Xu Lin felt a surge of warmth in his heart, but he smiled.

"It's no big deal."

"Why are you crying?"

He reached out, instinctively wanting to pat Ding Qiunan's head, but stopped abruptly halfway through, and instead gently patted her shoulder.

"But the position of deputy factory director is still valid."

"It was just a job transfer, back to my old profession, which is perfect. I was complaining about how much trouble I had before, and how I never had a moment of peace."

He then looked at Liu Lan, gave her a reassuring look, and teased the two of them in a relaxed tone.

"Alright, it's time to get off work, everyone go home."

I know what I'm doing.

"The sky won't fall down."

His tone was calm and gentle, carrying a strange, reassuring power. Ding Qiunan sniffed after hearing his words. Although she was still incredibly aggrieved, she was indeed less panicked.

Liu Lan bit her lower lip, nodded heavily, and walked away, pulled by Ding Qiunan, turning back to look at her every few steps.

Xu Lin watched them leave, the smile on his face slowly fading, finally turning into a deep calm.

He slowly and methodically rolled up the drawings on the table one by one and carefully placed them into the drawing tube.

Then I put those foreign language materials and books into my handbag.

His movements were unhurried and deliberate, without a trace of dejection or distress at being ambushed. On the contrary, he was glad that he had made adequate preparations, otherwise it would have been truly troublesome.

When Xu Lin arrived home, the night was as dark as ink, and the entire city of Beijing was bathed in darkness.

Pushing open the door, a rich aroma of meat mixed with the steam of the food forcefully dispelled the unpleasant feelings I had initially had.

Qin Huairu and Tan Liya were sitting at the table, their figures appearing exceptionally gentle in the lamplight.

On the table were three dishes and a soup: a plate of glistening, richly brown braised pork, a plate of fluffy, golden scrambled eggs, a dish of vibrant green stir-fried vegetables, and a bowl of steaming soup.

Every dish showed signs of having been touched, and Xu Lin realized that the two women must have already served Lou Xiao'e and He Yushui. They had obviously heard about the rumors circulating in the factory, but neither of them asked a question at the moment.

When Qin Huairu saw him enter, her eyes lit up instantly, a gentle smile spread across her face, and she immediately got up and walked over, naturally taking the military green satchel and the heavy blueprint tube from his hands.

Her movements were very light, as if the contents of the bowl were not blueprints, but the future of this family. Tan Liya then came out of the kitchen carrying a bowl piled high with steaming white rice. She placed the bowl steadily in Xu Lin's usual seat.

There wasn't a single "How are you?". Nor was there a "You've had a hard day." And not a "Don't be sad." There was only silent companionship and unspoken actions.

During the day, one does your laundry and cooks for you, while the other makes your bed and folds your blankets. At night, one takes care of the first half of the day, and the other takes care of the second half… In the simplest yet most touching way, they tell him that this home will always be his most solid harbor.

Xu Lin stood there, looking at the two women bustling around for him. One was gentle and graceful, the other mature and charming; at that moment, their eyes were only on him.

A warm current surged forth from the deepest recesses of my heart without warning, instantly washing away the fatigue and unhappiness that had accumulated at the factory and in the meetings. Yang Anguo and Li Huaide's scheming, those so-called positions and reputations, all became insignificant at this moment.

Wasn't everything he fought for just to protect this peace and warmth before him? Thinking of this, Xu Lin was truly hungry.

He strode over, sat down, picked up his chopsticks, and unceremoniously shoveled a large mouthful of rice into his mouth.

The sweet aroma and warmth of the rice slid down the esophagus into the stomach, soothing the internal organs.

"It smells so good."

He chewed and spoke indistinctly, deliberately breaking the tender silence with a relaxed tone.

"Sister Tan, you really need to talk to Huai Ru. I told her a long time ago to cook better food and not to be stingy with herself. But instead, she's always complaining about cornbread. If this keeps up, I'm starting to question the meaning of life." Xu Lin knew that the two women were definitely worried about him, and the more relaxed he seemed, the more at ease they felt.

Sure enough, upon hearing his joke, Qin Huairu and Tan Liya's tense nerves instantly relaxed.

Qin Huairu gave him a reproachful look, but her cheeks flushed slightly.

Tan Liya smiled and followed his lead, saying, "Don't wrong Huai Ru. She's been very generous lately. You have no idea how many people outside can't even afford a cornbread bun these days."

"Exactly," Qin Huairu immediately found an ally and started nagging, "We're already living a good life, we should be content. Look at the Yan family in the front yard, I heard they still divide their pickled vegetables by the stalk. If the three sons of the Yan family take an extra stalk, Yan Bugui will glare at them for ages."

Xu Lin listened to the two women's chatter, feeling a bit overwhelmed but also incredibly pleased. Their down-to-earth banter was more comforting than any words of solace.

The meal was finished in this warm and slightly playful atmosphere. Xu Lin put down his chopsticks and was about to give them a brief account of what had happened at the factory and the neighborhood office that day, so that they could be completely at ease.

He had just cleared his throat when someone knocked loudly on the courtyard gate.

The knocking was urgent and heavy, with an unyielding force that instantly shattered the warmth inside. Qin Huairu and Tan Liya's laughter and conversation abruptly stopped, and both frowned. Xu Lin's eyes narrowed, and he gestured for Tan Liya to stay still while Qin Huairu went to open the door.

Under the curious gazes of the two, Qin Huairu got up to open the door. The bolt was pulled open, and the person standing outside made the faces of the three people in the room darken.

It was Jia Dongxu. He was peering into the room with his eyes squinted.

When he discovered that the person who opened the door was none other than his slender and graceful wife, Qin Huairu, his eyes instantly gleamed with an undisguised greed. His gaze, like a sticky fly, brazenly roamed over Qin Huairu's exquisite curves, lingering particularly long on the parts of her body that were accentuated by her outer garment.

Qin Huairu's face instantly turned cold, and she subconsciously took half a step back, blocking his prying gaze. Only then did Jia Dongxu notice Xu Lin's gaze from inside the room, a cold, devoid of warmth that sent a chill down his spine. He then awkwardly withdrew his gaze, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"Xu Lin is here too, hehe..."

He paused for a moment, then shouted in a strange tone with a hint of schadenfreude.

"An old man asked me to inform you that there will be a hospital-wide meeting today!"