Siheyuan: I will never tolerate gambling and drugs!

Late at night.

The moonlight outside the window was blocked by the heavy curtains, with only a sliver of cool, silvery light seeping in through the gaps.

Inside the bedroom, the orange bedside lamp was still on, enveloping the room in a warm and ambiguous halo.

Xu Lin lay on the bed, his breathing steady and long, seemingly fast asleep. However, beneath his tightly closed eyelids, his eyeballs were moving rapidly. His consciousness was immersed in that vast and boundless system space, frantically absorbing and digesting all the knowledge about more than 100 kinds of industrial-grade power tools.

This is no longer a simple memory, but an almost instinctive imprint.

The torque of every screw, the winding method of every copper wire, the meshing angle of every gear... all the data are transformed into the purest flow of information, surging and reorganizing in his mind, ultimately constructing a vast and precise blueprint for an industrial empire.

While Xu Lin was engaged in this epic "brainstorming" session, Qin Huairu beside him tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

She lay on her side, her large, almond-shaped eyes fixed on Xu Lin's angular profile in the dim light.

During the day, Xu Lin's precise analysis of the interpersonal relationships in the courtyard, especially his meticulous peeling back of Yi Zhonghai's cunning schemes, filled her with both curiosity and admiration. At night, the seemingly inexhaustible stamina her husband displayed in bed gave her a profound sense of security and... a touch of heartache.

He must be very tired.

During the day, they have to engage in cutthroat competition with so many shrewd people in the factory, and when they come back at night, they still have to... and work so hard to "train new recruits".

Thinking of this, Qin Huairu's cheeks couldn't help but feel slightly hot. She carefully stretched out her fair arm and gently placed it on Xu Lin's waist, pressing her face against his broad, warm back.

Ok?

Suddenly, Qin Huairu's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

She sensed that although Xu Lin's body was completely still, his muscles were in a very peculiar, high-frequency, weak tremor. The feeling was like a piece of metal being connected to a weak electric current, buzzing and filled with a kind of tension that was about to be released.

"Brother Xu, you...you're still not asleep?" she asked softly, her voice slightly nasal.

Xu Lin was engrossed in looking at the blueprints when she interrupted him, instantly pulling his consciousness away from the system space. He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze still carrying a hint of cold, futuristic technology, but it was quickly replaced by tenderness.

"Hmm, not yet." He turned over, pulling Qin Huairu into his arms, his chin gently rubbing against the top of her soft hair. "What's wrong? Did I wake you?"

"No." Qin Huairu shook her head, snuggling against him like a docile kitten, finding a more comfortable position. "I just feel... you seem very tired."

She paused, her voice lowering further, tinged with shyness and worry: "You...you don't need to push yourself so hard in the future. We're still young, as for having children...we should just let nature take its course. If you keep pushing yourself like this...I'm afraid you'll ruin your health."

Upon hearing this, Xu Lin was first taken aback, then didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Good heavens, he's been working tirelessly here for the industrialization of his country, researching groundbreaking production tools, but in his own wife's eyes, he's become a "reckless man" who indulges in excessive sexual activity in his quest for a child.

This misunderstanding is just... so damn cute!

He suppressed a laugh and deliberately spoke in a hoarse, somewhat weary tone, "What can I do? My good wife is just too charming. I... can't control myself."

Qin Huairu's face flushed bright red, like a ripe apple. She raised her small fist and lightly punched Xu Lin's chest, scolding, "You're always bullying me! I'm talking to you about serious matters!"

"I'm talking about serious business," Xu Lin said, spouting nonsense with a straight face. "Tilling land is all about the right time, the right place, and the right people. The land needs to be good, the ox needs to be strong, and the plow... well, the tool, needs to be good too!"

As he spoke, he was still thinking about the structural diagrams of the chainsaw and electric hammer, and his words unconsciously took on a professional tone.

"You see, if you want high efficiency, strength alone isn't enough. The design of this tool has to be ingenious. You have to consider its durability, explosive power, and... well, the feel when operating it." Xu Lin spoke more and more fluently. "Sometimes, a slight difference in angle can drastically change the result. You have to use skill, understand its structure, and know when to 'variable frequency' and when to 'continuous output'..."

Qin Huairu was completely confused, and the blush on her pretty face deepened.

What about endurance... explosive power... and even penetration... frequency conversion...?

Good heavens!

How could my own man talk about...that kind of thing like it's a serious matter? He goes on and on, it makes my face flush and my heart race.

She was so embarrassed that she buried her head in Xu Lin's chest, her voice barely audible: "You...you shouldn't say anymore...it's so embarrassing..."

Xu Lin then realized what inappropriate things he had said, and looking at Qin Huairu in his arms, who was almost "ripe," he was overjoyed.

He cleared his throat, deciding to carry this beautiful misunderstanding through to the end.

"Huai Ru, you're right." He sighed deeply, his tone heavy. "I've been using this 'tool' too frequently lately. I need to figure out how to maintain and care for it."

"Maintenance...care?" Qin Huairu lifted her confused little face from his arms. Hadn't she already had maintenance done? She clearly hadn't caught on to his train of thought.

"Right!" Xu Lin snapped his fingers, his eyes shining brightly. "I suddenly have a new technique—no, I mean knowledge! Something that can be maintained, um…more powerful, more efficient, and longer-lasting! By then, let alone one child, we could form a whole football team!"

After saying that, he suddenly jumped out of bed and sat on the windowsill.

Qin Huairu was startled by his sudden action. She stared blankly as he, shirtless and revealing his muscular physique, extended his hand towards her with a meaningful smile on his face…

The next morning, Xu Lin, radiant with new theories and techniques—no, new knowledge—that he had put into practice all night, appeared at the steel rolling mill.

Qin Huairu was in a terrible state; her consciousness began to wane in the latter half of the night. Xu Lin, on the other hand, after a whole night of practice, felt not at all tired; instead, his mind was clearer and more active than ever before. The blueprints for the 100 sets of tools were deeply imprinted in his mind, ready to be retrieved at any time.

Now, everything is ready, except for a "tool" to turn these god-like blueprints into reality.

Xu Lin's goal was clear—to become an engineer in the machine repair workshop, Wu Jianchuan.

After spending some time with this person, Xu Lin, who is around forty years old, has solid technical skills and is relatively honest.

Most importantly, he was a pure tech geek who had no interest in the power struggles in the factory and focused all his attention on those cold steel parts.

This type of person is best suited for tackling technical challenges.

Xu Lin did not go directly to the workshop, but went to his office first.

He pulled a large stack of slightly yellowed old German drawings from his office. This was a smokescreen he had prepared long ago; he couldn't just conjure up drawings out of thin air. Saying that he found inspiration in an "old foreign technical manual" was undoubtedly the most reasonable explanation.

In the machine repair shop, the strong smell of machine oil seemed to have permeated every inch of the air for years, mixed with the unique burnt smell of metal after cutting, and fiercely entered people's nostrils.

"Clang, clang..."

The heavy hammer blow struck the anvil, sending sparks flying.

"Sizzle—"

The piercing sound of the grinding wheel seemed to rupture one's eardrums.

The welding torch emitted dazzling blue-white arcs of light, illuminating the entire workshop in a flickering light.

Countless rough and wild sounds intertwine and collide here, forming a war symphony unique to this industrial age, full of primitive and savage power.

As Xu Lin stepped into this territory of steel and fire, Wu Jianchuan was carefully inspecting the entire assembly line.

He wore a pair of greasy, black-rimmed glasses, the lenses speckled with oil, but this did nothing to obscure the intensely focused eyes behind them. A nearly burnt-out cigarette butt dangled from his mouth.

"Mr. Wu, are you busy?"

Xu Lin's smiling voice wasn't loud, but it clearly pierced through the noise.

His leather shoes made a soft "rustling" sound as they stepped on the ground covered with iron filings.

Wu Jianchuan's body jolted violently, his deep-seated focus instantly shattered.

He looked up at the sound, and when he saw that it was Xu Lin, a hint of panic flashed in his eyes.

Almost instinctively, he put down the calipers and vigorously and repeatedly rubbed his hands on his greasy work clothes, which were so oily they could be wrung out, as if trying to wipe away the grease that had been impossible to wash off for years.

"Deputy Factory Director Xu...you've arrived?"

His movements revealed the awkwardness and unease typical of a technical person, clearly indicating that he was extremely unaccustomed to dealing with his superior's superior.

"Hmm, I came to take a look, and I also have a new task for you."

Xu Lin didn't offer any further pleasantries.

He walked closer and placed the large stack of yellowed German drawings that he had been carrying all the way on the workbench next to him.

A muffled thud stood out starkly against the backdrop of this symphony of steel.

Immediately afterwards, Xu Lin gently hooked his finger at the bottom of the stack of drawings, and as if by magic, pulled out several neatly folded sheets of paper that had been pressed at the bottom.

These sketches were deliberately drawn rather hastily, with lines drawn without the aid of any rulers or compasses, appearing casual and unrestrained.

However, every key structure and every set of core data is clearly marked on it with an unquestionable and resolute precision.

What he drew was a chainsaw, which would become commonplace in later generations but was considered cutting-edge technology in this era.

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

With a gentle push of his finger, Xu Lin sent the blueprints that would determine the future sliding down to Wu Jianchuan's front.

Wu Jianchuan adjusted his greasy glasses, which had slipped down to the tip of his nose, and took them with a belly full of doubt.

The moment he picked up the paper, his brow furrowed involuntarily.

I only glanced at it.

The doubt in his eyes instantly froze, turning into an unfathomable solemnity.

Take a second look.

His breathing suddenly became erratic, short and rapid, and his chest began to heave violently, like a bellows.

As his trembling fingers finished reading the last drawing, he stood frozen in place, turning into a weathered stone statue.

The cigarette butt, which was dangling from his mouth and almost burning his lips, fell to the ground with a "thud," scattering tiny specks of ash.

He was completely unaware.

"This...this...Deputy Factory Director Xu, what is this?"

Wu Jianchuan's voice trembled, like two rusty iron pieces rubbing against each other.

His brain was working at an unprecedented speed, every brain cell screaming, trying to deconstruct the "iron lump" on the blueprint, whose structure was so exquisite it was almost eerie.

A device that can be held by a single person.

Through an internal piston and gear transmission structure unlike anything he had ever heard of, coupled with a gasoline engine he had never seen before, labeled on the drawings as "two-stroke, single-cylinder, forced air-cooled," the reciprocating linear motion was transformed into high-speed rotational motion.

How could such a small thing unleash such terrifying power?

And this chain!

A closed chain design consisting of alternating drive links, cutting links, and connecting links...

crazy!

That's absolutely out of the ordinary!

A chill mixed with immense excitement shot from his tailbone straight to the top of his head.

if!

If this thing could actually be manufactured, how ridiculously efficient would the work of felling trees and cutting branches on construction sites be?

Dozens of strong laborers, wielding axes and saws, working hard all day, probably couldn't match the output of this thing in just one hour!

"I call it a 'chainsaw'."

Xu Lin’s voice rang out calmly, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

He extended his finger and lightly tapped the core component of the two-stroke engine on the blueprint.

"The inspiration mainly came from here." He pointed to the stack of German documents next to him. "I saw it in some old German materials, and I found it very interesting, so I spent some time figuring it out and drew it myself. Mr. Wu, you're an expert, could you take a look and see if this is theoretically feasible?"

Wu Jianchuan stared intently at the blueprints, his eyes bloodshot.

His fingers trembled incessantly at the edge of the drawings; those few thin sheets of paper felt incredibly heavy in his hands, almost burning hot.

"Theoretically speaking...theoretically speaking..."

He muttered to himself hoarsely, his Adam's apple bobbing violently.

next second.

An uncontrollable, immense fervor erupted from the deepest recesses of his heart like a volcanic eruption, instantly sweeping away all his reason!

"This is more than just a possibility!"

A surge of scalding heat rushed to Wu Jianchuan's head, and his face, which was stained with oil for many years, instantly turned bright red, with the veins on his neck bulging!

"Deputy Factory Director Xu, you...you're a genius! This transmission structure, this piston design...my God, it's ingenious! It's simply a work of art! An industrial masterpiece! The person who invented this is absolutely a genius!"

Xu Lin chuckled inwardly, thinking that anything produced by the system was bound to be top-notch! But he maintained a humble expression on his face.

"After discovering it by chance, I've been pondering it for a few days. Engineer Wu, do you think our factory's equipment and fitters can make the parts for this thing?"

"Yes! Absolutely!"

Wu Jianchuan roared out the words with all his might, pounding his oil-stained chest with a muffled "thump" as a solemn promise.

But as soon as he said it, his fervor quickly cooled down, and he hesitated.

"Most of the parts are fine, including some of the plastic materials in the blueprints, which can be supplied from the chemical plant. It's just this... the engine. The speed and power required in the blueprints are difficult for our existing machine tools to achieve with sufficient precision. We need to redesign and improve the machine tools..."

"You don't need to worry about that."

Xu Lin was confident and pulled out a few more drawings from under the stack of German documents.

"I've also been working on the design drawings for the improved machine tool; take a look."

Wu Jianchuan took the blueprints for the machine tool upgrade.

If the chainsaw blueprints he had just seen shocked him, then these machine tool improvement blueprints instilled a deep-seated fear in him.

His body stiffened.

Every piece of data and every set of precision on the drawings was so accurate that it was beyond his comprehension.

This doesn't look like something that was "thought out" at all.

This is clearly the unique and absolutely optimal solution, derived from countless experiments and calculations!

He suddenly raised his head, and the look in his eyes as he looked at Xu Lin completely changed.

It's no longer about looking at a young and promising leader.

That was looking at an unfathomable, incomprehensible being.

Who exactly is this young man?

These blueprints are burning hot!

This is no longer a simple technological innovation.

This is the Industrial Revolution!

"Xu...Deputy Factory Director Xu..."

Wu Jianchuan's voice was extremely dry, and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

"If this thing can really be manufactured, it will be a significant leap forward in our existing industrial capabilities! Are you... are you sure you want to develop it in our factory?"

"Otherwise what?"

Xu Lin countered with a sharp look in his eyes.

"A new broom sweeps clean, and this bathhouse project is my third big undertaking. I don't want it to burn out in a smoldering mess. Engineer Wu, I need your help."

As he spoke, Xu Lin looked directly into Wu Jianchuan's eyes, his tone becoming serious, each word like a heavy hammer striking Wu Jianchuan's heart.

"I expect you to keep this absolutely confidential. I will apply to Factory Director Li to establish an independent technical task force, with you leading it. Just tell me what personnel and equipment you need, and I'll coordinate. There's only one requirement: according to the blueprints, build this thing for me within two days as quickly as possible!"

Wu Jianchuan looked into Xu Lin's unquestionable gaze and felt the heavy weight of the blueprints in his hand.

He knew that his peaceful technical career was coming to a complete end from this day forward.

He knew all too well that he was not worthy of the opportunity to participate in such a technological torrent that was destined to be recorded in history, even though the two days were very stressful.

But he swallowed hard, his heart pounding wildly in his chest, and his blood burning.

After a moment, he nodded heavily.

"Okay! I'll do it!"

.......

Meanwhile, at the bathhouse construction site.

The autumn sun hangs overhead, not intense, but it still makes one's back feel hot.

The air was filled with the distinctive pungent smell of freshly turned soil, mixed with the sweat rising from the workers' bodies.

Yi Zhonghai stood with his hands behind his back, wearing a pair of brand-new cloth shoes with clean soles, which seemed out of place in this bumpy construction site.

He walked slowly, each step steady and measured, his chin slightly raised, his gaze sweeping over one hardworking worker after another.

That look wasn't that of a foreman scrutinizing his work; it was more like that of a landlord inspecting his fields, where a bountiful harvest was in sight.

In just one morning.

The entire construction site has been completely transformed.

When Liu Haizhong was there, this place was a complete mess. Dozens of people were disorganized, doing things haphazardly, not putting in any real effort, just loafing around, chatting and gossiping everywhere.

Now, everything is in good order.

The excavators formed their own team, shovels flying as they precisely tossed soil into wheelbarrows.

The stone carriers lined up in a row, pushing creaky wheelbarrows, their steps heavy yet rhythmic.

Those responsible for leveling the ground stretched out straight baselines and used rammed earth pestles to compact the ground, producing a dull and rhythmic "thump, thump" sound.

The people are still the same people, and the tools are still the same tools.

Efficiency has more than doubled.

That's the method, that's the mindset.

Yi Zhonghai's lips curled into an almost imperceptible smile.

Jia Dongxu, Sha Zhu, Xu Damao.

These three were assigned to the same spot to do the easiest job in the entire operation—transporting timber.

This job doesn't require much effort; you can sit for a while and then rest.

Needless to say, Jia Dongxu continued to slack off as usual. Sha Zhu, this brute with all his strength, was as docile as a new bride at this moment, his movements as he carried things were awkwardly obedient.

Xu Damao, that slippery fellow, also showered Sha Zhu, who had contributed the most effort, with compliments.

He walked over to the three of them and stopped.

"How was it? Was the job alright?" Yi Zhonghai's tone was flat, revealing no emotion.

"Okay, okay! Sir, the job you arranged is definitely top-notch!" Jia Dongxu raised his head first, his face full of a fawning smile, and even the beads of sweat on his forehead looked just right.

Sha Zhu and Xu Damao, heads bowed, also responded in muffled voices.

"Hey, it's only the old man who knows a lot. What is Liu Haizhong anyway?"

Yi Zhonghai uttered a single syllable through his nose, glanced at the three men, and then turned and walked away.

He doesn't need them to be grateful; he just needs them to obey.

This is enough.

The pride in my heart, like fermenting dough, swelled up little by little, almost overflowing from my chest.

He looked up and gazed in the direction of the steel rolling mill workshop in the distance.

That's the workshop where Liu Haizhong works.

In Yi Zhonghai's mind, the image of Liu Haizhong's face, which had been beaten into a pig's head, and his eyes, filled with resentment, unwillingness, and humiliation, clearly appeared.

idiot.

A complete idiot.

Do you really think that Deputy Factory Director Xu appointing you as a temporary director means he values ​​you?

Do you really think that just because you got a chicken feather, you can use it as a weapon?

Yi Zhonghai's thoughts drifted back to yesterday.

When he saw the smug, arrogant face in Liu Haizhong's eyes, he had already started plotting something.

He observed silently how Liu Haizhong rudely issued orders, how he cursed at the workers over trivial matters, and how he offended troublemakers like Jia Dongxu, Sha Zhu, and Xu Damao.

He even mentally applauded Liu Haizhong.

Nice job.

The more foolish and arrogant you are, the more you make me, Yi Zhonghai, appear superior.

Then came the spectacular "Three Heroes Battle in the Sea".

He not only picked the fruit without getting hurt, but also made Sha Zhu and the others owe him a huge favor.

As for the bangs?

That good-for-nothing is probably still in the factory, his face a riot of colors, ragering helplessly at the cold machines.

He probably never understood how he fell from grace.

Trying to outmaneuver me? You're still too green!

Yi Zhonghai sneered inwardly, a thrill of control, like warm wine, slowly spreading through his body, as he manipulated everyone with ease...