Courtyard House: From Deputy Division Commander to Civilian, Progressing All the Way

"They hold high positions, yet they are complacent and unambitious! Their minds are filled with the poison of capitalism; they form cliques, extort money, and demand bribes! They pocket the funds allocated by the state to improve our meals; they secretly sell the steel we painstakingly smelt on the black market for gold bars!"

"They are parasites sucking the blood of our working class! They are the biggest cancer in our steel mill!"

Lin Yang's words were like daggers, each one piercing the heart, mercilessly cutting open the deepest festering sores within the steel mill.

The workers below the stage were furious, their eyes blazing with anger. They had suffered enough from the bureaucrats' idle chatter, the food in the canteen was getting worse and worse, and the protective equipment in the workshops was not being distributed. Everyone was resentful, but no one dared to speak out.

Now, the newly arrived Secretary Lin has actually exposed these shady dealings in front of tens of thousands of people!

"I, Lin Yang, am a soldier. On the battlefield, when I encounter traitors and collaborators, I have only one course of action: drag them out and shoot them!"

Lin Yang swung his arm sharply and roared resolutely, "Today, at our Red Star Steel Rolling Mill, I will absolutely not allow these remnants of capitalism to continue to harm our national assets! No matter how high their rank, no matter what powerful backers they have, if they dare to lay a finger on us, I, Lin Yang, will chop off their claws!"

"Eliminate this pernicious influence! We will show absolutely no leniency!"

As Lin Yang shouted his final words, the entire square erupted in cheers.

"Eliminate this pernicious influence! We will show absolutely no leniency!"

"Support Secretary Lin! Down with corruption!"

Tens of thousands of workers waved their fists, and their deafening slogans soared into the sky, as if trying to tear apart the swirling snow.

Amidst this overwhelming roar, Li Huaide, the deputy factory director standing to the side of the platform, had already turned ashen-faced, and his legs were trembling like a leaf.

He originally thought that after Lin Yang reprimanded him on his first day in office, as long as he kept a low profile for a while, the storm would pass. He was even secretly conspiring with his confidants, preparing to launch a counterattack when Lin Yang made a mistake in production.

But he never expected that Lin Yang would not play by the rules at all!

Lin Yang has been keeping a low profile for the past month, not because he's let him off the hook, but because he's been secretly weaving a net to gather all the evidence against him! Today's factory-wide meeting is Lin Yang's call to arms for the final assault!

Half an hour after the conference ended.

The first conference room in the administration building of the steel rolling mill.

The atmosphere was so heavy it seemed like it could drip water.

Lin Yang sat in the main seat, expressionless. Factory director Yang Jianguo and deputy factory director Zhou Zhenhua sat on either side of him, their expressions solemn.

At the conference table, Li Huaide and his five or six trusted subordinates sat there like lambs to the slaughter, trembling with fear, not daring to even breathe loudly.

"Bang!"

Lin Yang suddenly slammed a thick stack of account books and several confessions onto the conference table.

"Li Huaide, take a look for yourself. This is the account from last month, when you instructed the logistics chief to smuggle three tons of high-quality steel out of the factory and sell it to black market dealers, passing it off as high-quality steel. Also, you've cut half of the monthly meat rations for the staff canteen, converting it into cash and putting it into your private account!"

Lin Yang's voice was icy cold, leaving no room for negotiation.

"The evidence is conclusive, and you've signed and sealed it. What else do you have to say?"

Looking at those familiar account books, Li Huaide's mental defenses completely collapsed. He slid off his chair and knelt on the ground with a thud, bursting into tears.

"Secretary Lin! I was wrong! I was confused for a moment! Please, for the sake of all the years I've worked at the factory, give me a chance to turn over a new leaf! I'll return all the money! Please don't hand me over to the police!"

Li Huaide knew very well that in this special period of the newly founded country and the crackdown on corruption, the amount of money he had embezzled, once handed over to the judicial authorities, would at least result in a life sentence, and might even lead to execution!

Lin Yang looked down at the corrupt official, who was as worthless as mud, without a trace of pity in his eyes.

"If only you had known then what you know now! The nation's wealth and the workers' hard-earned money are not to be squandered by you!"

Lin Yang looked up and shouted at the door, "Where are the security guards! Come in!"

The conference room door was pushed open, and several fully armed security officers rushed in.

"Take down Li Huaide and all the other department heads involved in the case! Immediately transfer them to the Municipal Public Security Bureau and the Military Control Commission for severe punishment!" Lin Yang delivered the final verdict.

"yes!"

The security officers pounced on them like wolves, handcuffed Li Huaide and the others, and dragged them out of the conference room like dead dogs.

Li Huaide's cries faded into the distance in the corridor. The remaining cadres in the meeting room were all silent, their backs soaked with cold sweat.

They knew that today, Lin Yang had completely cleansed the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill of its former glory. Li Huaide, this long-standing cancer that had plagued the factory for years, along with his entire faction, had been uprooted by Lin Yang with the force of an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves!

"Comrades, the tumor has been removed, but our factory work cannot stop."

Lin Yang picked up his teacup, took a sip, and turned his gaze to factory director Yang Jianguo.

"Director Yang, with Li Huaide gone, a huge vacuum has emerged in logistics and security. Especially in the security department. The security department is our factory's armed force, not only shouldering the heavy responsibility of protecting factory property, but also being the lifeline for maintaining order in the factory area. The original head of the security department was Li Huaide's crony and has been arrested along with him. This position must be filled immediately by someone who is absolutely reliable and has an absolutely clean record."

Yang Jianguo nodded repeatedly, completely impressed by Lin Yang's decisive and efficient methods today.

"Secretary Lin is right. The position of head of the security department is too crucial. I wonder if Secretary Lin has a suitable candidate in mind?" Yang Jianguo asked tentatively.

The other mid-level managers present also perked up their ears. This was a lucrative position with real power! Not only would they be in charge of the factory's security, but they'd also have guns!

Lin Yang put down his teacup and tapped his fingers lightly on the table twice.

"I propose that Comrade Lin Fan, the warehouse quality inspector, be promoted exceptionally to the position of head of the security department at Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill!"

Upon hearing this, the conference room fell into a brief silence.

Everyone was stunned.

Lin Fan? Isn't that Secretary Lin's older brother?

A month ago, Lin Fan was just an apprentice doing manual labor in the workshop. Because of Lin Yang's appointment, he was transferred to the warehouse as a quality inspector. And now, just a month later, he's about to be promoted to the powerful head of the security department?!

This promotion speed is faster than a rocket!