Courtyard House: In this life, I have a new home!

"This is impossible, absolutely impossible..."

Yi Zhonghai muttered, his voice trembling, "How can it be zero error? How can there be absolutely no tolerance!"

Upon hearing this, Factory Director Yang snatched the micrometer and personally measured it carefully. His face immediately lit up with a smile: "Zero error! Absolutely zero error! Chief Engineer Li, how did you do that?"

"There's no such thing as zero error; it's just that the error is too small to be measured with a micrometer."

Li Weidong spoke politely, but inwardly he was extremely pleased. With the subtle control of a martial arts master, doing this kind of delicate work was as easy as playing a game.

"If a micrometer can't measure it, then it has zero error!"

Li Huaide slapped his thigh, his face full of excitement, "Only this kind of skill deserves the title of eighth-grade craftsman!"

Yi Zhonghai's face, which was originally ashen, turned bright red, like a pig's liver.

Li Huaide's words were clearly directed at him; he was practically pointing his finger at him and calling him a fraud.

"Alright, I'll make one more, and this time I'll explain as I go."

Li Weidong cracked his knuckles. "If you don't understand anything, feel free to ask."

While operating the machine tool, he explained several tips for improving precision in detail. Everyone present listened attentively and nodded, feeling that they had learned a lot of useful information.

Li Weidong spent a good hour working on this one part.

"Alright, you guys can make one yourselves and practice your skills."

Li Weidong turned around and looked at Factory Director Yang, "What's the required pass rate for those fifty parts they requested?"

"Half is fine; if you can make half, you've passed. Of course, it's better to make more."

Factory Director Yang quickly responded.

Li Weidong glanced around and said casually, "Alright, you guys go first. It's okay if the first one is a little slow, I'll keep an eye on this batch of materials."

Factory Director Yang and Secretary Zhang exchanged a glance, their hearts filled with warmth. What was originally an urgent task had been transformed into a hands-on learning experience with Li Weidong present.

If Li Weidong were to finish all twenty-five of these parts by himself, it would only take him a few hours at most.

……

Li Weidong worked diligently for an hour, producing five finished products. Just then, the other workers finished their shifts, each with a look of delight on their face. Only Yi Zhonghai's face remained as sour as a bitter gourd.

Li Huaide suppressed a laugh, his tone tinged with schadenfreude: "Chief Engineer Li just said that everyone met the standards, and the error was controlled within one level. Engineer Ding and Engineer Chen also passed."

He paused, deliberately drawing out the last syllable: "There's only one exception—Yi Gong, barely two."

Li Weidong nodded: "Then I'll work for another hour. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."

After saying that, he added, "Yi Zhonghai, you should leave first."

Yi Zhonghai's face was ashen, as if he'd stepped in shit. But he suppressed his anger and said in a low voice, "Chief Engineer Li, I really want to practice more, to improve..."

"These parts are very valuable; you know the materials they're made of."

Li Weidong said calmly, "If you pay a little more attention to your work, your accuracy will naturally improve."

"Don't always think you're the best in the world, shirking your responsibilities and just wasting your days with a teacup in your hand."

Upon hearing this, Yi Zhonghai felt as if he had been slapped twice across the face, his face burning with embarrassment.

Factory Director Yang sighed: "Engineer Yi, you can go back now. From now on, work harder and be stricter with yourself."

Yi Zhonghai's face flushed red, and he turned and walked away with his neck stiff. The fire in his heart could burn a person to death—that bastard Li Weidong had trampled his face into the ground and stomped on it a thousand times!

Yi Zhonghai walked back, seething with anger, cursing through gritted teeth.

"We have to find a way to kill this bastard!"

He racked his brains, thinking, "Otherwise, how am I supposed to stay in this factory? This bastard is deliberately trying to make things difficult for me!"

As for why Li Weidong was so persistent in pursuing him, he knew perfectly well why.

"How could he possibly see through all my schemes against him?"

"Is it really true that just because someone reads a lot of books, they can become this prodigy?"

He had just reached the vicinity of the cafeteria when he bumped into someone.

Sha Zhu grinned and approached, "Grandpa, weren't you supposed to be working overtime? Why are you out so early?"

Yi Zhonghai gritted his teeth and lowered his voice: "It's all because of that bastard Li Weidong ostracizing me. He's leaving in an hour. If you need to do something, this is the perfect opportunity."

Sha Zhu's eyes darted around, and he nodded repeatedly, "Understood, understood, don't worry, Grandpa!"

Sha Zhu's face was ashen, and he said through gritted teeth, "I'm going to teach him a lesson. The matter with the stick is nothing, it only cost two yuan, and Yan Bugui should pay for that."

Yi Zhonghai nodded in satisfaction and turned to leave. He thought to himself that if Sha Zhu swung that iron rod, even if he couldn't kill Li Weidong, he could at least turn him into an idiot.

Sha Zhu stared as Yi Zhonghai's figure completely disappeared into the darkness, then spat angrily on the ground and muttered, "Old bastard, using me as a pawn, and you think you can stand clean on the shore yourself?"

"You wish! Do you really think I'm stupid?"

Sha Zhu is usually very shrewd, but he only makes a fool of himself when he's around that pretty widow. In the original story, he was doing very well, but it was all because that woman drained him dry.

As soon as Sha Zhu stepped into the kitchen, he saw Director Zhang standing there with a dark face.

"Old Zhang, who upset you?"

Sha Zhu asked with a grin.

"I told you to come earlier, why are you taking so long?"

Director Zhang's tone was not very friendly.

"It's just working overtime, it won't interfere with my work."

Sha Zhu still had that same grinning face.

"You... just keep messing around, you'll regret it someday."

Director Zhang stormed off in anger.

Li Weidong was still processing parts there. Li Huaide said he needed to go to the kitchen to check on everyone's logistical support. Judging by the pace, they could finish the work before midnight.

Li Huaide planned to arrange a meal and drinks for everyone.

Factory Director Yang and Secretary Zhang stood at the workshop entrance and each lit a cigarette.

"Old Zhang, what do you think of Chief Engineer Li?"

Factory Director Yang spoke first.

"You mean the airplane engine thing?"

Secretary Zhang directly saw through his thoughts.

"Yes, if it really works out, our factory won't just be limited to rolling steel..."

Director Yang's tone carried a hint of ambition.

"Chief Engineer Li has indeed studied it, but turning blueprints into a real thing is incredibly difficult."

Secretary Zhang said, "We'll have to try and fail countless times."

"This is not a task that one person can handle alone."

"Why don't we have her get the blueprints done first, and then we can have someone take a look at them?"

Factory Director Yang suggested, "But if it works out, it won't have much to do with the factory; only a few of us will benefit."

"This is indeed a headache. How about we see what materials are needed, and if we can get them, have Chief Engineer Li build one himself?"

Secretary Zhang gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

"That's settled then. After the leaders' inspection on Monday, we'll have Chief Engineer Li focus his attention on the engine."

Factory Director Yang made the decision: "We'll prepare the materials."

"It suddenly occurred to me that I could get my hands on a scrapped engine."

Secretary Zhang became agitated. "Why don't we just have Li Weidong fix it or make some changes?"

"That's a good idea, let's get two more."

Factory Director Yang also perked up, saying, "There are quite a few obsolete engines at the airport."

"Yes, take as much as you can."

Secretary Zhang squinted as he spoke.

The two of them got together and spent a long time discussing whose connections to ask, which path to take, and whether they should invest money.

Li Weidong finally stopped working at 10 p.m. He had produced six more parts, and now all the necessary components were processed.

Those workers weren't idle either; they were all working very hard.

"All forty were successful."

Factory Director Yang smiled broadly, his tone filled with joy.

Among those level eight workers, some didn't do a good job, especially the two level seven workers, who produced a little too much waste.

"That's right. From now on, you'll have to work hard to hone your skills. Even among eighth-grade workers, there's still a significant skill gap."

Li Weidong said, "If anyone is willing to learn, I will definitely spill everything I know."

"I hope everyone will do the same. Pass on what you know to your brothers who want to learn. Only when everyone improves can our country become better."

"Don't be like those scoundrels who talk a good game but are as treacherous as can be. They pretend to be righteous and noble on the surface, but deep down they're only thinking about leading others astray. Why? Just so that everyone in the workshop listens to them and they can be fawned over."

"This kind of scum will be swept into the dustbin of history sooner or later!"

Li Weidong could rattle off these kinds of witty remarks effortlessly, without any hesitation.

"Clap clap clap!"

Li Huaide clapped his hands as he strode in: "Good, Chief Engineer Li's words are quite right."

Then everyone in the room started clapping.

"Chief Engineer Li's awareness is truly a role model we should all learn from."

Factory Director Yang remarked, "Chief Engineer Li, let's go get some late-night snacks. Factory Director Li has already prepared the food and drinks."

"Never mind, you guys eat."

Li Weidong waved his hand, "I have something to do, I want to go buy some things."

Everyone knew perfectly well where they could go to buy things so late at night. It was obvious they were going to the black market.

It's illegal to go to the black market, but who hasn't been there at some point, whether you're buying things or reselling them?

This kind of thing has been semi-public for a long time, and no one will use your involvement in the black market to make trouble for you.

Li Weidong pedaled his bicycle towards the foot of the city wall, where a small black market was hidden. When he was almost there, he threw his bicycle into a grove of trees and casually stored it in the system's warehouse.

He wore a bamboo hat with the brim pulled low before carrying two burlap sacks as he came out.

At this time, the moon hung overhead, and its light made the ground shine brightly.

Li Weidong stopped by the city wall and took the pork out of the sack. Just as he was about to grab a knife and scales, he suddenly heard someone shout urgently:

"Oh, your bag is full of pork?"

The speaker was a man in his thirties who reached out and grabbed two burlap sacks. One sack contained half a pig.

"Yes, you saw it."

Li Weidong lowered his voice, "Seven cents a pound, no coupons required."

It's summer now; if it were around the Lunar New Year, it would cost at least one yuan per pound.

Pork that required ration coupons at the supply and marketing cooperative only cost 50 cents.

"I'll take them all!"

Without a second thought, the man exclaimed, "This meat is really good, the fat is so thick!"

He then tied the sack shut again, his eyes scanning the crowd warily as he stared at the people trying to get closer.

Two people were standing next to the man.