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

"You old fool, you just watched a four-year-old girl eat wild vegetables while you clung to her pension money. When Xiaorou came to borrow money, you immediately said you didn't have any?"

"Are your neighbors in the same courtyard family if you need them, and otherwise just toilet paper?"

"Uh... this..."

Yi Zhonghai was speechless.

His face turned bright red, and it seemed he wanted to donate some blood to the local earth god out of thin air again.

"Hehe, if you get really angry, then it's no fun."

Li Weidong coldly remarked, "Live well. Sha Zhu going in is just the beginning."

After saying that, he turned and left quickly.

Yi Zhonghai gasped for breath, forcing down the anger that was rising within him. He knew that if he coughed up another mouthful of blood, he would have to stay in the hospital for a while longer.

Li Weidong caught up with Director Zhou at the entrance of a workshop.

"Director Zhou, don't approve Yi Zhonghai's leave request later."

Li Weidong got straight to the point: "If you're paid the salary of an eighth-grade worker, you have to do the work of an eighth-grade worker."

"From now on, when assigning him tasks, don't just pick the easy, high-level jobs like before. Everyone has their struggles, so don't treat anyone as an exception."

He had barely finished speaking when Yi Zhonghai was already standing in front of him. The old man, furious, slammed his head down and went into the workshop, knowing his chances of getting leave were over.

Director Zhou said with a smile, "Look, Yi Zhonghai is quite sensible today. He didn't even mention asking for leave. I've already assigned him the work. Tsk tsk, he wouldn't have dared to dream of this before, but now he has to behave himself."

"Okay, that's fine then. I'll go take a look around the forging workshop."

Li Weidong said.

"Why go there? It's unbearably hot."

Director Zhou shook his head.

Just then, Secretary Zhang walked over and, upon hearing that Li Weidong was going to the forging workshop, became interested and said he wanted to go with him to take a look.

"There must be some people slacking off in that workshop."

Li Weidong said, "The next assessment will be conducted in several forging workshops, testing both level 7 and level 8 workers together."

Li Weidong looked up and saw someone jogging towards him from the workshop entrance.

"Chief Engineer Li!"

Before Factory Director Yang's secretary, Xiao Wang, could catch her breath, she said, "The military personnel have arrived and are waiting in the small conference room. Factory Director Yang is with them right now. You see..."

Li Weidong knew perfectly well that the military personnel were coming to his door at this time most likely because of that technical outline.

He smiled and called to Secretary Zhang, "Come on, let's go take a look together."

Secretary Zhang nodded, and the two walked side by side toward the office area.

Three soldiers were sitting in the small conference room, none of whom Li Weidong recognized.

The leader looked to be in his late thirties, while the other two young men were in their early twenties and sat ramrod straight.

"Chief Engineer Li, this is Director Tian."

Factory Director Yang pointed, "I have important business to discuss with you. Shall we head out?"

Director Tian waved his hand: "No need, no need, we're all family here. Chief Engineer Li, is that document finished?"

Li Weidong didn't reply immediately, but glanced at Factory Director Yang. Factory Director Yang nodded slightly, his meaning clear: there was no problem with his identity.

He took a stack of papers out of his canvas bag and handed them over: "This is the technical outline I came up with. Take it back and take a look."

Director Tian took it, but without even opening it, he stuffed it directly into his yellow satchel.

"Chief Engineer Li, I'm sorry for the trouble I caused you with that matter before."

Director Tian said sincerely, "I brought two people with me today to be your bodyguards."

Li Weidong quickly waved his hand: "No, no, no, I don't need any bodyguards."

He smiled and said, "I just go back and forth between the factory and home now. Besides, those enemy agents are probably scared out of their wits right now, they wouldn't dare to come looking for trouble."

Director Tian frowned, still unwilling to give up: "Then how about this, we'll arrange for someone to go to your research lab. Let the two of them stay there."

"If you work late, they'll take you home. You can just stay there most of the time, is that alright?"

Secretary Zhang quickly chimed in, "Sure, sure, sure! That's a good arrangement!"

He turned around and instructed, "There's a small house next to Chief Engineer Li's research office. Clean it up; it'll be perfect for the two comrades to stay in."

Secretary Zhang didn't give Li Weidong a chance to refute at all, and immediately ordered someone to make the arrangements. The two soldiers also went to help.

After Director Tian left, Li Weidong shook his head with a wry smile.

He breathed a sigh of relief—thankfully, he hadn't let anyone follow him home, otherwise his little secret would have been impossible to keep.

As soon as Li Weidong came out of the office building, Secretary Zhang followed him.

"Chief Engineer Li, are you going to the forging workshop? I'll take you there."

Secretary Zhang said with a smile, "The conditions over there are a bit worse."

"Let's go take a look together."

Factory Director Yang also spoke up.

The three of them had just left the office area when Li Huaide caught up with them with a smile.

"What's Chief Engineer Li up to?"

Li Huaide asked.

"Go practice your skills in the forging workshop."

Li Weidong said, "We can't let this skill be lost."

To put it simply, blacksmithing is forging iron. It's just that it's much more sophisticated than the work done in a blacksmith's shop on the street. Now the workshop is fully equipped with tools like pneumatic hammers, and the skills of the workers are very demanding.

Director Yang and the other two exchanged glances, all knowing that Li Weidong was after Liu Haizhong.

Those in the know at the factory all knew that Li Weidong didn't get along with those guys in the yard. As for why, everyone knew the reason. Li Weidong didn't mention it, and they pretended not to know. But if Li Weidong ever asked to deal with those bastards, they'd definitely have to help him get it done.

The forging workshop was sweltering, and everyone working there was shirtless. Even in winter, there was no need to wear a padded coat here. Fortunately, this year the workshop was equipped with electric fans made in-house, and there was also a bowl of chilled mung bean soup made with well water placed at the entrance.

"Weidong, what kind of work do you need to do?"

Li Huaide stood at the door, reluctant to go inside.

"You guys take a rest."

Li Weidong said, "I'll get some spring steel and make a knife. It'll weigh about twenty pounds. We'll settle the bill later."

"What you're doing is technical research; turning it into a knife is also a way to test the steel's properties."

Li Huaide said matter-of-factly, "How can I let you pay for it yourself?"

Director Yang and Secretary Zhang nodded in agreement.

Li Weidong didn't stand on ceremony and went straight into the workshop. He chose a workstation near the door—the very one Liu Haizhong was assigned to.

The moment Liu Haizhong saw Li Weidong, his heart pounded. He knew very well that Li Weidong wouldn't let him off easily. Sha Zhu and Yi Zhonghai had both fallen; Li Weidong's involvement was definitely behind it all.

"Master Liu, you need to step up your game."

Li Weidong said it casually, "The blacksmithing level seven or eight assessment is coming up soon, so don't let yourself be eliminated."

These words were like knives, stabbing Liu Hai's heart until it twitched.

Liu Haizhong is a level seven forging worker, considered quite skilled in the third workshop. While there are level eight workers in the first and second workshops, he's the only one in the third workshop who holds his own.

Li Weidong's words sounded like concern, but Liu Haizhong understood that he was telling him—just wait to be relegated.

Liu Haizhong tensed up, but he couldn't back down: "Chief Engineer Li, don't worry, I've been in this business for so many years, my skills speak for themselves."

Someone delivered a spring steel bar, estimated to weigh about twenty-three or twenty-four pounds. Li Weidong casually tossed it into the furnace to burn; his movements showed he was an experienced hand.

When the steel was heated until it was red-hot and shiny, he skillfully picked up the pneumatic hammer and began to forge it.

Secretary Zhang and Factory Director Yang exchanged a glance, thinking to themselves that this craftsmanship was definitely at the level of a senior blacksmith.

"What a prodigy! He can do everything, and he's good at everything."

Secretary Zhang muttered to himself.

"That's right, otherwise the arsenal would have been shamelessly trying to poach him."

Factory Director Yang smiled smugly, "I had to cry and make a scene to get him back."

In about half an hour, Li Weidong had already made the blade blank. Then he performed clay tempering and quenching treatments.

"Alright, go to my workbench and do the final assembly."

Li Weidong picked up the 1.4-meter-long blade blank and returned to his workshop. He used copper sheets to forge the tsuba (guard) and handguard.

Finally, they found a piece of old wood, sawed off a section to make a handle, and firmly fixed it to the blade.

The piece of wood was originally about two meters long and about the thickness of a bowl. It had been sitting at the entrance of the forging workshop, exposed to wind and rain, and looked like it was about to rot.

But once the outer layer of rotten wood was removed, the wood revealed beautiful patterns and colors—it turned out to be an old mahogany piece that had been burned as firewood before.

After careful polishing and decoration, this knife is as beautiful as a work of art.

Li Weidong continued making the scabbard. Secretary Zhang, Factory Director Yang, and Li Huaide took turns picking up the knife and weighing it in their hands.

"This thing must weigh over twenty pounds."

Secretary Zhang was a little surprised. "If you really want to play, you'll need to be strong."

"To be able to wield such a heavy sword, one would be considered a fierce general even in ancient times."

Factory Director Yang clicked his tongue. "Chief Engineer Li, how about you show us a couple of moves later?"

"no problem."

Li Weidong replied with a smile.

"Are your injuries alright?"

Li Huaide chimed in.

I have to say, this guy knows how to get things done.

"It's nothing, just a minor scrape under my armpit."

As Li Weidong spoke, he sharpened the scabbard, using a power tool at a rapid pace. After applying leather glue, he joined the two pieces of wood together, and the scabbard was complete.

Then, five hoops were made of copper sheets, and hardware such as compression springs were installed.

"Chief Engineer Li, what are you going to use this for?"

Factory Director Yang couldn't hold it in any longer.

None of the three believed he was doing any research.

"I have nothing to do this Sunday, so I'm planning to go hunting."

Li Weidong said with a smile, "It's perfect for self-defense."

"Let's see how it goes! If this knife is wielded, it'll definitely look incredibly menacing."

Secretary Zhang said with a smile, "Let's go to your house for drinks tonight. I'll bring some braised dishes."

"Yes, yes, I'll bring some lamb."

Factory Director Yang chimed in.

"Then I'll bring a roast duck."

Li Huaide said with a smile, "Chief Engineer Li, just prepare some vegetables. Oh, and don't forget the good wine!"

Li Weidong stood at the entrance of the laboratory, a place very close to the road he walked every day, right next to the office building.

The factory's closing bell rang from the loudspeaker, and workers gradually walked out of the workshop.

In this day and age, everyone leaves work on time, and overtime is not the norm unless there are special circumstances.

The 996 work schedule is a thing of the past. Capitalists have long been overthrown; workers and peasants are the true masters of the country.

Although life was tough, everyone felt at ease and happy.

Li Weidong took off his short-sleeved shirt and stood there shirtless.

The muscles on his body weren't the kind of bulging muscles you get from working out in a gym, which look scary and unpleasant.

His muscles are well-proportioned and pleasing to the eye, but anyone can sense the explosive power hidden within.

Just like a leopard tensing up its whole body before pouncing on its prey.