Courtyard House: I'm an engineer, and a fairy godmother transferred me to a different position.

Those enjoying the cool air, chatting, or washing clothes all turned their heads, their gazes fixed on the stone table. Enemy agent? That word carried weight; it was no small matter in any courtyard.

Liu Haizhong put down his teacup, his brows furrowed: "What trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?"

"This time it really wasn't us who caused the trouble!" Sha Zhu quickly chimed in, recounting how he had followed Liu Guangqi that afternoon and how he had been subdued by several security guards. He added at the end, "The security guards themselves said that they were specially sent by the ministry to protect Brother Guangqi! Just imagine how big a presence that is!"

Xu Damao nodded repeatedly beside him, spitting almost onto the stone table: "That's right! Those security guards had such fierce faces, acting like they were apprehending wanted criminals! If it weren't for Brother Guangqi recognizing us, they'd probably be in jail by now!"

As Liu Haizhong listened, his gaze shifted from confusion to astonishment.

He knew his son worked in the ministry and that his superiors valued him, but he had never heard of the title "Chief Technical Engineer." Even more unexpectedly—his son was so important that he needed a bodyguard? In Liu Pangpang's mind, this was always a privilege reserved for the most powerful figures. His son…was pregnant too?

Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui were stunned as they listened.

Yi Zhonghai murmured to himself, "Guangqi... he's really made something of himself. I heard he was promoted to administrative level sixteen a while ago, and now even the ministry has people protecting him..."

Yan Bugui was more concerned with practical matters: "With bodyguards protecting him, his rank must be quite high. Maybe he's already a division-level cadre? Otherwise, why would he receive such treatment?"

Amidst the clamor of voices, the surprise on Liu Haizhong's face gradually faded, replaced by an barely suppressed smugness. His back straightened unconsciously, and he gently placed the enamel mug his son had given him, bearing the inscription "Advanced Worker of the Ministry," on the center of the table. He cleared his throat and deliberately put on a stern face, saying, "This kid… he didn't even let the family know about something this important. If Da Mao hadn't let it slip today, I, as his father, would still be completely in the dark."

Although he said that, the smile in his eyes and brows was impossible to hide.

To be honest, Liu Haizhong never dreamed that his eldest son could climb the ranks so quickly. In the blink of an eye, he had become someone protected by security guards—even the steel mill director might not have such a presence. He secretly thought that when his son returned to the compound next time, he would definitely ask him carefully what rank he had reached. If he really became a high-ranking official, he would have much more confidence when speaking in this compound.

Naturally, Liu Haizhong's ambitions were confined to the small world of this courtyard house. He didn't have the guts to flaunt his power outside or inside the factory.

Xu Damao, observing the astonished looks on everyone's faces, felt nothing. However, the undisguised smugness in Liu Haizhong's eyes secretly pleased him. Everyone in the courtyard knew what kind of person this second uncle was. He loved putting on airs, cared about his image, and enjoyed being fawned over. Having paved the way for him today and made him feel comfortable, wouldn't it be easier to strike up a conversation and build a relationship with Brother Guangqi in the future?

These days, nobody's a fool. What Xu Damao could think of, others could naturally think of as well. Especially Yi Zhonghai, whose expression was the most complicated at this moment. He lowered his eyelids, seemingly lost in thought, and stared silently at the white enamel mug with red characters on the stone table, not looking away for a long time.

Ever since he vaguely heard that Liu Guangqi had moved into that tenement building in the ministry compound, his last bit of hope of regaining face completely vanished.

He finally understood.

Although Liu Guangqi was a junior he had watched grow up in the courtyard, he was no longer someone Liu Guangqi could easily manipulate. Now, from where Liu Guangqi was standing, a slight raise of his hand would be enough to overwhelm Liu Guangqi.

Therefore, these days, his tone has softened a bit when he meets Liu Haizhong.

The new news that arrived at this moment made him sigh inwardly—it turned out that he had underestimated the importance of the eldest son of the Liu family.

It seems I should make an effort to take advantage of this opportunity!

Yi Zhonghai immediately stood up from his chair, straightened his clothes, and prepared to put on the airs of an old man.

"Cough! Cough cough!"

He cleared his throat twice, trying to draw everyone's attention, and then suggested that the entire hospital hold a meeting.

We need to teach everyone in the courtyard to be sensible and not cause trouble for Old Liu's family.

This can also be considered a favor done for Liu Haizhong.

Unexpectedly—

The people in the courtyard had already spontaneously divided into two groups.

One group huddled around Liu Haizhong, showering him with compliments; another group surrounded Aunt Erda, exclaiming "Aunt Erda is so lucky!" creating a lively atmosphere.

Nobody was looking in his direction.

Only Sha Zhu, the simple-minded one, still came over as usual and asked in a憨憨 (simple and honest) manner:

"Sir, are you feeling unwell?"

"It's alright!"

Yi Zhonghai ignored it, turned around, put on a smiling face, and squeezed into the group of people with bangs.

Not long after.

The news spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of the yard in the blink of an eye.

The entire courtyard became lively, and even the deaf old lady who hadn't shown up for a long time came out with a smile to congratulate Liu Haizhong.

In short, one of them—

Even as night deepened, the laughter and chatter in the courtyard continued unabated.

The first light of dawn.

The sun had just passed over the wall of Hongxing Chuanghui Machinery Factory when lively greetings came from the workshop.

At this time.

Liu Guangqi, dressed in a neat blue overall, walked into the factory gate and was surrounded by several experienced workers before he had taken more than a few steps.

"Chief Engineer Liu, congratulations on your promotion!"

"The factory loudspeaker announced it! You've been promoted to Level 8 Engineer! This is fantastic news for our factory!"

Master Zhang, a seventh-level fitter, still held a wrench in his hand, a genuine smile on his face.

He was among the first group of people to start working in the heating workshop with Liu Guangqi.

Having come this far, he knows better than anyone the true capabilities of this young engineer, and his words are full of respect.

"Chief Engineer Liu is truly remarkable!"

"In the factory I used to work at, the technical department couldn't even find a level nine engineer. I never imagined that we'd have a level eight engineer here!"

"It really is this!"

Zhang's coworkers also offered their congratulations, their voices full of admiration.

People these days are honest; once the higher-ups have made a decision, it's set in stone. No one will gossip behind Liu Guangqi's back just because he's young.

Those with real skills should rightfully stand at the top.

If this were in later generations, a young man in his early twenties would be directly promoted to an eighth-level engineer.

They're afraid even their family's assets will be thoroughly investigated.

Thinking about this, Liu Guangqi couldn't help but sigh, "These vibrant years are truly wonderful."

Faced with everyone's congratulations, Liu Guangqi responded with a smile, showing no airs whatsoever.

In public, it's all about being approachable and down-to-earth.

really--

His words warmed everyone's hearts; they all felt that he was capable yet not arrogant, and remained genuine in his dealings with others.

After exchanging a few brief pleasantries, Liu Guangqi turned around and returned to his post to continue his work.

"Director Li, you wanted to see me?"

Liu Guangqi was drawing new blueprints in his office when someone outside told him that Director Li was in a hurry to see him.

It seemed he had something urgent to attend to, so he had no choice but to put down his tools and head to the factory manager's office.

As soon as Liu Guangqi entered, Director Li couldn't hide his smile: "Comrade Guangqi, the Ministry of Light Industry has brought you an award!"

As the factory director, Director Li's relationship with Liu Guangqi, while not as close as Wang Jianguo's, was still considered harmonious. After all, Director Li had been transferred from the foreign trade system and always valued talents like Liu Guangqi who could generate foreign exchange.

Unlike Wang Jianguo, who was in charge of production, Director Li was more responsible for factory administration and liaising with higher-level units such as the foreign trade department.

Therefore, the commendation letter from the Ministry of Light Industry was sent directly to him.

As he spoke, Director Li handed over the official letter.

Liu Guangqi took it with both hands, unfolded it, and looked at it—

It was a thank-you letter stamped with the bright red official seal of the Ministry of Light Industry, on which it was neatly written:

"To Comrade Liu Guangqi: Thank you for your outstanding contributions to the research and development of products such as rice cookers and induction cookers, which have injected important momentum into our ministry's foreign exchange earnings in the light industry. We are writing to express our gratitude with this letter and a small gift..."

Though few in number, each word is sincere and carries great weight.

Li Huaiyuan gently pushed the official document bearing the red seal onto the edge of the table, a smile playing at the corners of his eyes. "This time, the ministry sent a formal letter; the protocol is quite special."

He paused, tapped his fingertips twice on the wooden tabletop, and lowered his voice.

"Logically speaking, the factory should have put a commendation sign on your honor roll and announced it over the loudspeaker a few times. But after thinking it over, I realized that your name has appeared on the radio quite often lately. With one technical promotion and one ministerial commendation after another, it's inevitable that some of your colleagues will feel a pang of jealousy."

He looked up at the gray sky outside the window, his tone tinged with a pragmatic consideration. "Things are tough right now, and nobody's really broke. Too much recognition would only make us targets. So this time, I didn't let the propaganda department publicize it."

As he spoke, he pointed with his chin to the two square cardboard boxes placed in the corner, then glanced at the bulging, earthy-yellow envelope.

"It's all empty fame; we value substance."

"I understand." Liu Guangqi nodded and smiled. Of course he understood Li Huaiyuan's intention. In this day and age, even the slightest movement could attract unnecessary attention. If he was constantly mentioned on the radio, even if his achievements were undeniable, he would inevitably attract whispers from the shadows.

"No need for a broadcast; just keep it to yourself. But this gift from the ministry seems quite substantial."

He bent down and opened the cardboard box. The silver-white metal inner liner lay quietly in the foam lining, the buttons neatly arranged, gleaming with a brand-new matte finish.

"These are hot commodities for exporting and earning foreign exchange these days." Li Huaiyuan leaned closer to examine them, his tone tinged with envy. "They're fighting tooth and nail for them outside, and there are only a handful available domestically. The Ministry of Light Industry approved two for you at once; that's quite a lot."

Liu Guangqi nodded. He understood the intricacies of the situation—most of the production went to overseas markets, and only a few channels in China could obtain quotas, which required rare industrial coupons. Ordinary households didn't even have complete access to electricity, let alone such appliances. The fact that the ministry could allocate two units was already a huge affirmation.

"The compound has electricity now. We can keep one for our own use and send the other to my father-in-law's house." He quickly made the plan. His father's courtyard house didn't have electricity yet, so sending it there would just be for show. It would be better to let the person who needs it use it.

He unfolded the leather envelope again. Inside were stacks of coupons: cigarette coupons, liquor coupons, malted milk coupons, and a few grain and oil coupons. In these times of scarcity, these colorful pieces of paper were more valuable than cash, capable of being exchanged for rice and flour. Though not as substantial as in previous years, it was still a rare find in this climate.

Liu Guangqi carefully sorted out the tickets and put them back into the envelope.

"Factory manager, if there's nothing else, I'll head back now."

Li Huaiyuan waved his hand, his smile undiminished: "That's all. Keep your things safe. The factory will handle the broadcasting issue for you; less gossip will give you peace and quiet."

These words were spoken sincerely. Liu Guangqi felt a warmth in his heart, knowing that the other person was shielding him from unnecessary trouble.

"Okay, thank you for your trouble."

Without saying another word, he picked up a heavy cardboard box in each hand and walked steadily towards the door. The box swayed slightly with his movements, and the brand-new metal liner inside made a faint, clattering sound.

He originally thought the department would at most remember this favor, but he never expected such a formal letter of thanks and such a substantial gift.

The rewards are indeed generous.

A rough estimate puts the total at nearly five hundred yuan—equivalent to almost half a year's income for an eighth-level skilled worker. Such a gesture can certainly be described as generous.

Liu Guangqi walked briskly out of the factory manager's office. He had intended to visit Zhao Mengyun during his lunch break, but time was short, so he had to give up. He could save this joy for after get off work.

Back in his office in the technical department, he composed himself and prepared to get to work. Just as the blueprints were laid out on his desk, the phone in the corner suddenly rang. In those days, office calls were mostly for business. Liu Guangqi picked up the receiver, his voice steady: "Hello, this is the technical department of Hongxing Chuanghui Machinery Factory."

A gentle and familiar voice came through the receiver, as mellow as a fine vintage wine: "Is this Guangqi?"

Liu Guangqi paused slightly in his hand holding the microphone.