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

He stood frozen in place.

His eyes were wide open, his lips were half-open, but he couldn't make a sound.

The heavy forging hammer in his hand suddenly lost its grip.

With a muffled thud, it crashed heavily onto the concrete floor, sending shivers down one's spine.

Several coworkers nearby turned around when they heard the noise!

Seeing that it was the director talking to Liu Haizhong, they wisely turned their faces away, but their ears had already quietly perked up.

"Director Deng... Director Deng..."

Liu Haizhong's throat was dry, and his voice was a little weak: "Are you kidding me? You really... really want me to be the deputy director?"

Deng Aiguo's expression suddenly turned serious, but then he smiled again: "Recommendation is one thing, but the key is that Deputy Factory Director Li thinks you are suitable for this position."

He also made a few remarks to set the stage for Li Huaide:

"Deputy Factory Director Li mentioned that you, Liu Haizhong, have solid skills, are a senior worker in the factory, have won the title of model worker, and your sense of responsibility is beyond question."

"This deputy director position is perfect for you."

"The official appointment will be announced at the production meeting next Monday."

"Go back and think about it. You'll need to say a few words to everyone in the workshop later, so prepare in advance."

These words struck Liu Haizhong's ears one by one.

It's not a joke—it's true.

Although the position of deputy workshop director is nothing compared to his son Liu Guangqi's rank, it still represents a step from worker to manager.

He had dreamed of wearing even the smallest "official hat" all his life; in the past, even being a group leader would have made him so happy that he couldn't sleep.

Now he's being offered the position of deputy workshop director? This is a position he wouldn't even dare to dream of.

How did such a wonderful thing fall from the sky and land on my head?

Liu Haizhong wasn't confused; his mind raced—

His son's young yet composed face immediately came to mind.

That's right, they must have benefited from it.

Since my son last visited the factory for research, the factory leaders were all around him, and even Director Yang was very polite to him.

From that day on, the way people in the factory looked at him changed.

The boss who used to be completely silent is now nodding and offering cigarettes from afar.

Even the slowest-witted among them understood:

All of this is because he has a successful son!

Thinking about this, the excitement of the promotion was suddenly overwhelmed by an even stronger sense of pride.

His back straightened involuntarily.

He grabbed Deng Aiguo's hand so hard that the other man's mouth twitched.

He shook his hands vigorously up and down, and his words became incoherent:

"Thank you so much, Director Deng! Please be sure to thank Deputy Factory Director Li for me. I'll definitely do my job well!"

Looking at him like this, Deng Aiguo's eyes flashed with a complex emotion, like envy mixed with a bit of amusement.

He quietly withdrew his hand, patted his arm in his bangs, and lowered his voice:

"Old Liu, work hard. Deputy Factory Director Li said that as long as you perform well..."

He leaned closer: "The factory will definitely give you an important position in the future, and it's not impossible that you'll be promoted to a non-management role."

boom--

These words struck Liu Haizhong's mind like a thunderbolt.

Deputy workshop director? In the end, he's just a senior foreman. He doesn't even have a cadre position. The only difference is that he doesn't have to fight for the sledgehammer anymore, and his salary is still the same as a level seven forging worker, plus some subsidies.

But replacing cadres with workers is completely different.

That was doing the work of a cadre while holding the position of a worker—one foot was already in the door of becoming a cadre.

For Liu Haizhong, this was far more significant than the position of deputy director.

Under the impact, Liu Haizhong's voice trembled:

"Director Deng!"

"Tell Deputy Factory Director Li, I, Liu Haizhong, understand! From this day forward, my life belongs to the steel rolling mill and the forging workshop!"

He was eager to express his determination:

"I'll be the first to object to anyone slacking off or cheating in the workshop."

"I will definitely complete the task perfectly and will not let my superiors down!"

Deng Aiguo thought to himself, "With a son like yours, who would dare to take your life?" Deputy Factory Director Li probably couldn't accept that.

But a gentle smile remained on his face as he waved his hand:

"You flatter me, Lao Liu."

"The factory needs people who can get things done. Just do your job well."

Liu Haizhong nodded repeatedly in agreement, his smile almost overflowing.

After the workshop director, Deng Aiguo, turned and left, he stood there alone for a long time before he managed to suppress the overwhelming joy that was welling up inside him. He straightened his collar, took a deep breath, and, with an air of composure, strode slowly toward the workshop.

Even before he got close, his beaming smile and energetic stride had already caught the eye of his fellow workers in the workshop.

"Hey, Lao Liu, what good news have you run into?"

"Look at them, have they found a treasure?"

"Judging by his complexion, he must have received praise again!"

The workers gathered around, chattering and teasing each other.

Liu Haizhong deliberately cleared his throat, stood still in front of everyone, and slowly swept his gaze around, piquing everyone's curiosity. The smug look on his face spread with his deliberately drawn-out tone: "Actually, it's not a big deal."

He paused briefly, enjoying the attention he was receiving, before finally grinning and saying, "It was Director Deng who mentioned that he was planning to recommend me to the factory to be the deputy director of our forging workshop."

The workshop fell silent for a moment.

Immediately, a clamor erupted!

"Old Liu! Oh dear, you should call me Deputy Director Liu now!"

"This time it really worked!"

"I told you before, with your abilities, Lao Liu, and your skill in training apprentices, it's a waste for you to just be a worker! We're counting on you from now on!"

"Deputy Director Liu, such a joyous occasion, shouldn't we have a feast tonight?"

Congratulatory and flattering words poured into Liu Haizhong. Hearing his former colleagues, who used to address him casually and were of similar status, now calling him "Deputy Director" one after another, he felt completely relaxed, every pore of his body radiating joy.

But he hadn't let himself be blinded by ambition. Under his son Liu Guangqi's long-term guidance, he understood the importance of concealing his talents and knew that the deputy director position wasn't officially secured yet, so it wasn't wise to be overly flamboyant. Therefore, he waved his hand and declined with a smile: "Hey, don't call me that! It's just a recommendation; whether it works out or not is still uncertain. Everyone can just call me Old Liu, or Master Liu, as usual!"

Even so, his gaze involuntarily drifted to the other end of the workshop.

Meanwhile, in the fitter's workshop.

Yi Zhonghai had just put down his work when his apprentice, Jia Dongxu, approached him quickly with a subtle expression and whispered, "Master, have you heard?"

"What did you hear?" Yi Zhonghai asked.

"That old man in the backyard...it seems he's getting promoted to deputy workshop director!"

"What?" The tools Yi Zhonghai was holding clattered to the ground, his usual composure shattering instantly. "Say it again? Liu Haizhong? Deputy Director?"

"Absolutely true!" Jia Dongxu nodded, his tone filled with emotion. "I went to get lunch just now and overheard people in the forging workshop talking about it. They said their workshop director said it himself, and it will be officially announced at the general meeting next Monday!"

Yi Zhonghai stood there, stunned, his mind blank for a moment.

To be honest, he and Liu Haizhong lived in the same courtyard and had been rivals, both openly and secretly, for most of their lives.

In terms of education, he at least attended higher primary school, while Liu Haizhong only attended lower primary school, yet he always liked to claim that he also attended higher primary school.

In terms of skill, he is a highly respected level 7 fitter in the factory. Liu Haizhong was originally only a level 6 blacksmith, and he finally passed the level 7 exam last year.

In terms of reputation in the factory, he, a seventh-grade fitter, was always more highly regarded than Liu Haizhong.

Finally, in terms of status within the courtyard house, he was the eldest uncle, while Liu Haizhong was the second eldest uncle, always ranking behind him.

In general, over the years, Yi Zhonghai has consistently outperformed Liu Haizhong in every aspect.

Only when it comes to his son—

He's not as good as Liu Haizhong.

But that was a matter for the next generation, and didn't directly affect his power struggle with Liu Haizhong. However, now, Liu Haizhong is going to become the deputy workshop director? What does this mean?

This means that Yi Zhonghai has been completely outshone.

From this day forward, Liu Haizhong stepped out of the ranks of workers and became a manager; while Yi Zhonghai remained just an old fitter earning a seventh-grade wage. All these changes seemed to point to one reason: the reason Liu Haizhong was able to surpass him was entirely because he had a capable and good son.

Thinking of this, Yi Zhonghai felt a pang of sadness.

He wasn't jealous that Liu Haizhong could become the deputy director; what he truly envied was that Liu had such a son.

"Sigh, why don't I have such a good son!" Yi Zhonghai couldn't help but sigh in his heart, his sigh filled with helpless envy.

As evening approached, the bell rang crisply, signaling the end of the workday at the steel rolling mill.

At the factory gate, workers poured out like a tide. Liu Haizhong pushed his bicycle through the crowd, his chest held high and his back straighter than anyone else's.

Director Deng Aiguo's words were like a branding iron, searing deep into his mind, each sentence burning repeatedly in his consciousness. "Work hard!" "The factory won't treat you unfairly." "The temporary assignment is just a transition..." These words rolled back and forth in his chest, the more he pondered them, the more relaxed he felt. Once he truly sat in the chair of the workshop's deputy director, Liu Dafeng would have completely bid farewell to his life as a worker wielding a sledgehammer!

Overwhelmed with excitement, he deliberately pedaled his bicycle wobbly, basking in the various glances from his fellow workers along the way. Before, people would casually call him "Old Liu," but now they addressed him respectfully as "Master Liu," occasionally interspersed with a tentative "Director Liu," making his whole body tingle with a sweet, numb feeling. This sensation was even more exhilarating than downing an ice-cold soda on a sweltering summer day.

After the get off work bell rang, Liu Dafeng's car wheels rolled over the stone slabs of the alley, making a light, crisp sound. As soon as he turned into the courtyard gate, his neighbors swarmed around him like a tide—these were all steel mill workers living in the courtyard, and the news had already spread far and wide on their way home from work.

Yan Bugui, fanning himself with a palm leaf fan, was the first to emerge from the crowd: "Old Liu, this is truly a joyous occasion! I heard he's going to be promoted to deputy director of the workshop? Our institute has finally produced a leader!" Qin Huairu, carrying a washbasin, approached with wet hands, her eyes crinkling with a gentle smile: "Second Uncle, you'll have to take care of him from now on. My son Dongxu still needs your guidance in the workshop."

Amidst the cacophony of flattery, Liu Dafeng felt as warm as if he were sitting in a stove, but he deliberately put on a serious expression: "Don't spread rumors, everyone. Before the appointment document is issued, everything is just talk." Although he said this, the unconscious curve of his lips betrayed him—he had completely forgotten that he was the one who secretly fanned this storm in the first place.

Just as the courtyard was bustling like a year-end market, two dry coughs came from the east wing. Everyone turned to look and saw Yi Zhonghai push open the door and walk out, a stiff smile on his face like a plaster statue: "Old Liu has finally made it through, congratulations." His words sounded like a congratulatory greeting, but a sour undertone, like vinegar seeped from between his fingers. No wonder, this seventh-grade fitter had always kept Liu Dafeng firmly in check in the courtyard and factory; now, seeing himself about to be overtaken, he must have felt a lump in his throat.

Seeing the other man's expression, Liu Dafeng felt an irrepressible surge of pleasure. He stepped forward and pressed down hard on Yi Zhonghai's shoulder, lowering his voice as he said, "If this really works out, the affairs of the factory will still depend on you to take the helm. One of us will handle internal affairs, and the other will handle external affairs; wouldn't that be perfect?" The veiled meaning in his words was crystal clear—from now on, things would be completely different in the factory.

Yi Zhonghai's cheek muscles twitched twice, and his forced smile finally crumbled. "Of course, of course," he mumbled, turning to hide inside the house. "There's still porridge simmering on the stove; I'll go check it out."

Liu Dafeng watched the figure disappear behind the curtain, finally letting a smile spread across his face. He was sure no one at the Yi family dinner table would be able to taste the blandness.

As soon as he stepped through the moon gate into the backyard, his wife was already standing under the eaves with a towel in hand: "Honey, is what they're saying in the front yard true? Yan's wife said you're going to become an official?" Liu Dafeng didn't answer, but just leaned his bicycle against the wall, his eyes crinkling with laughter that seemed to catch the evening breeze.

He rubbed his oily face haphazardly under the towel a few times, and a heavy thud came from his nose:

"Um."

The voice carried absolute confidence:

"This matter is almost certainly true."