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

When Liu Guangqi returned to the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill from the First Ministry of Machine Building in the company car, the sun was already high in the sky. He had just stepped into the small room that was being used as a temporary office, his briefcase still hanging on his wrist, and hadn't even touched the edge of the chair, when there was a rapid knocking on the door.

Li Huaide practically squeezed through the door as soon as the knock came in. Fine beads of sweat glistened on his forehead in the light streaming through the window. One hand clutched a neatly folded production summary sheet, while the other pressed against a bulging brown paper bag. His smile was so bright it almost burned the eyes, and his voice was brimming with barely suppressed joy: "Comrade Guangqi! You've really made our factory proud this time!"

He took two steps forward, speaking quickly and enthusiastically: "The ministry called early this morning, directly designating our factory as this year's production vanguard! Your name should be the first entry on this list of achievements!"

Li Huaide's excitement was entirely heartfelt. For him, Liu Guangqi's arrival was like a timely rain—he didn't need to exert himself; he could simply relax in his office, sipping tea and reading newspapers, and once the technological reforms yielded results, a report to his superiors would naturally bring the credit. Even though this innovation wasn't directly related to him as the factory leader, as long as the steel rolling mill remained under his jurisdiction, this achievement was destined to be tied to his name, Li Huaide.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel grateful to Director Tian once again. If it weren't for the other party's discerning eye in temporarily transferring a senior technical expert like Liu Guangqi here, how could he have gotten such a great deal? Indeed, in this world, sometimes making the right choices is far more important than burying oneself in hard work.

As he spoke, he unfolded the production report in his hand and handed it over: "Look at these numbers! Who would have dared to imagine this before? Now it's actually a reality!"

Liu Guangqi took the order, glanced at the dense numbers on the paper, and nodded slightly, saying, "It is the result of the concerted efforts of everyone in the factory, and the comrades in the technical department have also put in a lot of hard work."

"Hey! That's not right!" Li Huaide suddenly waved his hand, his expression revealing an undisguised, almost urgent, closeness. "Without the technical methods you brought, even if we spent the entire technical department in the workshop, we still wouldn't have reached the current production threshold! So, you see..." His tone became increasingly enthusiastic, with a hint of boasting, "The ministry's decision to transfer you here this year was absolutely brilliant! You wouldn't believe how happy the ministry leaders were when they called this morning! Several factories in the same system have been subtly inquiring about you! This success is all thanks to you!"

As he spoke, the light in Li Huaide's eyes almost overflowed. He knew perfectly well that Liu Guangqi's visit had not only solved the steel mill's immediate crisis but also provided him with a stepping stone to advancement. Now that such an opportunity had presented itself, he naturally had to seize the relationship firmly.

Looking at the other party's eager expression, Liu Guangqi understood, but only a faint smile appeared on his face: "Director Li, you flatter me. As I said before, if the factory encounters any technical difficulties in the future, you can come to me at any time."

"Definitely! Definitely!" Li Huaide responded repeatedly, uttering many more warm and polite words. Just as he was about to turn and leave, he seemed to suddenly remember something, and solemnly pushed the brown paper bag to the edge of the table.

"By the way, Comrade Guangqi, this is a small token of the factory's appreciation; please accept it."

Liu Guangqi glanced at the thick envelope and shook his head: "Director Li, these should be distributed to the comrades in the technical department. After all, I am a seconded staff member, and my salary and benefits are already generous enough, as they are paid by the Ministry of Metallurgy through the First Ministry of Machine Building. It would be against regulations for me to take the factory's bonus as well."

He knew perfectly well what kind of person Li Huaide was. Business dealings, meals, and drinks together could be considered necessary social interactions; but accepting gifts privately was a completely different matter. The steel mill was a turbulent place, and the power struggle between Li Huaide and Director Yang was likely to become even more dramatic. He, a temporary chief engineer, had no intention of getting involved.

Moreover, he could roughly guess what was in the envelope—nothing more than money or notes. And right now, that was exactly what he had in abundance. He and Zhao Mengyun had a monthly surplus of nearly two hundred yuan. They had meals at the ministry's canteen and a kitchen in their residential compound, so they almost never needed money for daily expenses.

The envelope was placed on the table, its thickness just right.

The room was so quiet you could hear the dust settling on the floor.

Liu Guangqi didn't reach out, and Li Huaide didn't pull his hand back either.

"Comrade Guangqi, you've got it wrong," Li Huaide said with a smile, his voice low. "This wasn't given by the factory—it's the ministry's idea."

He lightly tapped the envelope with his fingertip.

"Those who make contributions deserve rewards. We're not like the landlords of the old society. Workers even get subsidies for overtime. If you don't take them, how can I, as the factory manager, ask the comrades in the technical department to accept awards in the future?"

The words were spoken lightly, but the meaning was profound.

Liu Guangqi understood.

Li Huaide knew he didn't want to get close, but he still wanted to hand him the pole.

Li Huaide also heard the rumors circulating outside—Liu Guangqi's in-laws were very powerful and well-connected.

Such a person, with impeccable family background and his own abilities, who would dare to offend him easily? Even his father Liu Haizhong's position in the factory was not elevated too much by Li Huaide, for fear of displeasing Liu Guangqi.

Today's trip was ostensibly to deliver a reward from the department, but secretly, it was to build a bridge between the two of them.

Liu Guangqi looked up, a perfectly measured smile appearing on his lips.

It was neither overly enthusiastic nor stiff.

"Since it's the ministry's decision, it would seem inconsiderate of me to refuse."

He reached out and picked up the envelope, his palm sinking slightly.

"Director Li made this trip."

Li Huaide felt a weight lift from his shoulders, as if a stone had been lifted from his shoulders.

"That's right! It's all for official business."

He stood up, his tone much more relaxed: "If you encounter any difficulties at work or in life, feel free to come to me."

The person left, and the door closed.

The office returned to silence.

Liu Guangqi leaned back in his chair, clutching the envelope, a faint smile flickering in his eyes.

Li Huaide is a man who always does things beautifully.

Not long after, the door was pushed open again.

This time, it was Sha Zhu's face that peeked in.

He was wearing his oil-stained cook's uniform, rubbing the soles of his shoes at the doorway, hesitant to go in.

"Brother Zhu?" Liu Guangqi put down his pen. "What's up?"

Sha Zhu dawdled in, rubbing his hands on his apron repeatedly.

"Guangqi, you've been helping out at the factory for almost a month now..."

His voice was lower than usual. "Haven't you tried the cooking at our third canteen yet?"

Liu Guangqi's eyebrows twitched slightly.

Sha Zhu is usually straightforward, but today he was stammering, as if he had been transformed.

He remained calm and simply replied, "I eat lunch at the ministry's canteen; it's convenient."

Changing the subject, she asked, "You came all this way specifically for something?"

Sha Zhu stiffened his neck, and his voice suddenly rose:

"That's different! The ministry canteen is for cadres, but our steel mill's pots and pans are just as good! I've recently tried several hearty dishes; I guarantee you'll crave them!"

Sha Zhu had a smile plastered on his face, but the words rolled around in his throat and he couldn't bring himself to say them—inviting someone to lunch at the factory canteen, what kind of serious business was that? When others asked for favors or connections, it was always for important matters. But for him, it had become such an unseemly request, and he felt ashamed just thinking about it.

Seeing his awkward, forced-to-put-on-face expression, Liu Guangqi immediately understood. This guy must have made some boast in the kitchen and now, unable to save face, he's asking Liu Guangqi to fill in for him. He saw through him but didn't say anything, simply going along with it and smilingly agreeing, "Okay, I'll come find you at the third canteen tomorrow at noon. Brother Zhu, don't try to fool me by shaking your spoon when you get your food."

"Of course not!" Sha Zhu's eyes lit up instantly upon hearing this, his previous awkwardness vanished, and his voice became loud and clear. "I guarantee you'll want to come back for more!" Fearing Liu Guangqi was just being polite, he leaned closer, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of secret pride, "Given our friendship, I'll definitely prepare a special meal for you from the back, a couple of really hearty dishes!"

Having said that, he straightened up contentedly, his back ramrod straight, and swaggered out, instantly resuming his usual arrogant demeanor in the courtyard. As soon as he returned to the bustling kitchen, he couldn't contain himself. He bumped into Liu Lan, who was busy at work, and immediately raised his voice: "See? I just got back from Chief Engineer Liu's place. He promised to come over for lunch tomorrow! You just wait and see if I, Chef He, am just bragging!"

***

The following day, the Research Department of the First Ministry of Machine Building.

As usual, Liu Guangqi sat down at his desk early and quickly immersed himself in his work. The morning light slanted in, casting flowing patches of light on the five-axis heavy-duty machining center blueprints he had laid out. Every line, every precise annotation, seemed to breathe. The office was utterly quiet, broken only by the steady, rhythmic scratching of a pencil across the paper—a familiar sound to him.

Outsiders only see him creating miracles one after another, but they don't know that behind it is his unwavering dedication to his work day after day. Suddenly, the tip of his pen stopped beside a complex structure with a double-headed main axis. After a moment's thought, he quickly wrote several lines of detailed annotations and calculation formulas in the blank space at the edge of the drawing.

The complexity of these drawings far surpassed that of the CNC machine tool project he had previously led, making them several times more difficult. Counting the days, he had only three days left on his secondment to the steel rolling mill. To facilitate the urgent technological innovations needed there, he had to spend every afternoon in the workshop, with only the brief mornings allowing him to fully dedicate himself to his project. Although progress was slower than expected, achieving this much during his secondment was already a significant accomplishment.

A soft knock sounded on the door.

"Go in." Liu Guangqi did not look up.

A young researcher wearing black-rimmed glasses strode in carrying a stack of documents, his face showing a questioning expression and his tone respectful: "Director, we've encountered a few technical issues with the export version machine tool drawings for the Hongxing Factory that we've repeatedly reviewed, but we're still stuck. Please take a look..."

Liu Guangqi then looked up from the blueprints, took the documents, and with a quick glance, his fingertip landed on a certain spot on a data chart. In just a few words, he clarified the problem that had troubled everyone for so long. The young researcher watched his effortless handling of the matter, then looked down at the suddenly clear blueprint, and could only admire him.

"Go ahead and get busy. Keep up with the trial production over there." Liu Guangqi waved his hand, his attention already back on his drawings.

The office returned to silence. Time flowed quietly, the sun rose higher, and a slight rumbling in his stomach reminded Liu Guangqi of his promise to Sha Zhu. He might as well go try it, have a change of pace, and do him a favor while he was at it. He carefully examined the precious blueprints on his desk and locked them in his special cabinet.

After inspecting the research and development lab in the early morning and confirming that there were no problems to deal with, Liu Guangqi told the security guard where he was going and headed towards the steel rolling mill.

Before even stepping into the third canteen, the bustling noise and the rising steam of food hit him, making his stomach rumble. When Liu Guangqi arrived, a long queue had already formed at the food windows. He was a little late. When he was seconded to the Ministry of Metallurgy, they had issued him dozens of lunch and dinner tickets, but he had hardly used them—the canteen at the Ministry of Machinery Industry was much better, so he rarely ate at the steel mill's communal kitchen. As a result, he had accumulated a thick stack of meal tickets. In a few days, when his secondment ended, he could hand them all over to his father, Liu Haizhong.

In short, Liu Guangqi spent almost nothing on food. Not to mention his current salary and benefits; in an era when most people still had to carefully budget, he had no shortage of money, food, or ration coupons. Only after becoming an engineer could one truly appreciate the immense benefits this era bestowed upon highly skilled professionals. A monthly salary of over a hundred, plus various subsidies and special coupons, was an amount unimaginable for ordinary workers. Saving for several months was enough to buy a house, and with a year or two of diligence, owning a detached courtyard house in Beijing was not difficult. This was the reality of an engineer's salary and benefits. If courtyard houses hadn't been allowed to be freely bought and sold at that time, Liu Guangqi would probably have already acquired several.

Before long, Liu Guangqi walked into the third canteen with a smile.

The once bustling hall, as if boiling water, suddenly fell silent, a momentary pause. Hundreds of eyes turned towards it. Then, the silence was shattered by an even louder roar.

"Chief Engineer Liu!"