Courtyard House: The Frog Boy Brings Back a Genetic Potion at the Start

Those who are technically skilled are not necessarily good at management; leadership positions require the wisdom to unite people and the responsibility to shoulder heavy burdens.

Now the factory is wondering if Hao Jianguo can truly win over a veteran technician like Yi Zhonghai.

After all, if one is not capable enough to perform the duties, even if one becomes the deputy director, it will be difficult to maintain the position for long.

Yi Zhonghai, who had worked in the factory for many years, had already sensed this deeper meaning.

His attack at this moment was deliberate—in his eyes, the position of deputy director would likely fall to him soon.

"Master Yi is right."

Several more experienced workers stepped out from the crowd, their faces filled with disapproval of Hao Jianguo. "He's so young and he wants to lead us? He's probably not up to the task yet."

"This is a factory; ultimately, it's the technology that matters."

Those who stepped forward were all recognized technical backbones in the workshop, and they were all proud and arrogant in their daily lives.

Want to make them bow down? You'll have to completely surpass them in skill.

Although it wasn't said explicitly, everyone understood the implication—it was an indirect reference to Hao Jianguo's less-than-honorable appointment as deputy director.

Yi Zhonghai glanced at Hao Jianguo, a hint of smugness flashing in his eyes.

Although ordinary workers had distanced themselves from him, he still enjoyed prestige among this group of technical backbone.

Now that everyone is standing up for him, this is exactly the situation he wants to see.

If the matter is blown out of proportion and Hao Jianguo is unable to resolve it, his superiors will inevitably be disappointed in him.

When the time comes, wouldn't it be perfectly logical for him to be dismissed? Being removed from office after only a few days in office—in Yi Zhonghai's mind, that would be a huge joke, enough to make Hao Jianguo never be able to hold his head up in the factory again.

"You may be the king of the courtyard, but I can't beat you."

Yi Zhonghai sneered inwardly, "But this is a factory, a real stage."

"No real skills, yet you think you can act tough here? Dream on!"

Hao Jianguo calmly swept his gaze across the crowd.

He knew the temperaments of these veteran craftsmen very well.

"It's your prerogative to disagree."

His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear: "But what about the factory's arrangements? Are you all going to take this to higher authorities to argue?"

A few words left everyone speechless, their faces turning pale, and they all turned away with cold snorts.

"The meeting is now beginning."

Hao Jianguo took out the list and called out names one by one, "Yi Zhonghai, and the rest of you—come with me for a short meeting."

Yi Zhonghai scoffed upon hearing this.

In his opinion, this was nothing more than a new official making a show of his power and putting on airs.

"You started shaking as soon as you put on your official hat?"

He spat inwardly, but his feet still moved with the crowd.

Hao Jianguo distributed several booklets to everyone.

Yi Zhonghai took the booklet, staring at the words "Compilation of Workshop Operation Specifications" on the cover, his brows furrowing tightly.

The others flipped through the manual, their faces also showing confusion.

No one could guess what Hao Jianguo was really up to.

"Why send this? Do we have to look at this while we're working?"

A direct question arose from the crowd.

Hao Jianguo surveyed the workshop, his tone calm yet authoritative: "Recently, some comrades have become lax in their discipline."

Starting today, I will set aside time each day to study the regulations, thoroughly understanding every rule and memorizing it.

Most of the young workers remained silent, feeling that it wouldn't hurt to learn.

But the experienced workers and a few seasoned veterans who were used to slacking off immediately lost their temper.

Yi Zhonghai was the first to step out of the crowd.

He felt those words were directed at him, and anger flared within him. He decided to be blunt: "Deputy Director Hao, everyone is burdened with tasks every day, where do we find the time to study this? If that's the case, then we should all quit our jobs and go to school!"

This statement immediately drew many echoes.

"Hao Jianguo, aren't you just looking for trouble?"

Another experienced foreman spoke even louder, "We're fitters, all we need to do is get the job done. Why bother with all that fancy stuff?"

They showed no mercy whatsoever.

Someone threw the pamphlet back onto the bench and scoffed, "Instead of wasting time on formalities, you should focus on mastering the technology."

Ultimately, making a living in a factory depends on one's skills.

Opposition arose immediately, clearly indicating that they did not buy into it and had no intention of following it.

Yi Zhonghai watched coldly, feeling a surge of satisfaction.

He knew all too well the strengths of the "pillars" assigned to Hao Jianguo.

Their temperament—if you're talking about seasoned veterans among soldiers, this is the factory's "technical veteran," and the top of the bunch at that.

If you don't have the real ability to keep them in check, don't even think about getting their respect.

When Director Niu was in charge, these people also caused trouble, but Director Niu had a way of dealing with it: he always had Yi Zhonghai help keep things in check.

They were wary of Yi Zhonghai's qualifications and skills, but outwardly they remained well-behaved.

But now? Yi Zhonghai has no intention of playing the "good guy" for Hao Jianguo.

The young worker watching frowned secretly.

They usually have to be extremely careful when asking these experienced masters for guidance, and the masters always have a long face, as if they owe them a debt.

The current situation is clearly intended to intimidate the newly appointed deputy director.

If we can't control it this time, we can forget about managing it in the future.

Just as things were getting chaotic, a key technical staff member named Sun Dabao stretched, stood up, whistled, and swaggered toward the door.

"Sun Dabao!"

Hao Jianguo stopped him, "The meeting isn't over yet, where are you going?"

Sun Dabao turned his head and grinned nonchalantly: "Taking a piss, Deputy Director Hao?"

What, can rules kill someone who needs to pee? Or is there a factory rule that forbids workers from going to the toilet?

Laughter erupted immediately, full of mockery.

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out outside.

A worker rushed in, his forehead covered in sweat: "Deputy Director, something's happened! Unit 3 suddenly stopped. It's the peak time for the project; if we're delayed, the losses could be significant!"

Hao Jianguo immediately led his men out.

Yi Zhonghai and the other experienced workers exchanged glances and smiled knowingly at each other.

When Hao Jianguo arrived at the malfunctioning equipment, the workshop director, Lao Niu, was pacing anxiously, his forehead covered in sweat.

He immediately stepped forward and organized the workers to check the condition of the equipment one by one.

However, the machine's structure was intricate, and the cause of the malfunction was difficult to find immediately.

"Comrade Jianguo, now you should understand that you can't learn real skills just by memorizing rules and regulations."

Talk is cheap; real skill is what matters.

Standing outside the crowd, Yi Zhonghai casually uttered this remark, his tone clearly sarcastic.

Sun Dabao, who had been singled out by Hao Jianguo earlier, also sneered.

At this moment, the key technical personnel in the workshop stood behind Yi Zhonghai with their arms crossed, clearly intending to oppose the newly appointed deputy director.

"How about we bring the rules and regulations manual over and see if there are any solutions written in it?"

Someone deliberately made the suggestion loudly, which drew laughter.

Their behavior made the frantic repairmen around them frown.

Not only are they not helping, but they're also making sarcastic remarks. The machine shutdown affects the entire workshop; can't these people even distinguish between what's important and what's not?

Old Niu was also seething with anger.

He knew these master craftsmen were usually difficult to manage because of their skills, but what kind of situation was this? How could they be so inconsiderate!

"Stop talking! Come and help! If something serious happens, none of us in the workshop can afford the responsibility!"

Old Niu's tone became stern.

But the experienced workers remained standing still, their eyes all fixed on Yi Zhonghai, clearly waiting for him to make a statement.

Yi Zhonghai felt very pleased.

This was exactly the scene he wanted to see—to let the leaders see just how capable this newly appointed deputy director really was.

He cleared his throat and slowly began, "Production tasks are the most important."

"Everyone can keep their opinions about Deputy Director Hao to themselves, but the machine malfunction cannot be delayed."

The words were spoken in a grand and dignified manner, but everyone could hear the underlying meaning.

Although Old Niu was very unhappy, he could only suppress it at this moment.

These days, skilled workers have a special status, and sometimes even leaders have to give them some leeway.

Sun Dabao and his companions then stepped forward, deliberately raising their voices as they passed Hao Jianguo: "Talking on paper is useless; real skill is shown in action."

This is a minor problem; it only takes us a few minutes to fix.

However, not long after they made their boast, sweat began to bead on their foreheads.

The malfunction was far more complex than expected, and several minutes passed, but the machine remained silent.

The key personnel, who had been so arrogant just moments before, now fell silent, repeatedly inspecting the equipment, their expressions growing increasingly serious.

"The problem is probably not on the outside."

Sun Dabao wiped his sweat. "It's probably inside the mainframe."

"Yes, it must be a problem with a core component."

The group exchanged glances, and their hands gradually stopped moving.

Seeing that they had actually stopped, Old Niu raised his voice anxiously, "Now that you've found the root of the problem, what are you waiting for? Fix it quickly!"

He couldn't contain his anger any longer—were these people so eager to embarrass Hao Jianguo that they didn't even care about the priorities?

Sun Dabao looked at Director Niu with a troubled expression and whispered, "Director, please don't worry. It's not that we're unwilling to do it, but the problem with this machine is really tricky."

The internal structure is too intricate, and it's an old, imported machine. Over time, the parts have become fragile; if something goes wrong during operation, the entire machine could be rendered unusable.

Upon hearing this, Director Niu's heart sank.

He subconsciously turned his gaze to Yi Zhonghai beside him—at the moment, this level eight fitter was probably the only one he could count on.

Yi Zhonghai naturally understood the gravity of the matter and quickly stepped forward to examine it carefully.

In a short while, the wrinkles between his brows deepened.

This malfunction is indeed troublesome; the machine's structure is more complex than expected.

Based on his years of experience, he judged that it would be almost impossible to repair it in a short time: firstly, although it was determined to be a main unit malfunction, it was difficult to pinpoint which part was causing the problem; secondly, this precision instrument was like fragile glass, and the slightest carelessness would result in complete destruction, the consequences of which no one dared to bear.

In the end, he could only shake his head at Director Niu and explain the truth in detail.

Upon hearing this, Director Niu's face turned ashen, and his voice trembled slightly: "Is... there really no other way?"

"It's not entirely unsolvable."

Yi Zhonghai pondered for a moment and said, "Director Wang from the technical department should be able to handle it."

He specializes in mechanical repair, and his skill level is far superior to mine.

"If we can get him involved, this problem can definitely be solved."

He added solemnly, "But we must hurry, or the machine may be lost."

These words made Director Niu even more anxious.

He sighed heavily: "How could I not have thought about looking for Old Wang? But unfortunately, he's out today and won't be back anytime soon!"

Thinking about the potentially huge losses, he felt dizzy and his vision went black.

"Director, let me give it a try."

Hao Jianguo, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke.

In fact, relying on his "top-notch repair skills," he had already quietly identified the root cause of the problem.

If Sun Dabao and others hadn't interrupted them earlier, the problem might have been solved long ago.

These words drew everyone's attention.

Sun Dabao was stunned at first, then a sneer appeared on his lips—even Master Yi was helpless, how dare Hao Jianguo act so arrogantly? Several workers around him exchanged suspicious glances.

Yi Zhonghai frowned.

While he was pleased to see Hao Jianguo make a fool of himself, he was even more worried that the kid's reckless actions would completely destroy the machine.

The entire workshop will be held responsible, and these key technical personnel will be the first to bear the blame.

Since it concerns his own interests, he absolutely cannot sit idly by.

Sun Dabao immediately sneered, "Hao Jianguo, this isn't the time for you to show off! What level is Master Yi, and what level are you? Even he can't handle this, so what ability do you have?"

A murmur of disapproval arose from all around.

"He lost his sense of responsibility as soon as he became a leader."

The experienced workers shook their heads and exchanged glances.

The workshop was filled with a restless atmosphere, and even the ordinary workers secretly shook their heads—everyone knew that when it came to skills, Master Yi was the best choice.

Several workers who were familiar with Hao Jianguo quietly tugged at his sleeve.

Having finally been promoted to deputy director, with a promising future ahead of him, why show off at this crucial juncture?

"Jianguo, don't be impulsive. This machine is not something we can touch."

"Master Yi said that we must wait for Director Wang to come back."

If you intervene now, things might get worse…

Hao Jianguo simply patted his companion's hand lightly and walked straight toward the silent machine.

He gave a reassuring look to his friends, then looked at the workshop director.

"Director, let me give it a try."

His voice was so calm that it seemed out of place amidst the anxiety around him. "You know me, I won't do anything reckless."

The machine can't wait for people; if we delay any longer, it will become unusable.

Since there's no other way, why don't I try my luck? What do you say?