Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

In July, the Hongxing factory area resembled a kiln that had been fired to its limit, even the evening breeze carrying a scorching heat. Lin Chen had just entered the test data for the last batch of turbine blades into the ledger when he heard a faint arguing sound coming from outside the workshop. He wiped the sweat from his brow and stepped out of the workshop, only to see Yan Bugui clutching a cloth bag, struggling with the gatekeeper, Old Li. The corner of an arithmetic textbook peeked out from the bag, and he could vaguely see the heads of a few children flashing past at the alley entrance.

"Master Li, we're all neighbors, is this really such a big deal?" Yan Bugui's triangular eyes narrowed into slits, his voice low but urgent. "It's just tutoring a few relatives' kids in arithmetic, it's nothing serious, please be lenient." Old Li crossed his arms and sneered, "Instructor Yan, the factory rules clearly state that private training classes for profit are not allowed within the factory premises. This is the third time already. If I catch them again, I'll have to report it to security."

Lin Chen leaned against the doorframe without making a sound, his gaze sweeping over the gap in Yan Bugui's cloth bag—inside, besides textbooks, were more than a dozen neatly stacked oil paper packets, the outlines of eggs vaguely visible through them. Last week, the system had alerted him to "abnormal material flow detected," originating from Yan Bugui's house. Now it seemed that this "arithmetic tutoring" was nothing more than a front for making money. Just as he was about to step forward, he saw Yan Bugui abruptly shove the cloth bag into his arms, glare fiercely at Old Li, turn around, and disappear into the alley leading to the family compound, his steps hurried as if afraid of being caught.

"Master Lin, did you see that? This teacher Yan is really greedy." Old Li chimed in, complaining, "A while ago, some parents complained that he charges five eggs or half a jin of grain coupons for each tutoring session. These days, who doesn't need food? He's heartless!" Lin Chen frowned slightly. Although Yan Bugui's salary wasn't top-tier, 38.5 yuan a month was above average for ordinary workers. It wasn't easy to support a family of six, but it wouldn't be enough for him to mistreat children and parents through tutoring. He suddenly remembered the recording he intercepted in the previous chapter. Yan Bugui had mentioned to Yi Zhonghai about "raising funds for the report." It seemed that most of the tutoring income was going to fill the hole he was scheming against Lin Chen.

When they returned to the courtyard, a crowd had gathered around the communal water tap in the middle courtyard. Qin Huairu was helping Aunt Liu wring out the sheets when she saw Lin Chen return. Smiling, she waved, "Junior Brother Lin, come over and cool off! I just heard from Guangtian that you recommended him to participate in the factory's skills competition?" Liu Guangtian poked his head out from the crowd, clutching a worn-out copy of the "Forging Process Handbook," his face beaming with excitement: "Master Lin said if I win an award, I can get promoted early!"

Just then, Yan Jiecheng's angry roar suddenly came from the front yard: "Dad! Can you stop causing trouble? Aunt Zhang's children are starving, and you're forcing her to bring eggs for tutoring!" Immediately followed by Yan Bugui's shrill retort: ​​"What do you know! Who am I doing this for? Isn't it to save up for your family! Once I've saved enough money, I'll buy your brother a house near the factory!" Lin Chen's heart stirred. It seemed that Yan Bugui's "tutoring business" had caused turmoil in the family, which was a good opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

At dinner time, Lin Chen deliberately sat down at the stone table in the courtyard with a bowl of thin porridge. Not long after, Yan Bugui returned carrying an empty cloth bag. He paused as he passed the stone table, his triangular eyes quickly scanning Lin Chen's bowl—it ​​contained a few grains of rice bran, looking even thinner than the porridge of ordinary families. "Little Lin, haven't you eaten yet?" Yan Bugui said insincerely. "If you're starving at home, just tell your uncle, and I'll give you half a pound of cornmeal."

Lin Chen put down his bowl, a worried look on his face. "Teacher Yan, to be honest, I need to save my meager salary to send back home, so I'm really strapped for cash lately. I heard you tutor children? My distant cousin's kid always fails math. If he could learn from you, I'd even be happy to have him fetch water or chop wood for you." Yan Bugui's eyes lit up instantly, then he put on a troubled expression. "Oh, it's not that I don't want to help you, it's just that there are too many people coming, and I don't have the energy. Besides, this isn't for profit; it's all about neighborly kindness."

"I understand, I understand," Lin Chen quickly replied, pulling two crumpled eggs from his pocket. "These were sent by a relative in the countryside. They're not worth much, but please accept them to nourish yourself. If there's really no room, I can have my cousin's child come later, even if it's just for half a class." These two eggs were delivered by Su Qing at noon, saying they were a benefit from the finance department, and Lin Chen was taking the opportunity to give them to her.

Yan Bugui's gaze was fixed on the eggs, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily, but he still feigned reluctance: "You child, why are you still using this trick? Fine, fine, for the sake of your sincerity, let him come tomorrow night, in that empty woodshed in the backyard, don't tell anyone." Lin Chen quickly thanked him, watching Yan Bugui's back as he hurried home with the eggs, a cold smile curving his lips—the fish had finally taken the bait.

The following evening, Lin Chen instructed Liu Guangtian to use the pretext of delivering blueprints to lie in wait in a haystack next to the woodshed, carrying a miniature recording device modified by the system. This device, made from parts of an old radio and cassette tape, was only the size of a matchbox, yet it could clearly record sound from within twenty meters. Lin Chen himself, carrying a pocket camera, hid in the old locust tree opposite the woodshed, its dense canopy perfectly concealing his figure.

Just after dusk, Yan Bugui arrived carrying a kerosene lamp, followed by five children with schoolbags. Each child clutched a different "tuition fee"—some had eggs, some had grain coupons, and one child even held a small jar of pickled vegetables. Yan Bugui took the "tuition fees" from each child, pulled out a yellowed ledger, and carefully recorded them, muttering to himself: "Aunt Zhang's family has five eggs, add that; Master Li's family has three taels of grain coupons, converted to seven cents..."

There was only a dilapidated wooden table in the woodshed. The children huddled on the bench, their knees tucked in. Yan Bugui placed the kerosene lamp on the corner of the table, took out an arithmetic textbook, but instead of starting the lesson, he began by scolding, "Listen up, all of you! No talking or moving around during class. If anyone dares to tell anyone about what's happening here, don't expect me to teach you anymore!" His voice was shrill, frightening the little girl on the far side, who shrank back.

The lectures were extremely perfunctory, repeating only the most basic addition and subtraction operations from the textbook, without even covering a single complex word problem. After only half an hour, he slammed his fist on the table and announced the end of get out of class: "That's it for today. Bring your things tomorrow. Remember, not a single egg is missing!" As soon as the children left, Yan Bugui eagerly sorted and packed away the "tuition fees," carefully placing the eggs into a cloth bag and stuffing the food coupons into his inner pocket. His greedy appearance was clearly captured by Lin Chen in a photograph taken from a tree.

Lin Chen had just climbed down from the tree when he bumped into Yi Zhonghai walking from the alley entrance, carrying a tin lunchbox. Yi's eyes lit up when he saw Yan Bugui's cloth bag, and he quickly went to meet him. The two walked to a corner and talked in hushed tones. Lin Chen immediately activated the system's recording function. He heard Yi Zhonghai ask, "How's it going with the materials? I've already taken care of Director Zhou. As long as we have evidence, we can remove Lin Chen from his position as a key technical member."

Yan Bugui patted the cloth bag smugly: "Don't worry, we've collected over thirty eggs in just a few days. That's enough food coupons to treat the security guards to drinks. After another half month, once we've saved enough, we'll bribe the warehouse manager and get the 'evidence' of Lin Chen hoarding alloy scraps." Yi Zhonghai nodded and handed the lunchbox to Yan Bugui: "This is braised pork that Sha Zhu gave me. Take some to nourish yourself; this matter can't go wrong."

Lin Chen quietly retreated, a cold smile playing on his lips. These two were truly blinded by greed, actually trying to frame someone with such despicable means. He returned home, took the film from his camera, organized the cassette tapes, and began plotting his next move. Handing the evidence directly to the factory would certainly punish the two, but that would be too lenient. Since they wanted to play dirty tricks, he'd make them taste the bitter fruit of their actions.

On the morning of the third day, Lin Chen deliberately detoured to the entrance of Hongxing Elementary School on his way to work, where he happened to run into Principal Wang Jianguo. "Good morning, Principal Wang," Lin Chen greeted him with a smile. "I have something I'd like to discuss with you, about teacher Yan Bugui." Wang Jianguo paused for a moment, then said warmly, "Little Lin, come into my office and tell me. You're a key technical worker in our factory, so feel free to speak your mind."

Upon entering the office, Lin Chen pulled several photos from his pocket—scenes of Yan Bugui collecting "tuition fees" and giving lessons in the woodshed. The angles were excellent, clearly showing both Yan Bugui's face and the "tuition fees" in the children's hands. "Principal Wang, look," Lin Chen said, placing the photos on the table. "Teacher Yan uses his after-get off work hours to tutor children in the factory's woodshed, charging five eggs or three ounces of grain coupons per lesson. This has spread throughout the staff and family compound, and many parents have expressed their opinions, saying it's a disguised way of extorting money."

Wang Jianguo picked up the photo and examined it closely, his face gradually darkening. "Such a thing has happened! Our school has repeatedly forbidden teachers from privately running training classes for profit, and Yan Bugui is defying these rules!" He paused, then hesitated, "But Lin, this photo..." Lin Chen quickly said, "Principal Wang, don't worry, I took this photo by chance when I passed by the woodshed, it's absolutely real. Also, I have a recording here, you can listen to it too."

Lin Chen put the tape into the radio, and immediately Yan Bugui's shrill reprimanding voice and mutterings while collecting "tuition fees" came through. Wang Jianguo grew angrier and angrier, slamming his fist on the table: "This is outrageous! He's not only extorting money, but also ruining our school's reputation! I'll send someone to investigate right away!" Lin Chen quickly stopped him: "Principal Wang, please don't be hasty. Teacher Yan is a veteran teacher after all; directly punishing him publicly might have a negative impact. I have a suggestion that will both make him realize his mistake and serve as a warning to other teachers."

Wang Jianguo's eyes lit up: "Oh? Tell me about it." Lin Chen lowered his voice and explained his plan in detail. Wang Jianguo listened and nodded repeatedly, finally patting Lin Chen's shoulder and saying, "Little Lin, you've thought this through very well. We'll do it your way, I'll go and make the arrangements right away."

That afternoon, the school sent two deans of teaching to the staff quarters, saying they wanted to "visit the families of staff members and understand the teaching situation of teachers." They first went to Aunt Zhang's house. Aunt Zhang was already dissatisfied with Yan Bugui forcing her to give her eggs, and she told the whole truth as soon as she opened her mouth. She even took out the "receipt" written by Yan Bugui - which was actually just a crumpled piece of paper that read "Received five eggs today, one tutoring session."

The head of education visited several more families whose children were receiving tutoring from Yan Bugui, and the situations were largely the same as what Aunt Zhang had described. One parent even cried, saying, "My child isn't good at math, but you can't rip us off like this! Those five eggs are our family's food for three days; my husband works overtime in the factory and can't even afford to eat them!"

When Yan Bugui heard the news, he was teaching the children in the woodshed. When the head of the teaching department pushed open the door, Yan Bugui was still clutching an egg he had just received. Startled, his hand trembled, and the egg fell and shattered on the floor. "Yan Bugui, you're coming back to the school with us," the head of the teaching department said, his face ashen. "You'd better give us an explanation for the situation reported by the staff's families."

Yan Bugui was terrified and stammered, "I...I didn't embezzle any money, I just...I was just helping the neighbors..." But when the head teacher produced the parents' testimonies and the "receipts" he had written, he couldn't speak anymore and collapsed to the ground. Seeing this, the children cried out, "The teacher always asks for things before she'll teach, and she won't let us tell anyone!"

After Yan Bugui was brought back to school, Principal Wang personally spoke with him. Following Lin Chen's advice, the school did not publicly punish him. Instead, he was made to return all the "tuition fees" he had collected to the parents, write a profound self-criticism, and suspend his teaching duties for a month to help out in the logistics department. Although there was no public announcement, the news still spread throughout the school and factory area, solidifying Yan Bugui's reputation as a "calculator," and he was the subject of gossip wherever he went.

Back at the courtyard house that evening, Yan Bugui locked himself in his room, the sound of him smashing things audible even through the courtyard wall. Aunt Yan paced anxiously at the door, and seeing Lin Chen passing by, she rushed forward for help: "Little Lin, please talk to your Uncle Yan! He's going crazy!" Lin Chen sighed and entered the Yan family's courtyard. He saw Yan Bugui tearing the yellowed account book to shreds, with scraps of paper and broken dishes scattered on the ground.

"Teacher Yan, it's no use being angry now." Lin Chen picked up a fragment of an account book, on which was written "Yan Jiecheng owes 50 cents in tuition." Yan Bugui looked up, his eyes red: "It was you! You're the one who snitched!" Lin Chen remained noncommittal, saying calmly, "Teacher Yan, I just told Principal Wang the truth. Think about it, which parent has it easy? You're using your knowledge for personal gain, which already goes against the original intention of teaching and nurturing students. Besides, weren't you saving that money to collude with Yi Zhonghai to harm me?"

Yan Bugui shuddered, his face turning deathly pale. He hadn't expected Lin Chen to know about his and Yi Zhonghai's plan, and he was momentarily at a loss for words. Lin Chen continued, "Yi Zhonghai only cares about his retirement plans; he won't genuinely help you. Did he come to your aid when you were disciplined? Teacher Yan, instead of scheming against others with him, why not live a peaceful life? Your math skills are so good; if you're willing, I can talk to the workshop foreman and have you help organize the material ledgers. Isn't that better than tutoring for money?"

Yan Bugui stood there, speechless for a long time. He recalled how Yi Zhonghai had avoided him these past few days, the account books he had torn up, and the resentful looks from the parents; a mix of emotions welled up inside him. Lin Chen's words, though harsh, had awakened him—things gained through scheming and embezzlement are ultimately unsustainable.

Seeing that he was wavering, Lin Chen continued, "The workshop is currently short of someone who knows arithmetic to organize the ledgers. The salary isn't as high as yours as a teacher, but it's stable, and you don't have to depend on anyone else. If you're willing, I'll talk to Director Zhou tomorrow." Yan Bugui remained silent for a long time before finally slumping down, his voice hoarse, "I...I'll think about it."

Stepping out of the Yan family's house, Lin Chen looked up at the window of Yi Zhonghai's house. It was pitch black inside; clearly, Yi Zhonghai hadn't returned yet. He knew this was only the first step in thwarting their conspiracy. Yi Zhonghai wouldn't give up easily; further battles awaited him. But he wasn't worried, because he firmly believed that scheming and despicable tactics could never defeat someone who relied on skill and sincerity.

Back home, Lin Chen opened the system panel, which displayed a new notification: "Frustrate Yan Bugui's scheme to amass wealth, guide him back to the right path, and complete the 'Ability Enhancement' side quest. Reward: 1000 points. Current points: 49500. New feature unlocked: Skill Optimization." Lin Chen nodded in satisfaction. The Skill Optimization feature would be perfect for improving Liu Guangtian's forging skills. He took out Liu Guangtian's mold sketch, and after optimizing it with the system, the stress structure on the sketch was more reasonable, and the accuracy was also greatly improved.

The next morning, as soon as Lin Chen arrived at the workshop, he saw Yan Bugui waiting at the door, carrying a cloth bag and looking somewhat flustered. "Master Lin, I... I've thought it through. Thank you for your kindness." Yan Bugui handed the cloth bag to Lin Chen. "This is the money I returned to my parents for the eggs. I counted it, and it's just enough to buy you some tools. I'm willing to go to the workshop to organize the ledgers, and I'll never do anything crooked again."

Lin Chen took the cloth bag, which contained neatly folded bills and coins. He smiled and said, "Teacher Yan, please keep the money for your child to buy some stationery. I've already spoken to Director Zhou about the ledger; you can report to the logistics department now." Yan Bugui's eyes reddened with emotion, and he repeatedly thanked him, "Master Lin, don't worry, I will definitely do my job well and won't let you down!"

After Yan Bugui reported for duty in logistics, he indeed changed his usual calculating ways and became exceptionally meticulous when organizing the ledgers, even calculating to two decimal places clearly. Director Zhou, after reviewing the ledgers he had organized, praised Lin Chen highly: "Xiao Lin, you've really struck gold! Yan Bugui's ledgers are even clearer than those of a professional accountant, saving us a lot of trouble."

Meanwhile, Yi Zhonghai, upon learning that Yan Bugui had not only failed to raise enough "reporting funds" for him but had instead gone to help with logistics in the workshop, was furious and spent half the day cursing him as a "good-for-nothing." Unbeknownst to him, Lin Chen had already laid out a much larger scheme, waiting for him to gradually walk into it. In the workshop, Liu Guangtian, holding Lin Chen's optimized sketch, was diligently practicing forging. The firelight illuminated his young face, also lighting up the path of craftsmanship inheritance in Lin Chen's heart.