Studying at Western University starts with a knife-forging competition

After the new furnace was built, Lin Yuan did not rush to light it.

He spent the entire morning checking the tightness of the brick joints, using a level to check the flatness of each surface, and even disassembling the air intake duct joints and re-wrapping them with sealing tape. The furnace chamber is 1.6 meters long, with three layers of high-alumina refractory bricks lining the inner wall, reinforced with steel plates on the outside. The furnace bottom is lined with refractory wool, covered with another layer of refractory castable. The blower is new, with twice the air volume of the propane furnace, and the exhaust duct is directly connected to the centrifugal fan on the roof. Daniel had already tested it yesterday; the air pressure was sufficient, and there was no backflow.

"We can light the fire now." Lin Yuan stuffed the last sealing brick into the edge of the furnace door and took a step back.

Daniel crouched down and turned on the propane ignition gun, a small blue flame probing into the furnace opening. Lin Yuan stood next to the blower switch, waiting for the furnace to preheat for about thirty seconds before slowly pushing open the damper.

The coke began to burn under the licking flames, turning red first from the outermost layer and then gradually spreading downwards. The temperature inside the furnace rose at a visible rate, and the inner walls of the refractory bricks changed from gray to dark red, then transitioned to bright orange.

Lin Yuan crouched down and peered through the observation hole on the side of the furnace. The coke layer had a smooth combustion surface, without any overheated bright white areas or cold spots. The exhaust pipe emitted a low hum, cleanly and efficiently drawing out the combustion fumes.

As he squatted in front of the furnace door adjusting the damper, the sound of a car engine came from the entrance of the forge. Daniel glanced up at the entrance first, then stood up. "It's Pat's car."

Lin Yuan stood up from the furnace door and took off his heat-resistant gloves. A dark gray Ford Explorer was parked at the door. Pat got out of the driver's seat, and Carroll got out of the passenger seat. She was wearing a dark blue polo shirt today and was carrying the flip-top writing pad.

When Pat entered the forge, his gaze fell directly on the newly built coke oven. "Did you build this today?"

"The bricks were finished yesterday, and we're testing them today."

Carroll stood in the doorway and turned the whiteboard to a new page.

Pat walked to the stove, bent down and peered through the inspection hole, then straightened up and ran his finger along the connection of the flue pipe. The sealing tape was neatly wrapped, and there was no leak. He turned to look at Lin Yuan.

"Did you apply for permission to use this furnace?"

"What are you reporting?"

"Fire safety inspection," Pat said calmly. "Your forge is rented from the community, and the fire insurance is purchased by the community. Any modifications involving open flame equipment must first pass the fire department's inspection before it can be used. This rule wasn't set by us; it's a requirement from the insurance company."

Carroll chimed in from the doorway, his voice low but clear. "Community fire insurance premiums are calculated based on the property's risk level. The more open flame equipment you have, the higher the risk level goes, and the premium goes up by one dollar."

Insurance companies won't come to the site for inspection; they only look at the fire department's inspection report. Without a report, the insurance company can refuse to pay out in the event of a fire.

Lin Yuan stood there, still clutching his heat-resistant gloves. His first reaction wasn't to argue, but to recall what his father had said at the Longquan factory—procedures can be slow, but safety cannot wait.

"How do I apply for this? I'll follow the rules."

Pat glanced at him, took out his phone from his pocket, and pulled out a number. "The town's fire station, the captain's name is Mike. Call this number to schedule an on-site inspection, he'll send someone over. They'll tell you if there are any problems, and after the rectification is complete, they'll do a follow-up inspection. If it passes, they'll issue a report."

"Approximately how long will it take?"

"If it goes quickly, it will take one to two weeks. If it goes slowly, it depends on their schedule."

Lin Yuan nodded, turned around, picked up his notebook from the worktable, and wrote down the key points Pat had mentioned one by one.

But Matt had already heard him. He was standing at the entrance of the blacksmith's workshop, having arrived at some unknown time. He walked in carrying a cup of coffee, his gaze fixed on Pat's face.

"Pat, I'll be blunt," Matt said firmly. "We can't wait that long for the normal inspection process. The furnace is built, and the customer's orders are piling up. Just name a number, and we'll get it over with."

Pat didn't answer immediately, but instead turned to look at Carol. Carol tapped her fingers lightly twice on the whiteboard, then looked up. "The fire department needs a donation to their equipment fund; the shortfall is around this amount." She held up one finger with her right hand.

Ten thousand US dollars.

Matt shook his head. "Ten thousand is too high. Five thousand."

Pat spoke up. "Five thousand is too little. The fire department will need at least six thousand to settle this. Your stove isn't small; it carries significant weight with them."

He paused and tapped the steel plate in the furnace with his finger.

"But you don't need to worry too much. The stove itself isn't a big problem; it's well-built and the smoke extraction is effective. However, our union has certified safety assessors who can develop fire safety improvement plans and issue community-approved safety certificates."

You entrust the safety of the stove to us. We'll handle all the necessary rectifications and issue the required permits. The fire department will just go through the motions during their on-site inspection once they see our union's seal.

"How much do you want?" Matt asked.

Pat held up two fingers.

Two thousand US dollars.

"Six thousand goes to the fire department, and two thousand goes to our union. Eight thousand in total. You can keep the stove as usual; the fire department won't bother you, and the insurance premium won't go up."

Matt turned around and looked at Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan stood beside the furnace, still clutching the heat-resistant gloves in his hand. Eight thousand US dollars was no small sum, but it wasn't unaffordable either. After Doug's check for the short sword was deposited into the workshop's account, the balance was sufficient to cover the expense.

If the normal process is followed, there will be a one to two-week waiting period, which would delay Nielsen and Jason's orders and could also affect customer trust.

"Eight thousand." Lin Yuan placed the gloves on the worktable. "You decide."

Matt nodded and turned to Pat. "Eight thousand. But there's one condition—the fire department needs to be dealt with within three days. The union's safety certificate also needs to be issued at the same time. We'll start using this stove next week."

Pat barely hesitated. "Three days is enough. I'll go see Mike tomorrow, the fire department will issue the receipt the day after, and the union will send you the safety certificate the day after that." He extended his hand and shook hands with Matt.

"How do I pay?" Matt asked.

"Six thousand to the fire department, just transfer it directly to their equipment fund account, I'll give you the receipt tomorrow. Two thousand to the union, cash or check is fine, I'll issue a receipt." Pat pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it over.

Matt took the business card and stuffed it into his pocket. "I'll make the payment tomorrow. I'll send the check over next Monday."

Pat nodded and turned to walk towards the door. He paused when he reached the furnace, glancing down at the newly replaced cast-iron handle on the furnace door. "The furnace is well-built," he said, then stepped out of the forge.

Carroll followed behind him, nodded in Lin Yuan's direction, turned around, opened the car door, and got into the passenger seat. The dark gray Ford Explorer started, made a U-turn on the gravel in the parking lot, turned onto the highway, and disappeared behind the roadside trees.