Courtyard House: Starting as an engineer, crushing a yard full of poultry

We're all educated people, no one's stupid. This was something that could have been delayed, yet Section Chief Li sent Old Miao, a level-five technician, instead. Why isn't that obvious?

Section Chief Li is trying to establish his authority! He killed a big chicken!

Chapter Sixty-Three: Revenge Against Yi Zhonghai (Seeking flowers, votes, and full subscription!)

After Li Xiangdong finished making the arrangements, he went to find Director Yang.

Li Xiangdong, the head of the technical department, knew that the factory had some 30mm gun steel left over from the last processing of anti-aircraft guns. Now Li Xiangdong needed some, so he had to apply for it.

There are also some machines needed for processing, which also need to be done in a confidential workshop.

The classified workshop isn't large, only about 3,000 square meters. However, the products manufactured here belong to the military. There are still soldiers on guard, and it's currently undergoing renovations.

It was military personnel who came to repair and adjust the machines; no one from the steel mill was involved.

Li Xiangdong arrived at Director Yang's office and knocked on the door. He heard a "Come in" and pushed the door open.

Factory Director Yang was sitting on the sofa looking this way. Opposite him sat Yi Zhonghai and a somewhat uneasy Yan Jiecheng.

When Factory Director Yang saw Li Xiangdong enter, he hurriedly stood up to greet him. This action forced Yi Zhonghai to stand up as well. Turning around, he saw Yan Jiecheng still sitting there, and could only pull him up to stand.

"What are your instructions, Section Chief Li?" Factory Director Yang said with a smile, "Please sit here."

"We need Deputy Factory Director Li and Secretary Zhang to come over," Li Xiangdong said seriously. "This is no small matter. We need to discuss this with everyone..."

"Okay, okay, Section Chief Li, please have a seat." Factory Director Yang invited Li Xiangdong to sit down on the sofa and said to Yi Zhonghai, "Master Yi, you can just talk to the workshop director about this matter, he will take care of it. You don't need to come to me!"

"Um, I'm not a level eight worker anymore," Yi Zhonghai said somewhat awkwardly, "but this matter was handled when I was still a level eight worker."

"And I will definitely become a level eight worker again next year."

"Alright, alright. Go find Deputy Factory Director Fan and tell him I agreed," Factory Director Yang said.

Yi Zhonghai glanced at Li Xiangdong with a hint of smugness, his expression carrying a touch of boasting.

After leading Yan Jiecheng out of Director Yang's office, Yi Zhonghai said smugly, "Jiecheng, your matter is settled. From now on, follow me and learn well."

"Okay, I'll definitely learn from you, Uncle," Yan Jiecheng quickly pledged his loyalty.

They had just arrived at another office building, heading to find Deputy Factory Director Fan, when they saw Liu Haizhong looking furious, and Liu Guangqi, looking like he had just finished eating, walking out of the building.

The technical department is located in this building.

"What's wrong with Lao Liu?" Yi Zhonghai asked.

"That Li Xiangdong... he's a real jerk." Liu Haizhong said in a low voice, "Damn it, he kicked Guangqi out of the technical department and dragged Lao Miao down with him. He got reassigned to the machine repair branch. This... I'll make him pay when we get back!"

"Forget about it," Yi Zhonghai said hastily. "Don't ruin my plans. I'm already dealing with him. Just wait."

Yi Zhonghai needs to go back and bring the deaf old woman over now. He needs to borrow a tricycle from the kitchen. He doesn't want to carry her, nor can he.

"What can you do to him?" Liu Haizhong said angrily.

"Let's not talk about this anymore. You also remembered that you wanted to put Guangqi in the technical department. That's Li Xiangdong's territory!" Yi Zhonghai shook his head and said:

"You think he doesn't have any say in the technical department?"

Liu Haizhong rolled his eyes; he really did think so.

“You’ve experienced his methods firsthand.” Yi Zhonghai shook his head and said, “Forget it, let Guangqi go to the propaganda department.”

"He has a high school diploma, so there shouldn't be any problem. Go find Director Li later."

"He's gone to Director Yang's office for a meeting."

Liu Hai muttered to himself, knowing that if he wanted to ask Li Huaide for a favor, he couldn't do without giving him a gift.

Liu Guangqi was assigned to the steel rolling mill, and now he just wants an easy and promising job. They can't expect him to follow Liu Haizhong and swing a sledgehammer.

After Secretary Zhang and Li Huaide arrived, Li Xiangdong shared his thoughts. He concluded with a solemn expression, "If this experiment succeeds, then our weapon will be at the forefront of the world."

"Okay, okay, then we'll mobilize the manpower..."

Director Yang rolled his eyes and said.

"No need, I can manage on my own." Li Xiangdong shook his head and said, "It can be made this afternoon, it's not very complicated. The complicated part is the ammunition; I have blueprints for several types of sniper grenade launchers here. Director Li, could you tell me about the production process...?"

"Great, great. I'll contact them right now. Have the military send people with the blueprints to build it up." Li Huaide said excitedly, "I already reported this to my superiors."

Factory Director Yang gritted his teeth inwardly. This report and request was originally his responsibility as the factory director, but Li Xiangdong specifically requested Li Huaide to do it. This put him in an awkward position, but he couldn't very well try to take it from Li Huaide.

Li Huaide left somewhat smugly; he didn't need Director Yang's phone call.

Seeing Director Yang's sour face, Secretary Zhang chuckled and said, "Section Chief Li, you're going to take the long way around. Having Director Yang report is just as good."

"Uh, I just said it offhand, I didn't think much of it. Besides, Director Yang is so busy, dealing with that old bastard Yi Zhonghai's hypocritical affairs. I didn't want to bother him." Li Xiangdong made no attempt to hide his dislike for Yi Zhonghai.

If he hadn't transmigrated, the original owner of this body would probably have had Yi Zhonghai completely under his thumb. After all, the original owner was a top student, a science and engineering student, and quite inept at interpersonal relationships.

He might end up even worse off than the simple-minded Zhu in the original story.

Factory Director Yang shuddered; he finally understood why Li Xiangdong had so clearly sided with Li Huaide from the start. Of course, this wasn't about taking sides; as a technician, there was no need to take sides. Unless you wanted to climb the ladder.

"Section Chief Li, do you have some misunderstanding about Yi Zhonghai?"

Factory Director Yang forced a smile onto his face.

"A misunderstanding? How could that be? He's a morally bankrupt hypocrite, utterly despicable." Li Xiangdong said without hesitation, "I'll expose him as a shill."

Factory Director Yang was extremely frustrated. Li Xiangdong distanced himself from him simply because Yi Zhonghai was one of his men.

Of course, if the project succeeds, then Director Yang will also get a share of the credit.

Factory Director Yang secretly regretted not having gotten rid of Yi Zhonghai sooner.

Li Huaide returned quickly, and everything was settled. Soldiers immediately came and took away the ammunition and blueprints for the sniper grenade launcher.

Li Xiangdong made a sniper grenade himself without needing blueprints; his mental strength was too powerful, making his memory abnormally advanced.

Another key element is his ability to deduce and replicate. In Li Xiangdong's mind, each part on the blueprints is a real, three-dimensional component. He can simply copy it by hand.

Chapter Sixty-Four: Yi Zhonghai's Extortion at His Doorstep (A long chapter of 5,000 words; all future chapters will be long!)

Before leaving get off work in the afternoon, Li Xiangdong handcrafted a sniper grenade launcher. He even made the magazine. The only problem was the ammunition; he couldn't make the fuse or the gunpowder and other pyrotechnic components.

The sniper grenade was taken away by several soldiers. When Li Xiangdong started working on it, the others were waiting on the side.

“The military factory over there is also making them. Yours is the genuine article,” Li Huaide said with a smile.

Li Huaide had been waiting outside this confidential workshop for an hour.

The classified workshops all assist the military factories; any unfinished work there is assigned over here. I never expected they'd produce a new weapon here.

"It was just a sudden inspiration. The specific effects will depend on the results of the experiment over there," Li Xiangdong said with a smile.

"The higher-ups are taking this very seriously, which means your ideas are correct," said Factory Director Li. "You've had a busy day, let's go grab a couple of drinks!"

"Tonight really isn't an option," Li Xiangdong said with a smile. "My girlfriend's family just moved today, and I need to go back to celebrate or something."

"Then let's do it next time," Li Huaide said with some regret.

As the two were talking, Factory Director Yang and Secretary Zhang came over. After inquiring about the situation, they also wanted to invite him to dinner. However, Li Xiangdong declined with the same excuse.

"By the way, Section Chief Li, you live in a tenement building. How about we allocate you an apartment in a tenement building?" Director Yang said with a smile, "I can clear out a room of more than 80 square meters for you. That would be much more comfortable than living in the tenement building."

Li Xiangdong frowned and immediately understood. This matter was definitely related to Yi Zhonghai. They wanted to get rid of him.

Yi Zhonghai is plotting against me. How did this Factory Director Yang end up being used as a pawn by Yi Zhonghai?

Of course, in the minds of people in this era, tenement buildings are much more upscale than courtyard houses. But in Li Xiangdong's mind, what are tenement buildings? A traditional courtyard house is the real deal.

"No need, thank you, Director Yang!" Li Xiangdong said casually, "My girlfriend's family also lives in the same compound, so we can stay together and look after each other."

"Director Yang, I'll be frank. This must be another plea from Yi Zhonghai, right? That old bastard is trying to scheme against me." Li Xiangdong said coldly, "Just wait, I'll make him pay the price."

Factory Director Yang's expression darkened. He felt he had gone out of his way to arrange a dormitory-style apartment for Li Xiangdong, so why wasn't Li Xiangdong appreciative?

"Section Chief Li, do you have some misunderstanding about Yi Zhonghai?" Factory Director Yang asked, frowning.

"Misunderstanding? How could that be?" Li Xiangdong shook his head and said, "Hehe, after he got rid of me, my girlfriend's family lived in a tenement, and he took advantage of them. So he made me... you old bastard, you just wait."

Factory Director Yang sighed: "Section Chief Li is quite good at his work. And he's a very honest person..."

“I don’t want to talk about these things. He’s just a shoddy eighth-grade worker.” Li Xiangdong shook his head and said, “He’s colluding with his apprentices in Workshop 320, showing off his power… Never mind, I will make suggestions to the higher-ups regarding this situation.”

"Of all the apprentices Yi Zhonghai taught, how many have become successful? The highest level they reached was only a fourth-grade worker. He taught more than thirty apprentices, and he probably suppressed about twenty of them. There were a dozen or so scoundrels who followed his lead without question."

"These thugs caused trouble, and he stepped in to smooth things over. Tsk tsk, what a move. He's got the whole workshop under his control now. They're a bunch of scabs!"

"Director Yang, Director Li, Secretary Zhang, you must have heard about this matter. It's time to be ruthless, otherwise it will really become uncontrollable."

Did Director Yang frown? Secretary Zhang and Li Huaide nodded slowly.

"Section Chief Li, what are your thoughts?" Secretary Zhang asked.

"Strike hard against the traitors led by Yi Zhonghai!" Li Xiangdong said calmly, "And break down this master-disciple relationship that involves personal dependence."

“Set up training classes, one hour every afternoon, to train workers at all levels. Of course, they will take turns. The teachers will be workers at all levels. Under these circumstances, I wonder who would still hold the idea that teaching an apprentice will starve the master.”

"Oh, this is very good. This is very good. Please have Section Chief Li write a detailed report on the specific methods. We'll study it first before submitting it," Secretary Zhang said hurriedly.

"Okay, but I really have to go." Li Xiangdong glanced at his watch and was about to leave in a hurry.

"Section Chief Li, I have two more things to say. Regarding the house matter today, it was the deaf old lady who asked me to help. I owed her a favor, and this time I've repaid it," Factory Director Yang said after a moment's hesitation.

Li Xiangdong nodded. Director Yang was trying to distance himself from the situation. That meant he only did this out of necessity.

When Li Xiangdong returned to his office building, Yu Li was standing prettily beside his car.