I feel right at home in the world of the courtyard house.

"Uphold our revolutionary stance, strictly abide by factory rules and regulations, and resist unhealthy tendencies!"

"Stay at your production post, avoid laxity, and maintain collective order!"

"Keep your eyes open to distinguish right from wrong, and work together to protect the factory area!"

Slogans suddenly blared from the factory's loudspeakers.

Li Jing'an stood up and looked downstairs. At the entrance of the Workers' Club, two groups of people were locked in a tense standoff, a dense, dark mass of people huddled together. He grinned and chuckled twice: "It's the Red Army and the Workers' Army fighting over the broadcasting room again."

Since the social atmosphere changed drastically, this kind of scene has been playing out every few days.

The Red Army faction consisted mostly of young workers and apprentices, all of whom were loud-voiced and hot-tempered; they were the radical rebels in the factory.

The General Union of Workers' Associations (GU) is mainly composed of older workers who are not good at arguing, but they are exceptionally united and only want to maintain normal order in the factory. They are considered a conservative faction.

The two factions put up big-character posters and held debates every day. One accused the other of being a "fake revolutionary," while the other criticized the other for "sabotaging." The broadcasting room was occupied in turn, and the noise was deafening.

Fortunately, with Li Jing'an keeping things in check, the steel rolling mill has only remained at the stage of verbal struggle so far, with at most occasional pushing and shoving and a few unpleasant words exchanged, but no major trouble has ever occurred.

Li Jing'an glanced at it for a moment, then a hint of amusement suddenly struck him. He turned and picked up the phone on the table: "Hello, call Deputy Team Leader Ma from the production command group to my office."

He chuckled softly after hanging up the phone. Xiao Ma was considered a minor leader among the radicals. Li Jing'an had deliberately placed him in the factory's revolutionary committee to intentionally sow discord among the radicals and prevent them from uniting as one.

As for the conservatives, he paid them no heed. Those veteran workers and key technical personnel were focused entirely on factory production, adhering to the rules and resisting unrest; they were the easiest to control.

"Director Li, you wanted to see me?" Xiao Ma pushed open the door and came in with a fawning smile on his face.

"Xiao Ma, come here." Li Jing'an smiled and beckoned him to the window, then pointed downstairs, "Look, they're making a scene again."

Xiao Ma peeked out and his expression immediately changed. He quickly waved his hands, "Director Li, this has nothing to do with me! No one under me is involved. I've been keeping an eye on the National Day float project these past few days..."

"I know, I understand." Li Jing'an patted his shoulder. "I just feel that all this arguing and pushing every day is really meaningless. Look at other factories, they're bustling with activity, but ours is lifeless and lacks any energy."

Xiao Ma stood there, stunned, unsure how to respond.

Li Jing'an took a few steps closer and lowered his voice: "Go back and pick a few men, bring your weapons, and go up there to teach them a lesson."

"Huh?" Xiao Ma's eyes widened, and his voice tightened. "Director Li, if we really start fighting, things could get really messy."

His Adam's apple bobbed incessantly. The steel rolling mill was now like a powder keg, and it was only thanks to Li Jing'an's relentless efforts to keep it in check. Once relations completely broke down, the conflict would escalate rapidly, and not only would production targets be lost, but the entire factory would be paralyzed.

"Little Ma," Li Jing'an turned and leaned against the window frame, looking at him with a smile, "How can a revolution be carried out with a harmonious atmosphere? Being all smiles and pleasantries is like a dinner party, not a revolution. Suppressing conflicts will only lead to disaster sooner or later. It's better to let both sides have a thorough showdown, determine right and wrong, and vent all the pent-up anger."

He waved his hand dismissively, saying, "Just do as I say."

Xiao Ma opened his mouth, wanting to persuade him further, but when he met Li Jing'an's ambiguous smile, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue. He nodded silently, turned around, and left the office.

Li Jing'an looked downstairs again, his hands resting on the windowsill. Watching the two groups of people facing off, he thought to himself: These two packs of stray dogs are just barking at each other; it's really boring. He'll have to throw a stone in to force them to actually fight. Letting them expend their energy on each other is better than them joining forces against their own master someday, isn't it?

Not long after, two young workers quietly crept forward from the back of the crowd, their hands behind their backs, clutching something, and quickly slipped into the crowd.

The next second, a scream rang out: "Someone's being hit—!"

The scene instantly spiraled out of control. Some people were dragged into the club while clutching their heads, others scattered and fled, and many more immediately began to fight. The club's doors were violently slammed open, and mops, bench legs, wooden tables—anything within reach—became weapons in the fight.

Workers from all over the factory rushed towards this place. People ran out of the workshops with wrenches and steel pipes in their hands, while people from the office building carried small stools and charged into the melee, roaring.

Li Jing'an watched with great interest, a smile constantly playing on his lips.

"Hit him harder! Aim for his head!" He clenched his fists, his whole body almost pressed against the glass window. "Look at that one, his movements are too clumsy, he didn't hit it once... Hey, this one's sharp, that's a real killer!"

He slammed his hand on the window frame.

"One steel pipe down one person, and in the blink of an eye, four or five people are lying on the ground!" He clicked his tongue, his tone full of approval. "Young people are really energetic. The old workers are no match for them; they hesitate before acting and lack that ruthlessness."

In a short time, the Red Army's men had forced the Workers' Army's men to the perimeter of the club, completely surrounding them. The Workers' Army's men had no choice but to use tables as barriers and retreat step by step.

Li Jing'an picked up the phone again.

"Hey, Xiao Gou?" His tone suddenly turned cold. "What exactly do you do? Can't you see the mess the factory is in? These young people have beaten the old workers up like this!"

A flustered response came from the other end of the phone.

"Immediately dispatch the security personnel, bring the equipment, and go support the veteran workers." Li Jing'an paused, then added, "I'm talking about ordinary equipment, not guns. Do you want to kill them all? Stop dawdling and go now."

He emphasized, "Remember, show no mercy. Act swiftly and decisively, and severely punish these disorganized and undisciplined disorderly practices. I'm waiting to see the results."

After hanging up the phone, he turned back to the window.

With the security personnel joining the fray, the pressure on the Workers' Federation side was greatly reduced, and the situation reached a stalemate. Li Jing'an was engrossed in the game when two gunshots suddenly rang out: "Bang! Bang!"

The bustling square fell silent instantly.

A squad of soldiers in uniform rushed into the field. The leader had a stern expression, and wisps of gunpowder smoke still lingered from his gun. The two fighting groups froze, the pushing and shoving stopped, and the shouting ceased abruptly. As if doused with a bucket of cold water, the crowd slowly dispersed. Scattered clashes in the distant workshop were also quickly quelled by the arriving soldiers.

The excitement is over.

A hint of regret appeared on Li Jing'an's face, and he subconsciously rubbed his fingers together.

This military representative also served as the deputy director of the factory's Revolutionary Committee. If Li Jing'an hadn't had deep roots and strong connections, he wouldn't have been able to get the position of director of the factory's Revolutionary Committee at all.