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

The afternoon sun streamed in through the glass windows of the hospital room.

A large group of leaders from the steel rolling mill arrived in a grand procession—the Party Secretary led the way with a calm and amiable expression, followed closely by Director Yang. The heads of the personnel department, technical department, publicity department, and production department were all present, each carrying nutritional supplements and fruit, their faces filled with concern and respect. As soon as they entered, they filled the small ward to capacity.

The Party Secretary was the first to walk to the bedside. His gaze fell on the gauze on Li Jing'an's head. He gently patted Li Jing'an's shoulder, his touch gentle yet firm, his tone full of praise: "Jing'an, well done! You truly deserve to be a soldier from the army. You're tough and courageous, fearless in the face of thugs, daring to fight against evil forces head-on. You haven't disgraced the army, and you certainly haven't disgraced our steel mill!"

Li Jing'an bowed slightly, a humble expression on his face. He pointed to his injury with a wry smile and said, "Secretary, you flatter me. I'm hardly a hero. In the end, I was knocked unconscious with a brick and sent to the hospital. I'm ashamed to admit it."

"That's not right!" The secretary immediately waved his hand, his tone firm. "It wasn't a fault of fighting! You fought seven men bare-handed, single-handedly taking down five thugs. You were only defeated because you were ambushed from behind and hit with a brick. Most people would have been terrified and fled in terror at the sight of that. Who has your courage and skill?"

Factory Director Yang stepped forward, a relieved smile on his face, and continued, "Jing'an, the Dongcheng Branch Bureau explained the whole situation to us this morning. Chen Qing's lost technical drawings have been recovered intact, without any leaks or losses. This is all thanks to you. The factory leadership just met and discussed the matter. Since the loss of the drawings involves the military, it's not advisable to publicize it widely to avoid unnecessary speculation and unrest. We'd like to hear your thoughts."

Upon hearing this, Li Jing'an lowered his eyes slightly, pondered for a moment, and lightly tapped the edge of the bed with his fingertips. He raised his eyes, his tone steady: "Factory Director, Party Secretary, I share your thoughts. The blueprints cannot be publicized. Furthermore, Chen Qing is still young and has just started working. He only wanted to contribute to the factory and made a mistake due to momentary negligence. We can't condemn him completely because of this one incident and ruin his future. Young people should always be given a chance to correct their mistakes."

Upon hearing these words, the factory leaders present all showed their approval and nodded repeatedly. Their eyes looked at Li Jing'an with even more appreciation—this young man was not only brave, but also considerate of the overall situation, kind-hearted, and thorough in his work. What was rare was that he did not take credit for himself or act harshly.

"Well said! Well said!" the secretary praised repeatedly. "Jing'an, your vision is far broader than any of ours!"

Seeing this, Director Yang asked, "The factory still hasn't reached a consensus on how to deal with Chen Qing. Since you've thought things through so thoroughly, why don't you share your thoughts so we can consider them?"

Li Jing'an pondered again, his gaze sweeping over everyone before he slowly spoke, his tone both confident and in line with the current situation: "Haven't we been short of enough slots for factory cadres to go to the countryside for training this year? Every department is making excuses, causing a lot of worry. In my opinion, it would be better to add Chen Qing's name to the list and let him go to the countryside for a period of time. Firstly, it would allow him to temporarily leave the steel rolling mill, avoid this storm, and mitigate the impact of this matter; secondly, the countryside is a place for tempering people. Experiencing some hardship and fatigue will also teach him a lesson, making him more meticulous and careful in his work in the future, and preventing him from making such careless mistakes again."

He paused, then added, his tone precise and in tune with the current situation: "Moreover, judging from this year's situation, the policy of sending cadres to the countryside will most likely be discontinued next year. Chen Qing won't be there for more than a few months; he'll be back in half a year at most, so it won't take too long."

Upon hearing this, a chorus of whispered agreement instantly filled the ward, and everyone's eyes lit up—this method not only properly handled Chen Qing's mistake, without severe punishment or burying it, but also filled the gap in the factory's rural outreach program, achieving two goals at once and being extremely thorough.

The Party Secretary slapped his thigh and immediately made the decision: "Great! We'll do it the way Jing'an said! It's settled then!"

He looked at Li Jing'an and said solemnly, "We won't discuss the blueprints with outsiders, but your heroic act of fighting off criminals and protecting people's property must not be forgotten. The factory will compile the materials and report directly to the Ministry of Metallurgical Industry, recommending that the Ministry establish you as an advanced role model for the entire metallurgical system, issue a system-wide commendation, and ensure that you receive all the honors and rewards you deserve!"

This time, Li Jing'an did not refuse, but simply nodded slightly, his expression calm: "Since it is the organization's decision, I will obey the arrangement."

The Party Secretary and Factory Director Yang gave a few more words of advice about recovering from their injuries before leaving. The remaining heads of the Technical Department, Personnel Department, and Publicity Department then gathered around.

Section Chief Sun of the Technical Department grasped Li Jing'an's hand earnestly, saying, "Jing'an, you've not only helped Chen Qing, but also me, the head of the Technical Department! Your arrangement has not only protected Chen Qing but also gotten me out of a predicament. Once you've recovered and are discharged from the hospital, I'll definitely treat you to a good meal to thank you properly!"

"Brother Sun, you're too kind. It was nothing." Li Jing'an nodded with a smile. "I'll remember that. I'll definitely keep my promise."

Personnel Section Chief Zhang also came over, letting out a huge sigh of relief: "Jing'an, you've really helped me a lot! I've been losing sleep over the selection of people for the rural assignments lately, and no department is willing to let anyone go. Your one sentence solved the problem completely, thank you so much!"

Upon hearing this, Li Jing'an seemed to suddenly remember something, his eyes flickered slightly, and he casually asked, "By the way, where are the factory workers usually assigned to when they go to the countryside? Are they far away?"

Section Chief Zhang immediately replied, "Most of them are in the suburbs around Beijing, such as Huairou, Changping, and Daxing. The furthest they go is to Hebei Province, which isn't far."

"Then let's not arrange for him to go to Hebei." Li Jing'an's tone was calm, but it carried just the right amount of thoughtfulness. "Let's keep him in the vicinity of Beijing. It's close to home, so it's convenient for Chen Qing's family to visit him, and he can go home during holidays without suffering too much."

Section Chief Zhang readily agreed, "No problem, no problem. I'll coordinate this small matter and make sure it's arranged at the nearest location!"

After exchanging pleasantries for a few more moments, the group took their leave one after another.

Evening was still lively in the ward as middle-level managers from the factory came to visit one after another—Li Huaide, the logistics director; Gou, the head of the security department; and Shen, the captain of the motorcade, brought canned food and malted milk powder, offering words of concern and care.

To Li Jing'an's surprise, Director Gao from the Ministry of Metallurgy somehow heard the news and made a special detour after get off work to visit him personally, carrying high-end tonics. Before leaving, Director Gao said he would speak on Li Jing'an's behalf within the ministry.

As night deepened, the visitors gradually left, and the ward finally returned to quiet.