Courtyard House: Starting as an eighth-grade worker, with too many wives.

Based on this alone, he had to keep Li Jianguo firmly in the factory.

This is a hen that lays golden eggs.

As long as Li Jianguo is there, their factory will definitely be able to produce more and better products. Perhaps they'll even achieve greater success in the future, bringing him, the factory manager, some recognition as well.

But now, Yi Zhonghai, the master craftsman in the factory, is always causing trouble for Li Jianguo.

Factory Director Yang was extremely annoyed. It was like seeing a fly while eating—utterly repulsive.

He was terrified that he might accidentally drive Li Jianguo away. What if Li Jianguo got angry and transferred away? Where would he go to complain?

Upon hearing the news, how could he possibly sit still?

"Director Yang is here!"

A sharp-eyed worker nearby quickly approached, a fawning smile on his face. The man leaned forward and handed over the parts he was holding.

"Look at this! These are the parts Director Li made! We never expected that Director Li, a young man, would have such skills! He's even better than us old guys who've been doing this for decades!"

He snatched the part from Yi Zhonghai's hand, leaving Yi Zhonghai stunned and empty-handed. The man respectfully handed it to Factory Director Yang, as if presenting a treasure.

"This is even better than Master Yi's craftsmanship! Look at the smoothness, the precision—"

Factory Director Yang was stunned for a moment, thinking he had misheard.

engineer?

Doing fitter work?

It wasn't until he held the part in his hand, feeling its weight and the cool touch of it coming from his palm, that he believed it was real.

"Did Director Li really do this?"

He looked up at Li Jianguo in disbelief. His gaze was filled with surprise, doubt, and disbelief.

"It's true, we saw it done with our own eyes! From beginning to end, not a single step was missed!"

"Director Li is amazing! His skills are no worse than an eighth-grade fitter! No, they're even better!"

"Director Li is such a gem! Our factory has struck gold!"

Li Jianguo waved his hand, smiling shyly, as if embarrassed: "Don't mention it, everyone flatter me. It's just that I've seen a lot and tried it myself, so I'll gradually get the hang of it. It's nothing to mention."

Factory Director Yang stared at him, his eyes filled with shock. His gaze swept across Li Jianguo's face, as if trying to see right through him.

He had worked in factories his whole life and knew all too well what being an eighth-grade worker meant.

I know all too well how much time and effort it takes to become an eighth-level technician. It requires decades of hard work, countless days and nights of practice, and thousands upon thousands of repetitions.

The young man before me, at such a young age, has already accomplished this—

It's absolutely astonishing.

"That's impossible!"

A sudden shout broke the atmosphere in the workshop.

Yi Zhonghai's face was ashen, his lips trembling as if possessed by something. His eyes were bloodshot and wide open.

Becoming an eighth-grade fitter isn't easy!

He glared at Li Jianguo, his voice sharp and distorted, like fingernails scraping against glass.

"You definitely cheated!"

The workshop fell silent instantly.

It was so quiet that I could hear my own breathing.

Then, someone couldn't help but burst out laughing. The laughter exploded one after another like firecrackers being lit.

"Master Yi, are you out of your mind?"

"We saw Director Li do it right before our eyes. You're saying he cheated? Tell me, how did he cheat?"

"I think you're blind! You can tell at a glance whether the skill is good or not!"

"How can you cheat in front of everyone? This isn't an exam where you can write down the answers on paper. This is a skill! Real expertise!"

"Exactly, how can you cheat on skills and experience? Why don't you demonstrate for us?"

Li Jianguo frowned.

He stepped forward and stood in front of Yi Zhonghai.

The two people were so close that they could see every pore on each other's faces.

Yi Zhonghai.

His voice wasn't loud, but it was as cold as ice shards in the dead of winter, every word carrying a chill.

"I gave you a chance to come to the workshop and do the work of a fitter. You didn't want to."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across Yi Zhonghai's face like a knife, from his forehead to his chin, from his eyes to the corners of his mouth.

"And now, they still dare to slander us so casually?"

He took a step forward, and Yi Zhonghai instinctively took a half step back. He stumbled and almost fell.

"Do you really think no one can replace you?"

Yi Zhonghai opened his mouth, wanting to retort, but found his throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and he couldn't utter a single word. His lips moved, but no sound came out.

Li Jianguo turned around and looked at Director Yang.

"Director Yang, I think—"

His voice was clear and firm, like a hammer striking an anvil.

"Yi Zhonghai's skills are not enough to deserve the title of Level 8 Fitter."

One sentence struck Yi Zhonghai like a heavy hammer.

The heavy hammer came crashing down, making his chest feel tight and his vision go black.

Today, Li Jianguo is not only going to take away his rice bowl.

They also wanted to smash the stove.

The title of Grade 8 fitter held by Yi Zhonghai is hereby abolished.

Factory Director Yang remained silent.

He stared at the part in his hand, then glanced at Yi Zhonghai's ashen face, lost in thought. That face was like a crumpled piece of paper, wrinkled and devoid of any color.

Workers in this era received wages based on their rank.

Each promotion requires not only seniority but also passing a rigorous technical assessment. These assessments are no joke; you have to put in real work and demonstrate your true skills.

Many workers may never even reach the level of an eighth-grade skilled worker in their entire careers.

Yi Zhonghai was able to become an eighth-level technician not only because of his excellent skills, but also because of another important reason—

In the steel rolling mill, his skills were the best among fitters.

The position of eighth-level technician was naturally his only choice.

After all, no one else could compete with him. He was the best among the dwarfs, the tallest among the short.

But if you compare his skills to those of a national level eight skilled worker—

It's not really that impressive. Like a frog at the bottom of a well, thinking the sky is only that big.

Yi Zhonghai finally came to his senses.

He sensed something was wrong; the color drained from his face instantly, as if someone had drained all his blood. He became as white as a sheet of paper.

"Director Yang!"

He lunged forward, his voice pleading. It was a high-pitched, thin voice, as if someone were choking him.

"My skills are beyond question! I'm definitely a level eight fitter! Don't let others fool you! I've been doing this for so many years and have never made a major mistake!"

He wanted to say something nice, apologize, and admit his mistake.

But when the words came out, they turned into "I was just being fooled."

The moment those four words left his mouth, he knew he was in trouble.

Factory Director Yang's face instantly darkened, like dark clouds looming overhead, like the sky before a storm.

He glared at them coldly and made up his mind immediately.

"Director Li is right."

He placed the part aside, and it landed on the table with a slight thud. The sound was soft, but undeniable.

"In terms of fitter skills, no one in our factory can compare to Master Yi. So much so that we were a bit too conservative, thinking he was the best."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. His gaze was like a searchlight, scanning each person's face.

"To be considered an eighth-level fitter, one's skills must be universally acknowledged. It has to be recognized by everyone, and it has to be well-deserved. Right now, it seems that Master Yi's skills are not as good as those of a young man like Director Li—"

"It's really not appropriate to continue calling him an eighth-grade fitter."

He sighed, the sound particularly clear in the quiet workshop.

"If word gets out and other factories find out, they'll think our factory's level eight fitter is only this good. Wouldn't that make us a laughingstock?"

These words immediately resonated with many.

"The factory manager is right!"

"An eighth-level fitter isn't something just anyone can do. That skill level must be at least comparable to Director Li's, right? Otherwise, why would he be paid that level of salary?"

"Master Yi's skills are quite good, but he's still a long way off from Director Li's. Not just by a little bit."

"It seems I really don't deserve to be an eighth-level fitter... There was no comparison before, but now it's obvious when we compare."

"To be honest, Master Yi's skills are just so-so. Didn't he take on an apprentice? If he could teach an apprentice to be that bad, how good could his skill level be?"

"Exactly! With Liu Haizhong's skill level, he dares to call himself Master Yi's apprentice? Isn't that just ruining the reputation?"

You say one thing, I say another.

Every word was like a knife, cutting into Yi Zhonghai's heart.

The knife slashed at him again and again, tearing his flesh to shreds.

His face went from pale to ashen, then from ashen to deathly ashes. Like a pile of burnt-out ashes, scattered by a gust of wind.

Factory Director Yang made the final decision.

"Convene a temporary representative meeting."

"Let's vote on whether Master Yi's level 8 fitter has been downgraded to level 7 fitter."

The provisional council was organized very quickly.

Before long, almost everyone from each workshop had arrived. The room was packed with people, a sea of ​​heads moving about.

Everyone has heard about what just happened.

The way they looked at Yi Zhonghai had changed.

There was sympathy, schadenfreude, a love of watching the drama unfold, and indifference from those who felt it was none of their business. A multitude of gazes intertwined, like a net, trapping Yi Zhonghai in the center.

"alright."

Director Yang stood at the front, his voice booming like a bell.

"Everyone should know what just happened. Now let's vote by raising our hands."

He raised his hand high.

"Those who agree to demote Master Yi to a level seven fitter, please raise your hands."

brush--

Hands were raised.

One.

two.

ten.

Twenty.

more and more.

Like a forest.

Yi Zhonghai stood in the crowd, looking at the raised hands, his mind buzzing. The buzzing grew louder and louder, like a swarm of bees flying through his head.

eighty%.

Director Yang's voice seemed to come from a very far place, drifting and ethereal.

"Alright. Since everyone agrees, starting today, Master Yi will be demoted to a level seven fitter. His salary and benefits will be reduced accordingly."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over every worker present. His gaze was as stern as a knife, scraping across each face.

"Now that we've become workers, the essence of our work is to study diligently and do it well. It's not like once you reach level seven or eight, you're stuck there forever. That's not how it works."

His voice turned stern, like the sounding of an alarm bell.

"We still need to keep working hard. Otherwise, even if we get promoted, there's a risk of being demoted. Everyone needs to understand this! Keep it in mind!"

These words were meant for Yi Zhonghai's ears.

It was also meant for everyone present.

A wake-up call rang in the hearts of the workers. Some bowed their heads in deep thought, some exchanged bewildered glances, and some seemed lost in thought.

Yi Zhonghai stood there, his face so dark it looked like it was about to drip water. The shadow seemed to seep from his face like ink.

He was a model technician his whole life. Wherever he went, people looked up to him and called him "Master Yi".

At my age, I have to suffer such humiliation.

A humiliating disgrace.

"Alright, the matter is resolved."

Factory Director Yang waved his hand, as if shooing away a fly.

"Everyone, go back to what you were doing. Production can't be delayed. You can all leave now."

The crowd began to disperse. Footsteps were hurried, and voices were noisy.

Li Jianguo stood still, his gaze fixed on Yi Zhonghai.

"Master Yi."

Yi Zhonghai raised his head. His gaze was cloudy, like a stagnant pool.

"And Sha Zhu too." Li Jianguo pointed outside the workshop, gesturing in that direction. "You two, continue moving the steel."

Yi Zhonghai was stunned.

"We need to process parts now, and the demand is quite large." Li Jianguo said calmly, as if he were assigning a trivial task. "You two can't be too slow. If we delay the progress, no one can afford to take the blame."

Yi Zhonghai felt as if something had hit him hard in the head.

Just now, he had the chance to avoid doing hard labor.

He could have stayed in the workshop just now, doing his old job and earning his level eight salary.

But now—

He threw away this opportunity with his own hands. He threw it away completely, without even making a splash.

If we were to make him go outside to move steel now...