radiothebook Chapter 11: The Social Scene, the Mystery of the Red Mark
Chapter 11: The Social Scene, the Mystery of the Red Mark
The steel rolling mill's technical networking event was scheduled for Saturday afternoon. While ostensibly a "technical exchange," it was actually a lively gathering organized by the factory to liven up the atmosphere among the employees. The auditorium next to the canteen was spotless. Enamel mugs and loose sunflower seeds and peanuts were laid out on long wooden tables. A gramophone in the corner repeatedly played "We Workers Have Strength," making the windowpanes vibrate slightly. As soon as Lin Chen entered the auditorium, Director Zhou pulled him to the front row. Sitting next to him were the technical backbone of each workshop, including Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong. Their gazes towards him were one sinister and the other wary, as if they had arranged it beforehand.
"Xiao Lin, that special wrench you made yesterday was great. Section Chief Zhang from the technical department has praised it to me three times already." Director Zhou stuffed a handful of sunflower seeds into his hand, his voice low. "But you also need to be careful. Lao Yi and Lao Liu are gossiping in the workshop, saying you're showing off your skills." Just as Lin Chen was about to speak, there was a commotion at the entrance of the auditorium. Qin Huairu walked in carrying Jia Huaihua, followed by Sha Zhu carrying a cloth bag. She was wearing a faded blue cotton jacket, her hair was neatly combed, but her face showed a deliberate look of haggardness. Jia Huaihua, wrapped in an old cotton cloth, was fast asleep in her arms.
As soon as Qin Huai entered, she scanned the room. Her gaze settled on Sha Zhu, and she immediately changed direction. Instead of approaching him directly, she went to the communal kettle and filled an enamel mug. The water in the kettle had just boiled, steam rising in plumes, but she seemed oblivious. The moment her fingertips touched the mug's side, she hissed loudly. Sha Zhu immediately turned around and rushed over, saying, "Sister Qin, be careful not to burn yourself!" He snatched the mug from her hand, carefully poured half a mug of warm water, and handed it to her.
Lin Chen paused, holding his teacup, and used the act of drinking tea to observe carefully. Qin Huairu's hand was indeed red, as if it had been scalded by hot water, but he clearly saw that her fingertips had only touched the side of the teapot when she filled it with water, without touching the boiling water at all. What was even stranger was that the red mark was dark in color, and the edges had some irregular lines, unlike the redness and swelling of a burn, but rather... Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat, and he calmly put down his teacup and got up to walk towards the bathroom in the corner.
As soon as he stepped into the corridor, he heard soft footsteps behind him. Lin Chen slowed his pace, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw He Yushui following him. She was wearing a light gray work dress, her hair tied in a simple ponytail, and her face was expressionless. When she reached Lin Chen, she handed him a neatly folded tissue: "Wipe yourself off, I dropped some sunflower seed shells on me." Lin Chen took the tissue, and his fingertips touched the back of her hand. The icy touch made him pause for a moment—although it was cool in the workshop this season, He Yushui had just come from the textile factory, so she shouldn't be this cold.
"Comrade Lin, don't meddle in the Jia family's affairs." He Yushui's voice was very low, but her eyes were fixed on the direction of the auditorium entrance. "My brother is a simple-minded person. He was completely fooled by Qin Huairu. He sent all the grain coupons, cloth coupons, and the work shoes I bought for him to the Jia family in the blink of an eye." She paused, took a small paper packet out of her pocket, and stuffed it into Lin Chen's hand. "This is alkali powder that I got from the textile factory. When you get back, soak some water in it. If you see any red marks on Qin Huairu's hands, rub some on them, and you'll know what happened."
Lin Chen squeezed the paper packet; the alkaline texture was clearly visible. Just as he was about to ask something, he heard Sha Zhu's loud voice from inside the auditorium: "Sister Qin, what happened to your hand? Did you get scratched by some metal in the workshop?" The two exchanged a glance and quickly went back. They saw Qin Huairu with her head down, showing Sha Zhu the back of her hand, her eyes red-rimmed, her voice trembling with tears: "Yesterday, when I was moving parts, I wasn't careful, and it got scratched by a corner. It's nothing serious. It's just… we're almost out of soap, and the children's clothes aren't getting clean, so the teacher keeps scolding us."
Sha Zhu immediately patted his chest and assured her, "It's no big deal! I haven't collected my labor protection soap for next month yet. I'll bring it to you as soon as I do!" As he spoke, he took out an oil paper package from his cloth bag, inside which were two white steamed buns, and stuffed them into Qin Huairu's arms. "Keep these for Huaihua. The child is growing very fast." Qin Huairu declined a couple of times, but finally accepted them. Her eyes quickly scanned the entire room, and after seeing Yi Zhonghai nod in acknowledgment, a barely perceptible smile appeared on her lips.
Lin Chen walked to the snack counter in the corner, pretending to grab some sunflower seeds, but actually using the system to scan Qin Huairu's hand. A light blue panel instantly popped up: "Detected inferior rouge components on the skin surface, containing iron oxide and talcum powder. No burns or scratches. The red marks are from rubbing after applying rouge." He understood immediately; no wonder the red marks seemed strange earlier—they were faked with rouge. This kind of inferior rouge only cost a few cents at the supply and marketing cooperative; it was dark in color and didn't fade easily, making it perfect for feigning pitifulness.
"Deputy Team Leader Lin, I didn't expect you to like spiced melon seeds too." Liu Haizhong's voice came from behind. He was holding a wine cup filled with bulk white wine, the smell of which was enough to give anyone a headache. "My son Guangtian was being naughty yesterday and disturbed your rest. I apologize on his behalf." Lin Chen turned around and saw the calculating look in Liu Haizhong's eyes. The wine cup in his hand wobbled, and the wine almost spilled. "I heard you're making special tools for the forging press. If you need more manpower, I'll have Guangtian assist you. He's strong and can carry iron billets."
Just as Lin Chen was about to speak, Liu Guangtian squeezed through the crowd, holding a wire brush broken in two. "Master Lin, I saw you use this to remove rust yesterday. I tried it myself, but I couldn't get it clean. Could you teach me?" His eyes were full of urgency, and his palms had several red marks from gripping the wire brush. Lin Chen was taken aback. He hadn't expected Liu Guangtian to take the initiative to ask for help—this kid had clearly been trembling with fear after breaking into the house and stealing tools last night, yet today he dared to speak to him.
"When using a wire brush to remove rust, you need to follow the grain and apply even pressure. Otherwise, it won't clean properly and will scratch the surface of the steel billet." Lin Chen took the wire brush and pointed to the broken end, saying, "Look here, it broke because I used too much force. Next time, soak the wire brush in warm water for five minutes to soften the wire; it will be much more efficient." Liu Guangtian listened attentively, took out a crumpled notebook from his pocket, and quickly took notes with a pencil. Liu Haizhong watched from the side, his expression uncertain, wanting to say something but remaining silent.
Just then, applause erupted in the center of the auditorium. Zhang, the head of the technical department, stood on the stage, holding a model of a component: "Today we'll have a technical quiz. Whoever can explain the forging process of this crankshaft will receive an industrial voucher!" The audience immediately buzzed with excitement, many raising their hands. Yi Zhonghai also slowly stood up and began his eloquent explanation. Lin Chen, uninterested in joining the fun, turned to get a glass of water, only to see Qin Huairu holding Jia Huaihua, squatting by the sink near the auditorium entrance, "washing diapers."
The pool was a makeshift structure, the faucet dripping water, and a thin layer of ice forming around the edge. Qin Huairu squatted there, her hands soaked in the cold water, vigorously scrubbing a piece of cloth, her mouth occasionally emitting hissing sounds. Sha Zhu stood beside her, holding a bar of soap, his face full of concern: "Sister Qin, it's so cold. I'll wash your hands with hot water when we get back. If your hands get frostbitten, how will you work?" Qin Huairu looked up, her hands red and cracked, tears welling up in her eyes: "Brother Sha Zhu, it's alright. The children's diapers need to be washed quickly, otherwise we won't have any to use tomorrow."
Lin Chen stood not far away and could see it clearly. Qin Huairu's movements while washing the diaper were exaggerated; she swung her arm high but didn't use much force, and the piece of cloth wasn't a diaper at all, but a clean old rag. More importantly, although the back of her hand was red, the spaces between her fingers were very clean, without a trace of soap suds—it's impossible to have such clean spaces between your fingers when truly washing clothes in cold water. Lin Chen remembered the alkaline powder He Yushui had given him, secretly pinched some into his hand, and walked over.
"Senior Sister Qin, washing clothes in this cold weather, be careful not to get frostbite." Lin Chen squatted down, pretending to tidy his shoelaces, and accidentally dropped some alkaline solution from his fingertips onto Qin Huairu's hand. The alkaline solution reacted immediately upon contact with water, and a layer of white blisters instantly appeared on the back of Qin Huairu's hand. She cried out "Ah!" and hurriedly pulled her hand out of the water, her face pale. Sha Zhu immediately panicked: "Lin Chen, what happened? How did you drop something on Sister Qin's hand?"
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to." Lin Chen stood up, his tone calm. "But Senior Sister Qin, if your hands were really frozen, wiping them with alkaline water would relieve the frostbite, but your hands..." He deliberately paused, his gaze falling on the back of Qin Huairu's hands. "How come the red marks faded so much after soaking in alkaline water?" Sha Zhu also came over to look and indeed saw that the red marks on the back of Qin Huairu's hands had faded considerably, revealing her original skin color. Qin Huairu hurriedly hid her hands behind her back, stammering, "It might be... it might be because I soaked them for too long, and the color faded."
"Really? I remember that inferior rouge fades when it comes into contact with an alkaline surface. Senior Sister Qin, you wouldn't be using..." Lin Chen's words were interrupted by Yi Zhonghai's voice. "Little Lin, Section Chief Zhang is calling you. He says he has a technical question he'd like to ask you." Yi Zhonghai walked over, his eyes carrying a warning. "Young people should be careful with their words. Don't wrongly accuse people." Qin Huairu took the opportunity to stand up, picked up Jia Huaihua, and quickly walked into the auditorium, giving Lin Chen a fierce glare as she left.
Lin Chen followed Yi Zhonghai onto the stage, where Section Chief Zhang was waiting for him with a worn gear. "Comrade Lin, take a look at this gear. It keeps wearing down in the same spot. What could be the reason?" Lin Chen took the gear and touched the worn area with his finger. The system panel immediately popped up: "The gear material is ordinary carbon steel with a hardness of HRC28. The meshing surface is unevenly stressed, with a 0.05mm eccentricity error." He pointed to the center hole of the gear and said, "Section Chief Zhang, the problem is here. The center hole is slightly eccentric, causing uneven stress during meshing. Over time, it will wear down in the same spot."
"How do we solve this?" Section Chief Zhang asked anxiously. "We can add a bushing in the center hole, adjust the eccentricity, and then re-grind the mating surfaces to ensure the accuracy is within 0.01mm." Lin Chen picked up a piece of chalk and drew a simple bushing diagram on the blackboard, marking the dimensions. "Use high-manganese steel for the bushing; its hardness can reach HRC60, and its wear resistance is three times higher than before." A round of applause immediately erupted from the audience. Section Chief Zhang excitedly patted him on the shoulder: "Excellent! Comrade Lin, this improvement plan is now your responsibility. The factory will give you a special bonus!"
Yi Zhonghai stood to the side, his face growing increasingly grim. He had originally intended to offer a solution, but Lin Chen's plan was not only simple and feasible but also cost-effective, far superior to his own. Watching Lin Chen surrounded by the crowd, his jealousy grew like wildfire—this young man was not only technically skilled but also adept at winning people over; if this continued, he truly wouldn't be able to maintain his position in the workshop.
As the social gathering ended, it was already dusk. Lin Chen had just stepped out of the hall when He Yushui stopped him. "I knew you could see through her tricks." He Yushui handed him a cloth bag containing two pairs of newly made cloth shoes. "These are for my brother. He always wears work shoes that rub his feet. Give them to him for me; I don't want to see him." Lin Chen took the shoes; they felt thick and the stitching was neat. "Why don't you give them to him yourself?" he asked.
"He only cares about the Jia family, he doesn't care about me, his sister at all." He Yushui's voice was choked with sobs. "Last time I had a fever, I wanted him to buy me some fever reducer, but he said he gave the money to Qin Huairu to buy milk powder and told me to bear it myself. Comrade Lin, you should stay away from the Jia family in the future. They are a bottomless pit, and whoever gets involved with them will be unlucky." After saying that, she turned and left, her ponytail swinging behind her, as if venting her grievances.
Lin Chen, carrying the cloth shoes, was about to return to the workshop dormitory when he saw Sha Zhu squatting by the roadside smoking. He walked over and handed him the shoes: "Your sister made these for you and asked me to give them to you." Sha Zhu hesitated for a moment, then took the shoes, examining them over and over, his eyes gradually reddening. "I'm sorry to Yu Shui..." he murmured, "Last time she had a fever, I really had no money. Sister Qin's Huaihua was also sick, so I gave the money to Sister Qin."
"Shazhu, have you ever considered whether Qin Huairu is really as difficult as she says?" Lin Chen squatted down to meet his gaze. "Today, she used rouge to fake frozen hands just to get your sympathy and make you give her things. Your sister has a fever and you have no money, yet she makes you bring her steamed buns every day. Do you think that's normal?" Shazhu fell silent, not even noticing the cigarette burning his fingertips. After a long while, he stood up: "I understand. I won't give her things so easily anymore."
When Lin Chen returned to the courtyard, the central courtyard was bustling with activity. Madam Jia Zhang was standing in the middle of the courtyard, cursing and complaining that Sha Zhu hadn't brought her food that day, and that Lin Chen had instigated it. Qin Huairu stood to the side, holding Jia Huaihua, head bowed, looking aggrieved, occasionally glancing at Sha Zhu's door. Lin Chen ignored them and went straight into his side room. Just as he closed the door, he heard a noise outside the window. He quietly went to the window and, by the moonlight, saw Yan Bugui squatting in the corner of the courtyard wall, secretly writing something down in a small notebook.
"Mrs. Jia cursed three times, lasting a total of fifteen minutes, consuming about half a liter of saliva, disturbing the neighbors' rest, so this is recorded." Yan Bugui muttered to himself as he wrote rapidly on his notebook. "If Qin Huairu acts pitiful once, he will gain +1 sympathy value from Sha Zhu. We will observe whether there are any actual benefits later." Lin Chen couldn't help but laugh. This Yan Bugui was indeed a "calculator," even keeping track of the trivial matters between neighbors.
Just as he was about to leave the window, he saw Liu Guangtian walk in from outside the gate, carrying a paper package. He went straight to Lin Chen's door and gently knocked. "Master Lin, my dad asked me to bring you something," Liu Guangtian said softly, with a hint of timidity. Lin Chen opened the door and saw two warm cornbread buns inside the package, still smelling of sesame. "Your dad asked you to deliver this?" he asked.
Liu Guangtian nodded, then shook his head: "I wanted to give this to you myself, my father doesn't know." He took out the wire brush Lin Chen had given him yesterday from his pocket. The broken edge on it had been smoothed out, and a wooden handle had been tied to it. "Master Lin, I tried it according to your method, and the rust removal efficiency is really much higher. This is a wooden handle that I made myself, I'm giving it to you." Lin Chen took the wire brush. The wooden handle was polished very smoothly, and a small "Lin" character was engraved on it.
"You're very talented." Lin Chen patted him on the shoulder. "Go to the workshop early tomorrow morning, I'll teach you how to polish parts." Liu Guangtian's eyes lit up, he nodded vigorously, and turned to run back home. Lin Chen closed the door, looking at the steamed bun and wire brush in his hand, and suddenly had an idea—although Liu Haizhong was biased and irritable, Liu Guangtian had a talent for forging. If he could be properly trained, he might become his capable assistant.
Just then, Xu Damao's voice came from outside the courtyard gate. He was drunk, his arm around a female worker's waist, humming an off-key song. Jia Zhangshi immediately stopped cursing, went over, and deliberately raised her voice, saying, "Master Xu, you're finally back! Sha Zhu didn't bring us any food today; it was all Lin Chen's fault. You have to stand up for us!" Xu Damao hiccuped, glanced sideways at Lin Chen's door, and said, "Don't worry, tomorrow I'll go to the factory and report him for speculation and selling tools illegally!"
Lin Chen walked to the window and watched Xu Damao walk into his room with a female worker in his arms, while Jia Zhangshi hummed a little tune as she went home. He picked up the wire brush that Liu Guangtian had given him and scanned it with the system: "The wooden handle is detected to be made of jujube wood with moderate hardness. The wire brush has been improved, increasing rust removal efficiency by 40%." He smiled and placed the wire brush on his tool bag—Xu Damao wanted to accuse him of speculation, but little did he know that he had already taken precautions; every entry in the workshop's waste recycling register was clearly recorded.
Suddenly, a system notification popped up: "A potential ally has been detected near the host. Liu Guangtian has a forging talent value of 85 and a loyalty of 60. He is worth focusing on developing. Side quest triggered: Guide Liu Guangtian's skills to make him a key member of the workshop. Quest reward: 500 points, unlock the 'Skill Inheritance' function." Lin Chen was stunned, not expecting that developing Liu Guangtian could trigger a side quest. He looked out the window. An oil lamp was already lit in Liu Guangtian's room, and he could vaguely see him drawing something on paper, probably memorizing the rust removal techniques he had learned today.
The next morning, as soon as Lin Chen arrived at the workshop, he saw Liu Guangtian already waiting by the scrap heap, holding a homemade hammer and learning to grind parts. Lin Chen walked over, picked up the part he had ground, and examined it. The system showed a precision error of 0.5mm, which was quite good for a beginner. "You need to grind a little more here; the angle is wrong." Lin Chen took the hammer and taught him step by step, "Forging emphasizes 'accurate eyes, steady hands, and even force.' Look at my hand gestures; you need to use your wrist, not your arm."
Liu Guangtian studied diligently and quickly mastered the techniques, reducing the precision error of the polished parts to 0.1mm. Liu Haizhong watched from the side, his expression complex; he wanted to stop him, yet he also wanted his son to learn real skills. Lin Chen saw his thoughts and said with a smile, "Master Liu, Guangtian is very talented. With proper training, he will definitely become a key technical member of the workshop in the future." Liu Haizhong snorted but didn't say anything, though he didn't stop Liu Guangtian from learning the techniques from Lin Chen.
At lunchtime, Sha Zhu walked up to Lin Chen with his lunchbox and gave him half of the braised pork. "Brother Lin, thank you for yesterday. I asked Yu Shui, and she does have a fever. I'm sorry to her." He paused, then added, "Qin Huairu didn't come to see me today. She said she was wrong yesterday and shouldn't have used rouge to play the victim." Lin Chen smiled and took the braised pork. "It's good that you know you were wrong. Don't let others use you as a pawn again."
As the two were talking, Xu Damao walked over with a notebook, followed by a factory office clerk: "Lin Chen, someone reported you for privately selling workshop scrap materials, engaging in speculation. You're coming with us to the factory office!" Sha Zhu immediately stood up: "Xu Damao, don't make false accusations! How could Brother Lin privately sell scrap materials?" Xu Damao sneered: "Whether it's false accusation or not, we'll find out by checking with the factory office! I have witnesses!"
Lin Chen put down his lunchbox and stood up. "Okay, I'll go with you. But Master Xu, you'd better think this through. Every single entry in the workshop's waste recycling register has my signature and Director Zhou's approval. You accuse me of selling it privately, where's your evidence?" Xu Damao's expression changed; he hadn't expected Lin Chen to be prepared. The factory office clerk also frowned. "Master Xu, you can't just report someone without evidence; you have to take responsibility for that."
Xu Damao gritted his teeth: "I have a witness! Qin Huairu saw him secretly selling tools to the scrap yard!" Qin Huairu happened to be walking by the workshop door. Hearing this, her face turned pale, and she hurriedly waved her hands: "I didn't! Master Xu, don't talk nonsense, I didn't see it!" Her act of playing the victim had already been exposed by Lin Chen yesterday. If she were to get involved in speculation and profiteering again, she would definitely be fired from the workshop. She dared not risk her job.
Xu Damao was furious that Qin Huairu would turn on him so suddenly, and he couldn't speak. The factory office clerk glared at him: "Master Xu, this is false accusation. According to factory regulations, your bonus for this month will be withheld!" He then turned and left. Sha Zhu chuckled and patted Lin Chen on the shoulder: "Brother Lin, you're really something, you've got Xu Damao completely under your thumb." Lin Chen smiled and looked in Liu Guangtian's direction. Liu Guangtian was showing Liu Haizhong the polished parts, and a smile finally appeared on Liu Haizhong's face.
In the afternoon, Lin Chen was improving gear bushings in the workshop when Section Chief Zhang approached, holding a document: "Comrade Lin, your improvement plan has been approved. The factory has decided to establish a special task force, with you as the team leader, responsible for the improved gear production. This is your appointment letter; from today onwards, you are the workshop's technical team leader, enjoying the benefits of a level six worker!" The surrounding workers immediately gathered to congratulate him, with Liu Guangtian excitedly saying, "Master Lin, congratulations!"
Lin Chen accepted the appointment letter calmly. He knew this was only the first step in establishing himself at the steel rolling mill; many more challenges awaited him—Yi Zhonghai's jealousy, Liu Haizhong's wariness, and the endless scheming within the courtyard. But he was no longer as helpless as he had been in his previous life. With the system's help, a promising talent like Liu Guangtian, and his own solid skills, he was confident he could forge his own path in this turbulent era.
As Lin Chen stepped out of the workshop after get off work, he saw He Yushui waiting for him by the roadside. She handed him an envelope: "This is from my brother. He said you didn't finish the braised pork from yesterday, so he brought you some braised pork hock today." Lin Chen took the envelope; inside was indeed a paper package, still steaming. "Thank Sha Zhu for me," he said.
He Yushui nodded and said, "Xu Damao got criticized by the factory office and had his monthly bonus docked. He definitely won't let it go, so you need to be careful. Also, I heard that Yi Zhonghai is looking for the source of the materials you use to make wrenches. He might be trying to copy your wrenches." Lin Chen smiled and said, "I understand, thank you." He Yushui turned to leave, but Lin Chen suddenly said, "If you want to change jobs, I can ask the technical department for you. They happen to need a bookkeeper."
He Yushui paused for a moment, then her eyes gradually brightened. The work at the textile factory was tiring and monotonous; she had long wanted to change jobs, but didn't know how. "Really?" she asked. "Really, Section Chief Zhang and I have a good relationship. I'll ask around for you," Lin Chen said. He Yushui nodded vigorously, a long-lost smile appearing on her face: "Comrade Lin, thank you. If you need anything in the future, just tell me. If my brother gets cheated by the Jia family again, I'll be the first to object!"
Watching He Yushui's departing figure, Lin Chen knew clearly that he was slowly changing the people and things in this courtyard. Qin Huairu stopped feigning pitifulness, Sha Zhu began to realize the truth, Liu Guangtian's talent was being discovered, and He Yushui had hope of getting a new job. And all of this was just the beginning. He gripped the appointment letter in his hand and quickened his pace towards the courtyard—he knew that Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong were definitely already waiting for him there; a new contest was about to begin.