Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 30: A Crisis of Tempering Conceals Hidden Arrows; Threaded Threads Resolve the Dilemma

The chill of April had faded from the steel rolling mill, but the furnaces in the forging workshop burned even brighter than in spring. Lin Chen had just handed over a sample of his newly developed twist drill to the technical department for testing when workshop director Zhou Jianguo dragged him towards the precision forging area. Old Zhou's work boots clattered rapidly on the concrete, sweat trickling down his wrinkled brow: "Lin, something's happened! The No. 3 quenching furnace suddenly malfunctioned, and a whole batch of crankshaft blanks are stuck inside. If they're scrapped, our contract with the Shanghai Machine Tool Factory will be void!"

When Lin Chen arrived, the forging area was already packed with people. The door of the No. 3 quenching furnace was hanging crookedly on the hinge, wisps of smoke rising from the furnace opening. Several veteran technicians were trying to pry open the furnace door with crowbars, their faces flushed red from the furnace fire. Liu Haizhong was squatting beside the furnace, tapping his fingers on the temperature control instrument on the furnace wall. Seeing Lin Chen approach, he suddenly stood up: "Director Lin, the instrument shows the temperature has plummeted by two hundred degrees, but the furnace is still scorching hot inside. This is strange!"

Lin Chen pushed through the crowd and stepped forward, only to withdraw his hand as soon as he touched the furnace wall—the surface temperature was at least eighty degrees Celsius, far exceeding the normal standby temperature. He opened the system panel, and a pale blue halo unfolded before his eyes: "Equipment anomaly detected: The quenching furnace temperature controller circuit has been tampered with, causing a short circuit in the thermistor, resulting in distorted temperature display. The actual temperature inside the furnace is 680°C. Continued high temperature will cause coarse grains in the blank and a 50% decrease in mechanical properties."

Tampering? Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat, his gaze sweeping over Xu Damao at the edge of the crowd. Xu Damao was standing in the corner with his arms crossed, a barely perceptible sneer on his lips. When he saw Lin Chen looking over, he immediately put on a worried expression: "Director Lin, this is our workshop's precious furnace. If it can't be repaired, the factory manager will skin us alive."

Zhou Jianguo, clearly aware of the possibility of sabotage, shouted at the security department with a livid face, "Go check the surveillance footage! Bring me the list of personnel on duty last night!" Just as the security personnel responded, Xiao Li from the technical department came running up breathlessly, holding a test report: "Director Zhou, Master Lin's twist drill passed the test! Hardness HRC65, drilling speed 32% faster than imported ones, the factory manager has ordered us to mass-produce it!"

The good news couldn't dispel the somber atmosphere. Lin Chen squatted in front of the furnace, his fingertips tracing the cracks in the furnace wall: "The furnace door is deformed due to thermal stress cracking caused by the sudden rise and fall of temperature. The key now is to remove the blanks inside and re-heat them. But our existing lifting equipment isn't strong enough; forcibly dragging them will deform the blanks." He looked up at Zhou Jianguo, "We need to customize a set of special lifting equipment, and we also need to precisely control the cooling rate; it can't be lower than fifty degrees per hour."

"Customizing the lifting gear will take at least three days, but the inspection in Shanghai is due the day after tomorrow!" Zhou Jianguo stamped his feet anxiously. "If we miss the deadline, not only will we have to pay a penalty, but our factory's reputation will be ruined." Lin Chen frowned, and the system suddenly popped up a prompt: "Materials that can be fused: scrap crane steel cable (containing 0.8% carbon), bearing steel balls (containing 1.5% chromium), heat-resistant steel furnace bars (containing 0.3% nickel). High-strength lifting gear can be made. The fusion success rate is 70%. Quenching must be completed within two hours, otherwise the material properties will degrade."

"I've got a solution!" Lin Chen stood up. "Find all the scrap steel cables and bearing steel balls from the waste pile, and dismantle two scrapped furnace bars. I'll build a hoisting device on-site. But we need someone to precisely control the cooling curve, and we also need an absolutely sealed fusion space to prevent impurities from getting in."

Liu Haizhong immediately patted his chest and declared, "I'll keep an eye on the cooling curve! I've been dealing with this furnace for twenty years, and the temperature difference is never more than five degrees!" Zhou Jianguo also hurriedly made arrangements: "Clear out the unused tool shed, seal the doors and windows tightly, make sure it's airtight! Security personnel will guard the entrance, and no unauthorized personnel are allowed to approach!" Seeing this, Xu Damao stepped forward and said feigning concern, "I know a little about circuits, how about I help check the temperature controller? Maybe I can fix it."

Lin Chen glanced at him, knowing he was trying to sabotage the project, and said calmly, "No need to trouble Master Xu, the security department will handle the circuit problems. You should go and check the equipment in the projection room, so that there won't be any malfunctions during the afternoon movie screening and disrupt everyone's studies." Xu Damao was rebuffed and retreated to the side with a sullen expression, but a hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes.

The tool shed was quickly cleared out, and the doors and windows were sealed tightly with thick canvas, leaving only a small vent for ventilation. Lin Chen cut the collected scrap steel cables into small pieces and placed them into a ceramic crucible along with bearing steel balls and furnace grate fragments. Liu Haizhong set up a thermometer nearby and reported the temperature every five minutes: "The furnace temperature is currently 650℃. Begin cooling! 50℃ per hour, maintain a constant rate!"

The furnace crackled and popped as the metal in the crucible gradually melted into a dark red liquid. Lin Chen stared intently at the fusion progress bar on the system panel. When the progress reached 50%, the system suddenly announced: "External magnetic field interference detected. Fusion stability has decreased, and the success rate has dropped to 40%!" He looked up sharply and saw through the gap in the canvas that Xu Damao was holding a discarded electromagnetic coil and waving it outside the window. The coil was connected to a battery, clearly interfering with the fusion process.

"Who's out there?" Lin Chen shouted, rushing over and flung open the door. Xu Damao hurriedly hid the coil behind his back, feigning innocence: "I was just passing by and worried you might need help." Lin Chen stepped forward and snatched the coil from his hand: "This thing can generate a strong magnetic field, interfering with metal fusion. You did this on purpose!"

Zhou Jianguo rushed over upon hearing the commotion and his expression changed drastically upon seeing the coil: "Xu Damao! If you dare to disrupt production, I'll report you to the factory security department right now!" Seeing that he had been exposed, Xu Damao turned and ran away, shouting, "I didn't! You're framing me!" Lin Chen had no intention of chasing him and turned back to the tool room—the fusion progress bar had stopped, the molten metal in the crucible had begun to solidify, and fine cracks appeared on the surface.

"It's over, the materials are ruined." Liu Haizhong slumped to the ground, the thermometer in his hand falling to the floor with a "thud." "There's no time to find new materials now; this batch of blanks is ruined." Lin Chen stared at the crucible, his brain racing. The system indicated that molybdenum-containing metal materials were needed to repair the cracks, but there was no molybdenum steel in the workshop. The only hope was that Old Wang at the scrap yard on the outskirts of the city might have some old molybdenum wire.

"I'm going to the scrap yard to find materials!" Lin Chen grabbed his coat and ran out. "Master Liu, keep controlling the temperature. Don't let the furnace temperature drop too quickly!" Zhou Jianguo hurriedly said, "I'll send a tricycle to take you!" Lin Chen waved his hand: "There's no time. I'll run!" He rushed out of the workshop and ran wildly along the factory's paths. His work shoes were burning hot on the soles of his feet, but he didn't dare to slow down at all—there was only one hour left before the fusion failed. Once he missed it, there would be no saving him.

Just as Lin Chen ran out of the factory gate, he saw Qin Huairu standing by the roadside, carrying a cloth bag, with a borrowed bicycle parked next to her. Seeing Lin Chen running towards her, she quickly pushed the bicycle over: "Director Lin, I heard there was an accident in the workshop, so I specially borrowed a bicycle for you. Here's a water bottle and some steamed buns for you to eat on the way." Lin Chen was stunned, looking at her hands, which were red from the cold—clearly she had been waiting here for a while.

"Thank you, Sister-in-law Jia!" Lin Chen took the bicycle and hopped on. Qin Huairu then handed him an oil paper package: "These are some molybdenum wires I saved up. They were leftovers from repairing machine tools in the workshop when Dongxu was working there. I thought they might be useful, so I kept them." Lin Chen opened the package, and sure enough, there were several thin molybdenum wires inside, gleaming with a silvery-white luster. He felt a surge of emotion and nodded vigorously: "These are crucial! I'll thank you again when I get back!"

The bicycle sped along the dirt road, Lin Chen's heart pounding. He hadn't expected Qin Huairu to be so thoughtful, not only lending him a bicycle but also preparing crucial materials in advance. Recalling how she had risked her life to save him from the police's pursuit, Lin Chen felt even more strongly that this woman, who had once relied on feigning pitifulness to gain sympathy, had long since rediscovered her honest and down-to-earth nature while learning a skill.

When Lin Chen arrived at the scrap yard, Old Wang was sorting through scrap metal. Hearing that Lin Chen needed molybdenum steel, he immediately dragged an old toolbox from the warehouse: "I have half a molybdenum steel rod here, leftover from repairing precision instruments before. You can take it!" Lin Chen took the rod and was about to pay when Old Wang waved his hand: "Thanks to your neighbor for helping last time, consider this a gift! Go back now, don't delay your business!"

Lin Chen thanked Old Wang and rode his bicycle back. Just as he turned into the alley leading to the factory area, he saw Xu Damao and two thugs blocking the road, each holding an iron bar. "Lin Chen, want to go back and save the day? Not so easy!" Xu Damao brandished the iron bar, a ferocious smile on his face. "Last time you made me lose my bonus, this time I'll make sure you get out of the steel mill for good!"

Lin Chen stopped his bicycle and hid the molybdenum steel rod behind his back. He knew a direct confrontation was out of the question; he needed to stall for time. "Xu Damao, if you dare to make a move, the factory security will be here immediately," Lin Chen deliberately raised his voice. "I already told Director Zhou when I came out that if I'm not back in ten minutes, I'll call the police!" Xu Damao hesitated, clearly somewhat apprehensive. The thug behind him, however, grew impatient: "Brother Mao, don't waste your breath on him, just beat him up and run!"

Just then, hurried footsteps came from the alley entrance, and Qin Huairu ran over with Jia Geng and several coworkers from the workshop. "Xu Damao! You beat someone in broad daylight, aren't you afraid of being arrested and sent to a labor camp?" Qin Huairu stood in front of Lin Chen, holding a laundry mallet in her hand. Jia Geng also picked up a stone from the ground and glared fiercely at Xu Damao.

"Mind your own business, you widow!" Xu Damao cursed. His coworkers swarmed around him: "Xu Damao, you dare touch Director Lin and see what happens!" "We all saw it, you blocked the road first!" Seeing that the other side outnumbered him and knew he wouldn't get away with it, Xu Damao glared at Lin Chen fiercely: "Consider yourself lucky! Don't let me catch you next time!" With that, he and his thugs slunk away.

"Director Lin, are you alright?" Qin Huairu asked hurriedly, only breathing a sigh of relief when she saw that Lin Chen was unharmed. Lin Chen said gratefully, "Thank you, Sister-in-law Jia, I'm so sorry to have troubled you again." "We're neighbors, it's only right that we help each other out," Qin Huairu smiled, "Go back to the workshop quickly, everyone's waiting."

When he rushed back to the tool shed, there were only twenty minutes left before the fusion failed. Lin Chen immediately smashed the molybdenum steel rod and put it into the crucible. The system prompted: "Molybdenum element replenishment detected, fusion stability restored, success rate increased to 85%!" He lit the furnace fire and watched the molten metal remelt into a uniform liquid. The weight that had been hanging over him finally lifted.

Liu Haizhong reported the temperature: "The furnace temperature is stable at 600℃, and the cooling rate is normal!" Following the system prompts, Lin Chen poured the molten metal into the pre-made lifting mold. The mold was made of a mixture of loess and fine sand, with a layer of wood ash applied to the inner wall to effectively prevent sticking. When the last drop of molten metal was poured into the mold, Lin Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief and slumped to the ground—the two hours of high-intensity operation had almost exhausted all his mental energy.

Half an hour later, the lifting device cooled and solidified. Lin Chen smashed the mold, revealing a brand-new lifting device—the hook part was made of silver-gray molybdenum alloy steel, with strength far exceeding that of ordinary steel; the chain part was made of fused steel cable, with excellent flexibility. He used the system to evaluate it: "High-strength heat-resistant lifting device, load-bearing capacity 2 tons, applicable temperature 800℃, overall rating: excellent."

"It's done!" Liu Haizhong shouted excitedly, snatching the lifting equipment. "I'll go lift the blanks right now!" The crowd crowded around the lifting equipment and brought it to the quenching furnace. Liu Haizhong carefully inserted the hook into the furnace and hooked the lifting ring of the blank. As the chain slowly rose, a batch of intact crankshaft blanks was lifted out, with smooth surfaces and no deformation whatsoever.

"The temperature is perfect! We can proceed with the tempering process directly!" Liu Haizhong exclaimed excitedly, holding a thermometer to measure the temperature of the billet. "Director Lin, you're truly our workshop's savior!" Zhou Jianguo was also moved to tears, tightly grasping Lin Chen's hand: "Xiao Lin, you've done a great service! I'll call the factory manager right now and recommend you for commendation!"

As evening fell, the crankshaft blanks, after undergoing heat treatment, were inspected by the technical department and found to have a 100% pass rate, with mechanical properties even better than those produced under normal conditions. The factory manager personally came to the workshop and announced that Lin Chen would be awarded a major merit, a bonus of one hundred yuan, and his salary would be raised to the level of a sixth-grade worker. His coworkers cheered around Lin Chen, and Liu Haizhong even brought a bottle of baijiu (Chinese liquor) and insisted on taking him to his home for dinner.

When Lin Chen returned to the courtyard house, the moon was already high in the sky. Just as he reached the door, he saw Qin Huairu standing under his window, holding a newly sewn tool bag. "Director Lin, you're back," Qin Huairu said softly. "This is a tool bag I sewed for you from durable canvas. It's sturdier than the last one; it can hold your hoisting gear and twist drill."

Lin Chen took the tool bag and felt the texture of the canvas; it was indeed very durable. A small gear pattern was embroidered on the bag, the stitches fine and dense, clearly showing considerable care had been taken. "Thank you, Sister-in-law Jia, this tool bag is so useful," Lin Chen said gratefully. "Today's troubles were also thanks to you for bringing the molybdenum wire in time and helping me out of that predicament."

Qin Huai smiled shyly, lowered her head, and said, "I just did what I was supposed to do. You sincerely taught me the skills and helped me with my family's difficulties, so I wanted to do something for you too. By the way, I heard from Master Li today that the workshop is looking for a tool supervisor. I'd like to give it a try. Do you think I'm suitable?"

Lin Chen's eyes lit up: "Of course! You're meticulous and responsible, perfect for this position. I'll talk to Director Zhou tomorrow and have him assign you." Qin Huairu's eyes instantly brightened, and a long-lost smile appeared on her face: "Really? Thank you, Director Lin! I will definitely do my best and live up to your trust!"

Back inside, Lin Chen opened the system panel, which displayed: "The host has successfully developed a high-strength, heat-resistant lifting tool, resolving the production crisis and earning the 'Technical Breakthrough' reward of +2000 points. Helping Qin Huairu secure a job opportunity and completing the 'Goodwill Transmission' mission has earned +500 points. Current total points: 6300. System level has been upgraded to level 9, unlocking the 'Precision Instrument Repair' permission."

Lin Chen was overjoyed. With the "Precision Instrument Repair" permission unlocked, he could repair the precision equipment in the workshop, further improving production efficiency. Looking at the moonlight outside the window, he recalled Xu Damao's revenge earlier that day and knew that more challenges lay ahead. But he was also more determined—as long as he relied on his skills, stayed true to himself, and with the mutual help and warmth of his neighbors, no difficulty was insurmountable.

At that moment, the tool bag on the windowsill was exceptionally clear in the moonlight, and the small gear pattern seemed to be turning. Lin Chen knew that this was not just a tool bag, but also a token of trust, and the most sincere warmth between neighbors.