MMB Chapter 102 The ledger conceals treachery; even the slightest shadow cannot hide it.
Chapter 102 The ledger conceals treachery; even the slightest shadow cannot hide it.
On the third day after the winter solstice in 1963, the cold wind whipped up snowflakes and lashed against the blue brick walls of the Hongxing Courtyard, making a howling sound. As soon as the light from the kerosene lamp shone from the window of Yan Bugui's house in the front yard, he was already squatting in the hollow of the old locust tree by the gate, clutching a small, worn-out leather notebook. This was the surveillance spot that Yi Zhonghai had agreed on with him the night before, which would allow him to see Lin Chen coming and going in the north wing while also using the tree trunk to conceal his figure.
There were still chicken feathers left in the tree hollow from when Jia Zhangshi hid the stolen chicken last time. Yan Bugui disgustedly swept them away with his sleeve, then took out a half-pencil and drew a simple timeline in his notebook. At the top, he wrote "7:45 AM," which was Lin Chen's usual work time. He breathed out a puff of white breath and rubbed his hands together, thinking to himself: The "district-level outstanding teacher" title promised by Yi Zhonghai was no small sum. After being caught tutoring last time, this title was in jeopardy. This time, if he could get solid evidence of Lin Chen reselling scrap, he could not only get his job back and be evaluated for excellence, but he might also be able to get some more food stamps from Yi Zhonghai to supplement his family's income.
Just past six-quarters past dawn, the door to the north wing creaked open. Lin Chen emerged, wearing a thick, patched cotton-padded coat, a canvas bag slung over his shoulder, and a tin lunchbox in his hand—judging by the outline of the lunchbox, Yan Bugui immediately drew a lunchbox symbol in his notebook, noting next to it, "Suspected to be for waste materials." He squinted at Lin Chen's movements, and seeing that the other man didn't head directly out of the courtyard but instead turned towards the public pond, he couldn't help but frown and shrink his neck further into his coat.
Lin Chen squatted by the pond, drawing water. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a garment swaying under the old locust tree in its reflection. After learning of Yi Zhonghai's plan from Qin Huairu yesterday, he had used the system's "environmental scan" function to scan the yard. The hollow of this old locust tree was a well-known hiding place in the yard, and Yan Bugui's choice to spy there was consistent with his "wanting to get things done but afraid of being exposed" nature. He deliberately slowed his movements, taking an oil paper package from his canvas bag. Opening it revealed several dark, unsightly objects.
"Good morning, Master Lin! What's this good stuff?" Aunt Li from the middle courtyard came over carrying an empty basin, greeting him with a smile from afar. Last time, when her chickens were stolen by Jia Zhangshi, it was Lin Chen who helped her find the evidence, so she was particularly warm towards Lin Chen.
"Good morning, Aunt Li. This is a cornbread I made with coarse grains and bean flour, with a little salt added. It'll keep you full." Lin Chen picked up a piece and handed it over, raising his voice slightly. "I made plans with Old Wang at the scrap yard yesterday. I'll go there after get off work today to get some scrap metal. I'm thinking of melting it down to make a kitchen knife; the one at home is chipped."
Yan Bugui, inside the tree hole, quickly jotted down in his notebook: "At 7:45 AM, he talked with Aunt Li and mentioned 'Old Wang of the scrap yard' and 'scrap iron,' which seemed to be a code word for the transaction." He paused for a moment, then added, "Giving away steamed buns to win people's hearts." After finishing, he smirked smugly, feeling that he had seen through Lin Chen's "conspiracy" perfectly.
Lin Chen chatted with Aunt Li for a few minutes, deliberately dawdling until 5:45 AM before heading out. Just as he stepped out of the courtyard gate, he saw Xu Damao riding a dilapidated bicycle, a cloth bag hanging from the handlebars, loitering around the alley entrance. Seeing Lin Chen, Xu Damao gave a forced smile and nodded, "Going to work, Master Lin? I heard you've been working on a new mold at the factory lately, that's really impressive!"
"You're too kind, Master Xu. We're just doing this for the factory," Lin Chen replied casually, his gaze sweeping over the gap in the cloth bag—a piece of paper was sticking out, with the word "agreement" faintly visible, matching the material of the forged agreement the system had scanned yesterday. He sneered inwardly. These two were quite well-coordinated, one keeping watch and the other preparing fake documents, but they weren't very bright, their guilty conscience written all over their faces.
When he arrived at the forging workshop of the steel rolling mill, Liu Guangtian was already waiting for him at his workstation, clutching several crumpled pieces of paper in his hand: "Master Lin, these are Xu Damao's leave slips from the past six months, which I found in the workshop office, along with the equipment maintenance record he wrote last month. Do you think they're usable?"
Lin Chen took the paper and examined it carefully. Xu Damao's handwriting was indeed as the system had analyzed: the strokes were dragging, the "wood" radical on the right side of the character "林" (Lin) was always written too long, and he habitually pressed the paper with his right ring finger, leaving a faint fingerprint in the lower right corner of each sheet. Lin Chen took out his own technical report from his canvas bag and showed it to Liu Guangtian for comparison: "Look at my handwriting. Because I've been holding a forging hammer for years, my strokes are powerful. The left-falling stroke of the character '辰' (Chen) always leans to the left. This is muscle memory developed over a long period; Xu Damao can't imitate it."
Just then, Zhou Jianguo, the workshop director, walked over with a document in his hand: "Lin Chen, the factory just sent down a notice asking our precision group to rush out a batch of military parts. The tolerance is required to be no more than 0.02 millimeters, and samples are needed the day after tomorrow." He patted Lin Chen on the shoulder, "I only trust you with this. There's a batch of imported alloy materials in the materials warehouse. Go and pick some."
Lin Chen's eyes lit up; this was an unexpected delight. Imported alloy materials were the factory's prized possessions, usually locked in a dedicated warehouse with a strict usage registration system. He could use this opportunity to collect the materials and have the warehouse manager witness it, completely blocking Yi Zhonghai's attempt to frame him for "reselling valuable materials." "Don't worry, Director Zhou, I guarantee I'll complete the mission!" He immediately followed Zhou Jianguo to the materials warehouse.
Warehouse manager Lao Zhang was a meticulous worker in his fifties, keeping a clear record of every requisition. Lin Chen picked out several pieces of alloy material, which Lao Zhang measured repeatedly with calipers. He then wrote clearly on the requisition form: "Precision Group, Lin Chen, requisitioned 3.2 kg of imported alloy material for trial production of military parts. Remaining scraps must be recycled." After signing, Lin Chen deliberately asked, "Master Zhang, if someone tried to pass off ordinary scrap steel as this, would they be able to tell?"
Old Zhang glanced at him and laughed, "This imported material has a high chromium content. It will ignite blue flames when you grind it with a grinding wheel, while ordinary scrap steel is red. You can tell the difference in one go. Last time, Liu Haizhong wanted to trade scrap steel for this, but I scolded him away." Lin Chen understood. He chatted with Old Zhang for a few minutes, noted down his work hours, and then carried the materials back to the workshop.
At lunchtime, Lin Chen specially went to the canteen and got two servings of braised pork. He found Yan Jiekuang, who was munching on a cornbread bun in a corner. Yan Jiekuang was Yan Bugui's third son and worked as an apprentice in the workshop. His father often deducted his food rations, leaving him emaciated and pale. "Jiekuang, come and sit down," Lin Chen said, pushing the braised pork over. "I know you've been learning drafting lately. These are some drafting manuals I've collected. Take a look."
Yan Jiekuang was flattered and his hands trembled as he held the rice bowl: "Master Lin, if my father finds out, he will scold me."
"What are you afraid of? Learning a skill is a serious matter." Lin Chen lowered his voice. "Has your dad been keeping an eye on me for Yi Zhonghai lately? What did he say to you?" Yan Jiekuang took a bite of meat and mumbled, "I heard my dad tell Uncle Yi that he wanted to find evidence of your deal with Old Wang at the scrap yard, and he said he'd buy me a new fountain pen if it worked out." He looked up at Lin Chen. "Master Lin, don't take my dad's words to heart. He just values that instructor title too much."
Lin Chen patted him on the shoulder: "I know you're different from your father. Here's what you'll do: when you get home tonight, tell your father that you saw me pick up imported alloy materials today, and it seems like I'm going to sell them secretly. Tell him to keep a close eye on me. Remember, don't say that I told you to tell him." Although Yan Jiekuang was puzzled, he nodded and ate the braised pork with great relish.
Lin Chen had just started work in the afternoon when he saw Yan Bugui sneakily appear at the workshop entrance, whisper a few words to the security guard, and then peek suspiciously towards the precision machining group. Lin Chen deliberately picked up a piece of ordinary scrap steel, marked it with red paint, and then put it in a canvas bag. Liu Guangtian, who was watching closely, whispered, "Master Lin, are you trying to lure him in?"
"Isn't he trying to gather evidence? Let's create some 'evidence' for him." Lin Chen said with a smile, "Go tell Lao Wang to wait for me at the back door of the scrap yard at 5 pm. Bring a few witnesses, and it would be best to invite Officer Zhang from the neighborhood committee as well. Just say that there are legitimate scrap materials to dispose of." Liu Guangtian immediately understood, picked up his tool bag, and walked out of the workshop.
Yan Bugui had been watching from the workshop entrance for over half an hour when he finally saw Lin Chen emerge with a canvas bag. He quickly hid behind a corner and followed him from a distance. Along the way, he saw Lin Chen first go to the factory office, then to the materials warehouse, exchange a few words with Old Zhang, and then hand him a slip of paper—a certificate for the disposal of ordinary scrap steel that Lin Chen had specifically asked Old Zhang to issue. Yan Bugui became even more certain that this was definitely a "transaction voucher" and quickened his pace to catch up.
The back entrance of the scrap yard was in a narrow alley. It was past five in the afternoon, and the alley was nearly deserted. Old Wang stood there with two of his scrap yard workers, holding scales and a register. Neighborhood official Zhang was smoking nearby. Just as Lin Chen approached, he heard Yan Bugui shout from the alley entrance, "Stop thief! Lin Chen is stealing materials from the factory to sell for money!"
Lin Chen turned around, feigning surprise: "Teacher Yan, what are you talking about? I'm handling scrapped materials according to the proper procedures, and I have proof." He handed the scrapping certificate to Officer Zhang, "Officer Zhang, look, this is the scrapping form issued by Old Zhang in the materials warehouse, and the workshop director has also signed it."
Officer Zhang took the certificate and examined it, his brow furrowing. "Yan Bugui, what's going on here? You're framing someone without any evidence?" Yan Bugui became agitated, pointing at Lin Chen's canvas bag. "His bag contained materials from the factory! I saw him take them out of the workshop with my own eyes!"
Lin Chen opened the canvas bag and took out the piece of scrap steel marked with red paint: "Teacher Yan, please look carefully, this is ordinary scrap steel, not some valuable material. If you don't believe me, let Old Wang check if it's imported alloy material." Old Wang picked up the scrap steel, struck it with a grinding wheel, and red sparks flew up: "Officer Zhang, this is just ordinary scrap steel, not imported material."
Yan Bugui's face turned pale, but he still stubbornly insisted, "I...I clearly saw him take the imported materials!" Lin Chen smiled and took out a sample of military parts: "This is the sample made with imported materials. It will be delivered to the factory the day after tomorrow. The material scraps are all here. Do you want to take a look?" He handed the material scraps to Officer Zhang, which still had the marks of machine tool processing on them.
Officer Zhang's face darkened: "Yan Bugui, as a teacher, how can you frame others so easily? Master Lin is a key technical worker in the factory, and he's rushing to produce military parts. If this delays his work, can you take responsibility?" A crowd of passersby gradually gathered around, pointing and whispering at Yan Bugui, whose head drooped lower and lower.
Just then, Yi Zhonghai and Xu Damao rushed over. Xu Damao was still holding the forged agreement in his hand: "Director Wang sent us. Lin Chen is selling materials, and the evidence is conclusive!" He handed over the agreement, "Look, this is the agreement he signed with Old Wang, and it even has his signature on it!"
Lin Chen had been waiting for this. He took the agreement, scanned it with the system's integrated "handwriting analysis" function, and pointed to the signature, saying, "Master Xu, this isn't my handwriting. Look at the 'wood' radical on the right side of the character 'Lin'; I never write it this long. Also, the left-falling stroke of the character 'Chen'; mine is skewed to the left, but this one is skewed to the right." He took out his technical report for comparison, "This is the report I wrote yesterday; you can compare them."
Officer Zhang looked at the agreement and the report together, then at Xu Damao: "Xu Damao, this handwriting looks a bit like your usual style. The character 'Lin' in the same way you wrote it for the bulletin board last time." Xu Damao hurriedly waved his hands: "No, it wasn't me! Lin Chen forced me to write it!"
"I forced you?" Lin Chen sneered, taking out a voice recorder. "Then listen to this." Yi Zhonghai's voice came from the recorder: "Xu Damao, you imitate Lin Chen's handwriting to write an agreement. After it's done, I'll put in a good word for you at the factory and get you transferred back to the projection team." Then came Xu Damao's voice: "Uncle Yi, you'd better keep your word. If I get caught, I'm finished."
A hush fell over the room. Yi Zhonghai's face turned deathly pale. Xu Damao slumped to the ground, muttering, "It's over, it's completely over." Yan Bugui, witnessing this, knew he'd been tricked. He turned to run, but Officer Zhang stopped him: "Yan Bugui, you participated in the false accusation. Come back to the street office with me!"
It was already past 7 PM when they returned to the courtyard. The neighbors had all gathered in the central courtyard, waiting to see the outcome. When Officer Zhang finished recounting what had happened, everyone erupted in uproar. Aunt Li pointed at Yi Zhonghai and yelled, "No wonder you helped cover for Jia Zhangshi when she stole my chickens last time! You're all in cahoots!" Sha Zhu also stepped forward: "Uncle Yi, I used to treat you like an elder, but I never imagined you were so insidious, framing Master Lin just to secure your retirement!"
Yi Zhonghai lowered his head, unable to utter a single word. Yan Bugui was taken away by the street officials, and Xu Damao was summoned for questioning by the factory's security department. Lin Chen stood in the crowd, observing the chaotic scene, feeling no sense of triumph. He knew this was only temporary calm; Yi Zhonghai and his group wouldn't let it go easily, but he was prepared.
Back in the north wing, Lin Chen opened the system panel. His points had risen to 2500, and the system notification indicated that he could unlock the new feature "Scenario Deduction." Looking at the notification on the panel, a smile crept onto his lips. With this feature, he could anticipate anyone plotting against him next time, gaining the upper hand.
Night deepened, and the courtyard gradually quieted down, with only the cold wind still howling outside the walls. Lin Chen lay in bed, recalling Yan Jiekuang's satisfied expression as he ate the braised pork earlier that day, and Liu Guangtian's excitement upon receiving the drawing manual. He suddenly understood that the best way to deal with Yi Zhonghai and his group wasn't to be more cunning than them, but to exchange sincerity for sincerity. With enough friends around, even the most insidious schemes would eventually be exposed in the sunlight. He closed his eyes and began planning tomorrow's work. Samples of military parts still awaited his completion, Liu Guangtian's technical training couldn't be neglected, and the fabric supply he promised to find for Qin Huairu's sewing stall needed to be secured.