Yi Zhonghai sighed softly. "We're all neighbors. There's no need to be so calculating. You're the only one in the workshop with spare time. Help out, earn yourself a good reputation—it won't be a loss."
Lin Zhen was amused by Yi Zhonghai's bizarre logic.
"Heh, I'd be better off earning Silly Zhu's reputation. First Elder, there's no need for moral blackmail. There's no way I'm helping the Jia family for nothing, especially when Grandma Jia starts cursing people at the drop of a hat."
"Sigh, don't stoop to her level. She doesn't only target you. Other than the Deaf Old Lady, she's cursed everyone in our courtyard."
"Save it. I'm not as noble as you are. If you want to preserve the output from Jia Dongxu's position, go do it yourself. Don't come looking for me."
"If I could handle two positions by myself, why would I come to you? Just consider it helping the old, weak, sick, and disabled!"
"Gasp—"
Lin Zhen could not help drawing in a sharp breath. The moral blackmail had come just like that.
"First Elder, you want to preserve Qin Huairu's chance at getting a job so she can provide for your retirement, right?"
Yi Zhonghai's expression darkened. "I told you already, we're both smart men. There's no need to put it so bluntly."
"Heh, but you're handling things pretty bluntly. You want me to work in Jia Dongxu's place, fight for Qin Huairu's chance to take over the job, preserve the Jia family's livelihood, and have them support you in your old age and bury you when you die. But what do I get out of it? Since you picked me to do this thankless labor, you can't expect to settle it with just a few words, can you?"
Yi Zhonghai narrowed his eyes and smiled faintly. "Don't you get a good reputation? A reputation is priceless."
In Yi Zhonghai's eyes, a good reputation really was better than anything else.
He had always done his best to maintain his selfless and upright image.
In the original story, Yi Zhonghai did not reveal his hypocritical, villainous face until the very end.
Yet he was also the one who treated Silly Zhu like a sucker.
To make Silly Zhu provide for him in his old age and bury him after death, he forcibly tied him to Qin Huairu and prevented Silly Zhu from reuniting with his biological son.
Lin Zhen knew the original plot better than anyone.
More than once, he had dropped hints to remind Yi Zhonghai.
I know what you're really like.
You don't need to pretend to be a gentleman around me.
Therefore, whenever Yi Zhonghai and Lin Zhen were alone together, both of them understood each other perfectly.
None of those polite formalities could be taken seriously.
Lin Zhen smiled faintly. "It's not impossible for me to help, but unlike you, I don't care about a good reputation. I only value tangible returns."
"What do you want?"
"Isn't your monthly salary 99 yuan? Give it all to me."
"Ninety-nine? No problem. I can give you a hundred."
"I mean you give it to me every month, not just once. Whenever Qin Huairu starts working, that's when you can stop paying."
"Little Lin, are you robbing me?"
"Don't put it like that. No one is forcing anyone; it's entirely voluntary. If you want to keep someone to support you in your old age, then you have to be willing to bleed. Otherwise, go find someone else. But it's true that I'm the only one in the workshop with plenty of free time."
Yi Zhonghai's face looked terrible.
After thinking it over, he realized that one could not catch a wolf without sacrificing a child.
If he was unwilling to spend three months' wages, Qin Huairu would not be able to take over Jia Dongxu's job.
Then the Jia family would lose its source of income, and the matter of having them support him in old age would truly fall through.
And as the First Elder of the courtyard, he would inevitably have to help support the Jia family anyway.
That would be an even greater loss.
It was still more worthwhile to sacrifice three months' salary.
He would treat it as abandoning the cart to save the general.
"Fine, it's settled! I'll go ask the workshop director for approval."
Lin Zhen smiled. "No need. I'll go to him directly. I'm more effective than you."
Yi Zhonghai nodded. "You're an engineer and one of the factory's key trainees. Your words do carry more weight than mine. Then we'll start next Monday. You'll take Jia Dongxu's position and handle both your engineering work and fitter work."
"Don't worry. I'll get it arranged for you this afternoon, but you need to advance the wages first."
"I didn't bring that much money with me. I'll bring it over to you tonight."
"Fine! It's settled, then!"
After Yi Zhonghai left, Lin Zhen revealed a sly smile.
Since you came looking for me, I'll definitely arrange things properly for you.
But asking me to do Jia Dongxu's work? That was impossible.
Lin Zhen's work was highly flexible.
Normally, he just guided production processes, improved machinery, and so on.
He could wander through several workshops as he pleased.
Yi Zhonghai had indeed come to the right person by asking him to fill in for Jia Dongxu. He was the only one in the entire workshop with spare time.
After dealing with the work at hand, Lin Zhen headed to the factory cafeteria.
One of his targets was there.
Ma Hua, who had only reported for duty two days ago and was helping Silly Zhu prep vegetables.
Ma Hua had no other outstanding quality except one: loyalty to his Master—absolute loyalty.
In the original story, Ma Hua was Silly Zhu's apprentice and ran errands for him tirelessly.
The moment Deputy Director Li reassigned Silly Zhu to the workshop, Ma Hua immediately skipped work and quit.
That was how loyal he was.
But honestly, Silly Zhu did not treat Ma Hua all that well.
Leaving aside how much cooking he actually taught him.
When Silly Zhu went out to take private jobs, he brought his newer apprentice along but never Ma Hua.
When he finally opened a big restaurant, he did not bring Ma Hua into the kitchen as his second-in-command either.
After getting rich, he first started supporting the beasts in the courtyard, yet never thought of Ma Hua, who had been utterly loyal to him.
Now that Ma Hua had only just arrived as a cafeteria apprentice, he probably had not yet taken Silly Zhu as his Master.
Lin Zhen had come to poach him.
Jia Dongxu's position could be temporarily filled by Ma Hua.
After all, Ma Hua only loved cooking. He would not cling to a workshop position and refuse to leave.
That way, Yi Zhonghai's request would be easily resolved.
"Oh, Master Lin, you're here?"
Liu Lan, who was mopping the floor, warmly greeted Lin Zhen when she saw him enter the cafeteria.
"Busy, Liu Lan? I'm looking for Silly Zhu."
"He's cooking. Go on in yourself."
The moment he entered the kitchen, he heard the clatter of pots, bowls, and utensils.
Silly Zhu was scolding Ma Hua.
"Are you slicing shredded potatoes or cutting rice-cake strips? They're thicker than your fingers, and you call that shredded?"
Ma Hua nodded repeatedly in nervousness, not daring to say a word. His hands only trembled harder.
Lin Zhen smiled faintly and walked over.
He reached out and took hold of Ma Hua's cleaver.
In a gentle voice, he said, "Young man, watch carefully. Curl your left hand and press the potato slices firmly. Use your right hand to control the knife with quick wrist movements. Keep your eyes on the blade, but don't forget to watch beyond it. Advance a fraction with every cut, and never pause between strokes."
Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!
Lin Zhen gave them a live demonstration.
His knife moved so fast it left afterimages.
Strands of potato flew one after another into the basin beside him.
They were more evenly cut than if they had been shredded with a grater.
Most importantly, only Lin Zhen's two hands moved.
Other than his hands, not even the tips of his hair stirred.
Ma Hua was stunned by the sight. He had never dreamed that vegetable cutting could be trained to such a level.
It was simply godlike!
The cooks in the kitchen were all dumbfounded as well.
When it came to knife skills, none of them dared claim they could reach that level.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! Great Engineer Lin, what are you doing? You're interrupting me while I teach my apprentice! We know you're good at everything, so stop showing off!"
Silly Zhu could not quite keep his face.
His cooking was unmatched, but he had never deliberately studied knife skills.
He had been scolding his apprentice's knife work when Lin Zhen came over and showed him up.
If he tried it himself, he truly could not cut them that cleanly.
Lin Zhen smiled faintly. "Ma Hua is your apprentice? Did he kneel and kowtow to become your disciple? Silly Zhu, don't mislead the younger generation. This apprentice belongs to me now."
Before you continue