Chapter 16: Rolling Mill Assessment

"Shazhu, this kid, has had no one to manage him since he was small. How about this, Old Yi, if you really go down and swim two laps, I can guarantee I won't report this matter. How about it?" The Second Uncle already had the feeling of having great power in his grasp.

It had been many years since he had experienced the feeling of having Yi Zhonghai under his thumb.

Seeing Second Uncle Liu Haizhong relent, he couldn't help but curse his ancestors for eight generations countless times in his heart, then took a deep breath and slowly walked toward the latrine in front of everyone.

This Zhao Gangzi really isn't a human being; he even dismantled all the partitions surrounding the toilet just to let everyone see Yi Zhonghai's disgrace.

It looks like not only is his madness cured, but he's also getting sharper; from now on, he can't be called Zhao Shazi anymore, he should be renamed Zhao Jing instead.

The First Uncle looked at the foul-smelling latrine and Shazhu, who was tied up in the center of the pit. His heart hardened, and closing his eyes, he leaped in with a sudden jump, while simultaneously greeting everyone's families once again.

Splash!!!

"My goodness, the First Uncle actually knows how to swim! Look at that dog-paddle, how standard! Tsk tsk tsk!"

"Ugh... can you stand a little further away, dear? You've splashed excrement all over me; you can wash it yourself tomorrow, damn it..."

"For such a grand scene, we should take a big photo to go down in history. Since ancient times, I've never heard of anyone swimming in a latrine. The First Uncle is awesome!"

"……………"

Liu Haizhong was stunned; he hadn't expected Yi Zhonghai to actually go down and swim!

And he had no way to pursue the matter further; after all, they had an agreement beforehand. The First Uncle had already gone down, so he, the Second Uncle, certainly had to keep his word, otherwise, he would lose face.

"Old Yi is a ruthless man!"

Yan Bugui couldn't help but exclaim.

After a long while, Yi Zhonghai climbed up without a word, his eyes bloodshot. He didn't say anything, just silently walked to the Second Uncle's side and said in a hoarse, low voice: "Old Liu, keep your word..."

Afterward, in front of everyone, he left the scene covered in a foul stench.

After the First Uncle left, others were a bit worried, feeling that it might have been a bit too much. After all, he was the First Uncle of the courtyard; even if he wasn't a good person usually, there should still be some face to save.

As for that guy Shazhu, he purely deserved it; otherwise, if he were really sent to the police station, the He Family Residence wouldn't be able to hold their heads up for three generations.

"Shazhu, although your death penalty is remitted, your living punishment is unavoidable. Today, I'll let you experience what it feels like to be soaked in a latrine!"

Liu Haizhong shouted sternly, then ripped the sock out of Shazhu's mouth. Shazhu, soaking in the latrine, burst into tears, wailing: "First Uncle, I, Zhuzi, have let you down! Sob sob sob..."

Regarding what happened next, many people couldn't bear to watch the spectacle anymore and were all thoroughly disgusted. Several people forcibly held Shazhu down and fed him, and for a time, wailing sounds were constant.

It wasn't until dawn that Shazhu was still soaking in the latrine, having soaked for a full four or five hours!

By the time they fished Shazhu out, the whole person was pickled in the stench; even flies wouldn't want to stay within a meter of him.

And this matter could be considered to have a result. As for the Second Uncle's mental damages, he didn't ask for them anymore, lest he push Shazhu too far and they end up both destroyed; after all, this kid had been missing a screw in his head since he was small.

As for the others who wanted to use the toilet, they first temporarily built one on the wasteland by the Back Courtyard. After all, Zhao Gangzi had held it for so long; if his willpower hadn't been extraordinary, he would have become a "jet warrior" long ago.

The next day was the Rolling Mill assessment.

Zhao Gangzi was prepared early, and by the way, he used the 10,000 points of Hatred Value on the System Panel to raise his Fitter Technology to Level 3.

Although skipping the Apprentice level didn't quite fit the regulations, rules are dead while people are alive. Based on what Yang Feng said before, plus Zhao Gangzi's solid strength, getting a First-Grade Fitter position shouldn't be a problem.

As for Shazhu, he was miserable; until that afternoon, he was still lying on the bed groaning. The entire Middle Courtyard was filled with a huge stench, which could even be smelled in the front and back courtyards.

It was fortunate that Shazhu's sister, Yushui, lived at school, otherwise, she would have had to run away from home.

That day.

Hongxing Rolling Mill.

The Rolling Mill had already begun the successive assessments, and those doing the grading, besides the leaders, were also the veteran masters whose trades had reached Level 7 or above.

Even the First Uncle, Yi Zhonghai, had come, and Liu Haizhong, a Level 7 Forger, was also on the scene, though the two of them had cleaned themselves up quite well.

Only, one could still faintly smell a lingering fragrance of excrement.

"Ahem, Jia Family daughter-in-law, you're here. Hurry up and go; no need to participate in the assessment, just go over there and register," Yi Zhonghai said with a straight face, pointing to the workbench over there.

Qin Huairu said "en," then walked over there to register.

After all, she was here to inherit Jia Dongxu's job. Jia Dongxu was crippled, so they could only let Qin Huairu inherit the position of an Apprentice.

Twenty-five yuan and fifty cents a month.

And there was a two-yuan subsidy, but with so many people in the family needing to eat, plus Jia Dongxu injured in bed, twenty-seven yuan a month might not really be enough.

"Sigh, the money the factory paid out is all with my mother-in-law. How will we live in the future!" Qin Huairu sighed mournfully.

At this time, Zhao Gangzi also arrived at the place.

It was just that he didn't want to be just a small Apprentice; he wanted to rely on his technology to get a grade directly, and the workers in the factory all knew about this.

His father was a Level 8 Fitter who later died in the line of duty, so the factory opened a back door for him and waived the work-year requirement directly.

Yi Zhonghai sat in the corner, looking coldly at Zhao Gangzi. Now the two of them could be considered to have deep hatred; even if Zhao Gangzi took the initiative to support him in his old age, he wouldn't forgive him.

"Old Yi, don't you plan to go watch the fun? Factory Director Yang and the two Deputy Factory Directors have all gone over," a veteran master said with a smile.

Yi Zhonghai smiled without mirth, gritted his teeth, and replied: "Alright, I'd like to see the joke this kid makes."

"I don't believe that after being crazy for so many years, he could become proficient in Fitter Technology overnight?"

Zhao Gangzi's sensitivity had also been raised by one level through the system; he heard Yi Zhonghai's words clearly. He then looked at Yi Zhonghai and said:

"Isn't this the First Uncle? How did you wash up so quickly? Why don't I see Shazhu? Does he not want to be a Level 9 Chef anymore?"

"Hmph, isn't it all because of the good deeds you did!" Yi Zhonghai snorted coldly.

"What, I just heard the First Uncle say he doesn't believe I have technology beyond an Apprentice. How about we make another bet?"

The two were like needle points against wheat awns. The workers in the Workshop didn't know what had happened, and one by one, they looked at the two with confused little eyes as they traded verbal barbs.

It was just that Xu Damao had a big mouth; even though the Second Uncle hadn't said a word, he described what happened in the middle of the night yesterday with added embellishments.

He even described Yi Zhonghai's swimming movements in the latrine in such vivid detail that the listeners felt a wave of nausea.

Yi Zhonghai wished he could die right now. Xu Damao wasn't a good thing either, making him, the dignified First Uncle, lose face all the way to the Rolling Mill!

"Old Yi, is this matter true?" Yang Feng felt a bit nauseous, but he was incredibly curious about the matter.

Yi Zhonghai had no face left and, with a flushed old face, couldn't say a word.

Seeing that Yi Zhonghai was unwilling to answer, Factory Director Yang didn't pursue it further but looked at Zhao Gangzi and smiled: "Gangzi, this is our factory's Level 8 Fitter master; if there are any conflicts, you must resolve them as soon as possible."

"That goes without saying, who in the Siheyuan doesn't know that First Uncle and I have the best relationship! Isn't that right, First Uncle?" Zhao Gangzi said.

"Yes, yes, yes," Yi Zhonghai said three times in a row, gritting his back teeth as he spoke, "Gangzi and I are both teacher and friend to each other!"