ATPnovel Chapter 3 Initial System Exploration, Survival Planning
Chapter 3 Initial System Exploration, Survival Planning
The deafening crash of the sledgehammer striking the anvil echoed repeatedly in the forging workshop, making Lin Chen's hands go numb. For someone with a physical constitution of only 3 points, each swing of the 20-pound sledgehammer felt like exhausting all his strength. Sweat streamed down his forehead, hitting the scorching ground and instantly evaporating into a wisp of white mist, mingling with the pervasive smell of rust and coal smoke in the workshop to create a unique, pungent odor.
Wang Tieshan stood to the side with his hands behind his back, his sharp eyes fixed on Lin Chen's movements. He didn't offer any further guidance, but occasionally, when Lin Chen's movements became distorted, he would kick the pile of scrap iron beside him with his toe, making a "clang" sound as a warning. Lin Chen knew that his master was testing his endurance and comprehension—in the blacksmithing trade, strength was the foundation, but rhythm was the soul; without hundreds or thousands of hammer blows, one simply couldn't grasp the essentials.
"Stop!" Wang Tieshan finally spoke when Lin Chen slammed the sledgehammer on the anvil for the 108th time. He stepped forward and pointed to the dent in the center of the anvil: "You're using the wrong force, too much on the left and too little on the right. If you keep practicing like this, you'll warp the anvil." With that, he took the sledgehammer from Lin Chen and swung it seemingly effortlessly, slamming it down with a "bang." A uniform mark immediately appeared in the center of the anvil. "See that? Use your core strength, not just your arms."
Lin Chen nodded, took the sledgehammer, and readjusted his posture. The intense training he'd just endured left him sore all over, but it had also given him a new understanding of his body's control. He tried mimicking Wang Tieshan's movements, transferring the power from his waist and abdomen to his arms. Sure enough, the sledgehammer felt lighter, and the impact points were much more precise. Just then, a notification popped up on the system panel in his mind: [Detected that the host has undergone basic forging training, resulting in a slight increase in physique. Current physique: 3.1 points.]
This discovery invigorated Lin Chen. It turned out the system could not only fuse items, but also improve basic attributes through training! He suppressed his excitement and focused even more intently on his training, striving for precision in every swing of the hammer. Before he knew it, the roar of the machines in the workshop gradually subsided, and the clock on the wall pointed to noon—lunchtime had arrived.
"That's enough for now. Go to the canteen for food." Wang Tieshan put his tools away and took out two food coupons from his work clothes pocket. "The factory provides meals for the first three days for new employees. Take these to the window to collect them. Remember, talk less and observe more. The workshop is not like a courtyard house; you'll get into trouble if you say the wrong thing."
Lin Chen accepted the grain coupons and solemnly said, "Thank you, Master." He could understand the deeper meaning in Wang Tieshan's words. The forging workshop was full of hidden talents; there were technical backbones like Wang Tieshan, but also characters like Liu Haizhong who bullied newcomers by taking advantage of their seniority. Only by acting cautiously could he avoid detours. He followed the flow of people toward the canteen, and just as he stepped out of the workshop, he was stopped by a familiar figure.
"Comrade Lin, wait a moment!" Qin Huairu walked over quickly, carrying something wrapped in blue cloth in her arms. Her face showed just the right amount of apology. "Genggeng was being naughty this morning and caused you trouble. This is some sweet potato I just steamed. Take it and have some to tide you over." She stuffed the cloth bag into Lin Chen's hands, her exposed wrists still bearing the red marks left from washing clothes that morning, her eyes full of earnestness.
Lin Chen glanced at the cloth bag, smelling the sweet aroma of sweet potatoes inside, and could clearly see half of Qin Huairu's delicate porcelain bracelet peeking out from her sleeve—it was bought with Jia Dongxu's work injury compensation money. She usually couldn't bear to wear it, only showing it off when she needed to feign pitifulness. He calmly pushed the cloth bag away: "Sister Qin, you're too kind. The child is young and doesn't understand, I didn't take it to heart. You can keep the sweet potatoes for the child, I'll just eat at the cafeteria."
Qin Huairu's hand froze in mid-air, her smile faltering. She hadn't expected Lin Chen to be so unyielding; usually, this tactic with Sha Zhu would have gotten him handing over his food rations long ago. Just as she was about to start arguing again, she heard Sha Zhu's loud voice coming from the direction of the cafeteria: "Qin Huairu! What are you dawdling about here? I've already got my food!"
Turning her head, she saw Sha Zhu standing not far away, holding two enamel bowls filled with snow-white rice and a few slices of braised pork, attracting the attention of the surrounding workers. In this era of food shortages, such food was considered a luxury. Qin Huairu immediately put on a gentle expression and quickly walked over: "Zhu Zi, I'm just apologizing to Comrade Lin. Geng Geng was so inconsiderate this morning."
Sha Zhu glared at Lin Chen and shoved a bowl into Qin Huairu's hand: "Why apologize to him? He's just a new kid, does he dare to argue with you? Take this and eat, don't let the child go hungry." He deliberately raised his voice, as if showing off his help to the Jia family, or as if warning Lin Chen not to meddle.
Lin Chen, too lazy to argue with them, turned and walked into the canteen. The canteen was bustling with noise, and workers were lining up to get their food. Most of them had thin porridge with pickled vegetables in their bowls, while a few people had white steamed buns, which they carefully broke into pieces to eat. He received a standard meal with the food coupons given to him by Wang Tieshan: two cornbread buns, a bowl of cabbage soup, and a small dish of salted radish.
Lin Chen found a corner seat and took a bite of his cornbread when he saw Liu Haizhong sitting at a table not far away with his two sons. Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu each had only a bowl of thin porridge in front of them, while Liu Haizhong himself held a white steamed bun, occasionally muttering, "Eat faster! After you finish, hurry back to the workshop and get to work. All you do is slack off all day long. Learn from your brother!"
Lin Chen understood immediately; this was Liu Haizhong's style—doting on his eldest son, Liu Guangqi, while treating his second and third sons like dirt. As he was observing, he suddenly felt someone tugging at his clothes. Looking down, he saw Li Jianguo, the apprentice who had reminded him that morning to offer his master a cigarette.
"Lin Chen, you really dare to challenge Sha Zhu," Li Jianguo said in a low voice, his face full of admiration. "That guy is all talk and no action in the cafeteria. He's on good terms with Uncle Yi Zhonghai, and even the workshop director gives him some face. You've offended him as soon as you arrived; you're going to suffer for it later."
"I didn't offend him, he came looking for trouble himself." Lin Chen took a bite of cornbread, the aroma of corn spreading in his mouth. "Besides, in the workshop, it's about skills, not personal connections."
Li Jianguo pursed his lips, about to say something more, when he was interrupted by Liu Haizhong's roar: "Li Jianguo! You're slacking off again! Come over here and help me move the steel!" Li Jianguo shuddered in fright, quickly made a "we'll talk another day" gesture to Lin Chen, and ran off in a flash. Lin Chen watched his retreating figure and shook his head—in such an environment, it was indeed not easy to remain untainted.
After finishing his meal, Lin Chen didn't immediately return to the workshop. Under the pretext of "familiarizing himself with the factory area," he went around to the scrap heap behind the workshop. The system had notified him that there were items that could be fused there that morning, and he wanted to take this opportunity to investigate. The scrap heap was about half a person's height, filled with discarded iron blocks, steel filings, and broken tools, all covered in dust.
He opened the system panel, clicked the "Item Appraisal" function, and scanned the scrap heap. A series of information immediately popped up: [Item: Ordinary Iron Block. Quality: Inferior. Characteristics: High carbon content, can be melted and recast.] [Item: Damaged File. Quality: Scrap. Characteristics: Steel blade is chipped, steel can be recycled.] [Item: Alloy Scrap. Quality: Good. Characteristics: Contains 12% chromium and 8% manganese, can increase metal hardness, 1 pound can be exchanged for 5 points.]
Lin Chen's gaze lingered on the "alloy scraps." This material was common in forging workshops, but because of its high hardness and difficulty in processing, it was often discarded as scrap. He hadn't expected it to be so valuable to the system. He crouched down, pretending to sort through the scraps, and quietly picked up the silvery-gray scraps, stuffing them into the inner pocket of his work clothes. These things could not only be exchanged for points, but might also be used to fuse more advanced tools.
Lin Chen had only been picking through the scraps for a short while when he heard footsteps behind him. His heart skipped a beat, thinking it was the workshop supervisor, and he quickly stood up. Turning around, he saw Liu Guangtian, holding a tattered sack and also peering into the pile of waste.
"You're here to collect scrap metal too?" Liu Guangtian asked Lin Chen with some surprise. His face still bore the red marks from the beating and scolding he received from Liu Haizhong that morning, and his eyes were full of timidity. "My dad told me to collect some scrap metal to take home, saying it can be sold to raise money for my brother's dowry."
Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat, recalling Liu Haizhong's favoritism towards his eldest son and his harshness towards his second son. He pointed to some scrap iron wire in the junkyard: "Those iron wires are easier to sell; the scrap collectors will pay a higher price for them." After saying that, he quietly stuffed a few pieces of alloy scrap into Liu Guangtian's sack, "Take these too; they're worth more than ordinary scrap iron."
Liu Guangtian was taken aback for a moment, then quickly thanked him, "Thank you, Master Lin. If my father knew I took the good stuff, he definitely wouldn't scold me." His voice was slightly choked, clearly from years of being wronged. Lin Chen patted him on the shoulder, "Learn the skills well, and you can make a living with your craft in the future. That's better than anything else." This was both a consolation and a test—he remembered that the system had hinted that Liu Guangtian had a talent for forging, so perhaps he could establish a good relationship with him in advance.
Back in the workshop, Lin Chen took advantage of his lunch break to study the system in a corner. He opened the "Fusion" interface, which displayed a message: "Success rate of fusion of similar materials 100%, success rate of fusion of different materials 30%." Below that was a progress bar for "Mental Strength," currently showing 10/10 points. He had consumed 5 points that morning while fusing the bronze key, and now he had 5 points remaining.
"If only I could fuse them together to make a handy tool," Lin Chen mused, pulling out a piece of ordinary iron and a small piece of alloy scrap from his pocket. He wanted to try fusing the two to see if he could make a chisel with higher hardness. Following the system prompts, he placed the two items on the ground and concentrated, silently chanting "Fuse."
A pale blue light emanated from the system panel, enveloping the two items. The iron block and alloy scraps slowly melted, transforming into two clumps of liquid metal that intertwined and swirled. A strong smell of rust filled the air, even more intense than during normal forging. Lin Chen watched the fusion process intently, fearing an accident—the system had warned that a failed cross-category fusion would consume double his mental energy and could potentially produce harmful byproducts.
"Fusion successful! Item obtained: Alloy Chisel. Quality: Good. Characteristics: High hardness, wear-resistant, suitable for precision forging." The system notification sounded in my mind, consuming 3 points of mental energy, leaving me with 8 points of points remaining. The two items on the ground disappeared, replaced by a silver-gray chisel with a sharp blade and a very smooth handle.
Lin Chen picked up the chisel and tried scratching a piece of scrap metal, easily leaving a deep mark. He was overjoyed; this chisel was much better quality than the original factory tools in the workshop. Just as he was about to put the chisel away, he heard Wang Tieshan's voice: "What are you holding?"
Lin Chen panicked and quickly hid the chisel behind his back. Wang Tieshan walked over, his gaze sharp as he looked at him: "Let me see it." Knowing he couldn't hide it any longer, Lin Chen had no choice but to hand over the chisel. Wang Tieshan took the chisel, flicked the blade with his finger, and listening to the crisp sound, a look of surprise appeared on his face: "You made this chisel?"
"I figured it out using scrap materials, Master, what do you think?" Lin Chen said, half-jokingly. He dared not reveal the existence of the system, so he could only attribute the credit to "ancestral craftsmanship"—an excuse he had already prepared.
Wang Tieshan examined the chisel repeatedly, then tested it on a piece of high-hardness steel. His expression grew increasingly serious: "This craftsmanship is better than that of the factory's eighth-level forgers. Did you study forging before?" Lin Chen nodded: "My grandfather used to be a blacksmith, and I learned from him for a few years." This excuse was reasonable, explaining the origin of the chisel without arousing suspicion.
Wang Tieshan returned the chisel to Lin Chen, his eyes showing a hint of appreciation: "Not bad, you have talent. Don't practice swinging the sledgehammer this afternoon, learn how to polish chisels with me." He paused, then added, "Don't easily reveal this skill. 'A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime.'" Lin Chen felt a warmth in his heart; he knew Wang Tieshan was protecting him, and quickly thanked him: "Thank you for the reminder, Master. I'll remember it."
The afternoon passed quickly. Lin Chen followed Wang Tieshan to learn how to polish tools. His master's explanations were clear and simple, and with his background in mechanical engineering from his previous life, he quickly grasped the essentials. Wang Tieshan became more and more pleased with teaching him, and even took out his treasured book, "The Complete Book of Forging Techniques," for Lin Chen to read that evening.
As Lin Chen stepped out of the workshop after get off work, he was stopped by Liu Haizhong. Liu Haizhong, hands on his hips, said arrogantly, "Lin Chen, I heard you've been hiding some good stuff? Hand it over now, or you're not leaving!" It turned out that Liu Guangtian had taken the alloy scraps Lin Chen had given him back home at noon, and Liu Haizhong had seen them. Liu Haizhong immediately recognized them as high-quality alloy, and after questioning him and learning that Lin Chen had given them to him, he was overcome with greed—if he could melt down these scraps and cast them into tools to sell, he could raise a considerable amount for Liu Guangqi's dowry.
Lin Chen frowned, surprised by Liu Haizhong's domineering attitude. He feigned ignorance, "What are you saying, Master Liu? I haven't hidden any good stuff." Liu Haizhong snorted and reached out to search Lin Chen, "Stop playing dumb! Guangtian told me you gave him several pieces of good stuff. Hand them over now, or I'll make sure you can't stay in the workshop!"
Just then, Wang Tieshan walked over and said coldly, "Liu Haizhong, what do you think you're doing? Bullying my apprentice at the workshop gate, do you even respect the factory rules?" Liu Haizhong's momentum immediately weakened when he saw Wang Tieshan. Wang Tieshan was a level six forging worker, highly skilled, and even the workshop director gave him some respect; he couldn't afford to offend him. But he was unwilling to give up so easily, muttering, "Master Wang, this is between him and me, it has nothing to do with you."
"I'm going to take care of my apprentice," Wang Tieshan said, walking up to Lin Chen. "He's new to the workshop and doesn't know anything. Even if he takes some scrap, nobody in the workshop wants it. If you want some, go pick it up from the scrap pile yourself. Don't bully the newbie here." Liu Haizhong was speechless after being rebuked. He glared at Lin Chen and turned to leave. Lin Chen was extremely grateful to Wang Tieshan: "Master, thank you so much for today."
"It's alright. If he bothers you again, just tell me." Wang Tieshan patted Lin Chen on the shoulder. "Study your skills well. Once you're skilled enough, no one will dare to bully you." He then turned and left. Watching his master's retreating figure, Lin Chen became even more determined to master forging techniques—in this era, only strength is the strongest foundation.
By the time Lin Chen returned to the courtyard house, it was already dusk. Yan Bugui, in the front yard, was holding a small notebook, calculating accounts under the kerosene lamp, muttering to himself, "Jiecheng ate two cornbreads today, two mao; Jiefang used half a bar of soap, five fen..." He glanced up at Lin Chen as he entered, then lowered his head again to continue calculating, without even a greeting. Lin Chen knew that Yan Bugui was wary of him, afraid he would borrow grain or supplies.
Beside the public pool in the courtyard, Qin Huairu was washing clothes, with an empty grain sack beside her, deliberately left open. Seeing Lin Chen return, she immediately put on a pitiful expression: "Comrade Lin, you're off work? Look at our house, the grain jar is almost empty. Genggeng and Dangdang worked all afternoon and didn't even get a decent meal." As she spoke, she deliberately wiped her eyes, revealing her cracked hands.
Lin Chen glanced at the empty grain bag, a cold smile playing on his lips. He had clearly seen Sha Zhu give her a bowl of braised pork and rice in the canteen that morning, yet here she was, feigning pitifulness. He didn't reply, heading straight for his room. Seeing his lack of response, Qin Huairu reluctantly took a few steps after him: "Comrade Lin, could you lend me a few jin of grain coupons? I'll pay you back when I get my salary."
"I just got back to the city, and I'm almost starving. I really don't have any extra food coupons." Lin Chen stopped and pointed to his room window. "This morning, your Jia Geng broke into my room, and my little bit of food was almost stolen. Now I have to be careful with my food." Qin Huairu's face turned pale and then red, and she smiled awkwardly. "Then I'll think of another way."
Back in his room, Lin Chen first checked the doors and windows, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming there were no signs of forced entry. He took out the alloy scraps he had collected that day and used the system to appraise them; they weighed a full two kilograms and could be exchanged for 10 points. He clicked the "Exchange" button, and the scraps instantly disappeared, leaving him with 18 points.
Next, he began to study the system's points shop. The shop was filled with a wide variety of items, including "Coarse Grain Biscuits (10 points/pack)," "Mental Strength Recovery Potion (50 points/bottle)," and "Temporary Fusion Success Rate Boost Card (30 points/card)." Lin Chen thought for a moment and redeemed a pack of coarse grain biscuits and a bar of soap—the biscuits could serve as emergency rations, while soap was a scarce commodity in this era.
After exchanging the materials, he took out the "Complete Guide to Forging Techniques" given to him by Wang Tieshan and began reading it by the light of a kerosene lamp. The book detailed various forging techniques and tool-making methods, much of which coincided with his mechanical knowledge from his previous life. When he reached the chapter on "Alloy Forging," his eyes lit up—the book mentioned that adding metals such as chromium and manganese to ordinary steel could significantly improve the steel's hardness and wear resistance, which coincided with the principle of system fusion.
Reading until midnight, Lin Chen put down his book and began to formulate a detailed survival plan. His short-term goal was to use the system and his master's techniques to establish himself in the forging workshop and strive to become a full-time employee as soon as possible; accumulate points to improve his living conditions and ensure sufficient food rations. His medium-term goal was to improve his forging skills, become a key technical member of the workshop, and obtain higher wages and benefits; cultivate a good relationship with Wang Tieshan and use his connections to avoid the open and covert conflicts within the workshop. His long-term goal was to utilize the system's advantages to develop more advanced forging tools or processes, laying the foundation for future development.
After finalizing the plan, Lin Chen felt much more at ease. He took out the alloy chisel he had fused that day and examined it carefully under the light. This chisel was not only his foundation in the workshop, but also the starting point for changing his destiny. He knew that the road ahead would not be smooth sailing; the scheming neighbors in the courtyard, the open and covert struggles in the workshop, and the various limitations of this era would all become obstacles to his progress. But he was no longer the weak and incompetent Lin Chen of his previous life. With the system's help, and with his own wisdom and perseverance, he was certain he could carve out his own path to survival in this difficult era.
Just then, a soft footstep sounded outside the window. Lin Chen immediately became alert, quietly walked to the window, and looked out through the hole. In the moonlight, a familiar figure was crouching under his window—it was Jia Zhangshi! She held a thin wire in her hand, trying to pry open the crack in the window, muttering to herself, "That little beast must have hidden some grain; I must steal it today."
Lin Chen's eyes turned cold. It seemed the Jia family wouldn't give up until they hit a brick wall. Qin Huairu's feigned pitifulness hadn't worked during the day, so Jia Zhangshi had come to the rescue herself tonight. He didn't speak immediately, but instead took out the coarse grain biscuits he'd exchanged earlier that day from his pocket, tore open the packaging, and deliberately made a "snap" sound. Hearing the sound, Jia Zhangshi outside the window stopped abruptly, a glint of greed flashing in her eyes, and her prying motion became even more urgent.
Lin Chen's lips curled into a mocking smile. He picked up the packet of talcum powder from the table, walked to the inside of the window, and crouched down facing the crack. This trick had worked well on Jia Geng last time, and it would be perfect for Jia Zhangshi this time. He could imagine Jia Zhangshi's disheveled appearance after the talcum powder got into her eyes, and he knew this would teach her a profound lesson—not just anyone's things could be stolen.
Jia Zhangshi, who was outside the window, finally pried open the window a crack. She smiled smugly and was about to reach in to feel around when she suddenly felt a spray of powder hit her face. "Ah—my eyes!" Jia Zhangshi screamed, covering her eyes and rolling on the ground. Her sharp, piercing voice broke the tranquility of the courtyard.
Lin Chen pushed open the window, looked at Jia Zhangshi rolling on the floor, and said coldly, "Aunt Jia, breaking into someone's house in the middle of the night! If this is reported to the neighborhood committee, you'll be sent to labor camp." Hearing the commotion, the neighbors turned on their lights and peeked out. Yan Bugui stood at the door with his account book, a gloating look on his face; Yi Zhonghai frowned, clearly awakened; Sha Zhu ran out of his room, saw Jia Zhangshi's state, and immediately glared at Lin Chen: "What did you do to her?"
"I didn't do anything to her. She broke in through the window to steal things and got some talcum powder in her eyes from the talcum powder I left by the window." Lin Chen took out the remaining talcum powder packet. "Everyone can see this. This is the talcum powder I use for polishing tools. I put it by the window to prevent moisture, but who knew someone with dirty hands would try to stick their hands in."
Seeing Jia Zhangshi's disheveled state and then at the packet of talcum powder in Lin Chen's hand, the neighbors understood what had happened. Some whispered among themselves, "The Jia family has gone too far. Stealing once during the day wasn't enough, they came back at night." "That's right, Comrade Lin just returned to the city, where would he get extra grain for them to steal?" Yi Zhonghai walked over, looked at Jia Zhangshi, and said with a grim face, "Zhangshi, tell me the truth, did you break in through the window?"
Jia Zhangshi covered her eyes, still trying to deny it: "I didn't! He deliberately put talcum powder on me to frame me!" But no one believed her, after all, Jia Geng had just stolen something that morning, and that evening she had appeared under Lin Chen's window—the evidence was conclusive. Yi Zhonghai sighed: "Alright, stop making a scene, go back and wash your eyes. If you dare to steal again, I'll report you directly to the neighborhood committee."
Sha Zhu wanted to say something, but after being glared at by Yi Zhonghai, he had no choice but to swallow his words. He helped Jia Zhangshi walk home, and as he passed Lin Chen, he said fiercely, "You just wait!" Lin Chen looked back at him without showing any weakness: "I'm ready anytime."
The neighbors gradually dispersed, and the courtyard returned to tranquility. Lin Chen closed the windows and reinforced the doors and windows. He knew that after this incident, the Jia family would definitely not let it go, but he wasn't afraid—he would deal with whatever came his way. As long as he had enough strength, no one could bully him. He returned to his table, picked up "The Complete Book of Forging Techniques," and continued reading by the light of the kerosene lamp. Under the lamplight, his eyes were firm and bright, as if they could pierce through the darkness and see hope for the future.