Seeing that people were no longer rejecting him, Yi Zhonghai was very happy. He also knew that changing others' preconceived notions about him was not an easy task.
He had to keep going; only then would his reputation improve. To get more exposure, Yi Zhonghai would sometimes even stay late to work overtime or do other things.
It's said that good deeds are rewarded, and perhaps because of Yi Zhonghai's change of heart, he finally found an opportunity. While Yi Zhonghai stayed behind to clean, a major incident occurred at the steel rolling mill. After everyone had left work, enemy agents infiltrated the mill.
Yi Zhonghai, who was cleaning, happened to witness this scene. He then secretly went to the security department and reported it to them. The security personnel immediately grabbed their guns and surrounded the area Yi Zhonghai had described.
Liu Haizhong, who was suffering from an upset stomach, happened to be at the steel rolling mill. At first, he just thought Yi Zhonghai was acting suspiciously, but when he saw the security guards coming out, he followed them.
As one of the important enterprises under the Ministry of Metallurgical Industry, the steel rolling mill was extremely well-protected. In this era of the Great Leap Forward, the importance of the steel rolling mill was undeniable.
The security personnel were equipped not only with submachine guns but also with mortars. Although it was called a security section, it was actually a semi-regular military unit.
Once the logistics warehouse was cordoned off, the search for spies began. Both sides were elite forces and quickly discovered each other's presence.
The security personnel were far superior to the enemy agents in terms of both weaponry and numbers. After a brief exchange, two of the three enemy agents were killed. The remaining one simply hid in the warehouse.
Upon entering the warehouse, they began setting fires everywhere. Then they launched a continuous counterattack while simultaneously trying to evacuate.
As soon as the security personnel saw the warehouse was on fire, they immediately began their assault. In those days, supplies were far more valuable than human lives. The warehouse also stored the entire steel rolling mill's food rations and some crucial spare parts. Some of these items were even imported from other countries. The loss of any of these items would be a significant blow to the steel rolling mill.
After suppressing the enemy agents in a corner, some of the men surrounded them while others began salvaging supplies. Seeing this, Yi Zhonghai immediately had an idea. He had been worried about how to earn merit, and now that he had reported several enemy agents, participating in the supplies rescue would definitely be a major achievement.
Even Liu Haizhong, who was startled from a distance, realized this was an opportunity. So he immediately ran over to help.
Liu Haizhong wasn't the only smart one. Yi Zhonghai also figured out the key point. How could he possibly let his mortal enemy take the credit alone?
Even if he couldn't get his previous benefits back, at least he could be promoted to a permanent position. With this idea in mind, Yi Zhonghai immediately followed the security personnel to salvage the supplies.
To give a good performance, Yi Zhonghai gave it his all. But sometimes, bad luck can strike even the smallest thing.
The remaining enemy agent, knowing he was doomed, launched a desperate last stand. After shooting and wounding a security officer, he smashed a window with a bullet and began to escape. Once outside, he found no cover. He could only charge into the crowd, but after only ten meters, he was shot in the leg. Seeing more and more people closing in, he threw two grenades.
Although the enemy agent was killed, the grenades were still thrown. One of them didn't hit Yi Zhonghai, but it wasn't far from him.
The shockwave from the explosion sent Yi Zhonghai flying. He was incredibly unlucky; he crashed into a shelf, and something on it fell and landed directly in his crotch.
Yi Zhonghai let out a scream and immediately fainted. After confirming that the enemy agent was dead, the security department sent two people to take Yi Zhonghai to the hospital.
The blood flowing from Yi Zhonghai's lower body showed that his injuries were definitely not minor; after all, they were both men.
Seeing that Yi Zhonghai had already been carried out, the others quickly put out the fire and salvaged supplies. Fortunately, the fire had only been burning for a short time, so the damage was not too great.
But when the leaders of the steel rolling mill arrived, they simply wrote down a few words and changed the report.
The warehouse originally contained tens of thousands of kilograms of grain, which were all destroyed in the fire. As for the other parts, they remained unchanged.
In the following days, the food at the steel mill improved considerably. Not only were there more cornbread and steamed buns, but there were also more vegetables than usual.
The security personnel didn't say anything about this; at times like these, being well-fed was the most important thing. Everyone's work was already very hard, and now that they could have a few good meals, no one would go against their own stomach.
The steel mill leadership also attached great importance to Yi Zhonghai, the biggest contributor to this incident. Considering Yi Zhonghai's current situation, the leadership did not reinstate him completely, but only made some adjustments. For example, they rescinded his disciplinary action and restored some of his benefits. Yi Zhonghai, originally a temporary worker, was reinstated to the rank of a level-two fitter.
Liu Haizhong was also awarded a major merit for his meritorious service in rescuing supplies. He was even personally praised by the leaders of the steel rolling mill.
After praising Liu Haizhong, Factory Director Yang personally led the factory's leaders to the hospital to offer their condolences to Yi Zhonghai. They said some high-sounding words and left some gifts.
Neither Factory Director Yang nor Li Huaide wanted to have much contact with people who bullied the orphans of martyrs. If it weren't for the fact that Yi Zhonghai was injured while working for the steel rolling mill, they wouldn't have even bothered to come and see him.
After offering their condolences to Yi Zhonghai, they took their men to the doctor's office to learn more about Yi Zhonghai's condition.
"Doctor, how badly are our factory workers injured?"
"Sir, Yi Zhonghai's situation is rather special. His upper body was completely smashed, but the rest of his body wasn't significantly affected. Because it was so badly damaged, we had to perform surgery. Given his condition, he should be fully recovered in about ten days."
Hearing the doctor's words, everyone at the steel mill felt a chill run down their spines. Director Yang and the other leaders discussed it and decided to further increase Yi Zhonghai's benefits, given his significant sacrifice.
No one had any objections to this. Yi Zhonghai, who was originally a level-two fitter, was promoted to level-three. Yi Zhonghai used to be a level-six fitter at the steel rolling mill, and even with half a finger injured, he should still be at the level of a level-four fitter. Now that he has been restored to the level-three fitter status, there shouldn't be any gossip, so everyone unanimously approved Director Yang's proposal.
When the factory staff told Yi Zhonghai the news, he was overjoyed. He was also relieved that he had only injured his lower body. Since that area was already ruined, the amputation wouldn't have a significant impact on him.
Knowing that his major offense had been offset, Yi Zhonghai felt a small sense of smug satisfaction, but also a degree of disappointment. His benefits hadn't been fully restored, and given his current situation, it was virtually impossible for him to return to his level six fitter status. Unless he continued to perform meritorious service, a promotion was out of the question; everything was recorded in his file.
After recuperating in the hospital for about ten days, Yi Zhonghai returned to his courtyard house. Upon returning, he immediately went out and bought some nice things.
Although Yi Zhonghai spent almost half a month in the hospital, his benefits have now been largely restored. A salary of forty-odd yuan is definitely enough for one person to live comfortably.
It wasn't just his salary that was increased, but also other benefits. Furthermore, all of Yi Zhonghai's hospital expenses were paid by the steel mill.
Others might not have enough to eat, but Yi Zhonghai ate quite well at the hospital. Having just received his salary, Yi Zhonghai naturally wanted to celebrate properly.
Even the deaf old lady got a good meal because of Yi Zhonghai. Seeing Yi Zhonghai eating well in the backyard, Jia Zhangshi, lying in bed, felt somewhat resentful.
If everyone's situation were similar, Jia Zhangshi wouldn't have been bothered. But now that Yi Zhonghai had become a level three fitter, Jia Zhangshi felt somewhat uneasy.
Looking at Qin Huairu working, Madam Jia could only shake her head helplessly. With Qin Huairu's methods, she was no match for Yi Zhonghai and the deaf old lady. Even if she went to the backyard, it wouldn't make any difference.
Given Yi Zhonghai's character, the Jia family will likely face endless trouble in the future. If they don't quickly find someone to deal with Yi Zhonghai, the Jia family's future will definitely be bleak.
"Dongxu, be careful at the steel rolling mill. Given Yi Zhonghai's character, he might make a move against you. The reason he didn't make a move against you before was because he was hoping you would support him in his old age. Now, Yi Zhonghai has nothing to do with our family anymore. He's completely ruined. Someone like Yi Zhonghai will definitely change his personality drastically. Don't be fooled by his amiable demeanor now; he's just trying to repair everyone's old impression of him."
"You also need to work harder. Only by raising our level will our family's situation improve. Otherwise, once Yi Zhonghai makes his move, our Jia family's life will become even more difficult."
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