Courtyard House: A Major Power's Heavy Industry, Hand-Crafted Nuclear Fusion

Before the morning mist had even dissipated, the "Taoyuan" base across the strait was already bustling with activity.

On the runway, the U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, codenamed "Black Cat," was being slowly towed out of the hangar. Its long, black wings gleamed coldly in the morning light, like a vampire bat that had just awakened.

Pilot Chen Huaisheng, wearing a bulky high-altitude compensation suit, walked awkwardly toward the plane like an astronaut.

He was in a good mood.

He won another hand of cards last night, and the weather report said that the weather in the mainland today is amazing, with clear skies and no clouds, making it a perfect day for taking pictures.

"Sir, coffee."

The ground staff handed me a steaming cup of coffee.

Chen Huaisheng waved his hand and pointed to the straw interface on the helmet: "No, I'll drink it when I get up there. Prepare two tubes of beef extract for me; I'm flying for eight hours today, so I need to replenish my energy."

He climbed into the cramped cockpit, skillfully switched on the oxygen, and checked the instruments.

"System self-check complete."

"Electronic countermeasures system is functioning normally."

"Camera warm-up is normal."

Everything was as perfect as usual.

"Black Cat One, clearance for takeoff. Good luck," came the instruction from the control tower.

"The black cat arrived. I'll go take some 'family photos' of them."

Chen Huaisheng smiled dismissively and stepped on the gas.

Accompanied by the roar of the J75 turbojet engine, the U-2 taxied, lifted off the ground, and soared into the sky at an astonishingly high angle.

Ten minutes later, it had climbed to an altitude of 20,000 meters.

At this altitude, the sky turned deep purple, and the earth became a distant map.

Chen Huaisheng activated the autopilot and then casually turned on the "System-13" electronic jammer that gave him immense peace of mind.

"Come on, Sam. Let's see if you blind men can find north today."

He hummed a little tune and flew off in the northwest direction.

There is a newly built industrial city there, which is our primary target today.

……

at the same time.

Inland, a hidden position.

This is a dense pine forest, only a few dozen kilometers from the city.

Three massive "543" missiles were already erected, pointing straight to the sky. However, they were completely covered by camouflage netting, and from the air, it looked like just an ordinary forest.

Inside the command vehicle, the air was so still it seemed as if water could drip from it.

The air conditioning wasn't on, but everyone was sweating.

Battalion Commander Xing Zhiqiang stared intently at the remote intelligence board in front of him. There, a red dot of light was slowly but steadily moving towards them.

"Enemy aircraft bearing 135, distance 300 kilometers!"

"Altitude 21500, speed 750!"

The intelligence officer's voice was somewhat hoarse.

Xing Zhiqiang turned to look at Su Zheng, who was sitting in the corner.

Su Zheng was resting with his eyes closed, seemingly oblivious to the tense atmosphere around him. Ye Xinyi sat beside him, holding a stopwatch and silently practicing the countdown.

"Advisor Su, it's here," Xing Zhiqiang said in a low voice, his voice carrying a hint of barely suppressed murderous intent.

"Um."

Su Zheng opened his eyes, his gaze clear as water. "Proceed according to plan. Remember, stay calm."

"yes!"

Xing Zhiqiang took a deep breath, grabbed the microphone, and gave orders to each company:

"Attention all battalion! First-level combat readiness!"

"All radars are strictly prohibited from being turned on! Emitting electromagnetic waves is strictly prohibited!"

"Activate missile filament power once the target enters a range of 100 kilometers!"

The entire position was instantly awakened from its slumber.

The soldiers rushed to their positions, their movements swift yet silent, without making a sound.

Like a pack of cheetahs lying in ambush in the grass, waiting for their prey to show its neck.

……

"Enemy aircraft 200 kilometers away!"

"Enemy aircraft 150 kilometers away!"

Time passed by, second by second.

For those in the command vehicle, every second felt like an eternity.

The U-2 flies very slowly.

It was like an arrogant inspector, strolling leisurely through the sky. It seemed certain that the people on the ground couldn't do anything to it, and even deliberately circled around the edges of several air defense positions, as if in provocation.

"Damn! That's outrageous!"

Radar guidance technician Xiao Li gritted his teeth, his palms sweating profusely. "Battalion Commander, turn it on! We can see it at this distance!"

"Shut up!"

Xing Zhiqiang roared, "Have you forgotten what Advisor Su said? Anyone who dares to turn on the device before reaching lethal range, I'll kill them!"

Su Zheng walked over and patted Xiao Li on the shoulder.

"Young man, don't let your hands shake."

Su Zheng's voice was gentle and calm, "What a hunter needs most is not marksmanship, but patience. Although it is arrogant now, it is already a corpse."

Looking at Su Zheng's young yet dignified face, Xiao Li's panic miraculously subsided.

"yes!"

……

10,000 meters above the ground.

Chen Huaisheng glanced at the clouds below.

"strangeness."

He frowned. "Why isn't there any reaction at all? At this time of day, the radar down below would usually be screeching like a startled rabbit."

The radar warning receiver (RWR) on the instrument panel was completely silent.

This indicates that there was no radar illuminating him on the ground.

"Were they terrified? Or did they give up the fight?"

Chen Huaisheng chuckled, "That's true, it's pointless to fight anyway, might as well save on electricity."

He relaxed his guard, picked up the tube of beef extract and squeezed it into his mouth, even leisurely adjusting the camera's focus.

"Since you're all so well-behaved, I'll fly lower so I can take clearer pictures of you."

He slightly pressed down on the lever, and the altitude dropped to 20,000 meters.

This seemingly insignificant action became his first step into hell.

……

ground.

"Enemy aircraft altitude is decreasing! 20500!"

"80 kilometers away!"

"60 kilometers away!"

Xing Zhiqiang's eyes lit up.

"Great opportunity! It's walking right into the line of fire!"

Su Zheng glanced at Ye Xinyi.

Ye Xinyi nodded and pressed the stopwatch.

"Based on the speed calculation, we are expected to enter the no-escape zone in 45 seconds." Ye Xinyi's voice was as calm as a machine.

"On your marks!"

Xing Zhiqiang's finger hovered above the red "Antenna Connect" button, trembling slightly.

"40 kilometers away!"

"35 kilometers away!"

"30 kilometers away!"

At that moment, only heavy breathing and the crackling of electricity could be heard inside the command vehicle.

Su Zheng suddenly stood up.

"Now."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a thunderclap.

"Power on!"

Xing Zhiqiang suddenly pressed the button!

"Buzz—"

On the roof of the car, the huge radar antenna, which had been "modified" by Su Zheng, was instantly powered on.

The powerful electromagnetic waves, after being precisely encoded by the carbon-based chip and focused by the phased array antenna, transformed into an invisible sword that pierced the sky at the speed of light!

……

In the sky.

Chen Huaisheng was about to swallow the last bite of beef extract.

Sudden.

"Beep beep beep—!!!"

Inside the cockpit, the previously silent radar warning system suddenly erupted with a piercing scream!

The sound was so urgent, so piercing, like the sinister laughter of death whispered in one's ear.

"What?!"

Chen Huaisheng was so frightened that his hand trembled, and he squeezed beef extract all over himself.

"Where did this radar come from? How did it suddenly..."

He instinctively looked at the electronic jamming machine.

The green light is constantly on. The interference system is operating at full power.

"It's useless?!"

Chen Huaisheng felt a chill run down his spine. Normally, if the jammer was on, the ground radar screen should be filled with static, not a stable lock-on signal!

"Damn it! What the hell is this thing?!"

He frantically flipped the interference mode switch, trying to switch frequencies.

But it didn't work.

The locking alarm not only didn't disappear, but became even sharper and more continuous.

That means—

He's been firmly pinned down!

……

ground.

"Target acquired!"

"Clear signal! No interference!"

"Distance 28 kilometers! Altitude 20200 meters!"

The technician, Xiao Li, exclaimed excitedly, "My God! It's so clear! It's like watching a black and white TV! You can even see it turning!"

The digital filtering system that Su Zheng modified perfectly filtered out all the deceptive signals emitted by the U-2, leaving only the most authentic metallic echo.

On the radar screen, the light was blindingly bright.

"Three-point guidance method!"

"Connect the transmission power!"

"Three shots in quick succession!"

Xing Zhiqiang roared out the order he had been holding back for three months:

"emission!!!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The earth was trembling.

Three red and white "543" missiles, trailing long fiery tails, tore through the camouflage netting and roared into the sky!

At that moment, it was as if three fiery dragons, carrying the humiliation and anger of the Chinese nation for a century, launched a fatal charge towards that lofty ghost!

……

In the sky.

Chen Huaisheng saw it.

Through the canopy, he saw three plumes of white smoke, as if from death, suddenly emerge from the clouds below.

They're too fast.

It happened so fast that he didn't even have time to think.

"No! No!"

He pulled the lever desperately, trying to perform a high-G maneuver.

Although the U-2 could fly high, its wings were extremely long and fragile in order to achieve its service ceiling, resulting in very poor maneuverability. The wings could break off in mid-air if the pilot was not careful.

Moreover, at this altitude, the air is as thin as water, and the control surface effect of the aircraft is extremely low.

It awkwardly turned to the side, like a goose trying to dodge a shot.

"There's no escaping it! There's no escaping it!"

Chen Huaisheng watched in despair as the three fire dragons drew closer and grew larger.

Eight seconds.

Only eight seconds passed from the moment the radar was activated to the moment the missile approached.

This is Su Zheng's "close-range and rapid combat tactic".

There was no warm-up, no probing, no entanglement.

One move and it's a fatal blow!

"boom--!!!"

The first missile exploded to the left rear of the U-2.

The massive shockwave instantly tore apart the fragile wings, and countless shrapnels rained down on the fuselage, turning it into a sieve.

Then came the second one.

It burrowed directly into the fuselage and detonated the fuel tank.

A huge, orange-red fireball burst open at an altitude of 20,000 meters, just like a sun rising in the daytime.

Chen Huaisheng felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, followed by a dizzying spin.

He didn't even have time to pull the ejection handle before the blast wave threw him out of the cockpit.

In his final moments before losing consciousness, only one thought remained in his mind:

"It's over..."

That invincible myth has been shattered.

……

ground.

When the fireball burst in the sky, the entire position fell into a brief silence.

Everyone craned their necks, mouths agape, watching the once invincible "black cat" plummet to the ground, trailing thick smoke, like a kite with a broken string.

"Hit!"

Xiao Li muttered to himself.

Then, a deafening cheer erupted.

"Got it! Got it!"

"It fell! It fell!"

The soldiers jumped up like madmen, threw their military caps into the air, hugged each other, and some even lay on the ground, pounding the ground and crying loudly.

It's not easy.

How much humiliation they endured and how much sweat they shed for this moment!

Xing Zhiqiang turned around and looked at Su Zheng, who was standing in front of the command platform.

This tough man now had red eyes and trembling lips.

He strode over, gave Su Zheng a standard military salute, and then hugged him tightly.

"Consultant Su! Thank you! Thank you!"

"We haven't disgraced our country! We haven't disgraced our military uniform!"

Su Zheng's bones were almost broken by Xing Zhiqiang's strangulation, but he did not struggle. He simply patted the battalion commander's back gently.

"You played well."

Su Zheng said with a smile, "That press revealed the spirit of the Chinese people."

Ye Xinyi stood to the side, watching Su Zheng surrounded by the crowd, her eyes glistening with tears. She quietly put the stopwatch back into her pocket.

8 seconds.

Exactly 8 seconds.

Exactly.

……

Two hours later.

In a rice paddy in a neighboring province.

The wreckage of the U-2 was scattered everywhere, still emitting black smoke. Militiamen and local residents had already surrounded the site.

Su Zheng and Xing Zhiqiang arrived at the scene in a jeep.

Looking at the pile of twisted black scrap metal, Su Zheng's mood was not much of a stir.

For him, this was simply an inevitable outcome.

Technological gap?

In the face of science... oh no, in the face of science, no generational gap is insurmountable.

He walked up to a huge wing wreckage and picked up a piece of the skin.

It's coated with a special wave-absorbing material, and it feels rough to the touch.

"system."

Su was silently reciting it in his heart.

【exist. 】

"Scan the wreckage."

[Scanning...]

[Target: Lockheed U-2C high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft.]

[Analysis in progress...]

[Obtained: Complete aerodynamic layout data for a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft.]

[Obtained: High-Temperature Resistant Stealth Coating Formula (Optimized Version)]

[Obtained: Core parameters and combustion chamber alloy formula of the J75-P-13B turbojet engine.]

[Obtained: High-resolution aerial camera optical lens grinding process.]

A series of notification sounds rang in my mind.

Su Zheng's lips curled into a cold smile.

This is what "delivering packages" means.

The cutting-edge technology that the Americans painstakingly developed has now become nourishment for the 001 Research Institute.

"Zhao Ming".

"exist!"

"Have someone collect all of these wreckages, leaving not even a single screw behind."

Su Zheng pointed to the deformed aircraft engine, "Especially this one, send it back to the research institute immediately. With it, our 'heart disease' will be much better."

"yes!"

After cleaning up the scene, Su Zheng looked up and gazed northwest.

The sky there is higher and more expansive.

The U-2 was shot down.

But this is only the first step.

Next came the even louder "sound".

"I wonder how well the 'ball' over there is being worn down," Su Zheng muttered to himself.

……

The news reached Beijing.

Inside the red walls, the lights shone brightly all night long.

The old man held the battle report, said "good" three times, and then picked up his brush and wrote a magnificent poem.

"Su Zheng, a man of unparalleled talent!"

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ocean.

The White Palace.

The blond president looked at the urgent report from the intelligence department and smashed his coffee cup in disbelief.

Coffee spilled onto the expensive carpet, just like his terrible mood at that moment.

"This is impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

He roared, "That's 21,000 meters! How could their missiles be so accurate? Are their radars blind? Are our electronic jammers just for show?"

The intelligence chief was deathly pale, his forehead covered in cold sweat: "Sir, intelligence indicates that the enemy seems to have mastered a brand-new electronic warfare technology... Moreover, the one commanding this battle is none other than Su Zheng."

"Su Zheng...it's Su Zheng again!"

The president gritted his teeth, a deep sense of apprehension flashing in his eyes.

From special steel to machine tools, and now to anti-aircraft missiles.

This name, like a ghost, appeared again and again in his nightmares.

"This person is on my blacklist; their threat level must be raised to the highest level! SSS!"

"Find out what he's doing at all costs! Or... eliminate him!"

"Furthermore, immediately suspend all close-in reconnaissance missions against that country! I don't want to see our pilots shot down like turkeys again until we figure out their new radar!"

……