Courtyard House: I fish in the heavens, a professional bird abuser.

The early spring of 1942 did not bring much warmth to this ancient land that had been ravaged by war, as was the case in previous years.

Conversely, the political climate of the entire Northern Hemisphere plummeted to a suffocating low with the sudden and powerful rise of a force known as "Dragon's Tooth." On the chessboard of the world order, the former players are now discovering with horror that an unseen hand is brutally disrupting all the existing arrangements.

But amidst this global political chill, in the heart of Northwest China, a grand undertaking poised to rewrite the course of human civilization is unfolding like an arrow released from a bow.

A massive caravan, shrouded in mystery and even bordering on science fiction, is traveling upstream along the ancient Silk Road.

Braving the biting winds and sandstorms of the Northwest wilderness, their wheels crushed the silence of millennia, heading towards that desolate land—the "Sea of ​​Death," Lop Nur—which is not even marked on today's maps.

This is a force that, even decades later, would leave any seasoned NATO or Warsaw Pact military observer speechless. It is more than just a transport convoy; it is a mobile steel fortress, showcasing an industrial aesthetic of violence that transcends its time.

Above the sky, the clouds were violently torn apart.

Two "Dragon Sparrow" heavy escort aircraft, which fly around all day, resemble two ancient ferocious beasts, circling and skimming over at low altitude.

Their distinctive swept-back wing design refracts a cold, eerie light under the sun, and the signature shriek of their turbojet engines, mixed with low-frequency vibrations, echoes for a long time across the vast Gobi Desert, like rolling thunder.

Herds of gazelles on the Gobi Desert were startled by the unprecedented loud noise and scattered in all directions, kicking up clouds of dust.

That was an absolute display of air superiority, a death warning that no potential spy would dare to cross the line—in this airspace, even gods are forbidden, and only the "Dragon Sparrow" reigns supreme.

Looking back at the ground, it's a long, winding steel dragon that seems to stretch endlessly.

Leading the way were twenty "Warrior" class heavy armored off-road vehicles that had undergone deep desert camouflage modifications.

These monsters, "modified" from later military chassis, possess the most formidable off-road capabilities on Earth at that time. Their large, run-flat tires crushed sharp rocks as if traversing flat ground.

On the roof of each vehicle stood a formidable 12.7mm remote weapon station. The cold muzzle was not still, but like an eagle's eye, it tirelessly scanned every corner of the surroundings with millimeter-wave radar and thermal imaging system.

Any living creature appearing within a two-kilometer radius will be instantly locked onto, and the operator can simply press a button to tear it into a bloody mist in an instant.

In the middle of the convoy lies the core of the entire escort – dozens of large, slow-moving special heavy transport vehicles.

They were covered with a thick, grayish-green canvas of a very special texture. It was not ordinary fabric, but a composite material containing a layer of radiation-shielding lead and special heat-insulating materials.

Through the deep, somewhat oppressive roar of the engines, one could almost feel the weight carried by these dozens of vehicles—not just a physical weight, but a historical weight powerful enough to crush mountains and rivers and reshape the world order.

Each of the enormous tires was a head taller than an adult man, its deep treads filled with gravel, and its heavy chassis made the earth tremble slightly.

To protect this cargo, which is worth billions of times more than gold, an entire division of elite guards was deployed around the core vehicle.

That was Li Yunlong's most prized and cherished unit, the Independent Special Operations Division, known as the "Imperial Guard."

If the elite German or American divisions of that time were to see the equipment of this unit, they would probably be so ashamed that they would throw their guns into the gutter.

All personnel are equipped with Kevlar composite body armor, tactical helmets integrating individual communication systems, and new assault rifles with Picatinny rails and optical sights. Some heavy weapons teams are even equipped with exoskeleton systems that allow them to easily carry 100 kilograms of weight during marches, as well as second-generation night vision goggles.

They were a group of steel warriors from the future, silently and solemnly guarding the convoy.

At the very front of the convoy, inside the specially lengthened and bulletproof mobile command vehicle, the air seemed to freeze, serious yet teeming with tension.

The temperature control system kept out the cold outside the car, and He Yuanchao sank into the soft leather sofa.

He held a red-headed document in his hand, the bright red "Top Secret SSS" stamp on it particularly glaring, next to which was a detailed hydrogeological map of Lop Nur, marking every dry riverbed.

Opposite him sat Li Yunlong, whose temples were already graying and whose back was slightly hunched, but whose eyes were still as sharp as a hidden blade.

And Professor Liu Zhenhua, the chief scientist whose face was weathered and who wore thick windproof goggles, yet whose eyes shone with an undisguised fervent light.

"Brother He, why don't we stay in the warm kang beds of Beiping and bring so many men all the way here to this godforsaken place, where all we do is sand and wind, just to hear a noise?"

Li Yunlong, like a restless lion, clung to the spotless bulletproof car window, gazing out at the boundless, despairing Gobi Desert.

Everywhere he looked was desolate; besides jagged rocks and endless yellow sand, not even a decent blade of grass could be seen. He couldn't help but grumble; this was already the eight hundredth time he had complained along the way.

But He Yuanchao could tell that Old Li's complaints were just a habitual venting. Because the knuckles of Li Yunlong's hand, which was gripping the car door handle, were turning slightly white from excessive force, and the veins were bulging.

This battle-hardened veteran knew better than anyone the significance of this mission.

Before departure, the security level of the entire "Dragon Fang" system was raised to the highest level. Not only did all participants sign confidentiality agreements with joint liability, but even core political commissars like Zhao Gang could only be responsible for the allocation of logistical supplies 500 kilometers away and were not qualified to set foot in the core area.

This was not just a military operation; it was a charge that risked the fate of the nation.

He Yuanchao slowly put down the map in his hand and raised his head.

Looking at his sworn brother who had crawled out of piles of corpses with him and fought his way from Shanxi to all over China, a meaningful smile slowly appeared on He Yuanchao's usually calm face.

That smile held ambition, arrogance, and an overbearing air that looked down upon all living beings.

"Brother Yunlong, this is no ordinary sound."

As the ancients said, "The greatest sound is silent, the greatest form is formless. When it does not speak, it is so; but when it does speak... it will cause the heavens and the earth to tremble."

As he spoke, He Yuanchao solemnly took out a model the size of an apple from the silver metal briefcase beside him.

The model was exquisitely crafted, shimmering with a captivating metallic luster under the soft lighting from the roof.

It was a perfect sphere, its surface engraved with intricate lens-like patterns, like a work of art from an alien civilization.

He gently placed the "work of art" on the table covered with the map, producing a crisp metallic clang.

"Old Li, think about it. We've fought our way here, battling the Japanese, beating the Russians, and even dealing with that arrogant bald-headed Chairman. What did we rely on?"

"We rely on the flesh and blood of our soldiers, on the superior quality of our guns and cannons, and on the fact that the technology we have access to from our system is half a century ahead of theirs."

"But... this is far from enough."

He Yuanchao's eyes gradually became deep and dark, as if piercing through the heavy car window, crossing thousands of mountains and rivers, and looking at the powerful countries on the other side of the ocean that were sharpening their knives and indulging in glitz and glamour.

"In this dog-eat-dog world, although we have won the battle, there are still huge hidden dangers in our strategy."

"The Americans, the British, the Soviets, and even the dying Germans were all frantically researching a weapon. This weapon is called 'strategic deterrence,' but I prefer to call it—the big stick of 'nuclear blackmail.'"

He Yuanchao's voice lowered, and every word was like a nail driven into Li Yunlong's ears.

"As long as they have this big stick and we don't, no matter how advanced our tanks are, no matter how fast our jets fly, no matter how spectacular our battles are on the conventional battlefield... once we reach the negotiating table that decides the fate of the world, we will never stand tall!"

"Why is Roosevelt being so polite to us now? Why doesn't Stalin dare to cross the border easily? It's because they don't know our strength and are afraid of our tactical missiles, also known as 'divine punishment'."

"But Lao Li, you have to understand, 'Heavenly Punishment' is essentially a conventional weapon, and its power has an upper limit. They're not stupid; they're researching it day and night. With their industrial base, they can create something similar in a few years, or even a few months."

"By then, our generational advantage will be leveled. We will have to use the blood of countless soldiers to fill that hole again."

"so……"

He Yuanchao stretched out his slender fingers and tapped the cold metal model twice.

"We need a true sword of Damocles, capable of ending all wars, hanging over the heads of all ambitious men!"

His gaze suddenly turned fiery, like a volcano about to erupt.

"I want to grow a mushroom by my own hands in this deserted place, in this forgotten corner of the world... a mushroom that shines ten thousand times brighter than the sun in the sky!"

"As long as that mushroom cloud rises..."

He Yuanchao suddenly stood up. Even in the bumpy carriage, his posture remained as upright as a pine tree, and his voice was deep and full of undeniable domineering power.

"For the next five hundred years! Neither the mighty bear of the north with its steel torrents nor the mighty eagle of the ocean with its invincible fleet will ever again dare to set up cannons at the doorstep of the Chinese people!"

"And no fool would dare to raise their voice at us Chinese!"

These words resounded like thunder in the narrow carriage.

Although Li Yunlong didn't understand terms like "nuclear fission," "critical mass," or "Damocles," he did understand the most crucial and inspiring phrases.

Whether it's the Americans or the Soviet Union, once this thing goes off, everyone's backs will be completely straightened! Even if the sky falls, this thing can hold it back! Anyone who wants to bully us should first consider whether they can withstand this explosion!

"Done!!"

Li Yunlong felt all the blood rushing to his head. He slapped his thigh hard, as if he wanted to break the thick thigh.

"Damn it! Forget about drinking the northwest wind, even if I have to get out of the car and eat sand until my teeth break, as long as this national treasure makes a sound and gives us Chinese people some face in front of those foreign devils, I'll do it!"

Professor Liu Zhenhua, who had been sitting silently to the side, now had a fervent light in his eyes, almost like that of a religious pilgrimage.

He was a top scientist, and he understood the true terror and greatness behind this mission better than the rough-and-ready Li Yunlong.

That is the pinnacle of human wisdom, the holy grail of physics!

Nuclear fission! Chain reaction! E=mc²!

That is the ultimate code that God used to create the universe and also to destroy the world; it is the most dangerous and most alluring forbidden fruit!

In his original timeline of memory, what dire circumstances must this suffering people have faced in order to create this thing!

That was a belt cleaved into the flesh, that was data extracted one by one with abacus beads, that was a "spirit-building bullet" obtained by countless nameless heroes who spent their lives in obscurity in the Gobi Desert, even at the cost of their lives.

And now, in this altered time and space.

Under the godlike strategic guidance of Teacher He (He Yuanchao), and with the support of the mysterious system providing those precision gas centrifuges and complete sets of heavy water reactor blueprints that were half a century ahead of their time.

They actually managed to complete this massive project, which should have taken several years and required the entire nation's resources, in just six months!

This is not just a miracle, it's a divine intervention!

"Teacher He, don't worry!"

Liu Zhenhua took off his thick goggles, revealing bloodshot eyes, his voice trembling violently with excitement.

"The enrichment report for the last batch of uranium-235 is out, reaching an astonishing 93.5%, which is top-grade for weapons! We have already conducted a thousand simulations on the computer for the detonation lens device, and the synchronization error has been controlled at the nanosecond level!"

"Theoretically... even if there are a million uncertainties, in our hands, there's no such thing as 'what if'!"

"We...we will definitely succeed!"

……

Seven days later, deep in Lop Nur, at Target Range Zero.

This place, known as the "Sea of ​​Death," is a true forbidden zone for life. Since ancient times, it has been a place of only withered bones and yellow sand, where birds do not fly and beasts have vanished.

But today, this desert, which had been silent for hundreds of millions of years, has been completely awakened by the violent industrial power of humankind.

A colossal iron tower, hundreds of meters high, stands majestically in the center of the Gobi Desert, like a pillar stabilizing the sea. Constructed entirely of special high-temperature resistant aerospace aluminum alloy, the tower reflects a dazzling, cold silver light under the scorching midday sun, appearing both solitary and proud.

Beneath the iron tower lies a massive construction site with a radius of several kilometers.

Countless workers and technicians dressed in white protective suits are like industrious and meticulous worker ants, carrying out the final evacuation and debugging work.

There was an eerie silence in this place at this moment.

There was no commotion, no slogans, and not even a loud breath.

The only sounds in the air were the faint ticking of precision instruments, the muffled roar of heavy generators in the distance, and the whistling of the wind sweeping across the sand dunes.

This is a silence that is suppressed to the extreme, the last and most unsettling calm before the real storm.

Ten kilometers away from the epicenter, inside a top-class underground bunker command post.

He Yuanchao stood with his hands behind his back in front of a row of monitors made of half-meter-thick lead glass and high-definition tactical camera probes, his eyes fixed intently on the top of the iron tower that carried the hopes of countless people.

There, in that unassuming pod, hangs a silent ultimate weapon codenamed "Miss Qiu." (This name pays tribute to the predecessors of the original timeline, or it may be called the system codename "Dongfeng-1").

But this is not just the entry-level atomic bomb with a yield of 2 tons from the original timeline.

Through He Yuanchao's painstaking efforts and extensive optimization and modification using the system's "nuclear energy technology tree," this missile features an extremely complex reinforced implosion structure and incorporates a massive amount of fusion material in its core for detonation enhancement...

Enhanced atomic bomb!

Its theoretical design yield has broken through the limits of the first generation of nuclear weapons, reaching an astonishing 10 tons of TNT equivalent!

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief!"

The officer in charge of weather monitoring abruptly stood up, his booming report breaking the silence in the room: "Weather conditions confirmed excellent! Wind direction at the range is northwest, wind speed is level 3! Humidity is suitable, perfectly meeting the test requirements!"

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief!"

The "Dragon Tooth" team member in charge of airspace radar monitoring immediately reported, speaking rapidly: "The entire alert airspace has been scanned three times! Airspace cleared! Within a 500-kilometer radius, there are no unidentified flying objects, radio signals, or human activity! Not even a fly could get in!"

He Yuanchao nodded, his expression unchanged.

He raised his wrist and glanced at the ruggedly designed multi-functional tactical watch.

The hands are ticking away, and right now it's 14:59 PM.

With just one minute left, the wheels of history are about to turn.

"An encrypted dedicated phone line connecting Yan'an and Chongqing." He Yuanchao's voice was as calm as a deep pool.

Although this place is a desert isolated from the world, with endless yellow sand, every sound here can be transmitted back to the two absolute centers of power in China at this moment without any delay, thanks to the cutting-edge technology of quantum relay stations set up by the system.

Yan'an, a thousand miles away.

In the simple cave dwelling, several great men dressed in old military uniforms sat around a specially made military radio. The room was filled with smoke, the traces of long periods of contemplation. Everyone held their breath, oblivious to the fact that the tobacco in the Chairman's pipe had long since burned out, and he had forgotten to refill it.

Chongqing, located on the banks of the Yangtze River.

Inside the Yunxiulou official residence, the bald-headed chairman locked himself in his office. He dismissed all his servants and secretaries, and like a frightened bird, pressed his ear tightly to the oddly shaped black receiver.

Although it was early spring, his forehead was covered with fine beads of cold sweat, and the handkerchief in his hand was soaked through with cold sweat and clenched into a ball.

At this moment, regardless of political views or stance.

They are all waiting.

At this most critical moment for the nation, they are waiting for the same voice.

That voice could change China's destiny, no, it could completely change the world's landscape over the next five hundred years.

"Attention all units!"

"Detonation countdown procedure, prepare!"

Professor Liu Zhenhua stood personally in front of the massive control panel. As the operator at this moment, his palms were covered in slippery cold sweat, but his ten fingers on the control panel remained as steady as an unchanging rock.

He turned his head and looked at He Yuanchao one last time through his goggles.

That was a look that pleaded for final confirmation.

He Yuanchao nodded slightly, his eyes resolute. He took out the golden key, symbolizing destruction and rebirth, from his inner pocket and solemnly inserted it into the red detonation lock in front of him, marked with nuclear and biological symbols.

Then, using your wrist, slowly rotate to the right.

"Click".

A soft, crisp sound reached the ears.

The complex ignition circuit is fully connected, and the countdown to death begins.

"10..."

The emotionless, synthesized countdown voice echoed throughout the base and beyond via the broadcast system, and also reverberated in receivers in Yan'an and Chongqing.

Each number was like a hammer blow, enough to shatter the soul, striking everyone's heart with devastation.

"9..."

"8..."

For the first time in his life, Li Yunlong felt his legs go weak. He gritted his teeth, his cheeks puffed out, his eyes wide and bloodshot, and he muttered something under his breath like a mantra:

"It has to ring! It absolutely has to ring! Ring it, you bastard! Don't let me down! God help me!"

"5..."

"4..."

Everyone stopped breathing, and their heartbeats were as rapid as drumbeats.

"3..."

"2..."

"1..."

The moment the countdown reached zero.

He Yuanchao's deep, black-hole-like eyes suddenly narrowed. Without the slightest hesitation, he pressed the red detonation button with a protective cover with his long thumb, using immense force!

"Detonate!!"

At that moment, time seemed to stand still on a physical level.

……

I didn't hear a sound immediately.

First came the light.

The top of the distant iron tower looks like the Big Bang being reenacted in the microscopic world.

That is... the ultimate power from the microscopic world released in an instant by nuclear fission, enough to devour all matter!

Suddenly, an absolutely intense light, ten thousand times brighter and more dazzling than the midday sun, exploded on the Gobi Desert without warning!

That was a blinding flash of divine light!

In that instant, everything in heaven and earth lost all color, leaving only that terrifyingly pale light.

Even through the thick protective lead glass, everyone subconsciously felt a kind of instinctive fear, closed their eyes, and raised their arms to shield themselves from the brightness that seemed to penetrate their very souls!

The deathly silence lasted for several seconds, a chilling stillness.

Then, a gigantic fireball, like solidified hellfire, rolled and boiled. Bearing orange-red flames and inky black smoke of death, it roared and howled, like an ancient demon breaking free of the shackles of the eighteen levels of hell, and rose unstoppably into the sky!

It kept expanding, getting bigger and bigger! It devoured all the air and dust around it.

The fireball, trailing a long column of smoke, shot straight into the sky! Piercing the heavens!

In that instant, the clouds in the sky were instantly evaporated, and the atmosphere seemed to be pierced through by this force. Between heaven and earth, only this one flower, both dazzlingly beautiful and terrifyingly terrifying... the flower of death, remained!

That mushroom cloud was so powerful it made even ghosts and gods weep!

Following closely behind was... the sound of someone finally arriving and a shockwave that destroyed everything.

"Rumble rumble rumble—!!!!!!!!!"

That sound cannot be described in any of the languages ​​that humans currently use.

It wasn't as crisp as spring thunder, nor as brief as a salvo of heavy artillery fire. It was more like... the entire Earth, unable to withstand such immense power at that moment, uttering a painful and profound groan!

The earth was trembling violently, as if a magnitude 10 earthquake had suddenly erupted!

The shockwave, so violent it was visible to the naked eye, swept up tens of thousands of tons of sand and dust, forming a white, high-pressure air wall that connected heaven and earth, sweeping wildly in all directions with overwhelming force!

A 100-meter-high steel structure tower?

Faced with the tens of millions of degrees of heat and millions of atmospheres of pressure in the core area, it didn't even have a chance to melt. It was completely "vaporized" in an instant, leaving not a trace of residue, as if it had never existed in this world!

The meticulously arranged decommissioned tank targets, aircraft wreckage, and even reinforced concrete fortifications on the ground, used for testing, were like fragile paper toys in a gale in the face of the shockwave.

It was torn to shreds, crumpled up, and thrown high into the air, turning into countless burning fragments!

Even in underground bunkers ten kilometers away, equipped with shock absorption systems, people could still feel the suffocating sense of oppression.

The explosion-proof lights overhead were flashing wildly, and the water glasses on the table were dancing on their own before being shaken off and shattered on the ground.

For a long, long time.

The earth-shaking turmoil, like a raging torrent, gradually subsided.

When people opened their eyes again, trembling, and looked back at the monitor screen.

Everyone was stunned by the sight before them and lost the ability to speak.

That once towering iron tower has completely disappeared.

At the epicenter, where the ground was originally covered in gravel, the area within a radius of several kilometers has been transformed into a crystal-clear, still steaming... glass!

That is the product of sand being vitrified under instantaneous high temperature and pressure—a crystal land that can only be seen in hell or the realm of gods!

Above that crystal-clear land, the mushroom cloud, obscuring the sky, continued to churn and rise. Its tip had penetrated the troposphere, spreading into a massive canopy, like a giant towering above, coldly gazing upon the land it had utterly conquered.

"It's...it's a success..."

At the command post, Professor Liu Zhenhua felt all his strength drain away, and he slumped onto the cold floor.

This usually rigorous and meticulous scientist, at this moment, acted like a child, taking off his glasses and letting hot tears stream down his dusty face, before bursting into heart-wrenching sobs.

That was an outpouring of emotions that had been suppressed for too long.

"Waaaaah... We... We made it! We really made it!"

"China...has nuclear weapons! We're no longer fighting empty-handed!!"

"Hahaha! Fuck him!"

Li Yunlong, who had been standing there dumbfounded for a while, suddenly reacted. He jumped up like a madman and grabbed Political Commissar Zhao Gang, who was standing next to him. His two iron arms squeezed Zhao Gang so tightly that Zhao Gang's face turned blue and he almost died on the spot.

"Old Zhao! Old Zhao! Did you see that?! Did you hear that?!"

"Those are our family's firecrackers! That's the kind of sound Old Li remembers!!"

"That head! That power! Hahahaha! They even pierced a hole in it that day!"

Li Yunlong laughed until tears and snot streamed down his face, his laughter like thunder: "My life has been worth it! With this thing, even if I were to go see Marx right now, I could walk with my head held high, strutting around like a headless chicken in the King of Hell! It was fucking worth it!"

The cave dwellings in Yan'an, thousands of miles away.

The applause thundered and lasted for a long time. Several great leaders had tears in their eyes; they clasped each other's hands tightly, a thousand words condensed into that firm grip. This was not just a loud bang; it was a roar from the backbone of the Chinese nation.

In Chongqing.

As the terrifying vibration that seemed to travel along the radio waves subsided.

The receiver in the bald-headed chairman's hand fell to the ground with a "thud".

He seemed to age ten years in an instant, let out a long sigh, and collapsed helplessly into the mahogany chair that symbolized supreme power, as if all his energy had been drained away in an instant.

As a military and political leader, he knew all too well what that meant.

The tide has turned, and destiny has shifted.

With the power of this ancient artifact, He Yuanchao and his team possessed such ultimate deterrent force, they were already... truly invincible. Even if the Americans came, they would have to bow down.

Inside the underground bunker in Lop Nur.

The cheers were so loud they almost lifted the roof off.

Only He Yuanchao remained quietly standing by the window, his hands behind his back.

As he watched the colorful mushroom cloud rising on the screen, his heart was filled with turbulent emotions, like a raging sea.

On his retina, which only he could see, the system's ice-blue interface was scrolling through the screen at an unprecedented speed.

[Ding! Epic achievement achieved! Host has successfully detonated the first combat-grade nuclear weapon in this timeline!]

The main quest "Winter is Coming" progress has instantly jumped to 100%!

[China's national fortune value has skyrocketed...breaking through the upper limit...the value has exceeded the limit (99999+)!]

[Worldwide intelligence networks' fear level assessed: MAX!]

[Congratulations, host, on obtaining the unique legendary title—"Nuclear Weapon Swordsman"!]

"This is the truth."

He Yuanchao gazed at the destructive light and murmured softly. A cold, absolutely confident smile curled at the corner of his lips, a smile that carried three parts mockery and seven parts arrogance.

"No amount of diplomatic rhetoric, protests, or condemnations can compare to the power of this loud bang."

"From today onwards, those arrogant so-called powers must learn to lower their heads and listen properly to the Chinese people."

He turned around abruptly, the hem of his coat catching a gust of wind.

Addressing the jubilant crowd behind him, and to the communications officer, he issued a world-shaking order in a chilling tone:

"Give me the highest resolution version of this explosion video that was just filmed, without any editing."

"And the radiation data and equivalent report that were just monitored."

"Send it immediately to Roosevelt in Washington, to Stalin in Moscow, and to Churchill in London, via plaintext telegram—no, via broadcast!"

He Yuanchao narrowed his eyes, his killing intent palpable:

"Tell them, if they're not satisfied, if anyone thinks this wasn't loud enough..."

"I, He Yuanchao, am in Beiping, with tea ready, and I await your arrival at any time."

"but……"

He paused, his voice sharp as a knife.

"If I'm really forced to invite them to see the fireworks a second time, then the next time it blooms... might not be in this desolate, uninhabited area like ours!"

"Whether it's the Imperial Palace in Tokyo or anywhere else... I think the scenery will be quite beautiful!"