Courtyard House: From Deputy Division Commander to Civilian, Progressing All the Way

The wheels of time roll ever onward, crushing countless days and nights of clamor and silence.

Starting from that snowy New Year's Eve in 1955, the calendar has turned to the golden autumn of 1957 in the blink of an eye.

In the past two years, China's industrial development has been like a giant dragon awakening in the East, unleashing a tremendous force that has shocked the world within the grand blueprint of the First Five-Year Plan.

As the Vice Minister of Heavy Industry and Director of the Iron and Steel Industry Administration Bureau, Lin Yang has traveled almost all over China in the past two years.

From the white mountains and black waters of Northeast China to the towering mountains of Southwest China; from the foundation stone laying of Baotou Steel to the commissioning of Wuhan Steel. He was like a tireless steel engine, carrying the iron-blooded spirit forged on the battlefield, and forcefully forged an indestructible heavy industrial backbone on this impoverished land.

However, behind the prosperous construction, an unprecedented and enormous pressure has always been like a Damocles' sword hanging over the head of the Republic.

That's nuclear blackmail.

On the Korean battlefield and in the standoff along the southeast coast, the Americans repeatedly brandished their atomic bombs, attempting to force the new China to submit with that ultimate weapon capable of destroying cities.

The top decision-making body of the Republic knows better than anyone else: without that thing, the Chinese people will never be able to stand tall!

1957 was destined to be a year that will be recorded in history.

In the spring, a geological exploration team, after countless days and nights of arduous trekking through the deep mountains and dense forests of Guangxi, finally heard the rapid buzzing sound of a Geiger counter, like heavenly music, emanating from a hidden rock stratum.

A uranium deposit has been found!

These are not just ordinary pieces of ore; they are top-grade fuel that ignites the nuclear industry of the Republic! The discovery of uranium completely shattered the Western assertion that "China is a uranium-poor country," laying the most solid foundation for the supply of nuclear fuel.

Followed by.

In October 1957, China and the Soviet Union formally signed the historically significant Agreement on New Defense Technologies in Moscow.

In this top-secret agreement, the Soviet Union promised to provide China with a teaching model of the atomic bomb, as well as related blueprints and technical data.

When the news reached China, the central leadership was extremely excited.

The countdown to developing a "praise bomb" that belongs to the Chinese people has officially begun!

In the headquarters of Beijing, in a top-secret meeting room.

Bright lights.

Seated around the long conference table were the absolute core figures in the Republic's military and heavy industry sectors.

General Peng sat in the main seat with a stern expression.

Zhao Erlu, the Minister of the Second Ministry of Machine Building, held a thick, top-secret planning document in his hand, his eyes gleaming with fervent light.

Lin Yang, dressed in a sharp dark gray Zhongshan suit, sat next to Zhao Erlu.

Surprisingly, Li Yunlong, who was originally serving as the commander-in-chief of defense on the front lines in Fujian, also appeared in the conference room today. He had returned to Beijing to attend an enlarged meeting of the Central Military Commission and happened to be there for this top-secret seminar.

"Comrades!"

Zhao Erlu stood up and slammed the planning document in his hand heavily on the table, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.

"The uranium ore has been found! The Soviet Union's teaching models and blueprints are almost here! Our Second Ministry of Machine Building's mission is to build this 'national pride' missile as quickly as possible!"

Zhao Erlu walked to the wall, unfurled a huge map of China, and precisely placed his baton on the vast expanse of the Northwest.

"After repeated discussions and assessments by central government and geological experts, the nuclear weapons research and development base has been officially selected to be located in this area of ​​Qinghai!"

"Golden and Silver Beach!"

Zhao Erlu's gaze swept across the entire room, his tone revealing a resolute determination to burn one's bridges.

"At an altitude of over 3,000 meters, it's sparsely populated and snows for most of the year, making the natural conditions extremely harsh. But it's also the most secluded and safest place! Our nuclear weapons research and development base, codenamed 'Factory 211,' will rise from that Gobi Desert!"

Upon hearing the name "Golden and Silver Beach," Li Yunlong slapped his thigh so hard that the water in his teacup splashed out.

"Great place! I went there back when I was fighting bandits. It's all sand and rocks, a godforsaken place! If we build this top-secret factory there, even if the American planes stared their eyes out, they wouldn't find it!"

Li Yunlong turned to look at Zhao Erlu, his bull-like eyes filled with urgency.

"Old Zhao, you didn't call all of us old guys here today just to hear you announce the site selection, did you? Tell me, do you want men or guns? I'm on the front lines in Fujian every day, guarding against planes from the other side, just hoping we can build our own atomic bomb and scare those bastards across the strait out of their wits!"

Zhao Erlu gave a wry smile and shook his head.

"Old Li, I don't need soldiers with guns. I need soldiers with files!"

Zhao Erlu turned his head, his gaze fixed on Lin Yang sitting next to him, his eyes revealing an urgent longing.

"Comrade Lin Yang, I've come today to borrow some people from you, the Vice Minister of Heavy Industry!"

Lin Yang put down his pen, met Zhao Erlu's gaze, and his expression was calm and profound.

"Minister Zhao, the Second Ministry of Machine Building is mainly responsible for national defense and military industry, while our Ministry of Heavy Industry is mainly responsible for basic metallurgy and machinery manufacturing. As long as the country needs it, whatever personnel you need, I will provide them."

Zhao Erlu took a deep breath, his expression becoming unusually solemn.

"Lin Yang, building an atomic bomb isn't like building ordinary artillery shells!"

"Although the Soviets promised to provide blueprints and models, the processing of the core components had to be done by our own workers! The precision requirements for the implosion lens inside the atomic bomb and the cutting of the core uranium sphere were simply appalling!"

Zhao Erlu stretched out his finger and gestured an extremely tiny gap.

"The tolerance cannot exceed a fraction of a hair's breadth! The slightest mistake could not only render the atomic bomb a dud, but could even trigger a nuclear criticality accident during the manufacturing process, wiping out everyone in the workshop!"

The atmosphere in the meeting room instantly became tense.

Everyone understood the brutality and importance of this mission.

Zhao Erlu walked up to Lin Yang, placed his hands on the table, and spoke with utmost sincerity.

"Lin Yang, you control steel mills and machinery factories across the country. I need you to select a group of top-notch, politically reliable senior fitters, forgers, and welders nationwide, especially from the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill and the First Heavy Machinery Plant, which you personally trained!"

"I need the cream of the crop among level eight craftsmen! The kind of master craftsmen who can, with their eyes closed and just by using their file, create a mirror-like finish on steel!"

"Send them to the Northwest! Send them to the Golden and Silver Beach! To do the most precise hand-polishing for our atomic bombs!"

Lin Yang listened without the slightest hesitation.

He suddenly stood up, his posture as upright as a mountain.