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

boom!

The previously oppressive atmosphere in the command post completely shattered at this moment!

Those usually serious and dignified senior academicians jumped up like children, hugged each other, and cried loudly.

Old Deng gripped Shen Zhiyuan's shoulders tightly, crying so hard he couldn't utter a single word.

Old Qian took off his glasses, wiped away tears from the corners of his eyes with trembling hands, and murmured to himself, "We've got it...we've finally got it! No one will dare to threaten us with nuclear weapons anymore!"

China has officially become the fifth country in the world to possess nuclear weapons, following the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and France.

Moreover, it shortened the time from the initiation of the atomic bomb project to the test explosion by nearly half compared to the time it took for the US and the Soviet Union!

Lin Yang stood in the center of the crowd, his chest heaving violently.

He has experienced countless life-or-death battles. He fought one-on-one against the elite US Marines in the icy wilderness of Changjin Lake, and he crushed the hand bones of a high-ranking Soviet official at the negotiating table in Moscow.

But never before had he felt such a tremor in his soul and such pride as at this moment.

This is his country. This is the nation he swore to defend to the death.

"Comrades!" Lin Yang's voice drowned out all the cheers.

The command post fell silent instantly, and everyone turned to look at the young but highly respected general.

"Today, we have not only built a bomb. We have cast an unyielding steel beam into the backbone of the Chinese people!"

Lin Yang raised his right fist and swung it forcefully.

"Notify the entire army, notify higher command! China has its own sun!"

That evening, at the campsite outside the Lop Nur test site.

The wind was still howling, but the atmosphere in the camp was so warm it seemed to melt the ice and snow.

This was a simple yet incredibly grand victory celebration.

There were no delicacies, only piles of canned braised pork, thick soup made from dehydrated vegetables, and steamed white flour buns.

But on the long table made of wooden crates in the center of the camp, there were ten crates of specially supplied Moutai liquor.

This wine was transported to the Northwest by Lin Yang two years ago. At the time, he faced immense pressure and sealed the batch in a warehouse, ordering no one to touch a single drop. He said that this wine could only be opened on the day the atomic bomb went off.

Today, the seal was completely torn off.

The strong aroma of alcohol, mixed with the desert winds and sand, wafted to everyone's noses.

Lin Yang personally carried an opened bottle of Moutai to the table of several core experts, including Qian Lao and Deng Lao.

Instead of using wine glasses, he took several rough porcelain bowls and filled them to the brim.

"The first toast." Lin Yang raised the large bowl, his expression solemn, facing the eastern night sky, "To those martyrs who fell on the Korean battlefield, defending their homeland against enemy incendiary bombs and artillery! To those nameless heroes who silently sacrificed their lives in their sickbeds for this base, for the extraction of nuclear fuel! This deafening roar is our revenge for them!"

After saying that, Lin Yang slowly poured the wine from the bowl onto the dry yellow sand of Lop Nur.

Dozens of experts and military officers stood up and poured the wine from their bowls onto the ground, their expressions solemn.

"Second cup!" Lin Yang refilled the bowl, raised it, and surveyed the room. "A toast to everyone here! You left your families and homes, lived in anonymity, and endured three years of hardship in this dark and desolate Gobi Desert. You are the true backbone of this country! I, Lin Yang, drink to that!"

Lin Yang tilted his head back and, like a whale sucking in water, downed the entire bowl of high-proof Moutai in one gulp. The pungent liquor poured down his throat and into his stomach, transforming into a blazing fire.

"Dry!"

Deng Lao, Shen Zhiyuan, and others also drank without hesitation, picking up their large bowls and finishing them in one gulp. Some of the older experts, who couldn't hold their liquor, choked and coughed repeatedly, but their faces were filled with extremely happy smiles.

He Yuzhu, accompanied by several security officers, moved through the crowd, constantly pouring drinks and serving food to everyone.

"Captain He, why don't you have a drink or two on a day like this?" a technician joked.

He Yuzhu grinned, pointed to the pistol at his waist, and the scar on his left cheek looked particularly bold under the campfire.

"Director Lin said that we need to be especially careful in times like these, to prevent them from resorting to desperate measures. I need to keep an eye on things outside. Once we get back to Beijing, I, He Yuzhu, will personally cook an authentic Tan family meal for everyone, and we'll have a good drink!"

Laughter echoed throughout the camp. Some people got drunk and started singing local operas; others buried their faces in their hands and wept, releasing the immense pressure of the past three years.

Lin Yang quietly withdrew from the noisy center alone.

He took a deep breath of the cold air; the alcohol made his blood boil slightly, but his mind remained absolutely calm.

He strode towards the communications tent at the edge of the camp.

Inside the tent, the communications soldier sat upright. Upon seeing Lin Yang enter, he immediately stood up and saluted.

"Connect to Beijing, Yuquanshan Military Region Compound, Building A, No. 6," Lin Yang ordered in a deep voice.

The communications soldier quickly and skillfully cranked the handle of the high-powered military radio, dialing the top-secret red hotline.

A few minutes later, the crackling sound of a line connecting came from the other end of the radio.

Lin Yang picked up the heavy black receiver, waved his hand, and signaled the communications soldier to leave.

He was the only one left in the tent.

The wind howled outside the tent, flapping against the canvas.

After a few long beeps on the other end of the line, the call was answered with a click.

"Hello, who is this?"

It was a gentle, calm voice, yet it carried an undeniable sense of anticipation.

The moment he heard that voice, Lin Yang's gaze, which had been as hard as steel, melted into a pool of spring water. He was ruthless on the battlefield and cold-blooded at the negotiating table, but at this moment, he was just a husband who had been away from home for too long.

"Tian Yu, it's me." Lin Yang's voice was a little hoarse.

There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone. Then, Lin Yang heard a rapid gasp and what sounded like the phone almost falling to the table in a panic.

"Yangzi..." Tian Yu's voice trembled, thick with a nasal tone, "You...you succeeded?"

As a family member of a high-ranking military officer, Tian Yu naturally knew what day it was.

Just hours earlier, the nation itself announced the world-shaking news on the radio. The entire city of Beijing was in an uproar, with crowds of people parading and celebrating in the streets, banging drums and gongs.

But she didn't go out. She stayed by the telephone, staring intently at the black box, from afternoon until late at night.

"We succeeded." Lin Yang tilted his head back slightly, a proud smile playing on his lips. "Not only did we succeed, but we exceeded our expectations perfectly. We've given those Americans a good thrashing."

On the other end of the phone, Tian Yu could no longer control her emotions and covered her mouth, sobbing softly.

For the past three years, she has been raising her child alone, facing the insidious yet still malicious beasts in the courtyard who dare not openly attack her; she has also endured the torment of worrying about her husband's safety day and night.