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

At this moment, even national treasure-level scientists like Qian Xuesen and Deng Xiaoping dared not breathe. Shen Zhiyuan was so nervous that his hands gripped the edge of the table tightly, his knuckles turning white.

"Wind direction is northerly, wind force is level 3, weather conditions permit launch!"

"Telemetry system locked!"

Lin Yang strode to the control panel, his resolute eyes unwavering. He was the anchor of this massive team. His mere presence gave everyone a sense of security.

"Ignite!" Lin Yang's voice was deep, yet it was like a thunderclap.

"Ten, nine, eight... three, two, one, ignite!"

boom--!

A deafening roar shook the ground. A massive orange-red exhaust instantly engulfed the deflector, and the missile, tens of meters high, slowly rose into the air under unimaginable thrust.

"Missile launch!"

"Program transitioned successfully!"

On the radar screen, the dot representing the missile was flying westward at an alarming speed.

The entire command center was deathly silent, with only the ticking of machinery and the hoarse voices of operators reporting errors.

In those long ten-odd minutes, every second felt infinitely stretched. Those were the ten-odd minutes when nuclear warheads flew over the motherland, and also the ten-odd minutes that would determine whether China could truly stand tall.

"The warhead separates!"

"Entering the Lop Nur target area!"

"Target acquired, radar continues tracking!"

Lop Nur Observatory in Xinjiang.

As that meteor-like trajectory pierced the atmosphere at hypersonic speed and precisely struck its intended target, a devastating fireball bloomed for the third time over the Sea of ​​Death!

"Target hit! Nuclear explosion successful! Full yield explosion!"

The roar coming from the communicator completely ignited the emotions at the Shuangchengzi command center.

Tears streamed down Shen Zhiyuan's face as he slumped into a chair. Old Qian gripped Lin Yang's hand tightly, too moved to utter a complete sentence.

The two bombs combined successfully!

From this moment on, China not only possessed nuclear weapons, but also the strategic delivery capability to strike the heart of the enemy. Within the range of the Dongfeng missiles lies the truth. This sword of nuclear blackmail that had hung over the Republic for over a decade was broken by Lin Yang's own hand!

That night, the Shuangchengzi base partied all night long.

Lin Yang stood on the base's parade ground, gazing up at the sky. The starlight there was exceptionally brilliant. He knew that he had finally delivered a perfect answer to his mission in the Great Northwest.

Headquarters, early November.

The early winter wind swept away the last few yellow leaves on the street.

In the headquarters' highest conference room, Lin Yang, dressed in a crisp general's uniform with a gold star on his shoulder, received a personal commendation from the highest level.

His file was once again marked with a significant addition. Not only did he retain his military rank, but he also received a weighty new appointment.

He personally handed the letter of appointment to Lin Yang.

"Yangzi, the responsibility of the Ministry of Heavy Industry is now in your hands. You have forged the nuclear shield of the Northwest; now, you must support the backbone of the nation's industry." The man's gaze was gentle yet full of expectation.

"Don't worry, man, I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"

Lin Yang stood at attention and gave a standard military salute.

The 35-year-old Minister of Heavy Industry, concurrently serving as Director of the Steel Industry Administration Bureau

He still holds the title of a full-fledged army commander.

This resume is virtually unique in the entire history of the People's Republic of China.

In the afternoon, a brand-new Hongqi CA770 sedan smoothly drove into Nanluoguxiang.

This car is the latest bulletproof Hongqi, which just rolled off the production line at FAW and is specially assigned to officials at the vice-ministerial level or above.

When this black behemoth, representing absolute power and status, slowly came to a stop in front of the courtyard house at No. 95, the entire alley fell silent.

He Yuzhu wasn't wearing his police uniform today; instead, he had changed into a neat set of civilian clothes and was already there with several plainclothes officers maintaining order at the alley entrance. Seeing the Hongqi car stop, he immediately stepped forward and respectfully opened the car door.

"Commander!" He Yuzhu stood ramrod straight, his scarred face filled with fervent reverence.

Lin Yang stepped out of the car, his black officer's overcoat swaying slightly in the wind. He glanced at the familiar courtyard gate and asked casually, "Zhu Zi, has the courtyard been behaving itself lately?"

He Yuzhu grinned: "They couldn't be more obedient. Director Lin is now the top dog at the steel rolling mill, and these bastards have to live off his whims. With you back today, they'd have to think twice before they even fart."

Lin Yang nodded and strode into the courtyard.

In the courtyard, Yi Zhonghai was hunched over washing clothes by the sink, his head full of white hair making him look exceptionally old. Liu Haizhong was sweeping fallen leaves in the yard with a broom.

Hearing the heavy footsteps of leather boots on the bluestone slabs, Yi Zhonghai subconsciously looked up.

When he saw Lin Yang's imposing face and the intimidating Hongqi car outside the door, the soap in his hand fell into the muddy water with a "splat".

"Commander Lin...hello..." Yi Zhonghai quickly wiped his hands on his clothes, his voice trembling.

In recent years, Lin Fan has been implementing sweeping reforms at the steel rolling mill. Yi Zhonghai, due to his lack of technical skills and his tendency to rely on his seniority, was directly transferred by Lin Fan from his position as an eighth-grade worker to mentor apprentices. Although his salary didn't decrease, he was stripped of all his power and prestige. He knew all too well that the Lin family was now like clouds in the sky, while he was just mud on the ground.

Liu Haizhong was so frightened that he immediately tucked the broom under his arm, bowed at a ninety-degree angle, and smiled obsequiously: "Commander, you're back. You've worked hard, you've worked hard."

Lin Yang didn't even spare them a glance. To him now, arguing with these lowly beasts was simply an insult to his own eyes. He walked straight through the courtyard and pushed open the door to his main house.

Inside the room, Tian Yu was helping Wei Dong do his homework at the table. Lin Fan and Ding Qiunan were also sitting nearby, chatting while holding their youngest daughter.

Upon seeing Lin Yang push open the door and enter, the room was instantly filled with joyful exclamations.

"Yangzi!" Lin Fan immediately stood up. This man, who now manages a factory with tens of thousands of employees, is still the protective older brother in front of his younger brother.

Lin Yang smiled, took off his coat, and gave his older brother a tight hug.

"Brother, you've done a great job these past few years. I saw the Ministry of Heavy Industry's report; Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill's special steel production has ranked first in the country for three consecutive years. You haven't let me down." Lin Yang patted Lin Fan on the back.

Lin Fan's eyes reddened slightly, and he smiled憨厚ly: "That's all because you uprooted Ma Yue and his gang of cancerous tumors. With the factory cleaned up, the workers are naturally more motivated. By the way, did your sister-in-law say you were officially transferred back to the ministry today?"

Lin Yang nodded, glanced at Tian Yu standing beside him with her eyes sparkling, and felt a warmth in his heart.

"Yes, I'll stay here from now on."

No sooner had the words been spoken than a loud voice, like a thunderclap, suddenly came from outside the door.

"Damn it! Yangzi, you've finally come back! I've been waiting for you at the street corner all morning, and you finally showed up in this run-down yard. Hurry up and catch up with me!"

Upon hearing this voice, the coldness on Lin Yang's face instantly melted away, and he burst into laughter.