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

Tian Yu was stunned.

"The Northwest? But your job..."

"My base is in the military, in those top-secret facilities. No matter how much the rebels cause trouble, they can't reach the nuclear weapons base. There are the most elite guard units in the entire army, and Qian Lao and his team there. You were originally a nurse, so going to the field hospital at the base would be perfect for you. My older brother and his team are going to Panzhihua to build a special steel plant, while you're in Jinyintan. We'll support each other."

Lin Yang stroked his wife's cheek, his eyes revealing an unwavering determination.

"Remember, once you get there, no matter what news comes from Beijing about me, even if it's that I've been overthrown or criticized, don't believe it and don't do anything rash. As long as I, Lin Yang, have a breath left, the sky won't fall!"

With tears welling in her eyes, Tian Yu nodded vigorously. She was a woman of great understanding and knew that at this time, not becoming her husband's weakness was the greatest support she could give him.

The next morning.

No. 95, Nanluoguxiang, is a courtyard house.

Just as dawn was breaking, a piercing gong shattered the tranquility of the courtyard.

Liu Haizhong, wearing a brand-new blue overalls and a huge red armband with the words "Rebellion is Justified" pinned to his arm, stood by the pool in the central courtyard with a ruddy complexion.

Xu Damao stood next to him, holding a handwritten "Declaration of Power Seizure," looking just as smug as a petty person who had achieved his goal.

"Get up! A hospital-wide meeting! It's about to begin!" Liu Haizhong banged on the gong, his voice so loud it could lift the roof off.

Soon, the residents of the courtyard began to emerge, one by one, wearing only their coats. Each of them wore a trembling expression.

Yan Bugui shrank back in the crowd, pushed up his glasses, and dared not say a word.

"Comrades!" Liu Haizhong coughed twice, adopting a leader's air, "The situation in the factory is excellent! We, the revolutionary rebels, have decided to formally take over all power at the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill this morning!"

"That capitalist roader Lin Fan has been sitting in the factory director's position for ages, doing nothing but empty talk and promoting the theory of productive forces! Today, I, Liu Haizhong, as a vanguard of the working class, am going to the factory to oust him! I'm going to smash his dog's head!"

Liu Haizhong was so excited that he trembled all over. He could almost see himself sitting in the factory director's office, drinking fine tea leaves, and enjoying the admiration of tens of thousands of people in the factory.

Xu Damao chimed in, "Second Uncle... oh no, Director Liu is right! The Lin family are wolves in sheep's clothing! I heard Lin Yang was criticized and denounced at the ministry yesterday; their downfall is only a matter of time!"

Standing in the crowd, Qin Huairu looked at the triumphant Liu Haizhong and felt a pang of sorrow. She resented the Lin family, but also felt that with someone like Liu Haizhong rising to power, the factory was likely to face a difficult future.

Just as Liu Haizhong was preparing to continue his ridiculous power-seizing speech.

crunch--

A sidecar motorcycle sped straight into the courtyard gate, the screeching sound of its brakes startling everyone.

He Yuzhu, dressed in civilian clothes and carrying a long, cloth-wrapped object (a rifle), strode in.

He didn't even glance at Liu Haizhong, but went straight to the main house and knocked on Lin Fan's door.

Before long, Lin Fan, carrying a simple military backpack, and Ding Qiunan, holding a child and carrying two rattan boxes, came out of the house.

"Brother, it's the commander's order. The car is waiting at the alley entrance. All the key personnel from the special steel workshop have assembled at the train station," He Yuzhu said in a low voice.

Lin Fan nodded, his eyes showing no sign of panic. Having served as the factory manager of the steel rolling mill for so many years, he had long since cultivated a calm and composed demeanor in the face of any situation.

He turned his head and gave a cold glance at Liu Haizhong, who was standing in the middle of the courtyard, looking somewhat dazed.

"Liu Haizhong." Lin Fan's deep and powerful voice echoed in the courtyard in the early morning.

Liu Haizhong subconsciously puffed out his belly, trying to project the imposing presence of a rebel leader, but under the long-accumulated pressure of Lin Fan's superior position, he couldn't help but shrink back.

"I heard you're going to seize my power?" Lin Fan's lips curled into a mocking smile.

"You...you stop pretending!" Liu Haizhong stammered, "You're already a capitalist roader despised by the masses! You'll be criticized and denounced if you go to the factory now!"

Lin Fan couldn't be bothered with this clown.

He pulled a heavy bunch of keys from his pocket and tossed them casually at Liu Haizhong's feet. The keys hit the bluestone slab with a crisp sound.

"Those are the keys to the factory manager's office, and a few spare keys to the warehouses." Lin Fan dusted off his hands. "You don't need to take them. From today onwards, this mess at the steel rolling mill is yours."

Liu Haizhong was stunned, and Xu Damao was also stunned.

Everyone in the hospital was stunned.

No one expected that the power struggle, which was initially anticipated to escalate into a fierce conflict, would end in this way. Lin Fan actually relinquished power voluntarily?

"What...what do you mean? You want to flee from justice?" Xu Damao shouted as he realized what was happening.

He Yuzhu suddenly turned his head, staring intently at Xu Damao like an enraged tiger.

His hand went straight to the rifle behind him.

"Try farting again?" He Yuzhu's voice was filled with genuine murderous intent.

Xu Damao was so frightened that his legs went weak and he almost fell to the ground, swallowing back the rest of his words.

"Fleeing? We're acting on orders from the Central Special Committee and the Ministry of Heavy Industry to support the Third Front construction." Lin Fan sneered. "Liu Haizhong, the factory is yours. But I have to remind you of something."

Lin Fan walked up to Liu Haizhong and lowered his voice.

"The three blast furnaces in the factory cannot be shut down. If a shutdown causes the furnaces to solidify, that's a serious counter-revolutionary crime of damaging state property, punishable by death. Now that you're in charge, the task of fulfilling the ministry's quota of 10,000 tons of steel next month rests entirely on your shoulders, this revolutionary cadre."

After saying that, Lin Fan stopped looking at the fat face that was distorted by excitement and a hint of fear, turned around, protected his wife and children, and strode out of the courtyard.

Two hours later.

When Liu Haizhong, surrounded by a group of rebels, arrogantly kicked open the gate of the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill,

Just as he was preparing to enjoy the fruits of his power grab, he was completely dumbfounded.

The entire factory area was deathly silent.

The doors to the special steel smelting workshop were wide open, and all the state-of-the-art imported rolling mills, precision instruments, and even the blueprints on the control panel had vanished completely.

The hundreds of workers, including grade eight and grade seven workers and engineers, who were supposed to be working in the workshop, have all disappeared.

All that was left was a pile of dilapidated, obsolete machine tools that could only process crude pig iron, and a group of rebel thugs who usually cheated and slept in the factory and couldn't even distinguish the front and back of blueprints.