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

But today, a malicious glint once again flashed in Liu Haizhong's murky eyes.

His good-for-nothing son, Liu Guangtian, has risen to the position of deputy director of the street office because he aligned himself with the right person in the street revolutionary committee.

"Guangtian, are you sure the news is true? Those two brats of Lin Yang really got assigned to that freezing forest farm in Heilongjiang?" Liu Haizhong pulled Liu Guangtian, who had just walked in from outside, his voice trembling with excitement.

Liu Guangtian, dressed in a green military uniform, arrogantly shrugged his shoulders: "Dad, how could this be fake? I stamped the list myself! The higher-ups have spoken. Lin Yang hasn't fallen yet, but he's too busy taking care of himself, so his son has to go to the countryside according to the rules. I've inquired about that 703 Forest Farm; if you go there, you'll be lucky to escape with your life. The Lin family has been arrogant for so many years; they've finally gotten their comeuppance!"

At this moment, Yan Bugui from the front yard also pushed up his glasses and cautiously approached.

"Guangtian, you can't just say things like that. That person from the Lin family is someone who can get to the top..." Although Yan Bugui was also jealous of the Lin family, he was timid and afraid of being beaten.

"What kind of nonsense is this!" Liu Guangtian sneered, pulling a red-headed notice stamped with the official seal from his pocket. "I'm here today on behalf of the neighborhood committee to post this notice for their family. They have to go on the train early tomorrow morning, whether they like it or not. Not going is tantamount to defying the highest directive!"

As he spoke, Liu Guangtian strode to the door of the Lin family's main house, picked up a brush, and shoved the notice of being sent to the countryside onto the Lin family's door.

Inside the house, 14-year-old Lin Weidong and 15-year-old Lin Jianguo were sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed) packing their belongings.

Hearing the commotion outside, Lin Jianguo frowned and was about to get up to open the door, but Lin Weidong grabbed him.

Although Lin Weidong is young, he looks very much like Lin Yang, and the lines of his face already reveal a fortitude and coldness beyond his years.

"Brother, ignore them." Lin Weidong stuffed a military green cotton coat into his canvas bag, his voice calm and composed, unlike that of a child. "My dad called last night and told these mad dogs to bark for one last day. Tomorrow at the train station, someone will take care of them."

Lin Jianguo took a deep breath and clenched his fists: "I just can't swallow this. If my dad hadn't shown mercy back then, those beasts would have starved to death during the famine."

"We have to swallow it, even if we can't." Lin Weidong raised his head, his eyes gleaming with a wolf-like light. "My dad said a real man doesn't argue with a bunch of good-for-nothings who can't even get enough to eat in the courtyard, but proves his worth on the battlefield with the enemy's blood. We're going there this time to make a name for ourselves!"

The next morning, at Beijing Railway Station.

Red flags fluttered in the square, and drums resounded. Loudspeakers played "The East Is Red" and the supreme directive "The vast countryside offers great opportunities" on a loop.

Thousands upon thousands of educated youth, adorned with bright red flowers and carrying green canvas bags, lined up to walk towards the platform amidst the cries of their parents. This torrent of the times, mingled with fervor and sorrow, made everyone within it feel their own insignificance.

Liu Guangtian, accompanied by several street office staff, stood smugly at the ticket gate for the train heading northeast. He had come here specifically to watch those two brats from the Lin family tumble onto this green train bound for the harsh, cold land like stray dogs.

Wu Qiang was also mixed in with the crowd, wearing a mask, staring coldly at the entrance.

Just then.

Suddenly, a piercing air raid siren and the screeching sound of tires screeching against the ground came from the periphery of the crowd.

Four all-black Beijing jeeps, bearing top-secret military license plates, resembled four raging bulls, forcefully parting the crowded people in the square and driving directly to the very front of the platform!

The car door opened.

More than twenty fully armed special forces soldiers, dressed in the Northwest Military Region's cold-weather training uniforms and carrying live ammunition, jumped off the vehicle. Without saying a word, they used their rifle butts and shields to forcibly clear a completely safe vacuum zone from the bustling platform.

The rear door of the last car opened.

Lin Weidong and Lin Jianguo, dressed in brand-new special forces training uniforms without any collar insignia or cap badges, carrying tactical backpacks, walked down with neat steps and upright posture. Although the two teenagers were still quite young, the iron-willed military aura they exuded made all the other educated youth around them pale in comparison.

Liu Guangtian was completely stunned. He rubbed his eyes, staring at the scene in disbelief.

"What... what's going on? Shouldn't they be heading to the Northeast?" Liu Guangtian stammered, trying to step forward to argue, but was forced back two steps by the cold muzzle of a special forces soldier's gun.

A senior colonel from the Northwest Military Region strode up to the two boys and snapped to attention with a salute.

"Comrade Lin Weidong! Comrade Lin Jianguo! I am the Chief of Staff of the Independent Armored Division of the Production and Construction Corps of the Northwest Military Region. I am here by top-secret order from the Military Region Headquarters to recruit you into the army!"

The colonel turned around, gave a cold glance at Liu Guangtian, Wu Qiang and the others who were trembling in the distance, took out a top-secret document with the official seal of the Central Military Commission from his pocket, and slapped it directly onto the face of the Red Guard leader.

"Look carefully! These two are reserve military personnel specially approved by the Central Military Commission! They are now officially assigned to the First Armored Division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps! Anyone who dares to say they are evading rural work and thus committing the crime of sabotaging national defense construction will be arrested immediately!"

boom!

The entire venue was deathly silent.

Those rebels who had just been secretly mocking the Lin family's downfall now felt a buzzing in their ears and their legs went weak, almost causing them to kneel on the ground.

Going to the forest farms in Northeast China was like going to be tortured, like going to your death.

But the armored division that went to the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps...

That's like going to join the regular army, to take control of the country's most advanced war machine!

Moreover, it was in the Northwest Military Region, a monolithic independent kingdom. Who would dare to go there and cause them trouble?

Lin Yang's move of promoting his son in name only while secretly protecting him not only perfectly aligned with the "Down to the Countryside Movement" policy, but also directly placed his son into the innermost circle of the military for training!

This is a true case of overwhelming power! In the face of absolute power and strength, these petty schemes and tricks are utterly worthless!

Lin Weidong looked at Liu Guangtian, whose face was ashen, and a cold smile, identical to his father's, curled at the corner of his lips. He didn't say a word, but simply pulled his tactical backpack over his shoulder, turned around, and together with his cousin Lin Jianguo, strode onto the specially attached military train next to them.

With a long, drawn-out whistle, the military train slowly started moving, accelerating towards the vast northwest land, towards the frontier that was about to face the test of war.