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

The spring rain outside was falling even harder, and the large raindrops pounded on the tin roof like the drumbeats of a thousand galloping horses.

Lin Yang slowly turned his head and looked at the endless night to the north.

The infighting and power struggles within Beijing are nothing more than child's play in the face of a real crisis of national subjugation and annihilation.

"Old Li, Old Kong."

At that moment, Lin Yang turned around, and his aura instantly transformed from that of a strategist into that of a peerless general about to command thousands of troops.

"Since they want to fight, then let's fight them."

We also want them to know what the Great Wall of Steel of the Chinese people is made of!

The cold spring rain continued to rage in the night sky over Beijing.

In the yard of the abandoned flour mill, mud and water mixed with a faint smell of blood.

Chen Feng's men moved swiftly, like autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, dragging all the rebels whose tendons had been crippled onto the dark compartments of military trucks. Without any further commotion, the black cell, which had just been filled with arrogance and despair, was completely emptied in the blink of an eye.

"Yangzi, what's the plan next?" Li Yunlong slung his Type 56 assault rifle behind his back and wiped the rain off his face.

Lin Yang looked up at the dark night sky, his eyes revealing a resolute determination that would not be futile.

"Beijing is a huge whirlpool right now. The longer Lao Kong stays here, the greater the risk of being used against him by his political enemies. Now that we've got the supplies approval, let's leave tonight."

Lin Yang turned to Kong Jie: "Brother Kong, the situation in the north is extremely precarious. You can't take the train. I'll immediately arrange for a military special plane from the Ministry of Heavy Industry stationed at Nanyuan Airport to fly directly to the Northwest. I'll go back with you."

Kong Jie took a deep breath and nodded heavily: "Good! Those little bastards at the front are still enduring the wind and snow, but as the commander, I can't stand it for a moment longer."

Li Yunlong stood to the side, his eyes darting around, and suddenly slapped his thigh.

"Damn it! I'm going too!"

Lin Yang frowned and looked at him: "Old Li, what nonsense are you talking about? Who's going to keep watch on the defense line along the southeast coast?"

"With the deputy chief of staff in Fujian, those bastards in Taiwan have been behaving themselves lately. They wouldn't dare to make any trouble at this critical juncture even if they had three lives." Li Yunlong waved his hand casually, but his eyes revealed an undisguised expectation.

"Yangzi, Lao Kong, our iron triangle... it's been years since we've all gotten together." Li Yunlong's voice was unusually low. "Lao Ding has been holed up in the nuclear weapons base in the Northwest for almost four years. I heard his leg injury is almost healed. This time the Soviets have a million troops; this isn't a small-scale war, it's a war to destroy the country! Lao Ding is quick-witted and has a sharp strategic vision; I have to go and meet with him. Just for one day; I'll fly back to Fujian on the same plane tomorrow night, without delaying military operations!"

Kong Jie also looked at Lin Yang, a hint of emotion flashing in his tiger eyes.

In that era of war and turmoil, the three of them supported each other in northwestern Shanxi, earning a formidable reputation. Now, the land has changed, internal turmoil rages, and powerful enemies loom from the outside. For these veterans, this reunion in this chaotic world may be the last time they ever do so.

Looking at these two veteran generals with distinguished military achievements, Lin Yang felt a slight tremor in his heart.

"Okay." Lin Yang didn't try to persuade him any further. "Get in the car. To Nanyuan Airport."

One o'clock in the morning.

A Y-8 transport plane, without any markings or serial numbers, took off amidst the raging winds and torrential rain, tearing through the oppressive clouds of Beijing and roaring into the northwest night sky.

There were no comfortable airline seats in the cabin, only cold, hard paratrooper folding stools.

The deafening roar of the engines made communication extremely difficult. Lin Yang, Li Yunlong, and Kong Jie sat silently under the dim cabin lights, all with their eyes closed, trying to rest.

The flight, which lasted only a few hours, felt like it spanned half a century.

As the transport plane began its descent, the view outside the window had changed from dark clouds to a vast, boundless Gobi Desert.

Jinyintan in Qinghai, a top-secret nuclear weapons base (211).

The transport plane landed on a concealed military runway. As the cabin door opened, the signature sand-laden gale of Northwest China rushed into the cabin, making it almost impossible to open one's eyes.

Lin Yang stepped off the gangway. The commander of the base's guard regiment, who had already received the secret telegram, was waiting by the runway in two jeeps.

The convoy drove for more than ten minutes across the Gobi Desert before entering a massive, camouflaged mountain entrance. After passing through three extremely rigorous identity verification checkpoints and blast-proof steel doors, they finally entered this underground nuclear industrial city, built by hollowing out half of a mountain.

This is the nation's absolute trump card, personally crafted by Lin Yang, and a pristine land impervious to any storm.

Tian Yu was already waiting in the corridor of the residential area on the third basement level.

Years have passed, and the years have left fine lines around her eyes, but her faded military uniform only makes her appear more capable and resilient. As the deputy director of the base's field hospital, she has treated countless unsung heroes who collapsed due to nuclear radiation and strenuous labor.

Seeing Lin Yang approach, Tian Yu's eyes reddened, and she quickly stepped forward to meet him. The two didn't exchange many words, but simply shook hands tightly.

"Yangzi, you must be tired from your journey. Brother Li, Brother Kong, please come inside quickly. Brother Ding has been pacing around the house anxiously for a while now." Tian Yu smiled and led the way for them.

After passing through a long concrete corridor, Tian Yu stopped in front of a heavy iron gate and gently pushed it open.

This was an extremely rudimentary underground dormitory. There was a cot, a wooden table with peeling paint, and a metal cabinet crammed with military books and hand-drawn maps.

Beside the wooden table stood a man in an old military uniform.

His hair was mostly white, his left leg was slightly hunched, and he was leaning on a metal cane made from a large-caliber artillery shell casing.

But the moment he raised his head, the sharp glint in his eyes was still as piercing as a drawn sword.

It was Ding Wei, the former commander of the Northern Frontier Military Region.

"Old Ding!"

Li Yunlong let out a roar like a broken gong, rushed forward, grabbed Ding Wei, and slapped Ding Wei's back with his large palms, making a loud thud.

"You old bastard! Hiding here underground enjoying your life, while I've been thinking about you so much!" Li Yunlong's eyes reddened, and his voice was thick with nasal tone.

Ding Wei coughed repeatedly from the slaps, but he pushed Li Yunlong away and laughed, cursing, "Li Big Head, you son of a bitch, go easy on me! I didn't die in the rebels' black cell, but these two slaps of yours are going to break me apart!"

Kong Jie strode forward, tears welling in her eyes, and gently punched Ding Wei in the chest.

"Old Ding, how's your leg? Can you still ride a horse and fight?"

Ding Wei slammed his cane heavily on the concrete ground, making a crisp sound, and said arrogantly, "Riding a horse is out of the question, but if I were to sit in the command compartment of a tank, I could still twist the Russian's head off and use it as a chamber pot!"