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

"And another thing." A deeper calculation flashed in Lin Yang's eyes.

"The solid fuel technology we've accumulated in satellite launches is beginning to be applied downstream. The new long-range multiple rocket launcher is undergoing final testing. If the Soviets dare to launch a large-scale mass assault, they will be met with an overwhelming barrage of rockets."

Lin Yang straightened up, like a pillar of strength firmly planted in this simple underground room.

"The country is in chaos, but I, Lin Yang, have protected the defense and military industry line with all my might. The rebels outside have only smashed the empty shells that I deliberately left for them."

The true backbone of the nation lies hidden deep in the mountains of Southwest China, where it roars day and night.

After listening to Lin Yang's entire industrial plan,

Li Yunlong, Ding Wei, and Kong Jie, three seasoned veterans, were utterly shocked.

Looking at this man who had just turned forty but was already in charge of the entire country's industrial and war machine, they felt a sense of awe that they could not express in words.

In such a crazy, chaotic, and even somewhat desperate era, Lin Yang was like a cold yet clear-headed helmsman who, amidst the turbulent waves, used his iron fist to forge an indestructible armor for the country.

"Great! That felt good!"

Li Yunlong suddenly raised the enamel mug in his hand, his eyes burning with the fierce flames of war.

"With Yangzi backing us up, we feel much more confident fighting this battle! If the Russians don't come, fine, but if they dare cross the border, our trio will join forces again and pull off a massive heist!"

Ding Wei also raised his teacup, a long-lost sharpness appearing on his wrinkled face: "After being underground for four years, it's time for this old bone to see some blood again."

Kong Jie slammed the teacup down heavily:

Count me in!

"As long as I, Kong Jie, have a breath left on the border of the Great Northwest, they will not be able to advance an inch!"

Lin Yang picked up the last glass of wine and clinked it heavily with the three old leaders.

"This glass of wine is a toast to this vast land, and to our unyielding spirit."

Lin Yang's voice was cold and resolute.

"And if war breaks out, it will be the day my Ministry of Heavy Industry pours in the nation's entire production capacity to defend our country to the death!"

"Dry!"

Four teacups collided heavily in mid-air, splashing wine everywhere.

In this underground air-raid shelter, hundreds of meters deep, at this simple yet incredibly important gathering,

Four men devised the most robust strategy to counter the Soviet Union's million-strong army using the most primitive methods.

A storm is brewing, but China, this awakened dragon of the East, has already bared its sharpest fangs.

·············

The spring breeze of 1971 blew into Beijing later than in previous years.

The ice in the moat had just melted, and a lifeless pale yellow sprouted from the withered willow branches. The entire country was still shrouded in a tense and fervent atmosphere, but for those at the top of the power pyramid, the winds were already subtly shifting.

The anticipated clash of a million-strong armored force on the Sino-Soviet border did not ultimately take place.

Great power rivalry is often more unpredictable than the most complex chess game. In April, a seemingly ordinary billiards invitational tournament, like a butterfly flapping its wings across the Pacific, quietly pushed open the doors between China and the United States that had been closed for more than two decades.

The Soviet Union's million-strong army in the north was brought to an abrupt halt by this unexpected "butterfly" event. Faced with a China that might be secretly colluding with the United States, Moscow's decision-makers hesitated. After months of idling in the icy wilderness, the armored formations, filled with reluctance and apprehension, finally retreated slowly for fifty kilometers, shifting to strategic defense.

The sword of Damocles that had been hanging over the land of China has finally been temporarily removed.

Ministry of Heavy Industry, Minister's Office.

Lin Yang took off his heavy, dark gray wool coat and hung it on the coat rack. He walked to the window, opened a glass window, and let the cold wind of late spring blow on his face, dispelling the fatigue brought on by several days of high-intensity meetings.

There was a gentle knock on the office door, and Zhao Lichun pushed it open, holding a thick, top-secret internal document in his hand.

"Minister, the latest intelligence from the border. The 3rd Panzer Army of the Soviet Far Eastern Military District has begun breaking up its camps in batches. The alert level at the front has been lowered from Level 1 to Level 2." Zhao Lichun placed the document on his desk, his tone revealing a hint of relief.

Lin Yang turned around, his deep eyes not showing much joy, but rather a coldness that seemed to see through the fog of history.

"The fact that the war didn't break out is both a good thing and a bad thing." Lin Yang walked to the table, lit a Daqianmen cigarette, and said, "The good thing is that the country has been spared a bloodbath, and the foundation of our Northwest and Southwest has been preserved. The bad thing is that without the external pressure of life and death, those clowns jumping around inside will start causing trouble again."

Zhao Lichun pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, a cold and calculating smile curving his lips.

"Minister, please be aware. Recently, those radicals in the city, seeing that the pressure on the military industry sector has eased, have started talking about 'the issue of political line' again at various meetings. They don't dare to directly cause trouble for you, but those rebels below have begun to make small moves in major state-owned factories, using the banner of 'deeply digging out class enemies' to actually fight for power and profit, and even line their own pockets."

"How's your investigation going?" Lin Yang exhaled a puff of pale blue smoke, his eyes piercing.

Zhao Lichun pulled out another unmarked brown paper bag from a hidden compartment in his briefcase and handed it to Lin Yang with both hands.

"It's all here. For the past year or so, following your instructions, I remained inactive in my position as deputy director of the Revolutionary Committee, secretly sending people to gather information on those rebel leaders." Zhao Lichun's voice turned unusually cold. "These people, while shouting about revolution, are all thieves and prostitutes behind the scenes. Take Wu Qiang's remaining gang, for example. They took advantage of the factory's chaotic management to secretly sell scrapped machine tools as scrap metal on the black market in exchange for grain and meat coupons. There were also a few who forcibly occupied the empty houses of the cadres who had been sent down to the countryside."

Lin Yang opened the brown paper bag and looked at the shocking evidence page by page.

"Since they've set their sights on national assets, they can't blame me for being ruthless." Lin Yang tossed the documents onto the table, his fingers lightly tapping the surface. "Spring is here, the winds are about to shift. We must seize this opportunity of easing tensions between China and the US to initiate a comprehensive technological upgrade of heavy industry. To fight external threats, we must first secure internal stability. These maggots sucking blood from the nation's veins must be wiped out once and for all."

"Keep a low profile and use others to do the dirty work. Send this evidence anonymously directly to the desks of the special task force at the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Ministry of Public Security. The charge isn't 'political error,' but 'embezzlement and theft of national strategic materials.' I want them to die knowing exactly what happened within the framework of the law."

"Understood." Zhao Lichun understood immediately and bowed his head to accept the order. He knew that Lin Yang was going to use the most reasonable means to crush all the stumbling blocks from those disgusting people without shaking his own political base.