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

Shen Yan sat to the side, quickly flipping through a thick stack of internal research reports in his hand by the light.

"President, our original plan was to head straight for the special economic zone in the south." Shen Yan raised his head, pushed up his black-rimmed glasses, and spoke with a hint of caution in his tone, "However, according to the intelligence gathered over the past three months, the situation in the Handong District seems to be showing signs of going off track."

Lin Yang slowly put down his teacup, his deep eyes remaining calm and composed. He simply uttered a single word: "Speak."

Shen Yan handed a top-secret document to Lin Yang with both hands.

"Since Zhao Lichun was parachuted into Handong as the executive deputy general manager and the top official in Jingzhou, he has indeed demonstrated his ruthless and decisive approach. The super-large coal chemical base that you approved for him, he forcibly completed all the land acquisition and foundation leveling work in just three months."

Shen Yan speaks very quickly, but his pronunciation is clear and precise.

"However, Handong has a heavy historical burden. Local clan forces and old interest groups are deeply entrenched. Zhao Lichun used very ruthless methods to push forward the project. He not only bypassed the local security department in Handong and directly used his own cultivated team to suppress the local forces that were obstructing construction, but also made a 'one-man show' in personnel appointments."

"In the internal reports from Handong, many veteran local managers are jointly accusing him. They say he has absolute power in Jingzhou and lives like a local tyrant. There are even rumors that he gave his cronies special treatment in the earthwork projects at the coal chemical base, involving serious transfer of benefits."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yang's eyes finally showed a subtle change.

He didn't look at the document, but instead turned to look at the endless darkness outside the car window.

"If the water is too clear, there will be no fish. In a quagmire like Handong, you can't break through the situation without some ruthless measures." Lin Yang's voice revealed a coldness that came from seeing through the vicissitudes of life.

"Zhao Lichun is an extremely intelligent politician; he knows how to deal with those local bullies. But the biggest weakness of intelligent people is that they are easily devoured by the power they wield."

Lin Yang tapped his fingers lightly twice on the leather armrest of the sofa, producing a dull sound.

"Change course," Lin Yang suddenly ordered.

Shen Yan was taken aback: "President, you mean...?"

"The special train will stop at the freight marshalling yard on the outskirts of Jingzhou. We'll head to Handong first." Lin Yang stood up, his tall and imposing figure instantly exuding a suffocating sense of pressure.

"I released this most poisonous knife to slit the enemy's throat, not to cut off my own flesh. I need to see for myself whether Zhao Lichun is a human or a ghost."

4:00 AM, Handong District, Jingzhou City.

As the largest transportation and resource hub in the heart of the Central Plains, Jingzhou in those days was always filled with a strong smell of burning coal and dust.

Beside a secluded freight station, the special train came to a silent stop.

Without alerting any high-ranking officials in the Handong District, or even the highest-ranking official of the Jingzhou Security Bureau, it was unknown that the ultimate strategist who controls the economic lifeline of the entire continent had set foot on this land.

Several black cars without any special license plates were already waiting outside the platform.

Lin Yang changed into an ordinary black jacket and wore a cap, perfectly concealing his sharp and domineering aura.

He Yuzhu, dressed in a faded work jacket, looked like an ordinary truck driver as he personally opened the door of a black sedan.

"To the construction site of the coal chemical base." Lin Yang got into the car, his tone resolute.

The convoy sped through the streets before dawn.

The closer you get to the northern outskirts of Gyeongju, the muddier and bumpier the roads become. On both sides of the road, there are heavy trucks and excavators working through the night.

As the convoy climbed to a high point, the sight ahead made Shen Yan, who was inside the car, gasp in shock.

It was a vast, flat area stretching as far as the eye could see, covering tens of thousands of acres. Countless high-wattage searchlights illuminated the entire construction site as bright as day. Thousands upon thousands of construction workers moved like ants among the massive steel scaffolding and cement mixers.

Thick pipes are already taking shape, like giant steel dragons lying prostrate on this land.

"Three months... to have pushed such a huge project to this point." Shen Yan looked at the progress chart in his hand, his eyes filled with shock. "Zhao Lichun's execution ability is truly terrifying."

However, Lin Yang's gaze did not linger on those magnificent buildings.

His gaze settled on a chaotic area outside the construction site gate.

The car stopped a few hundred meters away from the construction site gate.

Ahead, a large group of over a hundred people had gathered. They were armed with shovels, hoes, and even homemade firearms. They had used several abandoned tractors to block the construction site gate, stopping dozens of heavy trucks loaded with cement and steel bars.

"These are local village bullies from Handong." He Yuzhu narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing in his war-hardened eyes. "These people are trying to extort money from the project because they see it's progressing quickly, and they want the so-called 'final payment for land occupation compensation'."

Lin Yang didn't speak, he just watched quietly.

Soon, a screeching sound of brakes came from inside the construction site.

Five or six large black SUVs drove straight to the gate. The doors were kicked open, and dozens of burly men in matching black uniforms, carrying batons and riot shields, rushed out.

The leader was a man wearing a leather jacket with a burly face.

Without saying a word, the man walked straight up to the village bully who had led the disturbance.

"I'll count to three, then clear the way. If you delay the machine's arrival, your entire village can't afford to pay for it!" The man in the leather jacket's voice carried a ruthless, bandit-like edge.

"Who are you trying to scare! This land has been cultivated by our ancestors for generations. You think you can get rid of us with just that little bit of money? Nobody's getting in today unless you come up with 500,000 in cash..."

boom!

Before the village bully could finish speaking, the man in the leather jacket swung his baton and slammed it hard into the other man's knee.

With a piercing scream, the village bully fell to his knees on the spot, his kneecaps clearly shattered.

"Beat them! As long as you don't kill them, the higher-ups will cover for you if anything goes wrong! Clear the road for me!" the man in the leather jacket roared.

Dozens of men in black charged into the crowd like tigers among sheep. They brandished batons, and screams filled the air.

These are not ordinary security personnel; they are a highly trained and ruthless private armed force!

Those village bullies who usually ran rampant in the village crumbled instantly in the face of this unreasonable and violent suppression, abandoning their farm tools and fleeing in all directions.