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

Ten thousand meters above the horizon, spanning two oceans, a large, understated long-range passenger plane is smoothly traversing through thick clouds.

The cabin lights were dimmed, and most of the accompanying provincial economic officials, exhausted from their continuous travels, had fallen into a deep sleep under their blankets. Occasionally, a few muffled snores broke the monotonous roar of the engines in the cabin.

Inside the exclusive first-class suite, the atmosphere was so heavy it seemed almost palpable.

Shen Yan sat at a small aviation-themed desk, quickly organizing a thick stack of foreign language materials under the dim light of an overhead reading lamp. His eyes were bloodshot, but his mind was in a state of high excitement.

"President." Shen Yan looked up, adjusted his black-rimmed glasses, and handed a prepared report to the person opposite him. "According to the intelligence we have, the economic situation in the Western Continent is fundamentally different from that in the United States."

Lin Yang wasn't asleep. He wore a loose white shirt, the collar slightly open, and held a cup of now-cold black coffee in his hand. His eyes, like abysses, were silently gazing at the endless night outside the window.

"Tell me about it." Lin Yang's voice was low and calm, without a trace of emotion.

"These old industrial powers in the Western Continent, such as Hans, Gaul, and the former British Empire, although they are politically and militarily dependent on the United States, economically they dream of breaking free from the absolute control of American capital." Shen Yan spoke quickly and with exceptional clarity.

"Especially the Hans Kingdom, as the industrial heart of the Western Continent, possesses the world's most advanced precision machine tool manufacturing capabilities and a strong foundation in the heavy-duty automobile industry. However, limited by its land area and population, its domestic market has long been saturated. In recent years, the major heavy industry groups in the Hans Kingdom have faced severe inventory backlogs, and union strikes have been frequent. They urgently need a large external market to unleash their production capacity and recoup their investment."

As Shen Yan said this, a glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes.

"Our president often says that capital's Achilles' heel is the market. The Hans nation is currently a hungry beast with boundless strength. If we could just hand over that enormous market of one billion people from the East to them at this time…"

"They will bite the hook without hesitation, just like sharks that smell blood."

Lin Yang put down his coffee cup and picked up where Shen Yan left off. He turned his head and looked intently at a world map hanging on the wall of the cabin.

"In the US, we used clandestine methods to steal their core software source code and servo motor blueprints. That's because the US people have such a strong hegemonic mentality; they'd rather keep their technology rotting in a safe than sell it to us."

Lin Yang's finger lightly traced across the map, finally stopping on the western continent.

"But in the Western Continent, the rules have to change. We're not here to steal this time. We're here to 'buy' it openly and honestly."

A cold, strategic smile curled at the corners of Lin Yang's mouth.

"Having software but lacking top-tier hardware means our domestic military factories still can't manufacture the most precise parts. The five-axis machining centers from Germany and the special metallurgical equipment from France are the hardware platforms we urgently need."

"I'll use the tax-free policy of the Eastern Special Economic Zone and the consumption potential of a billion people as a stepping stone to completely break down the defenses of these Western capitalists. I'll make them willingly bring their equipment and capital, cross the ocean, and come work for us!"

Sitting in the corner, Pei Yihong was staring intently at a mechanical transmission diagram he had hand-drawn from memory, using the dim light. Hearing Lin Yang's words, he abruptly looked up, his eyes burning with a fervent industrial passion.

"President, if we can bring back the top-of-the-line heavy-duty CNC milling machines from Hans to our country, I, Pei Yihong, dare to pledge that within three years, the machining precision of our country's tank armor and nuclear submarine hulls will be absolutely on par with that of the United States!"

"It's not just machine tools." Lin Yang looked at Pei Yihong, his eyes radiating an air of absolute control. "What I want is their entire industrial quality control system and their engineering team. This time, we're not just going to bring the machines back, we're going to hollow out their minds too!"

More than ten hours later.

After a slight turbulence, the plane landed at Mu City International Airport in Hans, a major industrial city in the western continent.

Mu, a city filled with classical Gothic architecture and modern steel chimneys, is in the coldest part of autumn. The gray sky seems to press down on people's heads, and the biting wind mixed with drizzle stings the face like needles.

When the economic delegation from the East disembarked from the plane, they were not greeted by the enthusiastic scene they had imagined.

The tarmac was completely empty.

There was no red carpet, no flowers, and no high-ranking officials from the Hans country.

Only two somewhat old buses were parked in the cold wind, along with three arrogant Han Chinese mid-level reception officials wearing trench coats.

Upon seeing Lin Yang and his entourage descend, the leading Hans official didn't even bother to open his umbrella; he simply stepped forward and offered a few perfunctory words in somewhat stiff diplomatic language.

"Mr. Lin, welcome to Mu City. Because Mu City is currently hosting the All-Europe Heavy Industry Fair, the city hall officials are very busy, so only the deputy director of our Foreign Trade Bureau can receive you. The bus is ready, please board and we will go directly to your hotel."

After the translator relayed this statement, the faces of several high-ranking domestic officials in the inspection team instantly turned ashen.

They were a joint ministerial-level delegation from a major Eastern country, traveling halfway around the world to discuss cooperation, and the other side only sent a deputy director to receive them? There wasn't even a proper welcoming ceremony!

"This is absolutely outrageous!" A manager from the Central Plains Province trembled with anger as he hissed in a low voice, "They're clearly looking down on us! They're treating us like poor relatives who've come to freeload!"

Pei Yihong also clenched his fists, a hint of humiliated anger flashing in his eyes.

In today's world, where industrial strength determines international standing, falling behind means enduring blatant disdain on someone else's turf.

"Straighten your backs, everyone!"

Lin Yang suddenly let out a low, cold shout.

He wasn't wearing a raincoat, nor did he ask anyone to hold an umbrella for him. He let the cold winter rain fall on his black woolen overcoat. His unfathomable eyes coldly swept over the humiliated officials behind him.

"Dignity is never paved with red carpets by others. It is forged by the molten steel in the blast furnace and the machines on the assembly line!"

Lin Yang turned his head and looked at the arrogant Hans officials, a cold and chilling mockery curling at the corner of his mouth.

"They sent a deputy director to pick us up today. Tomorrow, I'll have all those high-and-mighty tycoon CEOs and city mayors line up and kneel at the hotel entrance begging us to sign their papers."

Lin Yang ignored the reception staff and strode towards the dilapidated bus.

"Get on the bus! Heading into town!"