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

After listening to the reports from the three regional officials and the overseas financial magnate, Lin Yang slowly leaned back in his chair.

His gaze pierced through the carved wooden door of the main hall and landed on the ancient cypress tree in the courtyard, which remained verdant and upright despite a century of wind and rain.

This is the grand scheme he orchestrated, a game of chess he poured half his life's blood into on this devastated land of China.

Politicians uphold the law openly, ruthless generals forge steel in the Central Plains, and merchants seize wealth cunningly in the shadows.

These three forces intertwine to form an unstoppable super-national war machine, roaring and crushing all old blockades and backwardness, speeding towards the pinnacle of great power rise.

Just as the atmosphere in the hall was solemn and dignified.

Outside the villa, a deafening car horn suddenly blared, followed by the screeching of tires screeching on the bluestone pavement.

"Damn it! Why is that car in the way?! Move it!"

A loud, rough, and irritable voice, filled with the smell of gunpowder, boomed out from outside the courtyard wall like muffled thunder.

Upon hearing this voice, Lin Yang's usually cold and dignified face finally broke down, revealing a hearty laugh from the bottom of his heart.

Zhao Lichun, Pei Yihong, and the others exchanged smiles and quickly stood up.

Looking across China, the only ones who dare to shout and act so recklessly at the gate of Lin Yang's villa are his old comrades who crawled out of piles of corpses together.

The door was violently pushed open with a loud bang.

Three elderly men, dressed in general's uniforms and with completely white hair, strode in.

Leading the way was Li Yunlong, the supreme commander of the southeastern coastal defense line. Although his face was etched with deep wrinkles, his eyes, like copper bells, were still frighteningly bright, and he walked with a powerful stride.

Walking on the left was Kong Jie, commander of the Northwest Military Region. He carried a pipe, his face, weathered by years of wind and sun on the Gobi Desert, a purplish-black color resembling rock.

Walking on the right is Ding Wei, who has retired to the second line but still wields considerable influence in the General Staff Department of the Central Military Commission. He leans on a metal cane, and although his legs are slightly lame, his back remains ramrod straight.

The Northwest Iron Triangle reunited once again on Lin Yang's 55th birthday!

"Yangzi! You're turning fifty-five, and you didn't even let your old brothers know! If it weren't for Lao Ding hearing the news from the Central Military Commission, we would have definitely missed this drinking session today!"

As soon as Li Yunlong entered the room, he started shouting loudly and plopped down on the armchair next to Lin Yang without any politeness.

Lin Yang stood up, laughing loudly as he went to greet him.

"My three brothers, you are stationed on the frontier and have heavy military duties. How could I, an economist, dare to disturb your presence on my birthday?"

"Bullshit!" Li Yunlong glared. "The economic policies you've been promoting are just for getting our guns loaded! Without you at the National Development and Reform Commission approving military funding and equipment upgrades, my troops would still be staring blankly at those missile boats across the sea with their Type 56 semi-automatic rifles!"

Kong Jie and Ding Wei also came forward and gave Lin Yang a big hug.

"Yangzi, happy birthday." Ding Wei patted Lin Yang on the back, his tone filled with deep emotion.

Upon seeing these three absolute titans of the military enter, Zhao Lichun, Pei Yihong, and Lou Xiao'e immediately stepped aside respectfully and greeted them in unison.

"Commander Li, Commander Kong, Commander Ding."

Li Yunlong glanced sideways at Zhao Lichun and sneered, "Zhao Lichun, I heard you're working with Gao Yuliang in Handong, making quite a name for yourself? Let me tell you, don't think you can get away with anything just because you have some power. If you dare to cause any trouble in Handong and swindle money from the people, I won't even need Yangzi to lift a finger; I'll send a reinforced company to Jingzhou to arrest you and execute you!"

Zhao Lichun trembled with fright and quickly nodded repeatedly: "Commander Li is right. I would never dare to have any selfish thoughts and will wholeheartedly dedicate myself to the country's development."

"Alright, Lao Li, it's a great day today, don't scare them." Lin Yang said with a smile, trying to smooth things over.

Just then, He Daqing's booming voice came from the restaurant in the backyard.

"Sir! The dishes are ready! Please take your seats!"

A rich, mouthwatering aroma of meat and the unique freshness of seafood instantly filled the entire courtyard.

The group moved to the restaurant.

On a huge round table made of rosewood, the most tempting dishes of the Tan family were laid out. Braised shark fin, braised sea cucumber, clear bird's nest soup... each dish revealed He Daqing's decades of masterful skill.

Lin Yang sat in the main seat. Li Yunlong, Kong Jie, and Ding Wei sat to his left. Zhao Lichun, Pei Yihong, and Lou Xiao'e sat to his right. He Yuzhu, as Lin Yang's personal bodyguard and practically family, was also dragged to sit at the very end.

"Here, pour the wine!"

Li Yunlong unceremoniously took the special-supply Moutai from the table and personally filled the white porcelain wine cups in front of everyone.

Lin Yang picked up his wine glass and slowly stood up.

Everyone at the table immediately fell silent and stood up straight in unison.

Lin Yang's gaze was deep, sweeping across the faces of everyone present in turn.

Political tycoons, industrial powerhouses, overseas conglomerates, and ruthless military leaders—these people constitute Lin Yang's most unbreakable foundation in the world.

"This cup of wine is disrespectful to heaven and earth, and to ghosts and gods."

Lin Yang's voice was deep and powerful, carrying a profound weight that had traversed half a century of historical vicissitudes.

"A salute to our thirty years of rising from the ruins, surviving famine, weathering storms, and ultimately propelling this nation to the center of the world stage... an indomitable backbone!"

"Dry!"

With a hearty shout, everyone tilted their heads back and downed the spicy and mellow liquor in one gulp.

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

The atmosphere at the table became increasingly lively and relaxed.

Zhao Lichun and Pei Yihong discussed in hushed tones their plans to open up a logistics channel between Handong and Hanjiang provinces. Lou Xiao'e, meanwhile, occasionally chimed in with the latest developments regarding the import of equipment from overseas.

Lin Yang, along with the three older brothers from the Northwest Iron Triangle, reminisced about their glorious past.

"Old Ding, does your leg still hurt on rainy days?" Lin Yang asked with concern, looking at the metal cane that Ding Wei had placed next to the chair.

Ding Wei, his face slightly flushed from drinking, waved his hand dismissively: "What's there to hurt about! Back in that air-raid shelter in Shenyang, if it weren't for Zhu Zi leading the men to rush in and rescue me, this old man would have turned to ashes long ago. Now, being able to look at maps and give pointers to those young staff officers in the General Staff Department of the Central Military Commission, I'm more than content!"