Traveling Back to the 1960s: The Entire Internet Teaches Me How to Build Missiles

Hale's legs were tense, pressed tightly together and crossed.

Zhou Yunxiao saw through his bluster and realized that if things continued like this, he might as well jump into the Weak Water River if he didn't give up.

So they continued to apply pressure:

"You so-called peace envoys are nothing but robbers! You treat other people's airspace as your backyard, coming and going as you please! You sit there sipping coffee and eating bread, casually drawing a circle on the map, and thousands of people here can't even sleep peacefully!"

"Furthermore, where do you find weather planes equipped with high-resolution spy cameras capable of clearly photographing the ground from an altitude of 20,000 meters, instead of barometers?"

Hale's buttocks began to wriggle unnaturally, and her lower abdomen contracted as if she needed to urinate.

"Every word you say will be evidence in your trial. This is the East, not your America, so please think carefully before you answer."

"Of course, we are happy to give those who have gone astray a chance to reform. As long as you confess and give leniency, you will definitely be treated fairly, and there is even hope that you can return to your hometown to see your parents, wife, and children..."

At this point, Zhou Yunxiao raised the bulky notebook again, deliberately making a loud rustling sound as he flipped through it.

"If you remain stubborn and refuse to admit your mistakes, then I really have no other choice. As for a prisoner of no intelligence value, especially one who was secretly shot down in our airspace, I think... even if he dies in a ditch, no one will find out."

"As for the people behind you... you should know their character better than I do, right? Would they really step forward and announce that a spy has gone missing in the East?"

Hale breathed heavily, and the cigarette he was holding fell to the ground.

Zhou Yunxiao placed the notebook on his lap, letting him experience the power of knowledge. The other man's feigned composure finally crumbled, and he nodded vigorously, saying:

"I'm willing to confess!"

Director Xu, who was watching the commotion at the door, had a bright look in his eyes. He hadn't expected that this foreigner wasn't as tough as he had imagined.

Seeing this, Zhou Yunxiao also took the thick notebook back from Hale and returned it to the recorder.

He then said, "Let's start from the beginning. Who sent you to Dongguo, and what was your purpose? What airports were the starting and landing points of your U-2 reconnaissance plane... the more detailed the better."

Hale was silent for a few seconds, then looked up and asked for a cigarette, taking deep drags that made him cough.

Then Zhou Yunxiao heard: "If I confess everything, it's tantamount to betraying my own beliefs. Perhaps I'll never be able to return to my hometown in this lifetime, do you understand?"

Zhou Yunxiao hummed in agreement.

He was certainly aware of the consequences of Robert Hale's confession.

To confess everything to the East is tantamount to betraying America, an act that would be condemned anywhere.

He glanced at Director Xu, and their eyes met, as if they were on the same wavelength.

Xu Rufeng, abandoning his previous sternness, walked over and said in a relaxed tone:

"Rest assured, we will do everything in our power to ensure your safety. We will also find you a secluded house and guarantee you a comfortable life. Please feel free to ask us for any needs you may have..."

Hale didn't mince words and immediately stated his conditions: "I want the house in Jingzhou. That's your SD, it's definitely the safest place!"

Xu Rufeng hesitated for a moment, then did not refuse, "I will do my best to fight for it for you."

"Furthermore, I know that once I've revealed all my secrets, I'll be of no use to you anymore. You can manage me for three or five years, but do you have the patience to manage me for a lifetime? That's why I want a one-time bonus, the more the better!"

Zhou Yunxiao chuckled inwardly; this damn foreigner was quite greedy.

Before trespassing on someone else's land to become a spy, don't they do their homework on local customs and traditions?

In those days, the rationing system was in place, so bonuses weren't very useful. Even if you had a lot of money, it wasn't as valuable as a few grain coupons or meat coupons.

But you can never have too much money.

Therefore, after listening, Director Xu cautiously asked Hale how much bonus he wanted, only to see the other party raise both hands and hold up eight fingers...

"Eight? Eight hundred dollars? Hmm... that's fine, I can make the decision right now."

Xu Rufeng had just breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Zhou Yunxiao, who had been listening to the foreigner's rambling, turn his head back as if he had seen a ghost and shake it vigorously.

"Not eight hundred?"

Director Xu was somewhat displeased. "Being too greedy is no good. Does this big-nosed guy want eight thousand yuan? Is he crazy? I only make a little over two hundred yuan a month. It would take me three or four years of not eating or drinking to save that much money!"

Eight thousand yuan was a huge sum of money, and Xu Rufeng didn't dare to make the decision on his own; he could only report it to his superiors.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Yunxiao still shook his head.

At the same time, she slowly backed away, pulling Xu Rufeng along as they tried to leave.

"Hey, we're not finished talking yet, why are you in such a hurry to leave?"

Zhou Yunxiao advised, "This foreigner is asking for an exorbitant amount; he's too greedy. I'm afraid if you keep listening, you'll be tempted to pull out a gun and shoot him."

"Ha, you think I'm some kind of brute? I'm a disciplined and exemplary cadre!"

As Director Xu was led out of the interrogation room with his arm around his shoulder, he muttered, "Eight thousand yuan isn't enough to satisfy that big-nosed guy's appetite. This bastard wants eighty thousand yuan? He's insatiable! Besides, these days, can he even spend that much money?"

"It's not 80,000 yuan."

Zhou Yunxiao gave him a serious look.

Immediately afterwards, Xu Rufeng's face turned visibly red, like a kettle boiling water on a coal stove, as if one could see steam billowing out.

"Damn that foreign devil! He's deliberately trying to make fun of me, isn't he? I'll kill him right now!"

It's not eight hundred yuan, not eight thousand yuan... and not eighty thousand yuan.

Could it be...?

Xu Rufeng reached for the holster, but Zhou Yunxiao quickly stopped him.

"Hey, hey, don't be impulsive! You just said you were following the rules. This is a big deal, let's let Ye Ling make the decision!"

"Alright, alright, I reckon Ye Ling will be so angry she'll hit him..."

The two whispered to each other as they entered Ye Ling's office.

Within minutes, a roar came from inside, like a lion in a rage, so loud that the enamel mug on the coffee table trembled.

"Damn that foreign devil! Eight thousand taels...of gold? Did he get brain damage from a parachute jump? Does he think I'm a bank owner?!"

Ye Ling was furious, almost just like Xu Rufeng, and reached for his gun, but was stopped by Political Commissar Sun.

Zhou Yunxiao touched his nose, thinking to himself that they were indeed from the 20th Army Corps, with the same temperament.

Political Commissar Sun shoved Ye Ling's gun back into place, only to be met with a sarcastic remark from the latter: "You really have a good temper. You think you can just take advantage of your family owning a bank and not care about this little bit of money?"

The political commissar waved his hand impatiently, "Go away, go away! Why bring up something that shouldn't be brought up? It's all old news, I cut ties with them a long time ago!"

Director Xu grumbled from the side, "This Hale... he insists on eight thousand taels of gold before he'll cooperate and confess. That's too high a price. I don't think we can agree to it. Who knows if this foreigner will push his luck and then act innocent after getting a bargain?"

Ye Ling looked at Zhou Yunxiao: "Are you sure the foreigner meant eight thousand taels of gold, not eight thousand dollars?"

Zhou Yunxiao shrugged. "Gold. 8000 taels of gold. Hale said it was written on the leaflets you sent to Xinmen Island in the Fujian area, that as long as you were willing to surrender, you could receive this much resettlement allowance..."

Upon hearing this, Political Commissar Sun suddenly remembered that such a thing had indeed happened.

These days, due to the obstruction from the United States and the indifference of the Big Brother, the recovery of Xinmen has become an unresolved matter.

Although a real war was out of the question, both sides launched a massive propaganda offensive, sending planes to drop leaflets and encouraging the other side to defect.

General Manager Han, who was stationed in the Fujian coastal area, proposed a three-tiered reward policy. Pilots who defected could receive up to eight thousand taels of gold, which far surpassed the reward offered by Xinmen.

Commissar Sun said, "Logically, this policy should only apply to people from that area, but Hale is an American."

Ye Ling said irritably, "Putting aside his identity, he didn't defect by piloting a plane; he was shot down by our missiles. He can only be considered a prisoner!"

Director Xu agreed, saying, "Besides, the U-2 reconnaissance plane was smashed to pieces; it's practically a cripple. Why should we give the foreigners the maximum reward? What will the other comrades think? Will they say we're worshipping foreign things?"

The three leaders discussed the matter in a disjointed manner.

Half a day passed, and they still couldn't make up their minds, so they decided to ask the Science and Technology Commission for their opinion. Ye Ling reported to Director Chen.