Courtyard House: A System Connecting Two Worlds, Resources for the Nation

That evening, Lin Su left the project team, got into his car, and headed towards the sea.

He leaned back in the seat, eyes closed, his fingers tapping idly on his knees.

The car drove for more than forty minutes before finally stopping in front of a drab little building.

Lin Su straightened his collar, pushed open the door, and got out of the car.

The building was brightly lit.

When he pushed the door open, there were already seven or eight people sitting inside.

The man at the very top had gray hair and wore old-fashioned round-framed glasses; he was looking down at a document.

Hearing the door open, he looked up, his gaze sweeping over his glasses, exuding an air of authority without anger.

"Kobayashi is here, please have a seat."

Lin Su nodded and found a seat.

"Is everyone here?" The man at the head of the table looked around. "Then let's begin."

He then opened his briefcase, pulled out a stack of documents, and handed one out to each person.

"Distinguished leaders, the situation is urgent, so I won't mince words." Lin Su cleared his throat. "This afternoon, Comrade Zhou Feng's double-passage door underwent another upgrade, adding two new functions."

He spoke slowly, but he enunciated each word clearly.

"First, it can bind to another world. Second, it can mark one hundred life forms to travel with it. Once a life form dies, the slot is not restored."

The previously quiet conference room was suddenly filled with several gasps of surprise.

The person at the head of the table paused in mid-air with their teacup in hand, then slowly lowered it after two seconds. They didn't drink from it, and instead placed the cup back on the table.

The elderly man in military uniform sitting to his left spoke first: "A hundred people? You can take them all? And will they be able to come back?"

"Yes. He can bring back as many people as he takes there. It's fine for both trips, with no limit on the number of times. It just has to be within his sight."

The atmosphere in the meeting room changed again as soon as these words were spoken.

If there are a hundred well-trained warriors proficient in various weapons, plus Zhou Feng's 100,000 cubic meter space to transport weapons, then in any world except the future, they could do whatever they wanted.

The person at the head of the table was silent for a moment, then flipped through the materials again and asked, "Is there any progress on that new world?"

"Not yet," Lin Su answered truthfully. "Comrade Zhou Feng just finished leveling up and hasn't had time to bind to the new world yet. Our plan is to select a limited number of accompanying personnel first, and then begin the journey to the new world."

"Hmm." The person at the head of the table nodded. "So, what are your project team's thoughts on these one hundred spots?"

Lin Su briefly summarized the results of the afternoon's discussion, emphasizing two key points: first, to determine the specific situation of the New World, but to assign Zhou Feng at least fifty guards; and second, to reserve a few spots for the research team, in case the New World's technology level is high and they can be of use.

After hearing this, the high-ranking official in the military shook his head immediately: "Fifty is not enough."

Lin Su was taken aback.

The other party shoved the materials onto the table, their tone leaving no room for negotiation: "One hundred slots. Not all of them should be allocated to combat personnel, but at least eighty should be assigned. The rest are for research personnel. Secure our personnel first, then we'll talk about other things. And the initial batch of people sent there cannot be missing."

"Old Li is right," the leader sitting opposite him chimed in. "Nobody knows what the new world is like. What if it's a high-threat world, and we're immediately thrown into battle? Sending just a few people there would be suicide."

The person at the head of the table didn't rush to express their opinion, but turned to Lin Su and asked, "Little Lin, what do you think?"

Lin Su thought for a moment and nodded: "What the leader said makes sense. The first batch should prioritize safety. Let's get a clear understanding of the situation in the New World before considering subsequent arrangements."

"Then it's settled." The man at the head of the table made the final decision. "Of the one hundred slots, eighty will be allocated to combat personnel. Not just guards, but they also need to be able to fight, conduct reconnaissance, and survive in the wild. These people must be the elite of the army, the kind that are worth ten men each."

Lin Su quickly jotted it down in his notebook.

"And one more thing," the man at the head of the table suddenly remembered something, glancing around the room, "this secrecy must be maintained perfectly. One hundred people is no small number. How to select them, where to select them, and how to arrange their placement—all of this must be done according to plan. Not a single word can be leaked."

These words were quite strong, and everyone in the conference room nodded in agreement.

Next comes the details.

Who is responsible for selecting personnel? What are the selection criteria? Where will they be transferred from? When will they arrive? Where will they live? How will they be trained? How will they work with Zhou Feng?

We went through each item one by one, breaking them down and discussing them in detail.

The debate went on until late into the night, and finally a plan was decided: the highest military leader would personally order the selection of ten soldiers from across the army to be the first batch of accompanying personnel to fly to Beiping immediately.

The reason for choosing ten first is that if too many people appear in the new world, they will be too easily noticed by others.

After all, Zhou Feng also said that the first batch was just for exploration, and having too many people would be counterproductive.

Once we have a clear understanding of the situation in the new world, we will send additional personnel as needed.

"Now that we've finished discussing personnel allocation, let's talk about some potential drawbacks in the future."

An aged voice came from behind: "I don't have a problem with this young comrade, but I'm looking at this matter from the perspective of our Dragon Kingdom. I'm only addressing the issue, not the person."

"If these 100 soldiers we are preparing to send to another world want to come back or contact us, they can only do so through Comrade Zhou Feng."

"If he reaches an agreement with the forces of the New World, or if he has other ideas, not to mention the loss of these 100 warriors, all the preparations we have made related to him will become useless, or even a waste of resources."

"Furthermore, if his ability extends beyond 100 people, we need to consider the possibility of him bringing back treacherous enemies from the New World."

"He can appear directly in Beiping now. What I'm about to say is just hypothetical. If he brings back a powerful weapon from the New World, it will be a disaster for us."

"Instead of supporting him, I think we also need to consider countermeasures."

After he finished speaking, there was a few seconds of silence in the conference room. Lin Su then slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly: "Old Zhou, you are judging Comrade Zhou Feng directly from the perspective of viewing him as an enemy. This is an extremely arbitrary and extreme approach!"

Old Zhou shook his head expressionlessly: "I was just outlining the potential threats from the other side at the meeting. These things may not necessarily happen, but they are certainly possible."

These words prompted others at the meeting to nod in agreement, and they then began to discuss them.

"The ability to travel to other worlds is something we in reality cannot control..."

"That's right. In the past few months, we have conducted no less than 10 investigations across the country and have not found a second person with special abilities, which proves that Comrade Zhou Feng is still unique for the time being."

In a novel, a person with uncontrollable abilities would be the absolute protagonist, able to enjoy everything.

However, in the real world, it becomes an unknown that threatens the entire system of the Dragon Kingdom.

After all, a power that is beyond our control is a threat in itself.

"Gentlemen!"

The man at the head of the table tapped the table, drawing everyone's attention to him, before speaking: "I presume everyone here has already seen the background check and character profile of Comrade Zhou Feng."

"Although he did have some minor flaws in his past experiences, they are insignificant. Moreover, during the time we worked together, Comrade Zhou Feng was very friendly."

"Especially after his abilities were upgraded, he was able to report to Comrade Lin Su immediately, which in itself is already a great act of honesty."

"Such a comrade may not be a pure proletarian fighter, but everything he does demonstrates his sense of belonging to the Dragon Kingdom. Furthermore, considering the perspectives of his parents and future partner, the possibility of him betraying the organization is extremely low. Under these circumstances, I personally believe that he will continue to maintain this sense of belonging."

"These are my thoughts. As is customary, please raise your hands to vote. Those who support Comrade Zhou Feng, please raise your hands."

With the final decision made by the speaker, the vote passed unanimously within seconds!

Before dawn, a military transport plane landed at the Beiping West Suburb Airport.

The plane came to a stop, the cabin door opened, and ten people disembarked one by one.

The leader was a man in his early thirties with a square face, thick eyebrows, and big eyes. There was a shallow scar on his cheekbone that stretched from the corner of his left eye to his ear. It looked scary, but not ugly.

The scar, paired with his face, actually added a touch of ferocity.

He stood there with his back straight as a javelin, his gaze sweeping over his surroundings, calm and composed.

Zhou Ming came to pick them up, bringing two military jeeps.

"Gentlemen, please get in the car," Zhou Ming said with a smile. "The journey must be tiring, but the mission is urgent. I'll explain everything in detail when we get there."

Ten people got into the car and drove towards the city.

No one spoke on the way; everyone was secretly observing each other.

They are all top figures in their respective fields, and they are the kind of people who are fawned over wherever they are.

This time, he was suddenly transferred to Beiping by a special order, but no one knew what the mission was.

I wouldn't say I was unconvinced, but I did have some reservations.

Zhou Ming led the way, taking them directly to the conference room in the compound where the expert group was located.

At this moment, Lin Su and Zhou Feng were already inside.

Lin Su sat at the head of the table, and Zhou Feng sat to his right.

There was a long table in the room, on which were ten thin documents, each only three or four pages long.

"Everyone's here? Please have a seat." Lin Su raised his hand.

The ten people sat down in unison, their backs ramrod straight, their hands neatly placed on their knees, but their eyes all fell on Zhou Feng.

They had certainly met Lin Su as their leader, but the young man beside them, who looked to be in his early twenties and had a fair complexion, was someone they didn't know what he did.

Zhou Feng, under the watchful eyes of everyone, swallowed hard but didn't say anything.

Any one of these ten people could be a capable leader on their own.

Now they've all come together, just to follow him to a new world.

It would be a lie to say I don't feel any pressure.

Lin Su didn't waste any words and went straight to the point: "Everyone here is a top-notch individual, carefully selected from among thousands by their respective units. What did your superiors tell you before you came here?"

The leader spoke up: "Report! The higher-ups say there's a top-secret mission, the highest level, involving national security. It's voluntary; once you sign a confidentiality agreement, you can't back out, you can't inquire, and you can't mention it to anyone."

"Anything else?"

"The details of the mission will only be known upon arrival at the destination. During the mission, life or death is not an option, and all consequences will be borne by the individual."

Lin Su nodded, his gaze sweeping across the ten people's faces: "That's how it is. Take a look at the confidentiality agreement in front of you, read it, and sign it. Once you've signed, you've accepted the mission."

None of the ten people hesitated; they picked up the agreement and began to read it.

The agreement is short, and it stipulates that mission details must not be disclosed, mission details must not be discussed with unauthorized personnel, and no unauthorized departures are permitted during the mission. Violators will be handed over to a military court for prosecution.

At the very bottom is the signature area and the place to put your fingerprints.

After quickly reading ten lines, everyone picked up their pens at the same time and signed their names in a flash.

"Alright, now that the agreement is signed, let's not keep anything secret. Comrade Zhou Ming will introduce the next tasks to everyone."

Lin Su gestured to Zhou Ming, who immediately stood up, walked to the blackboard hanging on the wall, picked up the chalk, and drew two circles on it, one saying "now" and the other saying "other world".

"Gentlemen, you may not usually watch entertainment programs, so I'll keep it short. The organization has now mastered a technology that allows us to travel through time and space to other worlds."

The ten people stared wide-eyed. They thought they were going on a mission abroad or something that couldn't be made public, but Zhou Ming just said he was going to another world.

If it weren't for the mission assigned by their superiors, the highly confidential courtyard they had arrived in, and Lin Su sitting opposite them, they would have thought it was a joke.

Zhou Ming briefly explained Zhou Feng's abilities, mainly focusing on the functions after this upgrade.

After he finished speaking, the conference room was quiet for a long time.

Finally, the leader spoke first, his voice a little strained but still relatively calm: "Leader, do you mean... that we should follow Comrade Zhou Feng and travel to another world?"

"Yes." Lin Su nodded. "The first batch will explore and find out what's going on in the new world. Your task is to protect Comrade Zhou Feng's safety and ensure that he can successfully complete his exploration mission."

"What world?"

"We don't know yet," Zhou Feng replied. "The new world hasn't been bound yet. I'll start the time travel once you're all ready. Nobody can say for sure what world, era, or situation it will be in then."

"However, based on the characteristics of the double portal, the new world should not deviate too much from the baseline of the current world, and it is most likely to be a parallel world with a similar history."

"After all, the place I went to before was a world from the 1960s, the same era as here 60 years ago, 1966."

The ten people fell silent again.

Anyone would need to process something like this.