Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

The Huo family did help, but compared to the Lou family, they were far inferior. The Huo family's business spanned Hong Kong Island and Taiwan, and they were constrained in their actions. They dared not use 10,000-ton giant ships, and at most they could dispatch a few small boats of a thousand tons. They had to tiptoe to load and unload cargo.

In contrast, Lou's father and He Yuzhu entered the shipping industry in one year and became the main force in the domestic meat supply in two years—8,000 tons of pork in the first year, 10,000 tons of rubber in the second year, and this year they jumped directly to 13,000 tons of meat.

Twenty-six million catties of meat, if divided among each household by one catty, would be enough for twenty-six million families to have a prosperous New Year; in other words, nearly one hundred million people could have an extra piece of meat in their bowls.

Of course, the accounts cannot be calculated so roughly, but these figures are indeed solidly ranked first in the country.

"Sir, we brought back more than just these this time—would you like to come aboard and take a look?"

He Yuzhu smiled and winked at Leader Zhang. He had already planned it out: hand over the self-developed radar system to the state. Although this thing is an improvement on semiconductor technology, it is still in its infancy globally. If China catches up quickly, it can gain the upper hand in both military and civilian applications.

Before leaving, he had asked Lou's father to secure a piece of industrial land on Hong Kong Island—the roots of his semiconductor business would take hold there and grow slowly.

Upon hearing this, Leader Zhang became intrigued: "Oh? What other treasures are hidden? Lead the way! Keeping me in suspense isn't a good habit!"

The two entered the cockpit together. Two young crew members were guarding outside the door. When they saw He Yuzhu enter, they immediately straightened their backs and called out, "Master."

He Yuzhu then explained, "Transporting goods to the mainland is risky, so we pay everyone on board, from the captain to the sailors, salaries that are so high that it's hard to refuse; families are all settled in one place; and the bridge is the most vulnerable spot..."

"This is perfectly normal. If a ruler is not discreet, he will lose his ministers; if a minister is not discreet, he will lose his life. Such things should be kept strictly confidential."

As soon as Leader Zhang finished speaking, he followed He Yuzhu, and the two of them climbed into the driver's cab. The curtain was lifted, and the scene inside the cabin was fully visible.

He Yuzhu didn't beat around the bush at all, and directly led Leader Zhang to the radar. He spread out his hands and explained item by item: This automatic plotting radar is based on microelectronic integration technology, which is currently unique in China and belongs to the top tier globally.

At this moment, the Chinese Navy is still using equipment from more than ten years ago; the army's equipment has been updated more quickly, but the navy and air force have been making slow progress, mostly relying on blood transfusions from the white bear to keep them afloat.

But He Yuzhu knew in his heart that this crutch wouldn't last long—aid would be drastically reduced starting next year, and in two or three years, when relations were completely broken, the White Bear wouldn't even leave behind a single engineer.

The real value of the radar he brought wasn't the metal object itself, but the entire technological logic behind it. Mastering it would allow the army to equip it on armored vehicles, the air force to integrate it into early warning aircraft, and even civilian sectors like meteorology, geology, and transportation to leverage its capabilities for rapid development.

Leader Zhang listened intently, his brows furrowed and his eyes fixed. He wasn't formally trained in technical jargon; his promotions were based on performance and responsibility. The technical terms, once they entered his ears, sounded like a buzzing noise. But he maintained a straight face, upright posture, and nodded frequently, as if he were pondering some profound truth.

In fact, he only grasped one sentence: This thing is still being explored by the whole world; if we can take the lead in blazing a trail, it can be used for both military and civilian purposes, and our financial resources and combat power will both soar.

"Xiao He, did you bring back the blueprints and documents? I understood about 70-80%, but the experts still need to review them before we can make a decision."

—Seven or eight points is the dignity he leaves for himself.

"I brought it all." He Yuzhu turned around and dragged four heavy suitcases out from the corner. "This is a complete set of technical documents, and I even prepared the accompanying textbooks—the most solid set for microelectronics majors. I figured I'd need them sooner or later."

Leader Zhang patted the box, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "Well done! I'll go back to the ministry right away, write a report tonight, and submit it directly."

As he spoke, he waved towards the cabin door, and a guard immediately jogged in. Leader Zhang then bent down and instructed, "Close protection, no one is allowed to touch it, the combination lock is under double control—understood?"

After giving his explanation, he jumped down the gangway and stepped ashore in the evening breeze.

After the meat was unloaded, Leader Zhang didn't linger and returned to Beijing with He Yuzhu. Subsequent transportation would be handled by designated personnel; staying here would be a waste of time.

Back in Beijing, Director Zhang instructed his driver to take He Yuzhu home. Before parting, he deliberately lowered his voice and added, "Don't worry about it being fake. Go to work as usual, do what you're supposed to do."

"Understood, thank you, sir!"

Before he finished speaking, the car had already started steadily, carrying He Yuzhu into the depths of the alley.

As soon as the person left, Leader Zhang glanced at his watch, turned around and hurried back to his office, grabbed the phone and dialed the highest level.

"Leader, it's me. I have something important to report... Yes, it's about Xiao He. At the end of the year, the Ministry of Foreign Trade sent him to the south, and not only did he get the mission, he also brought back a 'hot potato'..."

"Yes, it's too hot—too hot. I think you should weigh it yourself... Okay, I'll be right there."

After hanging up, he grabbed the pass from the corner of the table, led the guards to pick up four boxes, climbed into another black sedan, and headed straight for Chungbuk-hae.

He Yuzhu was completely unaware. The car stopped at the entrance of the courtyard house, and he got out, his heart pounding.

Having been away from home for almost half a year, the closer I get to the gate, the lighter my footsteps become, and the hotter my breath becomes.

As luck would have it, it was the weekend. As soon as he stepped into the front yard, he was greeted by a lively and bustling scene – some people were squatting on the ground making coal balls, some were chopping firewood with axes to prepare for winter, children were chasing kites all over the yard, and the wives were chatting idly in groups of three or five while sewing shoe soles.

Upon suddenly seeing He Yuzhu standing in front of the screen wall, everyone stopped what they were doing, their conversation abruptly ended, and the only sound in the courtyard was the rustling of leaves being swept away by the wind.

"Pillar...you're really back?"

"Oh my goodness, Director He's here? He's even more punctual than the Kitchen God, returning just before the end of the year!"

"Where did you run off to this time? Xiao'e calls your name every day, she's worn her lips out from talking to you..."

These people may flatter you, but what they do behind your back is another matter. Since they've praised you to your face, He Yuzhu is happy to greet them with a smile.

"I was sent on a mission to the south. Come on, try some authentic Cantonese sweets—three pieces for everyone, young and old alike!"

He smiled, took off the cloth bag from his shoulder, reached out and grabbed the candy wrappers, which gleamed golden in the setting sun, and stuffed them into the palms of adults and children one by one.

The hands that received the candy were warm, and the sounds of thanks rose and fell, a crisp and clear chorus.

Looking at the relaxed, smiling faces, He Yuzhu felt a sense of relief: without Yi Zhonghai's meddling and Jia Zhangshi's gossip, the courtyard was much cleaner at heart. If Liu Haizhong, Yan Bugui, Xu Damao, Jia Dongxu, and Qin Huairu were removed, the courtyard would truly come alive with human warmth.

"Alright, I'll go back inside and check first!"

After finishing the sugar, he waved to everyone, picked up his bag, turned around, and walked straight through the courtyard towards his own gate in the middle courtyard.

As soon as his hand touched the door knocker, he called out, "Xiao'e, I'm back!"

Before he could finish speaking, the sight inside the room made him suddenly stop: a familiar figure was standing with his back to the door, his upper body half-undressed, his snow-white shoulders and half of his back dazzling in the light leaking through the window cracks.

Yu Li?

What is she doing at his house?

Before He Yuzhu could even process what was happening, he instinctively took a step back, slammed the door shut, and asked through the wooden partition, "Where's Xiao'e?"

Yu Li's face flushed crimson, her lips moved but no sound came out. Just then, Lou Xiao'e hurried out from the inner room, clutching a coat in her hand: "Yuzhu? You're back?"

She caught a glimpse of Yu Li hugging her bare upper body and instantly understood everything—it turned out that the fleeting glimpse she had just seen was of Yu Li changing clothes when he happened to walk in; and Yu Li had no idea that he had returned to Beijing today; and he had no idea that Yu Li would be changing clothes in their room.

"Yu Li, go to the inner room and change your clothes first. It was a complete misunderstanding earlier—I never expected Yu Zhu to be home today..."

As soon as Lou Xiao'e finished speaking, Yu Li's ears burned. She took the clothes and whispered, "Hmm, what a coincidence... I'll go in now."

As soon as her figure disappeared behind the door, Lou Xiao'e quickly closed the inner room door, then turned around and opened the outer door to welcome He Yuzhu in.

He Yuzhu stepped across the threshold and went straight to the point: "Xiao'e, who was that person just now?"

"Yu Li has been coming over to chat with me a lot lately. You forgot? Her younger sister, Yu Haitang, was Yu Shui's high school classmate—knowing this connection, she comes over every few days to drop by..."

As Lou Xiao'e untied the satchel from his shoulder, she continued, "Today I asked her to try on a new dress, but she was afraid of finding out where we hid our money, so she insisted on not going into the inner room and waited outside. Who knew you would push the door open and come in at this moment..."

Before she could finish speaking, she threw herself into his arms, her voice trembling slightly: "Why did it take you so long to get back? I missed you so much..."

"I was delayed on the road for a few days, but I managed to get back before the twelfth lunar month."

He Yuzhu raised his hand and hugged her even tighter, his chin gently brushing against the top of her head.

Just then, Yu Li, having changed her clothes, lifted the curtain and came out. She immediately saw the two embracing, and her cheeks flushed. She quickly lowered her eyes and said, "Xiao'e, Director He just got home, so I won't stay any longer. You two can talk slowly!"

"Yu Li, about what happened just now..."

"It's all a misunderstanding! You two should have a good reunion, and we'll talk again another day!"

She smiled naturally and decisively, then turned and left—after all, it was just an accident: he only glanced at her briefly, and she immediately left as well; looking at the warmth in Lou Xiao'e's eyes, she knew that the young couple had a lot to say to each other, so why would she stand there and get in the way?

As soon as the door closed, He Yuzhu breathed a long sigh of relief. He had been on edge, afraid that Yu Li would take it seriously—she had always been a stubborn person in her past life; fortunately, this time she was understanding and didn't say a harsh word.

Once the person was out of sight, he bolted the door shut, took Lou Xiao'e's wrist, and led her briskly into the inner room.

"Why are the doors bolted? Even the windows are tightly shut?"