Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

True researchers know that even if the future of a research project is uncertain, as long as the direction is right, the methods are practical, and the mentor is reliable, it is worth giving it your all.

Yan Xudong knew better than anyone who Xiao Yao was—the "youngest game-changer in the institute" whom Dean Yan had praised countless times. Even the baseband chip he designed in his own phone was something Xiao Yao had worked on with his students through the night three years ago.

"Xiao Yao, this is Comrade Yan Xudong, who graduated first in his class in Materials Science at our university. He will be your research assistant from now on."

After Su Man finished her introduction with a smile, she paused and added, "Dean Yan's intention is to have him stay by your side, learn more, observe more, and do more hands-on work—after all, this new seedling of yours is being watched closely by our entire system as it grows."

As Xiao Yao watched everyone's focused and busy figures, a warm feeling welled up in his heart, and he was genuinely satisfied with this group of new trainees.

No one had any doubts about him because of his young age, and no one questioned the assigned task—as soon as the order was given, people immediately sprang into action; Yan Xudong was especially diligent and hardworking, never cutting corners. Xiao Yao only needed to organize the ideas and control the direction, and the research progressed smoothly and efficiently, hardly having to worry about the details of execution.

The original plan was to spend a full month developing the first magnesium-containing alloy in the aluminum alloy family, but in less than twenty days, the sample was produced with impressive performance data.

This new aluminum alloy uses magnesium as the core strengthening element, making it resistant to high temperatures, corrosion, vibration, and wind and sand, and it remains stable and reliable even under extreme working conditions.

Currently, magnesium alloys are being used in practical applications in the aviation industry, covering key components such as airframes, cabin seats, engine housings, and transmission gearboxes.

Even more valuable is that the team struck while the iron was hot and explored a new process path to optimize the performance of hardened aluminum alloys: by adjusting the heat treatment parameters differently, the same material can be used for multiple purposes and flexibly adapt to the needs of different equipment.

The students surrounded Xiao Yao, their eyes shining, and they were thrilled—this professor's knowledge was more solid than that of the veteran lecturers who had taught for half their lives in the college; his hands-on skills far surpassed those of university laboratories; he had tackled the tough challenge of new materials in twenty days—the pace of which they had never even heard of!

While keeping an eye on the mechanical and environmental tests of the magnesium alloy, Xiao Yao called on the rest of the team to move on to the next phase of the research.

The results were just finalized, and the data and samples have already been swiftly transferred to the military region. They can now be used to trial-produce a batch of urgently needed components, seizing the crucial window of opportunity.

Upon receiving the report, the military region's technical department was immediately filled with awe: This efficiency is astonishing! No wonder the higher-ups treat this young professor like a treasure—not only is his scientific research top-notch, but he also leads his team with method, energy, and effectiveness.

Xiao Yao himself didn't think it was anything special. After all, his mind contained a technological blueprint for the next few decades, and his space was equipped with a complete set of intelligent laboratories, with even the robotic arms being adjusted in sync with his settings. What seemed like a difficult problem today was simply a matter of "bringing in" a mature solution and making minor tweaks.

If he couldn't even handle this, he would truly be letting down all the effort the system had invested over the years. Therefore, he didn't feel the slightest bit arrogant.

The second project focuses on titanium alloys.

Titanium and titanium alloys are as light as a feather yet as tough as steel, with an outstanding strength-to-weight ratio; they are corrosion-resistant, heat-resistant, non-magnetic, have a uniform structure, and stable performance; they can be directly riveted to composite materials such as carbon fiber, and their thermal expansion and contraction are synchronized, almost eliminating the risk of electrochemical corrosion—making them the "universal skeleton" of modern high-end equipment.

……

Xiao Zhiyuan has been feeling uneasy lately.

A mother and daughter moved in across the street and would come over every few days, their conversations always revolving around Xiao Yao: asking where he worked, what projects he was busy with, whether he saw him often, and whether he had been home...

The more he listened, the more alert he became. Although they had arranged a wedding for Xiao Yao, he hadn't even shown up; the neighbors already knew the Xiao family had two sons, and they knew the younger son was already married—so why were they specifically targeting Xiao Yao and digging into his affairs? Why didn't they mention the younger son, who was still at home?

What's even stranger is that as soon as he gets home from get off work, Zhou's mother and daughter will always appear at Xiao's door, all smiles, but their words always carry a hint of probing, and they even occasionally throw out a flirtatious remark or two.

Although Xiao Zhiyuan didn't know exactly what Xiao Yao did for a living, just by looking at the guards on duty at the gate, he knew this was no ordinary matter. Why would an outsider be so interested in a job that even close relatives had to keep quiet about?

He immediately contacted the National Security Bureau. Surveillance was deployed that very night, keeping a 24-hour watch on the Zhou family's movements. As a result, Zhou Huilan dialed the encrypted communication channel, and the signal source was immediately detected by the surveillance personnel.

What emanated from her home was a series of extremely short and concealed pulsed radio waves.

In times of war, the telegraph was a lifeline that cut through the fog of war; now, with telephones everywhere, the telegraph has long since faded from daily life. Yet, everyone knows that it remains the most reliable channel for penetrating interference and bypassing eavesdropping—encoded with digital keys, its contents are unreadable even if intercepted.

Who would notice such barely perceptible electromagnetic ripples on a normal day?

It happened to pop up at this critical juncture, and being closely watched by the National Security Bureau, it naturally became a conspicuous red dot. The moment the radio wave flashed, a warning popped up on the monitoring screen.

Although the content has not been deciphered, it is basically a done deal: Zhou Huilan is most likely a spy planted by the enemy.

The National Security Bureau quickly reported the incident, and the senior leader made the decision: "Science is of utmost importance; it's better to be a step behind than to make a mistake."

The instructions were clear: do not close the net for now, but let the situation run its course—it's easy to catch one person, but difficult to eradicate the root of the problem; it's better to use their strength against them and wipe out the entire mastermind behind the scenes.

The enemy has clearly overestimated themselves this time, not expecting Xiao Zhiyuan to be so astute. Meanwhile, the Zhou mother and daughter remain completely unaware, now utterly exposed to the light of day, their every move under their control.

"Comrade Zhiyuan, I'm afraid you'll have to make do with this mission."

The head of the National Security Bureau walked into Xiao Zhiyuan's office and got straight to the point.

Xiao Zhiyuan was stunned for a moment and didn't react.

"Our assessment is that the target is likely you—either to extract information about Xiao Yao from you, or to lure you out so that Xiao Yao can be brought out before we make our move. Therefore, we need you to 'play along' and feign cooperation, putting on a real show. We will also simultaneously arrange for a soldier whose appearance and demeanor resemble Xiao Yao to be on standby, ready to close the net as soon as the signal arrives."

Xiao Zhiyuan hesitated: "I'm afraid... Lin Wan will misunderstand." His tone became noticeably tense when he mentioned his wife's name.

"Don't worry about that. We've already spoken with Comrade Lin Wan. Without her cooperation, things won't go smoothly."

Leader Xu's lips curled slightly, his eyes calm and determined—this time, he was determined to capture them all in one fell swoop.

In addition to Xiao Zhiyuan, Guoan also quietly added a double layer of protection for Xiao Yun and Lin Wan, just in case the other side resorted to desperate measures.

……

Lin Wan had already had in-depth discussions with Guo An at the military hospital. This time, it was to protect the lifeline of frontline researchers. She had to join forces with Xiao Zhiyuan to make this a flawless performance.

So when she opened the door that day and saw the Zhou mother and daughter sitting in the living room, her face instantly darkened.

I never thought about it that way before, and I don't have time to investigate it now—the most important thing is to make the other person believe that she is being kept in the dark and is secretly anxious about her husband's "abnormality".

"Xiao Zhiyuan, have you forgotten your own name lately? Letting that widow into your home time and time again, are you deliberately trying to embarrass me? Or do you really intend to treat me like a decoration? Zhou Huilan is always wearing heavy makeup and her perfume fills the hallway; who can't see what she's up to? If I had come back even a moment later, would you two have already gone inside hand in hand?"

Lin Wan's voice was loud and sharp, each word like a nail, aimed directly at Zhou Huilan and her daughter.

"Brother Xiao, since Sister Lin is unhappy, we'll take our leave now."

Zhou Huilan grabbed her daughter's wrist tightly, stood up and left, her steps so fast they almost carried the wind, her skirt fluttering as she went out the door.

"Lin Wan, he just came to drop by, watch TV, and chat a bit. You're acting like he's a thief! You've been following me for over ten years, don't you know who I, Xiao Zhiyuan, am?"

Xiao Zhiyuan's voice was simmering with anger, but he didn't raise it at all; instead, it sounded even deeper.

The mother and daughter had just slipped into the opposite door when they heard a loud bang—Lin Wan slammed the door and left. Zhou Huilan didn't rush to close the door; she only stared through the crack for a few seconds before turning back inside to cook two hot dishes. She then carried the thermos back to the Xiao family's living room.

"Brother Xiao, I'm so sorry... It was Xiaomin and I who were impulsive and caused you to quarrel." Her eyes were red, and her voice was so soft it seemed to melt. "Please don't take it to heart."

"Never mind... Lin Wan is taking me less and less seriously these days. If it weren't for... sigh!" Xiao Zhiyuan waved his hand, swallowed the words he was about to say, and just sighed heavily.

"Please have something to eat first, I won't stay any longer." Zhou Huilan put down her chopsticks, her fingertips lightly brushing against the back of his hand as she stood up, then turned and left decisively.

As soon as she entered, Li Min greeted her: "Mom, how did it go?"

"Everything's going smoothly." Zhou Huilan took off her apron, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Once this is settled, our good days will truly begin."

Xiao Zhiyuan sat alone in the living room, his fingers unconsciously stroking the rim of his teacup, repeatedly recalling the tone, pauses, and eyes from just now—he felt that something was not quite right, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Xiao Yao and Su Man were completely unaware of the farce unfolding at home. They were currently stuck at a crucial juncture: limited by the performance of key materials, the overall thrust-to-weight ratio of the aircraft couldn't be improved, and its maneuverability remained just short of expectations. He decided to change direction and plunge into the research and development of new materials—not only for fighter jets, but also to pave the way for the future. Once these materials were mastered, they could also be used in the civilian sector, enabling upgrades and replacements for everything from precision machine tools to high-speed trains.

Of the four core materials, three have already been approved. The last one is currently in the final verification stage.

Although not yet finalized, the domestically produced new fighter jet has already rolled off the production line in batches and entered flight testing. The veteran generals gave a strict order: all data must be processed by the end of the year, and the production line must be started immediately.

Twenty brand-new "Eagle" aircraft, their silver wings gleaming, stood in neat rows at the end of the test flight runway. Just standing there made one's heart pound—this time, we really built them ourselves.