Courtyard House: I Rely on Time-Space Trade to Build a Nation

The conference concluded amidst prolonged cheers.

The soldiers gathered in small groups, discussing and dreaming enthusiastically, their eyes shining brighter than the stars in the sky.

Zhao Pingan then subtly gave Xu Yuanshan a wink, and the two of them slipped away from the noisy crowd.

They reached a secluded, sheltered spot on the hillside, where only the stars and the faint glow of a distant campfire illuminated them.

"Comrade Xu," Zhao Ping'an said directly, his voice low but carrying immense weight.

"There is something more important than fighting or dividing the land, and I must report it to you and my superiors immediately."

Xu Yuanshan's expression hardened: "Comrade Ping An, please speak."

Zhao Pingan took a deep breath and said clearly:

"Through some special and absolutely reliable patriotic channels overseas, I spent nearly half a year and countless efforts and resources to obtain something."

—A complete, modern steel plant.

Xu Yuanshan's brow twitched slightly, but he remained calm: "Steelmaking equipment? That's indeed very valuable; we desperately need it..."

"It's not just a piece of equipment," Zhao Ping'an interrupted him, his eyes piercing, "it's an entire steel plant."

From ore pretreatment, coking, and sintering to blast furnaces, converters, and rolling mills, it's a complete steel plant capable of producing 800,000 tons of qualified steel annually.

Included are drawings of the main equipment, operation manuals, key vulnerable parts, and a batch of special alloy raw materials.

"Eight hundred thousand... tons?" Xu Yuanshan's composure crumbled instantly, his pupils contracted sharply, his breath hitched, as if he had been struck by an invisible hammer, and he even subconsciously took a half step back.

He knew all too well what that number meant! How much steel production did the entire country produce in total?

This is almost like conjuring up the backbone of a country's steel industry out of thin air!

"Comrade Ping An, are you...are you sure? This...how is this possible? Where..." Even with his rich experience, Xu Yuanshan was incoherent at this moment, the immense shock almost causing him to lose his composure.

"The distribution channels are very special, and I cannot go into details, but the products are genuine." Zhao Ping'an's tone was extremely certain.

"Now we've encountered a huge problem: this equipment is enormous and cannot be secretly transported in through conventional channels."

The other party will use a special method, such as a giant cargo ship, to transport the goods directly to a port on my country's coast.

Now, I urgently need to determine the coordinates of a port that is absolutely safe, reliable, and convenient for unloading and subsequent transshipment.

And it requires coordination at the highest level to ensure that the ship and its contents can be safely brought in and fall into our own hands.

Xu Yuanshan stood there blankly, the night wind blowing against his graying temples, but he was completely unaware.

After a full ten seconds, he suddenly came to his senses, grabbed Zhao Ping'an's arm with astonishing strength, and his voice trembled slightly with extreme excitement and urgency:

"Comrade Ping An! This matter is enormous! Far beyond imagination! I will immediately—no, I will arrange for the most reliable people to..."

Report this to the central government and the most crucial leaders with the utmost secrecy! The port! The most suitable port must be selected immediately!

Dalian? Yantai? Qingdao? Or...? This matter must be kept absolutely secret! Not a single word can leak out except from the highest levels and those directly involved!

"If this achievement you've made can truly come to fruition, it will be a feat that will last for generations!"

Zhao Ping'an felt the force in the other person's hand and the tremor in their words, knowing that the "bomb" he had thrown had achieved the expected shock effect.

Zhao Ping'an nodded: "I'll follow the orders of my superiors. I'm ready to cooperate at any time. After you give me the specific location, I should be able to arrive in about two months. But Lao Xu, there's still a question."

"Tell me, Comrade Ping An, let alone one problem, even if there are ten or a hundred, we have to solve them!"

"The other party offered 3000 large yellow croakers for this steel plant. Half of the payment needs to be made upon arrival at the port, 30% upon completion, and the remaining balance needs to be paid after one year of operation." Zhao Ping'an had considered this price for a long time before deciding on it. It wasn't that Zhao Ping'an didn't want to contribute, but rather that he wanted to give other patriots a way to make a living. After all, he could make a profit from the price difference through the system, but what about the other patriots?

They were originally capable of continuously helping to bring in technical talent to China, but if Zhao Ping'an had taken the lead in donating a series of factory equipment, their path might have been cut off due to a lack of funding.

So after much deliberation, Zhao Ping'an decided to ask for the money!

However, in the end, the 532 payment method used in later engineering projects was adopted.

"Of course, no problem. I'll report to my superiors and the central government immediately." Although Xu Yuanshan didn't know if a steel plant was worth that price, he had a rough understanding of the current national steel production as someone in charge of intelligence work.

The data from the steel plant that Zhao Ping'an mentioned was more than ten times higher.

Xu Yuanshan nodded emphatically, said no more nonsense, and practically ran down the hillside.

His figure quickly disappeared into the darkness at the edge of the camp; he had to activate the most urgent communication link immediately.

Zhao Ping'an stood alone on the hillside, watching the camp below still filled with laughter and joy, the soldiers immersed in the immense happiness of being allocated land.

And Old Xu's hurried departure,

He couldn't help but smile.

Footsteps sounded behind him; it was Zhao Dongliang coming over.

His face still bore the flush of excitement from the conference:

"Ping An, where is Comrade Xu? How come he disappeared in the blink of an eye?"

"You saw how happy the guys were just now, didn't you? I've never seen them so happy in my life!"

Zhao Ping'an withdrew his gaze from the distance and looked at his elder brother, a complex smile appearing on his face:

"Brother, Comrade Xu has gone to take care of some urgent business." He paused, then said softly:

"As long as the brothers are happy. With land, we can finally relax."

Zhao Dongliang nodded vigorously, deeply moved:

"Yes, my mind is at ease. Peace. To be honest, after fighting all my life, only today do I feel that leading soldiers is the most fulfilling, the most... the most hopeful!"

"Not only did we win, but we also earned real land for our brothers!" He patted Zhao Ping'an on the shoulder forcefully. "It was all your idea! I admire you!"

Zhao Ping'an smiled, ignoring that comment, and instead said:

"Brother, the war is over, and we've secured land. But there's still so much more we can do for this newborn nation."

"More?" Zhao Dongliang asked, puzzled.

"Yes, more." Zhao Ping'an gazed at the starry sky, his tone uncertain yet firm, "For example, something that makes it tougher, more powerful...."

Zhao Dongliang seemed to understand, but he knew that his younger brother always had a far-sighted vision.

He put his arm around his younger brother's shoulder, and the two brothers stood side by side.

"I don't understand, but I believe you're right, Ping An!"