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

Commander Zhu Rui was also a decisive man. Although he was puzzled as to how such a large number of heavy weapons had been transported and hidden without his side's knowledge, he chose to trust his comrade who had repeatedly created miracles and the organization's arrangements.

"Okay! I'll arrange it right away!" He turned and quickly gave the order to an advisor.

"Pass on my order: have the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Artillery Column's Direct Transport Regiment, along with the newly reorganized Heavy Artillery Training Team, assemble. Fill up the vehicles with fuel and follow Advisor Zhao! Be quick! Maintain secrecy!"

The order was quickly relayed. In less than an hour, a convoy consisting of dozens of American-made 10-wheel trucks, Japanese trucks, and a few jeeps, fully loaded with eagerly awaiting artillery officers and soldiers, set off for their destination under the guidance of Zhao Ping'an's convoy.

The destination is a small valley near Zhuque Mountain, seemingly hidden in a forest, and not easily discovered without careful observation.

The convoy bumped along, and about three kilometers from the target valley, a wide earthen slope appeared by the roadside, providing a place for temporary parking.

"Stop for a moment," Zhao Ping'an said to the driver, turning to Commander Zhu.

"Commander, the road ahead is difficult to turn on. I'll go to a higher spot to double-check the final location and also relieve myself."

"Okay, go and come back quickly." Zhu Rui nodded, his attention focused on directing the convoy to take a short break.

Zhao Ping'an walked up the earthen slope alone, with his back to the convoy, his view blocked by the bushes at the top of the slope.

His mind locked onto the center of the ravine, and he silently chanted, "System, short-range teleportation. Target: Predetermined coordinates within the ravine ahead. Teleport all artillery ammunition."

[Coordinates confirmed, environment safe, proceed with execution.]

Three kilometers away, in a quiet mountain valley, cannons and ammunition boxes silently appeared.

Zhao Pingan returned to the car. "Confirmed, it's in the ravine ahead, behind the woods."

The convoy continued on, turning onto an old dirt road almost completely overgrown with weeds, and finally stopped in front of a grove of trees.

"It's right inside, but the car can't go in. We'll have to tow it a bit by hand," Zhao Ping'an said, pointing to the woods.

Commander Zhu ordered the troops to disembark. The guards dispersed to maintain order, and the engineers quickly cleared a makeshift passage.

As the vanguard parted the last dense foliage, the small valley nestled amidst the mountains and forests came into view.

On the open ground, rows of heavy artillery pieces, clad in camouflage netting and painted with a cold, sharp tack, and boxes of ammunition were neatly stacked.

Standing quietly among the weeds and fallen leaves, it seems to have been hidden there for a long time.

"Found it!" "It's all here!" came the low voice reporting.

Commander Zhu strode forward, and when he saw the entire ravine filled with heavy artillery, he was stunned in surprise.

However, being a seasoned commander who had seen many battles, he forcibly suppressed his turbulent emotions and rushed to the nearest 155mm howitzer.

His trembling hands stroked the cold, smooth barrel of the cannon, then he crouched down to examine the intricately designed breechblock and recoil mechanism.

He then opened a nearby ammunition box and, with all his might, lifted up a bright yellow, exquisitely crafted 155mm shell…

"It's real...it's all real! Brand new! Even better than the Japanese 150mm heavy artillery! The craftsmanship...the steel..."

He muttered to himself, his voice hoarse with excitement. As an artillery expert, he could immediately recognize the extraordinary nature of this equipment.

He turned abruptly, strode back to Zhao Ping'an, grasped Zhao Ping'an's hands tightly, and shook them vigorously.

I was so excited that I didn't know what to say for a moment.

Zhao Ping'an let Commander Zhu Rui shake his hand, a sincere smile on his face: "Commander Zhu, we are relieved to have the weapons in your possession. We hope they can soon unleash their full power in the battle to liberate Northeast China!"

"Definitely! Definitely!" Commander Zhu Rui nodded emphatically, his eyes reddening slightly.

"Good! Good! Excellent! Comrade Zhao Ping'an! On behalf of all the artillerymen of the Northeast Field Army... no, on behalf of all the commanders and soldiers who will soon fight a bloody battle on the Northeast battlefield, thank you! Thank you so much!"

"Commander Zhu, you're too kind. It's all thanks to the efforts of our patriotic compatriots. I'm just a pawn that everyone has put forward. Besides, it's only right that we should do our best for the country," Zhao Ping'an replied with a smile, looking at Commander Zhu's excited expression.

"Alright, enough said. Tonight, I'll host a banquet at headquarters to welcome Comrade Ping An and Comrade Xu back," Commander Zhu said, composing himself before giving orders. He immediately reverted to his commanding manner, turning and loudly issuing commands.

"Commanders of all units! Immediately take inventory and register the equipment! Take care of the equipment! Transport regiment, prepare vehicles and transport the equipment in batches."

The entire freight yard instantly sprang into action, yet remained organized and efficient, brimming with high morale and a highly effective pace.

Throughout the afternoon, the troops worked diligently and systematically to haul all the heavy equipment out of the ravine and load it onto the vehicles.

As dusk fell, the convoy, fully loaded, drove away.

Zhao Pingan and Xu Yuanshan were the last to arrive.

"Let's go, Comrade Ping An, you've done a great job again!"

"Haha, alright then, Lao Xu, you'll have to drink a couple of glasses for me tonight. I heard Commander Zhu has a high alcohol tolerance? I can't handle that."

"Comrade Ping An, you... you..."

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, there was a knock on Zhao Ping'an's door.

Standing outside the door was Commander Zhu Rui, looking energetic and excited, hardly like someone who had been drinking all night.

"Advisor Zhao! Are you up yet? I have something important to discuss!" Zhu Rui's voice was loud and clear, carrying an undeniable urgency.

Zhao Ping'an sat up, rubbing his still slightly throbbing temples. At the welcome banquet last night, Old Xu had used this opportunity to curry favor...

He presented Commander Zhu with his set of "Nine-Year Compulsory Education Textbooks" and the simplified Chinese firing tables that came with the 122mm and 155mm howitzers as gifts.

It seems this gift touched his heart, making the commander, who is wholeheartedly devoted to the development of artillery, unable to sleep soundly, hence his early arrival this morning.

After quickly splashing cold water on his face, Zhao Ping'an's mind cleared up instantly.

Commander Zhu was ushered into the simple reception room inside the house, and Old Xu also rushed over upon hearing the news.

"Advisor Zhao, let's get straight to the point!" Zhu Rui cut to the chase, tapping his fingers on the brand-new junior high geometry book on the table.

"These books of yours, and this artillery firing table, have given me a lot of inspiration! I originally had a plan for the construction of this artillery academy, but now I feel there are better ways and methods! I came here today specifically to seek your advice, Comrade Ping An, you can't keep anything to yourself!"

Zhao Ping'an understood Zhu Rui's eagerness. After a moment's thought, he said, "Commander, you are certainly more professional than I am in establishing a formal artillery academy, after all, I am not an artilleryman. However, I do have some humble opinions, which I hope may provide you with some reference."

"Comrade Ping An, please speak quickly!" Zhu Rui leaned forward.

"The first step is emergency training. We select key personnel with a certain level of education and quick thinking from various artillery units and conduct short-term intensive training courses."