The Courtyard House: Xu Damao's Aunt is the Queen of Women

Early morning at the Lop Nur nuclear test site.

Two GAZ-69A jeeps drove on the bumpy road. Liu Hao sat in the back of the front jeep. He hadn't slept all night, but he was still full of energy.

Ye Juan, sitting next to her, was also beaming with excitement, gazing expectantly at the scenery outside the window.

Even if the view outside the car window is an endless expanse of yellowish-gray, when the wind blows, the sand and fog spread like slowly flowing mud, covering the sky and the earth.

There are no trees, no smoke from chimneys, no human voices, only wind, stones, wasteland, and that silent, almost terrifying steel tower in the distance.

The driver was Tian Aiguo, the squad leader of the guards, and the co-driver was a captain officer surnamed Kong sent by the Malan base. Every time they passed a checkpoint, he would whisper the pre-arranged password and then hand over his identification.

The soldiers were all elite troops, fully armed, and exuded a strong sense of oppression.

The guard posts along the way were increasingly heavily fortified.

From the initial simple adobe bricks to the later concrete fortifications, and finally to the observation bunkers covered by camouflage nets, each step seemed to mark a boundary for the impending deafening roar.

"Secretary Liu, the viewing area is seven kilometers ahead."

Captain Kong, sitting in the passenger seat, said, "The area above has been designated as a safe zone. The distance is just right; we can see clearly, and it's safe."

Liu Hao nodded without speaking, but looked out the window at the tower that stretched straight into the sky.

On the desolate Gobi Desert, it is like a nail, firmly driven into the earth, and also firmly driven into the hearts of everyone who is waiting.

That's the epicenter, the point of instantaneous destruction and rebirth.

Witness history!!!

Liu Hao's heart raced, his blood began to heat up, boiling, and his adrenaline surged, and his emotions gradually became excited.

The car drove into the test area.

Antennas stand tall, and cables stretch along the ground in silent paths. Technicians in protective suits, helmets, and masks run back and forth, their steps quick but orderly.

In the distance, the tent city, the temporary command post, and the flow of vehicles and people intertwine to form a huge network, quiet yet tense.

There was no loud noise; all the officers and soldiers were on high alert, and all the equipment was silently waiting for orders.

Here, silence is not emptiness, but a heavy sense of oppression.

The truck finally stopped next to the observation station.

Liu Hao pushed open the car door, and a sandstorm rushed into his face. He took a deep breath, and the air was dry, cold, and astringent, feeling like a stab when he inhaled it.

He took out a black mask he had bought in advance from the system store from his coat pocket, put it on, and handed one to Ye Juan.

Captain Kong said, "Secretary Liu, please come with me."

Liu Hao straightened his collar and followed Ye Juan.

Not far away, rows of viewing stands were made of sandbags and iron plates, with rows of seats neatly arranged, where representatives from various systems sat.

Everyone was wearing a coat and a scarf, and their expressions were a mixture of anticipation, nervousness, and excitement.

Captain Kong led Liu Hao and Ye Juan to a viewing area in the middle, where guards stood around the perimeter, and the chairs were sparsely arranged, with about a dozen... generals sitting there!

Upon seeing Liu Hao and Ye Juan, the generals cast surprised glances at them.

Liu Hao calmly removed his mask and greeted the guests with a gentle smile.

"Greetings, leaders! I am Liu Hao, the Party Secretary of the First Labor Reform Farm directly under the Xinjiang Public Security Department! This is my wife, Ye Juan, who serves as the Deputy Party Secretary of the farm!"

A major general of medium build with a resolute face stood up and waved to Liu Hao.

"Haha, you must be Liu Hao! I'm Zhang Yunyu, come and sit down!"

"Thank you, Commander Zhang!"

Liu Hao walked over and sat down in the empty seat next to Zhang Yunyu.

Zhang Yunyu gave Liu Hao a thumbs up and said with emotion, "Comrade Liu Hao, Dean Qian told me that without your assistance, the test explosion would not have been possible until at least the end of October!"

"Seven months ahead of schedule, a full seven months early! You are undoubtedly the number one contributor!"

Liu Hao shook his head and said modestly, "Commander Zhang, you flatter me. I only did what I was supposed to do. The real heroes are the tens of thousands of researchers who are rooted in this Gobi Desert, working day and night, the base officers and soldiers who stick to their posts and make silent contributions, and everyone who has given their all for this cause."

His gaze swept over the busy figures in the distance—the researchers moving between the instruments, the soldiers standing guard at their posts—each with a resolute expression and a burning belief in their eyes. He continued in a deep voice, "The progress we have made is the result of everyone's concerted efforts. This achievement has never belonged to any one person."

Zhang Yunyu turned his head to look at this humble and composed young man, his eyes filled with even greater admiration.

Throughout the entire Malan base, apart from Dean Qian, Director Guo, Ye Xi, and He Xiaomeng, only she knew just how amazing Liu Hao, the mathematical and physical genius whom Dean Qian and Director Guo called a national treasure, was.

The atomic bomb development process has been shortened by seven months, and the hydrogen bomb is expected to be shortened by two years, with a test explosion possible in February next year!

A national treasure, truly deserving of its name!

Zhang Yunyu liked Liu Hao more and more as he looked at him. He reached out and unfastened the leather holster on his waist, flipped open the buckle, and revealed a shiny Colt M1903 semi-automatic pistol.

The gun body has been worn smooth with a warm, old look. It has a 7.65mm caliber and a grip made of dark brown walnut wood with a fine checkered pattern. The Colt galloping horse emblem is clearly visible.

"The Colt M1903, used by general officers. I captured it on the Korean battlefield. It was the rifle of a US Army major general division commander."

Zhang Yunyu shoved the gun, holster, into Liu Hao's hand and said with a smile, "This is a gift for you. You can't refuse it."

Liu Hao wouldn't refuse at all! He happily accepted it.

"Thank you for your kindness, Commander Zhang. I also have a gift for you!"

Liu Hao unbuttoned his coat and took out a fountain pen from the pocket of his Zhongshan suit.

The pen body is made of dark black bakelite, and the cap is shiny with subtle gilding patterns, making it clear that it is not an ordinary fountain pen.

Parker iridium pens were used by high-ranking generals, scientists, and commanders in the Northern Soviet Union.

"This pen is the one I used to calculate the data for the atomic bomb; it's a gift for you!"

Zhang Yunyu was overjoyed; this pen was of immense significance!

He reached out and took the pen; his hand, which had been holding a gun for years, felt somewhat heavy at that moment.

This is not just a pen; it is a witness that accompanied the first atomic bomb from the moment it was detonated on paper until it exploded.

"Okay...okay! I'll accept this pen! I'll treasure it for the rest of my life!"

"Tell me the truth, besides calculating the atomic bomb, what else has it been used to calculate?"

Liu Hao naturally had no reservations in front of this nuclear commander.

"Forget about the hydrogen bomb, we've already considered most of it!"

Zhang Yunyu smiled even more broadly, carefully tucking the pen into his shirt pocket as if it were a precious treasure.

"Haha, this pen is far more valuable than the gun I gave you."

"Commander, you flatter me. A gun is the courage to defend our country, and a pen is the ambition to strengthen our nation. In my heart, the two are equally important."

"That's well said..."

While Liu Hao and Commander Zhang were chatting animatedly, Ye Juan sneakily reached out and snatched the pistol, turning it over and over in her hands, determined to keep it for herself.

In the distance, the iron tower stands silent, and the wind howls across the Gobi Desert.

Everyone is waiting.

Waiting for that dragon's roar to pierce the heavens and earth!

Wait for that blooming mushroom cloud to rise from the wasteland!

Waiting for this moment, a moment that will shock the world!