Siheyuan: I, Shazhu, started out as an army and became a general.

2:59 PM.

There was one minute left until zero.

At the main control station, 60 kilometers from the epicenter, the air seemed frozen, so quiet you could hear your own heartbeat.

The operator's hand hovered over the red detonation button, his palms sweating profusely.

"Countdown begins!"

The countdown broadcast sounded like heavy hammer blows, striking everyone's hearts.

"10, 9, 8..."

He Yuzhu stood with his hands behind his back in front of the observation window, his posture as straight as a pine tree.

Behind them were Deng Jiaxian, Marshal Nie, Lin Wanqiu, and tens of thousands of heroes who were willing to remain anonymous for this moment.

The trivial matters of the courtyard and Jia Zhangshi's tantrums seemed as distant as a past life at this moment.

In his eyes, there was only that vast wilderness chosen by history.

"5!"

"4!"

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"Detonate!"

The operator slammed the button down with all his might!

In an instant, heaven and earth fell silent.

A beam of light, more dazzling than ten thousand suns tied together, exploded out of thin air, as if it were burning a hole in the entire sky!

That was the power from the Big Bang.

That was an ancient demon god sealed within microscopic particles, and today, it has been released by the Chinese people themselves!

Followed by.

An indescribably enormous fireball rolled and roared as it soared into the sky! It continued to expand and change color, eventually transforming into a gray-brown mushroom cloud that connected heaven and earth, domineeringly announcing its arrival.

Several seconds passed.

"boom--!!!"

The belated roar finally struck like a god beating a drum, shaking the very ground beneath their feet. A devastating shockwave swept across the wasteland, whipping up a hundred-meter-high sand wall that swallowed everything in its path.

"It's...it's done?"

Someone asked a question, their voice trembling.

"It's done!!!"

Marshal Nie suddenly ripped off his hat and flung it into the air. This iron-willed general wept like a child: "Comrades! We've succeeded!"

"That's an atomic bomb! Our own atomic bomb!"

The entire control room exploded instantly!

Some people scattered top-secret documents into the sky like snowflakes, some people's knees buckled and they knelt on the ground, wailing and crying, and many more people went crazy, hugging their comrades tightly, jumping and leaping.

Deng Jiaxian took off his thick glasses, the lenses of which were already blurred with tears. He wiped them as he laughed, a laugh that was incredibly hearty.

Lin Wanqiu gripped He Yuzhu's hand tightly, her nails digging into his flesh, but she didn't notice. She just excitedly shouted, "Engineer He... we did it! We really did it! Let's see who dares to bully us now!"

He Yuzhu stared at the mushroom cloud that was still rising, feeling a surge of pride rising to the top of his head.

[Ding! Host has completed an epic achievement: Ignite the Divine Flame for China!]

[Check-in successful! Location: The site of China's first atomic bomb explosion!]

[Reward: National Fortune Value +99999!]

[Super Bonus: A complete set of technical drawings for Dongfeng Express (including multi-stage thrusters and inertial guidance systems) and high-precision aerospace engine mother machine design drawings!]

A new chapter has been unlocked: Our journey is to the stars!

"Good heavens, the entire Dongfeng Express package? System, are you trying to get me everything in one go?! This is... incredible!"

He Yuzhu took a deep breath, suppressing the overwhelming joy in his heart.

He turned around, looked at the excited crowd, and picked up the megaphone.

"Comrades!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it instantly silenced the entire room, and hundreds of red eyes turned to look at this greatest contributor.

"Are you happy?" He Yuzhu asked.

"Greeting—!" The roar shook the heavens.

"I'm happy too." He Yuzhu smiled, then changed the subject, his eyes sharp as knives, "But this isn't over yet."

He pointed to the magnificent mushroom cloud in the distance.

"Now we have bullets. And the most powerful kind."

"But here's the problem: how do we deliver it precisely to the enemy's head?"

The entire audience was stunned.

Yes! Having bullets but no guns means you have to rely on airplanes to drop them. But what if their planes are better than yours, and you can't even get there?

"Without a gun, this bullet is at best a large firecracker for guarding the house; it can only make a noise at your own doorstep."

He Yuzhu's voice, each word distinct and powerful:

"I see everyone's energy hasn't worn off yet, so let's not take a break!"

"Next step, we'll make guns!"

"Let's build a 'gun' that can fly thousands, even tens of thousands of kilometers! So that our truth can have a global reach!"

Deng Jiaxian's eyes lit up instantly!

Marshal Nie's eyes lit up instantly!

All the researchers who had just calmed down were once again ignited and completely boiled with excitement!

"Hey Tiger, you're something else!" Marshal Nie strode over, laughing and playfully punching him on the shoulder. "Did you plan this all along?"

"Reporting, sir!" He Yuzhu snapped to attention, pointed to his head, and grinned like a fox. "The blueprints are all here! Just waiting for your word!"

"Good!" Marshal Nie waved his hand, brimming with enthusiasm, "Then let's—keep the music playing, keep dancing! Let's have another big one!"

……

That evening.

The news reached the capital.

"Breaking news! Breaking news! my country's first atomic bomb was successfully detonated at 3 PM today!"

The newsboy's clear shouts echoed through every street and alley.

Nanluoguxiang, a traditional courtyard house.

Just as Jia Zhangshi was arguing heatedly with her third uncle over a mere penny for cabbage, she was startled by a sudden announcement from the loudspeaker in the courtyard.

"What kind of egg? An atomic egg? Can you eat it? Is it as delicious as the meat eggs my grandson eats?" Jia Zhangshi didn't understand, so she curled her lips and looked disdainful.

Yi Zhonghai, who was standing to the side, froze in mid-air, his hand holding the teacup still in his hand.

He stared intently at the blurry figure of the award recipient in the newspaper, which was too far away, and felt that the figure looked exactly like the silly Zhu who had been driven away by his own hands back then.

But he immediately shook his head and laughed self-deprecatingly.

How could that be? That's a momentous event that could ignite a thunderbolt and change the fate of the nation; only a celestial being descending to earth could accomplish it.

Sha Zhu? He's just a cook who makes stir-fries.

He will never know.

The "cook" in his eyes is now standing under the brilliant starry sky of the Gobi Desert.

His gaze had long since transcended this small courtyard, and this ancient continent, reaching towards the endless, vast sea of ​​stars.