Reborn in 1950: Shorting the Federal Reserve at the Start

"Achoo!"

Just as Shen Jinghong hung up the military overcoat that looked like it had been fished out of a soy sauce vat, Lin Qinghan behind her sneezed dramatically, even taking two steps back and tightly covering her nose with a handkerchief.

"Director Shen, did you fall into an oil tanker and get pickled?"

Lin Qinghan frowned, her face full of disgust, her usually cold eyes now filled with resentment:

"I could smell the crude oil odor even from three meters away. If you didn't know better, you'd think our Shenzhou Bureau had been turned into an oil refinery."

Shen Jinghong lowered her head and sniffed her cuff.

Indeed, he spent those three months in Daqing, working tirelessly on the front lines. That feeling had seeped into his very bones and couldn't be washed away.

"Hehe, this is called the fragrance of industry, the smell of victory."

Shen Jinghong, shamelessly, moved closer and tried to take her hand. "Qinghan, it's been three months since we last met. Don't you miss me?"

"Don't come any closer!"

Lin Qinghan, like a cat with its fur standing on end, stuck out a finger and pressed it against his chest, refusing to let him get any closer.

"Who's missing you? I'm thinking about my air quality!"

She turned around, her back to Shen Jinghong, her shoulders slumped slightly, and her voice betrayed an undisguised grievance:

"It's been three months. Shen Jinghong, a full ninety days."

"You only sent three telegrams to the bureau, and they were all about 'wanting drill bits,' 'wanting steel pipes,' and 'wanting trucks.' If even one of them had asked if I had eaten, I would have considered that you had a conscience."

The more Lin Qinghan spoke, the more sour she felt inside, as if a jar of vinegar from Shanxi had been spilled.

"I think you should just go live with that Songji No. 3 well. That oil well is great, it's obedient, it can produce oil, and it can even earn you foreign exchange. It's much better than me, this housekeeper who only knows how to put you to bed."

Shen Jinghong was stunned.

Looking at that slightly thin figure, the playful smile in his heart instantly vanished.

He's straight, but he's not stupid.

This isn't about disliking his smell; it's clearly about wanting him so badly that he's too embarrassed to say it directly, so he vents his frustration with these words.

"Qinghan, I'm sorry."

Shen Jinghong stopped joking around, took a step forward, and, regardless of whether he was dirty or not, gently wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

"you……"

Lin Qinghan stiffened, and just as she was about to struggle, he held her even tighter.

"I know I'm an idiot."

Shen Jinghong rested his chin on her shoulder, his voice low and gentle, as if coaxing a sulking child:

"At that time, the drilling was at a critical moment. Tens of thousands of eyes in Daqing were watching me, and the American sanctions were hanging over my head. I really dared not be distracted."

"That well is the lifeblood of the nation, but you..."

He whispered in her ear, his warm breath brushing against her earlobe:

"You are my life, Shen Jinghong's life."

Lin Qinghan stopped struggling.

Her eyes instantly welled up with tears; all her grievances melted away in the face of this cheesy pickup line.

"Glib-tongued."

She sniffed, still stubbornly refusing to admit it, but her body betrayed her and went limp in his arms. "You smell like oil, it's awful."

"You find the smell unpleasant?"

Shen Jinghong smiled, released her hand, and took her wrist, leading her into the inner lounge:

"Then wash it off."

"Perfect timing! I haven't had a proper bath in the past three months, and I'm practically infested with lice. Assistant Lin, could you please scrub my back for me?"

"Dream on! Wash it yourself!"

Lin Qinghan blushed and spat, but didn't stop walking, obediently following him into the bathroom.

……

The air was thick with moisture.

The small bathroom was filled with the fresh scent of shampoo, Lin Qinghan's favorite jasmine fragrance, which finally masked the pungent smell of crude oil.

Shen Jinghong sat on a small stool, closed her eyes, and let the warm water wash over her scalp.

A pair of soft hands were running through his hair, the fingertips gently massaging with just the right amount of pressure, so comfortable that it made him want to fall asleep.

"Is the force okay?" Lin Qinghan asked.

"Great, that's perfect."

Shen Jinghong hummed comfortably twice, "This skill is much better than the master craftsmen in the bathhouses of Daqing. From now on, this will be my exclusive perk."

"You wish! I'll only serve you this once."

Lin Qinghan spoke harshly, but her movements became even gentler.

Looking at the man in front of her who was resting with his eyes closed, and at his thin cheeks and the red spots on his neck caused by the cold wind, her anger had long since dissipated, leaving only a deep sense of heartache.

"There's a lot of foam, don't open your eyes, it'll sting."

She whispered a reminder, then piled a large ball of white foam on his head and casually shaped it into a pointed shape.

"puff."

Seeing Shen Jinghong sporting an "Ultraman" hairstyle, Lin Qinghan couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"What are you laughing at?"

Shen Jinghong didn't open his eyes, but reached out and accurately grabbed the hand that was still causing trouble, and then pulled it sharply.

"ah!"

Lin Qinghan exclaimed in surprise, lost her balance, and fell directly into his arms.

"Splash—"

Water splashed everywhere.

Both of their clothes were wet.

"Shen Jinghong! What are you doing! Your clothes are all wet!" Lin Qinghan slapped his chest angrily.

"It's perfect that it's wet, let's wash it together."

Shen Jinghong opened his eyes, looking at the woman in his arms whose face was flushed and rosy from the steam, a mischievous smile flashing in his eyes. He grabbed a handful of foam and gently touched it to the tip of her nose:

"This is punishment for making fun of me."

"You...are childish!"

Lin Qinghan wasn't about to back down either, grabbing a handful of foam and smearing it on his face, "Let's see who's more childish!"

The cramped bathroom instantly transformed into a battlefield for the two.

Foam danced in the air, and laughter filled the air.

Director Shen, who was a powerful figure outside and feared by Americans, and Lin, the aloof and wise scientist who was unapproachable, were now like two children who hadn't grown up yet, playing around in the mist and foam.

All the pressure, all the exhaustion, all the longing.

At this moment, all of it flowed away with the rushing sound of water.

Half an hour later.

After they had had their fill of commotion, the two finally came out of the bathroom.

Shen Jinghong changed into a set of dry loungewear and was drying her hair with a towel. The greasy feeling that had been clinging to her skin had finally completely disappeared, and she felt refreshed.

Lin Qinghan was sitting on the sofa, drying his hair, her blush still lingering on her face.

"Sparse and cold".

Shen Jinghong suddenly grabbed her hand, making her stop.

"Um?"

"Actually, besides smelling like oil, I also brought you a gift this time."

Shen Jinghong turned around and looked at her, his eyes becoming somewhat mysterious.

"Hazelnuts again? Or mushrooms?" Lin Qinghan raised an eyebrow. "If it's just those local specialties, that's fine, the cafeteria is already overflowing with them."

"That's too common."

Shen Jinghong shook her head and tossed the towel aside.

He stood up, walked to his desk, opened a drawer, and took out a black folder.

The cover was printed with the words "Top Secret" in red.

"This gift is not on the ground."

He pointed to the ceiling, then to the vast night sky outside the window:

"It's in the sky."

Lin Qinghan paused for a moment, took the folder, and opened it with a puzzled look.

The first page is a complex design blueprint.

It was a sphere with several antennae that looked like a beard.

A line of parameters is marked next to it:

**[Diameter: 1 meter]**

**Weight: 173 kg**

**[Orbit Altitude: Elliptical Orbit 200-2000 km]**

"This is……"

Lin Qinghan's fingers trembled slightly, and she abruptly looked up at Shen Jinghong, her eyes filled with disbelief and shock:

"An artificial Earth satellite?!"

"That's right."

Shen Jinghong walked behind her, placed his hands on the back of the chair, pulled her into his arms, and looked at the blueprint:

"We have oil, we have foreign exchange, and our industrial base is almost complete."

"Next, we should look up."

"The Americans and the Soviets are both working on this, trying to seize control of space. We, the Chinese, absolutely cannot fall behind."

He lowered his head and whispered in Lin Qinghan's ear:

"I've already approved this project. Its code name is '581'."

"However, this satellite doesn't have a name yet."

Shen Jinghong picked up a pen, placed it in Lin Qinghan's hand, and, holding her hand, carefully wrote two words on the blank space of the drawing:

**[Qinghan]**

"To make up for the grievances you've suffered over the past three months."

"I'm going to give it to you."

"Later, when this star rises into space, and 'The East Is Red' plays in that silent universe."

"The whole world will know that there is a star named Lin Qinghan."

"And me..."

Shen Jinghong kissed her hair, his voice incredibly gentle:

"It's the person who was responsible for sending it into space."