Love in the Courtyard: Starting with Engineers

The moment the words left his mouth, the reception room fell silent.

Qin Zhengguo was stunned, Liu Jie was stunned, and all the naval officers were stunned. They looked at the young factory director in front of them, at the indomitable spirit in his eyes, and at the model worker medal pinned to his chest, and a surge of emotion welled up in their hearts.

Qin Zhengguo was the first to react, snapping to attention and giving a perfect military salute, his voice choked with emotion: "Chief Engineer Li! On behalf of all the officers and soldiers of the Navy, thank you!"

"Thank you, Chief Engineer Li!"

"Thank you, Chief Engineer Li!"

In the reception room, a chorus of uniform military salutes rang out, and tears welled up in the eyes of every soldier.

After seeing off Minister Liu and the naval officers, Li Yu sat on the sofa in his office, his fingertips tracing the numbers flashing on the system panel. He pressed the exchange buttons for three core technologies: marine gas turbines, naval main guns, and special ship steel. Three hundred thousand emotion points vanished instantly, leaving only three heavy technical blueprints lying quietly in the system space.

"Three hundred thousand emotional points is enough!" Li Yu muttered to himself, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes. With these technologies, the rise of the Chinese navy would have the most solid foundation.

As the sun set and the factory's closing bell rang, Li Yu left his office and drove back to the courtyard house.

As soon as I got off the car at the door, I bumped into Yan Bugui, who was leaning against the door frame, peeking out.

Since a series of major incidents occurred in the courtyard, the deaf old woman's identity as a spy was exposed, and she died at the city police station. Yi Zhonghai was sentenced to death by firing squad for murdering his wife. Bang Geng stole classified blueprints and met the same fate. Xu Damao and Qin Huairu committed adultery; one was exiled to the far northwest, and the other went insane and was sent to a mental hospital. Jia Zhangshi even froze to death in the countryside.

Now, no one in this courtyard dares to provoke Li Yu anymore. Especially Yan Bugui, who has witnessed Li Yu rise from an ordinary technician to a big shot who can sit on equal footing with ministers and various high-ranking leaders, has long since replaced his scheming with utter awe.

Upon seeing Li Yu, Yan Bugui's face turned deathly pale. He wanted to greet him, but the words caught in his throat. He felt an invisible pressure emanating from Li Yu, making it hard to breathe. His feet seemed rooted to the spot, yet he desperately wanted to escape.

Li Yu merely glanced at him indifferently and remained silent.

That one glance sent a shiver down Yan Bugui's spine. He dared not linger any longer, muttering "It's getting late" under his breath, and turned to run into his house. With a loud "bang," he slammed the door shut, locking it from the inside as if a raging flood was chasing him.

Li Yu looked at the tightly closed door, a cold smile playing on his lips. This courtyard house was no longer the chaotic place it used to be; those with sense knew how to survive.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw Sha Zhu glance at Li Yu and then walk out with a guilty look on his face. Seeing this, Li Yu turned around and followed Sha Zhu as soon as he left the courtyard. Just as he reached the gate, he heard a hissing sound.

Following the sound, they saw Sha Zhu squatting next to the tire of his jeep, holding a thin wire in his hand, and sneakily letting the air out.

Ever since Li Yu became successful, Sha Zhu's resentment had never subsided. He used to rely on his strength to act arrogantly in the yard, but Li Yu was not only better than him, but also thriving, even the factory manager had to show him respect. He didn't dare openly cause trouble for Li Yu, so he could only resort to underhanded tricks, thinking of letting the air out of the tires so Li Yu would be embarrassed the next day.

He had originally planned to wait until midnight, but since the courtyard gate was now locked, he planned to release the gas as soon as Li Yu returned to catch him off guard.

Sha Zhu was engrossed in his work and didn't notice Li Yu behind him at all.

But his little action was seen by Yan Bugui, who was peeking from behind his own window.

Yan Bugui's eyes darted around, and he immediately had a plan. This was a perfect opportunity to curry favor with Li Yu! He was still hoping that Li Yu would arrange a job for his elderly son in a machinery factory.

So, disregarding his fear, he quietly opened a crack in the door and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Director Li! Director Li, come quick! Sha Zhu is letting air out of your tires!"

The shout startled Sha Zhu, causing his hand to tremble and the wire to fall to the ground with a "thud." He turned around abruptly and saw Li Yu's cold face, instantly terrified. His legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground.

"Li...Li Yu, I...I didn't do anything," Sha Zhu stammered, his voice trembling.

Li Yu walked over slowly, looking down at him with icy eyes.

"Didn't do anything? Then what's that wire in your hand for? Squatting next to my car, are you admiring the flowers?"

Sha Zhu didn't dare to utter a sound, keeping his head bowed low.

"Looks like you've been living too well lately, haven't you!" Li Yu's voice wasn't loud, but it sent shivers down Sha Zhu's spine.

Before he could finish speaking, he kicked Sha Zhu in the butt. Sha Zhu was already feeling guilty and weak-kneed, and this kick sent him sprawling face-first into the mud. His front teeth hit the bluestone slab, and he grimaced in pain, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Get lost." Li Yu uttered a single word, and the chill in his eyes made Sha Zhu tremble all over.

Sha Zhu scrambled to his feet, not daring to utter a word, clutching his backside, and fled back to his hut in a sorry state. He slammed the door shut and never dared to show his face again.

Standing at his own doorway, Yan Bugui watched this scene with a mixture of relief and satisfaction. He quickly approached, his face beaming, "Chief Engineer Li, don't stoop to his level. He's just a good-for-nothing!"

Li Yu ignored him, his gaze sweeping across the courtyard. Just as he was about to return to the house, he saw Bai Ling come out of the house, holding a bowl of freshly cooked millet porridge in her hand, her face showing a hint of shyness and an undisguised joy.

Bai Ling has been staying home these days, helping Li Yu cook and prepare for pregnancy.

She walked up to Li Yu, gently took his arm, and said in a voice as soft as water, "Li Yu, there's something I want to tell you."

Li Yu looked at her slightly flushed cheeks and his heart skipped a beat: "What is it?"

Bai Ling lowered her head, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers, and whispered, "I went to the hospital and found out I'm pregnant."

These words, like a warm current, instantly flowed through Li Yu's heart.

These days, he's been busy with technology, building alliances, and shouldering heavy responsibilities for the nation, the burden on his shoulders is so heavy he can hardly breathe. But now, hearing this news, all the fatigue and pressure seem to have dissipated.

He was stunned for a moment, then reached out and hugged Bai Ling tightly, his voice trembling slightly, a tremor he himself didn't even realize: "Really? That's wonderful!"

"Ouch! Be gentle~" Bai Ling said, pretending to be angry.

"Hahaha! I was too excited." Li Yu quickly loosened his grip on Bai Ling.

Just as Li Yu was excited about Bai Ling's pregnancy, Sha Zhu was staring at Li Yu's house from his window with a gloomy expression.