Courtyard House: The Road to an Industrial Power

"Crunch"

The door opened softly.

Lin Weidong gently pushed open the door.

Su Wanqing had already put on her clothes and sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes slightly red.

Lin Weidong quickly stepped forward and gently reassured him, "Don't worry, it's nothing. It's just a stray cat that wandered in and was causing trouble."

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Su Wanqing reached out and touched his arm.

"I clearly heard your shouts, footsteps outside, and even... gunshots!"

Lin Weidong smiled awkwardly, knowing he couldn't hide it from the clever Su Wanqing.

He reached out and pulled her into his arms, then whispered what had just happened.

"Someone just sneaked into the west courtyard and poured kerosene on our door, trying to set it on fire."

"When I chased after him, he ran away, and there were people in the shadows firing shots to help him."

"Who...who is that person?" Su Wanqing froze, her voice trembling slightly.

"Judging from his back, it's most likely Yi Zhonghai, who has fled."

Lin Weidong's eyes darkened slightly. "I just didn't expect that in just a few days, his skills would become so agile. He can now scale walls and run as fast as a trained martial artist."

Su Wanqing was also full of doubt, looking at Lin Weidong: "Yi Zhonghai used to be just an ordinary blacksmith, even if he had some strength."

"It's impossible for him to become this skilled in just a few days, right? Where did he train?"

"He was originally a forging worker in a steel rolling mill, so his foundation was already more solid than that of the average person. It's just that someone must have been deliberately training him behind the scenes."

"But don't worry, no matter who's behind him, I can protect you and our family."

Su Wanqing nestled obediently in his arms, nodded, and the unease in her heart gradually dissipated.

With Lin Weidong around, she felt incredibly at ease.

The next few days were relatively quiet, and nothing much happened.

Early that morning, Lin Weidong drove Su Wanqing to the steel rolling mill.

Today marks the official completion of the transformation of the steel rolling mill into a machinery plant, and I am the plant manager.

Lin Weidong must attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The two had just arrived at the entrance of the steel rolling mill.

The old steel rolling mill has been completely transformed, with its exterior walls freshly painted.

A red banner reading "Hongxing Machinery Factory Officially Completed" hangs at the entrance.

The workers, dressed in uniform, stood in neat rows, radiating a vibrant and energetic spirit.

The factory's leaders were already waiting at the entrance.

The person in the lead was Li Huaide, the deputy director of the machinery factory, who was wearing a crisp Zhongshan suit.

With a radiant face, he rushed to greet Lin Weidong upon seeing him: "Weidong, we've been waiting for you! Today's ribbon-cutting ceremony wouldn't be complete without you, the factory director."

"Director Li, you're too kind," Lin Weidong said with a smile and a nod.

Lin Weidong greeted the leaders of the steel rolling mill with a smile, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.

The unveiling ceremony concluded quickly.

Just then, a crisp system notification sounded in Lin Weidong's mind.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, for completing the core task of converting the steel rolling mill into a machinery plant, promoting industrial development. Rewards have been issued!]

[Rewards: Complete set of technical blueprints, production process, and core material formulas for enhanced man-portable air defense missiles]

The conference room of the machinery factory.

Lin Weidong sat in the main seat and said, "Gentlemen, our Hongxing Machinery Factory has been officially completed. I have planned three key projects for our next core tasks."

"The first two are the continuous rolling mill R&D project and the special steel smelting key technology project that we mentioned before."

"These two measures are fundamental to our machinery factory's industrial production and must be implemented as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement. These two projects had already been communicated to a small group, and everyone was prepared.

But then Lin Weidong changed the subject: "Besides that, our factory is also preparing for a third core project: the development of man-portable air defense missiles!"

"boom!"

A single sentence exploded like a thunderclap in the conference room, instantly plunging the entire room into chaos!

Everyone stared wide-eyed at Lin Weidong, their faces filled with shock, forgetting even to breathe.

Li Huaide leaned forward abruptly and asked, "Director Lin, are you... are you telling the truth?"

"Man-portable air defense missiles?"

Chen Bin's eyes lit up instantly, filled with longing and yearning for cutting-edge military technology, as if he couldn't wait to get started on the research and development work.

Li Yichuan, standing to the side, remained outwardly calm, but his eyes bulged with overwhelming joy and greed.

Man-portable air defense missiles! This is the core military technology that the empire has always dreamed of!

Lin Weidong is indeed a divinely bestowed treasure of the empire; his value far exceeds imagination, and we must control him at all costs.

Bring this technology back to the Empire intact.

In his eyes, Lin Weidong was already a possession of the Japanese Empire.

Just as everyone was in shock, Chen Bin couldn't help but ask, "Director Lin, is it really possible to create a man-portable air defense system?"

"How effective is this weapon at defending against air attacks?"

All eyes instantly focused on Lin Weidong, holding their breath in anticipation.

Lin Weidong smiled faintly: "This enhanced version of the man-portable air defense missile can automatically lock onto targets in airspace below 10,000 meters."

"Any aerial target traveling at speeds below twice the speed of sound can be accurately tracked and shot down in one shot!"

"Below 10,000 meters... twice the speed of sound"

The conference room fell into a deathly silence; you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone was completely stunned by the terrifying data, sitting in their seats, their minds blank.

This air defense capability is enough to fill a huge gap in the domestic military industry and can be called a vital weapon for protecting the country!

Seeing the crowd's shock, Lin Weidong gently raised his hand, signaling to the guards at the door.

Two guards immediately stepped in, carrying a stack of documents, and distributed them to each person in turn.

The bright red word "Top Secret" on the document cover was so striking it made one's eyes water.

"Gentlemen, this military project is highly classified. This confidentiality agreement needs to be signed by everyone and strictly observed."

Lin Weidong's tone was serious, without a trace of joking.

Lin Weidong looked at everyone and slowly said, "This is just the beginning. As military research and development progresses, similar classified documents will become the norm. I hope everyone will always keep the confidentiality rules in mind."

Many people have noticed today the security personnel at the machinery factory.

It's not the same group as before; they've all been replaced by active-duty soldiers.

The meeting continued, and Lin Weidong raised his hand to introduce Chen Bin and Li Yichuan beside him: "In addition, I would like to announce a personnel appointment: the Technical Section will establish Weapons Research Group 1 and Group 2."

"Chen Bin will serve as the leader of Group One, and Li Yichuan will serve as the leader of Group Two, to fully cooperate in the research and development of man-portable air defense missiles."

"At the same time, Su Wanqing serves as the deputy head of the technical department, and I concurrently serve as the head of the department."

After the meeting ended, everyone left one after another. Chen Bin and Li Yichuan stayed behind, and Su Wanqing also sat down to the side, holding a notebook to take notes.

The four sat around the table and began to discuss the research and development preparations in detail.

Lin Weidong took out a preliminary technical framework sketch and spread it on the table:

"A group responsible for the guidance system"

"The two groups work together to propel the engine, with Wanqing overseeing data calculation and information processing."

Chen Bin leaned closer, his eyes fixed intently on the blueprints.