Courtyard House: The Road to an Industrial Power

Li Yichuan pretended to listen attentively, his eyes fixed on the core parameters on the blueprints, silently memorizing the key data.

He occasionally chimed in with a few words, but in his heart he was frantically plotting.

How to secretly send these military secrets back to the country.

Su Wanqing sat to the side, recording the research and development plan and division of labor details one by one, in a clear, meticulous and thorough manner.

The technical discussion lasted for nearly an hour, ending only as the sun began to set.

Li Yichuan used the excuse of organizing technical data to get up and take his leave first.

As I left the conference room, I couldn't help but glance back at the technical drawings on the table.

He had just reached the gate of the machinery factory when a young figure quickly came to greet him.

The person who came was Wang Yiwei, a new employee who had just joined the technical department. He looked honest and simple.

He was currently following behind Li Yichuan with his head down.

The two walked along the sycamore trees by the street, avoiding passersby.

Wang Yiwei lowered his voice and reported in a volume that only the two of them could hear.

"The factory's security department is now staffed entirely with active-duty military personnel, and the security is three times tighter than expected."

"The core technology room is staffed 24 hours a day, and confidential documents are locked in safes. No one can access them without authorization."

"The office area for the Weapons Research Group has been designated, located on the innermost side of the third floor of the Technical Department."

"Chen Bin brought several veteran technicians who had a good relationship with Lin Weidong's father and moved in ahead of time."

Li Yichuan's eyes turned slightly cold. He didn't stop walking, his lips pursed, and he gave a low command:

"No matter what method we use, we must infiltrate the weapons research group within three days."

"Keep a close eye on Chen Bin's every move. Record all the data from the guidance system, even a single formula or number, and transmit it out promptly."

"Understood!" Wang Yiwei replied respectfully.

The two walked to the crossroads, where pedestrians and bicycles flowed in and out.

Li Yichuan walked straight to the alley on the left without looking back, while Wang Yiwei turned and went to the right.

Meanwhile, Lin Weidong drove his jeep, carrying Su Wanqing, slowly back to the courtyard house at No. 95.

As soon as the car stopped at the entrance, Uncle Yan Bugui, the third uncle, came over with a big smile, rubbing his hands together.

His eyes were fixed on the mud splattered on the car, his face full of eagerness: "Weidong, Wanqing, you're back!"

"Look at your car, it's covered in mud after driving all this way, it's filthy. Do you want me to clean it for you?"

"I guarantee it will shine brightly!"

Lin Weidong turned off the engine and got out of the car. He glanced at the car body and saw that it was indeed covered with a lot of dust and mud.

Seeing Yan Bugui's expectant look, she immediately understood his thoughts and asked with a smile, "Third Uncle, just tell me, what are your plans?"

Yan Bugui chuckled and rubbed his hands together, saying, "You're the head of the machinery factory now, your time is precious, how can you waste it wiping cars?"

"How about this, I'll wash your car for a month, every day, I'll make sure it's spotless, and you give me five yuan, okay?"

Lin Weidong frowned as if he was having trouble, then shook his head: "Forget it, Uncle, I can just rinse it with water when I have time, no need to trouble you."

"No, no, no!" Yan Bugui exclaimed anxiously, grabbing Lin Weidong's arm and urging him to lower the price.

"We're all old neighbors from the same courtyard, and you were even my student before. I'll only charge you three yuan! Three yuan a month for cleaning, it's definitely a bargain!"

Lin Weidong was amused by his thrifty appearance and took out three yuan to hand to him.

He smiled and nodded, "Okay, then from now on, I'll hand over my car to Uncle San."

"Alright! I guarantee I'll complete the mission!" Yan Bugui clutched the three yuan, grinning from ear to ear. He stuffed it into his pocket like a precious treasure, then turned and dashed home.

As soon as he entered the house, Yan Bugui waved to Yan Jiecheng, who was resting in a chair.

With a smug look on his face, he said, "Jiecheng, get up! Dad has found you a good job!"

Yan Jiecheng stood up with a blank look on his face, scratching his head: "Dad, what kind of work is this?"

"You know Lin Weidong, right? He's the factory manager of a machinery factory now. I've taken over the job of washing his jeep!" Yan Bugui patted his chest, looking very proud.

Yan Jiecheng responded with an "oh," not paying much attention.

Seeing this, Yan Bugui quickly added, "Three yuan a month for car washes!"

"From now on, you'll go and wash Lin Weidong's car every day, making sure it's spotless. Dad will give you one yuan every month!"

Yan Jiecheng's eyes widened instantly, his face full of dissatisfaction: "Dad, three yuan for a job, I wash cars every day, and you only give me one yuan? That's too little!"

"What do you know!" Yan Bugui immediately put on a stern face and started counting on his fingers.

"First of all, I took on this job; the connections and opportunities are all mine. Shouldn't I get a dollar as a tip?"

Yan Jiecheng pursed his lips and nodded.

"Secondly, you eat and drink my food every day at home, shouldn't you pay for it?"

"I didn't calculate it with you before, but now that you have an income, shouldn't you pay it back?"

"This one yuan is just enough to cover your food expenses!" Yan Bugui said matter-of-factly.

Yan Jiecheng was stunned, his face filled with disbelief: "Dad! We're family! I eat at home, and I have to pay for my meals?"

"How can it not count? You're an adult now, you should have been independent long ago! I've been keeping track of everything!" Yan Bugui refused to budge an inch.

Yan Jiecheng was completely speechless after being tricked by his own father.

She rolled her eyes, picked up the basin of water next to her, grabbed a rag, and walked out, too lazy to argue with her stingy father.

He arrived at the entrance of the courtyard house and began diligently wiping the jeep. As he wiped it, he felt a sense of relief.

The neighbors who passed by looked at him wiping his car with envy.

Every now and then, a passing girl would stop and take a look.

This made him feel proud and motivated him to work even harder.

Just then, Jia Zhangshi strolled over, pursed her lips, and called out with a mocking expression, "Oh! Yan Jiecheng, what are you doing wiping Lin Weidong's car?"

"What a loser! All he does is fawn over others, isn't he ashamed of himself!"

She had just clearly heard the conversation between Yan Bugui and Lin Weidong.

He had long coveted the car-washing job, wanting to get rid of Yan Jiecheng and do it himself.

Now that she has no income and is struggling to make ends meet, she wants to find a stable job to earn a living.

Yan Jiecheng's face darkened, and he was about to retort when Sha Zhu, who had just returned from get off work, said, "Some people are just envious, jealous, and hateful."

"She wanted to curry favor with them, but they didn't even look at her; they wouldn't even give her a chance to wash their car!"

Jia Zhangshi's scheme was exposed on the spot, and she instantly flew into a rage, pointing at Sha Zhu and cursing, "You little beast! What's it to you! Mind your own business!"

"You old shrew, what did you say?"

Sha Zhu rolled up his sleeves, ready to go and teach her a lesson.

When Jia Zhangshi saw that Sha Zhu was serious, she was so frightened that she turned around and ran back to her own home.

"Clang"

The door slammed shut.