Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

As the Hongqi Xingyao S600L Guard armored sedan came to a steady stop at the west gate of courtyard number 95, the last rays of sunset still lingered on the horizon. Driver Xiao Zhao, along with guards Xiao Li and Xiao Xiao, helped unload an extra-large canvas fish basket from the trunk. Inside, water churned and the basket was heavy; even through the mesh, one could see large, shimmering fish.

Such a commotion naturally attracted the attention of many people in the front and middle yards. The third auntie, who was washing vegetables by the sink, exclaimed, "Oh dear, Comrade Zhao, what...what are you carrying? It's so heavy!"

Xiao Zhao laughed, "Auntie, it's fish! Engineer Wang caught some at the Summer Palace today, quite a haul!"

"Fish? Such a big bag?" The third aunt wiped her hands and curiously came closer to take a look. What she saw made her jump back in fright: "My God! This...this is fish? Is it some kind of spirit? How can it be so big!" In the fish basket, several large carp and grass carp were huddled together. The largest one, a black carp, was probably half a person's length. Its head was ferocious and its tail was powerful, clearly indicating its immense strength.

Liu Haizhong, who was cleaning the chicken coop at the Intermediate People's Court, also peeked out when he heard the noise. His eyes widened at the sight of the enormous fish basket, and his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily. These days, meat is a rare treat, let alone such a large fresh fish! One must weigh at least ten or twenty pounds! How many meals could that feed us!

Yan Bugui was admiring his few half-dead chrysanthemums at his doorstep, a teacup in hand. Hearing the noise, his small eyes darted around, and he immediately put down his teacup, a "sincere" smile spreading across his face. He hurried over, exclaiming, "Oh! Engineer Wang's back? Wow! This…you caught these? Incredible! Incredible! I've lived this long, and I've never seen anyone catch so many big fish at once! Engineer Wang, your skill is truly amazing!" He gave a thumbs-up, his eyes glued to the writhing fish, his mind racing: How much are these fish…worth? A pound of live fish costs at least five or six mao (0.5 kg) at the market, and these big ones are even more expensive! This bag must weigh at least a hundred pounds! My goodness…

Wang Huanbo had just gotten out of the car when he heard this and smiled casually, "Luckily, we ran into each other. If Teacher Yan is interested, take a couple to try." His intention was just to be polite; they were neighbors, and if they caught a lot, it wouldn't hurt to share some of the profits, and he could also gain a reputation for being generous.

Who knew Yan Bugui had been waiting for these words! His face instantly lit up with a smile, and he rubbed his hands together, looking like he was saying, "How could I accept this?" but also like he couldn't refuse such hospitality: "Oh! This... this is too kind of you to spend so much! Engineer Wang, you're too kind! This fish... it looks like it's wild, good stuff! High in nutrition!" He was polite, but his feet were moving involuntarily toward the fish basket, his eyes scanning over the large fish like hooks, calculating which one was the fattest and most valuable.

Wang Huanbo chuckled inwardly. This old man Yan, as expected, wouldn't act until he saw the profit. He pointed to the fish basket: "Teacher Yan, choose whichever you like. Xiao Zhao, help Teacher Yan scoop it out."

"Alright!" Xiao Zhao replied, opening the fish basket. A strong fishy smell and vibrant life wafted out. Several large fish, startled, thrashed about, splashing water all over Yan Bugui's face, who was closest to them. Yan Bugui cried out "Ouch!" without bothering to wipe it off, his eyes shining as he pointed to the largest grass carp and a plump carp: "Just... just these two! Thank you, Comrade Xiao Zhao!"

Xiao Zhao worked quickly and efficiently, scooping two large fish out of the net. Good heavens! The grass carp must have weighed fifteen or sixteen pounds, and the common carp twelve or thirteen pounds, both lively and incredibly strong. Yan Bugui hurried home to get a large wooden basin, filled it with water, and put the fish in. The two large fish thrashed about in the basin, splashing water everywhere, making Yan Bugui overjoyed. He kept muttering, "Thank you, Engineer Wang! Thank you, Engineer Wang! You're really...so generous!"

This scene was witnessed by many people in the middle and front courtyards. Liu Hai felt a mix of envy and jealousy, like a cat scratching at his heart. He licked his lips, shamelessly leaning closer, and said with a dry laugh, "Engineer Wang...you really have excellent skills! This fish...is so plump!"

Wang Huanbo glanced at him and nodded indifferently, "Master Liu." He didn't say, "You take one too." He had a so-so impression of Liu Haizhong and didn't bother with pleasantries.

Liu Haizhong was rebuffed, looking embarrassed. He cursed Yan Bugui inwardly for his shameless sycophancy and envied him for getting two big fish for free. He could only watch helplessly, a sour taste rising in his mouth.

Just then, Sha Zhu, wearing an apron and carrying a spatula, hurriedly ran from the backyard. He had come out to see what was going on after hearing the commotion. Upon seeing the fish basket and the large fish in the basin, his chef's instincts were instantly triggered, and his eyes lit up: "Wow! Engineer Wang! Did you invite the Fish King of Kunming Lake? It's so big! And it's alive! What a find!"

Wang Huanbo laughed, "Zhuzi, you're here just in time. Take the biggest bluefish and the fathead to the kitchen, see if we can add them to the dishes tonight. As for the rest, I'll keep two, and the others..." He glanced at the houses peeking out of the yard, especially Yi Zhonghai's (the window was open, and an old woman and Yi Aijia were looking out) and the deaf old lady's house, and raised his voice, "The rest, let the neighbors in the yard divide them up, one for each family, to have a taste. Zhuzi, you help divide them, pick out the ones that are evenly sized."

"Alright! Just you wait and see!" Sha Zhu happily agreed; he loved doing this job. He squatted down, inspecting the fish in the basket like he was reviewing soldiers, muttering, "This carp is for the old lady, to make nourishing soup; this grass carp is for Uncle Da's, to braise; this one… for Old Zhang's in the front yard? Never mind, they have a lot of people, so we'll give them this big one…" As he distributed the fish, he called out, "Everyone, come out and collect your fish! It's a big fish that Engineer Wang caught, everyone gets a share! Line up, line up!"

The courtyard was now bustling with activity! Except for Liu Haizhong's family (whom Wang Huanbo hadn't called out by name, and Sha Zhu had "forgotten"), the other households—including the Zhang and Li families in the front yard, the auntie in the middle yard (who accepted the fish on behalf of the Yi family), the Jia family (Qin Huairu came out with a stick, her face full of gratitude), and the honest families in the back yard—all came out beaming, receiving the still-wriggling fish from Sha Zhu. The smallest fish weighed three or four pounds, enough for a family to enjoy a delicious meal. Everyone kept thanking him: "Thank you, Engineer Wang!" "Engineer Wang, you're too kind!" "We can't accept this..."

The deaf old lady was helped out by an older woman. Looking at the large carp that had been specially saved for her in the basin, she beamed from ear to ear. Her full set of porcelain veneers no longer made her speech slurred. She exclaimed, "Huanbo, good...good...we have fish to eat!"

In the Yi family home, Yi Aijia and Yi Aiguo were perched on the windowsill, excitedly chirping softly as they looked at the large fish in the basin. Yi Zhonghai stood inside, watching this scene, his heart filled with emotion. Engineer Wang was a generous man, always remembering his neighbors after doing good deeds. Although his family's situation had improved considerably thanks to Engineer Wang's help, he would always keep that kindness in his heart.

Yan Bugui received the two largest ones, and he was overjoyed. He planned to pickle one and eat it slowly, and invite the school principal to his house for dinner tomorrow to cultivate relationships. He increasingly felt that sticking close to Wang Huanbo would definitely lead to success!

The Liu family, huddled inside, listened to the laughter and chatter outside, and smelled the faint fishy odor wafting in (a psychological effect), their faces grim. Auntie Er muttered under her breath, "That Wang Huanbo, he's clearly doing it on purpose! He gave to everyone else in the courtyard, but not us! Who does he think he is!"

Liu Haizhong, his face dark, cursed, "Eat, eat, eat! All you know is eating! Let whoever wants to catch the fish can have it! If you're so capable, go catch your own!" Despite his words, he couldn't suppress the bitterness and resentment in his heart. He increasingly felt that he, as the "Second Uncle," was losing more and more status in the courtyard. Even that stingy old man, Yan Bugui, could get benefits by flattering him! But he couldn't bring himself to do what Yan Bugui did.

In the west courtyard, Wang Huanbo left two medium-sized fish for Lou Xiao'e to prepare; one would be steamed that evening, and the other marinated. He then returned to his study and locked the door.

Today's meeting with Li Yunlong and Zhao Gang, especially the conversation about automatic rifles, may have seemed like a spur-of-the-moment thing, but it actually stirred up quite a bit of emotion within him. Military industry is a vital national asset. If he could use his expertise to contribute to national defense, its significance would be far more profound and important than producing a few advanced machine tools or automobiles. This wasn't merely about "pleasing" the two generals or fulfilling a "promise," but rather a sense of responsibility that a time traveler couldn't avoid in this era of rebuilding from scratch and surrounded by powerful enemies.

With a thought, the interface of Pangu unfolded on his retina.

"Pangu, retrieve the complete set of design drawings, technical parameters, production process flow, and test data for the Type 81 automatic rifle (a 7.62mm automatic rifle finalized in 1981), as well as detailed information on its predecessors, the Type 56 assault rifle (a copy of the AK-47) and the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle (a copy of the SKS), and conduct a comparative analysis. Highlight the improvements and design concepts of the Type 81 in terms of accuracy, controllability (recoil), ergonomics, reliability, and adaptability to production processes. Simultaneously, search for the current level of my country's existing steel metallurgy (especially barrel steel and spring steel), machining (cutting, heat treatment, surface treatment), and chemical industry (propellant, primer) at the time (end of 1955), and also review the possible technical data (speculation) on the AK-47 and SKS that the Soviet Union might provide."

"Command confirmed. Data retrieval in progress... Comparison analysis in progress... Era industrial base matching degree analysis initiated..." Pangu's cold electronic voice rang out, and massive data streams began to be processed.

A moment later, a detailed analysis report appeared in Wang Huanbo's mind.

The Type 81 assault rifle, a classic that bridges the gap between its predecessors and successors, embodies the essence of balance in its design. While inheriting the high reliability of the AK series' long-stroke gas piston operating principle and rotating bolt locking mechanism, it effectively reduced recoil and muzzle rise during burst fire by optimizing gas system parameters (gas port position, gas chamber volume), improving the mass distribution of the bolt assembly, and recoil spring parameters, thus enhancing burst fire accuracy. The addition of a bolt hold-open device further improved its combat effectiveness. The adoption of a rigid design similar to the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle simplified the manufacturing process while retaining the detachable magazine. The sight radius was also lengthened, improving aiming accuracy. Its robust overall structure made it suitable for harsh environments and perfectly suited to the operational needs and usage habits of the Chinese army at the time.

As for China's industrial base at that time (1955)... Wang Huanbo quickly skimmed through Pangu's analysis: In terms of steel, they could produce qualified gun barrel steel (50A, 50BA, etc.), but the performance stability and alloy element control were still inferior to the high-quality gun steel from the Soviet Union. In terms of machining, ordinary turning, milling, planing, and grinding could meet the processing needs of most parts, but the processes for high-precision deep hole machining of gun barrels, rifling, heat treatment and surface treatment (such as phosphating and bluing) of key parts were relatively backward, resulting in a high scrap rate. In terms of chemicals, propellant and primers could be produced, but the consistency of energy and burning rate, as well as storage stability, needed to be improved. As for the technical data of the AK-47, according to history, it should be obtained through Soviet assistance next year (1956), and preparations for imitation should begin.

"The window of opportunity is tight, but it's not without chance," Wang Huanbo pondered. Providing mature Type 81 blueprints directly is unrealistic and too shocking. However, they can use the pretext of "conducting forward-looking research and preliminary improvement of Soviet-style automatic weapon technology" to begin preliminary verification of key technologies and tackle process challenges ahead of schedule.

For example, utilizing the existing, upgraded precision machine tools and materials laboratory at the Hongxing Factory, they could attempt small-batch trial production of improved barrel blanks, research more optimized heat treatment processes, and improve barrel life and accuracy. They could also conduct dynamic simulations (using Pangu technology) and material fatigue tests on core moving components such as the gas system and bolt to find optimization solutions. Furthermore, they could even design several new models and conduct ergonomic evaluations.

These tasks can be carried out under projects such as "Research on New Special Materials and Precision Machining Technology" or "Performance Verification and Process Exploration of Machine Tools" at the Hongxing Factory, which provides considerable secrecy and legitimacy. The accumulated data and experience can be quickly transformed into engineering prototypes once the time is right (such as when the country officially decides to develop a new rifle), greatly shortening the research and development cycle.

Of course, this would require Li Huaide's cooperation in establishing a highly confidential "special process research group" within the factory, drawing on reliable technical personnel and workers. It would also require the tacit approval or even support of higher authorities. Li Yunlong and Zhao Gang's "joint suggestion" might serve as a stepping stone.

"Pangu, draft a technical outline entitled 'Feasibility Report on Forward-Looking Process Pre-research of Core Components of Automatic Rifles Based on Existing Technology.' Focus on explaining the necessity and potential benefits of conducting advance research in materials, processing, and dynamics, while avoiding direct mention of the complete weapon design. The language should be professional and rigorous, but the conclusions should be persuasive and attractive."

"Instruction confirmed. Report being generated... Estimated completion time: 2 hours 37 minutes."

Wang Huanbo nodded. With this report, and the "opportunity" of meeting with Li Yunlong and Zhao Gang today, many things could proceed smoothly. He walked to the window, looking at the smoke rising from the chimneys of each household in the courtyard and the faint aroma of fish and meat, but his gaze was fixed on the distant night sky.

A fish can satisfy one's appetite and ease tensions between neighbors. But a gun might influence a nation's destiny and safeguard peace. This path is destined to be full of challenges and risks, but it's worth the try. He could almost hear the crisp, powerful bursts of 81-barreled gunfire echoing across the firing range. That sound represented power, and even more so, protection.

Meanwhile, in Yan Bugui's front yard, another "scheme" was unfolding. Yan Bugui stared at the two large, still plump but dying fish in the wooden basin, his small eyes darting around. He said to his third aunt, "Honey, look! This carp weighs at least thirteen pounds! The grass carp is even bigger! Engineer Wang is so generous! Two fish this big should be worth at least ten yuan on the market!"

The three aunties were also beaming with joy: "Absolutely! This Engineer Wang is so generous! Our family has finally tasted something special!"

"You've just started eating meat? All you know is food!" Yan Bugui glared at her, then lowered his voice, "These two fish, did you get them for free? It's because Engineer Wang knows we're good at handling things, and Jie Cheng learned technical skills from Engineer Wang at the factory! It's a favor! Understand? Favors have to be repaid with gifts!"

"Then...then how do we pay it back?" The three women were stunned.

"How can we repay him?" Yan Bugui looked at him with exasperation. "Does Engineer Wang need this little bit of food? A little bit he leaves between his fingers would be enough to feed us for a year! The key is the sentiment! It's the attitude! Look at Liu Haizhong, he practically begged for it, did he get anything in return? Not a single thing! Why? Because he doesn't know how to behave!"

He paced back and forth in the room, hands behind his back: "These two fish can't be eaten whole. The grass carp is big; I'll take it to school tomorrow and invite the head of teaching and the former principal over for dinner! The carp… I'll marinate half of it for the New Year. The other half, I'll chop it up, make fish dumplings, and send a bowl to the west courtyard! Just say it's a small token of gratitude for the fish from Engineer Wang! It's a small gift, but the sentiment is great! The important thing is to let Engineer Wang know that our Yan family remembers his kindness!"

The three women suddenly understood and nodded repeatedly, "You're so thoughtful! I'll go knead the dough right away!"

Yan Bugui nodded in satisfaction and added, "Also, make sure Jie Cheng works harder at the factory! Be observant! Ask Engineer Wang for advice more often! If you cultivate a good relationship with him, promotions and raises in the future will be a piece of cake for Engineer Wang, right? This is a long-term investment!"

In the west courtyard, Wang Huanbo was naturally unaware that Yan Bugui had meticulously planned to seize his two fish. He was engrossed in his future military industrial blueprint. Meanwhile, the night in the courtyard, filled with the aroma of fish, gradually deepened. The joys and sorrows, the calculations of each family, were like pebbles thrown into a lake, rippling outwards before finally returning to calm. Only the torrent of history flowed silently, waiting to be gently flapped by that "butterfly" from the future.