Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

Section 1: Radio Waves Urge the March, As Urgent as the Wind; White-Clad Warriors Charge into the Sword Forest

In the dead of night in Beijing, it wasn't just the nearby residents who were awakened by the continuous explosions and intense gunfire coming from the direction of Nanluoguxiang. The unusual, dense, and chillingly intense exchange of fire was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, the ripples of which quickly spread to the core of the city's security and defense system.

Inside the brightly lit duty room of the Ministry of Public Security's command center, the sounds of ringing telephones, radio calls, hurried footsteps, and the stern commands of commanders at all levels mingled together, creating an atmosphere so tense it seemed almost tangible. On the huge map of Beijing's urban area on the wall, the location of No. 95 Nanluoguxiang was firmly marked by a glaring red circle.

"Connect all district and county branch bureaus! Connect all police stations! Connect the internal security forces' duty room!" A senior commander with a gold shield and wheat ears on his shoulder insignia, his face ashen, roared at the communications officer, his voice trembling slightly with anger and urgency. "There is only one order: Assemble all available forces at the fastest speed—armed police, security personnel, militia—at all costs, and rush to the aid of No. 95 Nanluoguxiang! Objective: Eliminate all invading enemies, ensure the absolute safety of Comrade Wang Huanbo, and do everything possible to rescue the injured! I repeat, at all costs! This is a death order!"

"Yes, sir!" the communications staff responded in unison, their fingers flying across the radio keypads and telephone switchboards. Encrypted radio waves, marked "Urgent" and "Top Secret," shot out from the command center like invisible beacons, reaching every corner of the city.

In the Dongcheng Branch Police Station's duty room, the piercing ring of the telephone shattered the stillness of the night. The duty officer grabbed the receiver, listened for only two sentences, then abruptly stood up and roared at the officers waiting behind him, "Emergency assembly! Chief Engineer Wang Huanbo at No. 95 Nanluoguxiang has been attacked by enemy agents! All personnel, rifles, loaded! Move out!"

Xicheng Branch, Chongwen Branch, Xuanwu Branch… Almost simultaneously, the same urgent phone calls rang in the duty rooms of each branch, receiving the same unquestionable order. Sirens blared suddenly across the silent streets, and trucks and jeeps loaded with fully armed police officers shot out from their respective police compounds like arrows, tearing through the night and speeding towards the same coordinates. The beams of headlights crisscrossed the streets, and the roar of engines coalesced into a chilling surge of fury.

It wasn't just the public security system. Police officers at various stations near Compound 95, upon receiving strict orders from their superiors and hearing faint gunfire, had already spontaneously entered a state of high alert. Now, with the official order issued, the station chief and political instructor personally led the officers, who retrieved their issued Type 54 pistols, a small number of Type 56 submachine guns, and even old Type 38 rifles from their armories, checking their ammunition with solemn expressions. They lacked professional bulletproof vests, only faded police uniforms and the national emblem on their heads, but every one of them possessed an unwavering determination.

"Comrades!" An old police chief stood in the center of the courtyard, addressing the dozen or so assembled officers. His voice wasn't loud, but every word carried immense weight. "We've been training for this moment! Right now, there are spies right under our noses, trying to kill our nation's most important scientists! Trying to harm our people! What are we here for? To protect the people! Today, even if we have to sacrifice this hundred-plus pounds, we absolutely cannot let the spies' plot succeed! Let's go!"

"Defend the people! Eliminate the enemy agents!" the police officers roared in response, jumping onto bicycles, motorcycles with sidecars, or simply running towards the direction where the gunfire was most intense. Their figures were elongated under the dim streetlights, merging into the torrent surging towards No. 95 Courtyard from all directions.

At the same time, another lifeline was also being urgently activated.

The red emergency hotlines in the duty rooms of the Military Region General Hospital, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing Hospital, Fuwai Hospital… all representing the highest level of medical care in China at the time, rang almost simultaneously. The news coming through the receiver sent chills down the spines of all the leaders on duty—a serious armed conflict had broken out in Nanluoguxiang, suspected to be an attack by enemy agents, resulting in numerous civilian casualties, including key personnel under protection!

"Emergency medical team! Assemble!" Hospital directors and on-duty leaders slammed their fists on their desks without hesitation. The piercing mobilization announcement echoed through the hospital corridors. Experts who had just finished surgery and taken off their white coats were called back; off-duty key doctors and nurses were urgently recalled from their dormitories or homes; pharmacies, blood banks, and medical equipment departments were brightly lit, preparing emergency medicines, plasma, surgical instruments, and stretchers at the fastest speed.

Within a mere twenty minutes, medical teams led by top surgeons, trauma specialists, obstetricians and gynecologists, and anesthesiologists, equipped with the most skilled nurses and a full set of emergency equipment, assembled at the entrances of various hospitals. Ambulances adorned with the Red Cross roared to life, their doors swung open.

"Comrades!" The vice president of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, an elderly expert with graying temples, stood in front of the ambulance, his gaze sweeping over the young yet resolute faces. "The battlefield lies ahead! Our enemy is death! Our mission is to snatch our comrades, our people, from the clutches of death, leaving no one behind! I have only one requirement: Quick! Accurate! Steady! Let's go!"

"Mission accomplished!" the medical workers responded in unison, quickly boarding the ambulance. The ambulance sirens blared as it merged into the surging traffic, joining other hospital rescue teams to form a white lifeline, resolutely heading against the danger towards the smoke-filled area.

The blue torrent of public security, the green iron torrent of the army (the 1st Battalion of the Capital Guard Division is rapidly approaching), the white lifeline of medical care, and the mixed-race militia led by Director Wang Hongmei, all converge from all directions of the city, like rivers flowing into the sea, towards the bloody vortex that suddenly appeared at No. 95 Nanluoguxiang! This is a race against time, a struggle against death, and a desperate counterattack to defend national dignity and the safety of the people!

Section Two: Bloodstained the West Courtyard Wall, Couple United in Forging an Iron Gate

Just as external rescue forces were frantically gathering and rushing in, the battle inside Courtyard No. 95, especially the attack and defense of the west courtyard, had reached a critical juncture of life and death.

Outside the compound, Zheng Wenxi, the CIA Far East operations team leader codenamed "Freedom," hid behind a gatehouse that had been partially destroyed by a bomb, his face so grim it seemed to drip water. Through his binoculars, he watched helplessly as his three meticulously trained and agile subordinates (including two Taiwanese agents and a CIA field operative) peeked out from the west wing of the compound wall, only to be instantly blown in the head by precise short bursts of fire from inside. They fell to the ground like puppets with broken strings, without even having time to utter a scream.

"Fuck! Shit!" Zheng Wenxi slammed his fist on the broken bricks beside him, cursing under his breath in English. He hadn't expected the guards left in the compound to be so troublesome; their marksmanship was frightening, and their reactions were inhumanly fast. What made him even more anxious was time! He heard the increasingly dense sirens of police cars and the heavy engine sound of something different from police vehicles approaching from afar! It was the army! Chinese reinforcements had arrived, and in considerable numbers!

"That useless Dai Hua! What's he dawdling about in the Central Courtyard for?!" Zheng Wenxi cursed inwardly at his accomplice in the Central Courtyard, "Viper" Dai Hua. According to the original plan, Dai Hua was to launch a strong attack on the Central Courtyard to draw the main security forces away, while Zheng Wenxi would take advantage of the situation to enter the West Wing, control Wang Huanbo's wife, Lou Xiao'e, seize the technical data, and force Wang Huanbo to submit through a two-pronged approach. But now, while Dai Hua's side seemed to be fighting fiercely but making slow progress, Zheng Wenxi's side had met with a brick wall.

We can't wait any longer! We must break through the western courtyard immediately! Otherwise, once the Chinese army surrounds us, everyone will die here! As for that "merchant ship" in Tianjin Port... we can only board it alive!

A ruthless and resolute glint flashed in Zheng Wenxi's eyes. He gave a series of tactical hand signals to his four remaining men (two CIA agents and two Taiwanese agents): Smoke grenade cover, grenades to clear the way, all-out assault, regardless of the cost!

"Whoosh—whoosh—" Several American-made M18 smoke grenades were thrown with great force, tracing arcs as they landed in the west courtyard. "Hiss—" Thick, slightly pungent white smoke quickly spread out, instantly enveloping most of the west courtyard and obscuring the view.

Immediately afterwards, three or four more American-made Mk2 grenades were thrown into the smoke after the safety pins were pulled and a two-second delay was achieved. The grenadiers were skilled, and the grenades landed in a scattered manner, covering the center of the yard and corners where people might be hiding.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A series of explosions rang out in the west courtyard! Flames flashed through the smoke, and shrapnel shot out in all directions with a deathly shriek! Windowpanes were shattered, and flowerpots and stone benches in the courtyard were blown to pieces!

"Action! Go! Go! Go!" Zheng Wenxi roared, leaping out from behind cover first, pointing a silenced M3 submachine gun at the smoke, and charging towards the breach in the courtyard wall. The other four enemy agents followed suit, working in pairs, taking turns providing cover, their movements swift and professional, clearly veterans who had undergone rigorous training.

Inside the bedroom in the west courtyard.

When the first explosion rang out in the courtyard, Lou Xiao'e was already distraught due to severe abdominal pain and extreme anxiety about the battle situation outside. The sudden loud noise and tremor nearly snapped her already taut nerves, and the cramps in her abdomen intensified abruptly! She groaned, biting her lower lip tightly, her hands gripping the sheets beneath her so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She could feel a warm liquid gushing out uncontrollably, soaking her trousers and the bedding, carrying a faint smell of blood.

"Madam! How are you?" Wang Chunhua, who was by the bedside, had bent down the moment the explosion rang out and immediately noticed Lou Xiao'e's abnormality. In the dim light filtering through the window, distorted by the smoke, she saw Lou Xiao'e's face contorted in pain and the ominous wet patch rapidly spreading beneath her. Her heart sank! She was bleeding! This meant premature labor, and it was likely a critical situation!

"Lin Wei! Madam is not doing well! She may be about to give birth!" Wang Chunhua shouted urgently towards the door, trying to support Lou Xiao'e but not daring to move her easily.

Almost at the same time she shouted, the familiar, steady, and short bursts of her husband Lin Wei's Type 81 rifle rang out from the courtyard! "Bang! Bang! Bang!" Then came the sound of heavy objects falling to the ground. Wang Chunhua knew that her husband was repelling enemies trying to climb over the wall.

But the enemy's counterattack came even faster! The hiss of smoke grenades and the whistling of grenades cutting through the air followed one after another!

"Watch out!" Lin Wei shouted from inside the courtyard.

Without a second thought, Wang Chunhua lunged at Lou Xiao'e, shielding the pregnant woman beneath her with her body, while simultaneously pulling over a thick quilt to cover both of them as much as possible.

"Boom boom boom—!"

A violent explosion rang out not far from the window! The bedroom window, along with its frame, was shattered by the shockwave, and shards of glass and wood rained into the room! The door shook violently, and countless tiny fragments and debris instantly became embedded in the door panel! The entire room trembled, and dust fell in a flurry.

The echoes of the explosion still reverberated in her ears when Wang Chunhua felt Lou Xiao'e beneath her convulse violently, letting out a suppressed groan of pain. She quickly looked up and saw that Lou Xiao'e's face was deathly pale, her hair was soaked with cold sweat, her eyes were unfocused, and the bleeding from her lower body seemed to have increased.

"Madam! Hold on! Reinforcements are on their way! Hold on!" Wang Chunhua was frantic with worry, but helpless. She wasn't a doctor, and in this situation, facing a pregnant woman about to give birth prematurely and suffering from severe bleeding, all her combat skills were useless. She could only offer futile encouragement and shield the woman with her own body.

Just then, the bedroom door was violently flung open from the outside, and a tall figure burst in, covered in gunpowder smoke and reeking of blood—it was Lin Wei! Several shocking splashes of blood bloomed on his back and left arm, his work clothes, blood still seeping out, clearly from shrapnel that had pierced through the door during the explosion. Yet his steps remained steady, his eyes sharp as an eagle's.

"Chunhua! The enemy has broken in under the cover of smoke! At least four, and they're well-trained!" Lin Wei spoke rapidly, his voice hoarse from pain, but unusually calm. He immediately noticed Lou Xiao'e's condition on the bed, and his pupils contracted sharply.

"Old Lin, you're injured!" Wang Chunhua's heart clenched when she saw the bloodstains on her husband.

"It's just a superficial wound, nothing serious." Lin Wei gritted his teeth and unhesitatingly shoved the slightly dusty but still gleaming blue Type 81 assault rifle into Wang Chunhua's hands. At the same time, he quickly drew his Type 54 pistol from his holster. "Your marksmanship is better than mine, use it! Guard the door and windows! I'll guard Madam!"

"No! You're injured in the back, you can't move! Give me the spear, go to the bedside!" Wang Chunhua said urgently, wanting to check Lin Wei's wound.

"Listen to me!" Lin Wei roared, pushing his wife to a firing position beside the door that could both block the entrance and keep an eye on the window. He then dragged his injured body, moving with difficulty and speed to the bedside, leaning against the solid brick wall, facing the door, kneeling on one knee, and raising his Type 54 pistol. This position caused the wound on his back to be constantly squeezed, making the blood flow faster, but he didn't even frown, just staring intently at the smoke billowing in through the doorway.

"Their target must be Madam and the data! We absolutely cannot let them in!" Lin Wei gasped, speaking to Wang Chunhua with a resolute determination in his eyes. "Chunhua, if... if we can't hold them off, you know what to do." His gaze swept almost imperceptibly over Lou Xiao'e, who was lying on the bed, before settling on his wife. Wang Chunhua understood the meaning behind that look—if necessary, she would never allow her wife to fall into enemy hands and be humiliated, nor would she allow their unborn child to become a bargaining chip for the enemy.

Wang Chunhua's tears welled up instantly, but she held them back fiercely. She nodded firmly, clicked the safety off the Type 81 rifle, leaned against the doorframe, and said in a choked but incredibly resolute voice, "Don't worry, I'm here!"

No more words, no sorrow of parting or death. At this moment, they were simply warriors, guardians. The husband left his more powerful rifle to his more accurate marksmanship wife, using his wounded body and pistol to stand guard at the last line of defense; the wife took over the heavy responsibility, suppressing all her worries and heartache, transforming them into the cold killing intent of her gun. The couple, one on the left, one on the right, one long, one short, formed the final, and most tragic, iron barrier of flesh and blood before the door of the delivery room, filled with the stench of blood and death.

Thick smoke was billowing in from the broken doorway and windows.

Section 3: Smoke of Battle Sweeps Across the Line of Life and Death, Close Combat Leaves One Heart and Gallbladder Trembling

White smoke, like a living monster, tumbled and writhed along the broken doors and windows, pouring into the bedroom in the west courtyard and rapidly reducing visibility. The pungent chemical odor mixed with the stench of blood and gunpowder was suffocating. Footsteps, suppressed breathing, and the faint clanging of metal could be faintly heard through the smoke, growing ever closer!

"Watch out! The window on the left!" Lin Wei shouted in a low voice. With his back against the wall, his vision was less affected by the smoke, and he keenly caught a glimpse of a dark shadow flashing past the frame of the shattered window on the left!

Wang Chunhua reacted with lightning speed. Almost at the same moment Lin Wei spoke, the muzzle of her Type 81 automatic rifle was already slightly adjusted, and her index finger was already pressing the trigger. Just as the dark figure wearing a gas mask and carrying a submachine gun attempted to peer through the window—

"Da da!" A precise two-round burst! The bullet pierced through the smoke and accurately entered the head of the shadowy figure! The shadowy figure fell backward without uttering a sound, and the submachine gun in his hand crashed to the ground.

"One!" Wang Chunhua counted silently in her mind, her breathing steady, and the muzzle of the gun quickly moved back towards the door. The Type 81 rifle was as steady as a rock in her hand.

"There's movement on the right! Watch out for grenades!" Lin Wei warned again. He heard a faint metallic rolling sound outside the right window, different from footsteps.

Wang Chunhua immediately rolled to the left, leaving her original position. Almost simultaneously, an American-made grenade was thrown in through the right window, landing on the ground near where she had just been standing, hissing and emitting white smoke!

"Lower your head!" Lin Wei shouted, while simultaneously lowering his body as much as possible, using his back and arms to protect Lou Xiao'e on the bed.

"boom!"

The grenade exploded inside the house! Although not as powerful as the ones in the yard, the shockwave and shrapnel were amplified in the confined space! Countless tiny steel balls and fragments shot out in a fan shape, hitting the walls with a thud, and the remaining furniture and decorations inside the house suffered even more, with shards of wood and porcelain flying everywhere. The blast wave made the smoke even more chaotic.

Although Wang Chunhua had taken cover in advance, a piece of shrapnel still grazed her left shoulder, causing a burning pain that instantly soaked her sleeve with blood. She groaned, gritted her teeth, and pointed her gun firmly at the doorway—the enemy was using grenades to probe and clear obstacles!

Sure enough, before the echoes of the explosion had even faded, the already rickety bedroom door was kicked open from the outside by a foot clad in a heavy military boot! The door slammed inward, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Fire in the hole!" A slightly stiff Chinese voice with a foreign accent rang out from outside the door.

"Rat-a-tat-tat-tat—!!!" A dense barrage of submachine gun bullets swept wildly in the general direction of the room, like a splash of water! Bullets hit the walls, the floor, and the wreckage of furniture with a thud, ricocheting and flying around, leaving deadly streaks in the smoke! This was a standard indoor assault fire suppression tactic, the purpose of which was to prevent the defenders from raising their heads to return fire.

Wang Chunhua and Lin Wei lay tightly hidden behind cover (Wang Chunhua behind a cabinet by the door, Lin Wei beside the bed), bullets whizzing past their heads and ears, sending debris flying. Lin Wei could even feel bullets grazing his scalp and hitting the wall behind him.

"Cough cough..." Lou Xiao'e on the bed coughed as she was choked by the thick smoke and violent shaking. Her abdominal pain seemed to be temporarily masked by the shock, but the bleeding from below did not stop, and her consciousness began to blur.

The suppressive fire lasted for about five or six seconds before abruptly ceasing. Immediately afterward, two agile figures, one on the left and one on the right, rolled into the room with standard tactical maneuvers, hugging the doorframe. One knelt, rifle raised, guarding the front and left (towards Wang Chunhua), while the other quickly stood up, muzzle pointing to the right (towards Lin Wei and the bed). Their movements were clean, efficient, and perfectly coordinated, clearly those of highly trained elites.

However, they underestimated the tenacity and precision of the defenders inside the building, and overestimated the smoke's cover for them.

Just as the first enemy agent rolled in, half-kneeling and raising his gun, Wang Chunhua, who had already anticipated and aimed her gun at that spot, pulled the trigger!

"Bang!" The distinctive sound of the Type 81 rifle rang out sharply in the room. The bullet fired from the side of the cabinet and precisely pierced the neck of the enemy agent (a Taiwanese spy)! Blood gushed out like a fountain, the agent's body slumped, the M3 submachine gun in his hand fell to the ground, and he futilely tried to cover his wound with his hands, making a "hoarse" sound as he collapsed and convulsed.

Almost at the same time, Lin Wei also fired! He ignored the enemy agent who rolled in, and instead, the moment the second enemy agent (a CIA field agent) stood up, he pointed the muzzle of his Type 54 pistol at the slightly exposed chest of the other man as he stood up!

"Bang! Bang!" Lin Wei fired two shots in quick succession! The first shot hit the enemy agent in the chest, but it seemed to be blocked by some hard object (possibly a simple bulletproof plate), and the enemy agent only shuddered; the second shot was fired immediately afterward, hitting the enemy's unprotected shoulder! The enemy agent screamed, the submachine gun fell from his hand, and he staggered backward.

"Target by the bed! Fire!" the wounded CIA field agent roared in English, while reaching for the pistol at his waist with his uninjured hand.

Zheng Wenxi and another Taiwanese agent outside the door heard the gunshots and screams inside, realizing they were encountering fierce resistance. A fierce glint flashed in Zheng Wenxi's eyes. Without hesitation, he aimed his submachine gun at the bed inside and pulled the trigger! At the same time, he roared to his last remaining subordinate, "Blow them up!"

"Rat-a-tat-tat..." Bullets flew towards the bedside, hitting the wall and bed frame, sending wood chips flying. Lin Wei shielded Lou Xiao'e tightly, and a ricocheting bullet struck his left arm, causing his gun-wielding hand to tremble violently.

The Taiwanese agent then menacingly pulled out a grenade, pulled the pin, and was about to throw it into the house! His goal was clearly to completely destroy the resistance, and he didn't care whether the target (Lou Xiao'e) would be injured.

At this critical moment!

"Bang!" A gunshot rang out from the left side of the room (Wang Chunhua's position)! It wasn't an 81-type pistol, but a Type 54 pistol! After killing the first enemy agent, Wang Chunhua saw her husband in danger and the enemy about to throw a grenade. Without hesitation, she threw away the empty magazine of her 81-type pistol, drew her own sidearm, and shot the Taiwanese agent who was reaching for a grenade in the wrist!

"Ah!" the Taiwanese agent screamed as the grenade slipped from his hand and landed at his feet by the door, sizzling and smoking.

"No!" Zheng Wenxi, who was outside the door, was so terrified that he suddenly fell to the side!

"boom!"

The grenade exploded at the door! The Taiwanese agent and the wounded CIA field agent were hit first, their bodies mangled beyond recognition. The powerful blast wave also knocked Zheng Wenxi, who was standing at the door, overturned, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.

The smoke from the gunfire subsided slightly. Inside, Wang Chunhua, her arm wounded, was panting heavily, her pistol pointed at the door. Lin Wei had multiple wounds to his back and left arm, his body stained with blood, yet he remained kneeling before the bed, shielding Lou Xiao'e with his body, his right hand gripping his pistol tightly, the muzzle still shrouded in smoke. Lou Xiao'e lay on the bed in a semi-conscious state, the area beneath her a mess.

At the entrance, a scene of utter chaos unfolded, with three enemy agents lying in various contorted positions. The sole survivor, Zheng Wenxi, shook his head, rose from the ground, his face covered in blood, looking like a madman. He glanced at the horrific scene inside the house and at the two men and women, covered in blood yet standing like steadfast stones guarding their target. He then heard the increasingly clear and approaching gunfire outside the courtyard, and the rumble of heavy vehicles crushing the road…

Despair, like an icy tide, instantly overwhelmed him. The mission had failed utterly. He might not even have had a chance to escape.

A final flicker of madness flashed in his eyes. He abruptly raised his submachine gun, aimed it at the room, and prepared to unleash a final, futile barrage of fire…

However, his finger had not yet pulled the trigger—

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Three precise bursts of fire came from outside the courtyard, from the direction of the west wing wall! The bullets seemed to have eyes; one hit Zheng Wenxi's right wrist, causing him to drop the submachine gun; another hit his left knee, causing him to scream and fall to his knees; and the last bullet pierced directly between his eyebrows!

Zheng Wenxi's ferocious expression froze. He fell backward, blood gushing from the bullet hole in his forehead and the wounds on his wrists and knees, quickly pooling beneath him.

A lithe figure, as agile as a monkey, leaped over the east wall of the west courtyard, landing silently. He carried a Type 56 semi-automatic rifle with a scope, wore the combat uniform of the Capital Guard Division, his face painted with camouflage paint, and his eyes were as cold as ice. He quickly surveyed the horrific scene inside the courtyard and buildings, and briefly reported into the walkie-talkie on his shoulder:

"Falcon One reports: West Wing under control. Three enemy agent corpses, one critically injured pregnant woman, and two critically injured guards have been discovered. Requesting immediate medical support! Repeat, immediate support!"

Behind him, more green figures surged in through the gap in the courtyard wall and the main gate, quickly taking control of key points. The true torrent of steel finally broke through all obstacles at this moment, firmly protecting this blood-soaked courtyard in its sturdy embrace.

Inside the room, Wang Chunhua and Lin Wei, seeing the familiar military uniform and the javelin-like figure standing upright, felt their tense nerves suddenly relax. Wang Chunhua slowly lowered her gun, looking at her husband, covered in blood but still kneeling protectively by the bedside, tears finally streaming down her face. Lin Wei managed a weak, comforting smile, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he couldn't hold on any longer. His vision went black, and he collapsed forward. Even before losing consciousness, he fell away from the bed…

The gunfire outside was rapidly shifting and diminishing towards the central courtyard. A glimmer of hope finally pierced through the thick fog of blood and smoke, illuminating this land that had just endured hell. However, the battle was not yet completely over; Wang Huanbo in the central courtyard and the people in the backyard were still awaiting their final salvation.