Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

Office of the Technical Section Chief of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill in Beijing.

Wang Huanbo had just finished reviewing an equipment modification plan and rubbed his temples. Outside the window, it was late autumn, and a north wind was picking up. Production in the factory was in full swing, and the animals in the yard had temporarily fallen silent; life seemed to have entered a tense calm.

At this moment, the factory office clerk delivered a thick airmail letter bearing a Hong Kong postmark.

Wang Huanbo's heart stirred, and he opened the letter. Inside were letters from his father, Wang Jinshan, his elder brother, Wang Huanfa, his elder sister, Wang Huanshuang, and his brother-in-law, Situ Nianhua, detailing the progress of the "Eastern Project": the details of the alliance with the Huo family, Wanda Real Estate's instant success, the grand opening of Carrefour supermarkets, the popularity of instant noodles in Hong Kong, and the initial launch of the Southeast Asian expansion... The letters were filled with admiration and joy for Wang Huanbo's foresight.

At the end of the letter, the father wrote: "Bo'er, your vision far surpasses that of your father and brothers. Thanks to your planning, the family business is thriving day by day. Moreover, you have your heart set on the motherland and are making preparations for the future. This makes your father very gratified. However, a foreign land is not where our roots are. While you are in the capital, be careful in everything you do. Do not worry about the family business. Focus on serving your country. When the time is right, father and son will surely be reunited."

Seeing his father's earnest instructions and hearing the news of the family business's booming development, Wang Huanbo smiled with satisfaction. Everything was proceeding according to plan. The establishment of the Hong Kong base gave him greater confidence in facing future challenges.

However, this letter didn't bring only good news. The eldest brother, Wang Huanfa, also mentioned in the letter the escalating McCarthyism in the United States. Although Carrefour's expansion wasn't severely hampered by internal optimization and logistical advantages, it still felt the chill. Some Chinese-American scientists (such as the "Qian Lao" mentioned in the letter) were facing difficult circumstances. Wang Huanfa wrote worriedly: "What my brother Bo worried about has become a reality. The storms here will likely not subside in the short term. Fortunately, my brother Huanbo has great foresight, and we made early preparations, allowing us to remain calm and composed."

Wang Huanbo put down the letter, walked to the window, and gazed at the gray sky, his heart heavy. The wheels of history rolled onward; what was destined to happen would eventually come. He could change his family's fate and even influence the business landscape to some extent, but in the face of great power rivalry and the tides of the times, individual strength was ultimately limited. All he could do now was use his foresight to accumulate as much power as possible—whether in technology, resources, or connections—to prepare his Noah's Ark for the coming storm.

"Section Chief, Factory Director Yang would like to invite you to the conference room to discuss next year's production plan," Technician Xiao Liu reported at the door.

Wang Huanbo composed himself and regained his usual calm: "Okay, I'll be right there."

He locked the family letters in a drawer, where a thick stack of letters from Hong Kong and the United States had accumulated. These letters were his umbilical cord connecting him to the outside world, and also a testament to his grand plans. Right now, his most important stage was still this Red Star Steel Rolling Mill. Only by achieving greater success here and gaining more influence could his visionary strategies play a crucial role in the future.

As he stepped out of the office, the image of the gentle yet resolute technical expert reappeared. No one knew that this young section chief was brewing a grand strategy concerning the fate of the nation. The minor disturbances in the courtyard were, to him, merely a trivial interlude on the sidelines of this grand scheme. The real thunder was yet to come, but he could already hear its faint rumble.