Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

In November 1958, the autumn air in Beijing was crisp and clear. A fresh industrial atmosphere quietly swept through the airport and streets after the dust had settled.

This time, the Soviet expert team that traveled a long distance to aid China consisted of a full three hundred people, far exceeding the scale of previous small-scale technical assistance. These three hundred experts were all top-notch backbone personnel carefully selected from within the Soviet industrial system, covering six core fields: steel, automobiles, aviation, general machinery, power engineering, and fine chemicals. The team was well-structured and had a complete hierarchy, including chief engineers who oversaw projects and controlled the overall situation, senior engineers who were deeply involved in technology and tackled difficult problems, and experienced front-line technical experts who were good at practical implementation.

At a time when China's industry is in dire need of rebuilding and there is a severe shortage of high-end technical talent, this group of foreign elites who are capable of fighting and winning are exactly the scarce resources that major state-owned factories in China are eagerly awaiting.

Considering the long journey and fatigue of the group, the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after discussion, arranged for all Soviet experts to stay at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse to rest and recuperate. High-quality food and lodging were provided, and the guests were treated with utmost courtesy. Once they had adjusted to the local climate and environment, they would be assigned to various state-owned factories across the country to provide technical assistance based on the actual needs and project requirements of major factories nationwide.

In the hotel corridor, occasionally a tall, imposing "accompanying staff member" would stroll by, their gaze seemingly casual as they scanned the surrounding security deployment, yet they silently memorized the entire perimeter. No one could count how many pairs of eyes with ulterior motives were hidden within the three-hundred-person expert team. Beneath the calm surface of the guests' apparent enjoyment, a chill had already crept in.

Unlike the undercurrents swirling in the hotel, the workshops and laboratories of Red Star United Industrial Corporation were bustling with activity and a clear, bright atmosphere. Since returning from the Iron Man dimension, Wang Huanbo had enjoyed several rare days of leisure and comfort. Without the disturbances of court intrigues or the entanglements of espionage, he spent his days rooted in the factory, engaged in in-depth research, and with his family, leading a peaceful and fulfilling life.

Through the central government's personal selection and unified allocation, six outstanding recent graduates from top universities in China were officially assigned to the Hongxing General Factory to become Wang Huanbo's disciples. They formed a dedicated technical research team and became the new generation of industrial research sparks in China.

In the lab, the six of them each had their own area to manage, working together seamlessly. Chen Zhiyuan, a mechanical engineering graduate from Tsinghua University, frowned as he calculated the chassis blueprints, his pen moving steadily and his logic meticulous, controlling the core framework of the entire vehicle structure; Su Xiaomei, a physics prodigy from Peking University, held a new material sample, her fingertips tracing the surface of the sample, carefully checking every mechanical parameter; Zhao Dayong and Sun Xiaoyan from Harbin Institute of Technology debated assembly tolerances around the engine prototype, one debugging and the other calculating data, their lively argument landing on solid ground; Li Mo from Beijing Institute of Technology typed commands into the second-generation Longteng-2 computer, debugging the electrical automation program; Zhou Yaqin from Beihang University stood aside, correcting the vehicle's streamline by referring to aerodynamic data.

Each of the six individuals possesses unique strengths, precisely covering the entire industry chain from vehicle R&D, structural design, materials engineering, powertrain systems, electrical automation, to precision manufacturing. From the day they began their apprenticeship, they have been deeply involved in a series of national-level core projects, including truck iteration and imitation, independent R&D of new buses, and the on-site debugging of microcomputers. They are rooted in the front lines and practice the entire process, rapidly honing their skills and accumulating experience in real-world scenarios.

With the full assistance of Wang Huanbo's self-developed second-generation Longteng-2 microcomputer, massive amounts of data were rapidly extrapolated and complex parameters were precisely calibrated, eliminating redundant steps of repeated manual calculations and propelling the research and development process forward at breakneck speed. Under Wang Huanbo's generous guidance and with the support of top-notch equipment, the six gifted students made rapid progress, completing a technological transformation in just a few days and successfully developing China's first domestically produced bus with completely independent intellectual property rights, the Hongxing-1.

For the six individuals, the short period spent studying under Wang Huanbo yielded a far greater gain in cutting-edge theories, practical experience, and research thinking than four years of textbook learning in university. Wang Huanbo's research philosophy, which breaks free from the shackles of traditional industry and connects with the future, along with his unconventional approach to problem-solving, completely opened a new door to the six's scientific research world. They benefited immensely, rapidly transforming from inexperienced recent graduates into capable young technical backbones.

Besides teaching and mentoring, and leading research and development teams, Wang Huanbo spends his days leading key technical personnel and six apprentices throughout the Hongxing main factory and all its branches, conducting comprehensive inspections of every piece of equipment, every workshop, and every production line to identify potential hazards. Walking through the workshops, passing workers greet him with smiles, and he nods in response. He can easily point out issues like an off-clock lubrication cycle on a machine tool or an incorrectly tightened transmission belt—his observations are always spot-on. From minor issues like worn parts and parameter deviations to major problems like aging equipment and process loopholes, everything is registered and rectified on the spot, thoroughly eliminating potential equipment hazards in the factory, solidifying the foundation for mass production, and ensuring the efficient, stable, and safe operation of all production lines.

By day, Wang Huanbo is a meticulous and steady chief engineer who leads the future of China's industry, and a mentor who imparts knowledge, teaches skills, and helps people overcome challenges. But after he takes off his work clothes and finishes his work, he is simply a gentle and caring father.

As the sun sets and night falls, the west courtyard of No. 95 courtyard house is filled with warmth.

The main room was lit by a warm yellow electric light. Lou Xiao'e had just warmed a bowl of sweet soup when Wang Huanbo quietly carried Yan Yan out of the inner room. The little girl was wrapped in a floral cotton quilt, her bright black eyes wide open, her tiny fists tightly gripping his sleeve. Wang Huanbo wasn't annoyed. He sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) in that position, lowered his head, and gently rubbed his forehead against his daughter's soft cheek, making the little girl giggle.

Looking at her daughter's rosy and adorable face, all the fatigue from a day of scientific research and factory inspections vanished instantly.

Lou Xiao'e brought over the sweet soup, and looking at his hands, usually so used to holding blueprints and screwing in parts, and the way he carefully cradled their daughter's tiny body, a smile never faded from her lips. Previously, during her seventh month of pregnancy, she had been ambushed by enemy agents at her wedding banquet. The extreme shock and trauma nearly caused her to give birth prematurely, and she ultimately gave birth to their daughter, Yan Yan, with great difficulty. At that time, she was constantly anxious, always feeling that she hadn't been able to give Wang Huanbo a son to continue the family line, fearing that her excellent and accomplished husband would be dissatisfied.

After spending several months together, Wang Huanbo's doting affection for his daughter completely dispelled all her concerns. Wang Huanbo never favored boys over girls; on the contrary, he showered his younger daughter, Yan Yan, with affection, dedicating half an hour every day without fail to spend quality time with her, showing gentle patience and boundless pampering. This genuine fatherly love put Lou Xiao'e at ease, and she secretly resolved to give Wang Huanbo a son in the future, so that she could have both a son and a daughter and a complete family.

Unbeknownst to anyone, beneath this tender affection lay Wang Huanbo's secret protection.

Unseen by others, a faint, warm white light seeped from his fingertips into his daughter's swaddling clothes, like warm water enveloping a tender sprout, silently nourishing the little one's meridians, physique, and internal organs, repairing the congenital weakness caused by premature birth, and gradually strengthening the foundation of her body. Yan Yan yawned slightly, snuggled closer to him, and slept even more soundly.

The daily, subtle nurturing yielded remarkable results. During each checkup, the pediatricians who consulted her were consistently amazed, stating that Yan Yan's physical development and overall energy far surpassed that of full-term infants of the same age, showing absolutely no signs of premature weakness and possessing excellent physical condition. Upon learning the results, Wang Huanbo and Lou Xiao'e were finally relieved of their last remaining worries.

As night deepened, the courtyard houses sank into slumber, with only a faint light shining through the paper windows of the west wing, peaceful and full of the warmth of everyday life.

In the shadows at the alley entrance, a figure glanced at the courtyard gate from afar, then silently disappeared into the night—Li Keqin's silent investigation never stopped.

Several kilometers away at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, Vasily closed the folder of publicly available information about the Red Star Factory, tapped the three characters "Wang Huanbo" lightly with his fingertips, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

Inside the courtyard, life is peaceful and the family is warm; outside, undercurrents surge and danger lurks at every turn.

Wang Huanbo continued to live a calm and composed life, focusing on education, industrial development, and family care. He seemed immersed in a stable life and scientific research, unaware that two invisible nets had been quietly laid out, and countless tests and conspiracies were slowly approaching him and the Red Star General Factory.