Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

In their miniature world, the three stared in disbelief at everything before them. Beneath their feet lay fertile black soil; in the distance, rolling, verdant mountains stretched out; nearby, a crystal-clear river meandered, its waters teeming with fish. The sky possessed a strange, uniform brightness; there was no sun, no moon, no stars, yet the entire world was bathed in a soft, warm light. The air was so fresh it almost intoxicated them; each breath carried the fragrance of grass and earth, bringing an unprecedented sense of comfort to their weary bodies.

"Where...where is this?" Seiichi Yamashita murmured to himself, his voice filled with shock and fear, thinking that he was dreaming, or that he had died and come to another world.

"My world." He Damin's voice was like a booming bell, echoing throughout the space, carrying an undeniable authority.

The three men stared at each other, a mixture of fear and awe gripping them, almost causing them to collapse to the ground. This man was no ordinary person—was he a god? Or a devil?

He Damin ignored their shock and fear. He randomly marked out an area on the vast plain and with another thought, countless steel, cement, and gravel appeared out of thin air. Under his control, they seemed to come alive, rapidly assembling and building. In just a few minutes, a brand-new, standard industrial plant rose from the ground—a sturdy steel frame, a smooth cement floor, a complete ventilation system, and even water and electricity pipes were already laid out and neatly arranged on the walls.

"This will be your workshop from now on," He Damin's voice rang out again. "Write down what tools and materials you need on a piece of paper and give it to me. Your job is to build those machines according to the blueprints."

Masao Kobayashi mustered his last bit of courage and asked in a trembling voice, "How long...how long are we going to stay here?" He missed home and his family.

He Damin glanced at him, his tone calm: "Once you've built the equipment and can reliably produce the kind of glass fiber I need, I'll consider letting you go. But until then..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but all three understood his meaning. If they failed to complete the mission, or if they harbored any disloyalty, they might never be able to leave this seemingly beautiful place, which was like a prison.

Under the horrified and desperate gazes of Kobayashi Masao and the others, He Damin's figure gradually became transparent and eventually disappeared completely into this strange space.

It was 3 a.m. when I returned to the villa on Victoria Peak. The night was cool and still, and the villa was completely silent.

Chen Xueru was fast asleep, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath her eyelids, her breathing even and deep. He Damin tiptoed to the bedside, gently lay down, and didn't disturb her. He lay on his side, staring at the ceiling, his mind racing with calculations.

With the addition of three Japanese "tools" to the small world, the first step in fiber optic manufacturing has finally been taken. With them, the realization of those sophisticated devices becomes possible.

But fiber optic cables alone are not enough.

To build a truly global internet, a massive amount of fiber optic cables needs to be laid—submarine cables spanning oceans and terrestrial cables connecting continents. This requires a huge quantity of optical fiber, more advanced and efficient manufacturing equipment, and a larger workforce with the relevant technologies.

He only has three people now. That's far from enough.

He closed his eyes, and his consciousness sank back into his little world.

The three of them, including Kobayashi Masao, were too scared to sleep. They were huddled around the equipment blueprint, discussing it nervously in the soft light of the room. When they saw He Damin's figure reappear without warning, the three of them were terrified and immediately knelt down with a thud, not daring to lift their heads.

He Damin ignored their respect and walked directly to the other end of the plain. With a thought, he retrieved a batch of supplies from his spatial storage—supplies he had created in his small world using his divine sense and the world's power. Among them were ultra-precision ball bearings, highly sensitive temperature control instruments, compact yet powerful servo motors, and various specifications of special alloy materials.

"Is this enough?" he asked the three people kneeling on the ground, pointing to the mountain of precision parts piled on the ground.

Masao Kobayashi cautiously raised his head, and when he saw the precision of the parts, his eyes widened instantly, almost popping out of their sockets. The precision of these bearings far exceeded his expectations; they were so smooth to the touch that there wasn't a trace of resistance. The temperature control instruments were accurate to three decimal places and had automatic recording and adjustment functions. The servo motor was only the size of a palm and very lightweight, but the torque listed in the manual was astonishingly high.

"Enough...enough! Absolutely enough!" Kobayashi Masao's voice trembled with excitement. These devices were the treasures he had always dreamed of! With these, the success rate of manufacturing the equipment on the blueprints had increased by at least half!

He Damin nodded, his face still expressionless.

"Within a month, I want to see the prototype of the first wire drawing tower. Within two months, I want to see a sample capable of drawing qualified glass fibers." His tone left no room for argument, carrying a commanding air.

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the three with an almost tangible intensity, carrying an invisible pressure: "If you do well, there will be a reward. Anything you want, as long as I can do it, I'll consider. If you don't—"

He didn't finish his sentence again, but the murderous intent contained in his unfinished words made the three of them feel as if they had fallen into an ice cave, almost unable to breathe.

"Yes! Yes! We will do our best! We will definitely finish on time!" The three men kowtowed desperately, their foreheads hitting the ground with a "thump, thump" sound, not daring to slack off in the slightest.

He Damin didn't linger, and his figure disappeared again.

The morning sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains into the bedroom, casting a golden band of light on the floor. Chen Xueru slowly woke up and found that He Damin was already up, standing in front of that familiar French window.

"Up so early again? Didn't you sleep at all last night?" She rubbed her eyes, sat up, and spoke in a sleepy voice.

He Damin turned around, a faint smile on his face: "No, I slept for a while. I saw you were sleeping so soundly, I didn't want to wake you."

Looking at his profile, Chen Xueru felt that her husband seemed a little different today, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. His eyes remained deep, as if they held endless secrets.

"Brother Damin," she asked softly, walking to his side and habitually taking his arm, "Are you thinking about something far away again?" A woman's intuition is always very sharp.

He Damin looked down at her, reached out and brushed the stray hairs from her forehead, then nodded solemnly: "Yes." He paused, his tone carrying a hint of unwavering determination, "It's a very far-reaching and significant matter."

Chen Xueru didn't ask what it was about. She knew that He Damin was thinking about big things. All she needed to do was support him. She gently rested her head on his arm, feeling the warmth and strength emanating from him.

Outside the window, the morning light over Victoria Harbour grew brighter, golden sunlight spilling across the sea and bathing the vibrant city in its glow. Cargo ships came and went, their horns blaring, filling the air with energy.

In He Damin's little-known world, three technicians from the Japanese army, filled with fear, awe, and a sliver of hope for survival, began their forced but potentially world-changing work: manufacturing the first truly functional fiber optic communication equipment in human history.