Courtyard House: From Deputy Division Commander to Civilian, Progressing All the Way

Their hands were clasped tightly together.

Lou Zhenhua felt the thick calluses on Lin Yang's palms, marks left from years of wielding guns and crawling on the edge of life and death. These young hands not only possessed the strength to crush an enemy's throat, but also held the power of life and death over the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill, and even his entire Lou family.

"Secretary Lin, if you and your wife are free this weekend, I would like to host a family dinner at home. Firstly, to welcome you back, and secondly, I would like to give you a more detailed report on the specific matters concerning the factory's equipment upgrade." Lou Zhenhua bowed slightly, his tone revealing utmost sincerity and respect.

Looking at Lou Bancheng, who once held sway in Beijing's business world, Lin Yang knew the unease and fear in Lou's heart.

In this great era of transition and upheaval, capitalists are like birds startled by the mere twang of a bow. They possess vast wealth and factories, yet in the new China where the proletariat is the master, they are constantly worried about their fate.

"Okay." Lin Yang released his hand and readily agreed, "I'll bring my partner over to bother you this weekend evening."

Upon hearing this, Lou Zhenhua's tense face finally broke into a relieved smile. The fact that this ruthless young Party Secretary was willing to come to his door meant that he was genuinely willing to give him a way out.

"Then I will welcome you with open arms in my humble abode! Secretary Lin, please rest well. I will take my leave now." Lou Zhenhua bowed again, then turned around and walked out of the courtyard with much more relaxed steps than when he arrived.

Watching Lou Zhenhua's figure disappear into the night, Tian Yu stepped forward, gently took Lin Yang's arm, and whispered, "Yangzi, this Director Lou seems to be really scared. However, the fact that he offered to donate funds to purchase Soviet equipment free of charge shows he has a high level of awareness."

Lin Yang turned around, took his wife's hand, and walked back into the house, closing the door behind him.

"Wife, you've only seen the first layer." Lin Yang picked up the cup of tea on the table, which had cooled down a bit, and drank it all in one gulp.

"The nature of capitalists is to pursue profit. The reason why Lou Zhenhua was willing to bleed so much money was not because he was so enlightened, but because he was smart. He saw the deeper meaning behind my assertion of authority in the factory today. He knew that if he dared to hold on to his money at this critical juncture and waited for the country to free up its resources, he would lose not only his wealth, but his life."

A shrewd glint flashed in Lin Yang's eyes: "This weekend's dinner isn't that simple. He's ostensibly treating me, but actually, he wants to test my limits. He wants to know how much his Lou family can actually retain in the upcoming wave of public-private partnerships."

Tian Yu nodded thoughtfully: "So what do you plan to do? Completely defeat him?"

"No." Lin Yang shook his head. "Our country is in dire need of rebuilding. We need talent like Lou Zhenhua—someone with management skills, connections, and capital. I don't want to defeat him; I want him to willingly hand over all his cards and completely tie himself to our nation's cause!"

……

Time flies, and it's the weekend.

In late autumn in Beijing, the evening wind carried a heavy chill. The poplar trees lining the streets had lost all their leaves, their bare trunks pointing straight to the sky.

A military jeep drove smoothly along the wide asphalt road and eventually entered a quiet, heavily guarded upscale residential area.

This place was once the residence of former Qing Dynasty officials and high-ranking officials during the Republic of China era. Although times have changed, those magnificent detached villas still demonstrate the extraordinary wealth of their owners.

The jeep stopped in front of a three-story villa with a huge European-style iron gate and a spacious courtyard.

Before the guard, Xiao Li, could even get out of the car and open the door, the heavy black iron door was already pushed open from the inside.

Lou Zhenhua was dressed in a sharp dark suit, his hair neatly combed. Standing beside him was a middle-aged woman, elegant and well-maintained, wearing a dark red velvet cheongsam. This was Lou Zhenhua's wife, Lou Tanshi.

The couple walked quickly to the car, their faces beaming with warm and respectful smiles.

The car door opened, and Lin Yang, dressed in a neat Zhongshan suit, led Tian Yu, who was dressed in a Lenin suit, out of the car.

"Secretary Lin! Madam Lin! Welcome, welcome! Your presence is an honor to my humble abode!" Lou Zhenhua warmly extended his hands.

Lin Yang smiled and shook hands with him: "Director Lou, you're too kind. There are no outsiders here today, just call me Lin Yang."

"How could I accept that? The rules can't be broken." Lou Zhenhua waved his hands repeatedly, then quickly introduced his wife to Tian Yu, "Mrs. Lin, this is my wife. When she heard you were coming today, she personally cooked several of her signature dishes."

Lou Tan stepped forward, affectionately took Tian Yu's hand, and exclaimed with admiration, "Madam Lin is so young and beautiful. Her figure and temperament are outstanding even in Beijing. Come on, it's windy outside, let's go inside and talk."

Tian Yu smiled gracefully and replied, "Madam Lou, you flatter me. I came in a hurry today and didn't bring any valuable gifts. These are some Northeast specialties that Lin Yang brought back from the army, along with two bottles of good wine. It's just a small token of my appreciation."

The guard, Xiao Li, handed over the mountain delicacies and two bottles of specially supplied Moutai that he was carrying.

Lou Zhenhua's pupils constricted sharply when he saw the two bottles of specially supplied Moutai, which had no labels and only white seals. He was a connoisseur and knew that this level of liquor was absolutely unavailable on the market; it was only issued to truly high-ranking military officers.

This made him feel even more awe towards Lin Yang's background.

The group walked through the courtyard filled with precious flowers and plants and entered the living room of the Western-style building.

Upon entering, an atmosphere of luxury immediately greets you.

A huge crystal chandelier cast a soft glow, and thick, handmade Persian carpets covered the floor, soft and plush to the touch. Against the wall stood a complete set of imported European leather sofas, and next to them, a rosewood display shelf was filled with priceless antique porcelain and jade carvings.

Any single piece of furniture in this living room would be enough to feed the ordinary people in this courtyard house for ten generations.

Lin Yang's gaze merely swept over these luxurious decorations, his eyes showing no surprise or greed, as calm as if he were looking at a pile of ordinary stones.

Lou Zhenhua, who had been secretly observing him, was secretly amazed by this composure.

If it were an ordinary local official, seeing such a scene for the first time, they would more or less show signs of bewilderment or shock. But Lin Yang seemed to be used to it, and his upright posture and imposing aura even subtly suppressed the luxury in the room.

"Secretary Lin, Madam Lin, please have a seat." Lou Zhenhua invited the two to sit on the main sofa, and then instructed the servants to serve tea.

Just then, light footsteps were heard on the spiral staircase leading to the second floor.

"Dad, Mom! Have we had some guests?"

Accompanied by a clear and melodious sound, a little girl, about ten years old, wearing a pink princess dress, ran down like a cheerful lark.