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

boom!

These words were like an atomic bomb, detonating directly over the courtyard at No. 95!

Li Yunlong's birthday banquet?!

Go to celebrate the birthday of a renowned general who commands a large army and is famous throughout the land?!

Moreover, judging from Lin Fan's words, there might be other former leaders present?!

Yi Zhonghai felt a sudden darkness engulf him, his legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the cold ground. The rice bowl shattered, and cornmeal porridge spilled all over him, but he was completely unaware.

He knew that Lin Fan was trying to kill him by destroying his spirit!

This was a blatant declaration to everyone in the institute that the Lin family had completely escaped the mire of the lower classes. They were associating with the very core and elite power structure of the country!

And these clowns who jump around in the courtyard are not even qualified to carry other people's shoes!

He Daqing was so excited that he was trembling all over. He knew that he had made the right bet!

"Brother Lin! This is an incredible blessing for you! To be able to sit at the same table with those founding generals is something to brag about for a lifetime! Don't worry, if you want to eat anything these next few days, just tell me, and I, He Daqing, will prepare a variety of dishes for you, guaranteeing to make your complexion rosy and healthy so you can go and celebrate the leader's birthday!"

Lin Fan smiled and said nothing more. He followed Lin Yang and Tian Yu, and walked into the main room with his head held high under the extremely awe-inspiring, extremely jealous, and extremely fearful gazes of everyone in the courtyard.

The gate closed, cutting off the view from the outside, but it could not stop the beasts from the turmoil churning within their hearts.

……

Time flies like an arrow, and in the blink of an eye, it was Li Yunlong's forty-fifth birthday.

As dusk fell, the setting sun, like blood, dyed half the sky red.

A deep and powerful engine roar suddenly came from the alley of Nanluoguxiang.

The sound was much deeper and more imposing than the Jeep Lin Yang had ridden in before.

The residents of the alley all poked their heads out.

A dark green Soviet-made GAZ-69 military command vehicle, escorted by two sidecar motorcycles, slowly drove into the alley.

The guards on the motorcycles were fully armed, their faces stern. The GAZ command vehicle, with its bright red "military" prefix on the license plate, clearly indicated the extraordinary status of its owner.

This is a special car sent by the military region to pick up Lin Yang and take him to the banquet!

The convoy stopped in front of the gate of No. 95 Courtyard.

A major-ranking adjutant quickly jumped out of the car, walked to the gate of the courtyard, and stood at attention with his back straight.

At this moment, the people in the courtyard were already stunned into silence by this astonishing spectacle.

Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, Yan Bugui, and the others all hid behind the door, not daring to even breathe. They had never seen such a high-class military vehicle before, the kind they only saw in movies.

With a creak, the door to the main room of the Lin family's house opened.

Lin Yang was dressed in a crisp officer's uniform. Although he was not wearing a rank insignia (the rank system had not yet been officially implemented at the time, but the style of the uniforms was already distinguished), the rows of shining medals on his chest reflected a dazzling light in the afterglow of the setting sun.

That was the glory he forged with his blood and life!

Tian Yu wore a well-fitting dark red velvet dress with an overcoat, exuding elegance and grace, showcasing the dual qualities of a refined lady and a revolutionary female warrior.

Lin Fan, walking at the back, wore a brand-new serge Zhongshan suit, his leather shoes were shiny, and his hair was neatly combed. Although his hands were still slightly sweaty from nervousness, his eyes were no longer those of the cowardly bullied man he was ten years ago.

"Greetings, sir!" The major adjutant immediately gave Lin Yang a crisp military salute and loudly reported, "I've come on orders from Commander Li to welcome Deputy Division Commander Lin and his family to the banquet!"

"Thank you for your hard work." Lin Yang returned the salute.

The three men boarded the spacious GAZ command vehicle one by one.

"boom--"

The convoy sped away, leaving only a faint smell of gasoline.

Yi Zhonghai slumped against the doorframe, tears streaming down his face. He knew that from this day forward, he and the Lin family were from two different worlds.

……

The western suburbs of Sijiu City.

A heavily guarded military compound.

This place was once a prince's residence during the Qing Dynasty, and was later converted into the residence of high-ranking military officers.

At the entrance of the compound, sentry posts stand everywhere, one every three steps and another every five steps. Every vehicle entering or leaving undergoes strict inspection.

The GAZ command vehicle drove smoothly into the compound and finally stopped in front of an impressive banquet building.

Inside the building, the lights were bright and the place was bustling with activity.

Today, those who came to Li Yunlong's birthday banquet were all old comrades-in-arms and former commanders who had fought alongside him on the battlefield.

Instead of the luxurious Western-style long tables in the banquet hall, there were three large round tables. On the tables were boxes of specially supplied Moutai and Fenjiu liquor, as well as large platters of braised pork, roast chicken, and peanuts.

It is full of the rugged style of a military camp.

At this moment, the banquet hall was filled with brilliant generals.

"Old Li, you've really gone all out today! I've been eyeing this special-edition Moutai for ages, and you actually hid so much of it!"

The speaker was a lean, middle-aged general with eyes as sharp as a hawk. He was none other than Ding Wei, one of the "Iron Triangle" who were famous in northwestern Shanxi back then, and now the commander of a certain army and the commander of a garrison area!

Ding Wei was not only cunning in warfare, but also possessed an extremely sharp strategic vision. As he spoke, he unceremoniously tore open the seal on a bottle of Moutai.

"Ding Wei, you little brat, stop stealing from me! This wine is for our honored guests!" Li Yunlong snatched the wine bottle and glared at him with his bull-like eyes, cursing.

Sitting next to Ding Wei, puffing on his pipe, was another member of the "Iron Triangle," Kong Jie, who now also serves as a military commander.

Kong Jie remained as steady as a mountain, exhaling a puff of smoke as he slowly and deliberately said, "Old Li, you're putting on quite a show today. It's a reunion of old comrades, and you keep calling us 'distinguished guests.' Who is it anyway? Is the commander-in-chief coming?"

"Go away, go away! The boss is too busy to bother with a roughneck like me." Li Yunlong proudly raised his chin. "Let me tell you, this distinguished guest who's here today is our Fourth Field Army's precious gem! He's my savior!"

Seated in the main seat was an elderly general with gray hair, a kind face, and an imposing presence. He was the former brigade commander of the 129th Division, Li Yunlong's old superior, and now the deputy commander of the military region.

The old commander pointed at Li Yunlong and laughed, "You big-headed Li, stop being so mysterious. Who else could it be besides that kid from the Fourth Field Army nicknamed 'Living Yama' who could earn your complete respect and treat you like a distinguished guest?"

Upon hearing the words "Living Yama,"

The generals sitting at another table immediately perked up.

One of the generals, tall and imposing like a fierce tiger from Northeast China, suddenly slammed his hand on the table and stood up.

He was none other than Commander Liu of a certain corps in the Fourth Field Army back then, and also Lin Yang's former superior!