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

Li Yunlong slammed his fist on the table, making the peanuts in the plate jump high into the air: "Damn it! What are we afraid of! Those imperialists are just paper tigers! As long as they dare to extend their claws, I'll lead my troops to chop off their dog claws! My big knife has been itching for a long time!"

"Old Li, stop pretending!" Ding Wei rolled his eyes at him and calmly analyzed, "The war we're fighting now is different from the guerrilla warfare we waged in Shanxi back then. That was large-scale warfare, a contest of steel and logistics. Our heavy industry base is too weak now; we can't even build a few decent artillery pieces. If we really have to fight those heavily armed foreign devils head-on, how many of our soldiers' lives will we have to sacrifice?"

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.

Ding Wei was telling the truth: backwardness invites aggression; this is an eternal truth.

Just then, Lin Yang, who had been listening quietly, slowly put down his chopsticks.

He picked up a pack of Daqianmen cigarettes from the table, took one out, lit it, took a deep drag, and the pale blue smoke rose gently under the light.

"Commander Ding is right." Lin Yang's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a calm and collected air of someone in charge of the overall situation. "Modern warfare is all about steel and industrial base."

Lin Yang raised his head, his gaze sweeping over each of the veteran leaders present, his eyes revealing a far-sighted wisdom.

"Commendations, this is why, when the organization asked me to transfer to civilian work, I did not stay in the army, but chose to go to Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill without hesitation."

"A steel rolling mill?" Kong Jie took a puff of his pipe and asked, somewhat puzzled, "Yangzi, you're a military genius who can lead troops into battle. Isn't it a waste of your talents to manage a factory?"

"No, Commander Kong, this is not a waste of talent; on the contrary, it's an even more difficult battle!"

Lin Yang sat up straight and recounted in detail the ruthless methods he had employed at the steel rolling mill over the past few days.

"On my first day at the factory, I checked the accounts. The deputy director of logistics was embezzling supplies, and the production equipment was seriously outdated. If this situation is allowed to continue, the lifeline of our country's industry will be destroyed in the hands of these parasites."

Lin Yang spoke calmly, but every word he uttered sent chills down the spines of the generals present.

"I directly crushed that corrupt deputy factory director at the Party committee meeting with the account books, making him vomit up everything he had taken. Then, I took over the powerful people in charge of production."

"The most crucial one is that capitalist, Lou Zhenhua."

Lin Yang stubbed out his cigarette, a cold, sharp smile curving his lips.

"I went to his house in person. I didn't use a gun or any violence. I just talked to him about the trends of history and the power of the proletariat. I made it clear to him that if he dared to hold onto his shares, his whole family would be buried with the old era."

"And the result?" Li Yunlong asked impatiently, his eyes wide.

"As a result, he obediently handed over 100% of the factory's shares, sold 80% of his private assets, and donated gold and foreign exchange. This money was enough for us to go back to our Soviet big brother and buy back the most advanced steelmaking equipment and rolling mills!"

Lin Yang picked up his teacup to moisten his throat, and concluded emphatically, "In less than six months, the output of the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill will triple! At that time, our soldiers on the front lines will be able to use recoilless rifles made by ourselves, and new rifles made by ourselves!"

The entire banquet hall was deathly silent.

Everyone was stunned by Lin Yang's shrewd political maneuvering and far-sighted strategic vision.

Without firing a single shot, they subdued corrupt officials and capitalists, bringing in a large amount of foreign exchange and equipment to the depleted national treasury!

This is hardly something a nineteen-year-old could do! This is clearly the work of a cunning old fox who has spent half his life navigating the political arena!

"Good lad..." Zhao Gang gasped, his eyes filled with shock and admiration as he looked at Lin Yang. "Yangzi, your united front work is even more brilliant than mine, someone who's been a political commissar for over a decade! You got the money without firing a shot, and you've set a shining example of a patriotic capitalist for the country. How on earth is your brain working like that?"

Commander Liu was so excited that his face turned red, and he slammed his fist on the table: "Hahahaha! Do you see that? This is the kind of soldier my Fourth Field Army trained! They can kill the enemy on horseback and govern the country on foot! Excellent! Absolutely excellent!"

Lin Fan sat to the side, listening to his younger brother's insightful words, feeling his blood boil. Looking at Lin Yang's calm yet resolute profile, he felt an overwhelming surge of admiration. This was his brother—a great man who could not only change the fate of their Lin family, but also the fate of the nation!

"Commander!"

Just as everyone was marveling at Lin Yang's feat, Wei Heshang, who was in the corner, suddenly stood up.

He had drunk quite a bit today, and his bald head was as red as a ripe Guan Yu (a legendary Chinese general known for his martial arts prowess). The alcohol, combined with the thrilling tales he had just heard, had completely ignited his inner martial arts fanaticism.

Monk Wei strode to the center of the banquet hall and bowed to Lin Yang with a martial arts salute.

"Commander Lin! I'm just a rough man, and I don't understand those national affairs. I only know that back in Ping'an County, I was completely impressed by your skill in killing Japanese soldiers! Today, since you leaders are all in a good mood, I'd like to humbly ask to learn a few moves from you! Please grant my request!"

The atmosphere in the banquet hall changed instantly upon hearing this.

Li Yunlong was taken aback, then burst into laughter: "You frivolous monk, are you getting drunk? Fine! I'd like to see whether your Shaolin Kung Fu is more powerful, or Yangzi's killing skills honed from piles of corpses are more impressive!"

Ding Wei and Kong Jie chimed in, "Yangzi, go! Loosen this kid's bones! Don't let him think he's invincible just because he carried water at Shaolin Temple for a few years!"

Lin Fan nervously tugged at Lin Yang's sleeve: "Yangzi, this... will this work? He looks as strong as an ox."

Lin Yang patted his older brother's hand to reassure him.

He stood up, took off his crisp military jacket, and handed it to Tian Yu. He was only wearing a thin white shirt underneath, with the top two buttons undone, revealing his strong, muscular collarbone.

"Monk, since you're itching to stretch your muscles, I'll help you." Lin Yang twisted his neck, making a "crackling" sound as his bones popped.

"Come on, let's go to the yard!"

The crowd cheered and, holding their wine bowls, escorted the two out of the banquet hall.

Outside in the courtyard, fine snowflakes began to fall.

The cold moonlight shone on the bluestone slabs covered with a thin layer of snow, and a biting wind blew. But everyone present had drunk strong liquor, and instead of feeling cold, they felt their blood boiling.