Courtyard Houses: Starting with Li Yunlong's Comrades-in-Arms

The meeting room was quiet. Occasionally, someone would whisper to the person next to them, but most people just sat there, glancing towards the door every now and then.

About ten minutes later, footsteps were heard in the corridor, and Liu Yuheng arrived at the conference room door.

The staff of the Second Ministry of Machine Building were already waiting at the door. As he approached, they immediately came forward to report: "Minister Liu, all 26 Grade 8 workers from various factories have arrived and are waiting inside."

Liu Yuheng nodded without saying anything more. He straightened the collar of his Zhongshan suit, adjusted his collar, and then pushed open the door and went inside.

The hushed conversation in the conference room fell silent the moment he stepped across the threshold, and more than twenty pairs of eyes turned to the doorway, landing on the tall, composed middle-aged man.

Liu Yuheng walked to the head seat and stood there, his gaze sweeping around the conference room.

"Comrades, good afternoon. I am Liu Yuheng, Vice Minister of the Second Ministry of Machine Building. I have invited you all here today because I have a task for you to complete." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the faces again. "You are all the best among the skilled workers in Beijing and the surrounding factories. You are all level eight workers, master craftsmen. The time has come when the Party and the people need you."

"This is a top-secret mission. The location is unknown, the time is unknown, you cannot know where you are going, nor can you know the work you are going to do. I can only tell you that this is a project that will benefit future generations and the people of the whole country. The motherland will remember your contributions, and the people will remember your contributions."

He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping from left to right, his tone devoid of any coercion: "If any comrades do not wish to participate, you may stand up now and walk out this door. Forget everything you heard here today as soon as you leave, go back to your original units and continue working; no one will investigate, and it will have no impact whatsoever. Anyone wishing to withdraw?"

A moment of silence fell over the meeting room. The twenty-odd people looked at each other, some lowering their heads, some clutching the fabric at their knees, and some glancing at the person next to them. The silence lasted for about half a minute; no one stood up.

Then, an older worker sitting by the window stood up: "Minister Liu, I'd like to ask, can we know what the mission is? We don't need to find out any secrets, we just want to have some idea of ​​what it is."

Liu Yuheng looked at him, shook his head, and said frankly and solemnly, "Not now. If you are willing to accept the mission, you will know the details when you get there. I can only tell you now that this is a top-secret project related to the country's security and development. You may stay for a long time, possibly several years, and you may have to live under assumed names and not tell your family where you went or what you did. This is a big deal, and also a tough job."

After listening, the old worker remained silent for two or three seconds, then slammed his fist on the table: "Damn it! We're old and we have to give it our all! We can't let this life go to waste! We missed the fight against the Japanese, and we missed the fight against Chiang Kai-shek, but this is the time when the country needs us. If we back down, we'll be ashamed to face our ancestors!"

As soon as he said that, the atmosphere in the conference room seemed to be ignited by something.

Several people nearby stood up, echoing one after another: "Me too!" "Count me in!" "Minister Liu has already put it so clearly, what's there to hesitate about!"

Fang Tie, who was sitting next to Liang Cheng, also stood up, his voice louder than anyone else's: "Go! Why wouldn't you go! You can't let your skills, those of an eighth-grade craftsman, rot in the factory!"

Liu Yuheng waited for a while, and seeing that no one raised any further objections or stood up to walk towards the door, he nodded: "Alright. Since everyone is willing to go, let me say a few more things. First, we'll be departing this afternoon. You can go home now, accompanied by security personnel, to collect your luggage, and then return to the Second Ministry of Machine Building to assemble. Second, this mission is top secret. Don't tell your parents, wives, or children. When you go back to pack your luggage, you must not reveal to anyone anything you heard here today, including where you're going, what you're going to do, or who you're going with."

These words immediately sparked a murmur of discussion in the conference room. Some people were taken aback, clearly not expecting things to happen so quickly.

A worker sitting in the corner, at the eighth level, raised his hand, his voice carrying a hint of pleading: "Minister Liu, could you grant me a day's grace? I'll go home tonight and tell my family, and then come to the assembly point tomorrow morning. If I leave like this, my family won't be prepared at all, and I'm afraid they'll worry."

Liu Yuheng looked at him and shook his head: "No. After you get there, you can write back. The organization will arrange for someone to talk to your families back home, so they won't be left unattended."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone's faces. "I know this is sudden, and I know you're all upset. But a mission is a mission. Go back and pack your things now—change of clothes, essential tools, everything you can take. Each person can bring one suitcase, but don't bring too many."

A few seconds of silence followed, then everyone stood up one by one. Some sighed, some shook their heads, and some whispered something to the person next to them. One by one, they walked towards the door.

Each time someone left, a guard with a pistol would follow them at the gate. He wouldn't say much, just walk quietly beside them, accompanying them home, to collect their luggage, and back to the Second Ministry of Machine Building.

Liang Cheng walked towards the back of the crowd. As he passed Liu Yuheng, he paused slightly. Liu Yuheng nodded at him, his gaze carrying a complex expression that others couldn't decipher, but he didn't say anything more.

Liang Cheng sighed, his lips moved, but he didn't say anything in the end. He just nodded and turned to walk towards the door. When he reached the door, a young guard came up to him, nodded, and the two of them went down the corridor one after the other.

The conference room gradually emptied. Liu Yuheng stood beside the head of the table, watching the chairs become empty one by one, watching the figures disappear one by one through the door, and remained silent for a long time.