Returning to 1949, I decided to hand it over to the state.

Jiang Fan plopped down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and a layer of white sweat instantly broke out on his back.

He glanced at his wrist instinctively.

The watch face remained firmly attached to the skin, and the countdown numbers continued to tick: [71:42:12].

Less than three days left.

His brows furrowed into a tight knot, and his mind was buzzing.

"Could it be... that this watch is a medium? A portal? Or even a spacetime anchor?" This thought struck like a thunderbolt.

Thinking hard!

But only this explanation makes sense:

Why did he find himself in that strange, white space? Why was there a countdown accurate to the second? And why did it fall on June 1, 1949?

This damn watch, in some way he couldn't comprehend, was pinning him to this historical juncture.

Three days from now, when the countdown reaches zero, that may be the day he goes home!

This realization calmed him down a little, but what followed was an even greater surge of anxiety.

Three days!

How did they survive in 1949, when they were unfamiliar with the place and didn't even have an ID card?

Although the Northeast had been liberated, it was still not peaceful.

Where to stay? What to eat?

If you were to run into bandits, or be arrested by passing field troops who mistook you for an enemy agent, you would be in deep trouble and unable to clear your name.

Just as he was lost in thought and sweating profusely, Aunt Su walked in warmly, carrying an enamel mug.

"Come on, Tiger, have some water. It's so hot today."

Jiang Fan took the jar, but his mind was entirely focused on the survival crisis. He only heard bits and pieces of Aunt Su's words, nodding out of politeness and reflex, a smile plastered on his face.

"It's good, it's good..."

Seeing his absent-minded appearance, Aunt Su assumed he was just tired from the journey and didn't think much of it. She sat down on the other side of the kang (a heated brick bed), wiped her hands with the hem of her clothes, and said:

"Tiger, you came back specifically to answer the call to rebuild Anshan Iron and Steel, right?"

"The factory is hiring on a massive scale these days, and they're opening registration today!"

"Building Ansteel?!"

Jiang Fan suddenly snapped out of his daze; those four words were like lightning cleaving through the fog.

Yup!

Just now, in my dazed state, didn't I hear them talking about Ansteel recruiting people?

Since we're going to be trapped for three days, we can't just sleep on the streets.

If I could get into the factory, even as a temporary worker, at least I'd have a hot meal and a place to shelter from the wind and rain.

Once the countdown ends, just pack up and leave without anyone noticing.

This is simply a perfect shelter created by nature!

It's safe, and you can also get a close look at what the first generation of Ansteel looked like.

Upon realizing this, the smile on Jiang Fan's face instantly became more genuine, and he immediately seized the opportunity, slapping his thigh:

"Hey. Aunt Su, you're right. My dad went to Shenyang, but he still keeps thinking about the development of his hometown, so he specially asked me to come back."

"They said young people should contribute to the country and make Ansteel a decent company."

Aunt Su was overjoyed and patted Jiang Fan's arm hard.

"Good lad, you've got potential! That's great! It just so happens that your Uncle Jiang also works at the factory, so you two can look after each other!"

"Uncle Jiang...?" Jiang Fan's heart skipped a beat.

Also surnamed Jiang?

Are there really that many people with the surname Jiang in this area?

He suppressed his strange feeling and exchanged a few more pleasantries before learning that the Uncle Jiang that Aunt Su mentioned was the same couple they had talked about earlier. They worked as technicians in the factory, but were illiterate and only did manual labor.

Since that's the case, let's not delay!

Having made up his mind, Jiang Fan immediately got up to say goodbye:

"Aunt Su, then I won't linger any longer. I need to hurry over to the Ansteel plant area and register first, so I don't miss out."

"I'll come back and have a good chat with you after I'm settled in."

"Yes, yes, you have to be efficient." Aunt Su was even more pleased to see his positive attitude and quickly got up to give him directions.

"Look, once you leave, just keep walking in the direction of that tallest and thickest chimney. When you see a big iron gate and a line of people, that's Ansteel. The factory is huge, so don't get lost."

"Okay, I'll remember. Thank you, Aunt Su." Jiang Fan nodded sincerely.

As Jiang Fan walked out of the courtyard gate, he turned back and saw Aunt Su still waving at the door, and his heart felt inexplicably warm.

She's kind-hearted, a typical Northeastern auntie.

Unlike his generation, where people might live upstairs or downstairs for ten years and still not know each other, his hometown was the best.

He shook his head with a sigh, then turned and strode off in the direction Aunt Su had pointed.

The closer you get to the city center, the clearer the scenery becomes.

Along the roadside, there were quite a few former Japanese-style izakayas, with bullet holes and rough patches remaining on the walls of many houses.

In the distance, several huge chimneys pierced the sky, spewing out white smoke.

Jiang Fan wasn't very surprised; he was very familiar with this period of history.

In August 1945, when the Soviet army withdrew, it dismantled almost all of Anshan Iron and Steel's key equipment, and destroyed what it could not take with it.

Then, in February 1948, the Kuomintang called in American bombing during their retreat, which made matters worse.

The ruins and devastation before us are the deep scars left by that catastrophe.

The city's recovery now revolves around Ansteel, the cradle of China's steel industry, as it struggles to restart.

Looking at all this, Jiang Fan smiled self-deprecatingly.

It seems that in the next few days, we'll have to see for ourselves what it means to "have lofty aspirations despite sacrifices, and dare to change the world."

However, it must be said that the air in 1949 was indeed ridiculously good.

There was no exhaust fumes, no smog; every breath carried the clear scent of grass and earth, refreshingly cool and invigorating.

After walking for about half an hour, the view suddenly opened up.

A huge factory area stretched out in front of us.

The wall is mottled and damaged in many places, and the gate stone engraved with "Showa Steel Works" is even broken in two.

He stood outside the bustling crowd, gazing at the scene of everything waiting to be rebuilt, and secretly marveled.

This is nothing like the modern steel city of later generations, full of high technology and garden-like scenery.

The gap is just too big.

But all of this did not deter the long queues forming at the factory gate.

There were people of all ages, but most of them were young people of similar age to him, mostly dressed in simple short-sleeved cloth clothes.

In contrast, his T-shirt and jeans make him look like a complete oddity.

However, Jiang Fan had already prepared his explanation: the foreign goods were his own, but he had come back specifically to serve Ansteel!

He straightened his collar and stepped into the back of the line.

His incongruous attire indeed caused a stir in the small area. Several teenagers behind him nudged each other and whispered among themselves, their eyes filled with curiosity and a hint of barely perceptible envy.

Fortunately, the procession moved quickly. The person in front gave their name and address, and the clerk at the registration desk quickly completed the registration.

Before long, it was Jiang Fan's turn.

Sitting behind the long table was a female cadre wearing a Zhongshan suit and an octagonal cap.

She was engrossed in writing the previous message when she heard footsteps. Without looking up, she casually said:

"Hello, comrade."