Siheyuan (traditional courtyard house): Starting with the Korean War, returning home to take charge

When the door to the General Staff meeting room opened, a thick, pungent smell of smoke rushed out. He Yuzhu walked in; the long table was full of people. Commander Chen stood in front of a map, his pointer pointing to the east coast of the United States and the Ural Mountains of the Soviet Union. He turned around, saw He Yuzhu, and nodded.

"sit."

He Yuzhu sat down. Commander Chen put his pointer on the table, but didn't sit; he remained standing.

"The Americans have expanded their 'super-powered forces' to 5,000 people. These bio-soldiers possess strength, speed, and regenerative abilities three to five times that of ordinary people. The Soviets also established a 'Red Transformation Battalion,' the number of which is unknown, but it is said to be no less powerful than the Americans."

He tossed a stack of photos onto the table. He Yuzhu picked them up and looked at them. Black and white, blurry photos. A group of tall white men in camouflage were fighting on a training field, their muscles bulging like small mountains. There were a few more photos next to them, from the Soviet Union, showing soldiers with arms thicker than an average person's thighs, their eyes vacant, like machines. He put the photos down; the edges were rough and prickly to the touch.

Commander Chen looked at him. "How's the progress on our exoskeleton and electromagnetic rifle?"

He Yuzhu opened his notebook. "Ten exoskeletons have been deployed to the special forces and are currently in training. Twenty electromagnetic rifles are also being tested. If mass production is implemented, the China Ordnance Industry Group can produce five hundred exoskeletons and one thousand electromagnetic rifles per year."

Commander Chen slammed his hand on the table. "Five hundred sets? The Americans have five thousand, and we only have five hundred?"

The room fell silent for a few seconds. Someone stubbed out their cigarette, someone else lowered their head. A young staff officer sitting in the corner put down his pen, tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table, and then stopped.

He Yuzhu didn't reply. He stared at the two red circles on the map for a few seconds. "Five hundred sets is the starting point. The production line is still being expanded; it will reach one thousand next year, and two thousand the year after. We have no shortage of materials, money, or people. What we lack is time."

Commander Chen looked at him. He didn't say anything.

A middle-aged man in plainclothes spoke up. His voice was hoarse, and he spoke slowly, as if he were carefully considering each word. "Director He, the higher-ups are taking the gene-editing drug matter very seriously. The Americans are developing bio-warriors, their approach is different from ours. But the underlying principles are the same."

He Yuzhu turned his head. "Who are you?"

"The State Security Bureau, surnamed Liu."

Officer Liu picked up his teacup, took a sip, but didn't swallow, holding it in his mouth for a long time before finally swallowing. "That gene-editing drug... someone up there can't sleep."

He Yuzhu did not respond.

Officer Liu put down his teacup and twirled his finger along the rim. "If the Americans steal it, they can create even more powerful bio-warriors."

He Yuzhu looked at him. "The core technology of Huayuan No. 1 is held by three state-owned enterprises: North China Pharmaceutical Factory, Shanghai Pharmaceutical Group, and Changchun Institute of Biological Products. The key personnel are all veteran Party members who have signed confidentiality agreements. The formula is divided into three parts, with each company managing one part, and production can only be carried out by combining them. Production records, raw material purchases, and the destination of finished products must all be reported. The State Security Bureau can check at any time."

Officer Liu nodded. He picked up his teacup, then put it down again. "Trust alone isn't enough. We need to lock it down legally."

Commander Chen continued, "What do you mean?"

"Classified as a state secret. Anyone who leaks it will be prosecuted for treason."

The room fell silent again. The windows were closed, and it was stuffy. Someone tugged at their collar.

Commander Chen looked at He Yuzhu. "Little He, what's your opinion?"

He Yuzhu thought for a moment. "I agree. Huayuan No. 1 isn't just a life-extending drug. Its technological approach can be used for genetic modification. If the Americans get the formula, the bio-warriors they develop won't be what they are now."

Commander Chen nodded. "Good. Classify it as a state secret. Anyone who leaks it will be severely punished."

No one spoke. The chair creaked, and someone shifted their position.

Commander Chen stood up and walked to the front of the map. His pointer pointed to the American East Coast, then to the Urals. "The Americans are expanding their military, and so are the Soviets. They're focusing on manpower; we're focusing on equipment. Exoskeletons, electromagnetic rifles, fusion batteries, the Huayuan-1 supercomputer. These are our advantages."

He turned to look at He Yuzhu. "You take the lead on the equipment. Within a year, exoskeletons will be deployed to one regiment, and electromagnetic rifles to one division. As for fusion batteries, Ma Yuejin needs to expedite the process."

He Yuzhu didn't reply immediately. He looked at the two red circles on the map for a few seconds. Then he spoke, his voice low. "Okay."

The meeting is adjourned.

The sound of chairs being moved filled the room. Someone coughed, someone closed their notebook. He Yuzhu was the last to stand up, his knees a little stiff. He pushed open the meeting room door; one of the corridor lights was broken, and the green light from the emergency exit illuminated the water stains on the floor, patch by patch.

Yang Xiaobing leaned against the wall, clutching a worn-out brown paper envelope in his hand. When he saw He Yuzhu come out, he straightened up, said nothing, and handed the envelope to him.

He Yuzhu took it. The envelope was a little damp; Yang Xiaobing had been holding it for too long, and sweat had soaked the corners of the paper. He tore it open and pulled out the telegram inside. There was only one line of text on the paper, copied in pencil, the handwriting messy.

"Pu Zheng signed an agreement with the CIA, exchanging the intelligence network of Manchu remnants on the mainland for permanent residency and protection."

He read the line of text twice. Then he folded it up, not putting it in his pocket, but folding it very small and stuffing it into the innermost pocket, close to his heart.

"When did this happen?"

Yang Xiaobing licked his lips. "Three days ago. Overseas Chinese witnessed it with their own eyes at the US Embassy in Brasilia."

He Yuzhu didn't speak. He turned around and walked to the window at the end of the corridor. The sky outside was overcast, threatening rain. The big-character posters on the courtyard wall had long been torn down, leaving the wall plastered and covered in paste stains.

He stood there for a while. He wasn't smoking; his hands were in his pockets, touching the small, folded envelope.

Pu Zheng sold off the Manchu remnant's intelligence network. With those lists in hand, the Americans could create even bigger chaos on the mainland.

He turned around. "Tell Lao Sun to intensify the investigation. Uncover the hidden spies."

Yang Xiaobing nodded, turned, and left. The sound of his footsteps faded into the distance in the corridor.

That evening, He Yuzhu sat alone in his office. He didn't turn on the light; the streetlights from outside shone in through the window, casting a dim glow in the room. He took the list out of his drawer, turned to the page on "US and USSR Responses," and added a few lines.

"The US super-powered forces have expanded to 5,000. A Soviet red-training battalion has been unveiled."

"Huayuan No. 1 is a state secret. Anyone who leaks it is guilty of treason."

"Accelerate the mass production of exoskeletons and electromagnetic rifles. One-year goal."

After finishing writing, put the list back and lock the drawer.

The phone rang. He answered it, and it was Sun Xiuying on the other end, her voice hoarse, as if she hadn't slept well for several days.

"Director He, the third batch of Huayuan No. 1 has been completed. Ten thousand units. People from the Safety Bureau came and checked the formula, process, and raw material suppliers. They checked for three days but found no problems."

He Yuzhu held the microphone. "Good investigation. We'll conduct regular checks from now on. Core technologies cannot be compromised."

Sun Xiuying responded. The phone call ended.

He stood up and walked to the window. The moon came out, shining white light on the courtyard wall. He drew the curtains.

Pu Zheng sold out the intelligence network. The Americans will get those lists, dig them out one by one, and try to bribe, threaten, and subvert them. Those lurking spies will start moving again.

He turned around, walked back to the table, and sat down. He took the list out of the drawer again, turned to the page with "Pu Zheng," and added a line.

"Pu Zheng signed an agreement with the US, exchanging his Manchurian intelligence network for permanent residency and protection."