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

He Yuzhu stuffed the report documents into his briefcase, but the zipper got stuck. He pulled it open forcefully. Outside, dawn was just breaking. Qin Huairu was heating porridge in the kitchen; the sound of the pot lid hitting the rim echoed from the hallway. He didn't eat; he drank a couple of sips of cold water and went out.

On the train, he flipped through the documents one last time. His fingers touched the two lead characters "Yanhuang," the ink slightly raised. He closed the folder, watching the street scene flash by outside the window—white smoke rising from a soy milk shop, an old man in a military overcoat pedaling a tricycle, a little girl chasing after a bus. He didn't know what Beijing would be like seven years later, but he knew that in Jiuquan in 1985, the Kunlun spacecraft had to stand on its launch pad.

The car drove into the sea. The sentry glanced at the identification inside the car and waved it through. He Yuzhu got out of the car, a gray stain on his trousers from the car door. He bent down and patted it a couple of times, but it wasn't clean, so he gave up. Lin Jianguo, holding a manila envelope, stood on the steps waiting for him.

"Dean He, my palms are sweaty."

"Wipe it on your pants."

The long table in the conference room was covered with a white tablecloth, and each teacup was steaming. He Yuzhu sat down, the chair making a soft thud. He glanced around—Deputy Director Liu, Director Zhou, Old Zhang from the Science and Technology Commission, and three or four other men in military uniforms. The head seat was empty.

Deputy Director Liu picked up his teacup, but before taking a sip, he spoke first. "I heard that giant circular structure you guys built cost over ten million? Xiao He, ordinary people are selling their pots and pans, and you're just drawing iron circles on the ground?"

He Yuzhu didn't rush to reply. After a couple of seconds, he looked into Deputy Director Liu's eyes. "Deputy Director Liu, that 'large ring' is called a superconducting ring, three meters in diameter, and it cost less than ten million. It proves one thing—space can be artificially curved. It sounds like gibberish to you, but this technology will allow warships to become invisible and missiles to hit more accurately in the future."

"You're telling me warships are stealthy with a metal ring?" Deputy Director Liu put down his teacup, the porcelain bottom hitting the table with a dull thud.

He Yuzhu opened the file, pulled out the waveform diagram of the curvature perturbation, and handed it over. "This isn't an iron ring. This is the first time humans have created a measurable curvature in space in a laboratory. The amplitude is very small, compressing one ten-thousandth of a cubic centimeter of space, but the direction is correct. The next step is to reinforce the superconducting ring, increase the magnetic field to twenty-five Tesla, and run it continuously for one hour."

Director Zhou took the waveform diagram, examined it twice, and frowned. "Ten million, plus your own investment, that's over forty million. And now you're asking for another one hundred and twenty million?" He pushed the diagram back, his voice low, but each word like beads on an abacus. "The whole country needs money. Agriculture, light industry, defense—which sector isn't in dire need?"

He Yuzhu put the waveform back into the folder and pressed his finger on the cover. "Director Zhou, this 120 million will be allocated over five years. The first year's 30 million will mainly be used for superconducting ring reinforcement and the production of the Kunlun spacecraft model. The third year's 40 million will be used for assembling the full-size prototype. The fifth year's 50 million will be used for launch preparations. The money spent won't be thrown into the water—the seawater desalination equipment is already in trial operation in Zhoushan, producing 50 tons of fresh water per day, at a cost 40% lower than distillation. The Huayuan-2 gene therapy agent, specifically developed for astronauts to combat osteoporosis, can be promoted to local hospitals within three years to treat bone problems in the elderly. The things that grow from the spacecraft project will be available to the general public."

A general in military uniform interjected. "What does warp drive have to do with me?"

He Yuzhu turned to him. "High-field-strength superconducting magnets are used on warships for electromagnetic catapults. Carbon nanotube composites are used in missile casings, making them three-quarters lighter and ten times stronger than steel. These technologies grew out of curvature projects, and once they grew out, they were sent to the military."

The general nodded and asked no more questions.

The door opened, and the high-ranking leader walked in. Everyone stood up. The high-ranking leader waved his hand, indicating that they should sit down.

"Xiao He, let's begin."

He Yuzhu stood up and distributed the Yanhuang Plan documents to everyone. The senior leader took one, didn't look at it, placed it on the table, and looked at him.

He Yuzhu began by discussing the cross-sectional diagram of the Kunlun submersible, followed by waveform diagrams of curvature perturbation, photos of ecologically closed-loop wheat, and a timeline for the reinforcement of the superconducting ring. He used as little technical jargon as possible, comparing curvature drive to "folding a tablecloth into a pleat" and the superconducting ring to "an enhanced version of an electromagnet." When Director Zhou heard the "folding a tablecloth into a pleat" analogy, his lips twitched slightly, it was unclear whether he wanted to laugh or frown.

The speaker finished. The meeting room was silent for four or five seconds.

Deputy Director Liu picked up his teacup and put it down again, not even bringing it to his lips. "Xiao He," he said, "let me ask you a question that any ordinary person would ask—spending so much money on spaceships and these intangible things, what do ordinary people think? They can't afford meat, they can't afford nice clothes, and you're flying in the sky?"

He Yuzhu fell silent. He looked at Deputy Director Liu, then glanced at the top leader. The top leader remained expressionless, his fingers resting on the teacup lid, unmoving. He Yuzhu licked his lips.

"Deputy Director Liu, when the Americans sent astronauts into space in 1961, the Soviets were also working on spacecraft. In those years, we went hungry and tightened our belts to send Dongfanghong-1 into space. You ask what the people thought? That year, I was in the army, and an old soldier told me that he was working in the fields when he heard 'Dongfanghong' being broadcast on the radio, transmitted from a satellite. He squatted down at the edge of the field and cried. He said, 'We Chinese can also hang lanterns in the sky now.'"

No one spoke in the meeting room. The clock on the wall ticked seven times.

"Spacecraft technology will benefit people's lives. Seawater desalination, gene therapy, LED lighting—each of these technologies originated from space projects. Ordinary people may not need them now, but in five or ten years, they will definitely be able to use them. Spaceflight is not spending people's money; it's saving money for them."

Deputy Director Liu did not respond. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and frowned as the tea scalded his mouth. He then put the cup down.

The high-ranking leader took off his glasses and slowly wiped the lenses with a soft cloth, moving from left to right and back again. The only sound in the conference room was the faint rustling of the cloth against the glass. Everyone waited for him to speak.

He put on his glasses and spoke softly. "Xiao He, you said you need policies, talent, and time. How exactly do you need them?"

He Yuzhu sat up straight. "In terms of policy, the Kunlun needs to be classified as a top national secret. We've already apprehended a CIA-hired spy who photographed the location of the research institute's ventilation shafts and underground laboratories. If we don't strengthen security, core technologies could leak out. In terms of personnel, we need to mobilize resources from universities and research institutions in three areas: aerospace medicine, cryogenic physics, and composite materials. In terms of time, seven years seems long, but every year has crucial milestones—the superconducting ring reinforcement will be completed next year, the full-size model of the Kunlun will roll off the production line the year after, and the unmanned test flight will be the year after that. Any delay in any of these milestones will affect the maiden flight."

Director Zhou interjected, "Where's the money? You just said 120 million, how long is that enough to last?"

"1982. If the technology transfer proves profitable, some of it can be used to support the economy; if that's not enough, we can apply for additional funding. I don't want to ask for too much at once and add to the burden on the central government."

The top leader stood up, walked to the map of China hanging on the wall, and looked at it for a while. The alternative launch sites of Jiuquan, Xichang, and Hainan were circled in red on the map. He turned around to face everyone.

"The Kunlun is classified as a top state secret, codenamed 'Yanhuang'."

His voice wasn't loud, but every word he uttered left a dent on the ground.

"The State Planning Commission will find a way to secure 120 million yuan. As for personnel, the Ministry of Education and the State Science and Technology Commission will jointly issue a document to select graduates and young teachers from key universities. In terms of time, it will not be earlier or later; the first flight will be in 1985."

Director Zhou opened his mouth but didn't say anything. Deputy Director Liu downed the scalding cup of tea in one gulp, his throat bobbing. The general stood up, saluted the senior leader, and then gave He Yuzhu a thumbs-up. He turned to the person next to him and whispered, "This kid's good," his voice low, but He Yuzhu heard it.

The meeting adjourned. The senior leader called He Yuzhu back, and the others left first. Only the two of them remained in the meeting room. Lin Jianguo was tidying up documents in the corner. After hesitating for a moment, the senior leader gestured for him to stay.

The high-ranking leader took off his glasses, slowly wiping the lenses, and lowered his voice. "Xiao He, besides you, who else knows about your curvature drive?"

He Yuzhu didn't answer immediately. He picked up his teacup, only to find it empty. He put the cup down and licked his lips. "Lin Jianguo. He followed the whole thing from beginning to end; he knows every single detail."

"Anything else?"

"Qian Zhiyuan knew about superconducting rings and carbon nanotubes, but he thought they were fusion projects. Lao Zhou knew about magnetic fields and low temperatures, but he only recognized the shell of fusion. I didn't mention interstellar travel to them. I was afraid they wouldn't be able to sleep if I did."

The senior leader put on his glasses, his eyes narrowing slightly behind the lenses. "You certainly know how to worry about others." He paused. "Secrecy cannot be relaxed. The scope of knowledge about Project Yanhuang must be limited to existing personnel; any new personnel must undergo rigorous political vetting. Any leaks, regardless of who they are, will be severely punished."

"clear."

The high-ranking leader stood up, walked to the door, and suddenly turned back. "Xiao He, your son, Nianhua, right? I heard he wants to be an astronaut?"

He Yuzhu was taken aback. "Commander, how did you know?"

The top leader offered no explanation, pushed open the door, and walked out.

The corridor was carpeted in deep red. He Yuzhu's leather shoes made no sound as they stepped on the carpet; only the pounding of his own heartbeat echoed in his ears. Lin Jianguo followed behind, a file folder tucked under his arm, his voice low.

"Dean He, when Deputy Director Liu asked, 'What do ordinary people think?' were your palms sweating?"

He Yuzhu opened his palm, revealing marks from his fingernails. "I pulled something out of it."

I broke out in a cold sweat too.

They walked out of the building. The driver had already started the car, white smoke billowing from the exhaust pipe. He Yuzhu got in, leaned back in his seat, and closed his eyes. The flow of bicycles on Chang'an Avenue resembled a moving river, the sound of bells seeping in through the car window.

He remembered the old soldier crying at the edge of the field. He remembered He Nianhua's eyes watching the training through the iron fence.

The car drove into Chengshan Research Institute. He Yuzhu got out of the car, not returning to his office, but going straight down to the underground laboratory. Workers were cleaning the site, cement dust dancing in the air under the lights. The newly poured base of the winding machine was already dry, its surface smooth. He touched it with his finger; it was cool and hard.

Three months later, the machine will stand here, winding carbon nanotubes around superconducting rings. A year later, the second space disturbance will occur. Seven years later, the Kunlun spacecraft will launch from Jiuquan.

He silently recited the words "Yanhuang" in his mind.

Hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor. Yang Xiaobing stood at the elevator entrance, the scar on his face glowing a dark red under the fluorescent lights, his breath still ragged.

"Director He, Li Guodong has been poisoned in a detention center in Manila, and he is still being treated."