Courtyard House: I'm an engineer, and a fairy godmother transferred me to a different position.

Zhao Mengyun immediately tilted her head back and gave him a feigned annoyance: "I like it here."

Liu Guangqi chuckled softly, his fingertips lightly brushing against the bridge of her nose:

"Alright, whatever you say."

"When we get old, we'll move to a small, detached house, surrounded by our children and grandchildren. That'll be perfect." His tone suddenly changed, and a roguish smile appeared on his lips: "Wife, it's time to get down to business."

"I...I'll go turn off the lights."

"Don't turn it off, it's better to keep it bright."

The whispers between the couple gradually faded, replaced by the soft rustling of fabric. Then, the solid wood bed began to sway gently, initially with some rhythm, but soon lost its rhythm and disappeared into the deep night.

……

The next morning, a sliver of sunlight peeked through a gap in the curtains and fell directly on Liu Guangqi's eyelids.

Before he even opened his eyes, he heard the soft rustling of fabric against his ear, as gentle as a cat's paw scratching at his heart.

Turning his head, a section of porcelain-white, delicate back came into view, bathed in the warm, thin glaze of morning light. Zhao Mengyun, with her back to him, was slowly putting on a white shirt, her movements revealing the awkwardness and shyness of a newlywed.

Liu Guangqi raised his wrist and glanced at the watch face in the light: 7:40.

Good heavens, he's almost an hour later than usual. No wonder—last night's exhilarating ensemble lasted until the wee hours, so he must be in great shape to have woken up at this hour.

"woke up?"

Zhao Mengyun buttoned her clothes and saw him open his eyes in the mirror. His voice was still slightly hoarse from just waking up, which made him look particularly charming.

"Why don't you rest a bit more? You look exhausted."

Liu Guangqi propped himself up against the headboard, his gaze slowly sweeping over her. He no longer needed to go to the Red Star Factory every day; most of the time he worked at the ministry, only occasionally running between the two locations for official business. The ministry compound where he lived was only a ten-minute walk from the First Ministry of Machine Building, so even if he left later, he would still have plenty of time.

"No, I have to buy breakfast. I need to get to the Foreign Affairs Department after I eat, or I'll get in trouble."

Zhao Mengyun turned her face, her cheeks still flushed, and while she spoke of serious matters, her eyes flashed at him with a hint of annoyance.

Morning light streamed through the window, casting a pale golden veil across the wooden floor. The traces of last night had been quietly concealed by the fresh sheets, everything unspoken. Liu Guangqi smiled, deftly finishing tidying up.

A short while later, Zhao Mengyun entered the house carrying soy milk and fried dough sticks she had brought back from the compound's canteen. The atmosphere at the dining table subtly changed; the subtle barrier dissipated, and even the air felt naturally intimate. As she was leaving, she walked over naturally, tiptoeing slightly, and gently smoothed his slightly crooked collar with her fingers. Only then did the two of them walk downstairs side by side.

The Volga sedan drove through the early morning streets and came to a smooth stop in front of the solemn building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The car door opened, and Zhao Mengyun's figure came into the view of passersby. Many eyes paused briefly, then casually looked away. Many people knew perfectly well: from this moment on, the most eye-catching flower in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had found its home.

Liu Guangqi was completely unaware of this at the moment. He had just driven the car back to the steel rolling mill and was about to go to the motor pool to complete the handover procedures when Wang Jianguo stopped him. The other man had a sly smile on his face: "Director Liu! Director Lin wants you to go to the ministry immediately, to the large conference room on the third floor, for an emergency meeting."

"An emergency meeting?" Liu Guangqi's expression tightened, his relaxed demeanor instantly vanishing. He glanced at his watch; the hands were just past 8:30. Holding an emergency meeting at this hour was unusual enough, but what was even more unusual was that he had been specifically named to attend. According to the ministry's unwritten rules, such high-level meetings required at least a division-level cadre to attend. He had only recently been promoted to deputy division-level; why had the director personally called him out?

Questions swirled in his mind, but he had no time to delve into them. Judging from Wang Jianguo's expression, it was merely a relay of a message. Liu Guangqi gave a brief reply and immediately turned to head towards the transport team—where cars and drivers were provided specifically for leaders. Since he enjoyed such treatment, he naturally wouldn't pass it up.

As expected, when he arrived at the Ministry of Machine Building, Director Lin's secretary was already waiting at the door. The fact that someone was sent to wait even before he arrived showed the urgency of the situation. "What's the topic of the meeting?" Liu Guangqi asked in a low voice as he quickly caught up.

"The specifics are still unclear," the secretary said in a low voice, "but I just saw several leaders from various ministries go in, which is probably related to the electric oven project you're in charge of. Director Lin specifically instructed that you go in directly."

Liu Guangqi's heart skipped a beat—the gathering of directors from multiple ministries was no ordinary matter. He said no more and strode up to the third floor.

The moment he pushed open the heavy wooden door of the conference room, the scene inside startled him slightly: the long conference table was already full of people. Besides Director Lin from the Ministry of Machine Building, Director Chen from the Ministry of Foreign Trade, Director Guo from the Ministry of Light Industry, and Director Tian from the Ministry of Metallurgy were all present. However, one person stood out as an unfamiliar face: a quiet, middle-aged man with an exquisite badge pinned to his chest, clearly not a colleague from the industrial system.

"Guangqi's here, please have a seat." Director Lin waved to him, gesturing to the empty seat beside him, "We've been waiting for you."

As soon as Liu Guangqi sat down, he noticed several gazes quietly falling on him—all of them were ministerial and bureau-level leaders, and he, a deputy division-level cadre, inevitably stood out from the crowd.

The conference room was filled with department heads, the air thick with tension. Just then, the door was gently pushed open, and a young man stepped in. He quickly glanced around and found the only empty seat at the end of the long table—a seat right next to the door, as if an extra chair had been added unintentionally. He sat down quietly, straightening his back.

He knew why he had come. It was time to reveal the news of the electric oven's journey across the ocean.

Once everyone had arrived, Director Lin, seated at the head of the table, coughed, breaking the silence. "Ladies and gentlemen," his voice was particularly clear in the quiet room, "the feedback from the Russian side regarding the electric ovens has arrived. Please have Comrade Yan from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explain the details."

All eyes turned to the middle-aged man with glasses standing next to Director Lin. He sat upright, his suit perfectly pressed without a single wrinkle—a demeanor cultivated through years of working in foreign affairs.

Liu Guangqi understood. Counselor Yan held the seventh rank in diplomacy, at the deputy director-general level, specializing in trade and economic relations with Russia. He was a true negotiator.

Consul Yan didn't speak, but simply tapped the two- or three-page document in front of him lightly with his knuckles. This subtle movement silenced the entire room.

"On the third day after the samples were delivered to the Chinese Embassy in Mauritius," he began, his voice as calm as a deep pool, "they organized an internal demonstration. According to our comrades on site, one of their leaders personally used that machine to bake dark bread and cured meat."

He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.

"Their assessment was," Counselor Yan read from the document, his tone still steady, but a faint glint of light flashing in his eyes, "that the temperature control was as natural as breathing, and the safety design was impeccable. They described the machine as—'like a mysterious culinary master from the East, silently residing within a steel shell.'"

A short, sharp sound came from the corner, as if someone was trying to suppress a laugh. Immediately afterward, the tense atmosphere in the room eased slightly, like ice cracking, and a few low laughs rustled between the tables and chairs.

"A mysterious culinary master," Director Tian of the Ministry of Metallurgy chuckled and shook his head, his voice booming, "These big-nosed guys are quite good at making up stories!" He turned to the crowd, his expression turning serious, "I've been dealing with them for quite some time. In the past, when we exported high-quality steel, they would use a magnifying glass to find flaws; when we exported precision bearings, they would nitpick over the specifications down to the millimeter. In their eyes, our industrial products were never good enough."

He slammed his hand on the table: "But things are different now! They came to us asking for this electric oven, even offering to use it to offset part of their debt! What does this mean? It means that what Comrade Guangqi did struck a chord with them, forcing them to swallow their pride!"

These words resonated with many in the audience. Director Guo from the Ministry of Light Industry then spoke up: "Our subordinate electrical appliance factory has completed the expansion of its heating element production line. As long as the orders are confirmed, we can operate at full capacity at any time to ensure uninterrupted supply."

A restrained excitement began to rise in the conference room. Some were quietly calculating the amount of debt that 30,000 machines could offset, while others were discussing the details of production capacity allocation. Amidst this escalating atmosphere, Counselor Yan raised his hand again, palm down, and gently pressed it down.

The noise gradually subsided.

"In addition to the proposal to offset the debt," Counselor Yan's voice rang out again, slower and clearer than before, "the Russian side has made an additional request."

As he said this, he suddenly turned his head. For the first time, his gaze did not linger on any of the directors or ministers, but instead crossed half the long table and landed directly and accurately on the face of the young man sitting by the door.

"They hope," Counselor Yan said, emphasizing each word, "to have a meeting with Comrade Liu Guangqi in person."

All sounds of conversation, movement, and even breathing seemed to vanish in an instant. The conference room fell into absolute silence. Every gaze, like a searchlight, focused on that previously inconspicuous corner.

Liu Guangqi met those gazes, his face showing no surprise, but rather a calm acceptance. So that's how it is. The reason why he, a mere deputy director, was chosen to attend this high-level meeting—the reason behind it all—finally became clear.

As for being specifically asked to meet, he didn't feel anything particularly agitated. What's meant to happen will happen; all he needed to know was what to do next.

A subtle atmosphere filled the conference room, each director harboring their own thoughts. Liu Guangqi, however, remained unmoved by the figure referred to as "Big Brother"—deep in his memory, that behemoth had long since crumbled into the dust of history, its grave neglected for years. Even in this day and age, the other party remained powerful, offering only restrictions rather than genuine assistance; why should he feel awe? Upon closer examination, the brief period of harmony between the two sides wouldn't last much longer; eventually, they would inevitably go their separate ways. Given this, why look up to them?

As expected, no sooner had Counselor Yan finished speaking than Director Lin, Liu Guangqi's direct superior, looked over and said, "Comrade Guangqi, the Russian side has requested to meet with you, and the ministry has agreed in principle. Of course, as the developer of the electric oven, whether or not you participate in the reception ultimately depends on your own wishes. Feel free to express your thoughts; there's no need to hold back."

In an instant, all eyes turned to Liu Guangqi once again.

"I obey the organization's arrangements," he said calmly. "I will follow orders."

In such situations, saying too much can easily lead to mistakes. Liu Guangqi had long been accustomed to casting a veneer of prudence over his statements.

"Good!" Counselor Yan nodded in satisfaction, his eyes revealing admiration. This young man not only had solid technical skills but also a firm stance, and he was even said to be fluent in the Russian language—such talent would certainly excel in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but unfortunately, the First Ministry of Machine Building beat him to it. He felt a slight pity, then turned to the next topic: "Since Comrade Guangqi has no objections, let's continue. The Russian side has made an additional request: they hope that the reception can be arranged directly at the Red Star Factory."

"Place it at the Red Star Factory?" Director Tian of the Ministry of Metallurgy frowned suddenly.

"Yes, it was specifically requested that we go to the Red Star Factory," Consul Yan confirmed.

"I disagree!" Director Tian slammed his hand on the table, making the tea lid vibrate slightly. "Isn't this clearly targeting our technology? There's no room for negotiation; we must report this to higher authorities. We cannot agree to this!"

Director Guo of the Ministry of Light Industry echoed in a deep voice, "How can we let outsiders see our own production workshops and core production lines? What would that look like? Absolutely not!"

The atmosphere suddenly tensed, and a faint smell of gunpowder permeated the air.

Consul Yan quickly raised his hand to signal calm: "Please don't rush, let me finish. The higher-ups haven't allowed them to tour the entire workshop, let alone access core technologies. The leadership's intention is for us to handle this carefully and get through it." He paused, his tone turning serious. "After all, they just signed an initial order for 30,000 units. You all understand how important that foreign exchange is. If we bluntly refuse now, it could affect future cooperation, and the losses would be too great. So the higher-ups' consideration is... to let them go through the motions at the factory, just enough to make it look respectable."