Courtyard House: I Rely on Time-Space Trade to Build a Nation

The next morning, Zhao Ping'an returned to his office in the work committee.

Pushing open the door, a familiar scene greeted me.

The table was piled high with documents, and maps hung on the wall.

I had just sat down when my secretary knocked and came in.

"Minister, the three comrades you asked us to find have all been located."

Zhao Ping'an's eyes lit up.

"Please come in."

The secretary nodded and left.

A few minutes later, the door opened again.

Three young people filed in and stood at the door, looking around the office with some apprehension.

Zhao Ping'an stood up and went to meet him.

None of the three men were tall, and they wore simple cotton-padded jackets. Their faces showed the weariness of their journey and the nervousness of meeting important figures for the first time.

But their eyes are very bright, and you can tell at a glance that they are the kind of people who have something on their mind.

Zhao Ping'an looked at them one by one.

The first one looks honest and simple. Later generations called him "Shennong".

The second one exudes an indomitable spirit. Later generations called him "the father of the Eighth Prince".

The third one, but with a shrewd glint in his eyes. He is known to posterity as the "father of the printer."

They were both born in 1930, are 24 years old this year, the same age as him.

A strange feeling suddenly welled up in Zhao Ping'an's heart.

Later generations will write these three names in textbooks, in memorial halls, and in the memories of countless people.

But now, they stood before him, wearing new military overcoats, their eyes clear, with a hint of trepidation from their new arrival.

He stretched out his hand.

"Welcome. I am Zhao Ping'an."

The three of them were clearly surprised that the legendary "Zhao Wugong" was so young, and they were all stunned for a moment.

Mr. Yuan reacted first and grasped Zhao Ping'an's hand.

"Hello Minister Zhao, my name is Yuan..."

Zhao Pingan smiled.

"I know who you are. No need for introductions."

The three people looked at each other in bewilderment.

Zhao Ping'an invited them to sit down, and his secretary brought out tea.

"You must be tired from your journey? Where are you from?"

Mr. Gu said, "I came from Harbin. When I received the notice, I was interning at the agricultural machinery station."

Mr. Song said, "I came from Shanghai. I received the transfer order at the school and was told to report to Beijing within three days."

Mr. Yuan said, "I came from western Hunan. I walked for several days along mountain roads to reach the county town, and then took the train here."

Zhao Ping'an nodded without saying anything.

All three of them looked at him, waiting for him to speak.

Zhao Ping'an was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Do you know why you were transferred to Beijing?"

The three shook their heads.

Zhao Pingan said, "Because I want you to learn something so you can do great things."

He stood up and walked to the map on the wall.

"Look, this is our country."

He pointed to the black soil of Northeast China.

"This place, the Northeast Plain, is the most fertile land, producing 90 billion catties of grain a year. That's enough to feed one-third of the country's population."

Then he pointed to the green area to the south.

"This place, a water town in Jiangnan, has been a land of fish and rice since ancient times. But the yield per unit area is still not high enough."

He turned around.

"We have enough food now because I brought seeds from outside."

But I can't rely on myself forever. Someone needs to do the research and cultivate good seeds ourselves.

He looked at Yuan Lao.

"Are you willing to do this?"

Mr. Yuan was taken aback.

"Minister Zhao, I... I'm just an agricultural college student..."

Zhao Pingan interrupted him.

"Students from the College of Agriculture will be the future pillars of agriculture. Are you willing to participate?"

Mr. Yuan was silent for a few seconds, then nodded.

"willing."

Zhao Ping'an then looked at Old Gu.

"How much do you know about airplanes?"

Mr. Gu said, "I've studied some theory. I only understand a little bit about engines, aerodynamics, and structures."

Zhao Ping'an nodded.

"Now all our planes come from outside."

We were able to build the Type 2 fighter jet ourselves, but I brought the blueprints, technology, and prototype with me.

The next step is for someone to be able to design a new aircraft.

He looked at Old Gu and Old Song.

"Are you willing to do this?"

Old Gu and Old Song's eyes lit up.

"Yes," they both said in unison.

"However, we are just two students..." Old Song said somewhat nervously.

Zhao Pingan smiled.

"Okay, I know you three are all students, and my expectations for you aren't right now. How about we hear my plan first?"

After all three expressed their opinions, Zhao Ping'an took out three documents from the drawer and pushed them in front of the three men.

"Okay. Then I'll tell you about the next steps."

"You should go to the Northeast first. There's a highly classified research institute I established there. Although it's newly built and the conditions aren't great, it has everything you need."

You will study there for one to three years. I will provide you with relevant materials and textbooks. However, because these materials are considered top-tier in the relevant disciplines in China, you will not have teachers and will have to study on your own.

"Minister Zhao, don't you understand? Everyone says you're a genius in all subjects, there's nothing you can't do." Old Gu's words made Zhao Ping'an laugh. Where did he hear that from?

"I only know a little more about advanced technologies and their development than you do, but it's all just scratching the surface."

What gives me an advantage over you is that I have access to far more information and resources.

So after you've studied for a while, you'll find that my level is indeed not as good as yours.

So, Comrade Gu, you might be disappointed.

You really need to study this material on your own.

Zhao Ping'an spoke frankly, saying that these three were all his treasures and he didn't want to have any misunderstandings with them.

Mr. Yuan asked, "Minister Zhao, what should we learn?"

Zhao Ping'an replied with a smile, "I'll learn what you'll be doing in the future."

He looked at Yuan Lao.

"Since you're studying agronomy, how do you learn about rice breeding? How do you select seeds, how do you crossbreed, and how do you cultivate new varieties? I've prepared the information for you."

Then he looked at Old Gu and Old Song.

"You're studying science and engineering. I plan to have you try to participate in the development of our first aircraft."

From aerodynamics to structure, from engines to avionics, I've prepared all the relevant data.

The three of them opened the documents, which contained lists of books, materials, and study plans.

They were densely packed together, arranged to the brim.

Old Gu stared blankly at the book titles.

"Minister Zhao, where did these books come from?"

Zhao Ping'an did not answer.

I simply said, "My plan is that you first spend a year familiarizing yourselves with the teaching materials and the current level of domestic technology, and participate in some practical work. For this, I will issue you permits and letters of introduction."

Then I hope that you can use about three years of practice to fully master all the existing technologies.

The next step is to "develop" or "copy" the confidential information I give you, turning it into our own technology.

Time was both plentiful and tight.

The reason for this ample time is that my expectation for you is to see results in about 8 to 10 years.

The tension lies in the fact that every day you achieve results, the Republic will become stronger—not just in its own right, but in its ability to stay ahead of other countries and gain a technological advantage. It's like how, if we didn't have nuclear weapons, the US would have used them to blackmail and threaten us. The only difference is that now, if you achieve results, we will be the ones with the advantage.

"Yes, we guarantee to complete the mission!" The three were thrilled by Zhao Ping'an's words.

After the three people left, Zhao Ping'an sat down in his chair and couldn't help but laugh. This era is indeed too adorable.

The secretary came in to clear the teacups and asked in a low voice, "Minister Zhao, why do you value these three people so much?"

Zhao Pingan looked at the sky outside the window.

"I can tell fortunes; they will become the most important experts in the Republic in the future."

The secretary was taken aback.

Zhao Ping'an did not explain further.

He remembered the expenses recorded in the system.

Although virus-free technology for potatoes and sweet potatoes has been widely adopted and no further investment is needed,

However, the seeds for corn, rice, and wheat have not yet been successfully developed. Currently, the cost of exchanging for high-yield seeds alone exceeds one billion points per year.

After the Eighth Prince, any plane he owned cost hundreds of millions. Later on, they became even more expensive, reaching billions or tens of billions.

He has a system, but the system is not unlimited. Although the organization allocated all the output of the two gold mines in the Northeast to him, there are too many things needed now, and the holes must be filled. Thinking of this, Zhao Ping'an understood the true value of the phrase "independence and self-reliance" even more.

So we have to build it ourselves.

It's not just about building airplanes, but also about having people who can design them.

But now the seeds have been planted.

All that's left is to wait quietly, occasionally watering, weeding, and fertilizing.

In the evening, Zhao Ping'an received a telegram.

It was sent by Mr. Qian from the Northwest.

"Comrade Ping An, the satellite project is progressing smoothly. We need to add a batch of precision machining equipment. The list is attached."

Zhao Pingan looked at the list and a bitter smile appeared on his lips.

Another set of equipment worth hundreds of millions, what else can we do but arrange it?