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

"Mr. Lou, I'll take the deal, but ten boxes... that's quite a lot. My friend's connections will take time to procure them. Besides..."

Zhao Ping'an put down his teacup and looked at Lou Bancheng with clear eyes.

"Delivering such a large quantity of goods within the city is too risky, for both of us."

This is not a wise move for Mr. Lou's true friends who care about this matter.

A glint flashed in Lou Bancheng's eyes; he understood the implication in Zhao Ping'an's words. "Then what do you think, my brother?"

"We need to find a safe and secluded place outside the city. Give me half a month to prepare," Zhao Ping'an said firmly.

"Furthermore, for such a large transaction, my friend needs to pay a 20% deposit upfront. Thirty large yellow croakers. The remaining balance will be paid upon delivery."

His request for a deposit was also a way of testing the waters—to see if you were really in a hurry.

Lou Bancheng clapped his hands almost without hesitation and said:

"That makes perfect sense! We'll do as you say, my brother. The deposit of thirty bolts will be presented today."

The location outside the city will be chosen by my brother; it must be kept secret and secure. We await good news in half a month.

The agreement came too quickly and too readily. Zhao Ping'an's last remaining doubts vanished.

He stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "In that case, it's a deal. I'll let you know the specific location once my friend has prepared the goods. Farewell."

"Take care, my dear brother." Lou Bancheng knew that Zhao Ping'an disliked formalities, so he didn't try to stop him.

He simply saw him off to the door, watching Zhao Ping'an's tall figure disappear, his smile gradually fading into deep thought.

On the way back, Zhao Ping'an remained silent.

Dazhu and the others maintained their orderly formation and silently guarded the area.

The cold wind swept across the ancient streets of Beiping, stirring up snow and dust.

Zhao Ping'an's heart was even more agitated than the weather.

One hundred and fifty large yellow croakers, a steel mill... and the ambiguous relationships behind Lou Bancheng.

This connection came faster and was more important than he had anticipated.

This is no longer a simple trade.

But isn't this exactly what he sought after coming from another world?

Rather than searching for them without understanding why, it's better to wait for them to come to you.

You see, there's a high probability that the other party will come looking for you now.

Watching the 30 large yellow croakers in the system be exchanged for, resulting in an additional 900 million system coins, Zhao Ping'an couldn't help but clench his fist.

It seems the armed plan and the probing of Zhao Desheng need to be brought forward.

"Hurry up," Zhao Ping'an ordered in a low voice. "We have a lot to prepare when we get back."

The march suddenly quickened, becoming orderly and powerful, shattering the frost on the ground as they sped toward the city gate.

Upon returning to his post in Wayaocun, Zhao Ping'an went straight to the regimental headquarters without a moment's delay.

Zhao Dongliang was looking at a worn military map under the oil lamp, his brows furrowed.

Seeing her younger brother enter in a hurry, she couldn't help but ask, "Ping An? How did your talk with Lou Bancheng go?"

"Brother, let's not talk about that now," Zhao Ping'an said seriously. "Call Company Commander Zhao Desheng here as well."

Zhao Dongliang was taken aback: "Your name is Desheng? What's the matter?" A question arose in his mind.

When Ping An sought him out alone, it was usually to discuss the most confidential matters. It was somewhat unusual for him to invite Zhao Desheng, the company commander who, although considered a close confidant, was not a core member and knew all the inside information.

"Something has happened, and it's very important," Zhao Ping'an said firmly.

Soon, Zhao Desheng was summoned by a messenger. As soon as he stepped into the regimental headquarters, he keenly sensed that the atmosphere inside was unusual.

The regimental commander frowned slightly. Zhao Ping'an stood to the side, his face calm, but his eyes held a scrutinizing gaze.

The flickering light of the oil lamp cast the shadows of the three people onto the earthen wall, making them appear somewhat somber.

"Commander, Platoon Leader Zhao, you wanted to see me?" Zhao Desheng stood at attention, his heart pounding.

Zhao Ping'an didn't beat around the bush. He stepped forward, drew his pistol, and pointed it directly at Zhao Desheng's head. His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear: "Company Commander Zhao, are you a Communist?"

"What?!" Zhao Dongliang was so startled that his hand instinctively went to the holster on his waist, and he looked at his younger brother in horror.

He never expected that his younger brother would suddenly utter such a fatal remark!

Zhao Desheng was completely stunned, his face showing astonishment, and he subconsciously retorted:

"Me? Communist Party? Commander, this... what do you mean by this?" He looked at Zhao Ping'an, then at Zhao Dongliang, whose expression was changing, and couldn't quite process what he was seeing.

Then, seeing Zhao Dongliang's hand on his holster, Zhao Desheng's face flushed red, not with fear.

It was a mixture of anger at being wrongly accused and loyalty to Zhao Dongliang.

He suddenly turned to Zhao Dongliang, his voice excited:

"Commander! You know best who I, Zhao Desheng, am! I've followed you since my hometown, from the guard platoon to the company level. You've saved my life twice!"

My life has long been yours! If you think I've done something wrong and want it back, you can have it anytime! No questions asked!

As he spoke, he actually took off his sidearm, held it with both hands, and handed it to Zhao Dongliang, his eyes bloodshot and his chest heaving violently.

This reaction was completely genuine, stemming only from the grief and indignation of being doubted by one's most trusted superior.

Looking at his old subordinate who had followed him for many years, and then at his younger brother who looked calm, Zhao Dongliang was in a state of confusion and didn't know what to do.

One is an old brother who shared life and death with him and saved his life; the other is a younger brother who brought about earth-shattering changes and is connected by blood.

Just as the atmosphere reached its peak, Zhao Ping'an suddenly clicked his tongue, slowly loosened his grip on the gun, and a hint of regret appeared on his face: "Ah, what a pity."

"What a pity?" Zhao Dongliang and Zhao Desheng looked at him at the same time, puzzled.

"I originally thought you were," Zhao Pingan shook his head, his tone tinged with regret, "that would have made many things easier later on, and with inside help, you might have achieved even greater success."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Dongliang reacted first. He pressed down on Zhao Desheng's hand that was handing over the gun and looked sharply at his younger brother:

"Ping An, what... what do you mean by that? You mean you want to..." defect to their side? He didn't say the last few words, but his eyes said it all.

Zhao Desheng also realized what was going on, looking at Zhao Ping'an with surprise and uncertainty. It wasn't that he suspected me, but rather that he hoped I was? Platoon Leader Zhao… he wanted to defect to the G?

Seeing that the time was right, Zhao Ping'an stopped keeping him in suspense.

He gestured for Zhao Desheng to put the gun away, then pulled over two stools, sat down first, and gestured for the other two to sit as well.

He lowered his voice and recounted the transaction of ten boxes of penicillin and one hundred and fifty large yellow croakers that had taken place at Lou Bancheng's place that day.

He also recounted his own speculations about the identity of the trading partner in detail.

Zhao Dongliang and Zhao Desheng both gasped upon hearing this.