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

Soon, the time for the third transaction arrived, this time for a village warehouse outside Beiping City, as specified by the other party.

Upon arriving at the warehouse, Zhao Ping'an couldn't help but sniff. The warehouse was filled with the smell of mildew and dust, which made Zhao Ping'an feel slightly uncomfortable.

The other side seemed to have arrived; a few faint red glows from cigarette butts appeared in the darkness before quickly going out.

Then, a beam of flashlight streaked across the wall opposite, briefly pausing to indicate the location.

Zhao Ping'an gestured to Zhao Desheng to lead them to spread out and set up a perimeter, while he led Dazhu and the others into the warehouse, followed by two four-wheeled vehicles specially made of steel plates.

There were three people standing there.

The person in the lead was the same one from last time, wearing a cotton hat and whose face was obscured. This time, he was accompanied by a middle-aged man in overalls, wearing glasses, and with a distinctly different demeanor, as well as a silent guard.

There was no small talk. The man in the cotton hat turned slightly to the side, and the "glasses-wearing man" next to him immediately stepped forward, his gaze fixed intently on the cart behind Zhao Ping'an, his eyes filled with the inquisitiveness characteristic of a technical worker.

Zhao Ping'an didn't waste any words and started unwrapping the canvas. He opened one of the boxes, which contained three telescopes.

The "glasses man" eagerly picked up a pair of binoculars, walked to a broken window in the warehouse that allowed him to see scattered lights in the distance, and held it up to his eyes.

The next second, his body trembled slightly, as if he had held his breath.

He moved the lens barrel slowly, his movements as gentle as if he were handling a fragile treasure.

After a long while, he finally put it down, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement, and whispered to the person wearing the cotton hat:

"...Incredible...It's so clear! There's almost no distortion at the edges, and the nighttime imaging brightness is...I've never seen such a good mirror!"

It's far superior to our best spoils...

"Shut up! Don't talk nonsense," the man in the cotton hat immediately whispered to the man with glasses, stopping him from speaking.

But Zhao Ping'an, who was not far away, had obviously heard it.

"It really is you guys." Zhao Ping'an couldn't help but smirk.

"Sir, this is our second face-to-face transaction, isn't it? May I ask your name?" Zhao Ping'an suddenly spoke, startling the bespectacled man.

The man in the cotton hat remained silent, pondered for a long time, and then spoke, "Battalion Commander Zhao, just call me Lao Xu."

"Haha, so you did investigate me!" Seeing that the other party had exposed his identity, Zhao Ping'an laughed instead of getting angry.

After gesturing for the bespectacled man to continue checking the walkie-talkie and other equipment, she extended her hand and invited, "May I have a word with you in private?"

The man in the cotton hat turned to Zhao Ping'an, paused for a few seconds, and seemed to be weighing his options.

Finally, he followed Zhao Ping'an to the side.

"Comrade Lao Xu, what do you think of our regiment's uprising?" Zhao Ping'an's first question made Lao Xu look up and widen his eyes.

This is exactly what I wanted to persuade the other party about, regardless of their drug supply channels.

Based on the investigation conducted by their own people, the Zhao brothers' entire regiment of elite soldiers perfectly met the criteria for being recruited.

Both brothers came from poor backgrounds. The elder brother, Zhao Dongliang, rose to the rank of battalion commander through his contributions in the War of Resistance against Japan, living up to his name of Dongliang. The younger brother, Zhao Ping'an, was somewhat undisciplined at first, but he did not commit any major misdeeds. At most, he would take advantage of others and pay less money when engaging in forced buying and selling.

Now, with the support of unknown patriotic businessmen, their capabilities have been completely transformed.

They were equipped with Type 38 rifles and light and heavy machine guns. Even the main force of our army is not as well equipped as them. This channel is no less important than the medical supplies channel.

Not to mention the radio used in this transaction, which is the most advanced equipment in the US military and is only available to the elite forces of the Central Army.

Old Xu even felt that, based on what he had learned, especially the various regulations announced by Zhao Ping'an and the fact that he had previously shot more than twenty thugs for standing up for his fellow villagers, the 6th Regiment and the 1st Regiment had become mortal enemies. Their actions were almost identical to those of our army, and they could practically skip ideological education and reform.

Thinking of this, Lao Xu suppressed his inner joy.

"Um, Battalion Commander Zhao...we welcome you."

"..." Now it was Zhao Ping'an's turn to fall silent. That was it? He wasn't going to say how to do it? He wasn't going to say how to maintain direct contact in the future? For example, when, where, and how to launch the uprising? All he said was "welcome."

Seeing Zhao Ping'an looking at him helplessly, Lao Xu realized what was going on and quickly added, "I will arrange for someone to liaise with Battalion Commander Zhao later. Please be patient, Battalion Commander Zhao."

"Yes, thank you for your trouble, Comrade Xu." Zhao Ping'an nodded and agreed on the code word for the contact person.

At this moment, the bespectacled man had finished testing his equipment, whispered a few words in Old Xu's ear, and Old Xu waved his hand.

His guards stepped forward and placed two smaller but unusually heavy leather suitcases at Zhao Ping'an's feet.

"This is the payment for this time, with a slight premium. Battalion Commander Zhao, your 'friend' has provided exactly what we urgently need."

Zhao Ping'an didn't open the box to inspect the gold on the spot, but simply nodded: "I'm glad I could help. I'll go back and wait for your news then."

He picked up the suitcase the other person had given him and prepared to leave.

"Mr. Zhao," the bespectacled man suddenly spoke again.

These devices are good. But I wonder... if your friend has access to something with higher power?

For example, could you reliably supply some equipment, or... something smaller, easier to transport, to power some smaller machines?

Zhao Ping'an paused slightly, but didn't turn around: "I will pass on the message. Do your best to complete the transaction you need."

"Understood. I'll wait for good news." The bespectacled man said no more.

Both sides quickly evacuated the abandoned factory.

On the return journey by carriage, Zhao Ping'an stroked the leather trunk filled with gold.

I am very satisfied with today's actions. First, a direct connection was established, although it was the other party who contacted me directly.

However, I now have a way to contact the other party in an emergency, even if it's just by sending a letter. It's better than nothing, isn't it?

What pleased Zhao Ping'an even more was the reaction of the "man with glasses".

The undisguised shock and longing in the other party's technicians were exactly what he wanted.

This series of actions not only provided a few pieces of equipment, but also proved its importance.

"More powerful..." Zhao Ping'an pondered the words, a smile playing on his lips.

Large diesel generator sets? Even small gasoline generators? I have them all!

It seems that the other party has already handed over the technological path and the "legitimate" source for that future steel plant.