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

Every early morning, a low, continuous hum echoes from the basement of the warehouse.

The tunnel boring machine moved forward slowly and steadily, its cutterhead munching on the soil and gravel, the conveyor belt continuously delivering excavated soil, and the compactor emitting a rhythmic "thump-thump" sound.

Several engineers took turns operating the equipment, their eyes bloodshot from exhaustion, yet they were extremely excited.

Wang Dashan and Liu Dazhu were in charge of security and logistics, while Zhao Pingan kept a close eye on the tunneling direction and equipment status.

The excavation was not without its challenges. Midway through, they encountered a layer of hard, ancient roadbed gravel, which significantly slowed the tunnel boring machine's speed.

Zhao Ping'an decisively exchanged for an additional enhanced blade head to replace it.

On another occasion, the seepage suddenly increased, and the temporary water pump had to run at almost full capacity to control the situation.

Every unexpected event tests their ability to respond and the reliability of the equipment provided by the "channels".

Meanwhile, "mines" were quietly brewing on the ground.

Teacher Zhong sent out the information through a complex network of relationships.

The plan was refined:

The date is tentatively set for Saturday afternoon two weeks from now;

The route starts at Jiangwan and proceeds along the main streets to the Bund, inevitably passing through the bustling area where banks are located.

Everything was designed to look like a spontaneous, large-scale gathering.

Time passed day by day. Underground, the tunnel extended to a point only twenty meters from the bank's foundation.

On the ground, a tense atmosphere began to permeate, and the authorities, with their keen sense of smell, seemed to have also noticed some unease, with patrols on the streets noticeably increasing.

Zhao Pingan called a halt to the tunnel boring machine.

The final twenty meters must be handled with extra care and require meticulous manual work to prevent vibrations from reaching the bank building above.

"According to the ground-penetrating radar, the concrete foundation of the bank is just ahead." Zhao Ping'an shone his flashlight on the hardened concrete "wall" at the edge of the underground tunnel.

"The tunnel boring machine has completed its mission. Next, use this."

The hydraulic diamond chainsaw he had redeemed was brought up. It was quieter, but highly efficient at cutting concrete and steel bars.

The engineers began carefully cutting out a square outline in the concrete wall, large enough for one person to pass through, but not completely through.

"This is the 'door' to the vault, but we're only making cuts, not breaking it open," Zhao Ping'an explained.

"The timing for breaking into the vault's basement must be when things are at their most chaotic outside. Now, what we need to do is prepare an escape route and clean up any traces."

The quick-setting foaming filler material was transported to the vicinity of the front line.

Once they succeed in their evacuation, they will use this material to quickly backfill key sections of the tunnel, especially the section near the bank, making it appear indistinguishable from the surrounding soil and rock from the inside.

News has come from the "Dawn" team:

The date was finally set for 2 PM three days later.

All preparations are complete.

Zhao Ping'an looked at the cold concrete wall at the end of the tunnel. Eight meters above and behind the wall was a mountain of gold.

He took a deep breath of the murky, damp air from underground and said to the team members surrounding him:

"The final step. On the ground, spring thunder is approaching. Underground, we must be the silent, hidden dragon."

Remember our objective: enter silently, collect instantly, and disappear quickly. All actions must follow instructions!

The atmosphere in the warehouse's basement was heavy and filled with fighting spirit.

Three days later in Shanghai, the sky was overcast, and an uneasy atmosphere permeated the sweltering air.

In the basement of warehouse number 32 in Dexingli, Zhao Pingan, Wang Dashan, Liu Dazhu, and two key engineering soldiers sat around a dim emergency light powered by batteries. No one spoke; only heavy breathing and the occasional rustling of clothes could be heard.

At the end of the tunnel, the cut concrete "door" stood silently, behind which lay their ultimate goal.

Zhao Pingan glanced at the waterproof watch on his wrist—it was 12:30 PM.

There is one and a half hours left until the scheduled start time.

A small earpiece was plugged into his ear, with a transceiver device transmitting signals. The eavesdropping device had been planted by our party members in the police station's telephone relay center, enabling them to listen to the police's frequently used key phone calls.

At this moment, the headphones were still filled with routine patrol reports and traffic control messages, but the tense atmosphere was already being transmitted through the radio waves.

"Final check of the equipment." Zhao Ping'an's voice was exceptionally clear in the underground space.

The five people immediately sprang into action, their movements swift and practiced. They changed into dark blue work clothes made of a special fabric provided by "Channel," which was moisture-wicking, anti-static, and had extremely low reflectivity in the dark.

Each person carried a tool bag on their waist containing a crowbar, spare batteries, a glow stick, a tourniquet, and a small packet of high-calorie concentrated food.

Wang Dashan and Liu Dazhu conducted an additional check on their weapons—two pistols fitted with makeshift silencers and several magazines, a last-ditch effort as a precaution.

Zhao Ping'an's focus was on that tracked miniature reconnaissance robot.

It is only the size of a lunchbox, with a rotating camera in the front that integrates low-light night vision and a simple thermal sensing module.

He tested the robot's remote control and image transmission again, confirming that the signal was stable. The footage showed that everything was normal inside the tunnel.

"Are the slag bricks stacked up properly?" Zhao Ping'an asked one of the engineers.

"It's piled up, Brigade Commander. As you instructed, it's piled up in the three reserved 'vehicle shelters' and covered with tarpaulins so it can't be seen from the outside."

"What about the quick-setting filler?"

"It's just five meters behind the 'door,' there are six barrels in total. The detonator is connected and can be remotely detonated at any time to mix and spray the materials," another sapper replied.

Zhao Ping'an nodded. Eliminating traces of the retreat was of paramount importance; these special chemical materials from the future could expand and solidify within minutes, perfectly sealing the tunnel.

Of course, most importantly, those gold lead blocks disguised as gold in his own space were the most crucial part of Zhao Ping'an's plan, a "substitution of the prince by a cat."

The time was drawing ever closer to one o'clock in the afternoon.

Scattered but urgent calls began to come through the radio headphones:

"Attention, a large crowd has been detected..."

"Send more personnel to patrol the area..."

The jumbled signals and chaotic dispatch all foreshadowed a storm brewing.

1:40 PM.

The plan has begun.