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

"Thank you, Political Commissar." Zhao Ping'an grasped Lao Xu's hands tightly, too excited to understand the deeper meaning in Lao Xu's words.

"Comrade Ping An, I still prefer you to call me Lao Xu," Lao Xu said with a smile, jokingly.

"Okay, Lao Xu~" Zhao Ping'an replied with a smile.

The two sat down again, and the atmosphere was completely different.

The subtle barrier disappeared, replaced by unreserved honesty and tacit understanding among comrades.

"Old Xu," Zhao Ping'an wiped his face, calming down, "Now that we've laid it all out, I won't hide anything anymore. Some things should be handed over to the organization."

"The gold we had before was fake; the real gold is with me." Zhao Ping'an carefully chose his words. "Once we reach a safe rear base, I can take out 100 million taels of silver, which will definitely be of great use to the organization."

"How much?! You went down there for a few hours, and you brought out a million taels?" Even though Xu Yuanshan was mentally prepared, he was still shocked by this number and stood up from his stool, his voice changing.

"It's not just one million taels, it's a total of 277 million. They've already shipped it out using advanced technology. I've ordered a complete set of industrial equipment there, and used it to pay off debts," Zhao Ping'an repeated confidently. "By the way, back to the 100 million taels, I suggest that this batch of gold be used for the soon-to-be-established People's Bank of China, as one of the initial reserves for issuing new currency. National financial stability and monetary credibility are crucial, and this batch of gold should come in handy."

Xu Yuanshan was breathing heavily. He paced back and forth in the small room twice before he could barely suppress the turmoil in his heart.

One million taels of gold! That's enough to support the financial foundation of an entire region!

The look in his eyes when he looked at Zhao Ping'an was no longer just admiration, but also carried an indescribable shock.

This young man truly possesses astonishing energy and foresight? I only found out by consulting with relevant leaders and scholars, but Zhao Ping'an had already prepared for it.

"Then... what about the rest?" Xu Yuanshan asked subconsciously.

"I will temporarily hold the remaining 177 million taels of gold in my custody," Zhao Ping'an said calmly. "As I mentioned earlier, I've used it to pay off debts and order a complete set of industrial equipment. However, we have a lot of gold, which we can't spend all at once. I was just about to discuss our next steps with you, Lao Xu."

"Next? A complete set of industrial equipment?" Xu Yuanshan immediately grasped the key point, his eyes lighting up. "Ping An, what are your thoughts?"

Zhao Ping'an leaned forward; he could tell that Lao Xu didn't know what a complete set of industrial equipment was.

"Old Xu, time waits for no one! The liberation of the whole country is imminent, but building a strong new China cannot be achieved by fighting wars alone."

We must lay the foundation for industrialization and arm a modern people's army as quickly as possible!

"The penicillin factory was just the first step. That small industrial zone in the Northeast was merely a stopgap measure to train some workers."

Next, we need more factories: factories that produce machine tools, factories that produce fertilizers, factories that produce cement, steel, and basic chemical raw materials… We need to establish an industrial system, even if it's only the most rudimentary one, but it must be complete!

"We need more advanced weapons, not just rifles and machine guns. We need our own artillery, reliable communication equipment, radar, and even aircraft and warships. We need to establish a military academy system to train our own command and technical personnel!"

"Our soldiers cannot be content with merely being literate. They must learn mathematics, physics, and mechanical principles; they must become workers and technicians in the factories of the future, and gunners, signalmen, and mechanics in the army!"

We even need to expand our political work system; we need more political commissars and instructors to meet the daily management needs of our increasingly large liberated area governments…”

Zhao Ping'an spoke faster and faster, his thoughts clear and his goals well-defined, as if a grand blueprint had already been drawn in his mind a thousand times over:

"We can do it step by step."

First, utilizing existing resources and my connections, I will secretly establish several core "seed factories" and "technical training courses" in an absolutely secure rear area.

I will take care of the equipment and provide the technical documentation, but the organization needs to select the most reliable and promising young cadres and soldiers to learn and operate it.

"Secondly, in coordination with the overall situation, we should make advance arrangements in some key cities and mining areas that are about to be liberated, and use my abilities to assist our takeover team in quickly restoring and transforming some important factories, especially life-sustaining industries such as steel, coal and electricity."

"Again, arm our troops. Building on the existing equipment upgrades, I can gradually provide some more...effective weapons and support equipment, but the troops need to develop the capability to use and maintain them as soon as possible."

Zhao Pingan finished speaking in one breath, his gaze fixed intently on Xu Yuanshan:

"Old Xu, this requires unified planning and coordination at the highest level, and it will require breaking many conventions. It may be necessary to set up a special, highly confidential task force to advance this."

But I believe that as long as we work together, we can definitely buy precious time so that when the new China stands up, its backbone will be stronger and its confidence greater!

Xu Yuanshan was deeply moved.

Zhao Ping'an depicted the future that these veteran revolutionaries longed for but deeply felt was fraught with difficulty.

And now, thanks to the amazing abilities of this young man, all of this seems to be possible to be realized quickly!

Without any hesitation, he nodded emphatically:

"Ping An, your idea is excellent! I fully support it! I'll report this immediately, directly to the highest-ranking leader! Do you have any other thoughts? Speak up quickly!"

"Old Xu, our primary need is, firstly, the equipment needs of the various war zones. For example, we are currently here at the East China Field Army. We can provide a batch of advanced weapons first, trucks, artillery, tanks, anything will do. I guarantee that they are at least 20 years more advanced than the most advanced American equipment in Chiang Kai-shek's Central Army! We should arm our soldiers first and reduce the number of casualties."

Secondly, we need to gather and train some progressive and revolutionary leaders. We cannot afford to waste these most patriotic people in the war; we need them to lead factories, rural areas, and the government. At the very least, I hope that the managers in the factories I build will be our revolutionary backbone…”

"Good, Comrade Ping An, you're absolutely right!"

"By the way, Lao Xu, I have a small personal request!" Zhao Ping'an finally said, a rare hint of hesitation on his face.

"I want to join the Party!"

"Great, that's wonderful! I'll be your introducer!"

The two talked more and more deeply, from factory site selection to personnel selection, from technical training to material allocation, from confidentiality to phased goals.

The oil lamp was refilled twice, and the sky outside the window gradually changed from deep black to indigo. The first crowing of a rooster came from afar.

When Zhao Ping'an finally left Xu Yuanshan's hut, the eastern sky was already turning a pale white. The cool morning breeze brushed against his face, yet he felt full of strength, as if a heavy burden had been lifted and a more glorious mission had been taken up.

From this moment on, I am no longer a lonely transmigrator, but a cautious "system user".

I am about to become one of these most patriotic like-minded individuals.