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

October in western Henan. From several sheds emitting wisps of smoke, the rhythmic clanging of metal and the low hum of machine tools can be heard.

On the open ground in the valley, a group of young soldiers, dressed in modified work clothes and with expressions of curiosity and focus on their faces, were carefully unloading wooden crates from the back of several Dongfeng trucks under the direction of Zhao Ping'an and a few other skilled soldiers.

These wooden crates contain the last batch of firearms repair and small parts processing equipment to arrive.

A soldier accidentally slipped, causing the box to tilt. Zhao Ping'an reacted quickly and stepped forward to support it. It was heavy, containing the core components of several precision small instrument lathes.

"Be extra careful! These are precious items, be extremely careful!" Zhao Ping'an whispered, personally helping to place the boxes steadily onto the handcart next to him.

Just as he straightened up, preparing to direct the unloading of the next truck, that familiar, emotionless mechanical voice in his mind suddenly rang out:

[Ding. Detected that the host's total value of redeemed 'Industrial Manufacturing' equipment has exceeded 5000 million system coins.]

[Achieve the hidden achievement 'Primary Industrial Seeder'.]

[Special reward: A basic disguise technique data package.]

[System Prompt: It is recommended that the host proceed to the core anchor location of the "Full House of Love" world—No. 95, Nanluoguxiang, Beiping—as soon as possible to complete the initial identity binding and environment integration, in order to unlock subsequent system functions and upgrade system privileges.]

Upgrades to core trade functions and more cross-time and space trade options will be gradually rolled out after the anchoring process is completed.

Zhao Ping'an froze instantly.

The courtyard house at No. 95 Nanluoguxiang! Finally here!

Since the time travel, the "Love in the Courtyard" world in the system name has been like a background background, and has been almost never mentioned again except for the initial prompt.

He had also secretly wondered what this "courtyard world" really meant, or if it was just a background.

Where is the opportunity for a system upgrade? Unexpectedly, the answer is here—he needs to go to that place in person to "check in" and unlock it, and complete the corresponding tasks.

Upgraded permissions! More features! Each technology upgrade and equipment redemption will be delayed by 5 years.

Zhao Ping'an is currently focused on the following technologies: the ultra-high voltage power transmission technology developed in 2009, the mature photovoltaic power generation technology developed from 2010 to 2015, and the mature second-generation photovoltaic power generation technology developed after 2020.

Zhao Ping'an even felt that as long as he exchanged for a large number of photovoltaic power generation equipment and laid them out across the country, he could immediately solve the electricity problem for most factories. After all, electricity is the lifeblood of industrial development, but whether it is building hydroelectric power stations or thermal power stations, a large number of projects are required.

With solar photovoltaic power generation, the equipment can be easily exchanged and installed in just a few days.

Moreover, it mainly relies on solar energy and does not require water or coal resources, which is fantastic.

This was undoubtedly a huge temptation. Especially with the liberation of the whole country imminent, the resources and technology he possessed, if further expanded and deepened with system upgrades, would have an immeasurable impact on the construction of the new China.

However, the risks were equally enormous. At this time, the Pingjin area was still under the control of the Kuomintang, and Commander Fu had assembled hundreds of thousands of troops. Moreover, with the outbreak of the Liaoshen Campaign, Beiping was now almost like a frightened bird, and its defenses were extremely tight.

Moreover, Beiping would be liberated in a few months. Did he really need to risk it by a few months earlier? Zhao Ping'an thought about it for a moment and then made up his mind.

I'll do it. It's worth the risk for these few months, and the system even gave me a skill called "Disguise Technique."

So Zhao Ping'an went to find Lao Xu again.

"Old Xu, there's something urgent I need to discuss with you privately," Zhao Ping'an said seriously.

Xu Yuanshan glanced at him and keenly sensed that Zhao Ping'an had something important to say. After all, every time Zhao Ping'an spoke up about something, it always ended up being a big deal. So he nodded, gave a few instructions to the local officials, and then walked with Zhao Ping'an to a secluded, sheltered spot at the edge of the valley.

"What's wrong, Ping An? Is there a problem with the equipment?" Xu Yuanshan asked.

"The equipment is fine." Zhao Ping'an shook his head, lowered his voice, and got straight to the point. "It's my 'supply channel' that has sent a very special and urgent request."

Xu Yuanshan's expression hardened: "You speak."

"They need me to personally go to Beiping (Beijing), settle down at No. 95 Nanluoguxiang, and retrieve a 'token' that is crucial to them and to our future cooperation." Zhao Ping'an deliberately made the system prompt vague while specifying the task.

"The other party made it clear that as long as this task is completed, they will open up higher-level cooperation, provide more and more advanced equipment and technical information than they do now, and may even involve things that will fundamentally help our future nation-building."

"Go to Beiping? Now?" Xu Yuanshan's brows furrowed instantly, and he shook his head decisively. "No! It's too dangerous! Tianjin and Beijing are where the enemy's main forces are located, and Beiping itself is a den of dragons and tigers! You came from the uprising troops, and Comrade Ping'an, you hold core secrets and channels; your safety is of paramount importance. We absolutely cannot take this risk! Besides, what token must you retrieve personally? Can't we use underground transportation or other methods?"

Zhao Ping'an had anticipated Xu Yuanshan's reaction. He took a deep breath and said, "Political Commissar, I understand your concerns."

However, the other party emphasized that this item is special and must be personally handled by me, the "specific contact person," to take effect; it's similar to some kind of specific identification or binding, and cannot be delegated to others. As for security issues…”

Zhao Ping'an paused, a hint of "unscientific" light flashing in his eyes: "The other party provided a... auxiliary method."

Under Xu Yuanshan's questioning gaze, Zhao Pingan gestured for him to wait a moment, then walked behind a large rock to the side. With a slight thought, he exchanged for the equipment and materials needed for the "Disguise Technique": then took them out one by one, including special skin wax, silicone skin, a special headgear, color-adjustable dye, and temporary pupil coverings.

They started working right in front of Lao Xu.

A few minutes later, when Zhao Ping'an came out, Xu Yuanshan was so startled that he took a half step back, his hand instantly landing on the holster at his waist, and he hissed, "Who are you?!"

Standing before him was no longer Zhao Ping'an. Instead, it was a man in his forties, with a sallow complexion, fine lines around his eyes, sparse gray hair, a slightly hunched back, and dressed in ordinary country cloth clothes—a man who looked like an accountant! He even seemed a little shorter, and his eyes, which were usually bright and clear, had become somewhat cloudy and flickering.

"Old Xu, it's me." "The accountant" spoke; it was Zhao Ping'an's voice.

Xu Yuanshan stared wide-eyed, scrutinizing the other person from head to toe, even getting closer for a closer look. Apart from the occasional glint of light in that familiar gaze, he could find almost no flaws! He reached out and touched the other person's cheek; the touch was real, even possessing normal skin texture and temperature!

"This...this is..." Xu Yuanshan was so shocked he couldn't speak. This was beyond his understanding of "disguise," almost like an illusion!