Chapter 312: Encountering Danger Halfway

He Yuzhu slammed his foot down on the accelerator, the Jeep's engine let out a beast-like roar, bouncing wildly on the uneven dirt road and kicking up a sky full of yellow dust.

He drove straight toward Xishan.

The black sedan behind them was in hot pursuit.

Thanks to the Jeep's excellent off-road performance and He Yuzhu's modifications, the distance between the two vehicles quickly widened.

Seeing they couldn't catch up, the pursuer leaned out of the car window in a fit of rage and fired blindly ahead.

"Bang, bang!" The sound of gunfire echoed across the wilderness.

He Yuzhu's sharp gaze locked onto a dirt mound ahead.

He drove the Jeep in a sudden dash over the top of the slope, then slammed on the brakes.

The tires carved deep marks into the dirt road.

"Thud!" Liu Xiaohua's forehead hit the back of the front seat hard, and he winced in pain: "He Yuzhu, you bastard! Can't you give a warning before braking?"

"Less talk! Find cover!" He Yuzhu growled, nimbly opened the trunk, took out the Sniper Rifle, and rolled to lie prone behind the dirt mound.

The cold gun barrel rested on the dirt mound, the crosshairs steadily fixed on the sedan driver's head.

"Bang!"

A crisp gunshot pierced the air.

A flower of blood splattered across the sedan's driver seat, the vehicle immediately lost control, and it swerved crookedly into a large tree by the side of the road.

With a "boom," the hood of the car buckled upward, emitting billowing white smoke.

"Bang!"

Another precise shot killed a figure who was just escaping the car with a gun.

The remaining two thugs cowered behind the wrecked car body, firing wildly from behind cover, bullets "whizzing" as they hit the dirt mound and kicked up clouds of dust.

He Yuzhu had no time to tangle with them.

He quickly retreated to the side of the Jeep, nimbly shouldered the Bazooka, and loaded, aimed, and fired in one smooth motion.

"Hiss—boom!"

The Rocket trailed a scorching exhaust plume as it whistled out, accurately hitting the sedan wreckage.

The massive explosion lifted the car body into mid-air, turning it into a fireball.

Liu Xiaohua looked at the gruesome scene before him and gasped: "He Yuzhu, you're too ruthless..."

"They wanted our lives; should I have been polite to them?" He Yuzhu calmly put away his weapon.

"Let's go, don't keep the leaders waiting for us," Liu Xiaohua urged.

"Isn't it just a test? Why did it alarm such high-ranking leaders?" He Yuzhu asked.

"It's because the Soviet Union has been unwilling to provide Anti-aircraft Guns, so the higher-ups have made up their minds to build our own, so we won't be held hostage by others anymore," Liu Xiaohua explained.

"Why didn't the guards Tian Dan assigned to you follow today?"

"With you here, I didn't have them follow. How come you have a Rocket Launcher in the car, kid?" Liu Xiaohua asked suspiciously.

"I've been thinking about how to improve it these past few days," He Yuzhu lied without changing his expression.

His Storage Space contained far more than just a Rocket Launcher; if not for the ten-ton weight limit, he would have wanted to store planes and Tanks inside too.

The Anti-aircraft Gun test site was already bustling with people. He Yuzhu and Liu Xiaohua arrived and immediately began the final inspection.

At eleven o'clock sharp, a P-51 Mustang roared past, releasing a high-altitude balloon over the target range.

The basket hanging below the balloon contained a carefully designed Angle Reflector, ensuring the Radar on the ground could clearly capture its trajectory.

The balloon drifted slowly toward the southeast during its descent.

He Yuzhu operated the Anti-aircraft Gun himself.

The target was much smaller than a plane, making it extremely difficult.

He input the Radar parameters into the Computer and quickly calculated the firing data.

His operating speed was astonishingly fast; actions that took others ten seconds to complete, he could finish in two.

"Boom!"

The first shell rushed out of the barrel but grazed past the target.

He Yuzhu calmly made minor adjustments to the parameters and pulled the firing cord again.

"Bang!"

The balloon in the high altitude burst at the sound, turning into a brilliant firework.

Enthusiastic applause erupted from the viewing stand.

Liu Xiaohua rushed over excitedly and hugged He Yuzhu tightly.

"What's there to be happy about?" He Yuzhu said calmly, "The Anti-aircraft Gun meeting the standard is only the first step; the follow-up system is still far from finished."

"Don't worry, the automatic firing system will be developed very soon," Liu Xiaohua said confidently.

Bureau Chief Li of the Ordnance General Bureau personally shook He Yuzhu's hand: "Comrade Little He, you earned a first-class merit on the battlefield, and now you're participating in weapons research—that's no small feat."

"The Bureau Chief is too kind. This gun is the result of the hard work of all the ordnance workers; I only offered some suggestions for improvement based on combat experience."

"No need to be so modest; we always reward merit!" Bureau Chief Li said.

Liu Xiaohua interjected: "Leader, I'll be honest, Comrade He Yuzhu's contribution to this weapon system is much greater than mine."

After a simple celebration banquet, He Yuzhu kept thinking about the spies; although he had already called Tian Dan from the test site, he decided to go and explain in person.

In the Municipal Bureau office, Tian Dan looked displeased: "You actually used a Rocket Launcher to hit a sedan? You..."

"Sister, the situation was critical at the time; if I hadn't used the Rocket Launcher, Factory Director Liu might have been hurt. The Anti-aircraft Gun project cannot do without him," He Yuzhu explained earnestly.

"Those are all excuses! Now the lead is broken again," Tian Dan sighed.

"Sister, there are some things I have to say: the better our weapons perform on the battlefield, the more spies there will be. The counter-espionage work at the Military Factory is inherently a protracted war; it cannot be accomplished overnight," He Yuzhu analyzed calmly.

Tian Dan's anger gradually subsided: "That makes sense; I was a bit too impatient."

"The New Year is coming soon; it's lonely for you to spend it alone. Would you like to come to my place to join in the festivities?" He Yuzhu invited.

"We'll see. We might be even busier during the New Year," Tian Dan said, rubbing her temples.

Returning to the Siheyuan, He Yushui and a few little friends were jumping rope in the courtyard.

Seeing her brother return, she trotted over and whispered, "Brother, Jia Dongxu is getting married."

"Really?" He Yuzhu raised an eyebrow.

"It's Zhao Yingzi from the Houyuan," the little friend Ding Li chimed in.

He Yuzhu was stunned and asked, "Living in the same courtyard, would Zhao Si agree to marry his daughter off to the Jia Family?"

Ding Li shook her head.

Just as he entered the house, his mother Shen Guizhi also brought up the matter: "Our courtyard is going to hold a wedding."

"I'm afraid Jia Zhangshi's days won't be easy from now on," He Yuzhu said meaningfully.

"What do you mean?"

"Mom, don't spread this around—the Zhao family are tomb raiders. Zhao Yingzi is no pushover; if pushed too far, she could drive Jia Zhangshi back to her hometown."

"What?" Shen Guizhi covered her mouth in shock. "That girl has been quite good to me. Every time she sees me coming back with groceries, she often helps me carry them! She's been nice to Yushui too... I'll have to be careful from now on!"

"Her heart isn't bad; just interact with her normally, don't deliberately distance yourself."

"They are holding the banquet on the third day of the New Year and even wanted to ask your father to be the head chef. They really dare to think it! I rejected them outright. Your father only has a few days off; he has no time to wait on them," Shen Guizhi said with dissatisfaction.

"If you had agreed, they would surely go around showing off, saying a big Cadre is cooking for their family," He Yuzhu laughed.

"Son, which girl have you taken a fancy to? Mom will help you settle it quickly," Shen Guizhi asked with concern.

He Yuzhu said with a cheeky grin, "What do you think of Liu Rusi?"

"What? She is so much older than you!"

"What's wrong with being a bit older?" He Yuzhu continued to smile.

Shen Guizhi shook her head repeatedly: "No, no. By the time you're in your prime, she'll be old."

He Yuzhu just smiled without a word and turned to leave.

Just as he reached the entrance of the East Cross Courtyard, Zhao Yingzi suddenly blocked his path.

"Sister Yingzi, is something the matter?" He Yuzhu asked.

"There is. Let's go to your courtyard to talk," Zhao Yingzi said in a firm tone.

"That wouldn't be appropriate, would it? You're already engaged; if Jia Dongxu sees us, he'll be desperate to fight me."

"Don't be such a sissy!" Zhao Yingzi said, pulling him toward the East Cross Courtyard without giving him a choice.