Ye Wenjie, watch my moves closely.

Chapter 10 The future of Hong'an

Lei Zhicheng's green train headed north, and the scenery outside the window gradually changed from barren fields to bustling roads.

After many years, Lei Zhicheng walked out of the Red Coast Base again and suddenly found that the world had changed a lot.

The last time he and Yang Weining went to pick up Ye Wenjie, who was about to be sent to court, the world they saw was exhilarating. The brick walls on both sides of the road were covered with inspiring slogans, and young men and women in military uniforms were jumping and making noise in the street.

It's different now.

The slogans have faded, replaced by high walls painted with various products. Bicycles are no longer a rare sight, and cars occasionally drive by on the road.

The women unbraided their hair, changed out of their military green clothes, and transformed into youthful and beautiful models. The men put on leather jackets and bell-bottoms, swaying in twos and threes under the streetlights.

"Never serious."

Lei Zhicheng couldn't understand how things could be so completely different outside after only a few years.

Having spent a long time at the Red Coast Base, gazing at the unchanging starry sky, he assumed the world would be as unchanging as the universe he saw.

During the twenty-odd hours of travel, he unexpectedly developed a sense of alienation, as if he had nowhere to call home.

Lei Zhicheng grew annoyed by what he saw, turned his gaze away, straightened his back, and adjusted his clothes.

The manuscript paper in his arms, bearing the logo of the Red Coast Base, was currently the only thing that gave him a sense of belonging.

After getting off the train, Lei Zhicheng went straight to the unit under his direct management without stopping.

"Comrade, please register."

The sentry at the gate saluted and welcomed Lei Zhicheng into the reception room.

Lei Zhicheng picked up his pen and wrote his name and organization in the register.

"Radar Peak base?"

The sentry was young, with fine downy hair still clinging to his lips. Seeing where Lei Zhicheng had written, he asked curiously, "Is the squad leader from the Red Coast Base? Has this place not been disbanded yet?"

"Hey, squad leader, I heard you guys go stargazing. What kind of stars can you see for over ten years? Are there people on those stars too?"

Faced with the young soldier's seemingly harmless question, Lei Zhicheng was taken aback and didn't know how to answer.

He devoted half his life to the Red Coast Base, yet to outsiders it seemed utterly worthless.

The Red Coast Base is a highly classified unit, and even when he comes to higher authorities, he only dares to refer to it as Radar Peak.

But now, even a private can accurately state the information about the Red Coast Base.

The level of secrecy is roughly equivalent to the base's survival; the situation... is truly dire.

After registering his information, the gatekeeper asked Lei Zhicheng to sit down for a moment, then picked up the phone and asked, "Is the squad leader here to see Director Cheng?"

"Director Cheng? No, I'm here to see Shi Xiangdong. He is..."

"Then that's it, you're looking for Director Cheng."

Before he could finish speaking, the gatekeeper made a phone call, said a few "uh-huhs," and then hung up.

"Squad leader, Director Shi Xiangdong has been transferred. Now Director Cheng is in charge of coordinating matters related to the Red Coast Base."

"Director Cheng? What's his name?"

There are only so many people in the higher-level unit who can manage Hong'an, and Lei Zhicheng had never heard of anyone with the surname Cheng.

They were parachuted in?

Seeing his worried expression, the young soldier smiled and said with relief, "Don't worry, squad leader, Director Cheng Lihua is a very nice person!"

"Who?!"

------

Meanwhile, inside the office.

Cheng Lihua, who is nearly 56 years old, put down the phone, threw the old glasses that accompanied her during her time as a sent-down youth on the table, leaned back, and wearily pressed her eye sockets.

"One after another..."

A week ago, she received a letter signed by Ye Wenjie.

She remembered this person.

That was in the winter of 1967.

She was given a golden opportunity—an opportunity to get close to key figures in the atomic and hydrogen bomb project.

She was just one step away from a meteoric rise in her career. All that was needed was for this girl named Ye Wenjie to sign the documents.

But this little bastard…

Cheng Lihua took a deep breath, trying her best to calm herself down.

The doctor said that she is not in good health and needs to control her temper in daily life.

Over the years, she has rarely gotten angry.

But Ye Wenjie's letter reminded her of the future she had missed.

Almost.

It's true, she was just a hair's breadth away from Beijing.

But now, she has been stuck in the same position for years, and has been demoted in name only, relegated to a position with no real power.

Red Coast Base.

Cheng Lihua will never forget this name.

Back then, before he could even use any of his tricks, Ye Wenjie was rescued by Lei Zhicheng and Yang Weining.

She will never forget the look in Yang Weining's eyes when he left.

It was a kind of spiritual indifference, as if mocking her for being someone who knew nothing.

This further convinced Cheng Lihua that, to some extent, intellectuals had become detached from the masses!

Later, Cheng Lihua submitted several reports trying to transfer Ye Wenjie from the Red Coast Base, but all of them were rejected.

The protection provided for this tiny radar peak is comparable to that of the nuclear weapons project.

However, fate played a cruel trick on her. After missing the opportunity, she ended up in the management department of the Red Coast Base.

But times have changed. The people we fought against back then have become great heroes of the people. Transferring Ye Wenjie out of Hongan would be pointless.

I heard that Ye Wenjie's academic theories are very impressive. That's good. Let this little bitch be left to rot and stink on the Red Shore where her future is ruined.

But she never expected that the little bitch would actually send a letter, provoking her bottom line!

A few days later, Lei Zhicheng arrived.

What does this mean?

Cheng Lihua rubbed her eyes, feeling utterly exhausted.

In a few years, she will reach the age of retirement. Whether she can take another step forward depends on the present.

She really had no interest in dealing with Hong'an's messy affairs.

"Report, people from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have arrived."

As I was deep in thought, there was a knock on the door.

Cheng Lihua opened her eyes, the gloom on her face vanished, and she smiled kindly, "They've arrived. Please come to the conference room."

"Oh, right."

Cheng Lihua stopped her secretary, who was about to leave, and said, "Xiao Zhang, the slogans in the office need to be updated. Change the ones that need to be changed."

"ah,"

The secretary glanced at the dusty statues and slogans of great figures in the office, nodded in agreement, and said, "Yes, Director Cheng."

----

The day after Lei Zhicheng left the Red Coast Base.

Judging by the time, he should have arrived at his destination by now.

At the edge of the Radar Peak cliff, Ye Wenjie and Li Youyu, who were forbidden from approaching the Red Coast System, sat on two separate rocks.

"What did you write in your letter to Cheng Lihua?"

Li Youyu picked up a small pebble and threw it off the cliff.

Ye Wenjie looked at the mountain quietly and said softly, "It's nothing. I just drew a smiley face to tell her I'm happy."

Li Youyu paused, then chuckled, "If Cheng Lihua saw your letter, she might be furious."

Ye Wenjie remained silent, the mountain wind whistling past the cliff.

After a long while, feeling tired, Ye Wenjie closed her eyes and silently recited in her heart:

"Serves him right."