North America 1849, from Gold Rush to Warlord

Chapter 171 Was that Chinese guy seriously injured?

Victoria and Monica only appeared abruptly at the Angel Island Armory after General Paparo King had left.

"Hi BOSS!"

"According to your plan, most of the explosives in the arsenal have probably been secretly moved in advance."

"Important equipment that could not be moved was also dealt with in advance to minimize the losses as much as possible."

"However, the explosives depot's power still exceeded our expectations! It resulted in numerous casualties among security personnel."

After Victoria finished her report, Azu said, "Since we've decided to keep Sean, losses are inevitable."

"The injured and deceased will receive generous compensation, and the damaged equipment will be replaced and repaired as soon as possible."

"The commander of the Pacific Fleet will be replaced in the next few days."

"If we take the worst-case scenario, the newly appointed General Andrew Webber may directly blockade the California coast, or even send warships through the San Francisco Strait into the Bay Area to bombard our major industries."

Azu said in a deep voice, "Of course, this is the worst-case scenario. If General Andrew Webber dares to do that, it would be tantamount to declaring war on California directly."

"If General Weber dares to do this without authorization from the president and Congress, he will undoubtedly ruin his military career!"

"He might even be court-martialed for this!"

"From the general's own perspective, he would never have done that."

"But from the Freemasons' perspective, sacrificing a brigadier general could plunge our Huamei Industries into utter ruin, which would undoubtedly be a very worthwhile deal."

"Therefore, we must be on guard!"

Ah Zu asked Uncle Jiu, "Is the prototype of our breech-loading rifled cannon ready?"

Uncle Nine nodded: "One prototype each of the 100mm, 155mm and 203mm cannons has been produced. They are just waiting for test firing and after adjustments and improvements, they can be put into mass production."

"very good!"

Ah Zu said, "There's no time like the present, so let's take advantage of the fact that so many people are here today and arrange for a test firing!"

While Uncle Nine went down to arrange the test firing, Victoria asked, "Boss, that troublemaker Sean has been caught. What about Tony, Susan, and Klaus? What should we do with them?"

Azu pondered for a moment and said, "I have already asked General Jin for help, and he should keep this matter a secret."

"Spread the word that I have captured Sean alive, and I have been stabbed and seriously wounded."

"Immediately launch a large-scale manhunt throughout San Francisco, searching house to house."

"If that master is smart enough, he should leave San Francisco as soon as possible and return to the East."

"After all, their hidden knights were captured alive, and the risk of them being exposed is very high."

"Moreover, the fact that they destroyed the arsenal and seriously wounded me by assassination is already a huge achievement, and they have completed most of their mission."

“Even if they return to Freemason headquarters, such achievements are perfectly acceptable.”

"Only by getting them back to Freemasonry as soon as possible can that trump card be of value."

“Victoria, send our best spies to infiltrate Philadelphia as soon as possible, specifically to make contact with this ace and coordinate with her operations.”

"As for the code name for this ace, let's call it 'Red Center'!"

“Red Center?” Victoria raised an eyebrow. “Does this code name have any meaning?”

“It doesn’t mean anything!” Azu said, “In Chinese Mahjong, the Red Dragon is a good tile.”

Ah Zu continued, "As for our colonel, his code name is 'Get Rich'."

"And the chief judge gave him the code name 'Blank'."

"In this way, we will have a total of three members in the Freemasons, and hopefully they will bring unexpected surprises."

Victoria nodded: "Okay, Boss, I understand!"

Azu added, "We must learn a lesson from Sean's incident."

“Monica, in addition to fighting corruption, our internal audit department must also take on the responsibility of background checks on internal personnel.”

"For all important industries such as arsenals, pharmaceutical factories, chemical plants, and shipyards, as well as the various important departments of the company headquarters, whether they are new or old employees, we must find out their backgrounds."

"We must not hire anyone whose origins are unclear."

Monica said, "No problem, I'll arrange for a thorough internal investigation right away."

As they were talking, Uncle Nine returned: "Boss, the test firing has been arranged and we can start anytime."

"Let's go! Let's see just how powerful our long-awaited cannons really are!"

Azu got up and led a group of people straight to the test firing site.

Soon after, when the group arrived at the test firing range, three large, black cannons were already lined up neatly, their dark muzzles pointing towards the vast sea.

Uncle Jiu explained, "Boss, these three caliber breech-loading rifled cannons are all made according to your design and manufacturing requirements, using newly developed alloy steel, and are equipped with high-explosive warheads."

"A 100mm breech-loading rifled gun has a theoretical range of over 8,000 yards."

"The theoretical range of a 155mm breech-loading rifled gun is over 14,000 yards."

"The 203mm breech-loading rifled gun has a theoretical range of over 20,000 yards."

Azu patted the massive, black barrel of the 203mm cannon: "With these cannons, we will have the resources to build a truly powerful army and navy!"

"We have spent a lot of money, time and energy on these cannons, and we hope that this test firing will not disappoint us."

"Don't worry, boss!"

Uncle Nine patted his chest and guaranteed, "I personally supervised the entire construction process of these three cannons. Although I don't understand the technology, I can at least guarantee that everyone involved put in their best effort and dedication during the construction process...!"

"Good, then let the results prove your hard work!"

Once Ah Zu and the others had retreated to a safe distance, under Uncle Jiu's personal command, the three cannons of different calibers were cleaned, and shells and propellant were loaded one by one.

The first weapon tested was a 100mm breech-loading rifled cannon.

"Ready, fire...!"

Under Uncle Nine's command, the gunner pulled the cannon rope without hesitation.

"boom……!"

After a deafening roar, a cannonball shot out in an instant...!
"call out……!"

"Boom...!"

With a sharp whistling sound, a tall column of water exploded on the sea surface eight thousand yards away.

The first cannon manufactured by Huamei Industrial successfully fired its first high-explosive shell, as expected.

Next up is the 155mm breech-loading rifled gun.

"Ready, fire...!"

"boom……!"

"call out……!"

"Boom...!"

More than 10,000 yards away, another, even larger and taller column of water was splashed up on the sea.

Finally, there is the 203mm breech-loading rifled gun.

"Ready, fire...!"

"boom……!"

"call out……!"

"Boom...!"

A huge column of water finally spewed up from the sea 20,000 yards away.

The distance was so great that it was almost invisible to the naked eye. The group could only observe the direction of the distant shell impact through binoculars.

Three test shots, all three successful!
This means that Huamei Industrial's self-manufactured breech-loading rifled cannon, a powerful and epoch-making weapon, has achieved its initial goals.

"good, very good!"

Azu put down his binoculars, his face beaming with joy, and exclaimed, "Well done, our naval gun factory!!!"

"Although our cannons still need adjustment and testing in terms of accuracy, both their power and range have basically met the design requirements!"

For Azu, the first test firing was considered a success as long as it didn't explode.

Although there are still some differences between the final impact point of the shells and the target area of ​​these three caliber breech-loading rifled guns.

The 100mm shell landed within the target area, albeit only barely grazed it.

The 155mm and 203mm shells landed outside the target area; the farther the range, the greater the deviation.

Facing Uncle Nine, who also had a beaming face, Ah Zu smiled and said, "Uncle Nine, although you don't understand technology, you've managed the Angel Island Armory quite well!"

"You deserve immense credit for the successful first test firing of these three cannons!"

"Similarly, everyone at the naval gun factory has made their own contributions!"

"Therefore, this month, all frontline staff in the naval gun engineering project will receive a bonus of fifty US dollars each!"

"Middle managers will each receive a $100 bonus!"

"Senior managers and engineers, each will receive a bonus of two hundred dollars!"

"And for you, Uncle Nine, I'll just give you five hundred dollars, just as a token!"

People like Uncle Nine, who are core members of Huamei Company, now own shares in the company, and their annual dividends are the main source of income.

For the average person in this era, five hundred dollars may represent the entire family's annual income.

But for shareholders like Uncle Nine who received the rights issue, $500 was really just a token gesture.

"Hahaha...!" Uncle Nine laughed with a beaming smile, "We're all family, what's money to us... As long as we can successfully build our cannon, I'll be completely satisfied!"

"We should still send a token gesture, just to share in the joy!"

“However…!” Azu’s tone shifted, “The precision of our cannon manufacturing still needs improvement.”

"I estimate that the final impact point of the 100mm cannon was at least 100 yards off the center of the target area."

"The landing point was 155 millimeters, but the deviation was at least two hundred yards."

"The 203mm landing point is even more off track; I estimate it was at least three or four hundred yards!"

"Such precision greatly diminishes its effectiveness in actual combat. Let alone hitting a moving warship, it would be difficult to inflict effective damage even on a group of infantry."

Azu said in a deep voice, "Therefore, the next task for our naval gun factory is to improve the construction process and increase manufacturing precision as soon as possible."

"My requirements are not high: improve the accuracy by at least double on the existing basis. The impact point of the 203mm full-range shot should also be controlled within 100 yards."

"Uncle Jiu, can you do it?"

"Don't worry, boss, we'll do our best!" Uncle Nine replied solemnly, his smile fading.

"Excellent! If you can do this, give everyone at the naval gun factory a bonus next month!"

"Once the manufacturing precision and processes are fully perfected, our naval gun factory will be able to start full-speed production."

"Whether it's the coast guard's warships, our fortified batteries, or even our National Guard, they're all waiting to fire!"

“I understand!” Uncle Nine nodded solemnly again: “Boss, our naval gun factory will definitely have everyone working overtime to get our guns into mass production as soon as possible.”
-
Meanwhile, San Francisco was in complete chaos!
The Standard published the news of the governor's assassination attempt and serious injuries in a special edition.

Furthermore, The Standard also revealed some inside information about the governor's assassination attempt.

According to reliable intelligence, the assassin of the governor was a white man from the East who was hiding inside the Huamei Armory and caused last night's series of explosions.

Last night, almost all San Francisco residents heard a deafening roar, and many saw the huge mushroom cloud rising into the sky.

But the citizens never expected that the assassin would be so audacious, not only destroying the arsenal but also, in broad daylight, seriously injuring the governor!

What surprised the citizens even more was that The Standard also stated that the assassin was not only captured alive, but also revealed that he had accomplices lurking in San Francisco!
When the special edition of The Standard was distributed to citizens, thousands of armed police and military personnel from the state police department, the San Francisco police department, and the National Guard conducted a thorough, door-to-door search of the entire city of San Francisco.

Whether it's a private residence, a business, a hotel, a dock... no place that might harbor enemy agents can escape the thorough search by the military and police.

This includes the two-story building of the "Ohara Cotton Trading Company".

Having just seen off the military police who had been searching house to house, Tony O'Hara remained standing at the window, peeking out a corner of the curtains and watching with extreme vigilance the numerous military police deployed throughout the street.

"what to do……?"

Susan O'Hara stood nervously behind Tony, lowering her voice to ask, "Although Sean has seriously wounded the governor, he's been captured alive. What if he can't withstand the torture and confesses about us...!"

"What's the panic...!"

Tony O'Hara hissed, "The military and police are just searching house to house, which means that at least for now, Sean hasn't betrayed us!"

“If he has already confessed, then the military and police will not come to search us, but to arrest us directly.”

“But…!” Susan O’Hara was still on edge: “Even if Sean hasn’t confessed yet, who can guarantee he won’t in the future?”

Tony O'Hara lowered his voice and said, "Susan, you must have absolute faith in the Hidden Knights that the organization is training!"

“They underwent the most brutal training, including various forms of torture… I believe that even under severe torture, he would not reveal any of the organization’s secrets!”

"Moreover, this is only the publicly available information in the newspapers!"

"Who knows if Sean has been captured alive? Who knows if that damned Chinese guy is seriously injured? It could all be a smokescreen spread by that Chinese guy to mislead us...!"

Susan interrupted him, saying, "But Sean still hasn't returned! According to the plan, he should have come back to report after successfully sabotaging the arsenal."

"He hasn't returned yet; he's either been captured alive or he's already dead...!"

Tony said, "I care more about that Chinaman's life or death than Sean's!"

"Susan, you need to get ready quickly. Before we're exposed, you need to go to the headquarters in America as soon as possible, under the guise of a visit, to find out about that Chinese guy."

"Ideally, you should be able to get the most accurate information about Sean from him!"

"What...?" Susan frowned deeply. "At such a critical juncture, you want me to go to the Huamei headquarters in person? Isn't that just offering myself up...?"

“No!” Tony shook his head firmly: “You’ve already slept with that Chinese guy. After learning that he was seriously injured, you rushed to see him immediately. That’s the normal reaction a woman who loves him should have!”

"But……!"

Tony's tone became sterner than ever before: "There are no 'buts,' this is a mission the organization has given you! Whether you like it or not, you have to go!"

Susan O'Hara's expression showed a long struggle before she reluctantly nodded: "Alright! My dear brother, if I hadn't come back...!"

"Then you are a martyr who sacrificed your life for the organization! Your name will appear in the Hall of Heroes and be remembered for generations to come...!"

Susan O'Hara glared at Tony resentfully, said nothing, and went back to her room to put on makeup and change clothes.

A moment later, Susan, wearing only light makeup and a rather simple, ancient Greek-style straight-cut long dress, appeared in front of Tony.

Tony looked him up and down and couldn't help but exclaim, "Tsk tsk tsk... Susan, my dear sister, your outfit is truly unique! You're practically the embodiment of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of beauty!"

Susan O'Hara completely ignored him. Right now, all she wanted was to get to the headquarters of the Chinese American government as soon as possible to find out what had happened to the young and handsome governor.

But as soon as she stepped out, she was stopped by military police along the street.

"Excuse me, madam! Due to the assassination of the governor, martial law is temporarily in effect throughout San Francisco! No unauthorized personnel are allowed on the streets."

“I am Susan O’Hara, a friend of the governor. At this critical moment, I need to visit him as soon as possible…!”

Upon hearing that the man was a friend of the governor, the military policeman dared not delay and immediately reported it.

A moment later, a carriage decorated with a golden tiger, exclusively belonging to the Huamei Company, picked up Susan O'Hara and headed straight for the Huamei Company headquarters.

Tony O'Hara, who remained at the "O'Hara Cotton Shop," immediately began packing his bags the moment Susan left.

He was prepared to make a quick getaway as soon as he sensed trouble!
(End of this chapter)