Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 286 What I Heard Upon Entering the City

When the entire 386th Brigade stepped onto that smooth, wide cement road and began to advance into the heart of Wutai County, they truly realized that what they had seen on the border was just the tip of the iceberg.

The further they went, the more astonishing things they were met with.

On the wide, smooth road, long convoys of trucks, loaded with grain, ammunition boxes, and various supplies, would occasionally whiz past them.

The trucks were all brand new, painted with the emblem of the Shanxi militia. The drivers skillfully maneuvered the steering wheel, and even had the leisure to honk their horns twice at these "friendly troops" marching on foot, and grin at them.

At one intersection, they even saw more than a dozen tanks rumbling past them, their tracks grinding against the concrete road.

The tanks had sleek and powerful designs, with long cannons pointing diagonally to the sky, exuding a menacing aura.

This is clearly not some captured miniature tank, but rather a standardized and well-maintained main battle equipment.

In the sky, several silver fighter jets flew by at extremely low altitudes, emitting a sharp whistling sound as they tore through the air. They circled once above the formation, performed a graceful side-flight maneuver as if to salute them, and then pulled up their noses and flew towards the distant airport.

This integrated land and air mechanized landscape gave them the illusion that they had not arrived in a barren county town in North China, but had instead stumbled into the heartland of a legendary military superpower.

"Good heavens...this...this is a tank...!"

Li Yunlong's eyes were fixed on the departing tanks, his mouth practically watering. "Old Kong, Old Ding, did you see that? Those iron turtles are way more imposing than the Japanese Type 97 tanks! If I, Old Li, had a battalion... no... a company of those, I could pierce right through Taiyuan!"

Kong Jie was speechless, only clicking his tongue repeatedly and muttering, "This Commander Su, which god's bank did he rob... Compared to him, Yan Laoxi is practically a beggar!"

Ding Wei's expression was the most solemn. He nudged Li Yunlong and Kong Jie beside him, lowered his voice, and his eyes gleamed with a sharp light:

"Stop just looking on with envy. Have you ever thought about why he would want to involve us when he has such a strong family background?"
This shows that Taiyuan is a tough nut to crack than we imagined! It also shows that... Commander Su's ambitions probably extend beyond just Taiyuan!

Amidst the whispers of this trio, the team finally arrived outside Wutai County.

At the city gate, two rows of militia soldiers, dressed in crisp military uniforms and holding submachine guns, stood ramrod straight, exuding an imposing aura.

In the very center of the city gate, two people stood smiling, waiting for them.

The man at the head was Su Yaoyang. He was dressed in a gray German-style Type 36 uniform, with an upright posture and a confident and enthusiastic smile on his face.

Standing beside him was Bai Chongxi, also dressed in military uniform, with a slightly complicated expression.

Brigade Commander Chen dismounted, straightened his uniform, and strode forward.

"Commander, you must be tired from your journey!"

Then, Su Yaoyang turned to the side and ordered Chief of Staff Pi Ruoyu to lead the main force of the 386th Brigade to the camp that had been prepared outside the city, where hot meals, hot water, and brand-new barracks awaited them.

"General Chen, my colleagues, you've traveled a long way, you must be tired!"
A small feast has been prepared in the city; please come in and let us welcome you and wash away the dust of your journey!

While Chief of Staff Pi Ruoyu led the main force of the 386th Brigade to the camp outside the city, Su Yaoyang and Bai Chongxi led Chen Geng, Li Yunlong and other Eighth Route Army officers through the heavy city gate and officially entered Wutai County.

If the mechanized troops and modern roads outside the city gave them a military shock, then the scene inside the city refreshed their understanding of people's livelihood and economy.

Upon entering the city, the chaotic and desolate scenes that Li Yunlong and his companions usually saw in other county towns were nowhere to be found.

What comes into view is a wide, clean main street paved with cement.

The streets were lined with shops, bustling with people, and filled with the sounds of vendors hawking their wares, laughing and talking, and children playing. It was a scene of prosperity and tranquility, even more lively than some of the major cities before the war.

What surprised them even more were the buildings on both sides of the street.

The low, dilapidated thatched houses or traditional brick and tile houses that were common in other county towns are now rare.

In their place, rows of brand-new and sturdy two- or three-story buildings have sprung up.

The main structure of these buildings was surprisingly constructed using the very cement bricks they had just marveled at, or even monolithically poured concrete.

The walls are smooth and flat, the windows are large and bright, and some are even inlaid with glass, which was a luxury in those days.

Every household's doorway was spotless, and many had potted plants placed outside, creating a vibrant atmosphere.

"Good heavens..."

Li Yunlong's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. He tugged at Zhao Gang's sleeve and lowered his voice, but the shock in his tone was impossible to hide. "Political Commissar, look! The houses these people live in are more luxurious than those in big cities like Taiyuan and Datong. This isn't a county town; it's paradise!" Zhao Gang adjusted his glasses, his heart equally pounding with astonishment.

He saw that the people walking on the streets, whether merchants, workers or ordinary residents, all had a confident and calm expression on their faces, something that could never be seen in other war-torn regions.

Although their clothes were simple, they were clean and tidy, and their complexions were rosy, indicating that they lived a fairly good standard of living.

As Su Yaoyang walked, he smiled and introduced the place to them: "Wutai County is located in a strategic area, but it used to be very poor. After I came here, I didn't do anything else, just opened a few small factories, such as cement factories, hardware factories, and match factories. They were not large in scale, but they were enough to keep everyone eating and have some work to do."

He spoke casually, but to Chen Geng and others, it was like a thunderclap.

In this era, setting up a modern factory, especially one capable of mass-producing strategic materials like cement, is as difficult as climbing to the heavens.

The "small factory" that Su Yaoyang mentioned directly changed the face of a county town, and even created a siphon effect, attracting a large number of migrant workers and idle laborers from the surrounding areas to work there, which led to the current prosperity.

"Some time ago, we also discovered a sizable iron ore deposit in the Xiangyuan and Dingxiang area."

Su Yaoyang casually mentioned a small matter, "I have already had people start preparations to build a steel plant."

"From now on, we can smelt our own steel and manufacture our own guns and cannons, so we won't have to be at the mercy of foreigners anymore."

Build your own steel plant?
This is no longer simply about being "rich"; it's about building a complete, self-sufficient military-industrial complex.

This is the ultimate goal that all Chinese people dream of but cannot achieve!
Following behind Su Yaoyang, the crowd passed through the bustling streets, their hearts filled with an overwhelming sense of awe.

They finally realized that the commander of the Shanxi militia they were about to cooperate with possessed strength and ambitions far exceeding any of their imagination.

After Su Yaoyang's seemingly casual yet earth-shattering statement about "building a steel plant," Political Commissar Zhao Gang, who had been observing in silence, finally couldn't hold back any longer.

"Commander Su, please forgive my bluntness. To establish a complete industrial system, even just the most basic light industrial factory you mentioned, requires a very large and systematic project in terms of talent reserves, material allocation, technical support, and start-up capital."

Given the current situation in the country, where did you...where did you get so many skilled workers, production materials, and sophisticated production equipment?

This question hits the nail on the head, getting straight to the heart of the matter. It was also the biggest source of confusion for all the Eighth Route Army generals.

Upon hearing this, Su Yaoyang stopped and turned around, a playful smile on his face, as if he had expected someone to ask this question.

"Talented, indeed..."

He shrugged, speaking as casually as if he were talking about going to the market to buy vegetables, "Of course, it's about digging."

In big cities like Taiyuan and Datong, there are always some talented but unappreciated engineers and technicians. As long as the price is right, there's no one you can't poach.

If these places aren't enough, we can send people to Beijing and Shanghai, where there are even more talented people.

He paused, then changed the subject, a look of "heartache" on his face, and sighed.

"As for the equipment... well, that's even more straightforward, and of course, it's more expensive."

He solemnly complained, "I asked my friends in the foreign trading company to buy these sets from America and England, spending real money."

Oh dear, don't even mention it! It cost me a fortune, and just thinking about it still hurts my heart.

Listening to Su Yaoyang's seemingly complaining but actually extremely Versailles-esque boasting, Zhao Gang felt that all the theories he had prepared about economic construction and the development of the base area were instantly blocked.

He opened his mouth, but in the end he didn't say anything, and just silently rubbed the bridge of his nose.

He suddenly didn't want to continue talking. Talking to this guy was just too easy to get angry at; this guy was too good at pretending.

Zhao Gang backed down, but Brigade Commander Chen, who was beside him, laughed and took over the conversation.

"Commander Su, I must say, the changes in Wutai County have truly broadened the horizons of us peasants."

Brigade Commander Chen's smile was hearty, and his words were filled with sincere admiration, "I originally thought that Regiment Commander Su, you were only good at training troops and fighting, a born general. I never imagined that you would be so capable in improving people's livelihoods and developing industries! I admire you, I admire you!"

Faced with praise from the future tycoon who would single-handedly create Harbin Military Engineering Institute, Su Yaoyang dared not accept it entirely. The playful glint in his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a sincere and humble expression. He quickly waved his hands, saying:

"Commander Chen, please don't say that! You flatter me! My skills are so meager, how could I dare to show off in front of you? I just happened to be lucky enough to do some work within my capabilities, and I really don't deserve such praise!"

(End of this chapter)