Bright Sword: From Border Region Manufacturing to Major National Heavy Industry

Chapter 11: Cooking raw rice into cooked rice
"Minister Zhang, although we don't all understand why the Japanese engineers didn't discover that the fertilizer contained a large amount of ammonium nitrate, you must take all the logistics funds and buy all the fertilizer while the Japanese are selling fertilizer at low prices right now," Lao He instructed Zhang Wanhe.

"Of course, fertilizer contains a lot of ammonium nitrate. Even if I have to sell everything I own, I'll make sure the Japanese get all of it." Zhang Wanhe stated decisively. Although he didn't have much money in his account, his imposing manner made him seem anything but a poor logistics worker.

Old He then said, "Minister Zhang, although our factory director stopped the arsenal's production without authorization, he did it to lead us in focusing all our efforts on developing artillery. Please don't punish him..."

Before Lao He could finish speaking, Zhang Wanhe interrupted him solemnly, his voice filled with anger: "What nonsense are you spouting? A top-notch military engineer who can produce explosives and even overtake others to build cannons—who dares to lay a finger on him?"

"Minister Zhang, it's just that when I saw you coming over, you had a murderous look on your face. I thought you really..." Before Lao He could finish speaking, Zhang Wanhe, looking somewhat embarrassed, interrupted him: "Was that murderous intent? I was worried about you guys getting into trouble, after all, this is a battlefield! By the way!"

At this point, Zhang Wanhe asked, "Your arsenal wants to build cannons, why did you inform me beforehand?"

“Minister Zhang, with your temper, if we told you we were going to stop production at the arsenal, wouldn’t you jump up immediately?” As a veteran of logistics, Lao He knew the logistics minister’s temper all too well.

He didn't understand gun manufacturing and couldn't comprehend Li Muzhi's explanation at all.

"You could have explained it to me first. I'm not someone who can't understand cleaning." Zhang Wanhe looked even more embarrassed and tried to save face for himself.

They were so focused on the cannons that they forgot about our top-notch military industrial talent in logistics.

Zhang Wanhe turned around and ran off towards Li Muzhi.

Watching Zhang Wanhe's retreating figure, a worker said to Lao He, "Director, will the minister punish our factory manager?"

"Punishment my foot! Didn't you see how happy the minister is? Even if he found a gold ingot, he wouldn't be this happy," Old He laughed.

The worker laughed: "That's right, our factory manager is much more valuable than a gold ingot, haha."

……

Meanwhile, as Zhang Wanhe approached the Hell Cannon, Li Yunlong ran up to Li Muzhi at top speed, beaming, "Director Li, I'm sorry, something came up at my regimental headquarters earlier, otherwise I would have come with you personally."

"It's alright, Commander Li, your battalion commander has done a great job." Li Muzhi indicated that he did not mind.

Time was of the essence, and while Zhang Wanhe's attention was entirely focused on the cannons, Li Yunlong had to seize the opportunity to make the deed a done deal.

Li Yunlong smiled and said to Li Muzhi, "Director Li, once we attack Sunjiabao, the enemy will definitely need to reinforce. Can I borrow your cannon for a bit?"

Li Muzhi laughed and said, "Commander Li, the testing of this cannon is not yet complete."

Li Muzhi recalled a historical anecdote: Liu Bei borrowed Jingzhou!
The regimental commander in front of us, surnamed Li, has a much thicker skin than Liu Bei.

"That's alright, I'll use the cannon, you just record the data from the side," Li Yunlong claimed, asserting that it was no problem.

"Commander Li, let me be frank with you," Li Muzhi said, getting straight to the point. "If you want to covet my cannon, you'll have to offer something in exchange."

"Hehe." Upon hearing Li Muzhi's words, Li Yunlong chuckled. This seemed promising, and he quickly asked, "What will you exchange it for?"

"Take a thousand catties of white sugar," Li Muzhi said.

A cannon without shells is just scrap metal.

The arsenal has run out of sugar and must replenish it as soon as possible.

As for fertilizer, once Minister Zhang learned that it could be used to make high explosives, he would definitely not be idle.

"A thousand catties of white sugar?" Li Yunlong's eyes widened like saucers upon hearing this. "Brother, white sugar is a strategic material for the Japanese. It's not so easy to get. Your arsenal has white sugar too, right? Can you produce a hundred catties?" He had initially thought Li Muzhi was a greenhorn who was easy to fool, but it turned out that Old Li had misjudged him.

Zhang Dabiao added from the side, "Director Li, your request is too high. How about you ask for something else, like a Japanese officer's sword?"

“A Japanese officer’s sword will do, but I need a general’s sword. Can you get it for me?” Li Muzhi said.

If we had a general's sword, we could exchange it for sugar with the Jin-Sui Army or their elite troops.

Although sugar was also precious to the Jin-Sui Army and its elite troops, the Japanese officers' swords were even more valuable.

Those officers will seriously consider it in order to curry favor with their superiors and get promoted.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dabiao's eyes widened like copper bells: "Director Li, this officer's sword is at least issued to Japanese major general brigade commanders. The requirements are a bit too high."

In the Battle of Cangyun Ridge, we finally managed to recruit the Sakata Regiment, but even the Sakata Regiment Commander wasn't qualified to be equipped with an officer's sword!

Li Yunlong, however, said to Li Muzhi, "If I could really get my hands on a general's sword, could I trade one general's sword for a cannon?"

Li Yunlong wasn't stupid; he understood that artillery had always been a scarce weapon in our army, let alone the kind of artillery with such enormous destructive power before him.

The regimental-level units below are not even qualified to be equipped with this.

Although Li Muzhi's condition was very demanding, it was at least an opportunity.

“Of course you can.” Li Muzhi nodded. “A general’s sword, or a thousand catties of white sugar, you can make either one.”

"I'll take the cannon first, and then I'll get the rest for you, okay?" Li Yunlong said, rolling his eyes.

Before Li Muzhi could speak, Zhang Wanhe ran over and shouted directly at Li Yunlong, "Li Yunlong, what are you going to do if you lose the cannon! You're an old man, you should understand our army's tradition. This cannon can only be issued to division-level units. Don't even mention your small independent regiment. Even if your brigade commander came, he could only stand on the sidelines and watch."

"Li Muzhi, you just told me you couldn't go back on your word, right?" Li Yunlong stopped arguing with Zhang Wanhe and turned to look at Li Muzhi.

Li Yunlong was also a shrewd person.

Don't underestimate Li Muzhi just because he's currently only the director of a small arsenal.

Just because he can make cannons, the headquarters leaders all have to treat him like a precious gem.

In other words, Li Muzhi will soon be able to speak up for himself in front of the headquarters leaders.

His position was not as high as Zhang Wanhe's, but his status in front of the headquarters leaders was not necessarily so.

Zhang Wanhe might not be able to make the decision for Li Muzhi.

"Commander Li, now that you're here, let's hurry up and get to work on attacking the enemy reinforcements. I'll discuss it with Minister Zhang," Li Muzhi said, seeing that Li Yunlong's troops had already joined Zhang Dabiao's team to get things done.

"Alright then, Director Li, I'll head over now." Li Yunlong could tell that Li Muzhi was trying to persuade Zhang Wanhe.

If I don't manage to persuade Zhang Wanhe, I won't have a chance to get the cannon.

"Da Biao, let's go." Li Yunlong called to Zhang Da Biao and walked away.

(End of this chapter)