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

Chapter 171 The most difficult part is seamless steel pipes!

Lao He first walked over to some well-packaged bags.

The bag was quickly opened, and as soon as Lao He saw it, his face lit up with joy, and he said, "This is sulfur powder!"

"What's the sulfur powder used for?" Li Yunlong asked from the side.

"It's an important raw material for making gunpowder," Lao He explained. "Whether it's making bullets or artillery shells, it's indispensable. There must be more than fifty bags here, each weighing a hundred pounds, so that's more than five thousand pounds of sulfur powder."

"More than 5,000 catties of sulfur powder, how many bullets and shells can be made?" Zhang Wanhe asked immediately.

"Minister Zhang, I can't answer that for you." Old He looked troubled. "The bullets are different models, so the amount of propellant is different. The same goes for artillery shells; different shell specifications result in different amounts of propellant."

"Tell me, how long will this 5,000-plus kilograms of sulfur powder last?" Zhang Wanhe rephrased his question.

"It should last until the end of this year without any problem," Lao He said after thinking for a moment. "The premise is that the troops can't fight major battles every day, and the ammunition consumption can't be too fast. Otherwise, it might run out in two or three months."

Although Lao He didn't understand military matters, he could see that the combat troops were constantly bringing back things, all of which were captured from the Japanese.

Having suffered such a heavy loss, Lao He could foresee that a large-scale mopping-up operation would begin very soon.

The Japanese won't allow their troops to avoid major battles every day.

"That means it can last for at least two or three months, which is pretty good." Zhang Wanhe nodded happily.

There were more than fifty bags; there were many more.

Old He continued to look over, his expression growing increasingly surprised.

"Not bad, this is saltpeter. Its main component is potassium nitrate, which can be used to make gunpowder and matches. It also seems to be used to treat diseases. It's a good stuff."

"This is charcoal powder, which is also used to make gunpowder."

"This is...it looks a bit like white sugar, and a bit like potassium nitrate, but it's neither. Never mind, I don't recognize it. Let the factory manager identify it."

"This is a die-hard fan."

"this is……"

……

Old He quickly finished identifying the items in the bag. He didn't recognize two of them, but he recognized the rest.

These are basically all materials for making ammunition, and the variety is quite complete.

Take it to our arsenal, and it'll be ready to use right away.

Old He said, "Judging from these materials, the Japanese arsenal should mainly produce ammunition."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Wanhe must have felt a sense of disappointment.

We were just dreaming that if we could build airplanes and tanks, wouldn't we be rich?

You've been looking at this for ages, and now you're telling me, is this for manufacturing ammunition?
Although ammunition is equally precious to us.

But everyone hopes that the stuff from the Japanese arsenal is something even more valuable.

Zhang Wanhe pointed to the boxes and said, "Then you should take a look at those boxes."

The Japanese equipment was mostly disassembled and stored in boxes.

Perhaps there's a surprise in these boxes.

Li Yunlong, standing to the side, looked tense and cursed, "We finally managed to get an arsenal back, and if it's just for manufacturing bullets and shells, then our luck is just too bad."

Kong Jie added, "Yes, the border region's arsenal can now manufacture bullets and shells."

Ding Wei said, "Gentlemen, we need to look at things from a longer-term perspective. Even if it's just equipment for making bullets and shells, that's still very valuable."

After all, only the border region's arsenal can produce bullets and shells, and that output certainly can't supply our massive army.

The recovered equipment can be used to manufacture bullets and shells, which will increase production.

The Japanese were preparing for a large-scale mopping-up operation, and our need for bullets and shells was enormous.

"That makes sense." Kong Jie and Li Yunlong both nodded.

As several boxes were opened, Lao He rubbed his eyes, looked at them carefully a few more times, and then said uncertainly, "These look like parts for a drilling rig."

Whether it was Li Yunlong and his men or Zhang Wanhe, it was the first time they had ever heard the word "drilling rig".

They all immediately looked at Lao He and asked in unison, "What is the drilling rig for?"

“Drilling holes,” the old man explained. “Whether it’s making gun barrels or cannon barrels, you need a drill to make holes…”

Before Lao He could finish speaking, Zhang Wanhe exclaimed in delight, "Doesn't that mean that once we get this equipment, we can manufacture guns and cannons?"

Li Yunlong and the others also looked delighted and said, "Old He, you didn't see wrong, did you?"

This thing can drill holes. If the arsenal can manufacture gun barrels and cannon barrels, then it will have the capability to manufacture guns.

With Li Muzhi's brains, the guns he makes will definitely be much better than the Japanese guns.

"Ahem." Old He still looked a little embarrassed: "Gentlemen, as I said, it seems so. I haven't seen it myself; it's just a guess."

"You son of a bitch..." Li Yunlong was about to curse when he heard this, but Ding Wei stopped him in time: "Old Li, calm down!" Zhang Wanhe said from the side: "It's okay, it's okay. We can confirm it after Xiao Li comes out. Lao He, you can continue to look at the others."

"Okay." Old He nodded and continued looking at the boxes.

As each box was opened, everyone's expressions brightened again.

The old man knew them all like the back of his hand:

"Hehe, I recognize this. I really recognize it. This is equipment for making bullets."

"This is the equipment for making artillery shells."

"I think this is an annealing furnace, but I'm not sure, I can't be sure."

"This seems to be... I don't recognize it."

"This should be the pickling equipment, but I'm not sure."

……

After examining all the boxes, Lao He confirmed that the stolen equipment, in addition to being able to make bullets and shells, also seemed to have the capability to manufacture guns and cannons.

However, Lao He didn't recognize some of the other machine parts and wasn't entirely sure.

Most importantly, whether it was making bullets or shells, Lao He never saw any complete machine parts.

Old He scratched his head and couldn't help but look at Li Yunlong and the others: "Commander Li, Commander Kong, Commander Ding, when you looted this Japanese arsenal, were you sure you took everything inside?"

"Isn't that obvious!" Kong Jie blurted out. "I even demolished his house, how could I not have taken everything!"

Li Yunlong also solemnly said, "We finally found a Japanese arsenal, so we certainly can't leave them with a single hair. I personally checked it, and there's absolutely nothing left behind."

Ding Wei looked at Lao He suspiciously: "What's wrong? Is this thing incomplete?"

“I’ve seen the equipment for making bullets and shells in our border region’s arsenal, and I recognize it,” Lao He nodded, saying with great certainty. “But I see that the equipment for making bullets and shells here is missing half of its parts.”

"Aren't there still some parts you don't recognize? Could it be that the Japanese used new technology, so the parts are different?" Zhang Wanhe said in a rather unfriendly tone.

If there's only half of this, won't it spoil the dish?

“It shouldn’t be,” Lao He shook his head and said, “I told you, I recognize the equipment used to make bullets and shells. None of these unfamiliar parts and equipment are ones I recognize, so they are definitely not used to make bullets and shells.”

"Damn it, I think you don't know anything about quality!" Li Yunlong cursed angrily. "Let's wait until Brother Li comes out and let him take a look."

Ding Wei and Kong Jie remained silent, exchanging glances, both seemingly thinking of something.

When we led our troops to the Cuicun arsenal, the Japanese had already finished packing and were loading the goods onto trucks.

Perhaps we arrived a little too late.

The Japanese had already transported a batch of equipment and supplies ahead of time.

That's why we only managed to get back half of what we had taken!
"Old He might have misjudged; let's wait for Xiao Li," Zhang Wanhe said.

Of course.

That being said, the excitement and joy had clearly diminished considerably.

We thought that once we recaptured the Japanese arsenal, we could really get away with it... but it turns out that it must have been that little Japanese devil, Sato Haruno, who just came up here.

If Fujita Ichiji were still the military police captain of the Kawamoto Military Police Corps, given the stupidity of that little devil, we would definitely be able to acquire the complete arsenal.

Li Yunlong immediately said, "Old Ding, when we get back, we must report to the brigade commander immediately and ask him to find a way to get rid of that little devil Sato Haruno as soon as possible and replace him with Fujita Ichiji."

“Of course! If that idiot Fujita Ichiji isn’t reinstated, our surprise will be diminished. I absolutely will not allow such a thing to happen again!” Ding Wei nodded emphatically.

Kong Jie said from the side, "We attacked the arsenal, and the Japanese need to find someone to take the blame. Will Sato Haruno take the blame?"

"It's hard to say." Ding Wei shook his head. "Besides being the captain of the Kawamoto Military Police, Sato Haruno also has another identity: he is the deputy director of the Japanese Military Police Headquarters."

"Those Japanese soldiers who managed to get to that position must have some skills; they won't be taken down so easily."

Li Yunlong said angrily from the side, "Damn it, if you ask me, let's not go through all this trouble. I'll just take the cannons and rocket launchers and attack Heyuan County. Once we take the county, we'll just take care of that little devil Sato Haruno."

Ding Wei immediately said in a serious tone, "Old Li, don't do anything rash. We've already seized the Japanese arsenal, and you saw it yourself. All the Japanese are coming towards us. Do you think it'll be as easy as before if you rashly attack Heyuan County?"

Kong Jie also said, "After seizing the Japanese arsenal, a large-scale mopping-up operation is definitely about to begin. Old Li, don't cause trouble for the brigade commander."

Li Yunlong didn't say anything more, but his expression didn't show any sign of giving up.

If I had the chance, I, Old Li, would definitely go and twist Sato Haruno's head off to use as a chamber pot!
"The factory manager is out," someone shouted.

Li Yunlong, Zhang Wan, and the others immediately turned their attention to the arsenal.

Sure enough, Li Muzhi was walking out quickly.

Seeing that Li Yunlong had brought back a lot of things and equipment, Li Muzhi was pleasantly surprised to see that the drilling rig parts and pickling equipment parts were made by Li Yunlong. These were machines for making seamless steel pipes.

The most difficult part of making guns and cannons is using seamless steel pipes!

(End of this chapter)