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

In Chapter 21, the Eighth Route Army fired a shot.

“Sir, when I first received the news, I didn’t believe it at first, but after personally inspecting the site, I had no choice but to believe it.” Zheng Qianyi said with a serious expression, “Our preliminary assessment is that the Eighth Route Army’s arsenal has probably produced heavy artillery.”

"Baka! What nonsense are you spouting!" Hirata Ichiro's expression changed immediately upon hearing Zheng Qian say that the Eighth Route Army's arsenal had produced heavy weapons. "Their arsenal doesn't have the capacity to smelt steel. They can't even make the most basic bayonets. How could they possibly make heavy weapons and artillery!"

"Sir, I don't believe that the Eighth Route Army's arsenal could produce heavy weapons and artillery either. But according to our investigation, we haven't lost any heavy weapons here," Zheng Qianyi replied. "The Eighth Route Army's weapons are mainly obtained not through manufacturing, but through capture."

"Is it possible that they obtained it from the Jin-Sui Army or their direct subordinates?" Hirata Ichiro still didn't believe it.

"Sir, you know how the Jin-Sui Army and its elite troops treat the Eighth Route Army," Zheng Qianyi replied tactfully.

On the surface, they treated the Eighth Route Army as an allied force, but in reality, they wished for the Eighth Route Army to perish on its own.

The Eighth Route Army belonged to the Eighteenth Group Army's combat order, but what happened? The bald man didn't give them pay, equipment, or even cotton-padded clothes in winter.

The Eighth Route Army was only nominally their ally; how could they possibly provide the Eighth Route Army with weapons, let alone heavy artillery?

“But the Eighth Route Army’s arsenal can’t even smelt steel, let alone make bayonets, so how could they possibly make cannons?” Hirata Ichiro still strongly questioned.

"Sir, this is only my preliminary assessment; further investigation is needed," Zheng Qianyi said.

"Investigate this matter as soon as possible." Hirata Ichiro said solemnly, then asked suspiciously, "Ogawa Ichiro led a whole company and three hundred puppet troops. How could they all be wiped out? The Eighth Route Army's fighting strength seems a bit exaggerated."

The Eighth Route Army was the worst-equipped unit among the regular Chinese army.

Their main weapons were old-fashioned Hanyang rifles, with very few machine guns and artillery.

Even if Ogawa Ichiro was ambushed, how could he not even be able to break through?

"Sir, the main reason lies in the Eighth Route Army's heavy artillery," Zheng Qianyi explained to Hirata Ichiro. "They added a lot of iron balls and nails to their shells, and half of Ogawa-sama's troops were destroyed by these shells."

"Baka! Is Ogawa Ichiro an idiot?" Hirata Ichiro couldn't help but curse again. "The enemy has heavy artillery. They fired a shot, didn't his troops know to take cover?"

"Sir, the crux of the problem lies here," Zheng Qian said gravely. "The Eighth Route Army's heavy artillery has only fired one shot."

"What? The Eighth Route Army only fired one shot?" Hirata Ichiro exclaimed as if he had heard a ghost. "Don't tell me that the Eighth Route Army's single shot caused half of Ogawa Ichiro's troops to be killed or wounded?"

"Yes."

"Baka! This is impossible! This is impossible!" Hirata Ichiro roared in exasperation. "Why? The Eighth Route Army can only get some gunpowder. Even if they add iron balls and nails to their shells, the lethality is still not enough."

"Sir, this is my second assessment," Zheng Qianyi continued. "The Eighth Route Army has likely developed its own high explosives; their shells are no less powerful than the Imperial Army's large-caliber heavy artillery. At Sunjiabao, three pillboxes collapsed, but there's only one shell crater on the battlefield!"

"Baka! The Eighth Route Army has developed high explosives on its own? How is that possible!" Hirata Ichiro shouted like a dog whose tail had been stepped on. "Do you think high explosives are so easy to develop on their own? Those peasants of the Eighth Route Army are only good at making black powder."

"Sir, even the Eighth Route Army can produce heavy weapons and cannons, and they've even developed their own explosives. It seems..." Zheng Qianyi didn't finish his sentence.

Hirata Ichiro jumped up: "I don't believe it! I don't believe it at all! I don't believe the Eighth Route Army has this capability! Go and investigate immediately! Find out the source of the Eighth Route Army's heavy weapons and artillery! They must have gotten them from somewhere else!"

"Sir, I'll go then." Zheng Qianyi knew that this answer would be hard for Hirata Ichiro to accept, especially since he hadn't accepted it yet. Perhaps Hirata Ichiro was right; the Eighth Route Army's heavy weapons and artillery had another source. He would hurry up and investigate.

Zheng Qianyi stepped down, and Hirata Ichiro quickly calmed down.

Regardless of how the Eighth Route Army acquired its heavy weapons and artillery, their possession of these things posed a significant threat.

Hirata Ichiro picked up the phone and said into it, "Send a message to all the outposts, tell them to be on high alert and guard against attacks by the Eighth Route Army with heavy weapons."

After making the call, Hirata Ichiro quickly convened a meeting of the core Japanese military police officers to discuss how to quickly find the Eighth Route Army's whereabouts, destroy their heavy weapons and artillery as soon as possible, and eliminate the potential threat.

……

Eighth Route Army Headquarters
"Reporting to the Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Minister Zhang from the Logistics Department has arrived." The Deputy Chief of the General Staff was writing something on his desk when someone came in to report.

Zhang Wanhe is here?
The deputy chief of staff paused, sensing that something was amiss.

Not long ago, he had just called Zhang Wanhe to urge the arsenal to increase production, and Zhang Wanhe had assured him on the phone.

Why is Zhang Wanhe coming to headquarters in person now?

After all, for ordinary matters, Zhang Wanhe wouldn't need to make a trip in person; a simple phone call would suffice.

Suppressing his thoughts, the deputy chief of the general staff nodded: "Let him in."

Having received permission, Zhang Wanhe entered the room, stood before the Deputy Chief of the General Staff, and saluted: "Greetings, Commander."

Seeing Zhang Wanhe's excited expression, as if he had been injected with chicken blood, the deputy chief of staff's worries immediately turned into anticipation. He asked, "Zhang Wanhe, what good news have you brought me that you can't tell me over the phone?"

If it's a piece of good news that Zhang Wanhe personally came to headquarters to report, then it must be something extraordinary.

"Commander, let me apologize first," Zhang Wanhe said first. "Without your permission, I arbitrarily stopped production at the border region's arsenal..."

Before Zhang Wanhe could finish speaking, the Deputy Chief of the General Staff angrily retorted, "Zhang Wanhe, what are you saying? The arsenal is the lifeline of our army! How can it be shut down arbitrarily? What did you promise me on the phone? Have you forgotten?"

Faced with the deputy chief of the general staff's roar, Zhang Wanhe handed over the written report and said, "Sir, take a look at this before you criticize me."

The news that the border region's arsenal had produced heavy weapons and cannons, and that the fertilizer sold by the Japanese contained high explosives, was extremely important.

It's not appropriate to say this over the phone; what if the enemy intercepts the call?

Therefore, Zhang Wanhe personally brought the report to headquarters.

"Then I'd like to see what reasonable explanation you can give me." The deputy chief of the general staff suppressed his emotions and said as he took the report.

(End of this chapter)