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

Chapter 243 Standing on the shoulders of giants

"What kind of cooperation do you want?" Sakura Yamamoto really wanted to go home.

Falling into the hands of those rude soldiers, even taking a bath becomes inconvenient.

He was even punched by a rude Eighth Route Army regimental commander.

Even though she has now been transferred to the so-called rear area of ​​the Eighth Route Army, Sakura Yamamoto still doesn't want to stay there for a moment longer and can't wait to go home.

"Answer me a question first," Li Muzhi said slowly. "You're clearly a member of the navy, so why are you helping the army build ships?"

Li Muzhi's words also contained a hint.

On the surface, he was asking Sakura Yamamoto why she was helping the army.

Actually, she wanted Sakura Yamamoto to admit that she was a member of the Navy.

The second step is to confirm whether Sakura Yamamoto will build ships.

Sakura Yamamoto, lacking relevant training, failed to grasp the intricacies of the situation and replied, "Our Navy didn't want those army idiots to successfully build the ships, so we set a trap. We deliberately separated me from the Navy's shipbuilding engineers and blacklisted me. Then, we created a chance opportunity for the Army to recruit me. On the surface, I'm serving the Army and helping them build ships, but in reality, I'm secretly causing those army idiots to take detours in the shipbuilding process, delaying their progress as much as possible."

The army's herd of idiots, though foolish, weren't completely stupid.

They also had other ship engineers watching, so Sakura Yamamoto couldn't directly cause trouble.

Therefore, the only option is to use subtle and inconspicuous methods to delay the army's shipbuilding as much as possible.

"Very good, Yamamoto Sakura, thank you for your cooperation." Li Muzhi was very satisfied. "As long as you continue to cooperate like you did today, I promise you that I will definitely let you go back within five years."

Now, Li Muzhi is quite certain.

Sakura Yamamoto is a senior naval expert in the Japanese Navy. Minister Zhang, we have completed our mission.

It is 1941 now. The Japanese will be defeated in 1945. There are still four years left.

We'll release them when the time comes, and that won't be considered breaking our promise.

"Director Li, you're not lying to me, are you? You really will let me go back within five years?" Yamamoto Sakura knew what being a high-ranking prisoner meant, let alone five years.

He could be detained for ten years, or even killed.

Li Muzhi said that if she cooperated well, he would let her go back within five years. For Yamamoto Sakura, this was her only chance to go home.

As for getting the imperial army to rescue her, Sakura Yamamoto saw no hope.

Even with the Eighth Route Army lacking guns and ammunition, the Imperial Army was still unable to eliminate them.

Not to mention that the Eighth Route Army's arsenal had such a capable factory director who was constantly producing weapons and ammunition for the Eighth Route Army.

It's probably unrealistic for the Empire's army to want to wipe out the Eighth Route Army and rescue them.

"On the condition that you cooperate properly," Li Muzhi reiterated.

“Okay, I will definitely cooperate. What do you need me to do now?” Yamamoto Sakura asked quickly.

"Let's eat," Li Muzhi said succinctly.

“Okay.” Yamamoto Sakura nodded and immediately began to eat.

I've been on a hunger strike for a few meals, and now I'm really starving.

Seeing that Yamamoto Sakura had started eating, the people in the interrogation room were all incredibly impressed with Li Muzhi.

Some of them were guards, and some were recorders. They all witnessed other interrogators being thwarted by Yamamoto Sakura, including Brigade Commander Chen of the 386th Brigade.

Factory Director Li is truly impressive.

They hadn't said much before, and Yamamoto Sakura, who had been on a hunger strike, had already started eating.

She even had to cooperate with us properly.

Immediately, some people couldn't help but look at Li Muzhi. Although they didn't say anything, their expressions seemed to say: Director Li, I didn't know you could interrogate people!

"Yamamoto Sakura, take a good rest these few days. As long as I'm here, no one will dare to lay a finger on you." Li Muzhi said to Yamamoto Sakura while the iron was hot. "That Eighth Route Army commander who hit you, when he comes back, I will make him apologize to you in person."

Li Muzhi had already learned from the brigade commander that Li Yunlong had punched Yamamoto Sakura.

"Director Li, let's just forget about it. I don't care anymore." Yamamoto Sakura still shuddered at the thought of that vicious and shameless Eighth Route Army commander.

I'm currently in the hands of the Eighth Route Army, and I'm asking that Eighth Route Army regimental commander to apologize to me. Wouldn't that just make me offend him even more?
If you offend someone too badly, do you think you'll have a good outcome?

Although Yamamoto Sakura had only recently set foot on this land, she already had some understanding of the discipline of the Eighth Route Army.

This unit has very strict discipline and does not allow violence.

However, this Eighth Route Army commander seemed to disregard discipline, so offending him would be extremely unwise.

“You may not care, but I do,” Li Muzhi said. “You should rest well these next few days. If you need anything, just tell the person taking care of you.”

To get Sakura Yamamoto to fully cooperate with us, we mainly need to make her realize the injustice of this war.

This war was absolutely not as the Japanese high command claimed. Invasion is invasion, and they used some bullshit Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere to whitewash it. That was pure and utter despicable deception!

Sakura Yamamoto realized this, and that's when the real cooperation began.

"Do I not have to do anything these next few days?" Yamamoto Sakura looked at Li Muzhi with some suspicion. "Aren't you supposed to cooperate fully?"

"You should rest well and just cooperate." Li Muzhi wasn't in a hurry to get Yamamoto Sakura to pour out all the ship knowledge in her head.

She hasn't yet realized the injustice of the war; her only motivation is to cooperate because of her desire to go home.

It cannot be ruled out that she made some subtle movements while she was speaking.

Li Muzhi wasn't an expert in military industry, and he didn't really have much experience in shipbuilding.

At that time, it may not be possible to identify it in time.

Therefore, we should have the political work cadres take the time to properly reform her.

Don’t be afraid of being late for a good meal!

Moreover, even building ships is not something that can be done overnight.

We don't even have the most basic shipbuilding facilities right now.

"Director Li, if it's possible, I have a few more questions. Could you help me answer them?" During her exchange at the Taiyuan Arsenal, Yamamoto Sakura's important questions remained unresolved.

If this young man can solve the problem, then Sakura Yamamoto will have no reason to doubt his identity as the director of the border region's arsenal.

Only after confirming the other person's identity will the flame of hope for returning home burn quietly in Yamamoto Sakura's heart.

“Sure, go ahead and ask.” Li Muzhi nodded.

“That’s how it is…” Sakura Yamamoto then explained her doubts, including the improvement of steel’s ductility and hardness.

Li Muzhi provided answers to all of them.

"Director Li, if there's a chance, could I personally conduct the test?" Yamamoto Sakura was still quite surprised by Li Muzhi's answer.

These are all very difficult problems, and even the navy's military experts have been unable to solve them.

Surprisingly, the answer could be found in the mouth of Director Li, a member of the Eighth Route Army. This made Yamamoto Sakura want to conduct her own test to verify the claim.

"You should rest well first. If you cooperate well later, I will definitely give you a chance to test yourself." Li Muzhi nodded and said to the people in front of him, "Take good care of her."

"Yes, Director Li." The group nodded respectfully.

Just now, when Li Muzhi was explaining Yamamoto Sakura's problem, those military terms sounded like gibberish to them.

Five words came to mind: Director Li is awesome!
"Yamamoto Sakura, if you have any requests regarding your daily life, you can tell him. I'll head out now," Li Muzhi said to Yamamoto Sakura.

"Okay, Director Li." Yamamoto Sakura nodded and continued eating with her head down.

Li Muzhi stepped out.

Outside the interrogation room, Zhang Wanhe and the brigade commander saw that Li Muzhi had come out so quickly. Zhang Wanhe immediately comforted him, saying, "Little Li, this Yamamoto Sakura is not cooperating. You can't hit her, you can't scold her, and you definitely can't torture her. It's hard to get her under control just by talking. Don't feel pressured."

Clearly, Comrade Zhang thought that Li Muzhi had failed in his vetting.

The brigade commander also said, "Xiao Li, we just wanted you to give it a try. Don't overthink it. I've already run into obstacles myself."

"Hehe." Li Muzhi chuckled and said to the two men, "Minister Zhang, Brigade Commander Chen, do I look like I'm under pressure?"

"Haha." Zhang Wanhe laughed and said, "I knew you had good mental fortitude, Xiao Li, so I'm relieved..."

Before Zhang Wanhe could finish speaking, the recorder ran out and said to Li Muzhi, "Director Li, please wait a moment."

"What's wrong?" Li Muzhi stopped in his tracks.

"I forgot to have you check the answers to the questions you just asked Yamamoto Sakura. Please check if my notes are correct." The recorder handed the notebook to Li Muzhi.

"Okay, let me take a look." Li Muzhi took the notebook and immediately looked down at it.

Seeing the recorder's excited expression, Zhang Wanhe and the brigade commander couldn't help but ask with some suspicion, "What are you so happy about?"

"Minister Zhang, Brigade Commander Chen, and Factory Director Li have taken down Yamamoto Sakura. Isn't that something to be happy about?" The recorder looked at the two men with a serious but strange expression.

Did Li Muzhi win over Yamamoto Sakura?

Zhang Wanhe and the brigade commander were both stunned when they heard this.

We all thought Li Muzhi must have run into a wall since he came out so quickly.

Now you tell us that Li Muzhi has won over Yamamoto Sakura!
Don't joke around.

You're the recorder, don't you know how to use the right words?

The word "take down" is not something to be used casually!
We just asked Xiao Li to check it out, and it turned out to be a success.

Taking it down means that Sakura Yamamoto is willing to cooperate with us.

Li Muzhi came out in such a short time, he probably didn't even say a few words.

The recorder, observing the expressions of the brigade commander and Zhang Wanhe, asked suspiciously, "Minister Zhang, Brigade Commander Chen, did Factory Director Li not tell you two?"

Zhang Wanhe and the brigade commander immediately looked at Li Muzhi: "Little Li, did you really win over Yamamoto Sakura?"

"I wouldn't presume to say I've taken her down; I've only managed to get her to cooperate temporarily by exploiting her desire to go home," Li Muzhi replied. "To truly take her down, we'll have to rely on the capabilities of our political officers."

Zhang Wanhe and the brigade commander looked at each other, still unable to believe it.

Li Muzhi was just a military industrial worker; he was only asked to oversee things, and he was able to directly open doors for political officers.

Once this door is opened, it's only a matter of time before we capture Yamamoto Sakura.

"Why didn't you say so when you came out?" Zhang Wanhe asked excitedly immediately.

“When I came out, you told me not to feel pressured, and then the recorder ran out, which caused a delay,” Li Muzhi pointed out.

"Hahaha." Zhang Wanhe laughed heartily, "It seems that's how it is."

"Let me see." The brigade commander quickly looked at the notebook.

After reading this, the brigade commander exclaimed in surprise, "Little Li, I didn't know you had this skill!"

Although Li Muzhi didn't say much, his words were extremely valuable.

His grasp of human nature is unparalleled.

If Li Muzhi weren't currently the director of the arsenal, the brigade commander would probably have recruited him as an intelligence agent.

"The main reason is that Sakura Yamamoto hasn't received much training. I just tried it out casually, and unexpectedly, it worked out by accident," Li Muzhi said modestly.

Li Muzhi knew nothing about interrogation. He had only glanced at these questioning methods when he had some free time in his later years and had the opportunity to access some case files.

Perhaps this is what it means to stand on the shoulders of giants.

"Hahaha." Zhang Wanhe laughed loudly, "Xiao Li, is this Yamamoto Sakura a shipbuilding engineer in the Japanese Navy?"

“Yes, she admitted it herself.” Li Muzhi nodded.

"Then why did she serve the Japanese army?" Zhang Wanhe asked.

The brigade commander looked at the recorder's notebook and said, "Yamamoto Sakura is a pawn of the Japanese Navy. This is a scheme to make Yamamoto Sakura serve the Japanese Army on the surface, but in reality, to delay their shipbuilding."

"I see." Upon hearing this, Zhang Wanhe hesitated and said, "If that's the case, releasing Yamamoto Sakura would only cause trouble for the Japanese army. Keeping Yamamoto Sakura in our hands would delay the Japanese army's shipbuilding efforts, wouldn't it?"

Li Muzhi said, "Minister Zhang, you can't have it all. You want Yamamoto Sakura's knowledge of naval vessels, but you also want him to manufacture Japanese army ships. Don't be too greedy."

The brigade commander also said, "Old Zhang, the Japanese army building ships sounds like an amateur trying to do something. Maybe they won't even need Yamamoto Sakura to mess things up; they'll ruin it themselves. Our navy is currently a blank slate. What Yamamoto Sakura has to say will be of greater significance to us."

“Hmm, that makes sense.” Zhang Wanhe nodded.

Li Muzhi was about to return to the arsenal when he said, "Brigadier General Chen, Minister Zhang, I still need to debug the machines at the arsenal, so I'll head back now."

"By the way, Xiao Li, aren't you making fake tungsten sand here? When will it be ready?" The brigade commander remembered this question and quickly pulled Li Muzhi aside to ask.

"If nothing unexpected happens, it should take about a week," Li Muzhi replied.

The production cost of this fake tungsten sand is low and the production efficiency is quite fast.

"Okay, I understand." The brigade commander nodded.

Since the fake tungsten sand can be made in a week, then we should wait a week before taking Sato Haruno's bait.

Anyway, we have the initiative to take the bait. As long as we don't bite, Sato Haruno will have to wait obediently.

"Gentlemen, I'll head back now," Li Muzhi said again.

"Okay, okay." Zhang Wanhe and Brigade Commander Chen both nodded.

Li Muzhi walked back.

The brigade commander spoke a few more words with Zhang Wanhe, and then returned to the brigade headquarters.

Zhang Wanhe did not leave. Instead, he went to check on Yamamoto Sakura first. After confirming that she was no longer as uncooperative as before and was eating her meal with relish, Zhang Wanhe happily went to headquarters to report the good news. He also needed to seize the time to have the best political cadres do ideological work on Yamamoto Sakura.

Even the best political officers need the approval of the headquarters leaders to be transferred here.

(End of this chapter)