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

Chapter 265 Mobile Heavy Artillery
Upon hearing Liu Weidong's words, the other Eighth Route Army commanders immediately turned their attention to Blind Cheng.

The border region's arsenal is manufacturing artillery that can be fired without barrels, and several Eighth Route Army regimental commanders already know this.

Since ancient times, cannonballs have been propelled out of the cannon barrel by immense chamber pressure.

Director Li of the arsenal in our area actually wants to develop shells that don't need to be fired from a cannon barrel, so that the shells can fly by themselves.

To be honest, several Eighth Route Army regimental commanders still found it very mysterious, and even thought that it was a false rumor fabricated by someone to exaggerate Director Li's abilities.

How could a shell fly by itself?

These Japanese military experts, and American military experts, couldn't do it, but our Director Li can?
Of course.

Despite their doubts, the Eighth Route Army commanders still held expectations.

Director Li of our Border Region Arsenal, who could produce heavy firepower with just a few cutting machines, generators, and fertilizers, has led the Border Region Arsenal to surpass Huangyadong Arsenal by leaps and bounds, becoming one of the leading arsenals in our region.

Director Li's military industrial capabilities have been powerfully demonstrated.

If he really created a cannonball that could fly on its own without being fired by artillery, then its weight would definitely be lighter.

With the weight reduced, Blind Cheng's men could climb the cliff and use ropes to pull the shells up.

In this way, the task will be completed far too easily.

Facing the gazes of Liu Weidong and several Eighth Route Army regimental commanders, Blind Cheng waved his hand and shouted to those behind him, "First Battalion Commander, hurry up! Stop dawdling and move all the Hellfire Missiles over here!"

"Yes, Commander." The battalion commander of the 771st Regiment led his men to carry over twenty long wooden crates.

Looking at the long wooden box, Liu Weidong and several Eighth Route Army regimental commanders couldn't help but look a little... something.

A cannonball that doesn't need a barrel to fire—has it really been made?

However, the name "Hell Missile" is quite fitting.

As Cheng the Blind Man pried open one of the boxes with his tools, he explained, "I threw the fake tungsten sand to the Japanese and rushed over as fast as I could. But on the way, I ran into a logistics team who were about to deliver these twenty Hellfire missiles, so I just brought them over. To be honest, I was worried about delaying the military mission, so even after I got these Hellfire missiles, I didn't open them to check them. I just rushed over here."

Soon, Blind Cheng opened the box in front of him, revealing a long cannonball inside.

The shell's appearance is not much different from a regular shell, except that it is a bit longer.

Looking at this hellish missile, one of the Eighth Route Army regimental commanders couldn't help but say to Blind Cheng, "Commander Cheng, are you sure you didn't pick up the wrong thing? This is just a cannonball, how can it fly by itself?"

Blind Cheng said in a serious tone, "That's right, this is the Hell Missile sent over by the logistics department."

Then, Blind Cheng took out the instruction manual as well and said, "Factory Director Li even included an instruction manual, let's hurry up and read it."

"Give it to me." Liu Weidong simply reached out his hand.

Here, he has the highest level of education and the fastest comprehension.

"Here you go." Blind Cheng handed it to Liu Weidong, and then several Eighth Route Army regimental commanders stepped forward.

They tried to move the Hellfire missile and their expressions showed surprise: "This Hellfire missile only weighs thirty or forty pounds, so it can be easily pulled up the cliff with a rope."

Then, everyone turned their attention to Liu Weidong.

Liu Weidong read it very quickly, finishing in no time, and laughed, "This Hell Missile is very easy to operate; you can just dig a hole and fire it."

Can you launch something just by digging a hole?

Several Eighth Route Army regimental commanders and Blind Cheng were stunned when they heard this: "Is it really that simple and convenient?"

You can shoot just by digging a hole; that's so convenient.

If we use it for guerrilla warfare in the future, wouldn't that be equivalent to carrying a mobile heavy artillery piece with us?

“That’s what Director Li said in the instructions, we have to trust him.” Liu Weidong’s expression quickly turned serious. “Time is tight, let’s start preparing immediately. Commander Cheng, didn’t you say you had some men who had climbed the cliff before? Have them take the rope and climb up right now.”

"Okay." Blind Cheng nodded and immediately called over his subordinate, instructing him to take a rope and climb the cliff.

Liu Weidong took a few deep breaths and quickly calmed down: "Gentlemen, once the Japanese supplies are severely damaged, they will definitely go crazy and seek revenge, so most of us should retreat in advance."

Several Eighth Route Army regimental commanders looked at Liu Weidong. Although they understood what Liu Weidong meant, they couldn't help but say, "Except for the personnel who fired the artillery, everyone else should retreat, right?"

Originally, several thousand of us were struggling with the logistical support for the attack on the Kumamoto Division.

The delivery of these mere twenty Hellfire missiles made our mission extremely simple.

We can evacuate our several thousand people ahead of time.

I simply can't believe it.

"Yes." Liu Weidong nodded affirmatively and said, "You guys from all the regiments should go back first. Prepare to intercept the Japanese military trains, and have the dismantling teams at the border region's arsenal get ready in advance."

"Okay." The Eighth Route Army commanders all nodded. Although they really wanted to stay and see the effects of the Hellfire Missiles, they still carried out the order.

Anyway, as long as our border region's arsenal keeps producing Hellfire missiles, why should we worry about not seeing the results later!
Several regimental commanders led their teams away, while Liu Weidong left behind a small number of people, letting the rest of the teams return.

The same goes for Blind Cheng; most of the 772nd Regiment also withdrew.

Here, only Blind Cheng and Liu Weidong, along with a few dozen others, remained, all of whom were agile and experienced.

With fewer people, the target was smaller. They quickly reached the other side of the cliff, the same side where Blind Cheng's men had climbed up in the past.

Looking up from below, the cliff is very steep and high.

But Cheng the Blind's henchman was as agile as a ibex. While he couldn't say that climbing cliffs was as easy as walking on flat ground, he was certainly quite adept at it.

Liu Weidong asked Blind Cheng, "Commander Cheng, how did you find such good soldiers?"

Blind Cheng laughed:
“Once, I went with my partner to eliminate traitors.”

"When we arrived at the traitor's house, we didn't find the real culprit. Instead, we found the guy in bed with the traitor's concubine."

"My partner and I crashed into him. The kid thought it was a traitor leading a group of people to get him. He wasn't even wearing clothes, he just jumped out of the window with his bare butt exposed."

"The wall around this traitor's house was a full four meters high, and this guy just nimbly jumped over it."

“I also had people stationed outside, which is how I caught him.”

"After further investigation, I learned that he and the traitor's concubine were childhood sweethearts, and that he was forcibly taken by the traitor."

"He practiced climbing skills diligently so that he could meet his childhood sweetheart."

"After I eliminated that traitor, he joined my team."

Upon hearing this, Liu Weidong laughed and said, "It's clear that this kid has really mastered his skills."

“Of course, this cliff is so steep, out of all my men, only he could make it up.” Blind Cheng nodded emphatically.

"What about his childhood sweetheart?" Liu Weidong asked curiously.

Cheng the Blind Man did not answer Liu Weidong's question, so Liu Weidong wisely stopped asking.

The man eventually climbed up the cliff, secured one end of the rope to the cliff face, and then lowered the rope down.

The Hellfire missile wasn't sent up immediately; instead, several other soldiers climbed up one by one with ropes.

Then, several more ropes were lowered down from the cliff.

Immediately afterwards, Liu Weidong, Blind Cheng, and most of the others slowly climbed up the cliff using the ropes.

Finally, a small group of people at the bottom used ropes to tie the ammunition boxes containing the Hellfire missiles together, which were then pulled up by the soldiers on the cliff in turns.

After all, pulling something weighing thirty or forty kilograms up a cliff edge is no easy physical task.

They have to take turns pulling, and they need to conserve their energy.

Otherwise, you'll run out of energy.

When it's time to retreat, if you can't hold onto the rope, you could easily fall off the cliff.

All twenty Hellfire missiles were pulled up the cliff, and the soldiers sat on the spot, panting and resting.

Liu Weidong held a telescope and looked down the cliff.

The terrain below is very open, and Liu Weidong cannot confirm in advance where the Japanese army's weapons, ammunition, and supplies will be stored.

Therefore, there's no way to dig a pit in advance.

So Liu Weidong simply sat down to rest and waited for the Japanese supplies to arrive.

"Commander Cheng, now that the Hellfire missiles have been delivered, we won't need so many people to dig the pits. Why don't you and the others retreat first?" Liu Weidong said to Blind Cheng.

When that Hellfire missile is launched, we'll be exposed.

We still need to hurry and retreat along the rope.

With more people, the evacuation will be slower.

Therefore, we don't need to keep so many people here.

"I'm not leaving. I need to see the effects of this Hell Missile with my own eyes." Blind Cheng shook his head, determined to stay.

However, the rest of Cheng the Blind's men were also withdrawn, including the nimble climbing expert.

Liu Weidong also left only a dozen or so people behind. When the time comes, there will be twenty Hellfire missiles, and each person will be responsible for digging a pit.

During launch, each person is responsible for firing one Hellfire missile.

Of course, resting on this cliff isn't a waste of time.

Following Li Muzhi's instructions, Liu Weidong taught Cheng Xiazi and the others how to aim and use the Hell Missile, as well as some precautions.

"Commander, look! It looks like Japanese scouts are coming." After Liu Weidong finished teaching, everyone understood, and soon a soldier reminded them.

Liu Weidong quickly picked up his binoculars and indeed saw several Japanese scouts appear in his field of vision.

Liu Weidong laughed and said, "Hehe, the timing is just right. Let's all lie down on the cliff and rest for now. When the Japanese supplies are brought over, these twenty Hellfire missiles will fall from the sky like a shower of flowers. I think the Japanese soldiers below will really like this gift."

"Hahaha, not bad, hahaha, they'll definitely love it." Blind Cheng and the others lowered their voices, excited and expectant.

(End of this chapter)