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

Chapter 310 The Military Industry Has Successors
Border Region Arsenal

"Teacher, what do you think of this coconut shell activated charcoal?" Early in the morning, class monitor Liu Fuxing came to Li Muzhi with a small basin in his hand.

This small bowl contains irregularly shaped, fine black particles.

Making activated charcoal from coconut shells was a craft assignment that Li Muzhi left for his students.

Li Muzhi stopped what he was doing and took the small basin from him.

To the naked eye, it looks good.

I pinched a tiny bit in my hand, placed it on the table, and tapped it a few times with a small hammer. The small particles didn't crumble.

This strength is consistent with the high strength characteristics of coconut shell activated carbon.

Li Muzhi then took some other items and tested the small black particles.

These small black particles have extremely strong adsorption capacity and very low resistance.

Finally, Li Muzhi said to Liu Fuxing with satisfaction, "Not bad, you've passed."

Upon hearing Li Muzhi's affirmative reply, Liu Fuxing happily said, "Teacher, making activated carbon from coconut shells is too easy. Could you give us something more challenging?"

“Sure, no problem.” Li Muzhi nodded, looking at Liu Fuxing. “Minister Zhang said the equipment for producing gas masks will be delivered today. Once the equipment arrives, then…”

Got it.

Before Li Muzhi could finish speaking, Zhang Wanhe's voice came from outside: "Little Li, come out quickly, I've brought back the equipment and raw materials for producing gas masks for you."

“Let’s go take a look,” Li Muzhi said to Liu Fuxing.

“Okay, teacher.” Liu Fuxing nodded and followed Li Muzhi out of the laboratory.

Seeing Li Muzhi and Liu Fuxing come out, Zhang Wanhe quickly said with a smile, "Little Li, the equipment and raw materials are in the woods outside. Why don't you go and take a look?"

Although there are no Japanese planes overhead now, this equipment still cannot be placed directly on the open ground in front of the arsenal.

Don’t be afraid of ten thousand, just be afraid of what happens.

“Okay.” Li Muzhi nodded and followed Zhang Wanhe with Liu Fuxing.

"Minister Zhang, you seem to be in a good mood." Li Muzhi sensed Zhang Wanhe's happiness and asked, "What good news is it?"

"The intelligence department has sent word that Commander Li and his men destroyed the Japanese Taiyuan Airport last night," Zhang Wanhe said happily. "In that case, I reckon we won't see any more Japanese planes overhead for a while."

"Really?" Li Muzhi said happily upon hearing this, "Then wouldn't it also be possible for the Kumamoto Division to obtain supplies for the military trains..."

Before Li Muzhi could finish speaking, Zhang Wanhe interrupted him: "After all, there are tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers and traitors. Yoshio Shinozuka probably won't give them up easily. They might even have planes escorting them."

Liu Fuxing chimed in from the side: "Even if there are still aircraft escorting them, the number will definitely not be many."

“There aren’t many left, but it will be several days before these supplies reach the Kumamoto Division,” Zhang Wanhe said with a smile. “Liu Weidong hasn’t been idle either. Last night, under the cover of darkness, he cut off a long section of the railway ahead of schedule. With the railway damaged, even if the Japanese military trains have enough planes to escort them, they won’t be able to get to the Kumamoto Division smoothly.”

If it's delayed for several days, the Japanese soldiers and traitors of the Kumamoto Division will be starving and crying for their parents.

Then Zhang Wanhe continued, "This has a drawback: Liu Weidong still needs to dismantle a military train locomotive for the border region's arsenal, so this matter will probably have to be postponed."

"Switching this matter is fine, the main thing is to completely wipe out that group of Japanese devils from the Kumamoto Division." Li Muzhi nodded.

Previously, if it weren't for dismantling the military train locomotives at the border region's arsenal, Liu Weidong's troops wouldn't have needed to brave Japanese planes to forcibly intercept the military trains; they could have simply sabotaged the railway at night.

There's no rush with this second military train. Let's trap the Kumamoto Division first, and then we can deal with it.

Once the first locomotive is brought over, the power is sufficient.

Upon arriving at the forest, the tarpaulin was lifted, revealing the machinery and equipment underneath.

Just like in the photo, it's old and dilapidated and needs repair.

Li Muzhi instructed, "Move all this equipment to the maintenance room."

"Yes, Director Li." The transport staff immediately complied.

Li Muzhi turned to Liu Fuxing and said, "Liu Fuxing, didn't you want to make it a little more difficult? Then you'll have to figure out the purpose and principles of these devices."

Li Muzhi's work is at a critical stage, and he cannot stop to do other things.

In other words, Li Muzhi didn't have time to repair the gas mask equipment today.

Then, it's up to these students.

Let them explore the uses and principles first.

Once they figured it out, Li Muzhi told them how to fix the machines, and then he let the students fix them.

Under normal circumstances, it is difficult to make coconut shell activated carbon from coconut shells.

But these students finished it so quickly; their hands-on skills far exceeded Li Muzhi's expectations.

Therefore, Li Muzhi believed that if they were allowed to repair the equipment for making gas masks, and even to uncover the details of the production process, there probably wouldn't be any problems.

Of course. The equipment for these gas masks has been repaired, and gas masks can be produced again.

The real production shouldn't be done by these students; it should be done by the workers.

These students are all very talented individuals; they cannot be treated like ordinary workers.

“Okay, no problem, Director Li, leave it to me.” Liu Fuxing was very confident and very happy.

We students have been at the border region's arsenal for several days now. Although we know the importance of studying, we still really want to help with military production, and hopefully alleviate the pressure on our teachers.

Now that the equipment for producing gas masks has returned, the teacher has assigned this task to us, which is equivalent to helping the military production of the arsenal and relieving the teacher's pressure.

"Remember, you need to understand the principles and applications first. Don't try to fix it yourselves beforehand," Li Muzhi reminded them. "Give me the principles and applications, and I'll tell you how to fix it after I've looked at them."

"I know, teacher, I know." Liu Fuxing nodded repeatedly.

The Japanese poison gas was utterly despicable. Not only were the frontline troops poisoned by it, but the Nationalist soldiers were also suffering from its effects.

The importance of these gas masks cannot be overstated.

We only have this much equipment. If we ruin it without permission, we won't be able to produce gas masks anymore. That would be a crime against the country and the nation.

“Alright, you’re the class monitor, so go and tell the other students to go to the repair shop together to investigate,” Li Muzhi said. “It would be best to bring me the results before lunchtime.”

"Yes, teacher, I'm going." Liu Fuxing nodded, said to Li Muzhi, and then greeted Zhang Wanhe: "Minister Zhang, I'm going."

"Okay." Zhang Wanhe smiled.

Watching Liu Fuxing's retreating figure, Zhang Wanhe said suspiciously to Li Muzhi, "Xiao Li, are you planning to have these students help you relieve some of the pressure by having them tinker with gas mask equipment?"

“Minister Zhang, these students are all very outstanding.” Li Muzhi said to Zhang Wanhe with a smile, “Making activated carbon from coconut shells was an assignment I gave them, and just now, they handed me their perfect solution.”

Li Muzhi continued, "I also entrusted Lao He with the task of making activated charcoal from coconut shells, but Lao He hasn't given me the answer yet."

Turning coconut shells into activated carbon is a lot of work, and it's impossible to use it to take up a lot of students' time.

The production of activated carbon from coconut shells still needs to be handled by workers.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Wanhe exclaimed in surprise, "Really? These students can be even more efficient than Lao He's team?"

In Zhang Wanhe's view, although the students had strong hands-on skills, their experience was certainly not as rich as that of the workers under his command.

The fact that the students were the first to make coconut shell activated carbon is enough to show that they are all very talented.

“Young people are quick-witted, have sharp minds, and strong thinking abilities, right?” Li Muzhi smiled.

“As long as these students can be trained quickly, they will share your workload, and you will have plenty of time to rest.” Zhang Wanhe agreed wholeheartedly.

"Minister Zhang, have you discussed the equipment for producing glass and plastics with the Military Intelligence Bureau?" Li Muzhi remembered this.

"I mentioned it briefly," Zhang Wanhe paused for a moment, then said, "They said the first deal hasn't even been completed yet."

The follow-up flashbangs have not yet been delivered.

"That's their euphemism," Li Muzhi pointed.

That's a Hellfire missile, which can be fired without a cannon barrel. Its power is comparable to that of a medium howitzer, but it has absolutely no logistical transport burden.

This is essentially a mobile medium-sized howitzer carried by a single soldier; no wonder they're envious.

But surely the bald guy wouldn't give up on the equipment for producing glass and plastic so easily.

It seems we'll have to put up with this for a while.

"As long as our Hellfire missiles become more and more convenient to use on the battlefield, I believe they will become restless." Zhang Wanhe was very confident that this day would come soon, not too long ago.

"Hmm." Li Muzhi hummed in response.

Zhang Wanhe chatted with Li Muzhi for a few more minutes before going back to his work.

As Li Muzhi returned to the back of his laboratory, he saw Lao He approaching with a smile, handing him a small basin: "Factory Director, the coconut shell activated carbon is finished. Take a look."

“Okay.” Li Muzhi nodded.

Immediately after examining the tiny particles in the small basin, Li Muzhi said to Lao He, "Lao He, the quality is still a little lacking; the resistance is a bit too high."

If activated carbon increases resistance, the airflow will be slower.

On the battlefield, soldiers wear gas masks to fight, which slows down the airflow and affects their breathing and oxygen supply.

Then, Li Muzhi pointed to another small sample basin on the table and said to Lao He, "This is a sample made by the students. The finished product is good. You can have your workers consult with the students."

"Really?" Old He stared at the small sample basin, somewhat stunned. "Those students made it faster and better than my workers?"

"Hehe." Li Muzhi chuckled and said, "Old He, isn't this a good thing? It shows that our military industry has successors."

"Hahahaha." Old He laughed heartily. "Haha, that's right, Factory Director, you're absolutely right. I'll have the relevant workers consult the students right away."

(End of this chapter)