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

Chapter 36 Brother, I'll Take Care of You

"Minister Zhang, didn't we agree that if you want artillery, you have to bring something in exchange? The 386th Brigade is just following the rules. If other units have complaints, then let them prove themselves and bring something too."

Li Muzhi said seriously, "Of course, if you have any objections to this, would you agree to change the rules back to the way they were? Only eleven cannons will be produced in total, and the troops below will all be asking for more. If you give them to everyone, you won't be able to treat everyone fairly, and you can forget about increasing your logistics revenue. More importantly, the development of the arsenal will come to a standstill..."

Before Li Muzhi could finish speaking, Zhang Wanhe quickly shook his head: "If the rules aren't changed, how can this be changed? The development of the arsenal must not be stopped!"

Just kidding, logistics has finally become an open source, and the arms factory has also been set up.

If we change it back, the headquarters leaders will definitely scold us to death!

"Minister Zhang, so you're agreeing?"

"The headquarters leaders have said that as long as it's for military production, I must unconditionally cooperate with all your requests, so of course I agree," Zhang Wanhe said, trying to save face.

"Hehe." Li Muzhi chuckled and said, "Minister Zhang, actually, the 386th Brigade exchanging supplies is just fair treatment. The troops below should earn their supplies based on their abilities. If they don't have the ability, that's their own problem. If others have the ability, there's no use being envious."

"I'll ask one last time, can the equipment handed over by the 386th Brigade really be used to make artillery shells?" Not wanting to argue with Li Muzhi about fairness, and knowing he couldn't win the argument, Zhang Wanhe brought the topic back to the main point.

"Yes," Li Muzhi nodded.

“Alright, I’ll report this to the headquarters leaders. You don’t need to go; let’s save time,” Zhang Wanhe said.

The fact that both cannons were given to the 386th Brigade, while the headquarters commander was stood up, is no small matter.

But once the power plant is up and running, the arsenal will be able to produce artillery shells, and the headquarters leaders will surely be overjoyed.

The fact that Li Muzhi gave the 386th Brigade two cannons was hardly a big deal.

"Minister Zhang, how's the money going?" Li Muzhi asked.

"I've already borrowed some, and I've also asked the locals to buy fertilizer in batches. The first batch of fertilizer will arrive here soon," Zhang Wanhe said happily. "Once the sugar from the 386th Brigade arrives, we'll immediately resume production of shells for our Hell Cannon!"

"Okay, everything's fine on your end. Now it depends on the efficiency of the 386th Brigade," Li Muzhi replied.

"I'm going to report the good news to the leaders at headquarters now," Zhang Wanhe said and left immediately.

"Minister Zhang, please apologize to the leaders at headquarters for me. The third cannon that we have built will definitely be sent to headquarters."

"What I'm afraid of is that as soon as you finish building your third cannon, the 386th Brigade will send you a thousand catties of white sugar. Wouldn't you have to stand up the headquarters commander again?"

"Hehe, if we can really keep standing up the headquarters leaders, that would be a good thing. The headquarters leaders will understand us."

"I hope so," Zhang Wanhe thought to himself. "If the headquarters leaders don't understand, I'll be the one getting scolded, not you, Li Muzhi."

……

386th Brigade, New First Regiment

After Ding Wei led his troops to lure away the pursuing Japanese soldiers and shook them off, he returned to the New First Regiment.

Before he could even settle in, Li Yunlong came rushing over.

"Hahaha, Lao Ding, this hell cannon now completely belongs to me!" Li Yunlong's voice rang out even before he entered the headquarters of the New First Regiment. Ding Wei still didn't believe it: "Li Yunlong, you really don't plan to return this cannon?"

"Go away, go away, how can you talk like that? Do you think I, Li Yunlong, am the kind of person who borrows things and doesn't return them!" Li Yunlong glared, then explained, "We got a batch of equipment from the Xikou warehouse and gave it to the arsenal, right? We exchanged it for two cannons from the arsenal at once. So, the brigade commander and I each got one."

"Did the arsenal really provide two cannons?" Ding Wei had witnessed the terrifying destructive power of these hellish cannons firsthand and knew what this meant for our army.

Such important and rare artillery pieces are most likely to be assigned to division-level units; lower-level units probably won't have the opportunity to obtain them.

It seems incredibly unlikely that the 386th Brigade could acquire two gates.

"Oh right, I forgot to tell you," Li Yunlong slapped his forehead and said, "The distribution of these Hell Cannons is different from before. The arsenal has set a rule that if you can get a thousand catties of white sugar or a general's sword, you can exchange it for a Hell Cannon. Don't even think about getting one based on qualifications. The equipment our brigade handed over was definitely worth more than two cannons, so we successfully got it."

Ding Wei joked, "Could it be that you and the brigade commander took advantage of Li Muzhi, the new director of the arsenal, because he's young..."

Although Ding Wei had not yet met Li Muzhi, he had heard that the new arsenal director, Li Muzhi, was only in his twenties.

"Old Ding, how can you judge people so narrowly? You can say I, Li Yunlong, am ignorant, but how can you talk about our brigade commander!" Li Yunlong roared, then continued seriously, "Don't you think that even if Li Muzhi is a greenhorn who's easy to fool, does that mean Zhang Wanhe is easy to fool?"

Besides, Li Muzhi is no greenhorn at all; he's much more shrewd than Zhang Wanhe.

"That's true." Ding Wei nodded. Old Zhang from the logistics department was not an easy character to deal with.

If Li Yunlong and the brigade commander had truly used dishonorable methods against Li Muzhi, Zhang Wanhe would have jumped up long ago.

Headquarters will be furious!

Ding Wei was overjoyed: "Li Yunlong, if we could get a thousand catties of white sugar or a general's sword, could we really exchange it for a hell cannon?"

If that's the case, wouldn't our new regiment also have a chance?
“That’s right. The brigade commander and I divided the work. I’ll lead the Hell Cannon to cause trouble, while he’ll use psychological tactics to get sugar from the traitors.” Li Yunlong nodded and smiled expectantly. “If this job goes well, we’ll get a thousand catties of sugar to the arsenal, and our brigade will have another Hell Cannon. Old Ding, look how much I’m taking care of you. I came here specifically to help you.”

Although Li Yunlong was greedy, he would also want the third Hell Cannon when the 386th Brigade got it!
But Li Yunlong also understood that he already had one Hellfire cannon, and the brigade commander would never give him another one.

Therefore, this third hell cannon will probably be assigned to one of the regiments under the 386th Brigade, excluding the Independent Regiment.

772nd Regiment, 771st Regiment, New Second Regiment, New First Regiment.

Among them, the 772nd Regiment and the 771st Regiment are regular units of the 386th Brigade, and are like the favored offspring of the brigade.

The First and Second New Regiments were basic regiments without formal establishment; they were essentially stepchildren!
Normally, when there's something good, the child raised by their own mother always gets priority.

When the third hell cannon is deployed to the 386th Brigade, the 772nd and 771st Regiments, which are practically raised by their mothers, will definitely be given priority.

As for Kong Jie's new second regiment, they were helping Li Muzhi mine coal, so there was no need to consider it; Kong Jie had no chance.

Only Ding Wei's new regiment is left.

If we want Ding Wei to be able to compete with those damn 772nd and 771st Regiments, we definitely have to make Ding Wei achieve merit, and make great merit!
When that time comes, the brigade commander will have to think twice before giving the Hellfire Cannon to the 772nd or 771st Regiments, which are practically his own.

After all, he once said that if you have the ability, you deserve to eat meat; if you don't, you can't even get soup!
Ding Wei did a better job than the 772nd or 771st Regiment, so this third hell cannon should be assigned to the new 1st Regiment!
(End of this chapter)