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

Chapter 4 Thirty Boxes of Hand Grenades
"I am Li Muzhi, the new director of the arsenal," Li Muzhi announced to Li Yunlong.

"I am Li Yunlong, the commander of the Independent Regiment." Li Yunlong also introduced himself to Li Muzhi, but still asked suspiciously, "Wasn't Lao Luo the former director of your arsenal?"

"Old Luo was injured, so Minister Zhang asked me to replace him," Li Muzhi explained.

"I see." Li Yunlong nodded and immediately got to the point. "My men told me you came to deliver grenades to me?"

“Commander Li, I wasn’t there when you handed over the supplies to the arsenal, and my men neglected you. I hope you won’t hold it against me.” Li Muzhi apologized to Li Yunlong first, then waved his hand and had thirty boxes of grenades brought over. “The extra ten boxes of grenades are my apology to you.”

"Hahaha." Li Yunlong looked at the thirty boxes of grenades and immediately laughed as if he had seen his own father. "I don't care. I have never held a grudge against your arsenal. Director Li is young and promising. Let's keep in touch in the future."

After saying that, as if afraid that Li Muzhi would change his mind, Li Yunlong quickly waved his hand and ordered his men to snatch away the thirty boxes of hand grenades.

"Hehe." Li Muzhi chuckled and got straight to the point, "Commander Li, our arsenal has developed a new weapon that needs to be tested. We need your cooperation."

"No problem, no problem." Having received the thirty boxes of grenades, Old Li was incredibly friendly. "How can I cooperate with you?"

"To conserve resources, I need to test this new weapon on enemy pillboxes, but I don't know anything about warfare. I'd like to ask Commander Li to help me choose a target. Of course, I also hope that Commander Li can send some troops to help out," Li Muzhi said.

"Using enemy pillboxes for testing?" Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong couldn't help but say, "What kind of new weapon is this? Don't tell me your arsenal has produced cannons. You can't even make the most basic bullets properly."

If you want to take down the enemy's pillbox, you can only use cannons!
Li Yunlong knew perfectly well the quality of the bullets and grenades produced by the arsenal.

If they can't even handle basic ammunition, it's impossible for an arsenal to produce artillery.

"Hehe." Li Muzhi chuckled. "To be honest, I did indeed build a cannon."

"Hahaha." Li Yunlong was amused, then realized his mistake and quickly tried to suppress his laughter: "I'm sorry, I wasn't making fun of your arsenal. I'm just happy that you gave me thirty boxes of grenades."

"It's alright," Li Muzhi said, indicating that he didn't mind.

After all, everyone knows the strength of the border region's arsenal.

If you can't even handle basic ammunition, it's perfectly reasonable for others to think it's a joke if the arsenal has produced artillery.

But Li Muzhi believed that as long as the Hell Cannon was successfully test-fired, all the laughter would turn into shocked stares.

This is just like the world's first machine gun.

When it was first built, the generals laughed at the machine gun, saying it was a waste of ammunition, expensive, and impractical.

When machine guns roared across the battlefield and people fell like wheat being harvested, the generals' faces lost all smiles, replaced by deep shock!

"How about this, I'll have Battalion Commander Zhang Dabiao lead the battalion to go with you."

"Commander Li, aren't you planning to go and take a look yourself?"

"No, I have things to do at my regimental headquarters." Li Yunlong didn't believe Li Muzhi could make artillery at all, so he wasn't going to join in the fun.

"Alright then, let your battalion commander come with me." Li Muzhi didn't insist. Zhang Dabiao was Old Li's top general, a skilled fighter, more than enough. "Wait a moment." Li Yunlong told Li Muzhi to wait, and he personally went to find Zhang Dabiao, saying, "Dabiao, you gather the battalion together and go with Director Li from the arsenal. Remember, you must make sure the safety of these people at the arsenal is ensured."

“Commander, we’re going to personally transport the supplies to the arsenal, but they won’t even give us twenty boxes of hand grenades. I…” Zhang Dabiao was reluctant.

Li Yunlong interrupted: "They just personally delivered thirty boxes of hand grenades."

"Personally delivered thirty boxes of hand grenades?" Zhang Dabiao was stunned. So generous.

"The original director of the arsenal, Lao Luo, was injured. The new director of the arsenal is Li Muzhi, a young man in his early twenties," Li Yunlong instructed. "I think this kid is a greenhorn. He hasn't learned to be stingy from Zhang Wanhe yet. Do you understand what I mean?"

"Yes, Commander." Zhang Dabiao understood perfectly.

This Li Muzhi is the new director of the arsenal, and he is in charge of the arsenal's ammunition production.

Although those bullets and grenades weren't of very good quality, as the regimental commander would say, "A good ointment is one that can draw out pus!"

Before Li Muzhi learns to be stingy, let's make a good impression on him so we can get more ammunition from him.

Soon, Zhang Dabiao led his battalion and set off with Li Muzhi.

"Director Li, I heard from the regimental commander that your arsenal has developed a new weapon and is going to test it on an enemy pillbox. What kind of new weapon is this?" Zhang Dabiao saw the cannon being pulled by mules by the arsenal workers, but the cannon was covered with cloth so that he couldn't see what was inside.

"Battalion Commander Zhang, I'm asking you to choose a target for testing. If the enemy rushes out, your troops need to be able to control the situation." Li Muzhi didn't directly answer Zhang Dabiao's question. "Which one are you planning to choose?"

“Director Li, your worries are completely unnecessary,” Zhang Dabiao said. “These Japanese devils and traitors are terrified of our guerrilla warfare. They stay in their pillboxes and bunkers and don’t come out. No matter how we lure them, these traitors and Japanese devils won’t fall for it. So, you can do whatever you want, they won’t dare to come out at all.”

"Nothing is absolute," Li Muzhi reminded him. "What if they come out?"

If it were ordinary light weapons, it would be understandable for the Japanese soldiers and traitors to stay in their pillboxes and bunkers.

But this is a hell cannon, a type of assault artillery.

When the cannon fires, the enemy will see that we have assault weapons. If they continue to stay in the pillboxes and bunkers, they will be waiting to die. So they will definitely come out.

“I’m just waiting for them to come out. Once they’re out, I can deal with them,” Zhang Dabiao said.

"Battalion Commander Zhang, you should choose a target that you can handle. Otherwise, too many people will escape and your forces won't be enough."

"Don't worry, it'll be fine." Zhang Dabiao nodded.

Zhang Dabiao was also aware that ants can't swallow an elephant, and if a large number of enemies emerge, they will be in deep trouble.

Moreover, we must not let these people at the arsenal get implicated. If they leave a bad impression, how will we continue to get ammunition from Li Muzhi?

(End of this chapter)