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

Chapter 93 Old Ding is better at talking than Kong Erlengzi
"Old Ding, you've got a good aim, you really have a knack for artillery."

Li Yunlong checked Ding Wei's aim and praised him.

"It's mainly because a good teacher produces outstanding students," Ding Wei said, praising both of them.

"Hahaha." Li Yunlong laughed heartily, "Old Ding, you've got a much better mouth than Kong Erlengzi! I love listening to you!"

"Commander, the troops are ready to attack," Zhang Dabiao reported to Li Yunlong.

"Commander, the new First Regiment is also ready for battle," Ding Wei's subordinate reported to him.

"Old Li, let's begin," Ding Wei said to Li Yunlong.

"Okay." Li Yunlong nodded.

Li Yunlong and Ding Wei each took out a match and lit the fuse.

The fuse hissed and burned. Captain Sun Ming couldn't help but say to Chu Yunfei, "Commander, am I seeing things? The Eighth Route Army is actually using the method of lighting the fuse to detonate the cannon. Isn't that too backward?"

Lighting a fuse to detonate an explosion is outdated.

Now they all use a pull-cord firing mechanism.

"It is indeed a bit outdated, but that's in line with the image of the Eighth Route Army's arsenal being in extremely poor condition." Chu Yunfei nodded. He had already witnessed the quality of the reloaded bullets and grenades produced by the Eighth Route Army's arsenal.

Even the substandard or discarded products from the Jin-Sui Army arsenal are better than this.

The fact that the cannons manufactured by the Eighth Route Army's arsenal used the primitive method of detonation with fuses is quite reasonable.

"I just don't know if this cannon is as powerful as the intelligence says, comparable to a heavy artillery piece." Captain Sun Ming's face showed doubt and caution. "Commander, the barrel is so thin, I'm still worried it might explode. Could you move it back a bit more..."

Before Captain Sun Ming could finish speaking, the guard platoon leader couldn't help but interject: "Company commander, what are you saying? It's already a miracle if the Eighth Route Army's cannon even fire. You're worried about it exploding?"

"Hahaha." The other guards burst into laughter.

The grenades made by the Eighth Route Army sometimes exploded in two pieces. Such poor quality really makes one doubt whether their artillery could even fire.

Intelligence and rumors are ultimately not as reliable as seeing is believing! No wonder these people don't believe it.

But soon, all the laughter stopped abruptly!
boom!
boom!
Li Yunlong and Ding Wei's hell cannons roared.

Two shells struck the front and back gates of the concentration camp with precision.

The main and back gates were blown to smithereens, and the walls and defenses on both sides of the gates were as flimsy as paper.

It collapsed completely under the powerful shockwave of the explosion.

Bricks and fragments of corpses flew into the sky, and the front and back doors of the concentration camp were left wide open.

Before the smoke of battle even filled the air, Li Yunlong and Ding Wei's troops had already seized the opportunity to launch a fierce attack on the breach.

"Regimental, Regimental, Regimental Commander, this, this, this power is truly heavy artillery!" Captain Sun Ming stammered as he spoke.

We were worried it might explode, but it didn't. Its power was truly formidable.

Compared to this, the mountain guns and infantry guns of the artillery battalion were like a bunch of little brothers.

Chu Yunfei was also filled with disbelief: "This pile of broken iron lumps, I never thought it would actually be welded into a cannon by the Eighth Route Army. It seems that the chamber pressure was bypassed. The Eighth Route Army has also developed high explosives. There are some experts in the Eighth Route Army's arsenal."

"Commander, no wonder the Eighth Route Army refused to sell the cannons. Such powerful artillery, yet its weight doesn't seem like that of heavy artillery; it can be pulled by mules. Its mobility is quite good. If it were us, we wouldn't sell it either," Captain Sun Ming pointed out.

"That's obvious!" Chu Yunfei said seriously. "Let alone the Eighth Route Army's light cannon, even the heavy artillery of the direct forces, who would be willing to sell it easily?"

The significance of heavy artillery on the battlefield far surpasses that of ordinary artillery!

The main reason for the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Shanghai was the relentless bombardment by the heavy artillery of the Japanese warships. Each bombardment wiped out vast areas; it was truly a pot of steel-filled meat soup!

Then, Chu Yunfei continued, "When I have the chance, I must meet this expert from the Eighth Route Army's arsenal. He's an amazing person."

"Commander, someone like that is definitely a precious gem to the Eighth Route Army. I'm afraid they won't let us meet him easily," Captain Sun Ming said.

"No rush, take your time." Chu Yunfei suppressed his shock. "Let's see how the Eighth Route Army incorporates its direct-line prisoners."

……

"Xiaolong, you're still alive! That's wonderful!"

"Dawei, you're still alive too."

Wei Dayong opened the prison door and found his former subordinate.

Wei Dayong was originally a sergeant squad leader. Two of his subordinate soldiers were wounded and captured along with him.

Wei Dayong was selected to go to the training camp, while his two subordinate soldiers remained there.

Surprisingly, both of them are still alive and haven't died from exhaustion.

"Squad leader, are we dreaming? You've come to save us?" The two subordinates looked at Wei Dayong with excitement on their faces.

In the past, when the squad leader was taken away, everyone thought they would never see him again. Unexpectedly, not only did they see him again, but he also came to rescue them.

Soon, the two noticed Wei Dayong's military uniform and asked suspiciously, "Squad leader, you didn't go back to join the elite army. Did you become a member of the Eighth Route Army?"

"Gentlemen, in the Battle of Cangyunling, Commander Li of the Eighth Route Army killed Commander Sakata. I'm now following Commander Li in the Eighth Route Army." Wei Dayong's tone was very solemn. "Don't you also admire Commander Li? Now that the opportunity has come, are you willing to follow Commander Li?"

Xiaolong and Dawei asked with delight, "Squad leader, you're not kidding, are you? We can work under Commander Li?"

In the prisoner-of-war camp, everyone had heard about how Commander Li had defeated the Sakata Regiment on Cangyun Ridge, and many people admired him immensely.

Although our direct descendants receive better treatment, the officials there are all damn scoundrels.

The reason why the 72nd and 27th Divisions, which were the core forces of the Xinkou Campaign, were defeated was not because we soldiers didn't fight hard, but because we were implicated by our officers.

Commander Li is a truly capable man. He can defeat the Sakata Regiment. Of course we'd be happy to do so; we couldn't be happier.

“Since you want to work with the regimental commander, spread the word among the prisoners of war right away that it was Regimental Commander Li of the Eighth Route Army who came to rescue you. Anyone who wants to fight the Japanese with Regimental Commander Li can join his team immediately.” Wei Dayong pressed on while the iron was hot. “Regimental Commander Li said that if anyone doesn’t want to join, he won’t force them and will even give them travel expenses to go home.”

"We don't even have a home anymore, what's the point of going back!" Dawei cursed. "No problem, I'm going to fight with Commander Li. I'll go tell the others right away."

Xiao Long was also extremely indignant: "I joined the army to kill the Japanese devils. If I can't win battles in the elite troops, what's the point of staying? I'll join the Eighth Route Army."

As a great man once said: A single spark can start a prairie fire!
Although Xiaolong and Dawei started with just the two of them, the news spread like wildfire, from two to ten, and from ten to a hundred.

The concentration camps haven't been completely taken over yet, but unrest has already begun to erupt in the prisoner-of-war camps:
"Have you heard? The Eighth Route Army that came to rescue us is Li Yunlong, who defeated the Sakata Brigade on Cangyun Ridge."

"Is it true? Is it really Li Yunlong?"

"The Sakata Regiment is a tough nut to crack; they single-handedly defeated two of our divisions. Li Yunlong led a regiment and brought down the Sakata Regiment. Do I really think I'll ever see him?"

"Why can't I see him? Li Yunlong said that anyone who is willing to join the Eighth Route Army and follow him can join immediately."

"No doubt about it, just because Li Yunlong avenged us at Cangyun Ridge, we fought him."

"Yes, we followed Li Yunlong."

……

(End of this chapter)