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

Chapter 99 Four Thousand Jin of White Sugar

Border Region Arsenal

"Director Li, these are the results of a spot check on the skilled workers below, as per your request."

Several key personnel from the Huangyadong Arsenal handed the inspection results to Li Muzhi.

Li Muzhi took it, opened it, and paused for a moment: "One hundred percent?"

Doesn't this mean that all the skilled workers below made no mistakes and were completely familiar with the procedures?

"Director Li, look at what you're saying. That's dismantling on the battlefield! Every minute the combat troops hold out means another minute of bloodshed. How can we be so careless?" The people from Huangyadong Arsenal all had extremely solemn expressions. If Li Muzhi hadn't forbade it, they might have considered doing the dismantling themselves.

Dismantling and repurposing the locomotives for power is of great significance to our military industry!

Having thoroughly studied the structural drawings, there's no room for carelessness.

Moreover, the skilled workers selected were not chosen randomly; they were all practical people with a solid foundation, not illiterate or uneducated individuals.

"Yes, our workers are truly amazing." Li Muzhi affirmed, looking at the group, "Now that you're familiar with them, make sure you get some rest. Once you have enough ammunition, you'll immediately join the combat troops. Make sure everyone has plenty of energy."

Dismantling a locomotive on the battlefield is not only a technical task, but also a physically demanding one.

"Yes, Director Li." The men nodded.

"You've all worked hard, you should all go and rest now."

“We’d like to go back to the workshop for another look, what do you think?” None of the people seemed tired.

For some reason, their spirits have improved a lot since they came to the border region's arsenal.

Perhaps this is what it means to see hope, to have a clear and significant goal, and to feel energized.

"Take a look if you want." Li Muzhi indicated that he didn't mind. "If you can memorize all the procedures of the arsenal, you can do it yourselves when you return to your own arsenal if you have the resources."

These people looked at each other, and to be honest...

Previously, they had completely looked down on the border region's arsenal.

They wouldn't have come here if it weren't for orders from headquarters.

But having arrived here so soon, they all became greedy and unwilling to go back.

"Yes, Director Li." They quickly composed themselves.

Our army will grow stronger sooner or later, and perhaps the arsenals will be merged at that time.

At that time, I could still be with Director Li.

These people are destined to follow in Director Li's footsteps and dedicate their passion to the future of our military industry.

After the group left, Li Muzhi looked at the results of the spot check again.

I paid particular attention to the names of a few of them.

Li Muzhi's spot checks on workers were one aspect, and another was to take the opportunity to select talent.

The development of the border region's arsenal cannot rely entirely on Li Muzhi alone. Although Lao He and the others are quite capable, the border region's arsenal is still short-handed, especially in terms of technical personnel.

When it comes to converting the locomotive into a power source or developing a generator, Li Muzhi will need someone to assist him.

Once the combat troops have recovered the locomotive, I'll talk to Minister Zhang and try to keep these people here.

Of course, Li Muzhi wanted to keep all the technical experts from the Huangyadong Arsenal.

But he was still self-aware enough to know that these were the backbone of other arsenals, and he couldn't be too ruthless in poaching them.

"Factory Director, Commander Gao Liujin of the New Third Regiment of the 120th Division has arrived, bringing four thousand catties of white sugar!" Lao He excitedly ran over and said to Li Muzhi.

Four thousand catties of white sugar!!!
Li Muzhi was quite surprised when he heard this.

Even the 386th Brigade, with its impressive capabilities, only managed to procure a little over three thousand kilograms.

It's unbelievable that this six-pound tall regimental commander was able to get four thousand pounds!
But soon.

Li Muzhi felt relieved again.

The Eighth Route Army was a force that constantly created miracles.

However, this means there won't be enough Hell Cannons.

The 386th Brigade retrieved six Hellfire cannons, the headquarters commanders received one, and Commander Liu of the 115th Division received one, making a total of eight.

There are only eleven Hell Cannons in total. If Commander Gao wants to replace all of them with cannons, we are still one short.

But Li Muzhi remained calm.

It's no exaggeration to say that Minister Zhang is qualified to be the Minister of Logistics.

Li Muzhi originally thought that he had already fooled Li Yunlong enough by saying that a thousand catties of sugar could be used to make a hundred artillery shells.

Based on this standard, Li Muzhi planned to have the combat troops exchange ten catties of white sugar for one artillery shell.

After all, we can't really turn our combat troops into slaves. Minister Zhang set a rule: you had to bring fifty catties of white sugar or supplies worth the same amount in exchange for a single artillery shell.

Minister Zhang also had a reason: it wasn't that the arsenal needed to make a profit, but rather that the arsenal's ammunition production also required costs.

We can't always produce only qualified products; we have to take defective and scrap products into account.

Li Muzhi ultimately supported Zhang Wanhe's rule.

After all, he's the logistics minister, our leader.

Commander Gao, who weighs six jin, brought four thousand jin of white sugar. He probably needs to exchange it for artillery shells.

That would be enough for the Hell Cannon.

Li Muzhi walked out and saw a tall, burly Eighth Route Army officer eagerly waiting for him.

Behind him were a large number of bags, bulging with moisture.

"Commander Gao, this is our factory director." Lao He introduced Li Muzhi to the tall and burly Eighth Route Army officer.

"Hahaha." The tall and burly Eighth Route Army officer laughed heartily and introduced himself in a cheerful manner: "Director Li, hello! I am Gao Liujin, the commander of the Third Regiment of the 120th Division. You may find my name strange, but it's not really. My mother said that when I was born, I weighed exactly six jin. My father went out to beg for grain and also brought back six jin of grain, so he named me Gao Liujin."

"Hehe." Li Muzhi chuckled. "Commander Gao, you're quite the humorist."

Li Muzhi thought to himself, "Luckily, you weren't born weighing six and a half pounds, and your father didn't get six and a half pounds of sweet potatoes either, otherwise I would have named you Gao Liujinban (meaning 'tall six and a half pounds')."

"Haha." Gao Liujin laughed again, looking at Li Muzhi, and got straight to the point: "In logistics, a thousand catties of white sugar can be exchanged for one Hell Cannon, and fifty catties of white sugar can be exchanged for one shell. With my four thousand catties of white sugar, you can exchange it for one Hell Cannon, and I'll exchange the rest for shells. Let me do the math: fifty catties of white sugar can be exchanged for one shell, and five hundred catties of white sugar can be exchanged for ten shells. With my three thousand catties of white sugar, I should be able to exchange it for sixty shells, right? Hahaha, sixty shells, that's really too much."

As he spoke, Gao Liujin's mouth stretched into a wide grin, like a lotus flower.

Each of the few broken infantry gun shells in the headquarters logistics required special approval from the headquarters leaders.

Since he could take sixty shells himself, he didn't care about those broken infantry gun shells.

Even if Li Yunlong is so awesome, does he have as many artillery shells as I do?

I'll go and attack the county town later, and I might not be any worse than Li Yunlong.

"Commander Gao, are you sure you only need one Hell Cannon and the rest can be replaced with different shells?" Li Muzhi confirmed.

Commander Gao, you brought in four thousand catties of white sugar, and you only exchanged it for one Hell Cannon. Are you sure you managed to bring the cannon back? Can you keep it?

At that time, won't your brigade commander and division commander all be eyeing this only son?

"I'm sure." Gao Liujin nodded emphatically and said, "I've given you the sugar. Now give me the cannon and the shells right away."

"Commander Gao, I can give you the Hell Cannon right away, but I'm afraid I can only give you ten shells for now." Seeing that the other party was only exchanging for one Hell Cannon, Li Muzhi didn't pry into their internal affairs any further.

If they lose their cannons, it has nothing to do with us.

"What's wrong? Isn't it supposed to be sixty rounds?" Gao Liujin glared at Li Muzhi as if he were a heartless boss who withheld wages.

"The arsenal only has ten Type 3 artillery shells in stock right now," Li Muzhi explained. "The rest haven't been produced yet, so you'll have to..."

The military mission of seizing the Japanese locomotive was very important, and Li Muzhi had to reserve artillery shells in advance; he couldn't possibly give all the shells to Gao Liujin.

Upon hearing this, Gao Liujin's expression immediately relaxed: "So you haven't made more shells yet? No problem, I can wait. Just give me a Hell Cannon and ten shells first."

"Do you want artillery shells for attacking strongpoints or for dealing with enemy casualties?" Li Muzhi asked.

"These shells are divided into assault shells and casualty shells?" Gao Liujin asked suspiciously. He had only heard that Li Yunlong was awesome for fighting the Japanese with the Hell Cannon, but he had never heard that these shells were divided into such different types.

"The assault-type is mainly used to attack fortified targets, such as city walls, watchtowers, and bunkers," Li Muzhi explained. "The lethal-type is mainly used to kill the enemy. In the tests at the arsenal, a single shot once killed more than a hundred Japanese soldiers."

"One shot can take out more than a hundred Japanese soldiers?" Gao Liujin's eyes widened in surprise.

The damage from a single shot from our infantry gun is incomparable to that of a hell cannon.

"Yes," Li Muzhi nodded. "Which one do you want?"

"Needless to say, they all need to be lethal." Gao Liujin rubbed his hands together, eager to get started.

Anyway, we have infantry guns, so we can take care of bunkers and pillboxes.

The Hell Cannon can severely damage the enemy, taking out more than a hundred people with one shot. Hehe, that's what makes it so satisfying!

"Old He, weigh the sugar first," Li Muzhi instructed Old He.

"Okay." Old He immediately began weighing and counting, while Gao Liujin stood aside without disturbing him.

It's only right that the arsenal counts and weighs the goods first, and only releases them if the quantity is correct.

Gao Liujin approached Li Muzhi excitedly and said, "Director Li, Li Yunlong got three thousand catties of white sugar, and I got four thousand catties. Am I more capable than him?"

"Do you know Commander Li?" Li Muzhi asked Gao Liujin.

"Of course I know him! Back when we were crossing the grasslands, Li Yunlong couldn't gather enough food, so he let his troops plunder it. He was demoted from regimental commander to cook." Gao Liujin spat as he spoke, then changed his tone, "But this bastard didn't rob anyone else, he just had to rob me! How could I not know him!"

(End of this chapter)