I am an industrial worker during the War of Resistance

Chapter 54 The Camouflage Three-Wheeled Motorbike in Motion

Just as Commander Chen annihilated an understrength cavalry regiment of Ningma on the vast, snowy plains of Chulechuan in November.

Chen Changzai's three-wheeled vehicle finally started running.

Chen Changzai underestimated the difficulty of manufacturing the equipment that could produce tires.

He and several experienced workers, along with his students, were constantly holding technical discussion meetings.

Every technical challenge required everyone to rack their brains and come up with all sorts of solutions.

The overall manufacturing process was finally finalized after half a month.

It took almost another month.

This extremely rudimentary car tire production line has just been officially launched.

By this time, it was November 1936.

When the first tire was removed from the high-pressure vulcanizing machine, everyone jumped up and cheered.

Although this production line was rudimentary, it was the world's first production line for radial steel tires.

It was a full decade ahead of the rest of the world.

Just when this project was initiated.

All the technical drawings and production data for this production line were classified as top secret by Chen Changzai.

Especially this "high temperature and high pressure steam vulcanizing tire forming machine"

For this matter.

He said to the high-ranking leader who came to watch the first successful production of tricycles and tires and their loading: "Sir, this machine should be the first, and possibly the only, in the world that can produce steel wire tires."

According to my estimate, it will be at least five to ten years before foreign countries can manufacture this thing.

But sometimes, technology is just a thin veil away from understanding.

They might be able to make connections about this technology even from just a few words.

Therefore, I think this technology should be kept as top secret.

Because it is really important.

Let me give you the simplest example.

When two vehicles are used, one of which uses tires made of hemp fiber or chemical fiber.

One of the vehicles uses tires made of our type of steel wire.

Running on the same gravel road.

So that hemp fiber tire might be punctured by sharp stones on the ground within ten kilometers.

Or perhaps the tires were worn through by sand and gravel.

However, our steel-belted tires are protected by a layer of steel wire.

Even if those sharp stones could cut through the rubber.

However, it cannot cut through the steel wire.

Even if the outer layer of rubber is worn away.

However, it is very difficult to wear through a steel wire.

Therefore, in comparison, tires that currently use hemp fiber or rayon as the skeleton are more commonly used internationally.

If it can run ten kilometers.

Then our steel-belted tires can travel 100 kilometers.

The differences are huge.

This is especially true for military vehicles.

Therefore, we request that the leadership consider raising the confidentiality level of this technology to the highest level.

Although Chen Changzai had already elevated the technology of this tire vulcanizing furnace to the top-secret level in his factory.

But he wasn't a leader at headquarters after all.

The security comrade stationed in Wujiabao would naturally agree to his request.

However, this is different from what the top leaders say.

After all, it's not proper to say something without a legitimate name.

After listening to Chen Changzai's words, the senior leader, with a solemn expression, said, "Changzai is right, I don't know much about these technical matters."

But I know that many things in this world are interconnected, and the only difference between some things is often a very thin veil.

It breaks with just a light touch.

But even such a thin layer of paper can keep the two sides separated for who knows how long.

At this moment, the second-in-command, who had come with the top leader, said, "Since Comrade Changzai said that this thing is so important..."

Then our comrades in the Internal Security Department and the Special Branch will raise this aspect to the highest level.

By the way, Comrade Changzai, you've been in our team for over a year now, haven't you?

According to our team's assessment regulations, you have long exceeded the assessment period.

But we haven't received your application to join our team yet.

Let me find an opportunity to ask Comrade Changzai if he has any thoughts on truly joining our team.

Today is a good day to take advantage of the opportunity, if Comrade Changzai wants to join our team.

Then I think the top leader would be willing to be your introducer.

At this moment, Chen Chang suddenly slapped his forehead and said, "Oh dear, boss, you see, I'm just a tech-savvy person."

Sometimes, when I get into technical work and drawing blueprints, I forget everything else, and my head just becomes like a block of wood.

It won't react unless you tap it a couple of times.

Actually, I've wanted to join the team for a long time.

Oh dear, I just forgot to write the application.

I'm still waiting for you to tell me.

Look at the mess this has made!

Chen Changzai slapped his forehead as he spoke.

The leader laughed and said, "Alright, Changzai, stop slapping your forehead."

If you damage such a smart brain, where am I supposed to find another one?

"Let's do it today. I'll be your introducer. From today onwards, you're officially a member of our team."

"Thank you, leader. Thank you, leader."

Actually, over this long period of time, it wasn't that Chen Chang was thinking about doing anything opportunistic or cunning; he had genuinely forgotten about it.

Because he was already in the ranks in his previous life.

After arriving here, he still considered himself a member of the team.

Political Commissar He had mentioned this to him twice before.

But he was probably thinking about some technical issues at the time and didn't hear clearly. He just said "uh-huh" and moved on.

It's also possible that Political Commissar He was afraid that saying too much would backfire.

So they didn't talk about it again.

At this moment, Political Commissar He, who had been standing to the side, said to the two leaders, "I'm sorry, leaders, this is my fault."

I should have discussed this matter more with Comrade Changzai.

But I neglected this matter, and the responsibility lies with me.

Chen Changzai saw that Political Commissar He wanted to take responsibility for this matter himself.

He quickly said, "Two leaders, this really can't be blamed on Political Commissar He. Actually, I remember he mentioned this to me twice."

I don't even know what I was thinking at the time.

I forgot about it as soon as I turned my head.

The responsibility for this lies with me.

Political Commissar He quickly added, "The responsibility for this lies with me."

I saw two people vying to take responsibility.

The senior leader said, "Haha, alright, alright, it's good to be willing to take responsibility, but it depends on what kind of responsibility it is."

This isn't your problem; it's that you all have too much work and are under a lot of pressure.

So let's just leave it at that, and let's not bring it up again.

Okay, now can we see what our first vehicle looks like after it's assembled?

After the tricycle with tires was installed was pushed out of the workshop.

Several leaders saw the vehicle; its body was painted with patches of ochre, brown, and light green.

When the entire car body looks flashy and gaudy.

Several leaders who saw the tricycle outside the assembly workshop were very puzzled.

The senior leader asked Chen Changzai, "Changzai, why is this car all colorful? What's the reason for that?" Chen Changzai did not answer the leader's question immediately.

He simply smiled and said to his superior, "Boss, take a look in a moment."

Then he turned to his students who were pushing the cart out and said, "Gao Cheng, push the cart to the furthest earthen wall."

"Good teacher."

After Gao Cheng and the others responded, they pushed the cart and ran towards the earthen wall a few dozen meters away.

When they reached the earthen wall, the students parked their bikes sideways and moved closer to it.

Then everyone moved a distance away.

At this moment, Chen Changzai said to the leaders, "Leaders, can you still see that car clearly now?"

Because there was snow on the ground, Chen Changzai could only push the cart to the side of the earthen wall.

When the leaders looked at the tricycle against the backdrop of the earthen wall, they all thought it looked very gaudy.

It's not that you can't see it, but rather that it feels as if the car has blended into the background of the earthen wall.

It gives people a sense of unreality.

I always feel like I'm seeing things.

However, if you look closely, you can still make out the outline of the car.

At least the tires are still black.

At this moment, someone who always followed the big leader arrived here, but just kept smiling.

A leader who, apart from greeting Chen Changzai upon meeting him, had not spoken to him again.

Suddenly, he said, "In 1929, the Italians developed something called camouflage cloth, which was used as tent fabric for soldiers."

Later, they also made smocks for their paratroopers.

It is used for covert operations on the battlefield.

Changzai, you actually applied this kind of thinking to this car.

You're really amazing, kid! You're truly incredible!

This is almost to the point where we use leaves and twigs as battlefield camouflage.

Unfortunately, we don't have the dyeing and printing techniques of the Italians.

If we had that technology, I think we could make camouflage fabric like theirs too.

I once saw one of those smocks; from a distance, you couldn't see the person at all.

The person had almost completely blended into the background.

At this moment, Chen Changzai said, "The leader is right."

When I was in school, I heard my teacher mention this incident briefly.

However, at the time it was just taken as an amusing anecdote.

At the time, I just thought that thing was like the game of hide-and-seek we played when we were kids.

They hid in the mud so their friends wouldn't find them.

Roll yourself in mud, draw all sorts of fancy pictures, and then lie face down on the ground—it makes no difference.

However, when I was making this tricycle, I suddenly had an idea.

If the protective paint on this car is too bright.

Wouldn't it just be a target on the battlefield?
It was a sudden inspiration; I remembered that funny story my teacher told me years ago.

So I did it the way we used to play hide-and-seek when we were kids.

The paint color was adjusted to be the closest to the background color of the Loess Plateau.

Then make it all patchy and blotchy.

Surprisingly, the results were quite good.

However, this is probably not the best outcome, if we can grasp the underlying principles in the future.

I think we can come up with even better concealment effects.

Chen Changzai's factory in later generations did indeed produce various military equipment.

However, there is a discipline called "military camouflage studies" that specializes in camouflage.

Chen Changzai only knew a little bit about these things.

He might not understand the underlying principles as well as some seasoned military enthusiasts.

He was even less clear about the specific rules and logic behind it.

He only knew that this "military camouflage" involved a great many categories.

From biology to optics to imaging to electronic detection, infrared detection, and all sorts of other things.

It seems to cover any subject related to imaging.

Chen Changzai really couldn't make something like this.

He could only share the basics he knew with his students, and then see who had a talent for it, and let them pursue it.

At this moment, the leader who had just spoken burst into laughter and said, "What Chang said makes sense."

This is no different from smearing mud all over your body and then lying on the ground.

Simply applying this layer of mud isn't easy.

At this moment, Chen Changzai waved his hand, and his students pushed the tricycle back.

At this moment, the senior leader said with a smile, "We can't keep pushing this car all the time."

Let's let it run on its own and see.

"Okay, no problem, I'll get it running right away and let the leaders see it."

After Chen Changzai finished speaking, he pulled out a crank handle from under the car seat.

This is the key to start the three-wheeled vehicle.

After confirming that it was in neutral.

Chen Chang worked hard to crank the engine. Once he felt the speed was high enough, he released the pressure relief valve with his left hand and removed the crank handle with his right.

The engine then sputtered and started up.

Chen Changzai got on the three-wheeled vehicle, gripped the handlebars with both hands, twisted them a couple of times, and felt pretty good.

Then depress the clutch, shift into first gear, and gently apply the accelerator while keeping the clutch engaged.

The three-wheeled vehicle then started moving.

With the muffled thud of the silencer gone, the three-wheeled vehicle began to circle around the courtyard.

It snowed a couple of days ago, and the roads outside are slippery. I didn't put snow chains on the car.

So Chen Changzai just walked around in circles on the flat ground of the courtyard.

Shifting from first to second gear immediately increased the speed significantly.

According to Chen Changzai's design, this three-wheeled vehicle only has two gears.

However, on good roads, it can reach a top speed of 35 kilometers per hour.

Although this is about the same speed as a horse running.

But it can haul goods.

That horse could pull as much as it could.

After turning twice in second gear, Chen Changzai shifted into reverse.

Aside from lacking the little horn that says "Please note, reversing," it's no different from a three-wheeled vehicle reversing in later times.

After the car demonstration was finished.

Chen Changzai said to his students, "Start the test drive with added load."

"Yes, teacher." The students responded and went to the workshop to get a trolley to push the counterweight.

At this moment, the same leader who had mentioned the camouflage uniform spoke to the tricycle's tires, saying, "These tires are wide enough, and the serrations on the tire surface are so deep and so large."

It seems it can't even get stuck in muddy ground.

Chen Changzai replied, "Yes, leader."

Besides this tire, I also added a differential lock to its rear axle.

You can think of it as a lock that allows both rear wheels to push forward simultaneously.

So it's not so easy to trap it; ordinary muddy ground can't hold it.

"Great, great, this is really good stuff, hahaha."

After Chen Changzai finished speaking, all the leaders present laughed.

　Thank you to all my friends who have supported me.

　　I'm going all out today, posting a long chapter at midnight. I might be busy during the day and won't have time to update.

　　Please forgive me if it's late.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)