Bright Sword: I built Italian cannons for Li Yunlong

The reward wasn't lavish, but it carried the warmth of a family treating their own people, which made Zhou Zhen feel especially grounded and comforted.

On the night of the celebration banquet, the cooking team did everything they could.

The aroma of food filled the entire factory area.

Everyone sat together, laughter and the clinking of bowls and chopsticks filling the simple factory with a long-lost joyful atmosphere.

Looking at those simple and joyful smiling faces, Zhou Zhen truly felt that everyone's happiness and joy were actually that simple.

A peaceful life is enough with just a full meal.

He could feel that he had become the trusted head of the family.

However, before the aroma of the victory banquet had even dissipated, Zhou Zhen's thoughts had already drifted far away.

Smokeless propellant solved the problem of purple eggs, but what about the shells?

Although nitrocellulose is powerful, it is too sensitive and cannot withstand the violent impact and high temperature inside the barrel when the shell is fired. Direct use of it can easily cause the barrel to explode.

His focus shifted to the relatively stable ammonium nitrate explosives.

The most critical challenge in synthesizing ammonium nitrate lies in the source of ammonia.

He knew that the Japanese army had promoted ammonium sulfate fertilizer in the occupied areas of North China, but it was not widespread in Shanxi and was scarce. This route could only be pursued by the organization as much as possible, but it was not a long-term solution.

"Traditional methods of collecting ammonia from human and animal excrement and urine are inefficient, have poor purity, and produce a strong odor, which cannot meet the needs of the battlefield at all," Zhou Zhen frowned and pondered under the oil lamp.

"Shanxi has no shortage of coal... perhaps we could try the water-gas method."

Theoretically, ammonia can be synthesized under conditions of catalyst, high temperature and high pressure.

Iron catalysts are relatively simple to manufacture.

The only problem is this high-voltage equipment; it's not easy to handle.

"If there are no readily available high-voltage equipment, we'll build our own." Once this thought appeared, it wouldn't go away.

The next day, he found Master Chen, who was in charge of the machinery.

"Master Chen, is it possible for us to make our own device that can withstand high pressure?" Zhou Zhen took out a simple diagram he had drawn.

"It doesn't need to be as big as a chemical plant; a small-scale experimental one will suffice."

Master Chen frowned as he looked at the sketch: "High pressure? Factory manager, where are we going to get such sturdy steel? And where are we going to get such strength to pump the air in? This isn't something you can just do with a rubber band."

Zhou Zhen thought for a moment, then tentatively asked, "What if we modify a car engine? We can convert its cylinders into air compressors. We can manually crank the wheels, using a belt drive to make the pistons reciprocate, pressurizing the sealed, thick-walled steel tank."

The more he spoke, the clearer his thoughts became, and the faster he spoke.

"Regarding the reaction vessel, we can try using the captured thickened gasoline drums, or ask the blacksmith to find a way to build a small, thick-walled steel tank to modify it."

The furnace provides the high temperature for heating; as long as we can generate ammonia, it's possible to produce ammonium nitrate explosives in our own small workshop.

This bold plan, full of rudimentary methods, left Master Chen and the other workers listening nearby speechless.

The car engine was used to pump air, the thick gasoline tank served as a reaction vessel, and it was powered by human labor.

Although it sounded like a fantasy, seeing the serious and determined look on Director Zhou's face, they suddenly felt that it might actually work.

Master Chen stroked his chin and pondered for a long time before saying, "Factory manager, according to your idea... it's theoretically possible to take the engine cylinders off and modify them, add intake and exhaust valves, and make an air pump."

However, thick gasoline drums are probably not pressure resistant enough; we'll probably have to make a small steel can instead.

but……"

He looked up, his face showing both the caution of a technician facing something new and the eagerness to face unknown challenges.

"I've never done this before, so I'm not sure. I can only say... let's give it a try. I can't guarantee it will work."

Zhou Zhen patted his shoulder forcefully: "It's okay, Lao Chen! Go ahead and try it. Just tell me what materials you need."

We're essentially feeling our way across the river by touching the stones. If it doesn't work the first time, we'll try again; if it doesn't work the second time, we'll try ten times. I have faith in the wisdom of our workers.

Just as Zhou Zhen was racking his brains for the future of ammonium nitrate explosives, the current achievements of the arsenal had already begun to be transformed into frontline combat power.

In order to contain the expansion of the Eighth Route Army's base areas, the Japanese army gradually adjusted its combat methods.

Large-scale "sweeping" operations have significantly decreased, replaced by elite assault teams of sixty or seventy people.

These squads moved nimbly, slithering like venomous snakes along the edges of the base, specializing in harassing villages and scattered troops, attempting to weaken the base's survivability through continuous attrition.

On the earthen slope outside Wangjiazhuang, Chen Chunsheng, the company commander of the third company of the new regiment, squatted behind an old locust tree, his teeth grinding so hard they almost broke.

"call out……"

"Whoosh..."

The distinctive sharp whistling sound of Type 38 rifle bullets whizzed past his head continuously. The two most recent bullets struck the trunk of the old locust tree with precision, scattering wood chips and bark fragments all over his face.

Three hundred meters away, the group of Japanese soldiers laughed triumphantly.

Chen Chunsheng was furious.

He suddenly leaned halfway out from behind the tree, and with his old Hanyang rifle, he quickly aimed at a vaguely moving, tan figure and pulled the trigger!

"Click!"

The gunshot rang out, the firing pin ignited the primer, and then a thick, pungent white smoke suddenly spewed out from the gap between the barrel and the bolt, choking Chen Chunsheng so much that tears and snot streamed down his face.

"Ptooey! Ptooey! Ptooey!"

Chen Chunsheng coughed violently, trying to spit out the ash from his mouth.

"Fuck your mother," Chen Chunsheng growled.

He ducked behind a tree, and a bullet struck the locust tree next to him almost simultaneously.

He frantically pulled back the bolt.

Sure enough, the spent cartridge case did not eject smoothly; the chamber was clogged with ash residue left from the burning black powder.

"Damn it, it jammed again." Chen Chunsheng cursed under his breath and had to stop to clean the ash from the barrel.

"Lieutenant Yoshida, these Chinese soldiers only have this kind of garbage ammunition, black powder, that stuff is only good for setting off firecrackers."

"Good, keep your distance, keep firing, wear them down, and wait until they run out of ammo or can't resist charging."

"Hai."

In the brief moment that Chen Chunsheng was frantically cleaning the gun barrel, the Japanese squad that had been lingering 300 meters away skillfully maneuvered backward with the help of precise fire support.

As the enemy spread out further, the accuracy of the Eighth Route Army's bullets became even worse.

"Company commander, the villagers have almost all evacuated." The communications officer, Xiao Chen, rolled over to his side, his face covered in scorched earth, and he reported breathlessly.

"But we were bitten to death by the Japanese. The ditch to the west was blocked by machine guns. The second platoon leader led a group to try, but one of them was wounded and they couldn't get through at all."

Chen Chunsheng glanced at the Hanyang rifle he had just finished cleaning in his hand, then looked at the Japanese soldiers in the distance who were constantly dodging using the terrain, yet their shooting was exceptionally accurate. A huge sense of frustration and powerlessness welled up in his heart.