The Empire will continue to win

"Loading ammunition into the magazine?"

"Yes."

"The lever is released, ejecting the spent cartridge. The lever returns to its original position, completing the reloading process."

"Yes."

"As you fire, the number of bullets in the magazine decreases, and the gun's center of gravity shifts backward, affecting the accuracy of aiming and firing, right?"

"Yes, this difficulty requires the archer to familiarize themselves with it, but it can be overcome."

A question and an answer.

Suddenly, light shone in Browning's eyes.

For technical personnel, there is no greater happiness than having a technically savvy boss.

Shen Moqing took a closer look. Bai Langning had an ordinary appearance, neither fat nor thin, with a pair of bright blue eyes that revealed wisdom, and a stubbornness that was hard to hide at the corners of his mouth.

.........

This was a successful selection!

Shen Moqing discovered that the gun factory was full of talented people, including a business genius from Guangdong, a naturalized design genius, and a polymath like Gu Hongming.

In short, the empire has never lacked talent.

This region is a goldmine of talent that has long gone untapped; you could easily find usable individuals.

The professor was not surprised by this.

Opportunities are scarce, but talent is plentiful.

Few platforms, many talents.

There are few discerning judges, but many talented individuals.

This has been true throughout history; it is as difficult as ascending to heaven to rise above others.

The selection, appointment, and procedures were all completed on the same day, and the large red list of personnel appointments was immediately posted at the factory gate.

noon.

Shen Moqing invited the newly appointed officials to dinner, and from then on, lunch meetings and breakfast meetings became a regular occurrence.

"From today onwards, we'll all be working together in the same big pot, sharing both good times and bad, and together we'll build a great enterprise."

"Cheers~"

At Shen Moqing's suggestion, everyone raised their glasses together. This glass of wine symbolized the initial formation of a small group within the gun factory.

"Browning, how did you get into the gun factory?"

"It's a long story."

The young Browning briefly recounted his family's journey to China.

10 years ago~

Browning's father, who ran a gun shop in Utah, USA, suddenly had the idea of ​​immigrating because of cash flow problems and the discrimination he faced as a Mormon.

Citibank won't keep me, so I'll go to the lighthouse.

At that time, newspapers in various Citizen states touted the United Empire, thousands of miles away, as a paradise on earth, a symbol of civilization, wealth, and the hopeful future.

So the family took a boat to Guangzhou.

After demonstrating his skills, Browning was assigned to the Imperial Overseas Legion as a repairman. Six months later, during a military conflict with the British colonists, Browning was tragically killed by artillery fire.

He left behind 20 children, and life was quite difficult.

Fortunately, the politics of the United Empire were humane. After the Colonial Ministry reported to the court, Little White Browning was placed in Yanshan Heavy Industry.

This large family now lives in Baoding and makes a living by farming. With Browning's salary, they have no problem making a living.

.........

"That's a truly heartbreaking experience," Shen Moqing pressed. "Tell me, did your family suffer religious persecution in Utah?"

"Yes, the Mormon religion we follow is not accepted by mainstream Christianity."

Why?

"Polygamy."

"Then you've come to the right place. The United Empire is a highly tolerant empire, and we believe that polygamy is in accordance with the natural order. Browning, I admire your cauliflower, and I hope you can produce the sample guns as soon as possible."

As the war escalated, Li Shaoquan urgently needed a gun.

Browning was like a godsend.

"Please rest assured, Supervisor, I have great confidence in my design."

"How long will it take?"

"Three days!"

"Alright, I'll make you a promise in front of everyone today: if this lever-action repeating gun can be mass-produced, I will petition the court to apply for a Beijing residency permit for you."

moment.

Everyone was stunned.

Browning stood up excitedly to offer a toast, lowering his glass by a full two inches.

.........

A Beijing residency permit is extremely valuable.

Don't underestimate this brass card engraved with "Citizen of the Imperial Capital"; it holds a wealth of information.

Firstly, you can receive 2 silver dollars from the government every month without doing anything.

(People in Baoding were green with envy)

Secondly, due to the continuous expansion of the capital's population, in order to ensure order, in the third year of the Xianning era, the imperial court stipulated that only those with a registered residence in the capital could purchase property within the city walls.

Without a household registration, no matter how much money you have, you can only rent.

(The eyes of wealthy families in Zhili were bloodshot with envy)

Finally: Anyone with a Beijing household registration is not allowed to bow to officials outside the capital. If they get into legal trouble, local authorities have no jurisdiction and the case must be transferred to the Shuntian Prefecture.

(The businessmen's eyes were bloodshot with envy)

In addition, there are hidden benefits, such as education and job opportunities.

A true Beijing gentleman~

There are only four ways to obtain a household registration in the capital: 1. Military merit; 2. Official title; 3. Special approval from the Ministry of Rites; 4. Born with it.

The household registration follows the mother.

If the mother has a household registration in the capital, the child she gives birth to will also have a household registration.

Theoretically speaking, it would be possible for a farmer from Baoding to marry a woman from the capital—but obviously that's impossible.

As a result, new residents could only build new houses in areas outside the four city walls of Beijing, and the city spontaneously expanded outwards like a pancake.

Standing on the Xizhimen city wall and looking west, you can't even see the edge of the residential area.

It is said that the total population of Beijing has exceeded 300 million.

However, the inner city remained clean and uncrowded.

Because it's expensive~

I can neither afford to buy nor rent.

The southern part of the city became the most densely populated area, even more crowded than the areas outside the city. The houses were densely packed, dirty and chaotic, and it was gradually becoming like the Kowloon Walled City.

.........

in the afternoon.

Shen Moqing continued the meeting, openly proclaiming the "five ones" standard to his trusted confidants.

The so-called five ones are:

Factory affairs one voice

Handling everything, big and small

Decision-making is done by one person.

Financial expenditures are handled by a single pen.

Personnel appointments can be summarized in one sentence.

Everyone fell silent, but judging from their expressions, some people still didn't quite believe it was possible, after all, Yanshan Heavy Industry had its own unique circumstances.

"Gentlemen, the two Empress Dowagers are very supportive of me, so I will also support you to the fullest extent. After the meeting, return to your workshops and organize production. Under my command, everyone in the gun factory must participate in production."

Zhou Wen, who had just been appointed as the head of the final assembly workshop, deliberately asked, "Sir, what should we do if the dismissed former heads are unwilling to obey our orders as new officials?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Every single person in charge at Yanshan Heavy Industry is a relative. They dared not resist being dismissed by the supervisors, but getting them to do any work was out of the question!

Shen Moqing sneered:

"It doesn't matter, take it or leave it. I can tell you that Minister of Justice Yu Xian has taken up residence at Yanshan Heavy Industry by imperial decree of the two empress dowagers. He's just worried about not being able to arrest enough traitors. I'm sure you've all heard of Minister Yu Xian's reputation."

"Yes, ma'am."

Everyone was filled with enthusiasm and returned to their posts.

Yu Xian was a well-known incorruptible official who was also a cruel bureaucrat, and a seasoned enthusiast of the art of torture.

.........

As expected~

The workshops remained in a state of lethargy, with few people taking it seriously, especially those who had just been dismissed, who gathered together to smoke and drink tea while cursing.

"Work? What kind of lousy work? My father and mother have already done all my work for me."