The Courtyard House: The Little Red Devil Returning from the Peninsula

The first reloaded shell landed outside the target circle.

The sound of blasting rolled over from the other side of the quarry, and gravel fell down in a rustling sound.

Zhao Weiguo raised his binoculars and saw white smoke spreading along the mountainside. The wooden target hadn't fallen, but the adjacent earthen slope had been torn open, sending mud and rocks flying several paces away.

Zhao Tieshan ran over with his recording tablet and squatted down next to the crater to measure its depth.

"It veered off course by thirty-seven steps."

"Cannon muzzle?"

"The muzzle is fine."

"Loading explosives?"

Zhao Tieshan opened the paper bag and pulled out a record of the medicine contents.

"The three rounds weren't done by the same class. The first round was done by Class A, the second by Class B, and the third by Class C."

Zhao Weiguo looked at the workers' shed behind him.

All three groups of craftsmen stood there. Some had their heads down, some were staring at the cannon barrel, and others had their hands hidden in their sleeves, their knuckles covered in coal dust.

"Seal off all three sets of drugs."

A young craftsman said anxiously, "Commander, we haven't even tried the second shot yet."

That's why it's sealed off.

Zhao Weiguo took the record board and turned to the last page.

"We're not short of a single shell; we're short of a method to make every single shell look exactly the same. Whoever makes it today doesn't count. All three groups will investigate together, and we'll only release it once we find the cause."

The young man opened his mouth, but said nothing more.

Zhao Gang walked over, followed by two soldiers carrying boxes.

"A total of nine shells were qualified."

Zhao Weiguo asked, "How many rounds did you use just now?"

"One shot."

"Eight rounds left. Don't use them in the war yet."

Zhao Gang looked at him and said, "The reinforcements from Taiyuan have already entered the southeast of Shouyang."

"The more urgent the situation, the less you should use untested products."

Zhao Gang glanced at the mountain pass and lowered his voice: "Old Zhou has already set up the outer lines. If we only rely on the old artillery, we might not be able to stop their motorcade."

Zhao Weiguo handed him the binoculars.

"Then let's test out the ones that are usable first."

The second set of tests involved gun barrels.

An old rifle was fixed to a wooden frame, with burlap sacks underneath. Zhao Tieshan replaced the barrel with a standard one made by the machine tool; the bolt closed smoothly without jamming, and the sights were more accurate than before.

The first shot left a hole in the target paper.

The second shot deviated half an inch to the right from the point of impact.

The third shot was still within half a foot of the target.

The soldiers watching breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhao Tieshan, however, did not laugh.

He let the shooter keep shooting.

After ten shots, the barrel turned red-hot.

After twenty shots, the gun became hot to the touch.

Thirty shots, and the muzzle flash stretched out a bit longer.

"Stop," Zhao Weiguo shouted.

The shooter loosened his grip and fired.

Zhao Tieshan used pliers to clamp the gun barrel and placed it on the wooden board. Moisture rose from the steel surface, leaving several white streaks.

"The tubes from the handmade workshop will go astray after a dozen or so shots."

"What about this one?"

"It can still fire thirty shots. Any more than that, it depends on the cooldown."

"Is there enough to replace for the elite battalion?" Zhao Gang asked.

"We can't replace them all," Zhao Tieshan said. "Give them to the gunners and artillery observation teams first. Keep the old barrels on the regular rifles; don't waste new equipment on people who don't know how to maintain it."

Zhao Weiguo nodded.

This is the first rule of use.

Zhao Gang opened his notebook and wrote: "Newly made gun barrels must be cooled after firing thirty rounds in a row. Those that are not cooled and rotated shall not be used."

"Write down the reason," Zhao Weiguo said.

"Does the regulation require a reason?"

"If I don't write down the reason, people will find it troublesome in a couple of days. I'll make it clear that it's because of overheating, not because anyone is cowardly."

Zhao Gang paused, then added four words: "Prevent explosion."

On the other side of the quarry, three armored steel plates stand in front of the earthen slope.

The steel plates were small, each only enough to cover half a person. They were rolled from a mixture of captured steel and a formula provided by the system, and rivet holes were still left on the edges. Zhao Tieshan said that this kind of thing was far from being tank armor; it could only be used for vehicle panels and skid plates for now.

The first round used the Type 38 rifle.

Thirty steps, fifty steps, eighty steps.

The bullets struck the steel plate, leaving shallow craters. The deepest crater was at the edge, where the steel plate bulged backward, but the bullets did not penetrate.

The soldiers watching burst into cheers.

Zhao Weiguo raised his hand, his voice not loud, but he cut off the sound.

"Change to a heavy machine gun."

A Type 92 heavy machine gun was pushed up, with an ammunition box placed next to it. The machine gunner knelt behind the earthen slope, trying to adjust the firing angle.

Zhao Tieshan frowned: "The distance is too close."

"The prototype won't be kept at a polite distance either," Zhao Weiguo said. "Thirty steps."

The machine gun fired.

The bullets struck the steel plate squarely, sparks flying everywhere. The first volley only dented the plate. The second volley cracked the edges of the dent. After the third volley, a bulge appeared on the back of the plate, and fine lines appeared near the rivet holes.

Zhao Tieshan walked over and tapped it with a small hammer.

The voice has changed.

"Thirty paces cannot stop the Type 92's continuous firing."

"Take sixty steps back and try again."

After sixty paces, the steel plate withstood two bursts of bullets, and the cracks became much smaller.

Zhao Gang wrote down the distance and the time of firing.

"You can't just take the impact head-on with the car body."

"It wasn't intended to be a turret either." Zhao Weiguo looked towards the quarry exit. "The prototype is only responsible for suppressing fire from the side, to prevent it from crashing into the enemy's hardest points."

Gardenia arrived just then.

She didn't go into the shooting range; instead, she stood next to a white stone, waiting for Zhao Weiguo to look over.

"The reconnaissance team from Taiyuan has entered the southeast of Shouyang."

How many people?

"More than twenty cavalrymen went forward, followed by an infantry search party. They brought radios, but they didn't find the stone kiln."

Zhao Weiguo glanced at the sky.

"They will find out."

"Why?" Zhao Gang asked.

"There was a cannon shot just now."

The people in the quarry immediately stopped what they were doing.

Zhao Weiguo pointed to the three steel plates.

"The test was too loud. From now on, everything will be moved to real-world testing."

Old Zhou came down the south slope, carrying an old rifle on his back.

"The scouts have already spotted the smoke."

"How will you lead it?"

"I led my men from Donggou and drove them towards the quarry."

"Don't go into the firing range."

"I know."

Zhao Weiguo handed over eight qualified shells to the artillerymen.

"Only engage temporary firing positions, not large groups of enemies."

The artilleryman was taken aback.

"Commander, what if they all rush at us?"

"Fire the machine guns and radio first. Let Old Zhou handle the rest."

Duan Peng led a platoon around from the north. He wasn't tall, but he walked fast, pausing briefly as he passed Zhao Weiguo.

"Where should we put the prototype?"

"The low slope to the west. Only drive sideways, and make sure the front of the vehicle isn't exposed to the heavy machine gun."

"What if the car breaks down?"

"Get out of the car and tow it back."

Duan Peng glanced at the armored prototype that had just been assembled.

The vehicle was constructed from steel plates and a wooden frame, with an uneven layer of black paint on the outside. The wheels had been removed from the captured truck, the engine sounded muffled, and the exhaust pipe was emitting blue smoke.

"Can this thing really be used?"

"If we don't work today, it will just stay outside the kiln tomorrow."

Duan Peng grinned: "Then let's go."

Old Zhou's gunshot rang out first from Donggou.

Two sounds, then stop.

Three more sounds followed, and the sound moved south.

The Taiyuan reconnaissance team followed the gunfire into the quarry. The cavalry arrived first, followed by infantrymen with rifles. A Japanese officer stood behind a high rock and gestured for them to disperse.

They didn't see Lao Zhou, only an empty ditch and a few ammunition boxes that had been deliberately left behind.

The officer waved for someone to pick it up.

The cannons fired.

This time, the shell landed at the Japanese army's makeshift machine gun position.

The earth and rocks, along with the gun mount, were overturned, and the machine gunner was thrown to the ground. The shell didn't land in the center of the formation, but that machine gun never fired again.

"Passed!" the artilleryman shouted from behind.

The second shot hit the radio station, and the debris smashed the antenna.

The Japanese troops began to retreat.

Duan Peng's prototype vehicle emerged halfway from the western slope. The machine gunner on board didn't fire, but instead aimed his gun at the escape route. Suddenly, the engine coughed, and the vehicle jerked forward.

"Drive shaft!" Duan Peng shouted.

The driver quickly released the accelerator, and the prototype stopped on the hillside.

When the Japanese soldiers turned around and saw the steel cart, they immediately opened fire with their rifles.

The bullets struck the car body with a dense, sharp sound. A row of shallow dents appeared on the car's surface. The driver, his neck hunched, gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands.

"Move to the side!" Duan Peng shouted, "Don't rush!"

The prototype vehicle tilted to one side and crossed the slope. It didn't charge into the crowd, but instead positioned a machine gun on the side of the Japanese troops.

The machine gunner on the vehicle opened fire.

The Japanese troops' formation was broken.

Old Zhou climbed out of the ditch and led his men to block the way back.

"Surrender!"

Some people knelt down, while others were still looking for cover.

Zhao Weiguo did not step forward, but stared at the prototype vehicle.

A burst of Type 92 bullets came from outside the quarry, closer than the firing range. Sparks flew from the vehicle's side panels, the right-side rivets loosened, and the driver swerved sharply.

"Retreat!" Zhao Weiguo shouted.

The prototype vehicle was backing uphill when its wheels got stuck in gravel. Duan Peng jumped onto the back of the vehicle and, together with the driver, pulled it out of the shooting range.

The artillery's last shell destroyed the Japanese heavy machine gun.

The quarry fell silent.

There were two wounded Japanese soldiers, seven prisoners, and several warhorses scattered on the ground. Zhao Gang led his men to inventory the weapons and radios, while Lao Zhou divided the surrendered soldiers aside and began bandaging the wounded.

Zhao Weiguo walked to the prototype vehicle.

The steel plate wasn't pierced, but several deep dents remained in the center. The right drive shaft was bent, and the wheel bounced as it turned.

Zhao Tieshan squatted under the car, the beam of his flashlight sweeping along the bearing.

"The bearing is burnt out."

"Can it still be repaired?"

"It can be repaired. But next time we can't rely on assembling axles from captured vehicles."

"Where's the oil?" Zhao Weiguo asked.

Zhao Tieshan crawled out from under the car, his hands covered in black oil.

"There's only enough fuel for three vehicles to make two trips. Any more and we'll have to dismantle the Japanese army's warehouse."

Zhao Gang walked over with the statistics paper in his hand.

"Three qualified shells were fired, leaving five. One prototype vehicle was damaged, but the gun barrel did not crack. The armor plate blocked the rifle, and the riveting of the thirty-step heavy machine gun would have been cracked."

Zhao Weiguo took the paper, scanned it, and handed it back.

"Write it as a rule."

Zhao Gang asked, "How do I write it?"

"Armored vehicles must not engage Type 92 heavy machine guns head-on. Within fifty paces, they must move laterally. If hit by more than two consecutive shots, they must be replaced immediately. Artillery shells should be used to target firing positions first; do not use qualified shells to try your luck."

Zhao Gang nodded and wrote three points on the paper.

Zhao Tieshan looked at the vehicle and suddenly said, "Only three will be built."

Why?

"We don't have enough steel plates, bearings, oil, or manpower. We can build ten cars, and all ten will work. But if one breaks down, we have nothing to repair it."

Zhao Weiguo looked at the mountain road outside the quarry.

In the direction east of Shouyang, Japanese search teams were withdrawing. Further away, the sounds of vehicles from the Taiyuan reinforcement brigade could already be heard.

"Then three cars."

"Not expanding anymore?"

"Let's get those three cars modified first."

Zhao Weiguo reached out and tapped twice on the dent in the car body.

"Today it took a bullet for us and showed us where people would die."

Zhao Tieshan looked down at the bent drive shaft.

"I've remembered that."

After dark, the three prototype vehicles were covered with tarpaulins and parked at the foot of the earthen slope outside the stone kiln.

Zhao Gang locked the five qualified shells into a wooden box and added two seals to the lid.

"Whoever leads, whoever fires, and whoever brings back the empty shells—all names must be recorded." He told the communications officer beside him, "If one shell is missing, check the gun position first, then check the person."

Zhao Weiguo walked to the map and circled the Shouyang East Outpost with a pencil.

Old Zhou stood behind him: "Are you really going to use these three vehicles in the next battle?"

"use."

"The axle hasn't been replaced yet."

"Change tonight."

"There are only five shells left."

"Five shots are enough to hit five places where they should be hit."

Zhao Weiguo put down the pencil.

"I'm done testing."

He looked at the circle on the map.

"Next time, not a target."

"Before dawn, spread the map of the Shouyang East stronghold on my table."

The sound of cars from outside the mountain rang out again, this time closer to the stone kiln.