Courtyard House: I Rely on Time-Space Trade to Build a Nation

The next morning, Zhao Ping'an led several leaders to the arsenal's firing range.

This is the most important part of the trip.

At the firing range, several long tables were lined up, displaying several new rifles. The black barrels and sleek lines were completely different from the Type 56 rifles that the soldiers were used to.

Commander Peng walked over, picked up a handful, and weighed it in his hand.

"Ping An, is this a new gun?"

Zhao Ping'an nodded: "The Type 81 automatic rifle. It's lighter and more accurate than the Type 56, making it more suitable for jungle warfare in the south."

He pointed to several models next to him.

"This is the Type 81 squad automatic weapon, which uses the same parts as rifles. This is the Type 85 sniper rifle, which can hit any target within 800 meters."

Several leaders gathered around, carefully examining these new guys.

03 picked up the sniper rifle and looked at the scope with his eyes.

"Comrade Ping An, isn't the Type 56 rifle perfectly fine? Why are you getting a new one?"

Zhao Ping'an walked to the map and pointed south.

"Sir, the situation is different now."

Several years have passed since China was liberated, and large-scale battles have largely ceased.

However, in southern Xinjiang, there are still many remaining bandits.

The mountains and forests are dense and the terrain is complex.

The Type 56 was designed for large-scale warfare, and we've conducted experiments showing that maintenance of the Type 56 is very difficult in humid southern regions.

As he spoke, he picked up the Type 81 rifle.

"This gun is lightweight and easy to carry. It is highly accurate and suitable for maintenance in the humid climate of the south, as well as for mountain warfare."

He picked up the Type 85 sniper rifle again.

"This is even more impressive. It has extremely high accuracy within 500 meters, and when paired with a 4x scope, it allows some soldiers with shooting talent to accurately snipe targets. It's perfect for dealing with enemies hiding in the distance."

Commander Peng understood.

"You mean, these are specifically issued to the bandit suppression troops?"

Zhao Ping'an nodded: "That's right. Not only the anti-bandit troops, but even the border defense troops and guards in the south can be re-equipped with RPG rocket launchers, 60mm and 80mm mortars, and that—"

He pointed to the distance of the firing range.

An armored vehicle was parked there, its 20mm autocannon on the turret aimed directly at the target.

"Our brand-new domestically produced BTR86 armored vehicle, equipped with a 20mm autocannon, is powerful enough for mountain warfare and has fast mobility."

Commander Peng's eyes lit up.

"Great stuff! With these weapons, it will be much easier to suppress bandits in southern Xinjiang."

03 nodded, looking at Zhao Ping'an.

"Comrade Ping An, you've thought long-term."

The test firing begins.

A soldier picked up his Type 81 rifle and aimed at a target 100 meters away. Rat-a-tat-tat, he fired short bursts in quick succession, hitting the target every time.

Another soldier picked up his Type 85 rifle and aimed at the target 400 meters away. With a bang, it hit the bullseye.

Then the 20mm autocannons on the armored vehicle opened fire.

Boom boom boom boom, a series of shells flew out, and the brick wall bunker on the distant earthen slope was riddled with holes and finally collapsed.

Several leaders stood on the viewing platform, watching intently.

Commander Peng repeatedly praised it.

General Nie asked, "Ping An, when will these things be able to equip the troops?"

Zhao Ping'an said, "In the first quarter of next year, we can first allocate a batch to the anti-banditry troops in southern Xinjiang."

As Zhao Ping'an emerged from the firing range, he suddenly waved in the other direction.

To the surprise of the leaders and guards, several people suddenly stood up not far away. They were dressed in camouflage uniforms and had all sorts of disguises on their heads and bodies. If they hadn't stood up on their own, the group wouldn't have noticed them.

"Comrade Ping An, what is this?" Commander Peng asked.

"Commander, these are the new combat uniforms we made for the troops. We call them camouflage uniforms. They can effectively conceal ourselves. As you can see, they are very effective..." Zhao Ping'an introduced with a smile.

Now, Zhao Ping'an naturally led several leaders to the supporting factory for military supplies and logistics.

Our first stop was the military uniform factory.

Inside the workshop, sewing machines clattered as workers rushed to produce camouflage uniforms.

Unlike the traditional green, these military uniforms are printed with mottled patches of color, with green, brown, and black intertwined.

03 Pick up one item and examine it from all angles.

"Comrade Ping An, why was it designed this way?"

Zhao Pingan replied:

"03. This was designed based on certain scientific principles. These mottled patches can effectively conceal themselves in the jungle."

The leaders have all seen the effect, and this outfit also has other advantages.

For example, its comfort and durability are much better than previous military uniforms.

Commander Peng tried it on on the spot, swung his arms, and found it very comfortable, without the restraint he felt with his previous military uniforms.

"Good stuff!" Commander Peng said, taking it off. "This is good stuff. It's comfortable to wear and also helps with concealment. Good stuff."

The second stop was a military food factory.

Inside the workshop, workers were filling cans. Braised pork, braised beef, and luncheon meat were neatly stacked in rows.

Commander Peng picked up a can and looked at the label.

"Ping An, how does this taste?"

The staff opened several cans and brought them out. Each of the leaders took a sip.

03 nodded: "Not bad, the luncheon meat we had before is much better."

Zhao Ping'an explained, "First, we changed the recipe. Then, and most importantly, after several years, our Northeast Agricultural Reclamation Corps has produced more resources, so naturally we can make better-tasting military rations..."

"Haha, I knew it. Comrade Ping An didn't forget to report his achievements to the Northeast Agricultural Reclamation Corps. Commander Peng, now you can rest assured letting Comrade Ping An manage the Northwest Agricultural Reclamation Corps, right? Comrade Ping An is very experienced." 03 chuckled and joked.

Just as the group was chatting happily and preparing to move on to the next project, 02's secretary hurried over.

"Sir, urgent telegram from Beiping. A special guest has arrived."

02 took the telegram, glanced at it, and frowned slightly.

He paused for a few seconds and then said to Zhao Ping'an:

"Comrade Ping An, you and 03 come back with me. Let's set off now."

03. Question: "What is it?"

02. Hand him the telegram.

"Prince Siha has arrived."

The special train rushed back to Beiping overnight.

Zhao Ping'an sat by the car window, watching the night scenery flash by outside, his mind racing.

Prince Siha.

He recalled that historically, this prince led his country, Khmer, to declare independence in November 1953.

The book says that with the support of Big Brother, they broke free from French control. But that was in the original timeline.

Now that we've arrived in Beiping, could it be...?

Zhao Ping'an began to analyze that the Northern War in history not only defeated the United States, but also shocked the Big Brother. The People's Liberation Army was really capable of fighting. With rudimentary equipment, they fought against airplanes and artillery and won the battle.

Now, the Northern War has intensified, with the Republican Army fighting even more fiercely.

The United States suffered a crushing defeat, losing over 3,000 aircraft, over 1,000 tanks, and tens of thousands of soldiers on the northern peninsula.

The Far East Air Force was crippled, and the myth of invincibility was shattered.

Most importantly, the overwhelming superiority demonstrated by the Republic Army in all aspects, including personnel quality and weaponry, is likely to give the Big Brother an even greater shock.

Moreover, the Hammer Tsar had only been dead for less than six months, and Malenkov and the Corn Emperor were engaged in internal strife, so it seemed understandable that they couldn't attend to it.

After all, the Republic's performance on the battlefield was indeed quite outstanding. It's possible that these two didn't want to provoke a powerful neighbor before they had obtained the throne. After all, Khmer has been within the Republic's sphere of influence since ancient times, only to be taken over by France in recent decades. Now that the Republic has risen, it is only right for them to reclaim their original sphere of influence.

So, it seems that if Prince Siha were to seek help from his elder brother, they probably wouldn't dare to agree.

So Prince Siha came to Beiping?

After thinking for a long time, Zhao Ping'an finally sorted out his thoughts. At this moment, Zhao Ping'an couldn't help but sigh. Sure enough, this was the advantage of being a time traveler. The online platforms of the future had all kinds of analysis. He only needed to recall a little bit to have a lot of information to feed him.

"Now let's see if my guess is accurate!" Zhao Ping'an thought.

The next afternoon, at sea.

In the reception room, Prince Siha sat on the sofa. He could speak a few words of Chinese, but mainly relied on a translator.

02 sat in the main seat, accompanied by 03 and several comrades.

Zhao Ping'an sat in the corner with a notebook in front of him. As a secretary, he had been assigned to attend the meeting by 02.

Prince Siha got straight to the point.

"02, I've come here to seek your country's support."

02 nodded.

"Please speak."

Prince Siha said, "The Khmer are striving for genuine independence."

The French have ostensibly relinquished sovereignty, but they still control our economy, military, and diplomacy. We need help.

He paused.

"We've been to Moscow. But the situation there is special, and we can't give a clear answer right now. That's why I came to Beiping."

He looked at 02.

"We saw the war reports from the North in the newspapers."

Your weapons are better than the Americans'. Your fighting style is more sophisticated than the Americans'.

I hope you will support us.

He paused.

"Of course, we won't take it for free."

Khmer resources—rubber, rice, and timber—can be supplied to your country on a priority basis.

02 didn't answer immediately. He glanced at 03, then at Zhao Ping'an in the corner.

Zhao Ping'an lowered his head and wrote something in his notebook.

But deep down, he was overjoyed, firstly because he had guessed the other party's situation correctly.

Secondly, he remembered the tasks in the system, and those were the technologies he really wanted. Cambodia has 181,000 square kilometers, enough to exchange for three technologies.

If I were to acquire the various technologies related to electronic chips, wouldn't I be absolutely dominant in this era?

At this moment, 02 spoke.

"Your Highness, we need to carefully consider your request."

But there is one thing I can answer you now—the Republic supports the Khmer people's just cause of seeking independence and autonomy.

Prince Siha smiled.

Zhao Ping'an lowered his head and continued writing in his notebook, a smile involuntarily appearing on his lips.

The opportunity of our time has arrived...