Bright Sword: From Border Region Manufacturing to Major National Heavy Industry

Chapter 19 The brigade commander drew his gun
Seeing the brigade commander emerge, Li Yunlong quickly saluted him, saying, "Brigade Commander."

The brigade commander walked up to Li Yunlong and touched the cannon with his hand; it was indeed a lump of iron.

The brigade commander looked at Li Yunlong suspiciously: "Li Yunlong, where did you get that cannon?"

"Brigade Commander, you probably won't believe it, but I'm telling you this first, so I'll keep you in suspense."

"Spit it out right now!" the brigade commander yelled.

“These are cannons manufactured by our border region's arsenal,” Li Yunlong replied.

Cannons manufactured in the border region's arsenal?
When the brigade commander and his men heard this, it was as if they had heard the biggest joke in the world.

Everyone knows what our arsenal looks like.

Making bullets and grenades is too cumbersome and ineffective; how could they possibly make cannons?

Why don't you, Li Yunlong, just say that the border region's arsenal can manufacture airplanes, tanks, and warships?

Seeing that the brigade commander and the others did not believe him, Li Yunlong explained, "Brigade commander, think about it carefully. Would the Japanese arsenal produce artillery with such a crude appearance?"

"That's true." The brigade commander and the others nodded.

Given the Japanese's technological capabilities, they couldn't possibly have made a cannon with such a clumsy appearance.

Our local arsenal is rather weak; it seems somewhat possible that we could manage to weld together a cannon like this using some pipes and scrap iron.

But that's impossible!

Heavy artillery has a higher chamber pressure than ordinary infantry guns and mountain guns, which places higher demands on the barrel.

The cannon in front of us, with its thin barrel, couldn't possibly withstand the immense chamber pressure.

"Brigade Commander, you should probably keep quiet about our arsenal producing cannons." Li Yunlong leaned closer to the brigade commander. "You're from an intelligence background, do you have any intelligence on the Japanese regarding sugar?"

"Li Yunlong, you're quite greedy, aren't you? You know how important sugar is to the Japanese, they're definitely keeping it very tightly under wraps." The brigade commander's reply was essentially saying, "I don't have any."

Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong couldn't help but exclaim anxiously, "Oh dear, isn't that terrible? I've already guaranteed the arsenal that they'll get a thousand catties of sugar every three days."

A thousand catties of white sugar were supplied to the arsenal in three days?

Upon hearing this, the brigade commander's eyes widened: "Li Yunlong, do you even think before you speak? You don't even know where the Japanese have their sugar, yet you dare to give them a thousand catties!"

"Brigadier, the main thing is that the arsenal has the means. If we send over a thousand catties of white sugar, we can exchange it for a cannon," Li Yunlong explained.

Can a thousand pounds of white sugar be exchanged for a cannon?
The brigade commander was taken aback and looked at Li Yunlong: "Didn't you already bring the artillery back?"

“I told them I’d borrow it for three days,” Li Yunlong explained.

"Forget it, with Old Zhang's stingy temper in logistics, I don't believe he would lend it..." Well, the brigade commander didn't finish his sentence.

Someone in the brigade headquarters shouted, "Brigade Commander, Logistics Minister Zhang is calling. He's very angry and wants you to answer the phone immediately."

Upon hearing this, the brigade commander couldn't help but glare at Li Yunlong: "Li Yunlong, you better tell me honestly, did you steal this cannon from the logistics department?"

No sooner had Li Yunlong arrived than Zhang Wanhe called him personally. The brigade commander felt that Li Yunlong was definitely not telling the truth.

"Brigadier, it really was borrowed, it was borrowed." Li Yunlong wouldn't budge.

"You'd better tell me the truth," the brigade commander said to Li Yunlong, then went to answer the phone. The deputy brigade commander questioned Li Yunlong, "Li Yunlong, did you really borrow that cannon?"

"It really was borrowed," Li Yunlong insisted.

"Then let's wait for the brigade commander to return."

……

The brigade commander approached the phone and picked up the receiver: "This is the 386th Brigade..."

Before the brigade commander could finish speaking, Zhang Wanhe's roar came through the phone: "Brigade Commander Chen, your subordinate Li Yunlong has forcibly detained the cannons manufactured by my logistics arsenal. Find Li Yunlong immediately and make him return the cannons to me as quickly as possible, otherwise I will report to headquarters and hold Li Yunlong accountable."

The brigade commander pretended to be stunned: "What? Your arsenal can make cannons now? Old Zhang, are you sure you're not joking? Your arsenal has a hard time making bullets and grenades. Old Zhang, if you, the logistics minister, have so much free time, don't joke with me like this."

Although the brigade commander didn't believe the arsenal could manufacture artillery, since they had brought the cannons to his brigade headquarters, he couldn't let the opportunity to use them slip by.

“I’m not joking with you. You come from an intelligence background, so you should have received the intelligence about the shelling of Sunjiabao, right? The hell cannons we made at the arsenal destroyed three of Sunjiabao’s pillboxes with a single shot, scaring the defenders into surrendering immediately,” Zhang Wanhe said solemnly. “Then we led our men to ambush the enemy reinforcements, and one shot killed more than a hundred Japanese soldiers, wiping out half of their company. You should understand how important such powerful artillery is to our army. I know you usually like to protect Li Yunlong, but this time, Li Yunlong forcibly detained our logistics artillery, which is truly outrageous. You must make Li Yunlong return the artillery to our logistics immediately.”

"Old Zhang, your boasting is getting more and more outrageous. One shot takes down more than a hundred Japanese soldiers?" The brigade commander hadn't received the intelligence yet, and he questioned it verbally and inwardly.

The cannon that Li Yunlong brought back could be pulled by a mule; how could it be considered a heavy artillery?

Without heavy artillery, how could a single shot wipe out more than a hundred Japanese soldiers?

However, the brigade commander believed that Zhang Wanhe was not exaggerating, otherwise, why would his tone be so solemn?

If you, Old Zhang, hadn't said that this shot could wipe out over a hundred Japanese soldiers, I might have actually...

A single shot wiped out over a hundred Japanese soldiers. With such terrifying destructive power, it would be a shame not to witness this incredible feat.

"I'm not joking with you!" Zhang Wanhe's tone remained very serious.

"Alright, I'll send someone to investigate this matter right away. If it's true, I'll deal with it immediately." The brigade commander's words were impeccable.

"The cannon must be delivered to me within three days!" Zhang Wanhe said, then hung up the phone.

Although Zhang Wanhe was furious, he also knew what kind of temper Li Yunlong's superior had.

Once this cannon is in his hands, he's not going to hand it over so easily.

So Zhang Wanhe gave him three days, and let's see if his 386th Brigade can get the sugar.

After all, this brigade commander was one of the three outstanding men of Whampoa Military Academy, and he was truly capable. Zhang Wanhe still hoped that the other party could obtain white sugar so that the artillery shells could continue to be produced.

Otherwise, Zhang Wanhe would have personally gone to the 386th Brigade to ask for artillery.

When the brigade commander finished his call with Zhang Wanhe and came out, his expression was terrifying.

"Oh, brigade commander, what's wrong with you? Did Old Zhang from logistics report me for being difficult?" Li Yunlong's heart tightened immediately when he saw the brigade commander's expression, and he came over with a smile.

As the brigade commander drew his gun, he cursed, "You little bastard, Li Yunlong! I knew you'd gotten me into trouble! Daring to steal artillery from the logistics department, you're asking for it! I'll shoot you right now!"

The deputy brigade commander and others were all taken aback upon hearing this.

So it was you, Li Yunlong, who stole the cannon. You're incredibly audacious and fearless!

(End of this chapter)