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

Chapter 201 We Need to Build Anti-Aircraft Weapons

Gao Liujin immediately realized what Li Yunlong meant when he yelled at him.

Right!

Right!

Now is not the time for regrets; there is still room for redemption.

Gao Liujin immediately said to Li Muzhi and Zhang Wanhe, "Minister Zhang, Factory Director Li, wait for my good news. I will go and retrieve the rest of the tungsten sand right away."

After saying that, Gao Liujin tried to pull Li Yunlong away.

"Wait a minute," Zhang Wanhe called out to them, "Where is the address? Tell me, and I'll take the transport team there myself."

Just kidding, with so much tungsten ore, we have to go there ourselves.

Not a single grain can be missing; they all must be brought back.

Li Muzhi added, "Let Commander Kong go over there too."

This is five truckloads of tungsten ore, not just a pipe of tobacco!

The fact that the Japanese planes have come out shows that the Japanese are also getting desperate.

Therefore, sending more troops increases the chances of success.

“No, we don’t need Lao Kong.” Li Yunlong shook his head and refused.

With Japanese planes now out, their spies will become even more active.

At the border region's arsenal, it's even more crucial to prevent Lao Kong from leaving.

"Commander Li, in order to dismantle locomotives for the border region's arsenal, the 115th and 120th Divisions are blocking enemy reinforcements, and your 129th Division is also fighting for reinforcements. Do you have enough troops on your side?" Zhang Wanhe asked.

"How is that not enough? I'll call Blind Cheng and Old Ding over, and with Gao Liujin and Gao Xigang, we'll have over 8,000 men. Besides the 200-plus grenade launchers, mortars, and Type 92 infantry guns, we also have four Hell Cannons. That's more than enough," Li Yunlong said confidently. "With such a strong force, if we still can't get the tungsten ore back, then we might as well all quit being regimental commanders."

They're going to scramble for tungsten ore.

What's the point of blind Cheng even bothering with the railway?

They couldn't even bother with the fodder for Ding Wei's side anymore.

Let's get these five truckloads of tungsten ore back first.

Gao Liujin gave Zhang Wanhe the address, and he and Li Yunlong immediately left the border region arsenal.

Li Muzhi reminded Zhang Wanhe, "Minister Zhang, such an important matter should be reported to the headquarters leaders immediately. Have them order other units to hold off the Japanese reinforcements at all costs."

Although Li Muzhi didn't understand warfare, he could still make that judgment.

The Japanese soldiers were so enraged by the theft of their tungsten ore that they even sent out their planes.

Their ground troops must also be desperately seeking reinforcements.

We must get a direct order from headquarters.

"I know, I know." Zhang Wanhe nodded emphatically, looking at Li Muzhi, "Little Li, just focus on your work at the arsenal and wait for my good news. Don't worry about things outside."

“Okay.” Li Muzhi nodded.

Before leaving, Zhang Wanhe remembered the copper smelter and added, "Commander Li has brought the copper smelter back. Because of the Japanese planes, most of the equipment and supplies for the copper smelter are still stored in the woods outside. It's getting dark, so please arrange for them to be put into storage."

Li Yunlong is quite efficient; he managed to get the copper smelter back so quickly.

Li Muzhi was slightly surprised, but nodded: "Minister Zhang, you can rest assured that you've left it to me."

"Hmm." Zhang Wanhe grunted in response and hurriedly left.

Li Muzhi returned to his office to conduct tests on the tin.

The test for tin was much simpler and easier than that for tungsten sand, and Li Muzhi obtained the results in no time.

This is tin, not some other material being used to counterfeit it.

Li Muzhi quickly took out paper and pen and wrote an encrypted letter.

Minister Zhang was busy and didn't have time to tell him about the investigation into that Jin-Sui Army officer.

Li Muzhi then signaled to the intelligence department, urging them to expedite the investigation.

This Jin-Sui Army officer is most likely just a small fry among many. We need to follow his lead to uncover the entire chain of traitors who colluded with the Japanese army!

Without the convenience provided by traitors, cutting off the support of internal traitors can greatly reduce the efficiency of the Japanese in plundering our tungsten ore.

"Get this encrypted letter to the headquarters intelligence department as soon as possible." Li Muzhi handed the letter to the captain of the guard and asked him to send someone to deliver it.

"I'll deliver it myself." The captain of the guard took the letter and rode away on a fast horse.

After the guard captain left, Li Muzhi began to inspect the workshop.

Some workers were forced to leave their posts, and the old man arranged for them to rest in the break room.

Li Muzhi asked, "Old He, what's going on?"

"Factory manager, many of them have a nightmare-like fear of Japanese planes," Lao He explained. "When the Japanese planes came just now, their emotions were greatly affected, and they were not suitable to continue production. I was worried about an accident, so I made them stop and rest."

"Let me say a few words to them," Li Muzhi said.

Li Muzhi could understand the workers' nightmarish fear of airplanes.

In fact, it wasn't just ordinary people who were afraid of the Japanese planes.

Many combat units are also afraid of it.

Because there were no anti-aircraft weapons to stop the Japanese planes, when they came, all we could do was hide on the ground and curse them. There was nothing else we could do. Watching people who were laughing and chatting just minutes before being blown to pieces by bombs or machine gun fire from planes in the blink of an eye, such bloody scenes could easily leave people with severe psychological trauma.

"Comrades, the factory director is here and wants to say a few words to you." Old He took the lead in greeting the workers.

When the workers saw Li Muzhi arrive, their expressions all showed shame.
"I'm sorry, factory manager, we've become a burden to you."

"I'm sorry, factory manager, we've dragged down the arsenal's production."

"Factory manager, we're useless. The planes haven't dropped any bombs. We're all scared. Our hands are shaking so badly we can't control them."

"Factory manager, we've embarrassed you."

……

Li Muzhi looked at the workers, each with a self-reproachful expression, some even wiping away tears.

He stepped forward, grasped the hand of the most emotional worker, and said, “Comrade, I am just like you, a human being. As a human being, I experience fear and joy, which is normal. When the Japanese planes came, I was just as scared as you were.”

The workers originally thought that Li Muzhi would reprimand them, but to their surprise, Li Muzhi not only did not scold them, but also said that he was afraid of Japanese planes.

This was incomprehensible to the workers. Could our respected and wise factory manager also be afraid?

The worker whose hand Li Muzhi was holding looked up at Li Muzhi in disbelief: "Factory manager, are you telling the truth? Are you scared too?"

"Of course I'm scared." Li Muzhi nodded emphatically. "We don't have air superiority right now. The Japanese planes are swaggering overhead, defecating and urinating right above us. We can't do anything about them. How can we not be scared? I'm afraid their bombs will hit our combat troops. I'm afraid they'll straf our civilians from the air. I'm afraid they'll bomb our border region's arsenal one day. I'm afraid of losing everyone."

Immediately afterwards, Li Muzhi's tone changed, and he said solemnly:

"But is being afraid useful? No, it's completely useless. Fear only makes people cowardly, only emboldens the enemy, and only allows them to continue to swagger and bully this land!"

"Therefore, we should turn fear into strength. We are the cornerstone of the arsenal and the backbone of the combat troops. So we must not be afraid."

Li Muzhi showed the workers some tungsten ore he had brought from the office: "Do you know what this is?"

"Factory manager, what is this?" The workers didn't recognize it.

“This is tungsten ore,” Li Muzhi said solemnly. “Besides the equipment, the most difficult thing in making cannon barrels and gun barrels is this rare raw material. With it, the quality of cannon barrels and gun barrels will be greatly improved! I can tell you directly that there are five truckloads of tungsten ore outside, totaling more than two hundred tons. Once the combat troops have retrieved the tungsten ore and the equipment and supplies are complete, I will lead you to manufacture anti-aircraft weapons.”

"With anti-aircraft weapons, if those Japanese planes dare to come again, we won't be afraid or scared anymore. We can just use the anti-aircraft weapons to shoot them down one by one."

"We must make sure that the Japanese planes never dare to take off again, and that they are filled with fear whenever they take to the skies!"

"We transferred our fear and apprehension onto the Japanese soldiers."

……

Old He excitedly chimed in, "Comrades, we have tungsten ore now, and equipment and supplies won't be far behind. The day our factory director leads us to build anti-aircraft weapons is not far off! Tell the director loudly, do you have the confidence to work with him to build our anti-aircraft weapons?"

"We have!"

"Have!"

"Factory manager, we are confident!"

……

The workers, who were initially in low spirits, soon started shouting.

Yes.

The factory manager is right.

Fear and dread only make one cowardly and incompetent.

Our factory director was incredibly great and wise; he led us to manufacture anti-aircraft weapons to stop the Japanese planes.

So what do we have to be afraid of!
We should redirect our fear and dread onto the enemy.

"Factory manager, we are not afraid anymore. We are now full of strength and we can continue working."

"Factory manager, we can get back to work now."

"Factory manager, the arsenal has a very tight production schedule right now, and we can't let our situation affect the progress."

The workers were inspired and encouraged, and their fear and anxiety were transformed into a powerful force.

"Okay, go ahead, everyone get back to work." Li Muzhi nodded, seeing that the workers' moods had been greatly improved.

After the workers quickly returned to their posts, Li Muzhi instructed Lao He, "In the future, if these workers don't need to make noise while working, you can have them plug their ears with paper beforehand."

Although Li Muzhi has now inspired the workers.

But the psychological trauma is not so easy to erase.

When Japanese planes came again, the workers' emotions were still affected by the sound of the plane engines.

There is only one way to truly eliminate the psychological trauma suffered by the workers.

That is to build anti-aircraft weapons so that they can see Japanese planes being shot down and crashing into fireballs on the ground.

Only when the Japanese planes, once high above, turn into the fragrance of earth, can the psychological shadow in the workers' hearts be fundamentally eliminated.

"Yes, factory manager." Lao He nodded. "I will try my best to provide them with more psychological counseling later."

"It's clear you're very good at psychological counseling," Li Muzhi said, without questioning Lao He's abilities.

When the Japanese planes appeared, Lao He's face showed no fear or apprehension, only hatred.

This shows that Lao He has managed his mental state very well. Although he uses hatred to replace fear, it is still a way of managing his emotions.

(End of this chapter)