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

Chapter 27 The brigade commander has a sense of pride.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up! I'm telling you, not a single screw can be missing, understand?" Li Yunlong patted Zhang Dabiao's shoulder heavily.

Sometimes, a machine won't function properly if it's missing just one screw.

These inconspicuous little parts are surprisingly useful!

"Don't worry, Commander. If time allowed, I would have taken the whole warehouse back with me!" Zhang Dabiao spat into his palm and immediately led his men to work with great enthusiasm.

Ding Wei had already given a preliminary report to the brigade commander: "Brigade commander, the warehouse mainly contains grain, flour, rice, and vegetables, enough for our brigade to eat for more than a month. There are also some weapons and ammunition, six grenade launchers, two mortars, and enough rifles to equip most of the regiment. It's a pity there are no infantry guns or mountain guns..."

"If we don't have infantry guns and mountain guns, that's fine, we have hell guns now." The brigade commander was very satisfied.

I knew long ago that the Xikou warehouse was lucrative, and today's capture certainly did not disappoint.

Li Yunlong ran over and said to the brigade commander, "Brigade commander, I've found something good. They're already moving it. Come and see what it is so I can negotiate a good price with Li Muzhi."

"Li Yunlong, did you actually find the machines?" The brigade commander had just heard Ding Wei mention that Li Yunlong had dragged Diao Gui to look for the machines, which the Japanese had obtained from a small arsenal they had seized.

"Of course." Li Yunlong led the brigade commander to the warehouse.

Zhang Dabiao and his men had already quickly loaded the truck and were covering it with cloth.

The brigade commander glanced at it a few times, his eyes brightening: "Li Yunlong, this is truly a treasure!"

"Brigade Commander, what kind of treasure is this? What can it be used to make?" Li Yunlong asked.

"I don't know everything either. There are furnaces and shell molds. I guess these are used to make shells," the brigade commander said.

"For making artillery shells?" Li Yunlong paused for a moment. "Our border region's arsenal can already make hell cannons, and we can make our own artillery shells. What do we need this for?"

"You're really short-sighted, kid," the brigade commander chuckled and scolded. "Didn't you realize that while this Hell Cannon is incredibly powerful, the shells are still poorly made? If we take the equipment back to the border region's arsenal, Li Muzhi can produce better shells, which is a good thing. Besides..."

Li Yunlong picked up where the brigade commander left off and continued, "Besides, there are machines inside that you don't even recognize. They might be able to build other things."

"So, Li Yunlong, take this batch of things to the brigade headquarters first, and I'll talk to Lao Zhang about it later." The brigade commander's tone was very serious.

Previously, I asked you, Li Yunlong, to send the equipment you dug up to the arsenal, but you couldn't even get twenty boxes of hand grenades. You really embarrassed me!

We need to personally discuss this batch of treasures with Zhang Wanhe.

"Brigade Commander, what do you want to ask Old Zhang for with these supplies?" Li Yunlong asked the brigade commander.

"Although I don't know much about goods, I do recognize their value. I think there's still room for negotiation with Old Zhang for two Hellfire cannons," the brigade commander said, making an outrageous demand.

"Brigade Commander, alright, then I'll take the stuff to your brigade headquarters first." Li Yunlong admitted that his bargaining skills were not as good as the brigade commander's. If the brigade commander personally came and could really get two Hell Cannons, then... hehe, we can keep the Hell Cannon we have.

Li Yunlong knew his brigade commander's temper well. If there was only one Hellfire cannon, the brigade commander would definitely try to take it from him. Li Yunlong's skinny arms couldn't fight against the brigade commander's big legs.

If they had two hell cannons, the brigade commander, being a man who still cares about his reputation, would surely be impressed.

Zhang Dabiao quickly finished loading the trucks, and Li Yunlong's other two battalions followed Zhang Dabiao ahead with the other spoils. Ding Wei's New First Regiment was responsible for making smoke bombs to lure the Japanese reinforcements away, buying time for Li Yunlong to transport the goods back.

……

386th Brigade, New Second Regiment
"Damn it, the conditions in our new Second Regiment are even poorer than those in Li Yunlong's New First Regiment back then."

Kong Jie, the commander of the new Second Regiment, looked at the list of supplies in his hand and complained endlessly.

Back then, the new regiment had just been formed and at least had a few light machine guns.

As a result, the New 2nd Regiment only had one light machine gun. To put it nicely, our New 2nd Regiment is a regular unit of the 386th Brigade.

To put it bluntly, we're like stepchildren, not even as good as the county brigade.

"Commander, the brigade headquarters just gave us a new order." The deputy commander walked up to Kong Jie.

"What new order?" Kong Jie asked the deputy regimental commander.

"This order is a bit strange. It says that if our combat troops are not on combat missions, and if the border region's arsenal has any needs in military production, our combat troops should cooperate with the border region's arsenal," the deputy regimental commander replied.

“This order is a bit strange,” Kong Jie nodded.

The border region's arsenal could only produce reloadable bullets and black powder grenades, and the quality of these two items was questionable.

What kind of military production could their side possibly support our combat troops in?

What can we do in cooperation with?

The bullets that they use for secondary loading?

Or should we cooperate with them to make black powder grenades?
We are a combat unit. If we are asked to fight the Japanese and kill traitors, there is nothing to say. This is what our combat unit should do.

They want our combat troops to cooperate in military industry, but that's not their area of ​​expertise.

"Commander, Logistics Minister Zhang has arrived." At that moment, someone came to report.

Zhang Wanhe is here?
Kong Jie found this rather strange.

How come Zhang Wanhe, who is usually very busy with logistics, suddenly has time to come to the Independent Regiment?
However, he is the Minister of Logistics, in charge of the logistics supply of our army.

With the Second Regiment so short of ammunition and weapons, and the logistics minister arriving, we might be able to take the opportunity to plead poverty and ask for some.

So Kong Jie quickly got up to greet him.

"Minister Zhang, what brings you here?" Kong Jie asked Zhang Wanhe with a broad smile.

"Commander Kong, I have some business to attend to, and I'll be passing by your place. I'd like to pass on a message." Zhang Wanhe could tell what Kong Jie was thinking just by looking at his expression.

The conditions in the new Second Regiment are indeed too meager. If he were to talk to Kong Jie for more than a few minutes, Kong Jie would immediately start pleading poverty and asking for things. Zhang Wanhe is busy making money right now and doesn't have time to argue with Kong Jie here.

"What did you say?" Kong Jie asked.

“If your new Second Regiment doesn’t have any combat missions right now, go to the border region’s arsenal immediately,” Zhang Wanhe said to Kong Jie. “The new arsenal director, Li Muzhi, wants to see you.”

"Li Muzhi, the new director of the border region's arsenal, wants to see me?" Kong Jie was taken aback. He didn't know this Li Muzhi at all. What did he want to see him for?
Zhang Wanhe asked Kong Jie, "Didn't you receive orders for the combat troops to cooperate with the border region's arsenal?"

"I received it." Kong Jie nodded.

"That's settled then. You'd better hurry up and go." Zhang Wanhe said this and left in a hurry.

"What does Li Muzhi want with me? He can't possibly expect me to help him make grenades and bullets, can he?" Kong Jie wondered, looking at Zhang Wanhe's retreating figure.

"Commander, since the brigade headquarters has given the order, you should go there as soon as possible," the deputy commander said to Kong Jie. "And while you're at it, find out exactly what's going on."

"Hmm." Kong Jie could only suppress his doubts and set off immediately.

(End of this chapter)