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

Chapter 30 Differential Treatment by Brigade Commanders
386th Brigade Headquarters

"Deputy Brigade Commander, the Brigade Commander is back."

The deputy brigade commander was looking at the list of puppet troops when an aide excitedly ran over to report, "It looks like the brigade commander has struck it rich."

Upon hearing this, the deputy brigade commander immediately stood up and quickly walked out.

Outside the brigade headquarters, Li Yunlong and the brigade commander returned laden with spoils, their expressions as joyful as if it were Chinese New Year.

The deputy brigade commander leaned over and asked, "Brigade commander, how much did you loot after taking the Xikou warehouse?"

Although the deputy brigade commander knew that there was a lot of money to be made in the Xikou warehouse, he didn't know exactly how much until they took it down.

"Not much," the brigade commander said reluctantly. "It's enough for our brigade to eat fine food for a little over a month, plus weapons and equipment for most of the regiment, and finally, some machinery and equipment."

The brigade commander's tone was reluctant, but his demeanor was completely different, as if he had just attended a wedding banquet.

Li Yunlong said to the deputy brigade commander, "The brigade commander said these machines can be used to make artillery shells. There are also some I don't recognize. I'm going to take them to Minister Zhang of Logistics to exchange for two cannons."

Replace the machinery with two cannons?
Upon hearing this, the deputy brigade commander was overjoyed: "If we can get two cannons in exchange, wouldn't our brigade be comparable to a division-level unit?"

"That's right, because our brigade is the most capable!" Li Yunlong was praising both his superiors and himself.

"Go over the inventory and storage of the supplies I brought back in more detail. I'm going to talk to Zhang Wanhe now," the brigade commander instructed the deputy brigade commander.

After saying that, the brigade commander said to Li Yunlong, "Take some rice and flour from the supplies and bring them with you. We can't go empty-handed when we talk to Minister Zhang."

"Yes, Brigade Commander," Li Yunlong replied, about to do as the brigade commander instructed.

The deputy brigade commander spoke up from the side: "Brigade commander, Li Yunlong, you don't need to go to Minister Zhang. You can talk directly to Li Muzhi of the border region's arsenal."

Upon hearing this, the brigade commander asked suspiciously, "Could it be that the headquarters has sent some instructions?"

If Li Muzhi is able to build cannons, once the report is submitted to headquarters, the leaders there will definitely take it very seriously and will likely issue some new instructions.

The brigade commander took Li Yunlong to work and was not at the brigade headquarters, so he did not receive any new instructions during this time.

"Headquarters has indeed issued instructions, making it clear that if our combat units do not have combat missions, but the arsenal has military production needs, we need to cooperate with the arsenal," the deputy brigade commander said, nodding.

The brigade commander immediately turned to Li Yunlong and said, "Li Yunlong, let's bypass Minister Zhang and talk directly to Li Muzhi. Don't bring any flour or rice. Just bring all the canned meat, cured meat, biscuits, and Fenjiu liquor. Don't leave anything behind."

“Brigade Commander, if this discriminatory treatment gets back to Old Zhang in logistics…” Li Yunlong didn’t finish his sentence.

The brigade commander glared at him: "What nonsense are you spouting, kid? Who is Li Muzhi? He's one of our army's top military engineering talents. Shouldn't I save the best for him? Am I wrong to do that?"

"That's right, that's right, Brigade Commander, you did the right thing!" Li Yunlong raised both hands in agreement.

If Lao Zhang finds out later, that's his own problem.

Who told you to be so stingy? Who told you to be inferior to Li Muzhi? You, Lao Zhang, should look for the problem within yourself.

Li Yunlong acted swiftly and immediately began preparing the supplies. The deputy brigade commander handed the list of puppet troops to the brigade commander: "Brigade commander, as per your orders, these are the puppet troops officers identified in the initial screening. They come from wealthy families and are more likely to have sugar."

The brigade commander has returned from looting the Xikou warehouse. The operation was a success, which will undoubtedly greatly provoke the Japanese.

In other words, the Japanese will definitely offer a reward for information about our heavy artillery very soon.

We can seize the time to go fishing; these traitors eager to make a name for themselves are our prey!
The brigade commander took the list, looked at it, and then handed it back to the deputy brigade commander: "Yes, as soon as we receive the intelligence about the bounty from the Japanese, we'll start fishing immediately."

"Yes." The deputy brigade commander nodded, took the list, and continued, "There's something else I need to report to you."

"What is it?" the brigade commander asked the deputy brigade commander.

"When you and Li Yunlong went to attack the Xikou warehouse, Kong Jie from the New Second Regiment came to the brigade headquarters and said that Li Muzhi from the arsenal wanted Kong Jie to lead the New Second Regiment to help him dig coal for three days, in exchange for a Hell Cannon shell," the deputy brigade commander reported. "I have already ordered Kong Jie to immediately lead his troops to help Li Muzhi dig coal."

"Is that so?" The brigade commander paused.

Li Muzhi asked Kong Jie to help him dig coal.
This sounds a bit... well, you know.

It seems that modern arsenals no longer need coal.

However, the brigade commander quickly nodded: "Yes, you did the right thing. Kong Jie can get a Hell Cannon shell by digging coal for Li Muzhi for three days. From now on, Kong Jie will be the logistics provider for supplying shells to our brigade."

The brigade commander could foresee that even if he managed to get a thousand catties of sugar, once the arsenal produced its shells, obtaining more shells wouldn't be so easy; there would likely be conditions involved.

Kong Jie can get a cannonball in exchange for digging coal for Li Muzhi for three days; it's such a good deal.

Li Yunlong chimed in from the side: "Brigade Commander, we can't just let Kong Erlengzi stay as Li Muzhi's coal miner forever, can we? The new Second Regiment has only just been formed, but it is, after all, a combat unit."

"Do you think mining coal won't train the troops?" the brigade commander said to Li Yunlong. "Those soldiers in the New Second Regiment are all skinny and weak, they could be blown over by a gust of wind. The New Second Regiment also has very little food, they are often hungry. If they go to mine coal for Li Muzhi, won't Li Muzhi provide them with food? The New Second Regiment will have food to eat, and working will be a good way to train their bodies. By the time the soldiers have mined coal, they will be strong and healthy, with a good foundation. Once they are equipped with weapons and have seen blood on the battlefield, won't they become an elite force?"

The headquarters leaders have issued orders that the combat troops need to cooperate with the arsenal in order to ensure the production of the arsenal in the border region.

We're just following orders from headquarters.

On the one hand, since headquarters attaches such importance to the arsenal, then... the food standards at the arsenal must definitely be greatly improved.

In other words, the arsenal was probably the place where the entire army ate the best food.

Kong Jie's New Second Regiment was fed by Li Muzhi, and the soldiers of the New Second Regiment ate well, which many people envied.

Moreover, the fact that you can get a shell for working for three days will spread and countless troops will be envious of the new Second Regiment, wishing they could replace it.

"That's true. Old Kong really got lucky. Even I, Old Li, am a little envious." After hearing the brigade commander's analysis, Li Yunlong said he was envious, but he knew that this path was not suitable for him.

Old Li is a man who can't sit still; he prefers to plunder on the battlefield rather than stay in the rear.

(End of this chapter)