Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Changjin Lake, a Hundred Battles, a Hundred Victories

Chapter 220 Chen Ming: You think you can just leave now that you're in my bowl?
"You must be the general of this unit, right? Let me introduce myself. I am Jia Gong's father, Jia Botao."

Jia Botao's voice was deep and penetrating, carrying an undeniable authority.

Having been away from his homeland for many years, he was unfamiliar with the complex organizational structure of the domestic military.

Especially for an unusual organizational unit like an "independent detachment," the title of its commanding officer is even more difficult to accurately determine.

But in his deeply ingrained traditional understanding, it is always right to respectfully address a military commander as "general".

Regardless of the other party's actual military rank, it is always a safe and respectful form of address that also carries a sense of probing.

As an experienced cadre, Chen Ming instantly caught the subtle deliberation and inquiry in the other party's words.

He noticed that although Jia Botao's brows showed signs of exhaustion from his travels, his posture remained upright and sturdy.

Those eyes, weathered by time, were sharp and deep, gleaming with a focus and insight unique to scholars.

This kind of temperament, which comes from the very core of one's being, is something that ordinary merchants or bureaucrats could never cultivate.

What truly put Chen Ming at ease was the invisible, special map in his mind.

The light spot clearly visible above represents the uninvited guest before us, and is a white symbol signifying neutrality.

This completely ruled out the possibility that the other party was an enemy agent in disguise.

Mr. Jia's personal background information and his relatives' information are all highly confidential.

Given that the other party is not a threat, they can call out Jia Gong's real name instead of his code name.

His identity is now obvious—the travel-worn father before him is highly credible.

"That's right, Mr. Jia, I am Chen Ming, the commander of this independent detachment."

Chen Ming smiled appropriately, maintaining the dignity and composure expected of a senior commander while also showing the proper etiquette towards visitors.

His sharp gaze swept over the subtle wear marks on Jia Botao's coat elbows, which clearly showed signs of repeated friction.

And high-end leather shoes covered in mud, their original color almost unrecognizable.

It silently tells of the hardships and difficulties along the way.

"That's right, I know you."

Jia Botao's voice lowered, filled with complex and indescribable emotions, like a churning undercurrent.

“My son mentioned you in his letter, saying that you were very good at fighting the Japanese devils.”

"From the perspective of national righteousness, I greatly admire heroes like you!"

"But I'm here today for only one purpose, and that is to get my son back."

"Serving the country is the duty of every Chinese person. How could I not understand this principle?"

His voice suddenly rose a few decibels, filled with pain and anxiety.

"But from a father's perspective, I absolutely cannot watch my only son be in such a dangerous situation!"

"He was too young and didn't understand the cruelty of war at all. It meant bleeding out and losing one's life!"

Chen Ming listened quietly to the father's heartfelt words, which were almost a shout, and calmly glanced at Jia Botao's fingers, which were trembling slightly due to his emotional outburst.

One can imagine the arduous journey and immense psychological torment this father endured in his search for his son.

With his rich experience, Chen Ming roughly sketched out the other party's profile in his mind.

"Mr. Jia."

Chen Ming's voice was calm yet contained an unwavering determination.

"Regarding the decision of whether your son can go with you, frankly speaking, it's not up to me to decide, and even if you do decide... it's probably not up to you either."

He paused deliberately, and clearly saw that the lines on Jia Botao's face tightened even more.

"The key to this matter lies in the wishes of your son, Comrade Jia."

"He is no longer a child who needs your help to hold his hand."

"He is a hero who has stepped forward and shouldered heavy responsibilities for the nation."

“I will neither, nor should I, presume to make this decision for him.”

Jia Botao's brows immediately furrowed into a deep "川" shape.

"Can't I even see him once? As a son, how dare I disobey my father's wishes?"

His tone remained firm, carrying the unquestionable authority of a traditional parent, yet deep within his eyes, which were fixed on Chen Ming, there flickered a barely perceptible plea and helplessness.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that's not possible at the moment."

Chen Ming's attitude remained calm and composed, his tone steady yet unquestionable.

"Until his identity is finally confirmed, highly confidential core technical personnel like Engineer Jia are not allowed to contact outsiders according to regulations. This is an ironclad rule."

But then Chen Ming changed the subject:
"but……"

These two words immediately captured Jia Botao's full attention.

"I have already sent someone to inform Comrade Jia immediately."

As long as he personally verifies your identity after receiving the message and expresses his willingness to meet, I will arrange it for you immediately.

This gave Jia Botao a glimmer of hope.

"Very well! Thank you for your trouble, General Chen, to make these arrangements!"

Jia Botao visibly breathed a sigh of relief, his expression slightly relaxed, and then he clasped his hands in a standard ancient-style cupped-hand salute.

This gesture, imbued with strong traditional Eastern characteristics, creates a striking visual contrast with his modern Western-style attire, resulting in a wonderful sense of fusion.

At this moment, the young communications officer who had been dispatched was rushing to the arsenal workshop hidden deep in the mountain cave.

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed in the empty underground passage, and he quickly found his target amidst the noisy roar of machinery.

Engineer Jia was intently debugging a complex transmission device, and oil stains covered half of his sleeve.

"Director Jia!"

The staff member squeezed to the side of the workbench and reported in as low a voice as possible:
"Emergency! Your father, Mr. Jia... he's with the command post commander right now!"

The voice was low, but every word was clear.

With a loud clang, the wrench in Jia's hand slipped from his grasp and crashed onto the workbench!
"What? My dad? How is this possible?!"

He turned around abruptly, his face, covered in engine oil and sweat, filled with extreme shock and disbelief.

“I clearly wrote a letter to my classmate from when I was studying in Germany, so how did my father know I was here and even came looking for me?”

His mind was momentarily thrown into disarray by this sudden news.

"Director Jia, is there... something wrong with this?"

The officer was somewhat bewildered by Jia's strong reaction.

"This is a big problem!"

Engineer Jia gasped sharply, quickly wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his oil-stained hand. His brow furrowed, and he explained rapidly:
"My father is a highly regulated senior military technology expert in Germany!"

"Especially since Germany and Japan signed the alliance treaty, our country has been regarded as an enemy country by them!"

"People like him are absolutely under control, and their actions are closely monitored!"

How did he manage to break through those seemingly impenetrable blockades and return to China?!

His tone grew more urgent and his expression more serious as he spoke.

"How many checkpoints and inspections will we face along the way? Is my dad really that bold?"

Engineer Jia quickly and concisely explained the astonishing nature of the situation.

The communications officer's expression instantly turned serious, clearly realizing the gravity and unusual nature of the situation.

Without saying a word, he immediately turned around and ran back, determined to report this important intelligence to Chief Chen Ming as soon as possible!

"What did you say? He's a highly accomplished military expert himself?!"

"Jia's skills are far inferior to his father's?!"

Upon receiving the reward, Chen Ming was first surprised, then his eyes suddenly flashed with a dazzling light as if he had found a priceless treasure!
According to the information urgently relayed by Engineer Jia, his father's technical skills and industry standing are top-notch!

For Chen Ming, who was eager to find talent and dedicated to improving the military's industrial capabilities, the appearance of such a technical expert on his turf was a welcome development.

It's like the water just boiled and the ducks jumped in on their own!
He cherished talent above all else, and a plan immediately came to mind.

He quickly and discreetly adjusted the collar and cuffs of his military uniform.

When he stepped back into that simple reception room, his face had regained its usual composure and calm, as if the earth-shattering news he had just received had never happened.

“Mr. Jia,” Chen Ming said, getting straight to the point.

"The identity verification process has been completed without any problems."

"Your son, Comrade Jia, is also very willing to meet you."

"Do you think we should have him come to the command post, or would you like to go to his workplace and check on him?"

“However,” Chen Ming deliberately paused for half a second, his tone carrying a subtle hint of “the reality” in the last sentence:
"If we ask him to leave his work at the factory, it will probably have to wait until later."

“He has a very urgent and important project at hand, and he can’t get away from it for the time being.”

Chen Ming quietly cast a silent bait.

As expected, Jia Botao immediately expressed his opinion almost without hesitation:
"Hmph! No need for that! I'll go find him!"

His tone carried a hint of a father's dissatisfaction with his son's "putting on airs" and an eagerness to witness his son's current situation firsthand.

"He's really gotten too big for his britches! I'm going to go see for myself what he's up to!"

"He traveled thousands of miles to illegally cross the border, enduring countless dangers and challenges, and suffering immense hardships, all to find his only son," Jia Botao began.

Now, does he still fear danger in the Independent Detachment?

How many dangers did they face on their journey back to China by smuggling themselves out? Are they afraid of this?

Chen Ming was secretly delighted; the fish had taken the bait!

But as a senior official, he had long since developed the ability to "not show his emotions" as an instinct.

His expression remained unchanged as he calmly turned to a burly, sharp-eyed guard beside him:
“Then let’s go, Da Biao. We’ll personally take Mr. Jia to our arsenal.”

"Not blindfolded?"

Da Biao asked in a voice that only the two of them could hear.

Under normal circumstances, apart from highly trusted senior officers, anyone else who wants to go to the arsenal must be blindfolded to avoid revealing its location.

Chen Ming does have a minimap that can distinguish between friend and foe, but he can't stay with important units like the arsenal and field hospital forever.

The necessary protective measures should still be in place.

Chen Ming's lips curled into an almost imperceptible smile. He met Da Biao's questioning gaze and shook his head slightly.

Blindfolded?

No, he not only didn't need to blindfold Jia Botao, on the contrary, he wanted this expert father to see this place clearly and completely!

Look how important and magnificent his son's workplace is!
They learned core secrets such as the exact location and internal structure of the military factory.

Do you think you can get away so easily?

The subsequent layers of confidentiality approvals are a "systematic project" that requires an extreme amount of time and patience to complete.

You can leave if you want, but wait until the procedures and verification are completed.

As for when the verification will end and when the procedures will be completed, we don't know.

The final procedures require Chen Ming's approval, but Chen Ming will soon be going to the rear for further studies.

When that time comes
Chen Ming took Jia Botao to the arsenal.

The arsenal was not far from Chen Ming's command post, only three kilometers away.

The group quickly arrived at the location of the arsenal.

"This is our fourth division's arsenal. The core factory area covers an area of ​​320,000 square meters and has more than 3,000 employees. It is currently our largest arsenal."

"The core of the arsenal was inside the mountain. It was dug out by our base after we dug through several mountains."

"It can defend against bombing by Japanese bombers and ensure the safety of critical equipment."

"The outer defensive fortifications cover an area of ​​approximately 9.6 million square meters."

"Many of them were permanent fortifications, and the materials were seized from the Japanese."

"For the sake of this arsenal, we transported almost all the materials from the Japanese pillboxes and strongholds throughout northern Shanxi."

"The arsenal has a very large production capacity. It can not only meet the supply of our Fourth Military Sub-district, but also supply ammunition to the surrounding troops. A considerable portion of the ammunition comes from this arsenal."

"Currently, we can independently produce bullets, grenades, landmines, and artillery shells, including mountain artillery shells."

"In terms of weaponry, we have already mastered the production of mortar steel and can produce 82mm mortars independently."

"And powerful weapons such as 88mm and 107mm rocket launchers."

"There are other weapons as well, but I won't list them all here."

"It can be said that this arsenal was the heart of our Eighth Route Army, continuously supplying the whole body with blood."

Chen Ming proudly introduced it to Jia Botao.

Perhaps in the eyes of this military expert who returned from Germany, this arsenal was just a small workshop.

But for the current base, it is something that is most precious.

This is a child that Chen Ming has built up bit by bit.

From the initial few soldiers and craftsmen in the maintenance squad, to the later maintenance company, maintenance battalion, and arsenal.

Chen Ming witnessed and managed the growth of this arsenal, just as the Independent Detachment was discovered from a small district squad to its current state.

It can be said that the arsenal is Chen Ming's proudest achievement besides the independent detachment.

Jia Botao listened silently to Chen Ming's introduction, but he was incredibly shocked.

It wasn't that I was surprised by the thriving development of this arsenal.

He had seen arsenals in Germany that were many times larger and had a much greater production capacity than this one.

Instead, they were surprised that the Eighth Route Army, so poor they were practically urinating blood, could actually build an arsenal of this scale in these desolate mountains.

They also produce a great many types of weapons and ammunition.

This is nothing short of a miracle born in the mountains.

If this arsenal belonged to the Nationalist government, Jia Botao wouldn't have been so shocked.

But this is the Eighth Route Army, and it's in a mountainous area with no industrial base.

"good."

Jia Botao rarely said "not bad," and this was from the bottom of his heart.

Chen Ming was very happy to hear what the other party said.

If Jia Botao were to boast about his own brilliance and skillful leadership, Chen Ming would not be emotionally affected in the slightest.

But the other party was praising his own "child," which made him happier than praising Chen Ming himself.

"Let's go, Comrade Jia is just ahead," Chen Ming said with a smile.

The group continued forward and soon came across Engineer Jia, who was squatting on the ground fiddling with something.

Upon seeing Jia Gong, Jia Botao flew into a rage and grabbed the man by the back of his collar.

"You unfilial son, you've really grown up. You actually went back to the country without saying a word."

"If I hadn't gotten the news from your classmate, I wouldn't have known you were here."

Upon seeing Jia Gong, Jia Botao finally found an outlet for the emotions that had been building up inside him.

Imagine an elderly man, well past fifty, whose only son has vanished without a word.

The old man asked all his relatives, friends, and acquaintances, but he still had no news of his son.

When she heard from her son again, she discovered that he had gone to a war-torn area.

For an elderly person like this, their son is their lifeblood, and they would never allow anything to happen to him.

At least in Jia Botao's eyes, returning to China to join the Eighth Route Army was a very dangerous thing.

It's equivalent to someone in later generations going to Africa, joining an African warlord, and spending their days carrying AKs and engaging in firefights.

"Don't move! Let go and step back immediately, or I'll shoot!"

Jia Botao's actions immediately alerted Jia Gong's bodyguard.

The guard pointed his gun directly at the back of Jia Botao's head, staring intently at him.

He would not hesitate to fire if the other party made any unusual move, ensuring Jia's safety.

This was the mission Chen Ming gave to the guard: to protect Jia Gong's safety at all costs, and to kill him first and report back if necessary.

The guards had lowered their guard because they saw that Jia Botao had come with Chen Ming, which gave Jia Botao the opportunity to run into Engineer Jia.

When Jia Botao had a gun pointed at the back of his head, his body stiffened instantly, his breathing stopped, and he was unable to move his limbs.

"Xiao Wang, this is my father, put down the gun."

When Jia saw his own father being held at gunpoint by his bodyguard, he quickly spoke up.

"Put down your guns," Chen Ming ordered.

"Yes."

Guard Wang immediately put away his gun and stood guard to the side, his eyes fixed on Jia Botao.

As for strangers, if they dare to threaten Jia Gong's life, not even his own father would be allowed to do so, let alone his father.

The guard was a revolutionary fighter with faith who knew the importance of Jia Gong.

To protect Jia Gong, he was willing to use his own body to block bullets and was willing to give his own life.

"Dad, you've come at the right time. I've run into a problem that I haven't been able to figure out for days. You're knowledgeable and experienced, so could you help me take a look?"

Engineer Jia spoke up to ease the tense atmosphere.

As Jia Botao descended the steps, he gently moved his stiff legs.

He had no choice but to accept the offer from his son; otherwise, his frozen, terrified state would be discovered.

For a highly educated intellectual, this is even more painful than being shot.

Then Jia Botao spoke up:

"Hmph, I told you to study hard, but you wouldn't listen. I told you to come work in the lab with me, but you wouldn't listen either. Now you're suffering because you lack knowledge, aren't you?"

Jia Botao is still being stubborn.

"This problem needs to be solved like this: first do this, then do this, and finally do that."

(End of this chapter)