I am an industrial worker during the War of Resistance

Chapter 2 We've struck gold!
Regiment Commander Chen, who had just returned to his post, saw Nurse Wang Ling pacing back and forth in the courtyard of his regimental headquarters.

This is a story about a girl who is only sixteen or seventeen years old this year, who climbed snow-capped mountains and crossed grasslands with them, and survived countless near-death experiences to get here.

The entire group, from top to bottom, cherishes her like the apple of their eye.

"Hey, Wang Ling, what brings you here? What brings you here?" Commander Chen asked as he entered the courtyard.

"Commander, you're finally back! I have some important news for you."

The person you brought back this morning asked me to come find you.

He said he could make explosives, not black powder, but a high explosive called TNT or something similar.

He also said this thing should be able to help you.

"What did you say? He can make TNT?"
"Did he really say that?" Commander Chen asked anxiously, his eyes wide.

Yes, that's what he said.

After he woke up, he drank a bowl of cornmeal porridge and then thanked us for saving him.

Then he told me to come find you, saying he knew how to make high explosives, that he had learned how in school and had even made them himself.

Wang Ling also spoke hastily, as if afraid that Commander Chen would not believe her.

"My God, this is amazing."

He casually saved someone and also found a great treasure.

Where is Political Commissar Liu? Has he returned from the meeting?

One of the officers in the courtyard said, "Reporting to the commander, Political Commissar Liu has not returned yet."

"Then let's not wait for him. Wang Ling, quickly take me to see the person I carried back. By the way, did he say his name?"

As Commander Chen spoke, he led Wang Ling briskly toward the local hospital.

“He said he’s from Northeast China and his name is Chen Changzai, the same surname as you, Commander,” Wang Ling said.

"Haha, this is still my old home."

A lucky star has fallen from the sky! A lucky star has fallen from the sky!

The regimental headquarters is actually not far from the local hospital, only a five or six-minute walk away.

In just a few words, they arrived at the hospital grounds.

This is a large courtyard with six or seven cave dwellings in a row, and the courtyard walls are all made of earth.

Cleaned gauze was hanging on a wooden frame in the yard, drying in the sun.

When no other disinfection methods are available, sun exposure is the best disinfection method.

There are not many patients in the hospital today.

Those who are able to move have basically all returned to their posts.

No one in the team would go around pretending to be sick.

That's why Chen Changzai was able to live alone in a cave dwelling.

Lifting the curtain, Commander Chen saw that Chen Changzai had fallen asleep again and stopped Wang Ling from waking him up.

After waving his hand to let his guard go out first, he sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and looked at the young man in front of him whose thin face had regained some color.

The young man's face had already been wiped, and although he hadn't washed his hair, his long hair was still messy and matted.

However, it already looks somewhat human.

After sitting for a while, the curtain of the cave dwelling was lifted again, and a middle-aged man in his thirties, wearing a faded homespun military uniform and a military cap, walked in.

When Regiment Commander Chen saw the person who had arrived, he quickly stood up and said, "Political Commissar, you've come."

Wang Ling, who was watching Chen Changzai with Commander Chen in the cave, stood up at this moment, wanting to pour water for Political Commissar Liu.

Political Commissar Liu saw the young man lying on the kang (a heated brick bed), but didn't say anything. He just waved his hand, telling Wang Ling not to pour water.

He waved to Commander Chen and then left.

When Commander Chen saw this, he followed them out.

The sun sets in the west, and the evening glow fills the sky.

The two men stood in the courtyard, each holding a hand-rolled tobacco pipe.

After taking a puff, Political Commissar Liu asked, "Old Chen, what's going on?"

I heard from people at the regimental headquarters that you brought back a young man who said he could make high explosives.
real or fake? "

"I found this young man in a dilapidated cave when I went to the north to survey the terrain this morning."

They were father and son. When we found them, the older one was already dead; he had starved to death.

The smaller one barely survived.

I heard from Wang Ling that this young man is from Northeast China, specifically Liaoning.

He escaped on September 9.18th. He was part of a family of six, but now he's the only one left.

If we hadn't discovered him, his entire family would have been wiped out.

The young man told Wang Ling that his name was Chen Changzai, that he had gone to school, and that he had studied chemistry.

He knows how to make TNT explosives and has even made them himself.

I think this young man has no reason to lie to us; what he said is probably true.

If he could actually make high explosives, that would be wonderful.

We were severely lacking in ammunition along the way, so all he needed was the ability to make high explosives.

That's our lucky star sent from heaven!

Political Commissar Liu nodded repeatedly after hearing this, saying, "Yes, if this young man can really make high explosives, it will really solve a big problem for us."

While the two were talking, Wang Ling lifted the curtain and came out of the cave dwelling, saying, "Commander, Political Commissar, Chen Changzai has woken up."

Upon hearing that Chen Changzai had woken up, the two men quickly took a deep drag on their tobacco butts before throwing away the last bit of tobacco.

They strode quickly into the cave dwelling. Chen Changzai watched as Regiment Commander Chen and Political Commissar Liu entered, lifting the curtain.

He recognized him at first glance; the one holding him in his arms and feeding him water was that thin, dark-skinned middle-aged man.

Chen Changzai tried to sit up, but this was extremely difficult for him due to his weakness.

When Commander Chen and Political Commissar Liu saw that Chen Changzai was trying to sit up, they quickly came to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and pressed him down.

Political Commissar Liu said, "Young man, don't get up. Lie down quickly and talk while lying down."

Chen Changzai nodded, then looked at Commander Chen and said, "Thank you for saving my life, Uncle. If it weren't for you, I might have really died in that cave."

Chen Changzai didn't want to call him Commander Chen, nor did he feel comfortable calling him Chief. He simply addressed him as Uncle, based on their approximate age, to make it seem more intimate.

"Don't talk about the life-saving grace, this is what we should do."

However, your father had already passed away when we arrived.

We could only give the old man a hasty burial. We'll try to get a coffin tomorrow and give him a proper burial.

Commander Chen said with some regret.

"I understand, thank you, sir."

I have no way to repay the uncle for saving my life.

I know you guys are soldiers fighting in wars.

The reason I invited you uncles here is to see if I can help you.

I attended high school in Fengtian.

He did fairly well in his studies at school.

I know a bit about physics, chemistry, mechanics, etc. Uncle, you must need explosives for your wars.

And I know how to make TNT, a high explosive.

So I think this is how I can repay the uncle for saving my life.

"Don't talk about repaying the life-saving grace anymore. Our Red Army is the people's army."

Saving lives is our duty.

"You should rest and recover first. We can talk about other things when you're feeling better."

After listening, Chen Changzai nodded and said, "Okay, Uncle."

However, uncle, manufacturing TNT requires a lot of preliminary preparation.

TNT, also known as trinitrotoluene, is primarily manufactured from toluene, nitric acid, and sulfuric acid.

While Chen was speaking, Political Commissar Liu had already taken out a small notebook and half a pencil from his pocket.

As Chen Changzai spoke, Political Commissar Liu took notes.

Seeing that Political Commissar Liu was taking notes, Chen Changzai slowed down his speech and continued, "Toluene, also known as coal tar, is a product of the dry distillation of coal."

Therefore, the first thing needed to manufacture TNT is coal.

The second one is sulfuric acid, which is extracted from pyrite.

Therefore, pyrite is also needed to produce sulfuric acid.

This mineral is a natural, golden-yellow, small cube-shaped substance, which is buried in mountains or underground.

Some people often mistake it for gold, but it is actually pyrite.

Head north, I remember there should be pyrite there, because I've seen it there before.

The third is nitric acid. To make nitric acid, you need saltpeter. Remember, it's saltpeter, not mirabilite found in saline-alkali soil.

Glauber's salt can only be used to make caustic soda, but it cannot be used to extract nitric acid.

I remember when I was in school, my teacher said that during the Qing Dynasty, Qingjian County and Ansai County in Suide were the main production and sales areas in Northwest China.

There are nitrate mines there.

If you can't get your hands on saltpeter ore in a short time, you can only look for saltpeter soil in dry toilets, old walls, and caves in the dark mountains. However, the collection is very laborious and the yield is not high.

However, there is another way to grow saltpeter, which is to grow it in a saltpeter bed.

The school even had us plant them ourselves back then.

It involves compacting a pit into a nitrate bed, then using manure, urine, wood ash, leaves, and straw to artificially create an environment that produces potassium nitrate.

I don't think we have the professional tools to manufacture sulfuric acid and nitric acid right now.

Then let's use the old-fashioned method: help me prepare a few large vats.

If you don't have a large vat, then help me prepare a kiln cave where I can fire the vat. Once I recover, I can fire the large vat myself.

Once all these things are ready, it won't be long before I can build TNT for you guys.

Perhaps because he had talked too much, Chen Changzai felt a little out of breath and began to gasp for air.

Political Commissar Liu put down his pen and paper and said, "Xiao Chen, alright, I've written down everything you said. You should rest well. Once you're better, we'll definitely prepare everything you need."

If this TNT can really be manufactured here, then you'll truly be a hero to us.

After listening to Political Commissar Liu's words, Chen Changzai did not speak, but just smiled.

After watching Chen Changzai drink another bowl of cornmeal porridge and fall asleep again, Commander Chen and Political Commissar Liu finally left the hospital.

After leaving the courtyard, Political Commissar Liu touched the notebook in his pocket and said excitedly, "Old Chen, we really struck gold this time."

What Xiao Chen said is absolutely right. At least I've heard that the raw materials for TNT high explosives are indeed similar to this. This should be true.

This young man really can make TNT, a powerful explosive, for us.

Commander Chen chuckled and said, "Yes, we've struck gold! We've really struck gold!"

"Guard, immediately notify Company Commander Zhang of the Special Operations Company, and have him allocate half of the security force to provide tight protection for the hospital. Absolutely no problems can be allowed to occur here."

"Yes, sir!" The guard acknowledged the order and quickly ran towards the special operations company's base in the darkness.

(End of this chapter)