Reborn in 1950: Shorting the Federal Reserve at the Start

"Click."

As Shen Jinghong pressed the switch, the lights in the conference room went out instantly.

The once spacious area was immediately swallowed up by thick, inky darkness.

It was so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

Only the faint starlight filtering in from outside the window barely outlined the window frame.

The air was thick with a mixture of tension and anticipation.

Several battle-hardened veterans sat in the darkness. Although they could not see each other's faces, their suppressed breathing could be clearly heard.

"This...can you really see it?"

An old general's voice came from the left, tinged with skepticism, "My eyesight may be a bit poor, but I've trained my night vision. Even though I'm completely blind right now, you think you can just grab a tube and call?"

"Whether it will work or not, why don't you give it a try and see?"

Shen Jinghong's voice rang out in the darkness. Judging from the direction, he seemed to be handing that dark, indistinct thing to President Peng.

"Mr. Peng, the switch is on the side. Just focus it, like using a telescope."

A rustling or fumbling sound.

Immediately following was a very faint hum of electricity.

Peng Shichuan raised the monocular night vision device in his hand and pressed the rubber goggle tightly against his right eye.

next second.

The commander, who remained unmoved even when Mount Tai collapsed before him, suddenly stiffened.

Even in the darkness, everyone could feel the tremor of his muscles tensing instantly.

"My God..."

General Peng's voice changed.

No longer displaying his usual composure and dignity, but instead trembling with disbelief, and even showing a hint of horror as if he had seen a ghost or god.

"This...this is sorcery, isn't it?!"

"Old Peng, what did you see? Stop yelling at me!" Nie Shuai next to him was so anxious that he kept scratching his head, wishing he could snatch that thing away.

"See for yourself! See for yourself!"

President Peng handed over the night vision goggles as if they were some rare treasure.

Marshal Nie took it and brought it close to his eyes.

Instantly, his breathing stopped.

In his view, the originally pitch-black conference room had now transformed into a strange, eerie green world.

Although the colors are monotonous, they resemble will-o'-the-wisps from the underworld.

But everything was so clear!

He saw the half-finished cup of tea on the table, still steaming.

He saw the old general's face across from him, a face filled with curiosity and anxiety, and he could even see his stubble clearly.

He even saw a spider crawling in the corner!

"Amazing! Absolutely amazing!"

Marshal Nie abruptly removed his night vision goggles, but to the naked eye, all he could see was still pitch black. He put them back on, and once again, the world was a vibrant green, with every detail clearly visible.

This stark contrast shocks everyone.

"This is called an active infrared night vision device."

Shen Jinghong stood in the dark corner, like a magician who controlled the night, his voice calm and confident:

"The transmitter in front of it emits a beam of infrared light that is invisible to the human eye. This light hits an object and reflects back, and after being amplified by an image inverter, it can turn night into day."

"Although it's green and looks a bit creepy, on the battlefield, that's life!"

"This isn't fate! This is the Book of Life and Death of the King of Hell!"

General Peng snatched the night vision goggles back, caressing them with obvious affection, his eyes burning with a light even brighter than the infrared beams.

He understands the value of this thing all too well.

"Comrades!"

General Peng's voice echoed in the darkness, each word like a hammer blow against a steel plate:

"What are we, the Volunteer Army, best at? Night fighting! Close combat!"

"Americans are afraid of death and the dark. At night, they cower in their shells and dare not move, or they fire up flares like crazy, making the position as bright as day."

"In the past, when we fought night battles, we relied on the iron will of our soldiers, on groping our way through in the dark! That was gambling with our lives! If we stepped on a landmine, if we ran into an unmarked sentry, the casualties would be enormous!"

"But what about now?"

General Peng waved his hand suddenly; though unseen, his heroic spirit was palpable.

"With these 'ghost eyes,' our scouts can get right up to the Americans' noses as if they were exploring their own backyard!"

"Our infiltration unit can move in the dark as if it were empty, put a knife to their throats, and they'll think they're dreaming!"

"What's this called?"

"That's called one-way transparency! That's called a dimensional reduction attack!"

"Snapped!"

The lights came back on.

The sudden burst of bright light made everyone squint, but on everyone's face was an uncontrollable ecstasy.

It's like an old farmer who's been poor his whole life suddenly discovering that he's struck gold in his field.

"Director Shen!"

A burly army commander suddenly stood up; he was a fierce general from the Ninth Army Corps, who was about to enter Korea.

He rushed to Shen Jinghong in a few strides, his large hands gripping Shen Jinghong's arm tightly, his eyes burning with a murderous intent:

"How many of these do you have? I'll take them all!"

"Old Song! Have you no shame?"

Another corps commander nearby objected, slamming his fist on the table and roaring, "Why should you take it all? My corps is the vanguard! We need to get our hands on these things first!"

"Stop arguing!"

General Peng's shout silenced the group of envious and arrogant soldiers.

He turned to look at Shen Jinghong, his eyes full of expectation:

"Jinghong, give me a straight answer. How's the production of this stuff? Will it be enough to supply the capital?"

Shen Jinghong straightened his sleeves, which had been crumpled by the army commander, adjusted his glasses, and held up one finger:

"The core of this device is the image converter, which has a rather complex manufacturing process."

"but……"

He abruptly changed the subject, a confident smile playing on his lips:

"I've moved the production line to the No. 3 underground storage facility of Shenzhou Bureau. As long as there's enough material, we'll operate 24/7 in three shifts."

"Before we go to Korea, I can gather a thousand sets for you!"

"A thousand sets?!"

The generals' eyes lit up instantly.

I originally thought it would be good if we could get a few dozen sets for the reconnaissance company to use, but I didn't expect this kid to ask for a thousand sets right away!

"This is just the first batch."

Shen Jinghong added, "We can produce another 500 sets each month. My plan is to prioritize equipping the reconnaissance battalions of various armies, and..."

In his mind, the company that was frozen into an ice sculpture in the snow and ice, the company commander named "Wu Qianli", and the stubborn recruit "Wu Wanli" appeared.

"And those spearhead companies that undertake infiltration missions."

Shen Jinghong's voice lowered, carrying a special emotion:

"For example, heroic units like the 7th Infiltration Company. They had to covertly approach the enemy and infiltrate and outflank them in temperatures as low as minus forty degrees Celsius and in knee-deep snow."

"These 'eyes' can help them avoid detours and landmines, and enable them... to plant the red flag on the enemy's position alive."

President Peng gave Shen Jinghong a deep look.

He could hear the heaviness in the young man's voice.

"Okay! We'll do it your way!"

General Peng made the final decision: "These thousand sets will all be distributed to the frontline elite troops! I want to show those Americans what it truly means to be... the king of night combat!"

"What does it mean... to be watched by death in the dark?!"

The atmosphere in the conference room was extremely lively.

We have guns, we have cannons, and we even have cutting-edge technology like night vision devices.

The generals present wished they could fly to the Yalu River immediately and lead their troops to attack.

This battle has never been so rich!

"Alright, everyone wipe your drool."

Shen Jinghong looked at the group of generals who were as excited as children and shook his head with a smile.

He bent down and reached into the black briefcase that seemed to connect to another dimension once more.

"Now that we've covered weaponry and equipment, let's move on to more practical issues."

"abdomen."

Upon hearing those two words, the previously noisy conference room quieted down slightly.

Yes.

People are iron rice is steel.

Even the best weapons are useless if no one operates them. And people need to eat to fight.

"The place we're going to is the high-altitude mountainous region in northern North Korea."

Shen Jinghong placed her briefcase on the table, her tone becoming serious:

"It was the coldest weather in decades. The water in the kettle would freeze into ice blocks, and the potatoes would freeze as hard as rocks; you could break your teeth if you took a bite."

"In that environment, starting a fire to cook? That would be suicide. The moment the smoke rose, an American plane would be there."

"But if they don't eat hot food, the soldiers' bodies can't take it. They lose heat quickly, their physical strength declines, and they may even suffer non-combat casualties."

President Peng's face darkened.

This is also his biggest concern.

"A handful of fried noodles and a handful of snow"—that was a last resort, a desperate measure taken with one's life on the line.

If given a choice, who would want their soldiers to suffer that hardship?

"Jinghong, do you have a solution?"

Marshal Nie looked at Shen Jinghong, his eyes filled with hope.

He now had a blind trust in this young man. It was as if the moment he opened his briefcase, there was no problem that couldn't be solved.

"have."

Shen Jinghong did not hesitate at all.

He pulled a small, palm-sized, silver-white aluminum foil bag from his bag.

It looks ordinary, even somewhat like the packaging of compressed biscuits from abroad.

"What's this? American canned food?" Chen Weiguo asked curiously.

"It's not canned food."

Shen Jinghong shook her head, held up the bag, and showed it to everyone.

The bag was printed with several bright red simplified Chinese characters, which stood out prominently under the light:

**[Type 09 Individual Self-Heating Field Rations (Braised Beef Flavor)]**

Of course, the "Type 09" was a code name that Shen Jinghong made up on the spot. In reality, it was a mature product from later generations that he redeemed in the system, only with a new packaging that fit the times.

"Self-heating?"

An old general asked in bewilderment, "It generates heat on its own? Without fire?"

"Yes, no fire, no electricity, just a little cold water."

Shen Jinghong tore open the packaging bag and took out a heating pack and a soft can containing pre-cooked dishes and rice.

"This utilizes the principle of exothermic reaction between quicklime and water, but we added a special slow-release agent to make the heat last longer and the temperature higher."

He explained as he skillfully operated the device.

Place the heating pack at the bottom of the outer bag, pour in half a cup of cold water, then put the food pack inside and quickly fold the bag opening.

"laugh--"

Only a few seconds passed.

The silver bag suddenly inflated, emitting a slight hissing sound.

Immediately afterwards, a visible plume of white heat rose from the vent.

Along with the steam, a rich, mouthwatering aroma wafted out...

The aroma of braised beef!

The aroma forcefully penetrated everyone's noses, whetting the appetites in their stomachs.

"Gurgle—"

Someone couldn't help but swallow.

In this era of scarcity, braised pork was a smell that could only be enjoyed during the Chinese New Year!

A few minutes later.

Shen Jinghong tore open the inner bag and poured the steaming, oily braised beef over the white rice. The combined visual and olfactory impact was like a nuclear weapon.

"General Peng, Marshal Nie, would you like to try some?"

Shen Jinghong handed over a pair of chopsticks and said with a smile:

"I don't know if this thing will make the neighbor's kid drool."

"But I think it should be fine for the American soldiers over there who are drooling over their cold sandwiches."