You are ordered to support the War of Resistance against Japan; China enters Level 1 combat readines

The color drained from the faces of the four representatives at a visible speed, a mixture of shock, horror, and disbelief on their faces.

All their previous arrogance and psychological advantage were washed away in the face of this gray, boundless wave!

Zhao Gang stood to the side, taking in the incredible changes in the expressions on the faces of the representatives.

His expression remained calm, but a barely perceptible hint of pleasure flashed across his face.

If it weren't for discipline, he would have been ready to swear long ago!

Zhao Gang is worldly and knowledgeable.

He knew perfectly well that once the 69th Class A Division equipped with the full set of equipment brought by Mr. Shen completed its training and formed combat capability, it would be an incredibly formidable force!

Let alone the Japanese, even if it were the so-called elite troops of Europe and America, in a head-on collision of equal size and under equal conditions, Zhao Gang was confident that the soldiers in front of him would not be at a disadvantage!

It might even be stronger!

After a long while, the American representative finally put down his binoculars with difficulty, his throat dry and chapped.

When he looked at Zhao Gang again, his tone was no longer mocking, but rather carried a hint of barely perceptible fear:

"Political Commissar Zhao...I wonder if we could observe this unit more closely?"

As he spoke, the American representative pointed to a firing range.

He wants to check the license plate!

He also wanted to see what kind of weapons such an well-equipped army would use!

If it's still a bolt-action rifle like the Type 38 rifle, then there's no need to worry too much.

Zhao Gang readily agreed: "Of course, please follow me."

The group descended from the watchtower and headed towards the firing range.

On the rammed loess firing range, the smell of gunpowder was faintly audible, and the crisp, dense gunshots rang out rhythmically.

As you get closer, you can see a platoon of soldiers practicing shooting at a distant target in kneeling or prone positions.

However, what caught the attention of the representatives from the four countries was not the standard shooting action, but the weapons that the soldiers were holding tightly in their hands.

It was a type of firearm they had never seen before.

The gun is shorter than common rifles such as the Type 38, Springfield, and Mauser 98K, giving it a compact and sleek appearance.

The wooden stock and handguard have simple lines, and the most eye-catching feature is the iconic curved magazine that protrudes from below the receiver, exuding a sense of power.

Its overall design is neither as compact and focused on close-quarters combat as the submachine guns they are familiar with, such as the British Sten and the German MP40, nor as slender and focused on maximum range as bolt-action rifles.

It lies somewhere in between, possessing a unique aesthetic balance that takes into account both firepower and precision.

"What kind of gun is this?"

The German representative asked the first question; as a representative of a powerful land nation, he had an innate sensitivity to weaponry.

The American representative also frowned. He had seen his own Thompson submachine gun and M1 carbine, but the design style before him was completely different.

The British representative, meanwhile, was rapidly searching his mind for any secret weapons that the intelligence agencies might have overlooked, perhaps belonging to some small country in the world.

The Soviet representative's gaze was fixed on the vague outline of the curved magazine and gas block, a vague sense of familiarity stemming from some design concept making his heart race.

Zhao Gang smiled slightly and introduced in a calm tone: "This is one of the standard individual weapons currently equipped by our troops, the Type 56 assault rifle."

He paused, then listed several key parameters in simple terms: "Using 7.62mm intermediate-power rifle cartridges, the theoretical rate of fire is about 600 rounds per minute, and the effective range is about 400 meters."

"At the same time, it can fire single shots for precision or bursts to provide suppressive fire. The unloaded gun weighs about 4 kilograms, which is lighter than traditional rifles, and its firepower sustainability far exceeds that of ordinary submachine guns."

Intermediate-power round? Single/reload option? Effective range of 400 meters? 4 kg?

These parameters combined were like a heavy hammer, striking the hearts of the delegates hard!

They are all military attachés; if they are sent to discuss equipment cooperation, they are certainly not laymen.

It's important to understand that the concept of "manual automatic weapon" was still in the exploratory or nascent stage in various countries at that time.

Germany had an early model of the StG44, but it was not yet widely deployed and remained a closely guarded secret; the Soviet Union had concepts and research on assault rifles, but they were far from mature.

And right before our eyes, such a mature and perfect design has already appeared on the training ground of an ordinary soldier of the Eighth Route Army!

Before Zhao Gang could finish speaking, the Soviet representative could no longer contain himself. He shoved aside his entourage and practically ran to the nearest soldier who had just finished shooting and was checking his weapon.

Completely disregarding etiquette, his eyes gleamed as he stared at the Type 56 assault rifle in the soldier's hand, and asked eagerly in heavily accented Chinese, "Comrade! Can...can I take a look?"

The soldier looked at Zhao Gang, and seeing the political commissar nod, he skillfully removed the magazine, pulled the bolt to confirm that the chamber was empty, and then handed the rifle over with both hands.

The movements were swift and decisive, clearly demonstrating an excellent command of the gun.

The Soviet representative, as if receiving a sacred object, held up the 56-shot gun with trembling hands.

He first carefully examined every detail of the gun—the stamped receiver, the simple safety and fire selector, the sturdy shutter, and especially the curved magazine that exuded a cold metallic luster.

Then, he eagerly raised his gun, aimed it at the distant earthen slope, and felt its ergonomics.

"Comrade, can...can we test fire?" he asked, his throat dry.

Zhao Gang nodded again.

A soldier quickly brought over a magazine and loaded it.

The Soviet representative took a deep breath, aimed with a slightly awkward but standard posture, and pulled the trigger.

Da da da!

Ta-da!

Da da da!

Short burst! A crisp and continuous explosion rang out, the muzzle flash spewed out, and the recoil was quite "gentle" under his control, much easier to control than weapons using full-power rifle rounds!

After emptying half a magazine, the Soviet representative put down his gun, his face flushed, his eyes filled with extreme shock and ecstasy!

He stroked the slightly warm barrel, muttering to himself, his voice trembling, "My God... balance! Perfect balance!"

"Firepower, weight, accuracy, controllability... this is what we've been searching for! The answer to the future infantry!"

"Comrade-in-Chief, how...how did you do that?"

He absolutely loves it!

Isn't this the "perfect weapon" they've been dreaming of, the one that can replace the Mosin-Nagant rifle and the PPSh submachine gun and truly revolutionize infantry firepower?

It cleverly found the golden ratio between the range and power of a full-power rifle bullet and the close-range spray of a pistol bullet using an intermediate-power round!

The automatic principle is reliable, and the structure looks simpler than the PPSh!

Lightweight means soldiers can carry more ammunition!

This is no longer just "advanced," it's a revolutionary product!