Courtyard House: I Rely on Time-Space Trade to Build a Nation

A few days passed quickly.

That day, Zhao Ping'an found Zhao Dongliang, who was reviewing the roster of new recruits:

"Brother, get ready. Bring some absolutely reliable people with you to pick up the goods."

Zhao Dongliang's eyes lit up: "A gun?"

"Yes, there are other surprises as well." Zhao Ping'an nodded.

Zhao Dongliang immediately selected thirty veterans who were already considered his trusted confidants and core members, and together with Zhao Ping'an and his group, they once again infiltrated the back mountain with ease.

Guards still stood watch outside the cave.

Zhao Ping'an entered alone.

The system interface is flashing. 200 brand new Type 38 rifles (each costing 200 system coins), 40000 points.

4 Maxim heavy machine guns (2000 system coins each), 8000 points.

20 Czech-made light machine guns (1000 system coins each), 20000 points.

The accompanying cartridges included 6.5mm Arisaka rifle cartridges, 7.92mm Mauser rifle cartridges (for Czech-made rifles), and canvas belts and ammunition specifically for Maxim rifles.

A total of 40,000 rounds, at 2 yuan per round, totaling 80000 yuan, amounting to 148000 yuan.

Confirm and pay.

The empty cave was instantly filled with neatly stacked wooden gun cases and ammunition boxes, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of gun oil and wood.

Zhao Ping'an took a deep breath and walked to the cave entrance: "Brother, come in."

Zhao Dongliang led his men in quickly. When the torchlight illuminated the depths of the cave, everyone gasped, their breath catching in their throats.

"My God..." a veteran murmured.

On the cave floor, dozens of dark wooden crates were neatly stacked.

Some of the boxes had been opened, revealing long gun barrels wrapped in straw-yellow oilproof paper, their metal parts gleaming with a cold, eerie blue light in the firelight.

On the other side were several larger crates. Inside the open crates were thick gun barrels, heavy cooling water tanks, and complex mounts.

It's clearly a Maxim heavy machine gun, the kind you only see in main force units!

There were also more boxes containing sophisticated Czech-made light machine guns.

This lineup is so powerful that even a fully-equipped, regular squad wouldn't have this much firepower, let alone their squad which is barely able to fill all its positions!

Zhao Dongliang rushed to an open rifle case, and Zhao Ping'an handed him a bayonet in tacit agreement.

Zhao Dongliang pried open the retaining clip and reached in to take out a Type 38 rifle.

It felt heavy in his hand, the blued finish on the gun body was even and intact, the wood grain of the stock was clear, and it emitted a unique smell of tung oil mixed with gun oil. He skillfully pulled the bolt, and with a crisp "click," the movement was incredibly smooth.

Examining the gun barrel by the light of the muzzle flash, the rifling was clearly visible and showed no signs of wear.

He then took a row of five-round stripper clip bullets from the ammunition box next to him, pressed them into the magazine, and chambered the bullets in one smooth motion.

Throughout the entire process, the feedback from the firearm in my hand was precise and reliable. Compared with those old-fashioned Hanyang rifles and old-fashioned slide guns, it was like heaven and earth!

"What a gun! What a great gun!" Zhao Dongliang stroked the gun with obvious delight, his eyes shining, his facial muscles twitching slightly with excitement.

"Ping An, these... these are all for us? And those heavy machine guns and light machine guns?"

"Yes, all of them," Zhao Ping'an answered confidently. "Brother, why don't you try that Maxim? See if it's easy to handle."

Zhao Dongliang then seemed to wake from a dream and rushed to the heavy machine gun box again.

When he and several veterans carried out that Maxim gun, exuding an aura of industrial power, their thick barrels and gleaming yellow ammunition belts were striking.

The veteran, who had fought in many tough battles, choked up slightly: "With these guys... our regiment is finally starting to look like something!"

The moving work was filled with joy and carefulness.

Everyone should handle each other like a priceless treasure, with care and gentleness.

When this convoy, laden with munitions, returned to its base, it caused an even greater sensation than the previous convoy of grain and pork.

Weapons are the foundation for soldiers to survive and realize their value in chaotic times!

Looking at those brand-new, gleaming firearms, especially those imposing heavy and light machine guns,

Whether they were new recruits or veterans, their chests involuntarily puffed out a little, and their eyes burned with a fervent light.

The next day, before dawn, sporadic but continuous gunfire rang out on the wasteland outside Wayaocun.

Zhao Dongliang and Zhao Desheng were alerted and rushed to the training ground.

Zhao Ping'an was seen directing the first batch of selected archers.

Using simple sandbags as cover, they conducted live-fire shooting at a dirt target 100 meters away.

Bullet casings clattered and fell to the ground.

"Ping An!" Zhao Dongliang's heart ached, and he quickly walked over, lowering his voice.

"You... this is live-fire training? That's such a waste! Bullets are precious! We've worked so hard to save up some resources, how can we just throw them away like this?"

Zhao Desheng nodded in agreement, looking pained.

Zhao Ping'an stopped giving instructions, turned around, and his face showed the seriousness he had during training:

"Brother, Battalion Commander Desheng, you've come at the right time. I was just about to tell you about this."

He pointed to the sparse bullet holes on the target in the distance:

"Look, even the most talented and hard-working ones that I picked out, not many of them hit the target in the first round."

Why? Because the vast majority of them have never actually fired a single live round since joining the army!

Shooting skills are all based on feeling or listening to old soldiers brag.

In a real battlefield, would the enemy stand still 100 meters away and let you aim?

In suppressing enemy fire, the difference between hitting accurately and hitting poorly is life and death, mission accomplished and mission failed!

He picked up a Type 38 rifle and skillfully cocked it:

"A good gun needs someone who knows how to use it. If we don't use this time to let the brothers familiarize themselves with the trajectory, master the aiming baseline, and correct their personal habits, are we going to wait until the gun is pointed at their foreheads before they start practicing?"

Our bullets aren't saved, they're trained! Wasting ten or twenty bullets now is just to teach a soldier how to hit a target.

On the battlefield, he might be able to eliminate an enemy or save his own life and that of his squad.

This is worth it no matter how you look at it!

He paused, looking at the two of them: "I know bullets are precious."

But precisely because it is so precious, we must use it wisely—to turn our soldiers into true 'cutting edges'!

We have the channels now, and we can replenish our ammunition later.

But if we're stingy with bullets and train a bunch of soldiers who only know how to listen to noise, then no matter how many guns or bullets we have, they're just going to be used against the enemy!

Zhao Ping'an's words hit the nail on the head. Zhao Dongliang and Zhao Desheng remained silent.

They were all veterans, and they knew all too well the value of a sharpshooter or a skilled machine gun crew on the battlefield.

Before, there were no resources available, so the soldiers had to rely on luck and courage. Now... things seem to be really different.

Zhao Dongliang looked at the soldiers in the distance, who were holding their breath and trying to aim under Zhao Ping'an's guidance, then looked at the gleaming yellow shell casings on the ground, and gritted his teeth:

"Ping An, you're right! I was being old-fashioned and narrow-minded! We need to practice! We should practice!"

Zhao Desheng also said emphatically, "Battalion Commander Zhao has considered everything thoroughly! I was too hasty. However..." He hesitated for a moment,

"The ammunition consumption is indeed rapid. Should we... slightly reduce the training volume and reserve more ammunition?"

Seeing that he had persuaded the two, Zhao Ping'an softened his tone: "Of course."

I have developed a detailed training plan, proceeding step by step. Live-fire exercises will be combined with simulated training and weapon disassembly and maintenance.

In addition, I have calculated that each time ammunition is transported, at least half of it should be set aside as a reserve for combat readiness.

The other half is used for training, so that reserves will increase over time and practice won't be neglected.

Upon hearing that half of the ammunition was in reserve, Zhao Dongliang and Zhao Desheng's last remaining concerns were dispelled.

Zhao Dongliang waved his hand dismissively: "Alright! Ping An, you're in full charge of the training! Just tell us what you need! Desheng and I will give you our full support!"

Zhao Desheng nodded in agreement: "Yes! Battalion Commander Zhao, go for it!"

The gunfire on the wasteland became more steady and rhythmic.

"Battalion Commander, Battalion Commander, some villagers have come to ask for help!" Dazhu suddenly ran over from a distance, shouting as he ran!