The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

Seeing that he was about to lose his hiding place, Sasaki Shiro decided to pretend to be a businessman looking for business opportunities in the village and adapt to the situation. Apart from a small amount of money, Sasaki Shiro really didn't know what evidence he had that the investigators could use to their advantage, and he didn't think they could do anything to him.

Unfortunately, Sasaki Shiro overestimated himself. As soon as he emerged, he was immediately pointed at by guns. Although Sasaki Shiro hadn't read the book "An Actor's Self-Education," he immediately feigned nervousness. He spoke fluent Sichuan dialect, seemingly without flaws.

Unfortunately, the PLA didn't believe him at all. They marched him before the entire village, but no one recognized him. The fact that he'd hidden in someone else's pigpen for no apparent reason must have been a sign of something fishy. Before he could offer any explanation, Cao Shengli, a member of the Security Committee for Eliminating Counter-Revolutionaries and Sabotage, arrived.

Cao Shengli went up to him and began to question him, leaving Sasaki Shiro speechless. He made countless contradictory statements. Then, things got easier. After tying Sasaki Shiro up, Cao Shengli took him directly to a farmer's house. He then checked his teeth and other parts of his body to see if there were any hidden places for drugs. If he committed suicide, it would be a waste of time.

Then Cao Shengli stripped Sasaki Shiro naked without saying a word. Any normal person, if they were naked in front of strangers and were stared at, would definitely have emotional fluctuations if they hadn't been strictly trained.

But there was no need to observe these anymore. It was obvious that Sasaki Shiro was not a professional spy. Even after being stripped naked, the dividing line printed by the loincloth inside had not completely disappeared. Cao Shengli grabbed Sasaki Shiro's feet, took off his shoes and took a look. He immediately understood in his heart that this was a little Jap devil.

At this time, Shiro Sasaki already knew that he had been exposed, so he simply shut his mouth and said nothing.

Cao Shengli saw the Japanese devil in front of him, who was determined to die rather than surrender, and sneered. "Since I've been in the Purification Committee, I've never met a person who refused to confess. At first, they all resisted stubbornly, but in the end, they all spilled the beans, wanting to confess their entire family history."

While Zhang Yinghao was meeting with his colleagues, a search report was delivered to him. Initially, he was a bit nonchalant, but the contents left him stunned. Thanks to the public's extensive reports and cooperation, the search yielded a significant harvest. The existence of secret prostitutes—well, Zhang Yinghao could understand that. He didn't even know when prostitution would completely disappear. As long as women crave money and need it, and men need sex, it would always exist.

However, Chengdu uncovered numerous small, private opium dens, along with a significant amount of opium. Small casinos were also discovered. Many gang dens and gangs were raided, and a large number of guns and controlled knives were seized. There were even brief gunfights. A number of spy rings were also busted, and several radio stations were recovered.

These are not the most important things. The most important thing is that we found a list of people who accepted bribes, provided protection for these forces, and even acted as spies, leaking confidential information from the liberated areas.

After reading it, Zhang Yinghao was too lazy to get angry. He just threw the documents to Liu Xudong and the others and asked them to deal with it.

How long had Sichuan been liberated? It already felt like evil spirits were everywhere, and evil was thriving. A term suddenly occurred to Zhang Yinghao: "Strike Hard."

Zhang Yinghao could imagine that Chengdu, where he lived, was facing such big problems now, and other cities might be even worse. If they encountered slightly weaker government leaders, or if the public security organs did not take action, there would inevitably be more crimes, and the people might be threatened and harmed again.

Zhang Yinghao closed his eyes, thinking about the information about the crackdown in his past life. Actually, Zhang Yinghao disliked this kind of campaign-style action, but now it seemed necessary. People tend to be lazy, and so do organizations. Just like machines, if they aren't regularly pricked and used, they will rust and break, and their performance will decline.

It seems that a "severe crackdown" is inevitable; there is no alternative but to strike."

Chapter 565: Second update!

Without a severe crackdown and a swift and decisive campaign—it won't work. Without stimulation, people's spirits will slacken. Without a campaign, it won't work. If the atmosphere becomes chaotic and chaotic, the masses might once again be plunged into dire straits. Furthermore, these evil spirits, these wicked and despicable criminals, cause the greatest harm to the people. Therefore, we must mobilize the masses to launch this severe crackdown campaign, and we must persist in it, ideally every few years. In this cruel era, even a few false and wrongful convictions are nothing to worry about. Once errors are discovered, they should be promptly corrected. This will at least allow more people to live under a clear and bright sky.

Zhang Yinghao made up his mind and opened his eyes. He saw that the comrades present all looked unhappy after reading the materials. They hadn't expected Chengdu to have so many problems; it was something they hadn't anticipated before. However, Zhang Yinghao didn't believe that all the comrades were unaware of these situations. At least the intelligence and public security departments must have known something. However, people are lazy, and based on the idea that less is more, many ugly things were naturally covered up.

Zhang Yinghao was too lazy to pursue past responsibilities. He knocked on the table before speaking: "In the liberated areas, the new government will never allow prostitution, gambling, drugs, and gangsters to run rampant!"

Zhang Yinghao's words set the tone for the meeting, telling the comrades that the next step would be to deal with pornography, gambling, drugs, and gangsters.

Zhang Yinghao continued: "Master Shenxiu once said: Always wipe frequently to avoid dust. We should wash our faces every day, no matter whether they are clean or not, and we also promote frequent hand washing. Our hair needs to be trimmed when it grows long. The house we live in, no matter whether it is clean or not, needs to be cleaned every few days. When we first conquered Sichuan, we swept away all the evil spirits and monsters, and the liberated areas became clean. But these evil spirits, evil spirits, and evildoers will continue to breed, and now it is becoming dirty again. We all know that the house needs to be cleaned and the face needs to be washed. By analogy, these evil spirits, evil spirits, and monsters naturally need to be constantly cleared, and they need to be cleared regularly. It is not a cleansing once and then there will be no more in the future. This is an absolutely wrong idea.

So many problems have been uncovered in Chengdu this time. If we were unaware of them, we would be disconnected from the people. If some of us knew about them but ignored them, allowing them to continue to spread among the people, then we are not serving the people. Since there is already an abscess in the wound, we cannot hide it and allow it to continue to invade healthy tissue. Instead, we should squeeze the abscess and burst it, so that the wound can heal as quickly as possible..."

Zhang Yinghao had been in class for half a day, then had to flee and kill. His adrenaline was high, and after that, he had a blast. Now he was feeling a wave of fatigue. He took a sip of warm water with sugar in it, and then, forcing himself to ask, "Do you know about these situations in Chengdu?"

Seeing no one answer, Zhang Yinghao continued: "This is what is called bureaucracy. Being an 'official' doesn't mean you're high and mighty. Besides, we're not officials, we're public servants, serving the people. Humph! I don't care whether you knew this before or not, but now you know it, but what you should know more clearly is..."

Zhang Yinghao paused here, then continued word by word: "The people of Chengdu are all aware of this. If evil forces appear in a place and the people tolerate them while the government does nothing, the evil forces will become more and more rampant, and eventually the people will lose confidence in our new government. Revolution, revolution! If the people feel that our new government is no longer viable, they will also rise up to overthrow us, understand? Therefore, we must quickly eradicate the evil spirits that are breeding in the local area, improve social order, and enable the people to establish absolute confidence in the new regime. What do we rely on to combat evil forces? It is the support of the people, the strong state machinery, and the people's sovereign dictatorship. Only evil spirits can behave themselves and not be allowed to speak or act recklessly. If they do, they will be sanctioned and suppressed immediately.

The Chengdu residents have taken the initiative to participate and report this incident, which is great. However, if we fail to properly handle these matters, delay and neglect them, or even allow these people to remain at large or even retaliate against the people, we will hurt the people's hearts, and this is something our Progressive Party will absolutely not tolerate."

Zhang Yinghao slammed his hand on the table and said, "I'll give you two days to compile the information. Then, starting with Chengdu as a pilot, we'll expand this plan throughout our liberated areas. Party members, cadres, and public security officers will personally mobilize the masses to actively expose and report crimes, and severely crack down on illegal and criminal activities. Those who commit numerous crimes, such as bullies, secret society leaders, and extremely resentful local thugs and gangsters, will all be resolutely suppressed. Those who can be spared should be sentenced to severe, swift, and strict prison sentences, or handed over to the public for supervision and reformed through labor until the people are satisfied. The minimum goal is that after one operation, these evildoers will be completely eliminated within a short period of time. The people will be able to leave their doors unlocked at night, stop picking up things on the streets, and no longer worry about their safety..."

When Zhang Yinghao returned home from the meeting, Xue'er immediately jumped up and threw herself into Zhang Yinghao's arms: "Ah Hao, are you okay? I was so worried about you! Wuuuuuu..."

Zhang Yinghao felt Xue'er's soft body, and Li Guihong's image emerged in his mind. He quickly picked up Xue'er, spun her around twice, and said, "It's okay, it's okay, don't worry. I'm just very hungry now. I know you're worried, so I came back after the meeting."

"Yeah, it's ready. I'm making the soup now and it'll be ready soon." "Okay, I'll go take a shower first, then eat and take a nap. I'm really tired today."

"Yeah, hold me for a little longer!" "Okay! Hold me for a little longer!"

Zhang Yinghao also hugged Xue'er tightly. After holding her for a while, and making sure that Zhang Yinghao was fine, Xue'er's emotions were finally released, and her heart calmed down. She was a little reluctant to leave Zhang Yinghao's arms.

Suddenly, Xueer started sniffing around and said, "Hey! What's that smell on you?"

Zhang Yinghao felt a little guilty when he heard this. Damn, he had worked out with Li Guihong and hadn't showered yet. He must have the lingering scent of Li Guihong on him. And now he was still naked down there, with his underwear still in his briefcase!

Zhang Yinghao now understood how sharp a woman's nose was and how accurate her intuition was. He gave a dry laugh and said, "Today, I ran into a rouge and powder shop to escape, and even stole a dress from one of your women's shops. I only managed to escape after putting on makeup, so I smell a bit of rouge and powder."

"Oh, then you should bring more guards with you when you go out next time. It's too dangerous." "I know. Alas, all the guards protecting me died. I also forgot to bring my gun today, otherwise the situation might have been much better. Anyway, I won't allow such a thing to happen again. Don't worry, these petty thieves can't kill me. Where's my mother?"

"Mom went back to work when she heard you were okay, and asked me to stay with you longer."

Zhang Yinghao immediately understood. "Uh, okay, let's talk about it after dinner. What kind of soup is that? It smells so good."

"Old hen, and put two ginseng roots in it."

"Okay, then I'll drink a bowl of hot soup first to fill my stomach. You can add some wolfberries or something later to replenish my body."

Originally, Zhang Yinghao was planning to take a cold shower, but when he heard that he might have to pay taxes tonight, he dared not take a cold shower. He decided to take a hot shower to relax and recover his strength and energy. Otherwise, it would be bad if he was weak. Zhang Yinghao was young, so he drank a bowl of chicken soup, took a bath to relax, and stimulated his little brother, which made him more motivated. Zhang Yinghao breathed a sigh of relief, put on his clothes and pants with peace of mind, and went out to eat. However, Zhang Yinghao had already made up his mind. In order to save energy, he would only do the Guanyin sitting lotus position today. If Xueer didn't work hard and got tired, it would not be his fault if he didn't get the essence out, hehe!

However, Zhang Yinghao still broke his promise. When Xue'er finally fell helplessly on top of him, Zhang Yinghao still held Xue'er and thrust his butt up and down repeatedly, finally coming. However, Zhang Yinghao did not let Xue'er leave again, and fell asleep in his arms.

Chapter 566: Third update!

After two days of preparation, Zhang Yinghao convened another meeting and pointed out that all current serious criminal offenses must be severely punished, and the sentences and executions must be strict, severe, and swift. Mobilizing the people to expose and expose crimes is the key to success. Severe crackdowns are to strengthen the Party and state's functions and powers, and this is dictatorship...

After saying that, Zhang Yinghao picked up the pen and signed his name on the document "On Severely Cracking Down on the Activities of Criminal Offenders in Accordance with the Law", which was to formally issue the order for a severe crackdown.

At the same time, the Central Committee of the Forward Party issued a document stating that if criminal elements were not eliminated, the liberated areas would face the dilemma of fighting on two fronts, and the fruits of our revolutionary victory would not be consolidated.... The movement emphasized that under the unified leadership of the Party committee, relevant departments, including the Party, government, and military, would work together to temporarily transfer the authority to impose the death penalty to county and district courts, allowing Party committee leaders at the same level to directly decide on the imposition of the death penalty.

Zhang Yinghao, feeling somewhat pressured by the first crackdown, once again bluntly stated: "Serious criminals should be treated as enemies and contradictions. We must ensure the safety of the greatest number of people; this is humanitarianism. We must strictly abide by the law and crack down on serious public security crimes such as organized crime, violence, and theft with severity, severity, and swiftness." This crackdown will also emphasize both rectification and remediation, building factories and promoting employment. While combating crime, we will focus on addressing the underlying causes of crime, addressing both the symptoms and the root causes. The goal is to fundamentally improve the current dire public security situation in the liberated areas...

The public security organs also immediately stated: We will always adhere to the policy of severe crackdowns and carry out in-depth crackdown and rectification operations, severely crack down on all kinds of serious violent crimes in accordance with the law, strictly strengthen social security management, resolutely curb all kinds of prominent crimes, ensure the continued stability of the overall social security situation, and strive to create a good social security environment...

Many places had just been liberated, and social order was still very chaotic. However, in places like Sichuan and Shaanxi, order had long been relatively stable. However, Zhang Yinghao didn't care whether the two lakes regions had just been liberated or not. In Zhang Yinghao's view, there were two types of enemies. One was external enemies, who were openly armed and could be identified as enemies at a glance.

Then there are internal enemies, who are actually worse and more terrifying than external enemies. They corrupt social morality, undermine public order, and undermine public morale from within. Just like the later generations of "touching porcelain" scams and those who are afraid to help an elderly person who has fallen, these people destroy the morale of society.

With Chengdu as a pilot city, upon a single command, the Party organization, the Safety Committee for Eliminating Counter-Revolutionaries and Work Sabotage, and the public security, procuratorial, and judicial systems sprang into action. Meetings were held in accordance with the central government's directives, and criminals were apprehended through methods such as mobilizing the public to report them. At the same time, various criminals held in prisons were paraded through the streets, subjected to public criticism and subsequently executed or sent to labor camps.

Now in this position, Zhang Yinghao increasingly feels that the law is merely a tool of the ruling class. It's sufficient to employ these laws in ordinary situations, but they're no longer applicable during campaigns like crackdowns. Of course, since laws are made by humans, they inevitably evolve based on their needs. Those who believe that laws are immutable or that they must be obeyed by everyone are suffering from the poison of the law.

The ruling class, or rulers, enact laws that serve their own interests. When laws no longer serve the interests of the ruling class, they are either abolished or amended. Laws serve as a standard and baseline for the behavior of the people. However, when people fail to abide by a particular law, it indicates that the law is outdated. Therefore, laws are constantly changing in the midst of struggle.

Liu Wenyi currently works at a state-owned machine repair shop, and his monthly salary is quite high. However, Liu Wenyi is a picky eater, enjoying delicious food and drinks, and can't control his appetite. With parents to support, he barely has any money left each month. When he's short on cash, he starts to think of illicit ways to make money, targeting the factory's scrap materials and iron and steel.

That day, someone from the public security agency came to the machine repair shop to inquire about Liu Wenyi's situation. The supervisor had a good impression of Liu Wenyi and said, "Comrade police officer, Liu Wenyi has taken leave today. He's a very good employee in our factory. He works very hard and learns things quickly."

"Oh, did you know he was stealing things from the factory and selling them?"

"Ah? I don't know about that. He looks like a very honest person, so it shouldn't be that way, right?"

It turned out that today, while on patrol, the police saw people throwing scrap metal out of the wall next to the factory, and there were people outside to help. The police approached to question them, but the people immediately ran away. In the end, some of them escaped, while others were arrested. Among those arrested, one confessed that Liu Wenyi, who was in the factory, was their accomplice and the thief, so the police immediately came to the factory to arrest him.

Based on their accounts, the other escapees were also apprehended. Interrogation revealed that they were a criminal gang specializing in theft, and that they were all repeat offenders. Liu Wenxiu had stolen items from the factory more than once. The items in the factory belonged to the state, representing state-owned assets, so the consequences were extremely serious.

Watching the police escort Liu Wenyi away, the supervisor muttered to himself, "Why bother? I'm not starving in this factory, so why would I do such sneaky things? I'm definitely going to jail."

Unfortunately, this supervisor didn't realize that, under normal circumstances, these individuals would likely have served a few years in prison before being released. However, the crackdown order had already been issued, and many places even had targets for how many criminals to execute. After the interrogation was complete and no objections were raised, the court quickly handed down its verdict. With the exception of two younger individuals who were sentenced to forced labor, the remaining criminals were dealt with severely and swiftly, receiving the death penalty.

Then the supervisor saw Liu Wenyi in the parade, and a few days later he heard that Liu Wenyi had been shot.

Although the crackdown was a temporary measure, and although some false and wrongful convictions were inevitable, which temple was free of ghosts of those who died unjustly? Furthermore, the crackdown had a very immediate and effective effect on public order and regulating people's behavior. After all, during countless parades, countless children would ask their parents: Why were these people arrested?

"These people are bad people. They did bad things, so they were arrested. When you grow up, you must not do bad things, otherwise you will also be arrested and paraded through the streets, understand?"

“I know. I want to be a good person.”

Similar conversations are common among the crowd.

The most important location for this crackdown is the train station. Pickpockets and thugs are the most common in train stations, and many people are afraid to sleep there, fearing their luggage will disappear if they do. As for lost wallets, reports are frequent.

Shortly after Sichuan's train service opened, organized crime gangs emerged near the train station. This crackdown involved the deployment of armed police forces, who conducted large-scale inspections of nearby venues. In addition to pickpockets, they also apprehended numerous prostitutes, as well as guns, controlled knives, and clubs.

These situations have also occurred at the docks. This crackdown has apprehended more than one so-called "boss" who thrive on the water. These individuals have begun to define their own spheres of influence, forming the embryonic form of a mafia organization, and ultimately, they will not be able to escape the iron fist of the proletarian dictatorship.

The most important issue here is the crime of hooliganism, a crime that has resulted in numerous punishments for numerous individuals. This was a temporary offense created by Zhang Yinghao to encourage women to work. Zhang Yinghao knew this crime wouldn't last long, but it was necessary and effective. It protected women and instilled fear in countless men, who even had to be extremely cautious about finding a partner during the crackdown.

With the experience gained from the Chengdu crackdown, the campaign quickly spread to other parts of the liberated areas. To the newly liberated provinces, the Party Central Committee issued the "Instructions on Suppressing Bandits and Establishing a New Revolutionary Order" and the "Instructions on Suppressing Counter-Revolutionary Activities," emphasizing that bandit leaders, habitual criminals, bullies, spies, and leaders of reactionary secret societies who committed heinous crimes and remained stubborn must be resolutely suppressed and punished according to law.

—Bullets fired, lives ended. Especially in the recently liberated provinces of Hunan, Jiangxi, Guangxi, and Shanxi, a severe crackdown mobilized the masses, more thoroughly exposed the evil nature of the reactionary forces, educated the broad masses of workers and peasants, accelerated the demise of the old system, and tempered the Progressive Party and the People's Liberation Army, greatly strengthening the Progressive Party's control over the local areas and significantly accelerating the progress of land reform and other work.

The crackdown campaign, which began in June 1905, was both vigorous and thorough, thanks to the correct principles and methods formulated by Zhang Yinghao, who personally led the entire Party. This campaign was ultimately conducted in a healthy and smooth manner. A number of bandits, bullies, and feudal remnants with blood debts and immense public outrage were suppressed. Through this struggle, the remaining counter-revolutionary forces of the three major enemies—imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucratic capitalism—were largely eliminated in the liberated areas, the political apparatus was purified, the fighting capacity of the Forward Party was greatly enhanced, numerous hidden dangers were eliminated, and social order was stabilized.

Even more important, this fierce struggle greatly raised the consciousness and organizational level of the broad masses of the people, greatly consolidated the people's democratic dictatorship, strengthened and purified the people's political power at the grassroots level, and created an unprecedented situation of social stability and tranquility.

Chapter 567: Never forget the national humiliation!

Zhang Yinghao knew that these crackdowns were only temporary measures. In an era without widespread surveillance, even under the sun's rays, darkness was omnipresent and would continue to grow. To address this problem, development and education were essential. However, without decades of accumulation, neither development nor education could fundamentally transform China's current state. For the next two or three decades, China would still rely on its vast population of illiterate and semi-literate people to build the country.

Zhang Yinghao knew that after the first decade of the 21st century, or rather, after China's universities expanded enrollment and these graduates entered the workforce in large numbers, the overall quality of the nation's population had indeed improved dramatically. Practicalities like spitting, urinating, and smoking had essentially disappeared. Perhaps it was because the older, uneducated generation had left the stage of history, with the lowest level of education being junior high school and college graduates everywhere, that this new generation had directly raised the quality of the nation's population.

With the subsequent establishment of the Skynet surveillance system and the rise of mobile payments, the number of criminal cases nationwide has plummeted. Homicide cases are now solved, and street crimes and burglaries are virtually unheard of.

Zhang Yinghao knew it was pointless to overthink things now, but he also knew the liberated areas would inevitably experience peaks in crime. Just like the early days of reform and opening up in his previous life, gangs flourished nationwide, especially after the release of the Hong Kong Young and Dangerous film series, which brought widespread chaos to the streets. Motorcycle robberies were rampant throughout the country, especially in the Shenzhen Special Administrative Region, and there were also numerous homicides that shocked the nation. Therefore, Zhang Yinghao had decided that the liberated areas must maintain a high-pressure security posture and regularly crack down on those who disrupted public order.

After signing the crackdown order, Zhang Yinghao continued to work on documents when he stumbled upon a report on a weapon test on an aircraft. The report stated that a machine gun mounted on the aircraft had accidentally struck the propeller, causing it to break and leading to the crash. Although the pilot and machine gunner had both parachuted out in time and escaped unscathed, a valuable aircraft had been lost.

Zhang Yinghao frowned, suddenly remembering that the current machine guns installed on the plane require one person to stand up and stick his head out to shoot alone. If the reaction is not timely when turning the machine gun, it is indeed very easy to hit the fuselage, and hitting the propeller is also very normal.

This is also why aircraft at this time were not very useful in actual combat. Engine production had not yet broken through the bottleneck, power was still too small, and bomb load was very limited. Aircraft were still considered toys by the great powers. Capitalists invested their funds in emerging industries such as automobiles and energy to make profits, so they did not pay much attention to aircraft. The first air battles were pilots shooting at each other with pistols in the plane.

What makes airplanes the rulers of the sky? What makes airplanes the deciding factor in modern warfare and one of the protagonists? What gives airplanes their powerful air combat capabilities? Some say it is the heart of the airplane - the engine; others say it was the demand of World War I that stimulated the development of airplanes; others say it was a large number of aerospace enthusiasts who promoted the development of airplanes... If Zhang Yinghao were asked to give an answer, it would be the shooting synchronization coordinator between the machine gun and the airplane.

For a modern aircraft to engage in aerial combat, it requires at least two people: a pilot and a gunner. This requires a large aircraft, and naturally a significantly larger tonnage. Furthermore, since shooting requires one person to stand up and stick their head out of the aircraft to pull the trigger, this greatly increases the difficulty of aircraft design and manufacturing, significantly limiting its development.

However, if an aircraft is equipped with a firing synchronization coordinator, then heavy firepower such as machine guns can be equipped without the need for a second or third person to control them. The pilot can simply press a button to control the machine gun fire. This completely frees up the design and manufacturing of aircraft, freeing them from constraints and allowing them to fly freely. This has led to the rapid development of aircraft.

The theory of the gun coordinator was originally developed in Russia in 1911 and France in 1912. It became world-famous during World War I, thanks to the "Fokker disaster" caused by the German Fokker fighter plane. The gun coordinator's principle is simple but ingenious. It uses the rotation of the aircraft's propeller to control machine gun fire. The bullet's flight time is calculated based on the bullet's velocity and the distance from the propeller. The gun coordinator controls the propeller's rotation to a certain point, firing the bullet precisely through the gap between the two blades, avoiding contact with the propeller. This simple design instantly gave aircraft a powerful aerial combat capability, solved numerous design and manufacturing challenges, and cleared the way for further aircraft development.

However, because the propeller rotates at such a high speed, the requirements for the machine gun and the bullet are even higher. The bullet, in particular, must be precisely timed from the moment it is fired to the moment it passes through the propeller, requiring extreme precision and accuracy. This is no ordinary fixed-charge bullet; the requirements for the primer and propellant are even higher. Zhang Yinghao currently doesn't know if his arsenal is capable of mass-producing such precision bullets. However, Zhang Yinghao has already raised the issue and stated the requirements. Whether or not such a machine gun and bullet can be produced is not Zhang Yinghao's concern; that is a matter for the technical staff.

Zhang Yinghao immediately sent for Feng Ru and Liu Qingen, a technical genius in firearms design and manufacturing. He explained the principles and requirements of the firing synchronization coordinator to them, even drawing a rough diagram. Finally, he said, "If we design and manufacture this synchronization coordinator and machine gun, our aircraft will be able to increase its ammunition load by at least several dozen kilograms, greatly improving its aerial combat capability. Therefore, this is of paramount importance. You should treat this matter as the most important task and resolve it as soon as possible."

"Yes!"

"We will also address material issues as quickly as possible, improve precision, and ensure the production of qualified machine guns and bullets."

"Very good. We were originally an agricultural country, and industry did not arise spontaneously here. We did not go through the process of spontaneous industrial development, so we are now lagging behind. Now we can only actively pursue industrial development and take the initiative to design and develop an entire industrial system. The charm of a system lies in its proactive progress. Our current system is incomplete and its categories are not comprehensive, so it cannot proactively progress very quickly. Now the entire liberated area revolves around the war, and every enterprise is inextricably linked to the arsenal. Therefore, I hope that our arsenal can take the lead, carry out technological innovation, take the lead in actively pursuing higher precision requirements, improve production efficiency, manufacture new machines, replace old machines, and drive the upgrade of the entire system."

"I understand."

"While upgrading is certainly an option, existing production cannot be halted. It would be best to start from scratch, building a new factory or production line, and ensuring that quality and quantity are maintained..."

At this point, Zhang Yinghao felt like his words were wasting time, as the two people before him had no business dealing with this. So he immediately said, "Is there anything else you don't understand about this shooting synchronization coordinator?"

"Nothing."

Zhang Yinghao nodded and said, "Comrade Feng Ru, what's the status of aircraft engines now? Can they be mass-produced and industrialized? How many pilots have we trained? We don't have warships. In the future, we can only rely on coastal artillery and aircraft to defend our homeland and prevent attacks from the sea. Airships are too slow and cannot accomplish the arduous task of defending our homeland. Airplanes are necessary. So we don't need dozens of aircraft, but hundreds or even thousands."

"Chairman, we have made progress. At our current speed, we can produce two aircraft in a month, instead of forty days. However, this number is only enough for training and testing..."

"Can't we build multiple aircraft at once, like on an assembly line?"

"It's still a labor problem. There are still too few skilled workers, and many jobs are beyond the capabilities of ordinary workers."

"Has the school been built? We can train whatever workers we need."

"It has been built and has already enrolled students. When the students finish their studies, they can start working directly."

Zhang Yinghao nodded and said, "We built quite a few technical schools after the liberation of Sichuan. You can entrust these schools with the training of whatever workers you need, or you can directly recruit people from these schools and train them. This will also save time. Um...how about the engine?"

"Chairman, our technicians have successfully trial-produced 75% of the engine's components. However, there are still seven or eight major components, such as the crankshaft and propeller shaft, that have yet to be successfully completed. In particular, there is a significant lack of technical information regarding metallurgy, thermal processing techniques, and metallurgical standards. This means that many domestic materials currently do not meet the standards, forcing us to purchase them from abroad. At the same time, we need to dissect some actual engines to find solutions. After all, aircraft engines are a completely new type of engine. Of course, we will focus on the major components. While ensuring trial production, we will also concentrate our research efforts on overcoming technical challenges such as quenching and tempering treatment, mechanical property testing, magnetic flaw detection, grain size inspection, local carburization of the distributor cam, and local gas nitriding of the crankshaft gears for the crankshaft and propeller shaft. We will definitely overcome these challenges as soon as possible and complete the design for industrial production."

Zhang Yinghao got a headache hearing all these technical terms; he didn't understand anything. He said, "Okay, no rush! Even if we can produce a fully qualified engine that can be industrialized within eight or ten years, that's fine. However, we must completely domesticate all aircraft engines. We can't let foreign countries strangle us. Otherwise, if war breaks out, we're doomed. If you need any information now, buy as much as you can, then send it to the laboratory for research and then manufacture it. The great powers are completing their monopoly, and economic crises are frequent, causing many factories to close down. If you need any information, talk to the comrades in the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Industry, and buy as much as you can..."

Zhang Yinghao wondered how long it would take if the great powers now understood the importance of aircraft and began to fully research and produce them. And how high would the production be? But Zhang Yinghao knew that at the start of World War II, Britain had fewer than fifty aircraft. But just three years later, at the Battle of Cambrai on November 20, 1917, the British deployed over 1000 aircraft. This meant Britain was producing at least 11 aircraft annually—a stark contrast to the scale of its industry. Even with his desperate efforts to develop industry, Zhang Yinghao still lagged far behind these traditional, established industrial powers. During World War II, the United States initially took three months to produce a single bomber. However, at its peak in the latter stages, it could produce one in just four days. And because it operated on an assembly line, one aircraft rolled off the line every hour—a terrifying pace. Think about it again, China went through three years of the War of Liberation after World War II. It was really poor and weak to the extreme. It was no match for the United States. No wonder the Americans thought that China dared not send troops into North Korea. But it is precisely because of this that it further illustrates the greatness and hardship of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea.

Chapter 568: Second update!

After seeing off Liu Qingen and Feng Ru, Zhang Yinghao gathered all the comrades from the industrial sector for a meeting. Actually, calling it a meeting isn't quite right; it should be called a simple training session. When Zhang Yinghao entered the conference room, he saw the leaders already there. Without further ado, Zhang Yinghao distributed the three documents he had previously written: "Trial Wartime Investment and Construction Model," "Trial Wartime Production Model," and "Trial Optimized Production Model."

These three documents took Zhang Yinghao a lot of effort to write. Why is it a trial run? Naturally, the content needs to be adjusted accordingly based on the actual situation. After all, Zhang Yinghao himself did not study engineering management or industrial design and manufacturing, and he has never personally managed a factory. There are bound to be many problems, so it can only be a trial run.

After the comrades had briefly reviewed the document, Zhang Yinghao first expressed his dissatisfaction with industrial development, stating bluntly: "Sichuan is known as the Land of Abundance, with abundant resources. This allows for a small internal circulation and the establishment of a small industrial system. However, our overall industrial development is still too slow. The great powers have been developing their industries for two or three hundred years. If we continue to lag behind them, developing step by step, we will only be left lagging behind. The great powers are currently transitioning from free capitalism to monopoly capitalism. Domestic conflicts are acute, and economic crises are frequent. Many factories are struggling or closing down. This presents a prime opportunity for us to buy at the bottom... Emerging technologies like the internal combustion engine and electricity are also booming, giving us a golden opportunity to catch up and overtake others. Therefore, our industrial sector must take a long-term view, plan ahead according to our technology tree, and develop industry at all costs, so that our country can complete a series of industrial developments as quickly as possible. Remember, at all costs..."

After Zhang Yinghao's criticism, he continued, "Okay, the past is the past. Next, I will briefly explain these three documents. We will gradually put them into practice, summarize the lessons learned, and contribute to our accelerated construction. When we built the factory before..."

"Trial Wartime Investment and Construction Model" is Zhang Yinghao's work, drawing on the mature experience of the Soviet Union's eastward industrial relocation during the German invasion. Speed ​​was the most fundamental requirement for factories relocating eastward at that time. Over 1,500 large Soviet factories relocated eastward, most of which were rebuilt in Siberia and Central Asia and resumed production within six months. For the liberated areas, this experience holds countless lessons to draw upon. For the current liberated areas, time is more precious than gold.

Generally speaking, building a large machinery plant alone would take a year and a half. However, if the Soviet wartime model were adopted, the plant's location, size, and layout would be determined first. Then, several, even dozens, of construction teams would work simultaneously. While the plant was being built, the foundation was compacted and the flooring laid. Immediately thereafter, all the necessary machinery and equipment would be installed and commissioned. These tasks were carried out completely simultaneously and around the clock. This way, while parts of the plant were still under construction, some machinery could already be in production. A plant that previously would have taken at least two years to build could be built in just six months using the wartime model, significantly reducing construction time.

However, such wartime investment and construction required a sophisticated design and layout, comprehensive planning, and the coordination of multiple departments. Due to the tight timeline, many problems could arise, hence the term "wartime investment and construction model," which meant building the factory at all costs. While there might be considerable waste and even a number of unfinished projects, for the liberated areas today, it was undoubtedly worthwhile.

Simply put, the "Trial Wartime Production Model" means that all production and construction work will be conducted on a wartime basis. Every construction site and every factory will operate on a nearly 24-hour schedule, meaning machines will operate without interruption, with workers working in three or two shifts. This will not only produce more products but also create more workers, solving more employment problems...

The "Trial Implementation of Optimized Production Models" was the most complex, addressing refined management. Zhang Yinghao drew upon the content of the previous "Anshan Constitution," a set of fundamental principles for modern enterprise management summarized by Anshan Iron and Steel. The Constitution's key elements included strengthening Party leadership, initiating technological revolutions, promoting mass movements, and implementing the "two participations, one reform, and three combinations" approach: cadre participation in labor, worker participation in management, reforming irrational rules and regulations, integrating workers, leading cadres, and technicians, upholding political leadership, and implementing the factory director responsibility system under the leadership of the Party committee. These principles became a crucial reference for industrial reform and management in my country during the early stages of industrialization, possessing profound historical significance and practical value. Of course, Zhang Yinghao modified the concept of promoting mass movements into reforms involving all workers in the production process...