Chapter 152: Better To Pretend To Be Money Than Honor
“When I went to test the jumping mine for you, I originally planned to casually find an enemy stronghold, but on the way out I ran into the Direct Lineage 217th Regiment’s troops.”
Kong Jie explained, “This Direct Lineage 217th Regiment’s troops were being pursued by the Japanese Invaders, so I used one of the Japanese Invaders’ companies pursuing the Direct Lineage 217th Regiment for the test. Regiment Commander Feng Zhihui of the Direct Lineage 217th Regiment saw that our grenades and jumping mines had good power, and he wants to buy them.”
The Direct Lineage wants to buy our arms?
Li Muzhi perked up at this; he was quite interested.
The rocket launcher is about to be ready.
By then, the combat troops would have the Hell Cannon for heavy artillery and the rocket launcher for light tactical artillery, but the troops still lack medium artillery.
For this medium artillery fire, Li Muzhi directly decided to make their 107 rockets.
The reason the 107 rockets are guerrilla artifacts is mainly because they are very convenient to carry; they don’t need to be pulled by mules like the Hell Cannon, nor do they need a cannon barrel to launch—they just require the soldiers to carry the rockets.
No launcher needed; dig a dirt pit and it’s fine.
No dry battery needed; just use a match to ignite.
Convenient and simple, with mobility not much inferior to the rocket launcher.
And plenty of power.
Of course, to make 107 rockets, the Border Region Arsenal here still lacks key machinery and equipment.
For machinery and equipment like these things, after Officer Yan lost the Taiyuan Arsenal, he became petty.
Wanting to get more equipment and machines from Officer Yan’s side would definitely be difficult.
But it’s different on The Bald One’s side.
When the Japanese Invaders came in, he moved the arsenal to the rear of Shancheng in advance.
In other words, The Bald One’s arsenal didn’t suffer much loss.
The Bald One has vast resources; procuring from his side would definitely be much easier than from Officer Yan.
What?
Regiment Commander Feng Zhihui of the Direct Lineage 217th Regiment is just a regiment commander; can he really get machinery and equipment from him? Is that realistic?
Although this Feng Zhihui is just a small regiment commander, above him there are Direct Lineage brigade commanders, division commanders, and even army commanders.
The Direct Lineage side is so corrupt that they even charge money for military aircraft transmissions. Li Muzhi believes that as long as they put in some effort, adding equipment to their arsenal later won’t be a big deal.
Li Muzhi said to Kong Jie: “You go report this to Minister Zhang and have Minister Zhang communicate with Feng Zhihui’s side. Tell Minister Zhang that grenades can be sold, but jumping mines are not for sale.”
Li Muzhi was too busy with no time to handle this, so he still let Old Zhang Comrade, the professional, negotiate.
Grenades have no technical content; at most, the explosives inside are swapped out.
Even if the Direct Lineage side takes them and analyzes the components, they’ll just discover ammonium nitrate.
They can make that too.
But jumping mines won’t do.
This involves several key technologies, especially the special device to prevent disassembly, which cannot be leaked.
What’s more, their army is now growing strong: three divisions on the surface, but troops already exceeding 300,000 in reality.
Better to keep the jumping mines for their own troops.
“Mm, got it.” Kong Jie nodded.
This jumping mine is so useful; if it were Kong Jie, he wouldn’t want to sell it either.
Kong Jie left, and Li Muzhi lowered his head to continue eating.
Kong Jie was eating in the canteen when halfway through, he saw Old Zhang Comrade coming over.
Old Zhang Comrade was holding a commendation and excitedly heading to Li Muzhi’s office.
This first batch of pots was sent to headquarters, and Old Zhang Comrade got a reward from the headquarters leader—of course, the main credit goes to Li Muzhi.
The commendation on paper is for Li Muzhi.
“Minister Zhang.” Kong Jie quickly called out to Zhang Wanhe.
“Regiment Commander Kong, do you have something?” Zhang Wanhe came up to Kong Jie.
“It’s like this: Regiment Commander Feng Zhihui of the Direct Lineage 217th Regiment wants to buy grenades and jumping mines from us. Factory Director Li said to contact Feng Zhihui; grenades can be sold, but jumping mines are not.” Kong Jie said.
“Why do these Direct Lineage Troops suddenly want to buy our arms?” Zhang Wanhe asked suspiciously.
Because they’re poor, the Direct Lineage side has always looked down on them.
Now, wanting to actively buy their arms is a bit strange.
“Mainly, I used these jumping mines and grenades on the battlefield, and they happened to see.” Kong Jie explained.
“Oh, so that’s it.” Zhang Wanhe nodded, looking at Kong Jie. “Did Xiao Li say anything about the price?”
“No, he didn’t.” Kong Jie shook his head and said, “I think Factory Director Li means for you to set the price.”
Kong Jie thought to himself: After all, when it comes to doing business, you’re the most ruthless… cough, the most professional.
“Good, I got it.” Zhang Wanhe nodded and headed to Li Muzhi’s office.
Kong Jie added: “Minister Zhang, one more thing—I’m telling you in advance, but don’t curse.”
Although Li Muzhi was giving Kong Jie 100 jumping mines, this still had to go through Zhang Wanhe’s accounts.
In other words, it still had to be issued through Zhang Wanhe, the Head of Logistics, so of course he had to greet Old Zhang Comrade in advance.
“What is it?” Zhang Wanhe asked.
“Factory Director Li agreed to give me 100 jumping mines, Minister Zhang, you…” Kong Jie didn’t finish.
Zhang Wanhe glared: “You sneaky Kong Jie, did you badmouth me to Xiao Li again? 100 jumping mines—you’re too greedy; you’re worse than a landlord!”
Earlier, I tolerated Li Muzhi giving you 50 boxes of grenades.
After all, they have enough sugar temporarily to make a lot of grenades.
But now!
Li Muzhi giving you Kong Jie 100 jumping mines—you really don’t treat yourself as an outsider.
Do you know how much explosive each jumping mine has?
Their jumping mines can probably only produce one or two thousand, and you Kong Jie want to take 100—doesn’t that feel hot in your hands?!
Kong Jie knew what kind of person Old Zhang Comrade was, so he wasn’t going to argue here.
Anyway, I told you in advance; if you have issues, go find Factory Director Li.
“Minister Zhang, I’ve finished eating; I gotta hurry to coal mining. I’m off.” Old Kong Comrade quickly wolfed down the remaining half of his meal and slipped away.
“This Kong Jie looks so honest, but he’s so sly underneath!” Watching Kong Jie’s back, Zhang Wanhe couldn’t help cursing. “Li Yunlong that bastard is cunning, and everyone from his squad who came out with him is cunning.”
But Old Zhang Comrade quickly let it go.
Li Muzhi had already spoken, and it was done; no point in saying more.
Besides.
If one day the arsenal really needs Kong Jie, giving him more weapons and ammunition would be securing that.
Zhang Wanhe went to Li Muzhi’s office. Li Muzhi had just quickly finished eating and, seeing Zhang Wanhe come in, asked suspiciously: “Minister Zhang, looking at your expression, did someone piss you off?”
“Xiao Li, next time you want to give stuff to Regiment Commander Kong, discuss it with me first.” Zhang Wanhe still said, “100 jumping mines is really a lot; 50 would be enough. You know our jumping mine production is limited.”
“Heh.” Li Muzhi chuckled and said, “Minister Zhang, think long-term. Maybe the combat troops below will grab a lot more sugar, and then we can produce more jumping mines—you might even think 100 for Kong Jie is too few.”
Once the rocket launcher is ready, won’t Gao Liujin go rob a Japanese military train?
If Gao Liujin gets dog’s luck and that military train has one or two cars of sugar, you’d wake up laughing in your dreams, Old Zhang Comrade.
“Haha, yeah, yeah.” Zhang Wanhe laughed and nodded.
With the rocket launcher, paired with the Hell Cannon.
No doubt, the troops below will soon get more sugar.
Arguing with Kong Jie now does seem a bit petty indeed.
Zhang Wanhe took out the written commendation and handed it to Li Muzhi: “Xiao Li, take a look—this is a commendation order personally signed by the headquarters leader, for you.”
“Minister Zhang, I’ve told you, you don’t need to bring me these things in the future. Manufacturing weapons for the army is just my job.” Though Li Muzhi said this, he still took the commendation order.
After all, it’s signed by the headquarters leader; he couldn’t refuse.
“The honors and recognition you deserve should still go to you.” Zhang Wanhe smiled. “I’m even preparing a big box for you, specially to hold your honors.”
“Minister Zhang, if you have a big box, better use it to hold money.” Li Muzhi said, “The Direct Lineage 217th Regiment wants to buy our arms; you gotta do this business well.”
“Holding money definitely isn’t as good as getting equipment.” Zhang Wanhe looked at Li Muzhi. “Xiao Li, aren’t you planning to exchange grenades for equipment again?”
“Of course I want to.” Li Muzhi nodded, then patiently said, “But the Direct Lineage 217th Regiment is just a regimental unit; we can’t take steps too big at once.”
Li Muzhi of course wanted to get machines and equipment from The Bald One’s side right away, but haste makes waste.
After all, it’s just grenades; they can make them too.
Mainly, first establish initial contact with Feng Zhihui and the Direct Lineage side through this.
Then later contact the big clients in the Direct Lineage upper levels through him.
“Yeah, yeah.” Zhang Wanhe nodded and said, “That works then; we’ll earn some money from them first, then use it to purchase raw materials needed for the arsenal.”
After chatting about this, Zhang Wanhe noticed the bullet casings on the table, picked one up to look, and Zhang Wanhe smiled: “So fast—can bullet casings be made already?”
“Defect rate is still a bit high; the machine needs more debugging.” Li Muzhi explained.
“Bullet production definitely has to happen, but it can’t affect the shoulder-mounted cannon.” Zhang Wanhe said seriously.
Bullets are indeed very important to the troops.
But right now, the shoulder-mounted cannon is most important for the troops.
Gao Liujin’s side is waiting to fire it up.
And Li Yunlong’s people are all waiting to eat.
“Don’t worry, Minister Zhang; it definitely won’t affect the manufacturing of the rocket launcher and rockets.” Li Muzhi nodded.
Rocket launcher?
Rockets?
Zhang Wanhe was stunned: “Names you gave to this shoulder-mounted cannon and cannonballs?”
“The ancients tied a gunpowder tube to the front of an arrow, lit the gunpowder, and the combustion provided energy to propel the arrow—that was called a rocket. My cannonballs use a similar principle; it’s not an arrow but a cannonball, so I call it a rocket. The device to launch rockets, I think calling it a rocket launcher is most fitting, Minister Zhang—unless you have a better…”
Before Li Muzhi finished, Zhang Wanhe waved his hand to interrupt: “Your names are perfect; from now on, we’ll call it the rocket launcher!”
