Chapter 142: Did You Read All Those Books To Feed The Dog?!
Li Muzhi trained the manpower in advance.
So, after the locomotive’s parts were disassembled and returned, Li Muzhi could immediately direct the manpower to assemble the parts.
The original locomotive doesn’t need to be changed, because it still produces heat by burning coal.
The heat makes the water boil to produce steam, and then the steam provides mechanical power.
The power provided by this steam can be directly used on machinery.
Because this originally belongs to mechanical power.
But wanting to use it in the iron smelting plant won’t work.
The iron smelting plant’s main energy comes from electricity!
So, we must get a larger generator, connect the generator to the steam power, and convert the mechanical energy produced by the steam into electricity.
This way, the excess steam power won’t be wasted, but will be converted into electrical energy.
Fortunately, Li Yunlong snatched back enough copper wire, and Li Muzhi had already prepared a larger generator in advance.
As for the locomotives of the two armored trains, set them aside for now without moving them.
Wait until this locomotive’s power modification is completed, then handle them.
Li Muzhi led the people in bustling with activity. Whether it was the arsenal’s workers or Old Lu and those few big shots, they were all full of vigor.
During the assembly process, Li Muzhi kept explaining to them and instilling a lot of new knowledge.
This elevated Li Muzhi’s image in their hearts even more, and questions followed:
“Factory Director, how do you know so much? We’ve never even heard of these things before.”
“Factory Director, did you learn all this by yourself?”
“Factory Director Li, I feel like even as a physics department graduate student, I can’t match even a bit of your knowledge.”
……
“The sea of learning is boundless. I was fortunate to have read a few books that circulated in from abroad, so I know a bit more.”
Li Muzhi naturally couldn’t reveal his transmigrator identity, his tone carrying regret: “It’s just a pity that due to the chaos of war, those books weren’t preserved. Otherwise, I would definitely show them to you.”
“No problem, aren’t all the things from those books stored in Factory Director’s mind? This is also a form of preservation!”
……
“Factory Director, Regimental Commander Li and the others are back.”
Li Muzhi was leading people in bustling assembly of the machines when someone excitedly ran over. “Regimental Commander Li and the others said they snatched some things, don’t know what they are, and want you to come quickly to see what they are.”
“You all continue assembling according to my instructions.” Li Muzhi said to Lao He and the few big-shot talents, “If you encounter any problems in the middle, don’t assemble randomly for now; notify me in time!”
Li Muzhi had already instilled the concepts into them, but actual operation and concepts were completely two different things.
These parts are all very important; none of them can be damaged.
“Got it, Factory Director, go ahead with your business.” Lao He and the others nodded and continued assembling the machines.
Only then did Li Muzhi step out of the assembly workshop and arrive in the yard outside the arsenal.
Besides Li Yunlong, Ding Wei, and Gao Liujin, Li Muzhi also saw an Eighth Route Army officer wearing glasses who looked refined and scholarly.
His clothes weren’t as dirty as Li Yunlong’s; he had cleaned himself up spotlessly, with his beard shaved clean too. Overall, he gave a completely different impression from Li Yunlong and the others.
Didn’t know who this was.
Seeing Li Muzhi come out, Li Yunlong immediately grinned and sidled up: “Younger Brother Li, come take a quick look at what Elder Brother brought back. It better not be worthless junk.”
We finally got the chance to attack Yuehua Station. If the things we snatched aren’t valuable, that would be a big joke.
Li Yunlong immediately had someone bring over a bit of sample and place it in front of Li Muzhi.
Li Muzhi shifted his gaze from this clean Eighth Route Army officer to the item in front of him.
Li Muzhi saw that this thing was white granules. He pinched a bit and smelled it; no odor.
Li Muzhi carefully tasted a bit; it had a salty and cooling sensation.
Li Muzhi’s expression became joyful: “Regimental Commander Li, this isn’t worthless junk; this is potassium nitrate.”
Potassium nitrate is an inorganic compound, commonly known as saltpeter.
Speaking of this saltpeter, some might not understand.
But put it another way, and everyone would definitely understand.
Isn’t there a classic meme in later generations: one saltpeter, two sulfur, three charcoal, add some sugar for the big Ivan!
This “one saltpeter” refers exactly to potassium nitrate!
This is an important raw material for manufacturing gunpowder and explosives.
“What’s potassium nitrate?” Li Yunlong, this uneducated rough fellow, naturally hadn’t heard such a professional chemical name.
It was Liu Weidong who said from the side: “This is an important raw material for making gunpowder.”
“Get lost, scholar. I didn’t ask you.” Li Yunlong rolled his eyes and turned to look at Li Muzhi. “Younger Brother Li, look at all this potassium nitrate I brought back. What can you exchange for it?”
“Do you want grenades or Hell Cannon shells?” Li Muzhi asked.
Although the exact quantity of potassium nitrate brought back by Li Yunlong’s troops hadn’t been counted yet.
But at a glance, it wasn’t a small amount.
As for that bespectacled Eighth Route Army officer actually knowing that potassium nitrate is an important raw material for making gunpowder, this made Li Muzhi a bit curious about his identity.
It seemed this person knew a bit about gunpowder knowledge.
“Little brother, Elder Brother trusts you. Just give whatever you think is right.” Li Yunlong had been shortchanged here before. If he specified a number in advance, it would probably be said to be too little, so he pushed the question back to Li Muzhi.
“How about this, Regimental Commander Li: put this batch into storage first. I’ll have someone count it, then settle with you. Sound good?” Li Muzhi said to Li Yunlong.
“Sure, that works. I trust your character, little brother.” Li Yunlong nodded.
Li Muzhi called someone over to immediately count and store it.
Li Muzhi was just about to talk to that clean Eighth Route Army officer when Ding Wei sidled up: “Factory Director Li, look at this paint I brought back. What kind of paint is it?”
Gao Liujin on the side held his breath and didn’t speak.
Li Yunlong snatched back this potassium nitrate, which is an important raw material for making gunpowder.
If this paint of mine isn’t valuable, we’ve been arguing with Li Yunlong all the way back, and it would all be for nothing?
Wouldn’t that be humiliating!
So, Gao was very nervous, not daring to breathe.
Ding Wei had someone bring over a bucket of paint and place it in front of Li Muzhi.
Li Muzhi opened it and checked; soon he was pleasantly surprised: “Regimental Commander Ding, this is also good stuff.”
“So what is it?” Before Ding Wei could speak, Gao Liujin blurted out like he was snatching.
Hahaha!
Confirmed it’s good stuff, so our argument with Li Yunlong wasn’t in vain.
The stone in Gao’s heart immediately dropped.
“This is sealing paint.” Li Muzhi answered.
Sealing paint?
Gao Liujin scratched his head and exchanged a glance with Li Yunlong; clearly neither had heard the term.
Gao Liujin couldn’t help asking: “Could it be paint from bees?”
Li Yunlong cursed: “Gao Liujin, you ignorant bastard, don’t spout nonsense in front of me. Standing with you lowers my cultural level!”
Bee paint? Bees only shit bee poop; where’s any bee paint!
Gao Liujin retorted: “Cut it out, Li Yunlong. Don’t inflate yourself. With your cultural level, is there even room to decline?”
“Stop arguing, both of you.” Ding Wei interrupted them and looked at Li Muzhi: “Factory Director Li, just tell us what this stuff is used for.”
Ding Wei hadn’t heard of sealing paint either, so he let Li Muzhi explain.
Before Li Muzhi could speak, Liu Weidong on the side said: “Sealing paint, as the name suggests, is paint for sealing. Why do the bullets from our Border Region Manufacturing get damp and don’t shoot far? It’s because there’s no sealing. This sealing paint is specifically for sealing the gap between the shell casing and the bullet, right, Factory Director Li?”
“Yes, exactly. And this is…” Li Muzhi looked at the man, with a bit more surprise in his eyes. He hadn’t expected this person to know about sealing paint.
“Hello, I’m Liu Weidong from the 115th Division’s New Third Regiment.” Liu Weidong smiled and introduced himself.
“Oh, so you’re Regiment Commander Liu from the 115th Division side.” Li Muzhi immediately showed respect.
Li Muzhi admired this Regiment Commander Liu a lot, and now he was meeting the real person.
This Regiment Commander Liu was no simple man; he even managed to get a general’s sword and five thousand jin of sugar.
Now seeing his team’s numbers were more than Li Yunlong’s, in some sense, this man’s ability seemed even above Li Yunlong’s.
“Get lost, shut up if you’re not talking; no one will think you’re mute!” Li Yunlong was already displeased with Liu Weidong. He glared at Liu Weidong, then turned to Li Muzhi. “Is this sealing paint more valuable than my potassium nitrate?”
“Regimental Commander Li, it’s not about which is more valuable.” Li Muzhi shook his head and said, “Potassium nitrate is an important raw material for manufacturing gunpowder and explosives. Our army’s logistics has great demand for gunpowder. This sealing paint can seal the gap between the shell casing and the bullet, so ammunition won’t get damp in the future. When the ammunition fires, with no gaps, the primer’s energy doesn’t leak, the bullet gets more sufficient energy, and the muzzle velocity is higher…”
“Factory Director Li, don’t talk to us about muzzle velocity or whatever. Just say how many Hell Cannon shells this sealing paint can exchange for!” Gao Liujin on the side impatiently shouted.
Hell Cannon shells are in short supply; Gao had already been choked once.
He now wanted sufficient shells more urgently than ever.
“How many shells can this sealing paint exchange for?” Ding Wei also looked at Li Muzhi.
This time we smoothly attacked Yuehua Station; besides the Japanese invaders at Yuehua Station withdrawing their heavy troops, mainly we had sufficient Hell Cannon shells to bombard those fortified bunker firepoints.
Now the shells were used up, and Ding Wei also wanted to replenish immediately.
“I’ll have someone count the quantity first.” Li Muzhi answered.
“Sure.” Ding Wei nodded and had people move the sealing paint over; Gao Liujin wasn’t idle either and had people move his over too.
While Li Muzhi had people counting and storing, Liu Weidong smiled and had someone bring over a dozen puppies to Li Muzhi: “Factory Director Li, take a look at these dozen puppies. How many Hell Cannon shells are they worth?”
The Hell Cannon is effective, and Liu Weidong had tasted the sweetness.
So he directly asked for shells too.
Before Li Muzhi could answer, Gao Liujin immediately laughed: “Scholar, I say you’ve gone mad poor. You bring a dozen puppies and want to exchange for Hell Cannon shells? Do you think Factory Director Li is a fool, or are you the fool?”
Li Yunlong chimed in: “Scholar, go wherever it’s cool.”
Li Muzhi looked at the puppies Liu Weidong brought; these little things were fluffy and awfully cute.
From the appearance, these were pups of Japanese invaders’ military dogs.
Military dogs, their significance to the army is undoubtedly important.
Li Muzhi reached out and petted a few puppies; one was very docile and actively rubbed its body against Li Muzhi’s palm, wagging its little tail desperately.
Li Muzhi smoothly picked up this puppy.
This puppy looked a bit silly-cute on the outside but was clearly more active than the other puppies.
Its eyes were bright black like gems, full of spirit, like a little elf.
Li Muzhi immediately liked it. While continuing to pet the puppy, he smiled at Liu Weidong: “Regiment Commander Liu, one puppy for one Hell Cannon shell. How about it?”
“…”
Gao Liujin was stunned on the side, suspecting he misheard.
One little thing for one Hell Cannon shell? Is it that valuable?
Li Yunlong paused too, looking at Li Muzhi: “Younger Brother Li, you’re not joking, right?”
Li Yunlong was chanting in his heart.
If these puppies are that valuable, isn’t Liu Weidong stupid?
Did you read all those books to the dogs!
Keep these dozen puppies, have them grow up and breed more puppies, then those puppies grow up and breed more.
Finally, build up your dog scale; one dog for one Hell Cannon shell—won’t you get rich?
