Chapter 70: Chu Yunfei Buys Cannon
“Regiment Commander, look, Chu Yunfei is coming.” Guard Wei Dayong pointed out to Li Yunlong.
“Old Ding, Old Zhao, don’t stop the troops, keep moving. I’ll go chat with Chu Yunfei for a bit.” Li Yunlong instructed Zhao Gang and Ding Wei.
“Mm.” Ding Wei and Zhao Gang nodded, leading the troops without stopping, continuing to advance.
Li Yunlong brought a few people and went to meet Chu Yunfei, laughing, “Brother Chu, sorry about this, brother here is just passing by and disturbed you.”
Chu Yunfei and Fang Ligong’s expressions were both filled with shock; the one attacking Ping’an County Town was actually Li Yunlong.
Looking at their troops carrying so much captured goods, they had really struck it rich.
Chu Yunfei was very impressed: “Brother Yunlong, you are truly a fierce general. There were three Japanese Invaders regiments stationed in Ping’an County Town, yet you still dared to attack it. I, Chu, am impressed.”
“Haha.” Li Yunlong laughed heartily, bragging, “Brother Chu is joking. Ping’an County Town, let alone three Japanese Invaders regiments—even if three Japanese Invaders divisions were stationed there, if I wanted to take it, I’d still dare to do it.”
“Brother Yunlong, you are truly a hero.” Chu Yunfei smoothly praised Li Yunlong, then got straight to the point, pointing at that Hell Cannon in Li Yunlong’s troops and asking, “May I ask, is this the heavy artillery that you Eighth Route have been making waves with lately?”
“Haha.” Li Yunlong laughed heartily and said, “Brother Chu, you’re really joking. Does this look like heavy artillery to you? Can heavy artillery be pulled by a mule?”
“Li Yunlong, then what artillery did you use when attacking the city?” Fang Ligong asked from the side.
This thing pulled by the mule looks like a cannon, but the other side probably isn’t lying—this couldn’t be heavy artillery.
The other side must have used something else to attack the city.
“Earlier, I got lucky and captured a heavy cannon, and I used that heavy cannon to attack the city.” Li Yunlong made up a story, then pretended to be annoyed, “Ping’an County Town was taken, but the heavy cannon was recaptured by the Japanese Invaders. I’m worrying about how to explain it to the Brigade Commander when I get back.”
“Brother Yunlong, you’re joking.” Chu Yunfei didn’t believe it. You’ve brought back so much profit; that proves you won a victory. How could you have lost the heavy cannon?
Chu Yunfei’s gaze still fell on this Hell Cannon, and he said, “Brother Yunlong, no need to hide it. This mule-pulled artillery has a unique design, but the caliber is not small—it very much fits large-caliber heavy cannon.”
“Haha.” Li Yunlong laughed heartily, still not admitting it, “Brother Chu, look at how thin this cannon barrel is. It couldn’t withstand the huge chamber pressure of heavy artillery. How could it be heavy artillery? Brother Chu, you’re always joking with me.”
Immediately after, Li Yunlong said, “Brother Chu, brother here needs to hurry back now. We’ll catch up another day. I’m off.”
“Brother Yunlong, how about this?” Chu Yunfei spoke up, “I’m really interested in this cannon of yours right now. Can you sell it to me?”
Fang Ligong, as Chu Yunfei’s Chief of Staff, immediately understood what Chu Yunfei meant.
If this strange cannon really was their heavy artillery, the other side absolutely wouldn’t sell it.
If this really was junk, the other side might sell it.
So, Fang Ligong immediately said from the side, “How about this, Li Yunlong: we’ll give you two gold bars for this cannon of yours. Will you sell it?”
It’s wartime now; paper money is depreciating badly. Gold is hard currency!
Li Yunlong was no fool; he could see this was the other side’s probe.
This open scheme from the other side wasn’t easy to counter.
“Haha.” Li Yunlong laughed heartily and said, “Brother Chu, I see you’ve really got your eye on this junk of mine. I’d love to take your two gold bars, but if I sell this thing to you, I won’t be able to account for it when I get back. After all, privately selling weapons is a shooting offense.”
“Brother Yunlong, no rush, it’s fine.” Chu Yunfei said he didn’t mind, “You can communicate with your superiors when you get back. If two gold bars is too low, the price can still be negotiated.”
“Haha.” Li Yunlong laughed heartily and said, “No problem, no problem, Brother Chu. I’ll report to my superiors right away when I get back. If they agree, no question—I’ll send someone to haul this cannon straight to your Regimental Headquarters.”
“Brother Chu, I really have to go. Catch up when we have time.” Li Yunlong didn’t give Chu Yunfei much time and quickly strode away.
Watching Li Yunlong’s departing figure, Fang Ligong said to Chu Yunfei, “Regiment Commander, looks like this really is the Eighth Route’s heavy artillery.”
Although Li Yunlong’s words were airtight—privately selling weapons isn’t allowed.
But essentially, Li Yunlong just wouldn’t sell.
If Li Yunlong wouldn’t sell, then this was their prized possession.
“Incredible.” Chu Yunfei looked at Li Yunlong’s back and that Hell Cannon, sighing endlessly, “How does such a thin cannon barrel withstand the huge chamber pressure? The Eighth Route’s arsenal has created a miracle.”
Fang Ligong still couldn’t believe it and said, “Regiment Commander, I…”
Fang Ligong’s words weren’t finished when someone came to report quickly, “Report to Regiment Commander and Chief of Staff: a small group of Japanese Invaders is coming.”
Hearing this, Fang Ligong immediately said to Chu Yunfei, “Regiment Commander, this is very likely the Japanese Invaders from Ping’an County Town. They are tailing Li Yunlong.”
“Doesn’t matter who they’re tailing. Since we’ve seen them, take them out if conditions allow.” Chu Yunfei was very decisive and said, “Order Battalion Commander Qian Bojun to wipe out this small group of Japanese Invaders for me.”
“Yes, Regiment Commander.”
This little interlude didn’t affect Fang Ligong; he continued, “Regiment Commander, even our arsenal can’t produce heavy artillery. How could the Eighth Route?”
“They smashed the Sakada Regiment on Cangyun Ridge with just a few junk rifles. What do you say to that?” Chu Yunfei pointed out.
“That’s different. Anything can happen on the battlefield, but military industry manufacturing is scientific.” Fang Ligong still questioned.
“Forget it, don’t overthink it. Neither of us understands military industry manufacturing.” Chu Yunfei dropped the topic and said, “Later, keep trying to negotiate with Li Yunlong. See if we can buy that thing of his at a high price.”
“Even at a high price, he probably won’t sell.” Fang Ligong shook his head, “Look at the Eighth Route with this heavy artillery—their battle record is so impressive. Asking a tiger to pull out its own teeth and sell them for money? A tiger wouldn’t be that stupid.”
“Hard to say.” Chu Yunfei disagreed, “The Eighth Route have quite the battle record now—they’ve taken Ping’an County Town and Heyuan County Town—but they’ve thoroughly offended the Japanese Invaders. When the Japanese Invaders come with heavy troops for encirclement and suppression, they’ll need a lot of weapons and ammunition to break the blockade. They might not want money, but they’ll want weapons and ammunition.”
“Makes sense. When the Eighth Route face crisis, we can say we’ll trade weapons and ammunition for their heavy artillery, give them a bit more, and they’ll definitely consider it.” Fang Ligong nodded.
While talking, Qian Bojun sent someone to report, “Regiment Commander, Chief of Staff, the small group of Japanese Invaders has been eliminated.”
“Mm.” Chu Yunfei acknowledged and said, “Stay vigilant, continue alerting.”
“Yes.”
……
