Chapter 3: Hell Cannon
The workers at the arsenal learned they could make cannons, and each one was full of energy.
The hearts of the people at the arsenal were united, and many hands make light work!
Under Li Muzhi’s leadership, they soon produced the first cannon.
The surface of the cannon looked crude and rough, but the entire arsenal was still boiling with excitement.
Our arsenal can’t produce bullets, but the factory director led us to overtake on a curve and make cannons. The factory director is awesome!
“Factory Director, now that the cannon is made, we should give it a name.” A worker excitedly came up to Li Muzhi, wanting to name the cannon.
“What name do you think is good?” Li Muzhi looked at the worker.
“Call it Border Region Manufacturing Cannon, how about that?” the worker blurted out.
“Actually, I already thought of a name.” Li Muzhi said, “This is the first cannon we made, so the name must be imposing. Therefore, I name it: Hell Cannon!”
“Hell Cannon?” The workers nodded in approval upon hearing it: “This name is imposing enough and loud enough to send the Japanese invaders to hell! As expected of the factory director; even naming is better than us workers.”
“Factory Director, now that the cannon is made, let’s quickly pull it to the back mountain for a test firing.” Lao He couldn’t wait to test this cannon.
Li Muzhi glanced at Lao He: “Lao He, how many cannonballs do we have now?”
“Ten.” Lao He answered.
“We only have ten cannonballs. Pulling it to the back mountain to shoot rocks would be a waste.” Li Muzhi pointed out.
“Factory Director, now that the cannon is made, it definitely needs to be test-fired and qualified before we can deliver it to the troops.” Lao He’s meaning was that this wasn’t about wasting or not; it was a necessary cost for testing.
“I’m not saying to cancel the test firing; the cannon must be test-fired. But why can’t we use the Japanese invaders and traitors’ gun towers for the test firing? At the very least, we could find a traitor bully’s house to use as a target.”
“Yes, yes, yes.” Lao He slapped his forehead upon hearing Li Muzhi, nodding repeatedly. “Factory Director, you’re right. Cannonballs are precious; we can’t waste even one during test firing. Using the Japanese invaders and traitors’ gun towers for test firing is the most appropriate.”
Someone couldn’t help but say to Li Muzhi: “Factory Director, our arsenal isn’t combat troops after all. If we take the cannon to hit the Japanese invaders and traitors’ gun towers, what do we do if the Japanese invaders and traitors rush out?”
Li Muzhi was very calm: “Simple. When we go for the test firing, we just have a combat troop unit follow along. Then, once the cannon test firing succeeds and blows up the enemy’s gun tower, the combat troops can smoothly capture the enemy’s stronghold.”
“Mm, makes sense.” The person nodded. “With combat troops following, even if the cannon test firing doesn’t succeed, we’re not afraid of the enemy coming out…”
The person’s words weren’t finished when Lao He couldn’t help kicking him: “How do you talk? You crow’s mouth, shut up for me!”
Li Factory Director led us to overtake on a curve and make the cannon; everyone is hoping for a successful test firing. How can you say such things!
“Yes, yes, yes, this mouth of mine deserves a beating, deserves a beating.” The worker hurriedly slapped himself several times.
“The test firing of the cannon is of great significance to our arsenal. All the people at our arsenal should witness this historic moment with their own eyes.” Li Muzhi said to all the factory personnel. “So, everyone follow me.”
Lao He stood out and said to Li Muzhi: “Factory Director, although we’ve made the cannon, we don’t need everyone to go for the test firing. Most people should stay to continue making bullets and resume grenade production.”
Immediately someone echoed: “Factory Director, Lao He is right. Bullets and grenades are also very important to our army. If we can seize the time to make more…”
“Make more what!” Li Muzhi interrupted. “When the combat troops capture the enemy stronghold, won’t they capture bullets and grenades and other supplies? Having everyone follow is to bring the stuff back. Think about it: is carrying stuff back faster, or producing at home faster?”
These people were immediately stunned!
If the stronghold is captured, carrying the stuff back would definitely be faster than producing at home.
It just felt like something was off.
Aren’t we an arsenal? We should be producing weapons and ammunition. How did we become like robbers now?
“Let’s set off.” Li Muzhi waved his hand grandly, and the workers pulled the cannon with mules, excitedly following along.
……
Independent Regiment Regimental Headquarters
“Damn it, if the brigade commander hadn’t found out, I wouldn’t have handed over that batch of stuff to the arsenal so easily.”
Independent Regiment Commander Li Yunlong grumbled to Deputy Regiment Commander Xing Zhiguo, “Considering the arsenal suffered losses and grenade production hasn’t resumed, I only wanted twenty cases of grenades, but the arsenal side wouldn’t give them. The people at the arsenal are just like Zhang Wanhe, all iron roosters, really stingy!”
Xing Zhiguo advised: “Regiment Commander, calm down. Those things are useless to us anyway; handing them over to the arsenal allows them to exert their maximum value. As for grenades, the arsenal side will definitely provide them. Wait a few days until their grenade production resumes.”
“Old Xing, you know as well that in the Lijia Po battle, although I wiped out that Yamazaki kid, our regiment’s grenades were also used up. Without grenades on hand, I don’t feel secure. What if…” Li Yunlong’s words weren’t finished when someone ran over: “Report to Regiment Commander, Deputy Regiment Commander, Factory Director Li from the arsenal is here.”
Factory Director Li from the arsenal?
Li Yunlong heard it and couldn’t help being suspicious: “Isn’t the director of the arsenal surnamed Luo? When did they have the same surname as us Old Li?”
“I’m not clear either.” The person shook his head, then said: “He said he’s delivering grenades to our Independent Regiment.”
Delivering grenades to our Independent Regiment?
Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong’s face immediately turned from cloudy to sunny, but he still didn’t quite believe it: “Are you sure he’s really delivering grenades to me?”
I personally went to ask for grenades, and the arsenal wouldn’t give them, with such a serious attitude.
But now, the arsenal side is proactively sending grenades back. Is the arsenal side feeling a bit guilty or something?
Xing Zhiguo said on the side: “Maybe the supplies you handed over helped the arsenal a lot, so they’re proactively sending grenades.”
“If that’s the case, then they still have some conscience, knowing that us Old Li has it tough.” Only then did Li Yunlong quickly run out.
Li Muzhi hadn’t waited long outside the Independent Regiment regimental headquarters when he saw Li Yunlong run out.
No pomade, no hair gel, wearing a gray cloth military uniform with a dirty collar and clothes—this was the most original Li Yunlong.
Not some pretty boy who sits drinking coffee and complaining the sugar is too much even when enemies are at the command post.
