Chapter 11: The Rice Is Cooked
“Minister Zhang, although we don’t all understand why the Japanese Invaders’ engineers didn’t discover that the fertilizer contains a large amount of ammonium nitrate, while the Japanese Invaders are now selling fertilizer at low prices, you must take out all the logistics money and buy up all the fertilizer.” Lao He instructed Zhang Wanhe.
“That’s natural. The fertilizer contains a large amount of ammonium nitrate. Even if I have to smash the pot and sell iron, I must buy it all up from the little Japanese Invaders.” Zhang Wanhe stated decisively. Although he had no money in his accounts now, his momentum was grand, and he truly didn’t look like the head of a poor logistics department.
Lao He continued: “Minister Zhang, although our factory director arbitrarily stopped production at the arsenal, he did it to lead us in fully focusing on making cannons. You must not punish him…”
Before Lao He could finish speaking, Zhang Wanhe solemnly interrupted him angrily: “What nonsense are you talking? The top military industry talent who can produce explosives and overtake on a curve to make cannons—who dares to touch a single hair on his head!”
“Minister Zhang, mainly because when I saw you coming over just now, you had a face full of murderous intent. I thought you really…” Before Lao He could finish, the somewhat embarrassed Zhang Wanhe interrupted him: “Was that murderous intent? I was worried about you all having an accident. After all, this is the battlefield! Right!”
At this point, Zhang Wanhe asked: “Your arsenal wants to make cannons—why didn’t you greet me about this matter first?”
“Minister Zhang, with your temper, if we told you we were stopping production at the arsenal, wouldn’t you immediately jump up?” Lao He, as a veteran of logistics, knew this head of logistics’ temper too well.
He didn’t understand gun and cannon manufacturing at all and couldn’t comprehend Li Muzhi’s explanations.
“You could have explained it to me first. I’m not an unreasonable person.” Zhang Wanhe’s face grew even more embarrassed; he was giving himself a way out.
He had been so focused on looking at the cannon that he forgot about their top military industry talent in logistics.
Zhang Wanhe turned and trotted eagerly toward Li Muzhi.
Seeing Zhang Wanhe’s back, a worker said to Lao He: “Director, the minister won’t punish our factory director, will he?”
“Punish my ass. Didn’t you see how happy the minister was? Even if he picked up a gold ingot, he wouldn’t be this delighted.” Lao He laughed.
The worker also laughed: “That’s right. Our factory director is worth much more than a gold ingot, haha.”
……
Now, on Li Yunlong’s side, while Zhang Wanhe was heading toward the Hell Cannon, Li Yunlong ran to Li Muzhi at his fastest speed, his face full of smiles: “Factory Director Li, sorry about that. Earlier, something came up at regimental headquarters that delayed me; otherwise, I definitely would have come with you personally.”
“No problem, Regimental Commander Li. Your Battalion Commander did very well.” Li Muzhi said he didn’t mind.
Time was urgent. While Zhang Wanhe’s attention was entirely on the cannon, Li Yunlong had to quickly cook the rice into cooked rice.
Li Yunlong said to Li Muzhi with a grin: “Factory Director Li, once we attack here at Sunjiabao, the enemy will definitely send reinforcements. Lend me this cannon to use.”
Li Muzhi smiled: “Regimental Commander Li, the testing on this cannon isn’t finished yet.”
Li Muzhi thought of a historical allusion: Liu Bei borrowing Jingzhou!
This regimental commander surnamed Li in front of him had much thicker skin than Liu Bei.
“That’s no problem. I’ll use the cannon, and you record the data on the side.” Li Yunlong claimed it wasn’t an issue.
“Regimental Commander Li, let me be straightforward.” Li Muzhi got to the point. “If you want this cannon of mine, you have to trade something for it.”
“Heh heh.” When Li Yunlong heard Li Muzhi speak this way, he chuckled. This matter had potential. He quickly asked: “What thing to trade?”
“Trade one thousand pounds of sugar.” Li Muzhi said.
A cannon without cannonballs is just scrap iron.
The arsenal’s sugar was used up and needed to be replenished as soon as possible.
As for the fertilizer, once Minister Zhang knew it could be used to make high explosives, he certainly wouldn’t sit idle.
“One thousand pounds of sugar?” Li Yunlong’s eyes widened like copper bells upon hearing this: “Little brother, sugar is a strategic material on the Japanese Invaders’ side. It’s not that easy to get. Your arsenal has sugar too, right? Can you bring out a hundred pounds?”
He had originally thought this Li Muzhi was a greenhorn easy to fool, but unexpectedly, Old Li had misjudged.
Zhang Dabiao also chimed in from the side: “Factory Director Li, your demand is too high. How about something else, like getting you a Japanese Invaders’ commanding sword?”
“A Japanese Invaders’ commanding sword works too. I want a general’s sword. Can you get one?” Li Muzhi said.
If he had a general’s sword, he could exchange it with the Jin Sui Army or the Direct Line Army for sugar.
Although sugar was precious on the Jin Sui Army and Direct Line Army sides, a Japanese Invaders’ general’s sword was even more precious.
Those officers would carefully consider it to please their superiors and gain promotion.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Dabiao’s eyes also widened like copper bells: “Factory Director Li, a general’s sword is at least equipped to a Japanese Invaders’ major general brigade commander. The demand is a bit too high.”
In the Battle of Cangyun Ridge, we finally took down the Sakada Regiment, and even Regimental Commander Sakata wasn’t qualified to be equipped with a general’s sword!
However, Li Yunlong said to Li Muzhi from the side: “If I can really get a general’s sword, one general’s sword for one cannon—deal?”
Li Yunlong wasn’t stupid either. He knew artillery was always a scarce weapon for our army, let alone this kind of artillery with huge lethality.
Lower-level regimental troops weren’t qualified to be equipped with it at all.
While Li Muzhi’s condition was harsh, it was at least an opportunity.
“Of course.” Li Muzhi nodded. “A general’s sword, or one thousand pounds of sugar. Whichever you can do works.”
“I’ll take the cannon first and replenish the item later, okay?” Li Yunlong said, rolling his eyes.
Before Li Muzhi could speak, Zhang Wanhe ran over and shouted directly at Li Yunlong: “Li Yunlong, what if you lose the cannon? You’re a veteran too and should understand our army’s traditions. This cannon can only be assigned to division-level troops, not to mention your little Independent Regiment. Even if your brigade commander came, he’d only be able to stand on the side and watch.”
“Li Muzhi, you just agreed with me earlier. You can’t go back on your word, right?” Li Yunlong didn’t argue with Zhang Wanhe and turned to look at Li Muzhi.
Li Yunlong was also a shrewd one.
Don’t look at Li Muzhi being just a small arsenal factory director now.
Just based on him being able to produce a cannon, the headquarters leaders would treat him like a treasure.
In other words, soon Li Muzhi would have a say in front of the headquarters leaders.
His position wasn’t as high as Zhang Wanhe’s, but his status in front of the headquarters leaders might be.
Zhang Wanhe might not be able to be the main voice for Li Muzhi.
“Regimental Commander Li, since you’ve come, hurry and get busy with attacking the enemy reinforcements. I’ll discuss with Minister Zhang.” Li Muzhi saw Li Yunlong’s troops arriving and following Zhang Dabiao’s team to get busy, but he still said it.
“Alright then, Factory Director Li. I’ll head over first.” Li Yunlong could tell that Li Muzhi was going to work on Zhang Wanhe.
Without working on Zhang Wanhe, he had no chance of getting the cannon.
“Dabiao, let’s go.” Li Yunlong called Zhang Dabiao and walked away.
