Chapter 12: Top Talent
As soon as Li Yunlong and Zhang Dabiao left, Zhang Wanhe looked Li Muzhi up and down carefully and praised him endlessly: “Li Muzhi, I really didn’t expect that you could actually make a cannon and even produce explosives. It’s truly beyond all expectations.”
At this moment, Zhang Wanhe believed his wisest decision was promoting Li Muzhi to Factory Director of the Border Region Arsenal!
Li Muzhi looked at Zhang Wanhe seriously: “Minister Zhang, to make the cannon, I arbitrarily stopped production at the Arsenal and didn’t report it to you in advance…”
Before Li Muzhi could finish, Zhang Wanhe interrupted: “What you did was for our army’s military industry production. You have no fault; instead, you have merit! After we get back, I’ll immediately report to Headquarters and get you a commendation!”
What a joke!
This is a top talent who can produce cannons!
If Headquarters leaders found out, they would all drop what they were doing and come to meet him personally.
“I don’t care about merit and such. Our army’s weapons are really too poor. I just want to provide as much support as possible to the troops, let the troops shed less blood, and kill more Japanese invaders.” After Li Muzhi humbly finished, he changed the subject, “Minister Zhang, about what I just told Regimental Commander Li, you…”
Before Li Muzhi could finish, Zhang Wanhe interrupted: “Li Muzhi, that Li Yunlong is just a rogue. Don’t listen to his nonsense. Moreover, such a precious weapon as a cannon should be equipped to our division-level troops. How could it go to a small Garrison Regiment.”
Li Muzhi said to Zhang Wanhe: “Minister Zhang, that batch of equipment and large caliber steel pipes were all turned in by Regimental Commander Li. With such great merit, giving him a cannon as an exceptional reward is still reasonable. What’s more, we even had him trade things for it. The Arsenal has no sugar left. To make more cannonballs, we urgently need sugar. Otherwise, even if we can make ten more cannons later, without cannonballs, these cannons would have no meaning.”
“How many? The Arsenal can still make ten more cannons?” Upon hearing this number, Zhang Wanhe’s tone couldn’t help but tremble.
Although he hadn’t seen the lethality of this cannon with his own eyes, he had seen that huge shell crater.
If our troops could be equipped with ten such cannons, the significance would be extraordinary.
“It can barely manage.” Li Muzhi nodded, looking at Zhang Wanhe, “Minister Zhang, think about it another step: this Regimental Commander Li is a master at acquiring things. When his equipment wasn’t great, he still managed to get such important equipment. Imagine if we gave him the Hell Cannon—it would be like a tiger with wings. Who knows, he might soon get us another batch of equipment and machinery.”
“Li Muzhi, do you think equipment and machinery are that easy to get? Li Yunlong can’t always rely on dog’s luck…” Zhang Wanhe said halfway and abruptly stopped.
It seems Li Yunlong doesn’t get things by dog’s luck.
Zhang Wanhe had also heard about the New First Regiment.
At the beginning, the New First Regiment had fewer than ten light machine guns in the whole regiment, no heavy machine guns at all, and three people had to share one broken rifle.
Under such beggar conditions, in less than a year after Li Yunlong took over as Regiment Commander of the New First Regiment, without asking Logistics for a single gun or bullet, he managed to equip heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, and mortars.
In the Battle of Cangyun Ridge, Li Yunlong even went head-to-head with the Japanese Army’s elite Sakada Regiment and took out Regimental Commander Sakata.
A person like that couldn’t possibly rely entirely on dog’s luck.
“If we exceptionally give Li Yunlong a cannon, what will the other troops think? Won’t they all come to me asking for cannons?” Zhang Wanhe still said.
If a Garrison Regiment like Li Yunlong’s can get a cannon, won’t the commanders of those Main Regiments go crazy?
“Minister Zhang, that’s exactly why I asked Regimental Commander Li for sugar or a general’s sword.” Li Muzhi pointed out, “For ordinary conventional ammunition, it’s reasonable for the lower troops to ask. But this is a cannon—how can we let the lower troops just ask casually? Not enough to go around, no matter how we allocate, someone will complain. But having Li Yunlong trade a thousand jin of sugar or a general’s sword sets an example. If other troops want a cannon, they need the same conditions. That way, they’ll have to use their own abilities to get things to trade, which is also good for boosting the troops’ enthusiasm. Even more importantly, doesn’t Logistics get to generate revenue this way? With troops continuously sending sugar, our cannonballs can be continuously produced without stopping.”
“Huh, that’s actually a pretty good idea.” Zhang Wanhe immediately thought it feasible upon hearing Li Muzhi’s explanation.
The lower troops come asking for things empty-handed, just reaching out to take.
Logistics is getting poorer and poorer because of it.
Although there is discipline requiring all captures to be turned in to Logistics, it can’t withstand the lower troops continuously reaching out.
This cannon is a precious artillery firepower; the lower troops will all covet it.
Having them trade things for it can make the troops more enthusiastic, and Logistics can generate revenue.
Li Muzhi continued: “Of course, sugar and general’s swords aren’t that easy to get. You can set other conditions, like having the troops go get money.”
“Mm, this idea is really good.” Zhang Wanhe affirmed it strongly, looking at Li Muzhi: “Li Muzhi, I didn’t realize you had such talent. If I get sacrificed someday, you might take my position.”
“Minister Zhang, don’t talk nonsense. The bullet that can kill you hasn’t been made yet.” Li Muzhi immediately said.
According to the original work, this Head of Logistics in front of him really didn’t get sacrificed and was awarded Lieutenant General.
“Haha.” Zhang Wanhe laughed heartily.
“Minister, since you agree, let’s go find Regimental Commander Li now. We can also hurry and test the cannonballs.” Li Muzhi said.
“Don’t the cannonballs still need testing? Weren’t they all fired successfully?” Zhang Wanhe pointed out.
Zhang Wanhe had just counted, and only nine cannonballs were left.
The Arsenal had no sugar now and couldn’t continue producing cannonballs.
In Zhang Wanhe’s view, as long as the cannonballs fired, that was enough. Continuing to test would use up one less each time.
“The cannonballs fired at Sunjiabao were ordinary cannonballs. I also made another kind, adding quite a few iron beads and nails, and want to test the crowd lethality effect.” Li Muzhi explained, “The enemy reinforcements are coming just in time. Their troop formation is very tight—this is a target delivered right to the door.”
Cannonballs mixed with quite a few iron beads and nails?
Upon hearing this, Zhang Wanhe couldn’t help but shudder inside. This move was pretty ruthless.
The power of one cannonball could collapse three gun towers. With such powerful cannonballs exploding in a dense crowd after adding iron beads and nails, what difference was there from sending the crowd to hell.
“Has our cannon been named? What is it called?”
“Hell Cannon.”
“Mm, a well-deserved name.” Zhang Wanhe nodded, his expression expectant as he smiled, “Then we definitely need to test it some more.”
