Chapter 155: Competing For Rocket Launcher Testing Rights
Border Region Arsenal
The rocket launcher will complete assembly today, and the rockets will also be completed.
At such an important moment, Old Zhang put down the work at hand and waited specifically here at the arsenal.
Of course, there was also Kong Jie and his subordinates.
After work, everyone couldn’t care less about resting and crowded around the arsenal.
Everyone had heard that the arsenal was making a shoulder-mounted cannon that could fire cannonballs from the shoulder with no recoil. Sure enough, the soldiers of the New Second Regiment were all looking forward to it eagerly.
“Regiment Commander, now that the rocket launcher is ready, will Factory Director Li let our New Second Regiment help with the testing?” Many soldiers from the New Second Regiment looked at Kong Jie expectantly.
The new grenades and jumping mines made here at the arsenal were all tested by our New Second Regiment.
Now the rocket launcher was about to be unveiled, and they didn’t know if the regiment commander had obtained the testing qualification.
“Wait and see.” Kong Jie did not give the soldiers a definite answer.
This rocket launcher was different in nature from jumping mine grenades.
For such an important weapon, Li Muzhi probably wouldn’t let him test it.
The New Second Regiment was new after all, with limited combat power.
Testing the rocket launcher was crucial, and it couldn’t fall into enemy hands either.
So, in Kong Jie’s view, Li Muzhi would most likely have an experienced and combat-strong old unit help with the testing.
Of course!
But this wasn’t absolute!
What if.
What if Li Muzhi gave the testing qualification to the New Second Regiment.
Old Zhang came up to Kong Jie with a suspicious look: “Regiment Commander Kong, you didn’t put in a good word for Xiao Li with this rocket launcher, did you?”
Kong Jie had gotten fifty cases of grenades for free.
Kong Jie had taken away a hundred jumping mines.
Old Zhang couldn’t help but suspect whether Kong Jie was going to put in a good word with Li Muzhi again and set his sights on this rocket launcher.
“Minister Zhang, you have to speak with a clear conscience.” Kong Jie said righteously, “What do you mean I put in a good word for Factory Director Li? Do you not know what kind of person Factory Director Li is? I’m not putting myself down, but with my intelligence quotient, it’s already good if he doesn’t put one over on me.”
Who was Li Muzhi anyway!
He was the one who had even tamed the shrewd Li Yunlong thoroughly.
Even our brigade commander spun in circles in front of Li Muzhi.
As for me, Kong Jie, to put it bluntly, any random hair plucked from his intelligence quotient would be more than I, Kong Jie, could handle.
“That’s true, that’s true, haha.” Zhang Wanhe, hearing Kong Jie say this, felt it was indeed the case, and he had been overthinking it.
“Minister Zhang, if Factory Director Li offers me the rocket launcher later, you can’t get upset again.” Kong Jie still said.
“What do you mean I get upset? Do I look like such a petty person…” Zhang Wanhe’s words were cut off as he saw Li Yunlong coming over, bringing several corpses of adult military dogs.
Seeing this, Zhang Wanhe immediately complained: “I say, Regimental Commander Li, you sure know how to time your arrival.”
The rocket launcher sample would be completed today, and you really know how to pick the moment to come.
However, Zhang Wanhe’s gaze quickly fell on the several military dog corpses Li Yunlong brought, and his tone changed: “I say, Regimental Commander Li, why bring over these dead military dogs instead of keeping the live ones? I told you in advance, dead dogs can’t be exchanged for cannonballs.”
Li Yunlong said with scorn: “Old Zhang, look at how stingy you are. Did I ever say I was using dead dogs to exchange for cannonballs!”
Immediately after, Li Yunlong said: “These enemy military dogs taste pretty good. I brought them over to improve the food here for Younger Brother Li.”
Kong Jie on the side couldn’t help saying: “Old Li, the food at the arsenal is already very good. It’s a pity you killed these dogs.”
Although Kong Jie had never raised military dogs, he had heard about them.
These things were very loyal to their masters; even if captured, they were hard to tame.
Even if you couldn’t tame the military dogs, at least you could try letting them mate, have some puppies.
But you just killed them directly to eat meat; that’s really too wasteful.
Zhang Wanhe also said: “Regimental Commander Li, you’re usually so shrewd, how did you make such a low-level mistake today?”
Killing a laying hen for meat is simply intolerable!
Facing the complaints from Kong Jie and Zhang Wanhe, Li Yunlong grumbled: “Damn it, I was trying to do a good deed, but you treat it like a donkey’s liver and lungs. I came to improve your food, and now I’m the one being lectured by you.”
Li Yunlong’s guard Wei Dayong explained on the side: “Our regiment commander encountered a Japanese invaders’ military dog patrol team. The enemy released them on ropes, and these beasts bite hard. We couldn’t capture them alive, so we had to shoot them.”
“So that’s how it is.” Zhang Wanhe and Kong Jie both suddenly understood; no wonder.
It was strange, after all.
Li Yunlong was so shrewd that he treated even a picked-up stone like a golden treasure; how could he easily kill military dogs? So it was like this.
“Regimental Commander Li, thank you.” Zhang Wanhe grinned and thanked Li Yunlong, then had people unceremoniously drag away the several military dog corpses.
“Old Zhang, don’t just thank me with words.” After giving the items, Li Yunlong immediately made a request. “The rocket launcher sample will be completed today, right? Let me handle the testing work.”
Before Zhang Wanhe could respond, Gao Liujin’s voice came from behind: “Li Yunlong, you bring over two dead dogs and think you can get the rocket launcher testing rights? You’re dreaming too beautifully.”
Immediately after, Gao Liujin’s voice rose: “Minister Zhang, look what I brought you.”
Zhang Wanhe, Li Yunlong, and Kong Jie turned around, only to see Gao Liujin having two sows brought over.
These two sows had big bellies, clearly pregnant with piglets.
Seeing these two sows, Zhang Wanhe’s expression lit up with joy: “Regimental Commander Gao, where did you get these sows? They’re pregnant.”
The meal standards at the arsenal were high; they needed meat.
The headquarters leaders’ food also needed to be improved.
But logistics meat supplies were limited.
Gao Liujin brought two pregnant sows; once they gave birth, they could scale up pig farming.
After all, logistics grain was now plentiful enough to try raising pigs.
Whether leaders or combat troops, eating more meat was always good.
Why were the Japanese invaders so strong, with good physiques and strong explosiveness? Because they ate well.
Gao Liujin’s expression became somewhat helpless as he explained: “Sigh, I originally planned to catch a few kittens for the arsenal, but they ran too fast. I didn’t catch even one small one; they all escaped. But luckily, I caught two pregnant sows.”
Li Yunlong mocked from the side: “Gao Liujin, if these sows could run fast, I bet you wouldn’t catch even a sow.”
Kong Jie chimed in: “Looking at your big strong build, you can only catch slow-moving sows; don’t you feel ashamed?”
Li Yunlong and Kong Jie said this because Gao Liujin bringing two pregnant sows very likely got him the rocket launcher testing rights, and the two were annoyed.
If the two of them fought Gao Liujin, even together they couldn’t beat him.
Now that he had taken the rocket launcher testing rights, it was really embarrassing.
Facing the mockery from Li Yunlong and Kong Jie, Gao Liujin stuck out his neck and said: “This time I brought pregnant sows, but next time, I’ll definitely catch cats. I’ll set traps in advance, make traps ahead of time; I don’t believe I can’t catch them.”
Then Gao Liujin didn’t waste words with Li Yunlong and Kong Jie, turning to Zhang Wanhe: “Minister Zhang, the value of these pregnant sows doesn’t need me to say more. With this, how many rocket launchers can I exchange for?”
“Regimental Commander Gao, you’re not using these two pregnant sows to exchange for rocket launcher testing rights?” Zhang Wanhe was stunned.
Li Yunlong and Kong Jie on the side were also a bit stunned.
They thought you, Gao Liujin, brought two sows to get the rocket launcher testing rights, but actually you wanted to exchange for rocket launchers.
Soon, Li Yunlong and Kong Jie also understood.
Yeah, that makes sense.
For Gao Liujin, even getting the rocket launcher testing rights wouldn’t mean much; better to exchange for actual benefits, directly for rocket launchers.
This rough Gao Liujin had a rare moment of clear thinking.
Good, this is good.
Gao Liujin wasn’t competing with us for the rocket launcher testing rights.
Facing Zhang Wanhe’s question, Gao Liujin said seriously: “Minister Zhang, testing rights for the rocket launcher can’t compare to rocket launchers in hand, right?”
Gao Liujin’s attitude was telling Zhang Wanhe: don’t try to fool me; I’m not stupid.
“I can’t give you an answer on this yet; I still need to discuss it with Xiao Li.” Zhang Wanhe thought for a moment, then said.
Zhang Wanhe didn’t know the power of the rocket launcher yet, nor how much it would produce when the arsenal mass-produced it.
So, better to discuss with Li Muzhi first, then Zhang Wanhe would decide.
“Fine, fine.” Gao Liujin had no objection.
Zhang Wanhe called people over and had the two sows taken away unceremoniously.
Gao Liujin grinned at Li Yunlong and Kong Jie: “You two, you both want the rocket launcher testing rights; I think you might as well give up.”
“Gao Liujin, what do you mean?” Kong Jie asked.
You’re not competing, so how could Li Yunlong and I not get the testing rights? Who else is competing with us now?
“On my way to the arsenal, I ran into the scholar.” Gao Liujin laughed. “Li Yunlong, you bring two dead dogs here and think you can compete with the scholar for the rocket launcher testing rights? Absolutely impossible, hahaha.”
“Gao Liujin, you bastard, explain clearly!” Li Yunlong, hearing Gao Liujin’s implication, wondered if this guy knew he couldn’t compete with the scholar, so he simply exchanged for rocket launchers instead of testing rights.
The value of Li Yunlong’s several military dog corpses was far outdone by the two sows Gao Liujin brought.
Gao Liujin had voluntarily withdrawn, and Li Yunlong was curious what the scholar had brought to the arsenal to compete for testing rights.
“Wait till he comes, and you’ll see for yourself.” Gao Liujin teased.
“Damn it, this won’t do; I can’t let that scholar guy outdo me, or the brigade commander will chew me out when I get back.” The more Li Yunlong saw Gao Liujin teasing, the less confident he felt.
From the looks of it, that bastard scholar must have gone all out.
“I’ll go in first and chat with Younger Brother Li to secure the big prize.” Li Yunlong stepped toward the arsenal workshop.
Zhang Wanhe grabbed him: “Regimental Commander Li, Xiao Li is busy inside; don’t go disturb him. If you affect the rocket launcher, no one can save you.”
Kong Jie also said: “Old Li, better not go in and disturb Factory Director Li easily; think of another way.”
Didn’t you see even Minister Zhang waiting outside, not going in to disturb easily?
Today was definitely the most critical; can’t disturb.
“Damn it, what other way can I think of now?” Li Yunlong scratched his head; he couldn’t just take out the stored potassium nitrate, sealing paint, and such to give, right?
Those were for us to exchange for rocket launchers.
Competing with the scholar for testing rights, if our stock was gone, the brigade commander would light us up when we got back.
