Chapter 190: History Has Been Changed
Border Region Arsenal
“Minister Zhang, I’ve finished writing the report. Here you go.”
Li Muzhi handed the completed report to his superior Zhang Wanhe with both hands.
“Oh, Xiao Li, you’ve finally finished writing the report.”
Zhang Wanhe couldn’t wait any longer. He sighed and solemnly took the report with both hands, as if it were some fragile item, afraid it would break.
Zhang Wanhe took it and eagerly flipped through it.
Although Old Zhang was clueless about military industry production, as the saying goes, those close to vermilion get stained red!
Spending every day with Li Muzhi, Old Zhang gradually started getting involved in military industry. Old Zhang’s blank slate in military industry began to have his own scribbles.
Plus, Li Muzhi wrote the report in a straightforward and easy-to-understand way. Old Zhang quickly grasped the key points and laughed, “Haha, so that’s how it is. If we can’t make the cannon barrel, just ditch the cannon barrel altogether. With this new type rocket developed, heh heh heh.”
By the end, Old Zhang was so pleased he just kept chuckling.
With the troops’ medium artillery fire sorted, they’d be more effective against the Japanese invaders on the battlefield, and the supplies captured for our logistics would definitely increase.
“Minister Zhang, don’t just laugh.” Li Muzhi reminded Zhang Wanhe, “You need to hurry with the sugar.”
“Xiao Li, look at you. Can’t you let me enjoy this a bit longer? You have to ruin it at the key moment…” Although Zhang Wanhe said this, he still nodded, “Don’t worry. Once I submit this report to the headquarters leader, the headquarters leader will definitely issue orders, and then the sugar will definitely be arranged for you…”
Zhang Wanhe didn’t finish his words when someone came to report: “Report to Minister Zhang, Factory Director, Brigade Commander Chen from the 386th Brigade is here.”
Brigade Commander Chen was here!
Hearing this, Zhang Wanhe paused: “The 120th Division is disassembling Japanese military trains, and the 386th Brigade needs to contain Japanese reinforcement troops. Brigade Commander Chen should be at brigade headquarters commanding. How does he have time to come to the arsenal? Unless…”
At this point, Zhang Wanhe laughed: “Could it be that he’s delivering sugar!”
“Minister Zhang, if it were sugar, it should have been delivered earlier.” Li Muzhi said to Zhang Wanhe.
If the 386th Brigade had gotten sugar, it was most likely captured from Japanese military trains.
They hadn’t captured any from Japanese military trains, so Li Muzhi judged that Brigade Commander Chen was here for something else.
Of course, for Brigade Commander Chen to leave his brigade headquarters and come here, it definitely wasn’t a small matter.
Li Muzhi stood up: “Minister Zhang, let’s go see what other surprise Brigade Commander Chen has brought us.”
“Yeah, even if it’s not sugar, it’s definitely some other surprise. Let’s go.” Zhang Wanhe nodded repeatedly.
Zhang Wanhe and Li Muzhi quickly walked out of the arsenal and saw that Brigade Commander Chen hadn’t brought a large amount of supplies, only his guard troops.
Zhang Wanhe couldn’t help but be stunned and said to the brigade commander: “Brigade Commander Chen, you’re coming to my arsenal empty-handed?”
“Minister Zhang, what’s wrong? Is it against our army’s discipline to come to the Border Region Arsenal empty-handed?” The brigade commander glanced at Zhang Wanhe, “You don’t welcome me?”
“Haha, no, I welcome you, warmly welcome you!” Zhang Wanhe laughed it off and said, “Brigade Commander Chen, you’re not staying at brigade headquarters but coming to the Border Region Arsenal. You must have something important.”
“Xiao Li, Old Zhang, it’s like this.” The brigade commander explained, “Officer Yan’s arsenal deputy factory director Yan Kai is very interested in Hell Cannon shells and rocket launchers. He’s directly throwing gold bars at people. This is probably at Officer Yan’s behest. They want our Hell Cannon shells and rocket launchers. I’m here to remind you to see if you can take the opportunity to make a move.”
Zhang Wanhe thought the brigade commander was going to say something big, but it was this.
Whether Hell Cannon shells or rocket launchers, those couldn’t be sold.
Zhang Wanhe immediately said: “Brigade Commander Chen, you should know we can’t sell the Hell Cannon shells and rocket launchers, right?”
The brigade commander didn’t answer Zhang Wanhe but turned to look at Li Muzhi: “Xiao Li, Officer Yan doesn’t have many machines, but he still has some, right? What do you think?”
The brigade commander knew these two weapons couldn’t be sold easily, but he still came to talk to Li Muzhi to see if he had any new ideas.
“Brigade Commander Chen, you’re right.” Li Muzhi nodded.
A skinny camel is still bigger than a horse.
Officer Yan used to own the Taiyuan Arsenal, a huge enterprise.
Before the Taiyuan Arsenal was lost, he had moved out some equipment.
That equipment was still providing arms to the Jin Sui Army.
Hearing Li Muzhi say this, Zhang Wanhe immediately turned and glared: “Xiao Li, what do you mean? You’re not really planning to sell Hell Cannon shells and rocket launchers, are you? The headquarters leader won’t agree.”
Not to mention the headquarters leader won’t agree, I as head of logistics won’t agree either.
Although everyone was fighting the Japanese invaders together now, their beliefs were different after all.
Once the Japanese invaders were driven out, there would definitely be a fight with them.
Leaking Hell Cannon shell technology and rocket launcher technology—if they used it against us later, wouldn’t that increase pressure on our combat troops!
Li Muzhi replied to Zhang Wanhe: “Minister Zhang, as the saying goes, it’s not the thieves I’m afraid of stealing, but the thieves thinking about it. They’re always thinking about it. If we don’t sell, we have no room to maneuver. This probably isn’t a long-term solution.”
“Xiao Li, this isn’t a joke.” Zhang Wanhe’s expression immediately became extremely serious, “If they take our technology, once the Japanese invaders are beaten, they’ll use it against us.”
The brigade commander’s expression was also serious, but he didn’t speak.
What Li Muzhi said actually made some sense.
Officer Yan was the highest officer in the Second War Zone now, and our 18th Army Group was still in his chain of command.
Leaving no room to maneuver at all was indeed not quite appropriate.
But this technology really couldn’t be learned by them.
Li Muzhi continued: “Minister Zhang, I can make sure they don’t get the technology.”
“Make sure they don’t get the technology?” Zhang Wanhe paused and quickly asked, “Then how do you do it?”
They were directly throwing gold bars, a fat sheep delivered right to the door.
As long as the enemy couldn’t get the technology, the business could be considered.
“We won’t sell rocket launchers first, keep them for ourselves. And the rocket projectile bodies are small, not easy to operate, so…” Li Muzhi paused and continued, “The Hell Cannon shell projectile bodies are large. I can find a way to install an anti-disassembly self-destruct device inside. Once they buy them and try to disassemble, the self-destruct device will activate. That way, we don’t have to worry about them cracking the core technology of the shells.”
Hearing this, Zhang Wanhe’s eyes lit up: “Heh heh, as expected of you, Xiao Li. I knew you wouldn’t do something stupid. So you have this trick up your sleeve.”
That jumping mine had an anti-disassembly detonator. Once buried, the Japanese invaders couldn’t disassemble it.
Adding an anti-disassembly self-destruct device to the Hell Cannon shells would prevent them from cracking our technology.
The Jin Sui Army could buy shells to fight the Japanese invaders, but learning the technology? No way!
Thinking of something, Zhang Wanhe asked: “Putting an anti-disassembly self-destruct device in the Hell Cannon shells— is the difficulty high?”
“There is some technical difficulty, but we can make it back handsomely from Officer Yan’s side.” Li Muzhi said calmly.
“There are still issues then.” Zhang Wanhe thought and said, “If the Jin Sui Army buys our Hell Cannon shells and stockpiles them without using them, then when we fight them later, wouldn’t that…”
Zhang Wanhe didn’t finish before Li Muzhi laughed: “That’s not a problem either. I can set an expiration for the shells, like they can’t fire normally after a year.”
There were still several years until the end of the War of Resistance. Setting a one-year expiration could completely solve this.
“Can’t fire normally, heh heh, in that case, I think it’s feasible.” Zhang Wanhe chuckled and looked at Li Muzhi, “In your view, what equipment should we ask from Officer Yan’s side?”
“Of course, see if Officer Yan has the equipment I need to produce new type rockets.” Li Muzhi said directly.
Although the next stage arsenal at Cuicun Arsenal might have the equipment Li Muzhi needed.
But it was just a guess now, and no one knew when Li Yunlong and the others would bring back that large arsenal.
If equipment could be obtained in advance from Officer Yan, they should definitely prioritize that.
Worst case, even if no equipment from Officer Yan, they could get other things.
In short, since they were eyeing our stuff, they had to pay a price.
“Hahahaha, makes sense, makes sense.” Zhang Wanhe laughed heartily, “This way, if it works out, we can get the new type rockets ahead of schedule. You first work on the self-destruct device in the shells. I’ll report to the headquarters leader in advance…”
The brigade commander was a bit stunned on the side and interrupted Zhang Wanhe: “Minister Zhang, what new type rockets? Aren’t you at the Border Region Arsenal working on rocket launchers now?”
In his heart, the brigade commander couldn’t help cursing: How did Kong Jie not give me any advance notice? How did that blockhead’s brain rust at the key moment!
Facing the brigade commander’s question, Zhang Wanhe teased: “Brigade Commander Chen, let me ask you a common-sense question.”
“What question?”
“Have you ever seen a shell fly out by itself to kill the enemy?” Zhang Wanhe asked.
“That’s nonsense!” The brigade commander glared, “Without a cannon barrel to launch it, how does the shell fire! Old Zhang, are you joking with me…”
The brigade commander didn’t finish before suddenly pausing, suspiciously glancing at Li Muzhi, then tentatively asked: “Xiao Li, Old Zhang isn’t really joking, is he? Don’t tell me you can really make shells that fly out by themselves to kill the enemy?”
Shells flying out by themselves to kill the enemy was too far-fetched.
This wasn’t immortals scattering beans to make soldiers, nor Sun Wukong’s life-saving hair. How could it fly out by itself to kill the enemy.
But Zhang Wanhe was being all mysterious, and although the brigade commander thought it nonsense, when his gaze fell on Li Muzhi’s face, he couldn’t outright deny it.
This Li, the big factory director in front of him, had made heavy cannons from a single large caliber steel pipe.
He’d even made artillery that launches from the shoulder.
Now, he said he could make self-flying shells. This really made the brigade commander not dare to dismiss it lightly.
“Brigade Commander Chen, no choice. Since our Border Region Arsenal can’t make cannon barrels, I can only abandon the cannon barrel and find another way.” Li Muzhi said.
The brigade commander’s eyes widened round: “Xiao Li, you’re not joking, right?”
What he meant was, he could make it!!!
How could this not shock the brigade commander.
Even though the brigade commander had seen much turmoil, at this moment he truly couldn’t stay calm.
Shells had relied on cannon barrels for firing for centuries, and here you Li Muzhi changed history!
Of course, in his heart, the brigade commander cursed Kong Jie several more times: Such important information, and Kong Jie didn’t provide it to brigade headquarters in time. That blockhead really infuriates me.
The brigade commander could foresee that if Li Muzhi really made self-flying shells, the significance on the battlefield would be huge.
Troops could carry shells for quick transfer, high concealment, sudden attacks with outstanding effects.
With such shells, all combat troops would go crazy scrambling for them!
Not getting them in advance would lose the first-mover advantage. This Kong Jie really needs to be… looks like we need to consider replacing someone to help the arsenal with coal mining.
“Brigade Commander Chen, the way you put it!”
Zhang Wanhe acted smug on the side: “The one standing before you now is Xiao Li. If he says he can make it, he definitely can! What, you dare question him?”
