Chapter 28: Have Me Do Coal Mining For You?
Kong Jie arrived at the outside of the Border Region Arsenal at the fastest speed, and immediately felt that the arsenal in front of him was not quite the same as before.
This was not about the location being different, but the activity being different.
In the current arsenal, one could surprisingly hear cutting sounds and smell welding odors.
This made Kong Jie unable to help but be stunned, wondering if he had gone to the wrong place.
After confirming several times that he had not gone to the wrong place, Kong Jie stepped to the doorway and said to the guard: “I am Regiment Commander Kong Jie of the 386 Brigade New Second Regiment. Your new factory director asked me to come.”
“You are Regiment Commander Kong.” The guard looked at Kong Jie with a somewhat strange expression, but still hurriedly led the way: “Come with me.”
Regiment Commander Kong’s great name was also well-known to logistics.
The 386 Brigade had two famous regiment commanders, one was Li Yunlong, and the other was Regiment Commander Kong Jie.
No need to mention Li Yunlong, Regiment Commander Kong made our headquarters leader invent a new term: Leavened Regiment!
In the Yang Village battle, Regiment Commander Kong’s one regiment defeated a small unit of the Japanese invaders, shaving the Bald One’s head 200 to zero, without leaving even a single Japanese invader hair.
Kong Jie followed the guard into the arsenal, and his eyes quickly widened round: “You, you, you, what new thing is your arsenal making? Not making bullets and grenades anymore?”
“Regiment Commander Kong, you are from the 386 Brigade, don’t you know?” The guard was suspicious.
Your 386 Brigade snatched our logistics’ cannon, which made Minister Zhang quite angry. Doesn’t Regiment Commander Kong know about this?
“Really don’t know.” Kong Jie shook his head.
The New Second Regiment was just formed, and Kong Jie was busy with training, with no time to go to brigade headquarters.
“Our arsenal is temporarily not making bullets and grenades now, changed to making cannons.” The guard explained.
“What, making what?” Kong Jie glared, suspecting he had misheard.
The Border Region Arsenal can make cannons now?
This matter sounds like something out of Arabian Nights.
Weren’t you unable even to smelt steel?
However, looking at the pipes being cut in front of him, and the welded steel plates and such, he still calmed down a bit.
It looked like the arsenal was really making cannons.
Just didn’t know how the quality of this cannon was; it should at least be a bit stronger than earth-made cannons.
“Factory Director, Regiment Commander Kong of the New Second Regiment is here.” The guard led Kong Jie behind Li Muzhi and reported to Li Muzhi.
Li Muzhi stopped the work at hand and turned to look.
One of the famous Iron Triangle, Regiment Commander Kong, had a tough fighting style. In the Ping An Ge Le campaign, he was known as: Kong Overindulgence!
“Regiment Commander Kong, hello, I am Li Muzhi.” Li Muzhi sent the guard away and extended his hand to Kong Jie.
Kong Jie also extended his hand and shook with Li Muzhi: “Factory Director Li, hello.”
Immediately after, Kong Jie got straight to the point: “Factory Director Li, your guard said your arsenal is now making cannons?”
“Regiment Commander Kong, haven’t you seen it all.” Li Muzhi pointed to the workshop.
“Our army’s Huangyadong Arsenal can’t make cannons, yet your Border Region Arsenal can. I always feel a bit…” Kong Jie paused, looking at Li Muzhi, “How is the power of your cannons?”
Huangyadong Arsenal was one of the Eighth Route Army’s most important arsenals, its strength far beyond what the Border Region Arsenal could compare to.
Yet Huangyadong Arsenal couldn’t make cannons, but the Border Region Arsenal could; it was unimaginable.
“Looks like Regiment Commander Kong’s intelligence hasn’t spread yet.” Li Muzhi smiled and said to Kong Jie: “Just go to your brigade headquarters and ask anyone, and you’ll know.”
The New Second Regiment was a new regiment, now busy with training, so the intelligence source was a bit slow.
“I’ll ask around later.” Kong Jie suppressed his inner suspicion, looking at Li Muzhi, “I don’t know why Factory Director Li called me here; is there something you need me to cooperate on?”
“Since Regiment Commander Kong has come to me, it means your New Second Regiment currently has no combat mission, right?” Li Muzhi still asked first.
“Although there is no combat mission now, I still need to train the troops as soon as possible; after all, they are combat troops.” Although Kong Jie had redeemed himself in the Lijia Po battle, he still wanted to build up the New Second Regiment quickly, to kill more Japanese invaders on the battlefield later and personally redeem himself again.
“It’s like this: our arsenal wants to stockpile some coal first, hoping Regiment Commander Kong can cooperate.” Li Muzhi said.
“Have me get coal for you?” Kong Jie was stunned, not quite understanding Li Muzhi’s meaning, “Where would I get it for you.”
“I know a place with coal; take your troops to dig coal for me.” Li Muzhi said, “Of course, I won’t let you work for nothing; work for me for three days, and I’ll give you one cannonball.”
Li Muzhi did not require output from the New Second Regiment, because he knew people of this era worked diligently and earnestly.
Requiring time was enough.
As for how Li Muzhi knew where there was coal, it was from memories of later generations.
“What, have me take my troops to dig coal for you?” Kong Jie’s eyes widened huge; did your logistics have no one?
We already said, we are combat troops; I need to train the troops as soon as possible.
And you want us to dig coal for you!!!
However, Li Muzhi said work for three days and get one cannonball, which made Kong Jie stunned for a moment.
As a veteran, Kong Jie knew well the preciousness of cannonballs.
For example, the cannonballs for those few mountain cannons at headquarters; every use required approval from headquarters leaders.
And here with Li Muzhi, work three days for one cannonball—real or fake?
Kong Jie hurriedly asked: “The one you give me is an infantry gun cannonball?”
Although Kong Jie temporarily had no infantry gun on hand, with a cannonball, he could borrow artillery from headquarters.
“Not an infantry gun cannonball.” Li Muzhi shook his head and said, “It’s a cannonball for the cannons our arsenal is now producing.”
“Cannonball for the currently produced cannons?” Kong Jie was stunned, “I don’t even know if the power is great yet?”
If this cannonball’s power wasn’t great, wouldn’t our troops working for you delay troop training?
If the troops aren’t trained, how to kill Japanese invaders later?
“Regiment Commander Kong, you can go to your brigade headquarters now to inquire about the power of the cannons made by our Border Region Arsenal, then decide if you’ll help our arsenal with the work.” Li Muzhi said he could give Kong Jie time to think.
“Alright, Factory Director Li, I’ll go to my brigade headquarters right away and give you a reply soon.” Kong Jie’s first impression of this Li Muzhi in front of him was pretty good.
After all, brigade headquarters had issued the order, saying it was signed by headquarters leaders.
If combat troops had no combat mission, they could not refuse without reason when the arsenal’s military industry production needed cooperation.
Based on this alone, Li Muzhi could completely force Kong Jie to go dig coal, since the New Second Regiment really had no combat mission now.
Yet Li Muzhi gave Kong Jie time to consider, without forcing him.
“Regiment Commander Kong, I’m quite busy here, so I won’t see you off.”
“No problem, you be busy, making cannons is important.”
……
