Chapter 302: Considering Relocating The Factory
“Alright, that’s it. Go back and communicate this to everyone below.”
Li Muzhi’s meeting lasted a total of just five minutes, then it ended. “Tell them that doing the work at hand well is the best support for the troops.”
“Okay, Factory Director.” Lao He led the management personnel and quickly dispersed.
Li Muzhi also walked out of the meeting room, preparing to head to the warehouse.
The disassembly team had brought back the parts of the locomotive and they were in the warehouse.
These parts definitely needed to be assembled immediately.
The assembly of this locomotive and its conversion to power didn’t require Li Muzhi to do it personally.
He had already written down the detailed process, and the skilled workers who had participated in previous assemblies would install according to the process written by Li Muzhi.
If they encountered any problems midway that they couldn’t handle, they would then ask Li Muzhi to come over and deal with it.
Of course, now that the locomotive parts had been disassembled and brought back, Li Muzhi still needed to go take a look.
Only after confirming there were no assembly issues would he return to his own laboratory to do his own work.
As soon as he opened the door, Zhang Wanhe quickly came over: “Xiao Li, I’m back.”
Zhang Wanhe’s tone had no negativity, only excitement. It seemed Old Zhang Comrade’s operation had gone smoothly.
Li Muzhi turned to look at Zhang Wanhe: “What about the equipment? Did you bring it back?”
“No.” Zhang Wanhe shook his head and explained, “Worried they might play tricks, so I didn’t have the equipment transported here immediately. I planned to leave it outside for a bit.”
The Japanese invaders once had a vicious trick: scattering tracking powder and then tracking by scent.
The Military Statistics Bureau’s bunch of bastards also had to be guarded against.
Immediately after, Zhang Wanhe took out a set of photos and handed them to Li Muzhi: “Xiao Li, these are all the photos taken. Take a look first.”
“Okay.” Li Muzhi took the photos and immediately started looking through them.
Looking at this first photo, Li Muzhi frowned, but he didn’t say anything.
Li Muzhi continued flipping through the later ones, his frown growing tighter and tighter.
Zhang Wanhe watched Li Muzhi’s expression from the side, and his own face also frowned. Seeing Xiao Li’s state, this batch of equipment was probably even worse than he had imagined.
Only after Li Muzhi finished flipping through did Zhang Wanhe carefully ask: “Xiao Li, how is it? Are all these things broken?”
“The things don’t have any direct signs of damage, but their condition is worse than I imagined.” Li Muzhi said truthfully, “Although this is my first time seeing this equipment, figuring out how to repair it will take some time. Also, the raw materials are insufficient; there’s too little raw material.”
Li Muzhi naturally wasn’t seeing this equipment for the first time, but he definitely had to say it that way.
To produce gas masks, it’s not just activated carbon that’s needed.
There are many other raw materials, like masks, glass, plastic tubes, and so on.
“Raw materials can be figured out another way.” Zhang Wanhe said after hearing this, then looked at Li Muzhi, “Then how long will it take you to repair them?”
“I can’t guarantee exactly.” Li Muzhi said, “After all, I haven’t seen these machines before. Figuring out the repairs, and then producing after they’re fixed, will take at least a month.”
Under normal circumstances, without having seen this equipment before, figuring it out, repairing it, and then producing could take two or three months.
But Li Muzhi had seen it and knew how to repair it; if smooth, half a month should suffice.
Of course, Li Muzhi couldn’t say it that way.
“At least a month?” Zhang Wanhe’s eyes widened. “Xiao Li, you’re not joking, right? Will it really take that long?”
Half a month was enough time for many things to happen.
For example, the Kumamoto Division’s large army, under airplane protection, obtaining military train supply replenishment, then launching another raid against us.
Or, for example, on Li Yunlong’s side, if they were causing trouble in the Japanese invaders’ Taiyuan rear, and gas masks couldn’t be supplied in a month, the opportunity would probably be long gone.
“Minister Zhang, after all, I haven’t seen this equipment before.” Li Muzhi replied, “Figuring out the repairs, and who knows if other changes might happen midway. But I’ll still try to do it as fast as possible.”
“As fast as possible—how fast is that?”
“Minister Zhang, I understand your feelings.” Li Muzhi said tactfully, “For the equipment repair matter, you should stop worrying about it first. Instead, get me the corresponding materials. See if you can get equipment for producing glass and plastic from the Military Statistics Bureau side as well.”
These gas masks need glass as lenses.
Pipes and masks all need plastic.
And among these raw materials, there are glass lenses and plastic tubes.
But if the equipment for producing glass and plastic could be exchanged over, allowing them to produce their own, that would be the most important.
“They probably won’t be willing to give those things over there.” Zhang Wanhe mused.
“There’s plenty of time; you can slowly communicate with them.” Li Muzhi said, “Our Hell Cannon, Hell Missile and such things—they’re definitely eyeing them too. I believe there’s definitely a way.”
“You haven’t finished the devices for the Hell Cannon and Hell Missile yet, and now you have to repair machinery and equipment; probably no time to work on the devices.” Zhang Wanhe looked at Li Muzhi.
“That batch of students is very smart; they’re progressing quickly.” Li Muzhi said solemnly, “After another week’s training, they can take a lot off my plate.”
Immediately after, Li Muzhi added: “With them helping to share the load, progress will speed up a lot. It won’t even take a month before you can see the gas masks.”
Hearing this, Zhang Wanhe said happily: “Really? That’s great.”
Once these gas masks are produced, the direct lineage side will also be envious.
Zhang Wanhe still remembered that last night, during the exchange with that Military Statistics Bureau station chief, the station chief had asked one more question.
Asking Zhang Wanhe what he wanted to exchange these junk equipment for, Zhang Wanhe didn’t hide it and said he wanted to make gas masks.
At the time, that Military Statistics Bureau station chief couldn’t help but laugh twice.
Although he didn’t say anything, those two laughs were forever etched in Zhang Wanhe’s mind.
You Military Statistics Bureau station chief called this junk, not believing we could make it work.
When Li Muzhi really makes it, see if you still laugh.
Then Zhang Wanhe said: “Alright, I’ll communicate with them again about the equipment for making glass and plastic. For the remaining flashbangs, you need to hurry and produce them to give to them.”
Last night, only four flashbangs were given, which was just part of the deposit.
Normally, if the deposit isn’t fully given, the Military Statistics Bureau side won’t hand over all the equipment.
But since they handed over all the equipment, it still showed some sincerity.
“Okay.” Li Muzhi nodded, then remembering Liu Weidong’s side, he said, “Minister Zhang, I heard Regiment Commander Liu’s side suffered heavy losses. Is that true?”
Liu Weidong’s heavy losses were partly to block the enemy and partly to cover the disassembly of the military train locomotive for the Border Region Arsenal, so compensation was due.
“Don’t worry, I know what to do.” Zhang Wanhe nodded. “All the Hell Missiles produced today go to him. For the rocket launchers, I’ll replace the damaged ones with new ones, and give enough ammunition. Their wounded will all get the best treatment. After all, we snatched quite a bit of medicine from the military train; we’re not short on medicine for now.”
“Mm.” Li Muzhi acknowledged, then stood up and said: “Minister Zhang, then I’ll go to the warehouse now to check on the locomotive parts.”
“Alright, no problem. I’m off to handle my own business too.” Zhang Wanhe nodded and soon took his leave.
Li Muzhi arrived at the warehouse. Old Qi, the senior key personnel from the original Taiyuan Arsenal, saw him coming and hurried over with small steps: “Factory Director, these parts were disassembled very well; they’re all very complete. I’ve already arranged for assembly.”
Then Old Qi said: “Also, parts from two Iron Turtle locomotives were disassembled and brought back. I took a rough look; the parts from these two Iron Turtle locomotives can roughly make up one complete locomotive. After assembling the military train locomotive, I’ll be responsible for assembling this Iron Turtle locomotive too.”
“No need.” Li Muzhi waved his hand and said, “Don’t assemble the Iron Turtle locomotive. Select the good, complete parts, load them onto vehicles, and send them to the Huangyadong Arsenal.”
Hearing this, Old Qi paused: “Factory Director Li, giving to them again? Aren’t we keeping any for ourselves?”
The previous Iron Turtles were already given; now giving more?
“Soon we’ll have another military train locomotive to assemble, and the arsenal’s power is sufficient.” Li Muzhi explained, “Things we can’t use here for now should be transferred to other arsenals.”
The equipment for making seamless steel pipes was nowhere to be seen now.
Without seamless steel pipes, anti-aircraft weapons can’t be made.
With the Kumamoto Division’s large army coming back under airplane cover, the pressure on combat troops is even greater.
What happens in the future, no one can say.
In short, not putting all eggs in one basket is right.
Li Muzhi was even considering that once the Kumamoto Division’s large army raid ended, whether to move some of the Border Region Arsenal’s equipment to the rear, or even consider relocating the factory.
The Japanese invaders definitely had their eyes on the Border Region Arsenal. If the location was truly exposed, transferring all this equipment later would be troublesome.
After all, the Second War Zone here was a war zone, the frontline.
Military industry production was best transferred to the rear.
However!
Relocating the factory is a big task, not something done overnight.
Now combat troops urgently need more weapons and ammunition; under this situation, the arsenal’s production can’t stop.
Hopefully the Kumamoto Division’s large army raid can be quelled by the combat troops, leaving more buffer time then.
“Mm, good.” Old Qi nodded and said, “Then the excess railroad tracks and ties and such that we can’t use up here—can we transfer some of those over there too?”
Although the Border Region Arsenal was producing at full capacity, the amount of railroad tracks and ties brought back by combat troops was really huge; so much that the warehouses couldn’t hold them all.
“Yes.” Li Muzhi nodded. “Any materials we can’t use up can be transferred.”
“Okay, Factory Director.” Old Qi nodded.
Li Muzhi inspected the assembly of the locomotive parts, and only after confirming no issues here did he return to his laboratory to do his own work.
