Chapter 49: No Chance In Hell
“Get up, everyone hurry up and get up.”
The sky was just starting to show a faint white light on the horizon when Kong Jie had someone urge the soldiers to get out of bed. “Hurry up and eat breakfast. Today’s coal mining amount must be a bit more than yesterday’s. Mining a bit more each day than the previous day—that’s our goal!”
The soldiers of the New Second Regiment didn’t dawdle either; they quickly got up and got dressed.
After a simple mouth rinse, they began eating breakfast.
Breakfast was quite abundant: coarse grain steamed buns, white flour steamed buns, white rice, pickled vegetables…
The soldiers of the New Second Regiment all devoured their food voraciously, desperately replenishing energy for their bodies.
Seeing Li Yunlong and Ding Wei coming over, Kong Jie was stunned for a moment: “Old Li, Old Ding, why are you here too?”
Immediately after, Kong Jie couldn’t help but say: “You two aren’t here to dig coal for the arsenal too, are you?”
It was just barely dawn, and if these two hadn’t received prior notice, how would they come here to eat breakfast.
Moreover!
The breakfast here wasn’t for just anyone to eat.
Kong Jie had even heard Head of Logistics Old Zhang complaining to Li Muzhi that the New Second Regiment was a bunch of livestock, eating too much and too well, and logistics couldn’t afford to raise them.
Fortunately, Li Muzhi had shut Old Zhang down with one sentence: military industry production is everything.
Without eating your fill and eating well, how can you do the task well.
Old Zhang could only swallow his complaints.
This only made Kong Jie more determined in his heart: no matter what, we have to dig this coal well.
This coal mining job—no matter what anyone says, we can’t just give it up easily.
And Li Yunlong and Ding Wei bringing troops here to eat breakfast definitely wouldn’t be allowed without Old Zhang’s permission.
Before Ding Wei could speak, Li Yunlong said from the side: “Hey, Kong Er Lengzi, which of your eyes sees me and Old Ding looking like coal miners! Only you, Kong Er Lengzi, really treat coal mining as your main job!”
Ding Wei explained from the side: “Old Kong, Li Yunlong and I delivered a batch of supplies to the arsenal. Li Muzhi kept us for breakfast.”
“What supplies did you deliver?” Kong Jie was still very curious.
Li Yunlong and Ding Wei’s troops were quite numerous—over a thousand mouths for one breakfast wasn’t a small number.
If the supplies weren’t of high value, Old Zhang would explode.
“It’s not anything valuable, just over ten thousand liters of oil.” Li Yunlong said it casually, showing off in front of Kong Jie. “Li Muzhi even said he’d give me twenty cannonballs for it. Old Kong, these twenty cannonballs are enough for that kid to dig coal for two months.”
“Over ten thousand liters of oil—my god, you’ve gotten rich!” Kong Jie was shocked.
“Small matter.” Li Yunlong’s tone was indifferent as he looked at Kong Jie. “Old Kong, soon Old Ding will have his own Hell Cannon too. Among us three brothers, you’re the only one without a Hell Cannon. How about it—want to consider quitting this coal mining job? Old Ding and I will take you…”
Li Yunlong didn’t finish his words before Kong Jie firmly interrupted: “Li Yunlong, don’t try to butter me up! A Hell Cannon isn’t that easy to get. I’m digging coal just fine here—I’m not going anywhere! If you want to take my position, kid, forget it—no way!”
In Kong Jie’s view, Li Yunlong was most likely bragging.
If a Hell Cannon were really that easy to get.
This Li Yunlong was just jealous of his coal mining job and wanted to take it over. Kong Jie wasn’t stupid.
No matter what anyone says, he wouldn’t budge.
“Haha.” Ding Wei laughed heartily and said to Li Yunlong: “Old Li, look how firm Old Kong’s thinking is. Save your breath.”
Originally, Ding Wei had even planned to secretly remind Kong Jie that he couldn’t just quit the coal mining job easily.
Now it seemed that although Old Kong was a bit slow on the uptake, he wasn’t stupid.
“Old Kong, you really don’t want a Hell Cannon at all?” Li Yunlong asked.
“Of course I want one.” Kong Jie couldn’t bring himself to lie. Although he hadn’t seen its power with his own eyes, one shot taking out over a hundred Japanese invaders—who wouldn’t be envious.
But Kong Jie also knew his place.
Li Muzhi had said that even after full production, there would only be eleven Hell Cannons in total.
Not enough to go around.
Kong Jie would just honestly keep digging coal.
“If you want a Hell Cannon, then follow me and Old Ding. I guarantee you…” Li Yunlong didn’t finish his words.
Kong Jie waved his hand: “Drop it—no need to say more.”
Kong Jie didn’t believe Li Yunlong’s nonsense.
This kid always wanted to hog any benefits for himself.
If he really got an extra cannon, would he share it? No way.
Over in Wanjia Town, he’d gone to get equipment for a cavalry battalion himself, and in the end, he got nothing—not even a single hair. It was all taken by this kid.
If he was that unscrupulous with a cavalry battalion, let alone a Hell Cannon.
Immediately after, Kong Jie also reminded Ding Wei: “Old Ding, you know what kind of person Li Yunlong is. Don’t believe his words, or you’ll regret it.”
“Damn it, you Kong Er Lengzi, treating my good intentions like a donkey’s liver and lungs…” Li Yunlong flew into a rage. “I’m giving you an opportunity, and you talk about me like that.”
“Forget it, forget it, Old Li. Old Kong wants to dig coal, so let him.” Ding Wei played the peacemaker.
“You Kong Er Lengzi, you stubborn fool—just keep being your coal miner then. Pretend I never said anything.” Li Yunlong gave up on the idea.
Although Li Yunlong’s attempt to recruit Kong Jie had caused a bit of awkwardness, it didn’t affect the bond between the three brothers.
After eating and drinking their fill, Ding Wei and Li Yunlong still left a batch of equipment for Kong Jie and instructed: “Old Kong, we’re heading back. Take these guns and ammunition. Old Zhang is so stingy—he won’t give you any weapons and ammunition. He really treats you like a coal miner. When you’re digging coal, kid, don’t just keep your head down digging—keep an eye on the arsenal’s security too, especially our Li Muzhi. Not a single hair of his can be harmed, or else us brothers of so many years will have to part ways.
The New Second Regiment under Kong Jie had just been formed and was most in need of weapons and ammunition.
Seeing five light machine guns, two grenade launchers, and one mortar in this batch of weapons and ammunition, Kong Jie understood that Li Yunlong and Ding Wei were giving so much not out of their many years of brotherhood, but for Li Muzhi’s sake.
If there was any enemy situation at the arsenal, Kong Jie as personal guard needed decent gear in hand—otherwise, it wouldn’t do.
Kong Jie unceremoniously accepted it, grinning from ear to ear: “Old Li, Old Ding, rest assured—as long as I, Kong Jie, have one breath left, no one will touch a single hair on Li Muzhi’s head.”
“You Kong Er Lengzi, why do you always say such inauspicious things!” Li Yunlong cursed. “Old Ding and I are giving you all this weapons and ammunition so you can beat the enemies down when the time comes—not so you get beaten down yourself. If you fight another battle like Yang Village, you’ll never recover in this lifetime.”
“Don’t worry, don’t worry—it absolutely won’t happen again.” Kong Jie nodded emphatically.
“Younger Brother Li, Old Ding and I are heading back first. Thanks for the breakfast.”
After saying goodbye to Kong Jie, Li Yunlong and Ding Wei bid farewell to Li Muzhi.
“Regimental Commander Li, Regimental Commander Ding, take care on your way. Forgive me for not seeing you off.” Li Muzhi said to the two.
“No need to see us off, really—your time is most precious, and we can’t afford to delay it.” Li Yunlong and Ding Wei waved their hands, leading their troops back.
