Chapter 74: Brigade Commander, Your Calculations Are Off
The Brigade Commander followed Li Yunlong to a small room in the Scrap Yard with curiosity.
This small room was filled with a large amount of junk items, including broken radios, broken flashlights, broken motorcycle engines, copper wire coils, and even… broken radios!
That’s right, radios!
As an Intelligence Officer, the Brigade Commander knew the meaning of radios best.
He hurriedly went up and rummaged through them; there were six radios, all badly damaged.
But there were still some good parts inside.
Our army has very few radios, only available at division and brigade levels; the combat troops below don’t have any at all.
When radios break and lack parts replenishment, they can only be left unused at a loss.
Disassembling the parts from these six broken radios in front of him might be able to repair those radios in the Headquarters Logistics Warehouse that lack parts.
“Not bad, I didn’t expect that this Scrap Yard really has the opportunity to turn waste into treasure.” A smile appeared on the Brigade Commander’s face.
Ding Wei also came over and said to the Brigade Commander: “Brigade Commander, I’ve also found some things here that the Arsenal should be able to use.”
“Really?” The Brigade Commander followed Ding Wei to another place with curiosity.
Here, there was a large amount of scrap metal, some of which was very eye-catching; upon closer inspection, they turned out to be small machines, even small lathes.
That’s right, machine lathes!
Even if they were broken and scrapped, they were still machine lathes.
“Take all of these back, don’t leave behind a single screw.” The Brigade Commander’s smile grew by a couple more points.
“Brigade Commander, what kind of machines are these?” Li Yunlong asked.
“All sorts of miscellaneous ones, many I don’t recognize; never mind, haul them all back to the Arsenal and see if they can be…” The Brigade Commander didn’t finish his words.
Li Yunlong grinned and took over: “See if they can exchange for another Hell Cannon to equip Old Ding, right?”
The Brigade Commander’s expression immediately became very serious: “I don’t know if it can exchange for a Hell Cannon, but the Hell Cannon you have, take it back to my Brigade Headquarters.”
“Brigade Commander, what’s wrong? Don’t you already have a Hell Cannon? Why are you still eyeing my cannon!” Li Yunlong immediately shouted.
“What do you mean I’m eyeing your cannon!” The Brigade Commander glared and scolded, “Look at what a big mess you’ve caused this time; if I don’t straighten you out, you’ll really think…”
“Brigade Commander, Brigade Commander, calm down, calm down.” Li Yunlong hurriedly interrupted the Brigade Commander and used the profits from Ping’an County Town to shut him up, “Brigade Commander, you don’t know yet, do you? Old Ding and I also brought back some good stuff for you from Ping’an County Town, stuff the Arsenal can definitely use.”
“Good stuff from Ping’an County Town too?” The Brigade Commander perked up at that, naturally very interested.
Fair enough!
At first, he was too busy cursing to remember this detail.
The Brigade Commander asked: “What good stuff?”
“We got some copper wire and copper billets, all intact,” Li Yunlong replied, “and also some acidic liquid, not sure what it is.”
“Hmm, not bad; sounds like you and Ding Wei really struck it rich in Ping’an County Town.” The Brigade Commander nodded, quite satisfied.
This acidic liquid was most likely industrial acid.
“Brigade Commander, listen, keep the cannon with me and give Old Ding one too; then you can stay put at Brigade Headquarters, and Old Ding and I will go out and earn you a family fortune. What a great deal, right?” Li Yunlong seized the chance to circle the topic back.
“Hmm, you’re not wrong; it does sound like that!” The Brigade Commander first agreed with Li Yunlong, then abruptly changed tone and flew into a rage: “Do you think I’m stupid? Giving you one cannon caused me this much trouble; give you two and you’d turn the world upside down! Do you know what it felt like for me at Brigade Headquarters while you were causing trouble? It was like a year for every day! I want to live a few more years. Let me tell you, Li Yunlong, when we get back, immediately, right away, haul your cannon to my Brigade Headquarters—no discussion!”
“Brigade Commander, your accounting is off.” Li Yunlong pointed out.
“How is it off again? Where?” The Brigade Commander didn’t quite get what Li Yunlong meant.
“You said yourself you want to live a few more years, right.” Li Yunlong analyzed for the Brigade Commander, “And while Old Ding and I are out earning you stuff, you’re at Brigade Headquarters feeling like every day is a year; so one day there is like a year, meaning you’re not just living a few more years, you’re living…”
“Get lost, spouting nonsense!” The Brigade Commander interrupted Li Yunlong and roared, “I’ll state it one last time: when we get back, immediately, right away, haul your cannon… forget it, no need, I’ll have the Guard Platoon haul it to Brigade Headquarters myself.”
“Brigade Commander, that’s not fair, not fair at all.” Li Yunlong complained, “I’ve brought back this much family fortune for you; not giving a reward is one thing, but now you’re taking my Hell Cannon too? No, no, I can’t give it to you, absolutely not.”
“Not giving it? No problem.” The Brigade Commander was very calm, “I’ll report to Headquarters: you, Li Yunlong, incited local troops to attack Heyuan County Town without approval, and led troops to attack Ping’an County Town without authorization—this is no small offense. By then, you still won’t be able to keep this cannon of yours; think it over yourself—give it to me or give it to Headquarters?”
“Fine, fine, Brigade Commander, I give in, I give in, okay?” Li Yunlong finally yielded.
If the Brigade Commander handled it officially, the cannon might end up taken by the Headquarters Leader, and he’d have no chance to get it back.
Handing the cannon to the Brigade Commander was just temporary safekeeping for a few days.
Anyway, there were no more cannonballs, so keeping the Hell Cannon wasn’t useful.
Plus, this time he’d scared the Brigade Commander, so he needed to give him a way to save face.
Didn’t Younger Brother Li from the Arsenal say that when the cannonballs were made, he’d get thirty of them and have him do a big task?
Without the Hell Cannon, that big task definitely couldn’t be done.
By then, the Brigade Commander would have to give the cannon back.
If the Brigade Commander didn’t, it’d delay the Arsenal’s military industry production!
Could the Brigade Commander’s thin arms twist Younger Brother Li’s thick legs from the Arsenal?
“Smart move, kid.” Seeing Li Yunlong willing to hand over the cannon, the Brigade Commander glanced at him: the moment you Li Yunlong puckered up, I knew what shit you were about to drop.
You want to get the cannon back? Not so easy!
All the scrap metal from the Scrap Yard was packed up and taken away; Li Yunlong’s Hell Cannon was hauled off by the Brigade Commander’s Guard Platoon. Ding Wei sidled up to Li Yunlong: “Old Li, the Brigade Commander confiscated your Hell Cannon?”
Li Yunlong couldn’t even keep his own Hell Cannon; Ding Wei couldn’t help thinking, then wouldn’t his own Hell Cannon be out of reach too?
“Old Ding, relax; I’m just having the Brigade Commander hold it for me temporarily,” Li Yunlong said nonchalantly, “He’ll give it back to me soon.”
“Doesn’t look like it to me.” Ding Wei didn’t believe it.
“Old Ding, I’m not bragging to you.” Li Yunlong said confidently, “When the time comes, not only will I get my cannon back, I’ll also take the Brigade Commander’s cannon. Believe it or not?”
“If you’re not bragging, will you die!” Ding Wei believed it even less.
He’d heard that Cheng Xiazi from the 772nd Regiment wanted the Brigade Commander’s cannon, and as soon as he opened his mouth, the Brigade Commander kicked him flying out of Brigade Headquarters!
Li Yunlong getting his own Hell Cannon back would be impressive enough; now he wanted to eye the Brigade Commander’s Hell Cannon too? Did he think he was the Division Commander?
“Haha, just watch, Old Ding.”
……
