Chapter 185: 184, They Need Bullets, Universal Milling Machine Arrives, So Make Bullets
The match is about to begin.
The contestant from the Taishan Airlines Security Team is not tall, but has strong legs and is adept at mountain climbing.
The selected Red Army soldier is quite thin; it wasn’t intentional, all Red Army soldiers are very thin.
Shu Zhitao holds two pebbles, strikes them together as the signal, and announces the start.
Two figures nimbly rush down the mountain. Although this match is for entertainment, both have a competitive spirit.
Their descending speed is almost the same. Under inertia, they must maintain a certain speed while controlling body balance, otherwise tumbling on the mountain road would mean rolling down the hill.
The two run down the mountain in small steps, leap into the stream, and swim across with all their might.
Reaching the shoreline, they don’t bother wringing the water from their clothes and almost simultaneously climb the earthen slope by the stream.
The mountain ahead is their greatest challenge and the most physically demanding.
The security team member, who has good nutrition every day and is skilled at climbing, begins to take the lead on this stretch.
Behind him is the skinny Red Army soldier, who lacks explosive power to overtake but has plenty of endurance, always keeping a certain distance.
In this way, one ahead and one behind, the two strive to climb toward the mountaintop in the col.
The security team member arrives first. He happily waves to signal those on the opposite mountain.
But he sees the Red Army soldier still climbing. If he stays longer, the other will catch up.
He hurries down the mountain. As a mountain person, he knows how to descend the col faster.
This kind of mountain with soil outside and stones inside has the col as a place where water accumulates and slides down. Sliding along the original traces of mountain water is the fastest.
While sliding down quickly, the security team member doesn’t forget to shout at the Red Army soldier, looking very smug.
He smoothly reaches the foot of the mountain and gradually relaxes his pace. The physical consumption along the way is too much for him.
This pause brings on the fatigue, his legs feeling like they are filled with lead and unable to move.
He needs to rest and recover for a while.
At the same time, the Red Army soldier reaches the mountaintop and slides down the same col water channel.
Seeing this, the other four Taishan Security Team members watching from the mountain hurriedly shout: “Run fast, he’s catching up.”
The security team member, not yet rested, looks back and hurriedly runs toward the stream.
By the time he swims across, the other has also entered the water.
When the security team member pants his way to the mountain waist, the Red Army soldier is again behind him, still at that neither close nor far distance.
This reversal happens bit by bit, from a huge lead being gradually evened out.
At this point, Fang Shouxin and Fang Shun understand the Red Army’s secret.
These are a group of soldiers with superhuman endurance. Their endurance comes from willpower and faith, which is why they can persist against strong enemies.
When the two arrive at the mountaintop almost simultaneously, Fang Shouxin sighs: “You win.”
Shu Zhitao shakes his head: “A win is a win, a loss is a loss. We were half a beat slower; you win this time. Now let’s discuss that matter.”
That matter naturally refers to the airdrop. For secrecy, he hasn’t even told his own subordinates.
The three gather together again and discuss.
Shanghai Airport.
Fang Wen gets off work on time, goes home to eat the meal his wife cooked, then goes out for a stroll.
Passing by the pilot dormitory, he deliberately goes over to check.
Without finding a French translator, Lin Shuiwang is still the head of this group of French pilots and lives in the dormitory.
Fang Wen goes to Lin Shuiwang’s dormitory and talks with him.
“How are they?”
“Everything else is fine, just that they’re a bit too lustful. They circle the flight attendant girls all day, bewitching those girls into a daze.”
Fang Wen agrees with Lin Shuiwang’s view; to him, the French romanticism is just lust.
He doesn’t want these French pilots to seduce and abandon responsibility, causing the girls’ parents to come complaining to him.
For this, Fang Wen feels he should have a good talk with those guys.
He and Lin Shuiwang go to the French pilots’ dormitory, gather everyone, and hold a meeting.
“I want to state one thing: China and France have different attitudes toward relationships. If you like the decent girls here, you need to take on family responsibilities. Therefore, I announce a strict ban on romance within the company. If discovered, light penalty is deduction of salary and bonus, heavy is dismissal and compensation.”
At these words, several pilots immediately straighten up. They are here to earn money and can’t ruin this good job over a bit of lust.
Several express in English that they absolutely won’t mess around in the company, and only then does Fang Wen leave.
Lin Shuiwang gives a thumbs up: “General Manager, it has to be you; they don’t listen to me.”
“Your flattery skills have deteriorated.” Fang Wen laughs and leaves.
Walking on the road outside the airport, people along the way greet him from time to time, and Fang Wen smiles in response to each.
After a round, he returns home and takes out that small cauldron.
He wants to try absorbing energy from two mysterious items at the same time.
This idea can be realized.
But the effect is not good.
Absorbing energy from two mysterious items at the same time, the total amount surprisingly doesn’t change much.
He estimates.
Absorbing the amber cross’s energy alone is 1.
Absorbing the amber cross and bronze ding’s energy at the same time is 1.1.
Although the total increased by 10%, the quality deteriorated.
When absorbing simultaneously, the two different energies don’t fuse and need to be digested separately.
For this situation, Fang Wen judges it as different faiths.
The cross is for Christian faith, while the bronze ding is an ancient Indiana people’s totem worship.
The two things are not the same, so of course they can’t fuse and be absorbed together.
He can’t help but speculate that perhaps he needs to become stronger himself to absorb different faiths at the same time.
He cuts off the bronze ding’s energy absorption, puts it into the hidden groove safe deposit box, and Fang Wen checks his wristwatch.
It’s time.
He takes out the telegraph machine and receives the report from Xiangxi.
With the radio waves sound, Fang Wen records the Morse Code and translates it.
【Contact established with part of Red Third Army; they urgently need ammunition.】
【Currently, Red Third Army’s weapons include a large number of Hanyang-made Rifles; their ammunition consumption is high, yet they can’t get resupplies.】
【From what we know, soldiers’ spare ammunition base is even less than ten rounds, with resupply only from captures.】
After reading the telegram message, Fang Wen ponders.
The Hanyang-made Rifle is produced by imitating Germany’s M1888 Mauser Rifle at the Hubei Arsenal in Hanyang, thus also called the “88-style rifle.”
Its muzzle is 7.92 mm, capacity 5 rounds, muzzle velocity 600 m/s, sight range 2000 m.
It is a very good domestically produced long gun.
The 7.92 mm Mauser Rifle bullet production line he brought back from the United States was prepared for this.
Now, where are those equipment?
The Cincinnati, departing from San Francisco, is sailing on the silver dollar.
After a month adrift on the silver dollar, stopping only in Honolulu midway, the cargo ship hasn’t stopped otherwise.
Besides the full cargo on the ship, there are three Chicago Mafia members.
These three are Al Capone’s most trusted people. For the $100,000 final payment and 10% casino company shares afterward, they must ensure this cargo ship reaches Yangon Port.
Therefore, even after passing the Strait of Malacca with only the final leg of the voyage left, they don’t relax.
After all, for a group of mafia members with no way out, this is their last chance.
Finally, after hundreds of miles of flight path, the cargo ship safely arrives in Yangon.
Two mafia members guard the cargo on the ship, one goes ashore to find the contact person.
He holds a cardboard with Chinese characters written on it, speaking garbled Chinese.
“I want to find this person.”
The cardboard says Shao Sishen.
Many locals at Yangon Port don’t understand his broken Chinese but know the cardboard has Chinese characters.
One of them goes to a nearby shop at the port and talks to the owner: “A foreigner is holding a cardboard with Chinese characters and asking around everywhere.”
“Is that so.” The Chinese merchant boss has his wife mind the shop and goes to see the excitement.
He sees the characters on the cardboard.
Isn’t that the most famous person in the Chinese circle recently?
Precisely the one who came to Yangon and built Yangon’s first airport.
Everyone is waiting for the airport to open to fly home to visit family.
Right, Shao Sishen should be at the airport now.
He simply gets on a passing ox cart and heads to the airport to report.
Upon learning someone at the port is looking for him, Shao Sishen immediately comes to the port and talks with that American mafia member.
After confirmation, a large group of port workers are employed, and unloading begins.
These cargoes are put into the Chinese warehouse, and at the same time Shao Sishen also sends a telegram to Fang Wen.
The United States’ cargo has finally arrived.
Fang Wen immediately pilots the F.220 to Yangon.
The airplane lands on the newly built airport. Though crude, it is already usable.
Before going to the warehouse to check the goods, he is warmly invited by the local Chinese people for a welcome banquet.
In the local Chinese restaurant, Fang Wen, accompanied by Shao Sishen, meets the leading figures of the local Chinese circle.
After some pleasantries, everyone raises their wine cups.
After finishing the first cup, everyone chats individually in a harmonious atmosphere.
Fang Wen exchanges with Shao Sishen: “The environment here is pretty good.”
Shao Sishen replies: “It is good. The British don’t manage things here much. Take the airport; I had to go to Kolkata to get the approval document. Moreover, the local Chinese people are very united, making things convenient.”
Shao Sishen’s words give Fang Wen some ideas.
As the saying goes, the cunning rabbit has three burrows. Xiangxi Airport as a bomb factory and strategic bombing takeoff point is enough.
Putting the bullet production line at Xiangxi Airport too doesn’t feel right.
Yangon is not far from domestic, even allowing a secret flight path directly from Xiangxi Airport to Yangon.
This can send bullet production line workers here, then transport the produced bullets and other sea-transported supplies back.
Also, open a refinery here to obtain oil from Myanmar and the Persian Gulf.
The fuel problem is solved.
Looking at it this way, Yangon’s value to Fang Wen is great.
Plus the united Chinese circle here makes things easier.
Thinking of this, Fang Wen smiles and stands, raising his wine cup: “Everyone, Fang will have many investments in Yangon in the future. I hope we can support each other and develop together.”
The Chinese merchants smile and raise their wine cups, drinking this cup of win-win wine.
During the banquet, they settle on land and factory building for the bullet factory.
After the banquet, Fang Wen, led by Shao Sishen, comes to the warehouse storing the supplies.
There are two 1710 engines, 10 universal milling machines, conveyor belts, electric motors, conveyor belt bases, and such things.
Looking at this pile, Shao Sishen shakes his head: “Opening a bullet processing plant, I don’t understand.”
“Huo Duanyang understands. Wait until I transport the engines back and bring him over.” Fang Wen laughs.
Then, the two 1710 engines are placed on carts; workers pull in front and push behind, sending them from the aircraft tail into the cabin.
At the same time, Fang Wen also takes a universal milling machine back for himself.
The airplane takes off and flies directly to Xiangxi Airport.
After the airplane lands, Fang Wen has the security team transport the two engines to the warehouse for storage, then mysteriously tells Huo Duanyang: “I’ll show you something good.”
Huo Duanyang looks at that equipment and exclaims: “Universal milling machine, and there’s even a manual stamping machine.”
Looking closer, he shouts again: “This is specially for making bullets, right? Look at the stamping machine’s mouth, it’s 7.92 mm?”
Fang Wen sighs: “You’ve learned something at Jinling Arsenal, kid. What do you think of this equipment?”
“Great.” Huo Duanyang shares his view: “This should be bullet production equipment modified from a universal milling machine. The manual stamping machine can make cartridge cases and bullet heads. The universal machine tool has wide uses: bullet heads, cartridge case bases, cartridge case internal structure, gun barrel rifling.”
Fang Wen adds: “You can also use the precision fixture on the universal milling machine to fix the cartridge case. Use a milling cutter to precisely drill a hole in the cartridge case bottom for installing the primer. I have 9 more such equipment. Do you think we can make bullets?”
Huo Duanyang nods: “Of course, but I don’t know how.”
Fang Wen takes out a manual and smiles: “I do. How about we study how to make 7.92 mm bullets these few days?”
These words pique Huo Duanyang’s great interest, and the two begin to study.
Making bullets requires more than just universal milling machines and such equipment.
Materials are also needed.
The bullet head material for 7.92 mm Mauser rifle bullets, according to the latest specifications, is copper-clad steel for the jacket. This material has certain strength and provides good corrosion and wear resistance.
Normal rounds’ core material uses lead core to enhance the bullet head’s weight and stability.
But under current conditions, copper-clad steel can’t be made, so other materials must be chosen.
Iron for bullet head shells is too hard and easily damages rifling, so it’s discarded first. Lead and tin soften under high temperature and pressure, causing “lead hanging,” also no good. Thus, copper is a relatively suitable choice.
So, the first step is to use a manual stamping device to stamp copper material into bullet head shapes.
This process requires the operator to have certain skills and experience to ensure the stamped bullet heads meet design requirements.
Huo Duanyang originally thought it would be hard to do, but when actually operating, he finds the general manager also has talent in this area.
He watches the general manager go from unfamiliar to proficient, completing a pure copper jacket lead core bullet head.
And also records his operation method.
Right, this is the most important. Can’t have the general manager making bullets in the future.
Huo Duanyang suddenly realizes, assists at the side, and seriously records the entire operation details and various parameters.
