Bright Sword: Iron Will 6

Chapter 6: The Deep Rear Base Area

Zhao Fangyuan was reciting a telegram when Zhang Hu, carrying three or four captured rifles, happened to walk by. He overheard the telegram’s contents.

“Commander, that Commander Yan is simply too much!”

“Forget how many little devils our brothers cut down in that battle, just that… what was his rank again?”

“A Lieutenant Colonel.”

Zhao Fangyuan added from the side.

“Oh, right, a Lieutenant Colonel. We killed a Lieutenant Colonel, and they don’t give us any commendation, instead slapping us with a label of desertion!”

“Commander… I can’t take this!”

Zhang Hu grew increasingly angry, eventually taking off his hat and sitting down on the ground.

Wang Feng furrowed his brows, his tone extremely serious: “Zhang Hu.”

“Sir!”

Hearing the commander call him, Zhang Hu instantly stood up straight.

Wang Feng, looking utterly exasperated, kicked Zhang Hu’s backside: “Why are you always around? You’ve got nothing to do, huh?”

“Go find somewhere cooler to be!”

“Yes, sir!”

After dismissing Zhang Hu, Wang Feng and Zhao Fangyuan walked side-by-side across the threshing floor, seemingly aimlessly.

“Commander, what should we do now?”

“Currently, our unit has circled behind the Japanese army, completely cut off from the main forces.”

Zhao Fangyuan, after much thought, brought up the strategic issue.

Wang Feng kept his hands behind his back, pondering for a moment:

“The Japanese army is coming aggressively. Everyone in this land has a duty to protect their homes and people, let alone us soldiers.”

“We’ll reorganize the troops and set out at dawn tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir!”

After sending Zhao Fangyuan away, Wang Feng selected a few close bodyguards and slowly walked to the mountain behind the village.

At the crossroads, Zhu Xiangwen was already waiting.

“Sir, you’re finally here.”

Wang Feng smiled faintly, walking forward and gently placing his hand on the other’s shoulder.

“How many times have I told you, use the proper title when we’re working.”

Zhu Xiangwen reacted quickly and immediately corrected himself: “Sir, Sir.”

“Commander, everything is prepared inside. Would you like to take a look?”

Wang Feng nodded.

Zhu Xiangwen led the way, and the group arrived at a large cave in the back mountain. Even standing at the entrance, they could hear a faint clang coming from inside.

The accompanying guards pushed open the door, and a wave of heat hit them, causing Wang Feng to involuntarily squint his eyes.

How hot!

Zhu Xiangwen, demonstrating excellent judgment, immediately handed over a clean handkerchief.

“Commander, all our family’s assets for these years are in here.”

Inside the cave, the space was quite spacious, but somewhat dim; the outside light could barely penetrate. However, several bright electric lights illuminated the ceiling.

Several machine tools were arranged in the center of the open space. Lathes, boring machines, grinding machines, and milling machines were all present—a wide variety.

It looked like a small factory.

This large equipment was procured by Wang Feng from Europe—old, discarded equipment from factories there. But for China, it could still function reliably.

Most of his ancestral fortune had been invested in this small factory. There was also an old rifling machine—also from Europe. Old gunsmiths there were quite fond of this model.

The machine was purely manual; this type of machine produced rifling with high shooting accuracy and stability. It was just time-consuming and had low production efficiency.

Beside it were various small manual stamping machines. Very small, probably only capable of stamping metal pieces the size of a coin and of limited thickness.

Over a hundred workers were busy inside. Their main tasks were repairing and maintaining firearms and manufacturing reloaded ammunition.

Wang Feng’s ancestors were Shanxi merchants (晋商 – refers to wealthy merchants from Shanxi province) who had once run a money exchange and even produced a high-ranking official (a third-rank official). Their family was very well-off, and their connections were extensive. Getting this equipment wasn’t difficult, but it required some effort.

“Sigh, in times of war, everyone struggles to survive.”

Looking at the workers standing in a row before him, Wang Feng sighed. Among these workers, there were both old and young, from men in their fifties with thinning hair to teenagers of sixteen or seventeen. The youngest worker was only sixteen; in his previous life, he would have been preparing for the college entrance examination. Now, he looked grimy, likely working as a coal shoveler in the factory.

The origins of these workers were also simple. While Wang Feng’s parents were still alive, they owned several blacksmith shops in Taiyuan.

After transmigrating to this time, he was determined to join the army and serve his country, driving out the Japanese devils. He simply sold off his family’s assets and converted everything into gold.

As for the craftsmen, as long as they were quick-witted, dexterous, and honest—any one of these three—they were kept on and worked for Wang Feng’s clandestine workshop.

They had previously almost been exposed. But money can make the world go round. After some careful handling of the situation, they successfully avoided trouble. After all, the corruption in the army during this era was quite high. Extorting soldiers, opium smoking, and maintaining private armies were commonplace. Everyone was the same; no one would make things too difficult for anyone else. They would simply turn a blind eye.

Wang Feng, however, was different. Although he frequently defied his superiors, he was exceptionally good to his subordinates. When he first arrived at the 414th Regiment, it was by refusing to extort his men and by eating and living with them that he quickly established his prestige within the army.

“Good work, Lao Zhu.”

“Not at all, not at all.”

Zhu Xiangwen quickly waved his hands, shaking his head in explanation.

Wang Feng walked around the workshop, going to a wooden box. He grabbed a handful of bright yellow bullets and rubbed them in his palm.

*Clang!*

The sound of the bullet casings colliding was very crisp.

Wang Feng established this small workshop mainly for the future. He wasn’t sure if Commander Yan and his Second War Zone troops would be able to defend Taiyuan and preserve the Taiyuan arsenal.

If the Japanese devils occupied Taiyuan and cut off the supply to the arsenal, things would become very difficult.

“Comrades, the Japanese devils are invading our Shanxi land. I told you before, the Japanese are vicious dogs, leaving a trail of destruction wherever they go.”

“Once the Japanese devils gain a foothold in Shanxi, they will steal your wives, occupy your land, and kill your children.”

“We absolutely cannot allow this to happen!”

“We won’t allow it!”

“We won’t allow it!”

“We won’t allow it!”

Wang Feng spoke to the workers. Though his words were blunt, for these largely uneducated workers, the more straightforward the language, the better they understood.

Exiting the cave, Zhu Xiangwen whispered beside him.

“Commander, you can rest assured. The villagers up front know nothing about what’s on the mountain.”

Wang Feng adjusted his white gloves, unconcerned: “In the future, our roots will be planted here. We need to prepare for long-term development.”

“Yes, sir.”

Zhu Xiangwen lowered his head, his tone respectful and submissive.

“Alright, don’t be so stiff. The old saying goes, ‘celebrating a housewarming,’ and in a way, this is a happy occasion.”

Wang Feng patted his shoulder kindly.

“Hahaha, Commander is such a good-natured person.”

Zhu Xiangwen looked up, beaming with joy.

(End of Chapter)

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