Wang Xuexin's plan went smoothly. After all, adding pigment powder to smoke bombs is not difficult, it just requires one more step.
The problem is that there are many impurities in the paint, and when it is burned inside the smoke bomb, some black smoke will come out... The Japanese's authentic gas bombs do not have black smoke, which can be said to be a flaw.
But Wang Xuexin estimated that the Japanese would not observe it so carefully, and with the preconceived idea that the Eighth Route Army had indeed captured the gas bomb, no one would doubt its authenticity.
However, for the sake of safety, Wang Xuexin "test-fired" a smoke bomb with added material in the direction of the Japanese in the evening when the sun was about to set.
The reason why we shoot when the sun is about to go down is because at this time the light is in a state of half-brightness and half-darkness, and the Japanese can see the yellow-green color in the smoke, while the black smoke is not very obvious.
Sure enough, the Japanese were so frightened that they screamed "Wow!" and then they all hid in the trenches and put on masks, not daring to show their faces easily.
That's fine, but this smoke bomb actually has another flaw, that is, it tastes wrong... Mustard gas has a pungent smell similar to garlic, which cannot be simulated.
Since the Japs were all wearing masks, and the explosion point was still some distance away from them, it was normal that they couldn't smell it.
Then the defense line outside the city became quiet as expected.
With insufficient troops, no heavy artillery support, and no ability to fire poison gas bombs, the Japanese really did not dare to defend the Independent Regiment easily... At this time, the Independent Regiment had 5,000 troops, tanks, artillery and even aircraft support.
It can basically be called a modern army.
In fact, it was mainly because the Japanese were fighting fiercely with the stubborn army in Henan at this time and could not invest too many troops in the Eighth Route Army. Otherwise, the Japanese would still be able to defeat the independent regiment with their strength.
Li Yunlong was nervous in the first few days. He was worried that the Japanese would launch a poison gas attack on the defense line at all costs, and he would not know how to deal with it.
This is a bit like singing about the empty city strategy. The difference is that Zhuge Liang's empty city strategy has no soldiers, while Li Yunlong's empty city strategy has no poisonous gas bombs... to be precise, it cannot be used.
As long as the devil uses it, it will be ruined.
But after a week when the Japanese didn't make any move, Li Yunlong slowly relaxed and said to Wang Xuexin: "The Japanese are probably fooled and they don't dare to kill us!"
Wang Xuexin agreed.
Because there was absolutely no need for the Japanese to take this risk, they had another option, to bring in heavy artillery when the war in Henan stabilized... Then they would be able to capture Yuncheng without risking gas bombs, at least that's what they thought.
Only then did Li Yunlong have time to deal with the "stolen" machines on the train.
The processing method is not difficult, just dump the train out of the mine, then transport the machines one by one in the cars and carriages that have been prepared outside, and then rush to the three stores.
The reason why Sanjiadian was chosen was that, firstly, the transportation is convenient, secondly, there are many caves for setting up factories, and thirdly, there are many talented people doing business... The village of Sanjiadian started out as a business, and almost everyone knows how to do business, which will be good for the future.
The Eighth Route Army's trade was very profitable.
Some people think that these factories should be dispersed, or even that these factories and arsenals should not be located in the same location.
Wang Xuexin can understand this.
Because according to past experience, the valuable things of the Eighth Route Army cannot be put in the same basket. Doing so will easily be taken away by the Japanese.
But Wang Xuexin opposed this approach.
Wang Xuexin sent a telegram to the headquarters explaining:
First of all, today is different from the past. In the past, our army failed to establish a defense line and could not block the enemy's attack. So the enemy attacked wherever they wanted, and our army could only hide. Now that our army's defense line has guaranteed the security of the rear, we should
Consider efficiency.
Secondly, concentrating factories in one location helps save time and costs.
If the factories are dispersed to various places, our army will need to build multiple roads for multiple places to achieve transportation. If they are concentrated in three stores, they only need to build one set of roads for three stores to meet the requirements.
Thirdly, concentrating in one place is conducive to machine maintenance and talent training.
For example, if a machine breaks down, it needs parts, a generator, and skilled technicians... It is possible that components in various factories are interoperable, and technicians can also communicate and learn from each other.
The chief nodded when he saw Wang Xuexin's telegram and praised: "This small Northeast is not only good at fighting and inventing, but is also good at economics!"
Wang Xuexin really didn't dare to trust him in this aspect. He just remembered some knowledge of high school geography, such as industrial settlements and so on. Although he was not good at learning, he also knew that there would be many benefits to gathering industries together, one of which was that they could be shared.
infrastructure.
For example, in modern construction factories, if there are one here and one there, does that mean that wires have to be pulled here and there? Does it mean that every factory needs to be connected to a road or even a railway? Does it need to build a road or even a railway for every factory?
Related supporting facilities, such as medical care, education, shopping, and food.
But if many factories come together, only one set of these things is enough, and a few more sets can form a healthy competitive relationship, such as in the catering industry.
For example, textile machines will drive the local dyeing industry, as well as the garment industry, clothing trading, transportation, etc.
Therefore, the employment and benefits that a factory can bring are far more than just the products that the factory can produce. It also brings about a series of jobs and benefits related to workers' lives, education, transportation, shopping, etc.
These aspects are not what Wang Xuexin needs to consider. The chief naturally knows how to arrange them.
The three stores need manpower because they have opened a new factory, and many refugees have been transferred from the stubborn army... It just so happens that they can be arranged to work in the three stores!
Therefore, it was originally a sit-and-go situation: the refugees were sent to the base area, and the Eighth Route Army had to give them a bite of food no matter what, so they couldn't let them starve to death!
However, because the refugee base is too large, although the Eighth Route Army has a lot of food reserves, it will not be long before it is in crisis.
But if you arrange the work of refugees to produce goods, such as cans, compressed biscuits, cloth, and clothing, and then sell these goods in exchange for food and other daily necessities, you will revitalize this dead game, and you will no longer be sitting on nothing.
.
Wang Xuexin is a little worried. In the history of Henan disasters, 1.5 million people died of starvation alone.
As the saying goes, "When water flows to low places, people go to high places." If the people of Henan knew that the Eighth Route Army could give them a bite of food and even a good life, then the number of people who came here should not be 1.5 million...not even just in Henan.
, and people from other provinces will also flock in. Will the base area be able to bear it then?
Later, Wang Xuexin realized that he had thought too much.
The stubborn army discovered that the Eighth Route Army had the ability to turn these disaster victims into productive forces, but how could it be so generous as to let the victims come and become part of the Eighth Route Army?