Xu Rui was in a generally good mood because of the arrival of the Third Regiment of the Nine Columns of the Young Students' Fighting Corps. However, after Chairman Chiang learned the news, he was in a very bad mood.n∈,
Chairman Chiang had just decided to make a deal with Xu Rui, exchanging more than a hundred pieces of equipment from the Jinling Arsenal for more than a hundred large-caliber heavy artillery pieces in Xu Rui's hands. However, after learning that the Third Regiment of the Nine Columns of the Young Students' Death Corps had been overturned.
After hearing the news that they had crossed the Dabie Mountains and reached the Feicheng front line, Chairman Chiang decided to add a condition.
Half an hour later, Gu Shutong, the former enemy deputy commander-in-chief, received a telegram of instructions from Chairman Chiang.
"The transaction is feasible. The equipment from the Jinling Arsenal can be handed over to the Independent Regiment. However, in addition to handing over all the more than 160 heavy artillery captured, the Independent Regiment also needs to hand over the more than 100 captured heavy-duty trucks.
The third regiment of the Ninth Column of the Young Student Fighting Corps that just arrived at the front line of Feicheng will be sent back to Wuhan?"
After listening to the adjutant read the telegram, Gu Shutong couldn't help but reveal a wry smile on his face.
"Come on, this deal has been blown." Gu Shutong said to Wan Xiangyun, "There is no need to talk about it anymore. Talking about it is in vain."
Wan Xiangyun shook his head and said: "Master Chief, let's talk about it anyway. As for whether it succeeds or not, that's none of your business. The old man also has something to say."
Gu Shutong said: "That's okay, then let's transfer the old man's conditions."
Wan Xiangyun immediately took the telegram and conveyed Chairman Chiang's conditions to Xu Rui.
Within a moment, Xu Rui's call back arrived at the former enemy's headquarters. To Gu Shu's surprise, Xu Rui didn't get angry, but just put forward new conditions.
Xu Rui's reply made it clear that Chairman Chiang's conditions were unacceptable to the Independent Group, but the bargaining chips could be appropriately lowered. The Hanyang Arsenal could not be exchanged, and the Jinling Arsenal could be exchanged. However, as compensation, in addition to all the equipment of the Jinling Arsenal,
, an additional 100 skilled workers are needed.
After receiving Xu Rui's call back, Gu Shutong smiled bitterly and said to Wan Xiangyun: "I only knew Xu Rui was good at fighting before, but today I know that this guy is a profiteer and a good hand in business. The old man wants to take advantage of Xu Rui."
I took advantage of it, but I made the wrong calculation. Let’s see, the old man will definitely have to agree in the end.”
Wan Xiangyun shook his head and said, "What's this called, stealing a chicken but losing a handful of rice?"
As expected by Gu Shutong, Chairman Chiang finally decided to trade. The reason is very simple, because Hanyang Arsenal can also produce Maxim heavy machine guns, and the output is much larger than that of Jinling Arsenal. In fact, due to the steel
Insufficient, the production capacity of Hanyang Arsenal has not been reached to its maximum.
In other words, Jinling Arsenal is not indispensable.
However, neither the Hanyang Arsenal nor the Jinling Arsenal can build the more than 160 large-caliber heavy howitzers that Xu Rui has.
In fact, the military industry of the Nationalist Government only manufactures light weapons. The 82-caliber mortars are at their peak, and larger-caliber artillery must be imported.
This is not because China does not have outstanding military talents, nor is it because there is no equipment, but because China could not refine gun steel for cannons at that time. At that time, China had almost no decent industry, not to mention heavy industry, even light industry.
There is not much achievement. The bristle industry and textile industry are already considered pillar industries.
Yes, the bristle industry, you read that right, bristle was also a strategic material in the world at that time.
At that time, China had the largest bristle industry in the world, but the National Government only had this industry.
Chairman Chiang Kai-shek basically took control of power in 1927, but failed to establish a decent industry until 1937. In contrast, in the first five-year plan of New China, it basically built a full range of heavy industries, not only trucks
, cannons can be made domestically, and even airplanes can fly into the sky.
The same country, the same people, the same poverty, the wealth that Chairman Chiang inherited from the Beiyang government is even richer than that of the Beiyang government, but why is there such a sharp contrast in the achievements in building the country? It's really because
Chairman Chiang is too incompetent to engage in industry?
Obviously not. No matter how incompetent Chairman Chiang Kai-shek is, doesn’t he have a few high-level staff?
No matter how powerful you are, you can't conquer the world alone, you still need the help of others.
There is only one reason why there is such a sharp contrast. When Chairman Chiang was in power, the financial comprador class that controlled the lifeline of China's economy did not want China to develop heavy industry, because if China had heavy industry, they would no longer be able to act as Western countries.
of compradors to earn huge financial benefits.
To give an example, if China had heavy industry at that time and could produce qualified long-range fortress cannons, could Minister Kong still make a lot of money by importing scrap cannons from Italy and passing them off as inferior? For another example, if China had weapons at that time
Industry, can Minister Song still make a lot of money by importing large quantities of weapons from the United States? Obviously impossible!
This is the same reason as the dismantling of the New China Movement 10 in later generations, which is determined by the nature of the comprador class.
The difference is that in old China, the comprador class was the ruling class, but in new China, the comprador class is the target of suppression.
Closer to home, because China at that time could not build heavy artillery, and the Nationalist government could not provide real money and silver to buy from the West, and it was too late in time, so for the more than 100 heavy artillery pieces that Xu Rui seized from the little devils, Chiang Kai-shek
The chairman simply couldn't ignore it. He would get it no matter what the cost.
As a result, Chairman Chiang invested an extra hundred skilled workers for this purpose.
This is exactly what Wan Xiangyun said, it is really a case of stealing a chicken but losing a handful of rice.
After the deal was concluded, the Nationalist Government sent a convoy overnight from Wuhan to Anqing to receive the heavy artillery. Xu Rui also sent a battalion on trucks to escort the heavy artillery to Anqing. This was both for safety and to prevent the Nationalist Army from being attacked by the Nationalists.
The government has used its heavy artillery to exploit the evil.
Facts have proved that Xu Rui's move is really necessary.
It was less than four hundred miles from Feicheng to Anqing, and the convoy of the independent regiment arrived in Anqing before noon the next day.
The 26th Group Army stationed in Anqing wanted to receive supplies, but He Guangming, who led the team, refused without hesitation. Then the two sides fell into a confrontation. It was not until the early morning of the third day that the convoy coming from Wuhan to receive the heavy artillery finally arrived in Anqing.
At the same time, more than 100 pieces of equipment and more than 100 technical workers from Jinling Arsenal were transported on the truck.
After the delivery was completed, He Guangming immediately returned along the same route with the equipment and workers.
At this time, the National Army did not embarrass the people of the Independence Regiment. Firstly, it was now a collaboration between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. If they rashly disarmed the Independent Regiment, it would inevitably attract protests and counterattacks. Once public opinion formed and crusade, it would be bad. Secondly, the independence
This battalion of the regiment was extremely vigilant, so that the National Army did not dare to take action rashly.
It happened to be a rainy day, and the team returned to Feicheng without any danger.
Xu Rui personally led Qiufeng, Wang Husheng, Leng Tiefeng and several battalion commanders to greet him outside the city.
For the Independent Regiment or Dameishan Base Area, these more than 100 pieces of equipment are of great significance. With this batch of equipment, they can continuously produce Maxim heavy machine guns. If some machine tools are appropriately introduced, they can produce Mauser.
Rifles, bullets, etc. are also out of the question.
With its own arsenal, the Independent Regiment can truly afford to speak hard.
Opening the door, He Guangming jumped out of the passenger seat of the first truck and saluted Xu Rui.
"Lao He, it's been a hard journey." Xu Rui returned the military salute and said with a smile, "Nothing happened, right?"
It’s not that Xu Rui has to judge a gentleman’s heart with a villain’s heart. In fact, as a time traveler, Xu Rui knows very well how deep Chairman Chiang’s fear is. As long as there is a chance, Chairman Chiang will never mind cheating, so Xu Rui
I'm worried that something will go wrong with this transaction.
He Guangming said: "At least there is no problem with the equipment. I have checked it carefully."
"Where are the personnel?" Xu Rui's eyes turned to the "skilled workers" who jumped out of the next few trucks, and a bad premonition immediately came to his heart, because each of these "skilled workers" had dull eyes and dirt on their faces.
The smell doesn't look like a worker in an arsenal, so it can't be fake, right?
Zheng Jiakang himself was a military engineer. Hearing that the Independent Regiment was going to receive a batch of machinery and equipment, he also came over to take a look. Zheng Jiakang originally wanted to see the machines, but before he could see the machines, he saw the technical workers first.
Seeing these "skilled workers" who had just gotten off the bus, Zheng Jiakang immediately shook his head.
Xu Rui happened to see Zheng Jiakang shaking his head and immediately asked: "What, do you think there is a problem?"
"It's not that there is a problem, but they are not workers at all." Zheng Jiakang shook his head and said, "If you don't believe me, I can ask them a few questions on the spot and see if they can answer them."
Xu Rui asked He Guangming to bring one of the workers up. Zheng Jiakang asked: "Let me ask you, how to ensure the parallelism of the two end faces when processing a ring?"
The worker looked straight at Zheng Jiakang, with a blank expression on his face.
Zheng Jiakang waved his hand to another worker, and then asked: "Can the lathe produce threads?"
The second worker also looked confused and couldn't even answer this most basic and simple question. Now, Xu Rui completely understood what was going on.
He Guangming immediately became angry and took out his pistol.
The two "workers" seemed to realize that they had been discovered. They fell to their knees on the ground and cried: Boss, this is none of our business. It was the boss over there who asked us to pretend to be workers. It really has nothing to do with us.
Please don't shoot us. The old and young in our family cannot die.
Xu Rui signaled He Guangming to put away his pistol, and then said: "Give each person two yuan for travel expenses and let them go home."
Naturally, Xu Rui would not compete with this honest farmer. He looked back at Zheng Jiakang and said, "What's your name? You seem to know a lot about it?"
"My name is Zheng Jiakang, and I worked at Hanyang Arsenal before." Zheng Jiakang said calmly.
Xu Rui heard a hint of hidden pride in Zheng Jiakang's calm tone, and then said: "If I guessed correctly, you are definitely not an ordinary worker."
