"What are these Eighth Route Army troops trying to do? They are making munitions on my territory, and it has been spread. If Chiang Kai-shek's commendation order hadn't been sent to me, I wouldn't have known about it. They want to compete with me for business. This matter The thing is absolutely impossible.”
Chief Yan was so angry that in his hometown, an Eighth Route Army arsenal appeared without a word. Even if this arsenal used black powder, it was still manufactured after all, and it was a threat to his rule.
Once their bullets are sold, who will buy his own bullets in the end? In the end, isn't it his own business that will be robbed? He was both angry and anxious about this matter.
"Jun Zuo, the Eighth Route Army and the others shouldn't be able to do that, right?"
"What do you mean it can't be done? How can it be impossible? The gap between our two armies has been forged a long time ago. Last time they came to ask me for bullet supplies, and we gave them. Now there is already a gap. I guess this arsenal has already formed a gap. That's why they came for me. If they don't steal my business now, when will they?"
Chief Yan is unique in his business. His arsenal produces many types of weapons, from firearms to bullets, from mortars to mountain artillery. There is nothing that Taiyuan Arsenal cannot produce. Of course, not all of them have advantages. Taiyuan Arsenal The quality of the guns is not very good, but it is one of the best in the country.
"Sir, a representative of the Eighth Route Army would like to see you!"
"Look, they are here to demonstrate for me. Here are the business robbers!"
"Sir, you'd better meet me, just in case they are here to explain."
"Well... let's meet."
Yan Xishan had no choice but to ask representatives of the Eighth Route Army to come over. Before he entered the door, Commander Yan's expression immediately changed from the anxious look just now.
"Oh, welcome, comrades of the Eighth Route Army, what are you doing here this time?"
"Sir Yan, I'm here to plead guilty to you."
"Where is it? I don't know what's going on. Where did the confession come from?"
The representative of the Eighth Route Army has actually dealt with Yan Xishan many times. How can it be so easy to take a piece of meat from this man? Now he just reports his arsenal to him to reassure this Shanxi rich man.
"What I'm talking about is about our arsenal. There are some things that I think need to be explained clearly, otherwise our foothold in Shanxi will be unstable."
"Why are you saying this? You came to Shanxi to help fight the Japanese. I am the chairman of Shanxi, so I should help you. But my help is limited, and I can't even provide you with supplies. I should be the one to accuse you!"
Yan Xishan said with a look of shame, but he didn't know whether he was ashamed or not. This person always looks one way in front of others and one behind others, and cannot tell the truth from lies.
"Our arsenal needs Commander Yan's care. After our investigation, we found that the arsenal behind enemy lines in northwestern Shanxi is not as powerful as the report says."
"Oh, what do you mean?"
"That arsenal was only temporarily established by the local troops to replenish ammunition. Their bullets were reloaded with beaten shells and black powder. Many soldiers' eyes have been smoked out."
"Oh, that's it. There's no way around it. My Taiyuan arsenal also used black powder at the beginning. As we accumulated experience and hired German teachers, we slowly learned how to make smokeless gunpowder. The requirements are really too high. Taller."
Yan Xishan said this to express how difficult smokeless gunpowder is. It’s not easy for you, and it’s not easy for me either. I’ll help you if I can, but I really can’t help you if I can’t.
"Yes, we are just here to inform Commander Yan, in case there is any misunderstanding between the two armies, and we don't know how to resolve it. After all, you are the highest commander of the Second War Zone, and there are some things that need to be informed to you.
.”
"It's okay, it's okay. I'm all for resisting Japan. As long as it's resisting Japan, you can do whatever you want."
The two sides exchanged pleasantries for a while, and then the representatives of the Eighth Route Army left. Although Yan Xishan put down his worries, he could not believe everything the Eighth Route Army said.
"Send two people to go to northwest Shanxi to see if what he said is true. If it is true, then we really don't have to worry, just because what he said is not true."
Yan Xishan was still worried. An arsenal had already come out, and he was afraid that something would come out again. Although Yan Xishan admired the Eighth Route Army from the bottom of his heart, Shanxi was his hometown, and he would never allow anyone in his hometown to act recklessly.
"Yan Xishan should feel relieved now, right?"
"Humph, it's hard to say. Judging from his appearance, I probably need to go and get confirmation."
"Don't worry about it. Let him investigate the verified matters. After all, he is the chief of a place, and he needs to know more about it."
On the way back, the representatives of the Eighth Route Army chatted and walked, and they actually understood the headquarters' orders very well. For them, there was no need to explain this matter to the Kuomintang because the two sides were not subordinate to each other.
"I heard that the battalion-level troops in northwestern Shanxi have begun to use radios. How can they be so aggressive?"
"Do you think they were all captured in the war? They built the radio stations themselves. Now that there are so many radio stations in northwest Shanxi, I don't say that I know everything about them, but at least I won't be as passive as before."
Radio is actually very difficult to promote. The most difficult thing is the training of telegraph operators. Some things are not trained and it is difficult to communicate quickly and well. Han Cheng only knows how to build radio stations. You ask him to send telegraphs.
, then it would be better to kill him.
Telegraphs are basically uncommon in later generations. The only place you can see them is in museums, watching them lying in exhibition cabinets through glass.
Several people discussed the code book for a long time, and several regiment leaders' hair turned gray due to worry. They originally thought that equipping radio stations would be a good thing, but the good thing turned out to be a bad thing. The soldiers were not very literate, so they had to learn how to send messages.
You have to learn to read first. How can there be so many people who can read?
Although there is compulsory education here in Shanxi, most of the farmers are illiterate, and those who are literate have been picked off by the Shanxi-Sui Army and the Central Army. Learning 3,000 commonly used words cannot be done in a day or two.
, it seems that they have to ask their superiors for instructions, or find someone to send someone over to serve as a telegraph operator.
"Chief of Staff Han Da, please come up with an idea. I know you have the most ideas."
"What idea do I have? I let you figure it out on your own, but you end up telling me to think about it. Where do I have time?"
Han Cheng is too busy right now. The manufacturing of aspirin is at a critical moment. How can he have time to walk away? He can only wave his hands and refuse.
"Please help me, otherwise the brigade commander will say that we are wasting things. It has been a long time since we got the things. If they cannot form combat effectiveness, they will be taken away."
"Just take it away. Can I do it for you when the time comes?"
The battalion commander is about to cry now. Who knows the troubles in this. I don’t know whether it is a happy trouble or a painful trouble. In short, I am worried now, very worried.