Chapter 35: Liu Yuan, Fed Promises by the Brigade Commander—Did the Commander Not Deceive Me?

Liu Yuan stared at the tunnel before him, feeling somewhat bewildered.

"Old Li, is this the passage that leads to the arsenal?"

Li Yunlong handed over a flashlight and nodded. "It's faster to go through here! Let’s go!"

Upon receiving a definitive answer, Liu Yuan felt a tremor of surprise. He followed silently. After two months of improvements, the tunnel had become much smoother, making it safer and more convenient to traverse.

Before long, Li Yunlong opened a hidden door, emerged from the tunnel, and entered the arsenal’s warehouse. He then began to introduce the situation of the facility to Liu Yuan. As Liu Yuan surveyed the warehouse, listening to the hum of machinery operating outside, he was struck with astonishment. The warehouse was stocked with a significant number of artillery shells; judging by the number of crates, it was a "hefty" stockpile of ammunition. Although the monthly output was less than a hundred rounds, it was a remarkable achievement for their army's current production capabilities.

As they stepped out of the warehouse, he saw workers producing shells and guiding those beside them. They were employing a "veteran-mentors-the-novice" approach to cultivate skilled personnel.

Seeing Li Yunlong arrive with a stranger from the secret passage, Xu Qingyang, who was in charge of the arsenal's security, felt a touch of surprise. He immediately stepped forward and saluted. "Regimental Commander, who is this?"

Li Yunlong returned the salute and introduced them to each other. "This is Comrade Liu Yuan, who will be serving as the Deputy Regimental Commander of the New First Regiment. This is Xu Qingyang, the chief of security for the arsenal."

The two exchanged salutes, marking their acquaintance. Looking at the scale and the overall covert nature of the arsenal, Liu Yuan was deeply moved. Is this really just a single regiment? Which regiment is equipped with its own arsenal? He could not help but recall what the Brigade Commander had said—that the New First Regiment was no ordinary regiment, and that he would not be shortchanged by taking the position of Deputy Regimental Commander. It truly was extraordinary. The Brigade Commander had not lied to him.

Little did he know, this was merely a rhetorical flourish used by the Brigade Commander to put Liu Yuan at ease—commonly known as "dangling a carrot."

"Regimental Commander, our regiment really is something else. No wonder the Brigade Commander holds it in such high regard!"

Hm? Li Yunlong was slightly taken aback, but he immediately understood. The Brigade Commander must have been painting a rosy picture for Liu Yuan. However, he did not expose the truth, instead smiling. "It’s alright. It’s a pity the arsenal can currently only produce some shells, perform firearm maintenance, and reload ammunition. If only we could manufacture firearms and ammunition ourselves, we could achieve self-sufficiency. The revolution is not yet won; we all still need to work hard!"

Liu Yuan paused, then nodded with a smile. "One step at a time. It will be achieved!"

***

After touring the arsenal, Li Yunlong led Liu Yuan back to the regimental headquarters, explaining the defensive deployments of the base area so that Liu Yuan could handle things independently whenever he was away. They returned to headquarters by dusk.

That evening, Li Yunlong briefed Liu Yuan on the locations of the First and Second Battalions, as well as the tasks of quickly taking over the Third Battalion, forming a special task company, and establishing study groups. After their discussion, Liu Yuan realized that Li Yunlong was not at all as difficult to get along with, averse to learning, foul-mouthed, or unhygienic as the Brigade Commander and others had described. Apart from swearing when mentioning the "little devils," he was not particularly crude at other times. This was different from his expectations! However, Liu Yuan did not dwell on it. After all, it was more comfortable to get along with someone like this.

Over the next few days, apart from helping Liu Yuan complete his handover, Li Yunlong dedicated his time to study and research. Although the system provided rewards, they could not satisfy the needs of the entire army. Therefore, in his spare time, Li Yunlong researched smokeless powder, organized training methods, and refined tactical applications to fundamentally improve the unit's strength.

A strong army requires self-improvement! This was the reason Li Yunlong always insisted his subordinates use the "veteran-mentors-the-novice" method to foster talent. Through their interactions, Liu Yuan’s admiration for Li Yunlong only grew. It could be said that the foundation of the New First Regiment was built remarkably well.

Subsequently, Liu Yuan threw himself into his work. A busy week passed quickly. Through the efforts of both Li Yunlong and Liu Yuan, they successfully took over the Third Battalion, formed the special task company, and enhanced the security of the regimental headquarters. Liu Yuan also became familiar with his duties. Li Yunlong was finally able to "free himself," becoming something of a hands-off manager, which gave him more time to research and perfect the relevant training manuals.

...

In the Huangyadong area, after consulting with relevant personnel, the Deputy Chief of Staff finally confirmed the plan for the arsenal. During this time, the arsenal’s engineering department had already begun building roads to prepare for the relocation.

"Chief, the Japanese invaders are rampant. Although the arsenal has its own internal security, for the sake of safety, should we arrange for troops to clear out these enemy strongholds?"

The Deputy Chief of Staff looked at the Japanese and puppet army outposts surrounding the arsenal and nodded slightly. "Naturally, but it is not yet time. Wait a few more days; we will clear them out when the arsenal is ready to relocate."

"Understood. This way, we can draw the enemy's attention toward those points, facilitating the transport of the arsenal's equipment."

"Shall we entrust this to the New First Regiment?"

The Deputy Chief of Staff nodded. "There is no better candidate than the New First Regiment."

"True enough," the staff officer smiled.

...

Subsequently, the Deputy Chief of Staff wrote a letter and handed it to a messenger. "Deliver this to the New First Regiment immediately and give it to Li Yunlong."

"Yes!" The messenger took the letter and left quickly.

After witnessing the strength of the New First Regiment, the Deputy Chief of Staff had made this plan. He had already sent a telegram to Brigade Commander Chen, informing him that the New First Regiment had been given other arrangements. He intended for the New First Regiment to be responsible for the outer perimeter security of the arsenal, protecting it during the relocation process. After all, the New First Regiment was stationed at Heifeng Ridge, which was on the periphery of the Huangyadong arsenal. This provided an extra layer of security for the facility.

...

Heifeng Ridge. New First Regiment Headquarters.

As Li Yunlong was organizing his training manuals, Huzi led someone inside. The messenger looked at Li Yunlong, who was busy writing, and was instantly stunned. He rubbed his eyes, and upon confirming he hadn't seen wrong, he found it hard to adapt. Regimental Commander Li had actually taken to studying? This... it completely overturned his previous impression of Li Yunlong.

Huzi saluted. "Report, Commander, a messenger from headquarters has arrived."

"Commander Li, this is a letter from the Deputy Chief of Staff," the messenger said, saluting and handing over the letter.

Li Yunlong put down his pencil in confusion and took the letter. As he read it, he understood the Deputy Chief of Staff's instructions. "Understood. Go back and tell the Chief that he can rest assured; leave this matter to the New First Regiment. We guarantee the mission will be accomplished."

The messenger, glancing at the manuals on the table, couldn't help but look distracted. These were written in Li Yunlong's hand, and they actually looked quite professional. He responded, "Oh, yes!"

"Then, Commander Li, I shall return now." As he left, he couldn't help but steal one last look at the books on Li Yunlong’s desk.

Li Yunlong naturally noticed the messenger’s expression, but he said nothing. He had already experienced such things many times. There would only be more in the future; it was best to get used to it. He had no time to worry about such trivialities.

He immediately ordered, "Huzi, go and notify Liu Yuan to come over."

"Yes!"