Chapter 52: Surrendering a Full Regiment's Worth of Equipment—Brigade Commander, Old Li Here Wants to Advance Upwards

The brigade commander stared at the inventory list of weapons and equipment, his expression turning into one of utter astonishment and disbelief.

There were a full 1,200 rifles, 30 light machine guns, 5 heavy machine guns, 3 mortars, and 3 autocannons.

These supplies were completely sufficient to equip an entire regiment.

And Li Yunlong actually intended to turn them over to the headquarters?

Just how wealthy had the New First Regiment become to be able to surrender such a vast amount of weaponry?

Originally, he had only planned to extort a few light and heavy machine guns and call it a day. After all, the New First Regiment was developing independently without direct support from the headquarters, so life must have been hard for them.

Yet he had severely underestimated Li Yunlong.

This rascal really was remarkably wealthy!

"Li Yunlong, you aren't pulling my leg, are you?"

"This is enough armament to equip an entire regiment! Do you really have this much surplus equipment?"

"Commander, how would I ever dare to joke with you about something like this?" Li Yunlong patted his chest and said, "You've always taken such good care of me, old Li, and I've kept that deep in my heart. Finally, I have a chance to repay you."

"Don't worry, once these weapons are gone, we can always 'borrow' more from the Japanese devils."

"By the way, while these weapons are plentiful, we don't have an abundance of ammunition for them, so you'll have to figure that part out yourself."

Seeing Li Yunlong act with such generosity, Brigade Commander Chen felt a wave of deep emotion.

He truly had not misjudged his man!

"Your political consciousness has really improved quite a bit, boy! Since that's the case, I'll gladly accept them."

"Comrade Zhang Quan, make the necessary arrangements and have these delivered to the brigade headquarters by tomorrow."

"Understood!" Zhang Quan immediately acknowledged the order.

Seeing how eagerly the brigade commander was snatching them up, Li Yunlong could not help but shake his head slightly, knowing full well that the commander was terrified he might go back on his word.

Realizing the timing was right, Li Yunlong immediately asked, "Brigade Commander, trading this much equipment for just that handful of recruits—you aren't getting the short end of the stick, are you?"

The brigade commander glanced at Li Yunlong and agreed without hesitation.

"It's a deal!"

"I'll arrange for the men to be sent over as soon as I get back."

"However... speaking of which, where on earth did a scoundrel like you manage to dig up so many weapons?"

Li Yunlong had already prepared his excuse and answered with a playful grin, "From the Japanese devils and puppet troops, of course. I just 'borrowed' them."

"Don't worry, I know very well what can be done and what cannot be done."

The brigade commander looked at Li Yunlong with a profound gaze, deciding not to press the matter any further.

As long as these weapons and equipment were real, that was all that mattered!

He was a materialist, after all!

Of course, he also believed in Li Yunlong's loyalty to the organization, which had been thoroughly tested by time. Otherwise, he never would have granted Li Yunlong the autonomy to develop independently.

Now, it seemed his decision back then had been entirely correct.

An entire regiment's worth of equipment—given away just like that. How utterly, brilliantly audacious!

How could anyone not grow fond of a man like this?

"I trust you have a sense of propriety!"

Li Yunlong nodded slightly.

Although the brigade commander had spoken only a single sentence, it carried more weight than a thousand words. This was the commander's ultimate trust in him.

Shortly after, the brigade commander personally went to inspect the weaponry. Only after confirming everything was in order did he truly set his mind at ease.

Even so, seeing that the warehouse still held a considerable amount of arms and equipment left him inwardly shaken.

The military stores of the New First Regiment were shockingly vast.

However, the brigade commander did not push his luck by demanding more. After all, the New First Regiment was still in its growth phase and bore the heavy responsibility of guarding the military arsenal.

Besides, if he were to rob them any further, it would deal a devastating blow to the morale of his subordinates. Moreover, pride dictated that as a brigade commander, he had to maintain a shred of dignity.

Securing the equipment for a front-line regiment already constituted an unexpected windfall.

Bantering back and forth, the two men walked from the logistics department back to the regimental headquarters.

With practiced familiarity, Li Yunlong reached onto his desk, picked up a copy of the *Militia Military Training Manual*, and handed it over.

"Brigade Commander, please give me your critique."

Curious, the brigade commander took the manual and began to flip through it. After all, this was a manual that even the headquarters had attached great importance to; he wanted to see what made it so special.

As he turned the pages, an expression of growing astonishment appeared on his face.

Though the content consisted merely of basic skills for veteran soldiers, the manual presented them in a direct, unadorned, and easily understandable manner, supplemented by clear illustrations.

It allowed the reader to grasp the concepts at a glance; anyone with even a modest level of literacy could easily read it and master the essentials.

This truly was a remarkable manual.

While it offered little utility to seasoned veterans with years of combat experience, it served as an invaluable guide for new recruits.

Whoever had compiled this manual was undoubtedly a military talent with a wealth of practical experience.

Who could it be?

Lowering the manual, the brigade commander looked up at Li Yunlong, startled.

There sat Li Yunlong, engrossed in a book on military industry.

Was this... really the same Li Yunlong who had always despised studying?

Only then did he notice the numerous books piled on the desk—treatises on medicine, *The Art of War*, volumes on military manufacturing...

Had Li Yunlong genuinely turned over a new leaf? Or was he merely putting on a show?

Even with the evidence right before his eyes, the brigade commander found it hard to believe.

He walked closer to take a look.

Startled out of his reading, Li Yunlong blinked in bewilderment, looked up at the brigade commander, and asked, "Brigade Commander, have you finished reading it?"

"Well? Is anything amiss, or are there areas that need expansion?"

The brigade commander shook his head slightly. "The manual is compiled brilliantly. But tell me... did you really write this?"

Li Yunlong nodded earnestly. "Brigade Commander, old Li here actually wants to make progress. Why won't you ever believe me?"

"If you don't believe me, you can ask the others."

The brigade commander looked Li Yunlong up and down, searching for any sign of a joke. Seeing Liu Yuan re-enter the regimental headquarters at that moment, he immediately called out, "Liu Yuan, come here for a moment."

Looking slightly puzzled, Liu Yuan walked over and saluted. "Brigade Commander, do you have any instructions?"

"Let me ask you, who compiled this manual?" The brigade commander raised the copy of the *Militia Military Training Manual* in his hand.

Liu Yuan was momentarily taken aback. "Didn't the regimental commander tell you? He wrote it himself."

"Is there some sort of problem?"

Upon receiving this confirmation, the brigade commander's face filled with profound shock and disbelief. He waved his hand and said, "There's no problem with the manual itself, it's just... does Li Yunlong even know how to read?"

Liu Yuan explained, "Brigade Commander, the regimental commander has been working extremely hard. How could he not know how to read?"

"For a long time now, the regimental commander has..."

As Liu Yuan went into detail, the brigade commander's jaw dropped so wide he could have stuffed an egg into it.

Had Li Yunlong actually changed his ways?

This... left him both astounded and overjoyed.

If Li Yunlong could patch up his shortcomings in education, his future prospects would be limitless!

"Brigade Commander, I listened to your advice and genuinely applied myself to studying culture, yet you still refuse to believe me." Li Yunlong laughed helplessly. "Do you believe me now?"

Recovering his wits, the brigade commander wore a look of deep gratification and smiled. "Fine! I believe you!"

"This is wonderful!"

"Hahaha..."

Seeing the brigade commander so excited, Liu Yuan chuckled, "Brigade Commander, the regimental commander's virtues go far beyond just that."

"The rapid development of the New First Regiment is entirely thanks to the commander's leadership."

"Nowadays, within our base area, we've implemented land reform, reduced taxes, and carried out numerous other policies—all successfully executed under the commander's direct guidance."

"It has created a relationship of mutual benefit between the common people and ourselves. The masses ardently support our army, and the number of recruits enlisting continues to rise..."

"On the medical front, the commander established the regimental hospital, which simultaneously trains medical personnel and treats the wounded..."

Listening to Liu Yuan's detailed account, the brigade commander felt a deep sense of awe.

Every regimental commander knew these tasks needed to be done, but putting them into practice was an entirely different matter.

From the phenomena he had observed himself and the descriptions provided by Liu Yuan, the New First Regiment's base area was indeed performing exceptionally well in all these aspects.

Yet he had never imagined that Li Yunlong deserved so much of the credit.

Even Liu Yuan regarded Li Yunlong with visible reverence.

That was no small feat!

"Li Yunlong, you truly have to look at someone in a new light after being apart for three days!"

"Seeing you so motivated, I can finally rest easy."

"Thank you for the praise, Brigade Commander!" Li Yunlong chuckled heartily. "I have to live up to your high expectations, don't I?"

Just as Li Yunlong and the brigade commander were conversing, Ding Ling entered the headquarters and saluted. "Report!"

"Come in!" Li Yunlong nodded slightly.

Stepping forward, Ding Ling reported, "Regimental Commander, the task you assigned has been completed. After verification, the contents of the manual are entirely accurate."

Li Yunlong took the returned manual and said, "Hard work!"