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.
Chairman Chiang had just decided to make a deal with Xu Rui, exchanging more than 100 pieces of equipment from the Jinling Arsenal for more than 100 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 passing the Dabie Mountains and arriving at the Feicheng front line, Chairman Chiang decided to add a condition.
Half an hour later, Gu Shutong, the former deputy enemy 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 pieces 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 Students’ 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 is in vain."
Wan Xiangyun shook his head and said: "Chief Commander, 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 become 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 chip could be appropriately lowered. The Hanyang Arsenal could not be exchanged, and it was possible to exchange it for the Jinling Arsenal. However, as compensation, in addition to all the equipment of the Jinling Arsenal , an additional one hundred skilled workers are needed.
After getting Xu Rui's call back, Gu Shutong smiled bitterly at Wan Xiangyun and said: "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 wanted to take advantage, 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?"
The result was 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 82mm caliber mortars have reached its peak, and larger caliber artillery must be imported.
This is not because China does not have excellent military talents or 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 has been little achievement. The bristle industry and textile industry are already considered pillar industries.
Yes, 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 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 Japan. But why is there such a sharp contrast in the achievements of national construction? Is it really because Chairman Chiang is too incompetent and cannot 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, and you still need the help of others.
There is only one reason for 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. comprador to earn huge financial benefits.
For 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 used cannons from Italy and passing them off as inferior ones? For another example, if China had a weapons industry at that time, would Minister Song still be able to make a lot of money by importing weapons from the United States in large quantities? Obviously impossible!
This is the same as the dismantling of the New China Movement in later generations. It is all 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 produce 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 not only for safety, but also to prevent the Nationalist Army from being captured by the Nationalists. The government's dirty tricks have used his heavy artillery.
Facts have proved that Xu Rui's move is really necessary.
It was less than four hundred miles from Feicheng to Anqing, and the independent regiment's convoy arrived in Anqing before noon the next day.
The 26th Group Army stationed in Anqing wanted to receive supplies, but the leader He Guangming refused without hesitation, and 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 with the equipment and workers.
At this time, the National Army did not embarrass the people of the Independent Regiment. Firstly, it was the Kuomintang and the Communist Party that cooperated. If they rashly disarmed the Independent Regiment, it would inevitably lead to protests and counterattacks from the Communist Party. Once a public opinion crusade formed, it would be bad. Secondly, It was this battalion of the independent regiment that was extremely vigilant, which prevented the National Army from taking action rashly.
It happened to be a rainy day, and the team returned to Feicheng without any danger.
Xu Rui personally took Qiu Feng, Wang Husheng, Leng Tiefeng and several battalion commanders to greet them 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 is very aware of how deep Chairman Chiang's fear is of women. As long as there is a chance, Chairman Chiang will never mind cheating on women. , so Xu Rui is worried that something will go wrong in 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. 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's a problem, it's that 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 the 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 the young in our family cannot die.
Xu Rui signaled He Guangming to put away his pistol, and then said: "Two yuan per person for travel, 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?"
"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." (To be continued.)