Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 632 would be better if there were more.
After chatting for a while, Chen Fan took out the blueprints and explained his purpose.

Jiang Heng glanced at the blueprints, and without saying a word, led him to the workshop.

Multifunctional storage bags and tactical uniforms are relatively easy to make. They can be cut and assembled according to the blueprints, and even if the craftsmanship is a bit rough, the items can still be made.

However, the ghillie suit presented a dilemma for the workshop director.

"How did you make this?"

Chen Fan explained with a smile, "This thing looks complicated, but it's actually very simple, just a bit cumbersome. It generally consists of two parts: ordinary clothes as the base layer, and hemp rope and strips of cloth attached to it."

The hemp rope and cloth strips should be bent as naturally as possible and dyed in a variety of colors, mainly the green of plants, withered yellow and the brownish-yellow of soil.

After dyeing, the pieces are pieced together and then sewn onto the surface of the garment…

After hearing the explanation, the workshop director immediately understood the manufacturing process and nodded, saying, "No problem, it's just a matter of finding a few more people to work together, and it will be done quickly."

Chen Fan added, "Make several of these, and also a few camouflage nets. The process is similar to that of a ghillie suit, just replace the base fabric with a mesh fabric. Or you can use a fishing net woven from nylon rope."

The best ghillie suit is actually just a net. Soldiers have to add things to the net themselves according to the needs of the combat environment. Sometimes it can take a week to ten days to complete a ghillie suit.

Chen Fan certainly wouldn't go through all that trouble; achieving seven or eight tenths of the desired effect would be sufficient.

This thing is just a thin layer of paper; once you break through it, the soldiers will naturally start to think outside the box, use their clever minds, and come up with all sorts of creative ways to disguise themselves.

For example, the soldier who later tied garbage bags to his body and hid in a pile of garbage pioneered the trend of urban ghillie suits.

Jiang Heng watched the workshop workers start making the product. After a while, he turned to Chen Fan with surprise in his eyes. "How did you come up with this? If the troops were equipped with this, the probability of being discovered in small-scale operations would be much lower."

Almost all of them had received military training and were familiar with tactics such as individual combat and small-scale coordinated operations.

Seeing this kind of camouflage, one naturally thinks of its use on the battlefield.

As for the fact that it is limited to small-scale battles and not used for large-scale team battles, that's because the scenarios are completely different.

Small-scale battles rely on surprise attacks, so camouflage is essential.

In large-scale team battles these days, the emphasis is on collective charges, aiming for overwhelming momentum and morale to directly destroy the enemy's fighting spirit.

Didn't you see how everyone was running forward like their lives depended on it during the charge? What use were ghillie suits then?

Moreover, when it comes to close combat and hand-to-hand fighting, having so many odds and pieces hanging from one's body, is it because one doesn't want to die quickly enough?
This is why, even though ghillie suits have been around for over a hundred years, they did not receive much attention before World War II.

Even the U.S. military only began to officially use ghillie suits after the 80s.

Later, with the development of weapons, the mass assault tactic was completely eliminated, and the struggle between major powers turned into small-scale special operations. Only then did the ghillie suit gain attention and even become more widely known.

Prior to this, ghillie suits were simply camouflage tools for snipers, so they were also known as "sniper suits" at the time.

However, if used properly in the mountains and forests, this thing can be a powerful tool.

Chen Fan sat to the side, waiting for the finished product to come out.

Hearing Jiang Heng's words, he smiled and said, "I don't have that many inspirations. This thing existed more than a hundred years ago. It was invented by an Englishman named Gilly and was originally used for herding sheep and hunting."

Shepherding involves getting wool on your body, disguising yourself as a sheep, hiding among the flock to lower the guard of wild animals like wolves, and then ambushing and killing them unexpectedly.

Later, because of its excellent concealment effect, it was adopted by snipers and used for battlefield sniping during World War I, and it also gained prominence during World War II.

There's a militia team in Lujiawan who's been training in jungle tactics for the past year under the tutelage of an experienced hunter. I thought this thing would be great for camouflage in the mountains, so I decided to make it and let them try it out.

After hearing Chen Fan's explanation, a strange look flashed in Jiang Heng's eyes. "You really care about Lujiawan."

Who cares about the militia at this point?

The focus of society right now is on just a few things: overturning the verdict, returning to the city, and the tightening or loosening of policies.

The last one has the most attention, because whether it's loose or tight is related to making money.

Making money isn't a recent idea; it's an instinct of the masses to pursue a better life since ancient times. As long as the authorities open a loophole, that trend can seep in everywhere.

Otherwise, starting next year or the year after, so many checkpoints will spring up on the roads like mushrooms after rain.

They're all in it for the money.

Zero cost, convenient—is there an easier way to make money?!

As for things like being constantly vigilant and prepared for battle, how many people outside the military remember that? Perhaps only the veterans will never forget it.

That was a long time ago.

Chen Fan sighed almost imperceptibly, pulled himself out of his thoughts, and said jokingly, "The militia company commander is a martial arts fanatic. All he thinks about is staying vigilant, being ready for battle at any time, and finding someone to fight with."

He came after me again the day before yesterday. I didn't want to deal with him, but if I ignored him, he wouldn't let go. Luckily, I'd seen some interesting things in a book before, so I made a sample for him to study, to keep him from getting into fights all the time.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Heng couldn't help but burst out laughing. "You mean Company Commander Zhang Wenliang? I never expected him to be this kind of person."

"what?"

Chen Fan turned his head in surprise, "You've seen him before?"

Jiang Heng laughed and said, "Lujiawan also supplies the cotton mill with plenty of chicken, duck, fish and meat. A transport team delivers them every day. Sometimes Company Commander Zhang personally escorts them. I've seen that a few times."

Chen Fan nodded in realization, "Oh, no wonder."

Zhang Wenliang was mainly in charge of transportation and sales. When he came to the cotton mill, it was understandable that Jiang Heng personally received him out of respect for him.

He didn't pay much attention to this matter. Midway through, he met with Jiang Heng and Shen Xueyi, and then met with Director Yang and Deputy Director Xue from the machinery factory. They had lunch at the cotton mill's small canteen and chatted about asking the machinery factory to develop an industrial sewing machine.

This is a difficult matter for others, but for Director Yang and Deputy Director Xue, it's just a matter of a word.

Moreover, although industrial sewing machines are hard to find, their structure is actually not complicated. It's just that Chen Fan was too lazy to bother with it; otherwise, given half a day, he could have drawn a complete structural diagram.

As a mechatronics major, it's normal for me to disassemble an industrial sewing machine while in school, right?

There are many talented people in the machinery factory. Before Chen Fan appeared, their R&D department had also produced many good things.

In comparison, industrial sewing machines are indeed not very difficult to make.

Besides, if we can't buy a large quantity of machines, can't we at least buy a prototype?

I'll ask the provincial industrial bureau for help to get two prototypes. Can they disassemble them and draw up the designs?

Deputy Factory Director Xue immediately raised his glass and declared that if a prototype could not be produced within a month, he would drink it upside down!

In Lao Xue's eyes, Chen Fan was his greatest benefactor. If Chen Fan hadn't produced two car design drawings, which led to the establishment of Yunhu Automobile Factory, would Factory Director Yang have left?

If Chen Fan hadn't come up with that small appliance project, would Deputy Factory Director Li have been able to leave? If those two hadn't left, when would Lao Xue have been able to rise to a leadership position in the machinery factory?!
Needless to say, this matter must be handled perfectly.

Besides, it's not like Lujiawan isn't refusing to pay. And once the industrial sewing machine is developed, won't we have another flagship product?

Why not do something that has only benefits and no drawbacks?
At this moment, Lao Xue was in high spirits and confident that he could lead the machinery factory to another peak.

After dinner, the event ended, and by 3 p.m., everything that needed to be made was finished.

After checking everything, Chen Fan and Jiang Heng said goodbye.

Then, carrying large and small bags, they sailed back to Lujiawan.

……

After the boat docked, they changed horses and arrived at the brigade headquarters courtyard before the leaders left work.

Actually, it doesn't matter if it's a little later, since Xiao Liewen and Zhang Wenliang both live in Team 5, so it won't cause any problems.

In the brigade headquarters office, Zhang Wenliang grabbed a wad of rag, his eyes wide with confusion. "What is this thing?"

Xiao Liewen, being a man of many experiences, shook the clothes and quickly identified the collar and waistband. After examining them several times, he looked up at Chen Fan and said, "This looks a bit like a sniper uniform?"

Chen Fan drank water from his large teacup, nodded first, then stood up without saying much, took out a camouflage net from his bag, beckoned it to everyone, and walked outside.

Secretary Yang was still studying the multi-functional entrenching tool when he heard the noise and realized that everyone was about to leave. He quickly followed, forgetting to put down the entrenching tool in his hand.

After leaving the courtyard, Chen Fan looked around and then walked towards the back of the courtyard.

There was a small grove of trees, overgrown with bushes, and some tangled bamboo and weeds.

When they reached the edge of the woods, Chen Fan waved to them, "You just stay here and watch."

After saying that, he walked into the woods, picking up some broken branches and leaves as he went, and hanging them on the camouflage netting.

He didn't go deep into the area. He found a spot where weeds and thin bamboo grew together, squatted down in the middle, and then covered the camouflage net with branches and leaves hanging on it.

Zhang Wenliang's pupils gradually dilated, and after a moment, his eyes were filled with surprise. "This thing is pretty good!"

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he might not have noticed it even if he had walked right past that pile of weeds.

The others around nodded in agreement.

Xiao Liewen took the lead and walked over. He looked at the branches of the camouflage net, turned around and smiled at Secretary Yang and the others, "Actually, this thing is not complicated. Back in the day, when we were setting up ambushes, we would wear a grass ring made of branches and leaves on our heads and stick two branches in our waists. As long as you don't get close, you can't see it at all from a distance."

Chen Fan stood up abruptly and removed the branches and leaves from the camouflage net. "Why didn't you say so before? Now you're just spouting hindsight."

Xiao Liewen's face darkened. "Nonsense! In the past, when did we have the resources to make things as fancy as you do? Don't you know that even a single thread requires careful consideration of the resources available?"

Chen Fan was immediately surprised, "Wow, Master Xiao, where did you learn to speak like that? You speak so eloquently!"

Xiao Liewen blushed, a rare occurrence for him, and rolled his eyes. "Get lost."

Chen Fan chuckled, but did not press his advantage.

Master Xiao is right. In the past, there was no way to afford ghillie suits. Not to mention ordinary people, even the military believed in "new for three years, old for three years, and patched up for another three years." To tear up strips of cloth to make ghillie suits would seem like something to do with one's brain to most people.

He's the one who brought this thing over; if it were anyone else, they'd definitely get a scolding.

Chen Fan coughed lightly and chuckled, "Master Xiao, this thing may seem wasteful, but it can be reused repeatedly. In the case of a long battle, a camouflage suit that can be reused is actually more convenient and economical. Don't you think that makes sense?"

Xiao Liewen remained unconvinced, saying, "Back then, we crushed the arrogance of the foreign powers in one battle, and later we repelled the oppression of Soviet revisionism. With both tigers defeated, who else would dare to fight us?"

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly, and he muttered to himself, "This old man, even after turning to ashes, still has a stubborn mouth."

At this point, who would dare to fight us? What about our constant talk of "staying vigilant"?

There's nothing we can do; this old man has no sense of martial ethics.

He could only nod repeatedly, "Yes, yes, you're right."

Then he walked toward Secretary Yang.

Although he won the argument, Xiao Liewen felt something was off, so he followed behind Chen Fan and asked, "Are you still not convinced?"

Chen Fan took the entrenching tool from Secretary Yang's hand and said, "I'm completely convinced."

He then shoveled the entrenching tool into the ground with a swift motion, turned his head around, and asked, "Is this shovel sharp?"

Zhang Wenliang squatted down to take a look. "This isn't a matter of advantage or disadvantage, is it?"

He tilted his head and glanced at it twice, then grabbed it and chopped at a poplar tree that was as thick as an arm next to him.

With two swift strokes, the poplar tree creaked and fell to the ground, crushing many broken branches and some flowers and grass.

Zhang Wenliang gasped, holding the shovel up to his eyes for a closer look. "This shovel is pretty good!"

Before Chen Fan could speak, Zhang Wenliang jumped to the fallen poplar tree, used the serrated edge of his shovel to cut off a thick branch with two quick snips.

Not satisfied with that, he experimented with the tree trunk, sawing off three sections of it in succession.

Secretary Yang, Captain Zhang, Xiao Liewen, and Ye Shubao all crowded around, each wanting the power to saw off a section of the tree trunk.

Chen Fan walked over with a dark face and snatched the shovels from their hands. "This isn't something you play with like that."

Zhang Wenliang was already quite interested, and upon hearing this, his eyes lit up. "Not like this? How else can we play?"

Chen Fan squatted down and disassembled all three sections of the handle. "It's like this, then like this, and then like this..."

After watching Chen Fan's demonstration, not only Secretary Yang, but even Xiao Liewen was stunned.

How can such a small entrenching tool be used in so many creative ways?!

He even found dry food and ropes inside. He immediately realized that if he had only brought this shovel, he could have easily stayed in the old forest for a long time.

Thinking of this, he turned to look at the camouflage netting on Chen Fan's body, then at the pile of tools on the ground, a knowing glint in his eyes. "The camouflage suit, the entrenching tool, and that hand axe—are they all actually preparations for prolonged jungle warfare?!"

Chen Fan immediately gave a thumbs up and nodded with a smile, "As expected of a veteran, you figured out the use of these things at a glance, impressive!"

Zhang Wenliang then understood what Chen Fan meant yesterday, and immediately stood up and put his arm around Chen Fan's shoulder, saying, "Good brother is loyal, I'll accept these things."

This guy, having gotten a good deal, still acted innocent, glancing at the entrenching tool and clicking his tongue regretfully, "It's a pity there are only three, and the other items are also a bit lacking. It would be great if there were more."

Chen Fan rolled his eyes. "It's not like we don't have money. Just pay for it yourself."

(End of this chapter)