I am an industrial worker during the War of Resistance

Chapter 46 The Long, Sandy Road (Part 1)

When Chen Changzai and Political Commissar Liu led the special agent company northward, they rode at full speed for a day, rested for a night, and met Commander Chen head-on the next day at noon.

When Chen Changzai saw Commander Chen, he couldn't believe that the person in front of him was the same Commander Chen.

He had a full beard, long hair, and a weathered look on his face.

The military uniform he was wearing was the same one he had worn when he set off, but it was clear at a glance that he hadn't worn it much before.

When we set off a few months ago, there were a total of 106 people, including Commander Chen.

But now that he's back, it seems there are over a thousand, nearly two thousand people, with him.

There are also thousands of horses and countless cattle and sheep.

They are currently in the heart of the team's controlled territory.

The fact that the border garrison allowed Commander Chen to bring so many men into the heart of the territory suggests that headquarters had given them approval.

"Uncle, you must be tired from the journey." Chen Changzai usually addressed Commander Chen by his official title, rarely using it.

His life was saved by Commander Chen, so no matter his age or anything else, he should call Commander Chen "uncle".

Even in his later years, he was already getting a good deal if he could call Commander Chen "Uncle".

Commander Chen was also very happy that Chen Changzai always treated him like a close uncle.

Chen Changzai is now all alone, and Commander Chen is willing to treat him as his own family.

In addition, since they both share the same surname, Chen, they both consider each other as family.

"It's not hard at all. This distance is much easier than climbing snow-capped mountains and crossing grasslands."

"Old Chen, judging from your appearance, you must have made quite a bit of money this time."

You went out and brought back so many men, you're really something.

"You robbed that rich guy, didn't you?" Political Commissar Liu asked with a smile.

Commander Chen chuckled and said, "Well, this is a long story, like a child without a mother."

Let's not stand there and talk.

Let's find a place to sit down and talk.

"Big Pillar, tell everyone to set up camp here. We're here now, so there's no rush. We can walk slowly."

"It's the regimental commander."

After receiving the order, Commander Chen's bodyguard, Kong Dazhu, began to relay the order to set up camp on the spot to everyone.

The others set up camp and prepared for lunch, while Commander Chen, Political Commissar Liu, and Chen Changzai sat down on a few nearby rocks.

Political Commissar Liu asked, "Old Chen, is the mission complete? How much rubber grass did you bring back?"
And what's going on behind this?

Why did you bring back so many people? And it seems like all sorts of people are here.

And those white people with high-bridged noses?
Where did all of these come from?

At this moment, Chen Chang took out a cigarette case, pulled out three cigarettes, gave one to Commander Chen and Political Commissar Liu, lit one for them, and then lit one for himself.

These cigarettes weren't bought.

Instead, Chen Chang had run out of cigarettes some time ago.

He muttered to himself without realizing it, "It would be nice if there were cigarettes here."

Suddenly, it dawned on me that this cigarette rolling machine wasn't complicated at all; manual cigarette rolling machines were quite simple.

There was another one in my family in later generations.

You can still roll filtered cigarettes.

Think about it more deeply.

The sale of cigarettes is always extremely profitable.

If the headquarters could set up a small cigarette factory, roll the cigarettes, put some packaging on them, and sell them, it seems they could still make some money.

Only with money can the economic development of the controlled area be maintained.

After he discussed this with Political Commissar He, Political Commissar He also thought it was feasible.

So Chen Changzai drew a picture of a cigarette production line driven by a small steam engine.

Of course, this thing was definitely not the kind of real production line that we see in later generations.

Chen Changzai had never seen a real cigarette rolling machine production line.

This is Chen Changzai, recalling the principle of the manual cigarette rolling machine in his home.

Then, based on my own understanding, I created this thing.

The entire production line only has six people, one of whom is a boiler operator.

The principles of mechanics are actually the same. It just depends on what action you want the machine to perform after it receives power.

As long as it's not too complicated.

Generally, with the right power source, you can achieve the desired results with maximum efficiency and minimal human effort.

When Master Liu from the machine shop saw the blueprints for this small machine, he didn't pay much attention to it.

Instead, he gave the blueprint to one of his apprentices and asked him to work on it.

Chen Changzai also sent one of his students, along with Master Liu's apprentice, to work on this little thing.

As a result, these two people, along with two workers, tinkered around with it and actually managed to put together this little machine.

A few days ago, we tested the machine, and the results were quite good.

Thus, the machine-rolled cigarettes that Chen Changzai now possesses came into being.

Political Commissar He also delivered that machine to the headquarters.

If the headquarters thinks it's feasible, then the headquarters should find a way to build the cigarette factory.

Chen Chang's job here is simply to provide equipment to headquarters when they need it.

After taking a puff of his cigarette.

Then Commander Chen said, "We left Wujiabao in March."

At that time, we chose a route that led north across the Yellow River, then across the Yin Mountains, and along the Northern Xinjiang Road to Xinjiang.

This would allow them to avoid the main enemy forces in Gansu, Qinghai, and Ningxia.

They have now completely blocked off the Hexi Corridor.

But when we reached the salt pool at the edge of the team's controlled area...

The local comrades there, after learning that we were going to XJ to carry out a secret mission...

They told me.

If we want to travel along the Northern Xinjiang route, we can't do it in military uniform like this.

The Prince of De in Mongolia is now colluding with the Japanese and wields considerable power.

The Northern Frontier Road is already within the sphere of influence of the Prince of De.

If someone like you enters the northern border wearing our military uniforms, you will inevitably be subjected to a full-scale manhunt and interception by Prince De's men once they discover you.

If that were the case, then these hundred-plus people might have perished before they even finished traversing the Northern Frontier Road.

Moreover, a guide is required to travel the Northern Xinjiang route.

Without a good guide, it would be almost impossible to cross the vast Gobi Desert or avoid getting lost on the endless grasslands.

Don't assume that you won't get lost or die on the vast grasslands.

The grasslands, also known as the green desert.

After listening to the opinions of the local comrades, I also think that what they said makes a lot of sense.

They are locals after all, and they understand the local situation better.

Moreover, how we got out of the grasslands back then, how miserable we were, that was just yesterday, and the memory is still fresh.

So we stayed at the salt lake for two days.

The local comrades helped us with a lot of preparations.

They found us four experienced guides who had traveled the Northern Xinjiang route before.

They also prepared six large horse-drawn carriages for us.

So we transformed ourselves into salt smugglers, selling smuggled salt to northern Xinjiang.

There is plenty of salt in the salt lake area.

After we occupied that area, we abolished the bald man's high salt tax.

Therefore, many caravans that traded salt to northern Xinjiang bought salt from the salt lake and then sold it northwards.

And so we became one of them.

From that day on, we embarked on that long, dusty road.

　Thank you to all my friends who have supported me.

　　Tired of working in industry? Change your environment and enjoy the scenery of the northern Xinjiang desert, grasslands, snow-capped mountains, and Gobi.

　　The journey is very long, several thousand kilometers.

　　It'll only be a matter of two or three chapters, not too many.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)