Bright Sword: Follow Kong's fun and build the strongest military industry

Officer Yang said with a smile, "Commander Zhang, the county committee has dispatched a squadron of about three hundred men from the county brigade to be on guard nearby."

"You can rest easy. By the way, cooks from all around have come to help. We need to make sure you heroes who fought the Japanese have a good meal to replenish your strength."

Faced with such a warm scene, Commander Zhang was also filled with emotion, as they had never encountered anything like it before.

By the time all the soldiers had arrived, it was almost 5 p.m., and the camp was nearly ready.

Everyone picked up their lunchboxes and lined up to get their food, which was incredibly plentiful today.

Braised ribbonfish, braised pork belly, a stir-fried vegetable dish, and an egg.

A soldier, covered in gunpowder and with his uniform torn in many places, slowly walked to the food station, carrying a military mess kit.

The person in charge of serving the food was an old man in his fifties named Qian. He used to be a chef at the town's restaurant and had been in the business for over thirty years. His culinary skills were well-known in the area and even in Goose City.

Two days ago, the owner of Juxianlou restaurant brought a stranger to him, wanting to invite him to cook for two days.

Grandpa Qian was unhappy about that. He was a well-known chef who made dishes for rich people. His dishes were all stir-fried in iron woks and the focus was on the taste.

Large-pot dishes are generally for peasants, and the focus is on large portions to fill them up; no one cares about the taste at all.

To be honest, cooking this kind of food is a bit of an insult to Grandpa Qian's culinary skills; anyone who organizes a banquet in any village could do it.

To cook for him for half a month straight, all he got were twenty catties of flour and five cans of food. This was utterly beneath the notice of Mr. Qian, who had some assets.

So he refused on the spot, and refused without any politeness, refusing to do anything no matter how much more he asked.

When there was no other way, our comrades told them the truth.

Upon learning that the meal was for the Jin-Sui Army soldiers who were retaking Languan, Grandpa Qian's expression immediately changed, and he promised to be available whenever needed, not just for half a month, but for a year or two.

And he refused all compensation, in the old man's words:

"These heroes fought bravely and selflessly against the invaders in Languan, risking their lives. Cooking for them is the most honorable thing for this old man."

"This is the first time I've ever encountered such a wonderful thing in my fifty years of life. If I still want something from you, how can I face people in the future?"

Not only that, he also paid out of his own pocket to purchase a large amount of seasonings from the market.

As a professional chef, he wouldn't allow himself to be perfunctory, even when cooking large batches of food.

Besides, this is a victory celebration banquet for the heroes, so it can't be taken lightly.

The other cooks shared the same thought: they couldn't go to the battlefield to fight the Japanese, but they could certainly cook a few delicious meals for the soldiers on the front lines.

However, as the matter escalated, the chefs in the surrounding area who were somewhat famous but had not been invited began to demand an explanation from the organizers.

Why can so-and-so participate in such a meaningful and wonderful event, and why can't I? If this gets out in the future, won't the local people gossip about me?

Moreover, participating in such an event can bring immense fame. Goose City is about to be recaptured, and the invaders won't be able to cause trouble for long.

The entire area will become a base area, and the living standards of the people will definitely rise sharply, with more and more people dining out.

This is where the difference becomes apparent. If the chefs had participated in this opportunity to cook for the army, the public's level of trust would have been much higher.

This is also the best resume a chef can have. No matter which restaurant he goes to, mentioning this experience will definitely raise his treatment level.

Therefore, whether it's for their own future interests or their sense of national responsibility, every chef wants to participate, and that's how the competition began.

Some resourceful restaurant owners even closed their shops for half a month and then brought a dozen or so people from their shops to help out.

After the county committee learned about the situation, they provided strong support and welcomed anyone who came to help.

Furthermore, the base had previously made a large number of contribution plaques out of plastic, with values ​​of two, five, ten, fifty, and one hundred points.

Anyone who helps the military can earn one point per day. After two days of contributions, they can receive a small plastic tag that records the event, the time, and the score.

If it takes less than two days, the corresponding reward materials will be distributed directly.

The biggest advantage of this contribution token is that you can exchange it for supplies at the shops set up in the base area at any time.

Moreover, the points from these contribution badges can be accumulated; the higher the accumulated points, the greater the privileges one will have later.

This entire process was also devised by Kong Hao. The plastic used for the Contribution brand was specially synthesized from coal-fired oil refined in the base area, and the production volume was quite high.

As for why plastic is used, it's mainly because there's still a very limited supply of plastic in China, making counterfeiting impossible.

However, when ordinary people got their hands on it, they were immediately amazed by its exquisite workmanship and special materials.

This thing is neither like jade nor metal, and the words on it are not carved, there are no traces of engraving, which makes it extremely rare.

Most people who receive these medals never think about exchanging them for corresponding supplies; they simply keep them as family heirlooms to be passed down through generations.

Perhaps when I'm old, I can take it out and show off my glorious achievements to my children and grandchildren.

The Battle of Languan will certainly be recorded in great detail in the county annals of Echeng.

Not only that, but it's estimated that five or six pages will be dedicated to this, since it's the biggest and most important event in decades.

Another incident is that a regiment of the Jin-Sui Army fought a bloody battle against the brutal invaders in Lan, which will also be recorded in the county annals.

That time was tragic, fierce, and most regrettable; while this time it was unstoppable, overwhelming, and the enemy was utterly defeated.

These two are completely different concepts. The latter can even be sung by later generations for hundreds of years, and countless descendants will remember it deeply.

At this moment, if you can produce this medal to prove that you also participated in that epic war, then the medal is absolutely unique.

Therefore, such a good thing could not possibly be obtained with just a little bit of supplies.

However, this depends on individual perspectives. It's estimated that most people will exchange their medals for corresponding supplies as soon as possible.