A Journey Through the Flames of War in the Republican Era

German firearms expert Steiner's eyes lit up as he lovingly stroked the Type 24 semi-automatic rifle, seemingly entranced.

He had examined each disassembled component carefully several times, praising it repeatedly: "The gas-operated recoil, short-stroke piston, and rotating bolt locking mechanism are indeed extremely scientific and reasonable designs with many advantages."

Stange looked up and asked Song Hongfei, "Dr. Song, you just said that your country has also designed a machine gun with the same principle and structure as this rifle?"

A German staff member immediately introduced Song Hongfei: "Dr. Song, this is Mr. Steiner, the designer from the Mauser factory. He is the designer of the MG34 machine gun."

Song Hongfei replied, “Yes, Mr. Stange. Machine guns and rifles share the same automatic principle, and their other main structures are basically the same. Some parts are even interchangeable. The biggest difference is that machine guns use long-stroke pistons. They are air-cooled and can be used for both light and heavy applications. This is the same as your company’s MG34 machine gun.”

Upon hearing this, not only Steiner, but also the experts from the surrounding arms companies such as Walther and Krupp were secretly surprised. They naturally knew best how important and beneficial the design of universal parts was for industrial production. Such a simple firearm structure meant a simple manufacturing process, which also meant less material and labor consumption. Of course, it also meant higher requirements for design.

Song Hongfei's words, whether intentional or unintentional, mentioned the MG34 machine gun, which sounded like a targeted attack. Steiner was a little unhappy, but he also had to admit that the MG34's structure, which used the short-recoil principle, was indeed too complex.

Steiner sighed to himself, "If it's really true, then the claim that it's 'more advanced than the MG34 machine gun' is not just something the Chinese are bragging about."

What many Han experts found most incomprehensible was that these unprecedented theories, these ingenious design methods, and the semi-automatic rifle they designed were far ahead of their time—concepts far ahead of their era! How did the Chinese people manage to break through these theories and technologies?

Stange stared intently as he carefully examined the gas piston and various components of the bolt, stroking the locking lug, guide groove, and gas piston chamber on the bolt.

Stange murmured to himself, "It's truly a miracle. Just looking at this rifle, one would think it's a conceptual prototype of Hans's most advanced industry! If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed that China's industry had developed to this level. This is a concept and design far ahead of its time. With China's backward technological level and industrial technology, how could it have given birth to such advanced research and products? It's all too unbelievable!"

Song Hongfei was also secretly surprised. Indeed, the world is vast and full of talented people. The experts from Hans were indeed highly skilled and had accurate vision. Their industrial strength was not to be underestimated.

He remained calm and said lightly, "This embodies the hard work, wisdom, and dedication of many people in China, as well as their most sincere patriotism. As you probably know, I received a lot of help when I was studying in the United States and designing this gun. As you said, with China's current industrial level, it is still difficult to mass-produce it on a large scale, which is why we are here today to discuss cooperation. I believe it will bring extremely bright prospects to both China and Germany!"

Experts from various military industrial enterprises pondered Song Hongfei's words, secretly thinking that if a cooperation could be reached, both the research theory and the design method would bring huge benefits to Han Chinese enterprises.

At that moment, some German personnel nearby immediately and astutely discerned certain information from Song Hongfei's words: had the US provided significant assistance in the design process? Did this indicate that the US was already collaborating with China on research into advanced light weapons?

In recent years, China has frequently engaged in arms purchases with traditional arms exporting countries such as the UK, France, Belgium, Austria, and the Czech Republic. There have even been rumors that China has secretly invested in and cooperated with these countries in some way. Could this be more than just a rumor?

The German personnel then wondered if the US Army had made significant modifications to the M1 semi-automatic rifle in 1936 after a considerable period of revisions, and then made another major modification after production began. Was this modification based on the design of the Chinese rifle?

In comparison with other European countries today, the Hansbrough has not yet designed a semi-automatic rifle, and the newly introduced MG34 machine gun has major flaws such as complex structure and difficult production. It is clear that the country is no longer leading the trend in small arms. Will this affect the leader's military expansion plan?

This was a smokescreen released by Song Hongfei, intentional or unintentional, a mix of truth and falsehood, making it extremely difficult to discern. He himself never imagined that this smokescreen would provoke so many associations from the German side.

"They are indeed designs ahead of their time; they don't belong to this era!" A cold voice suddenly rang out.

Song Hongfei's heart suddenly jolted!

The people around looked over at the sound, and a person slowly stepped forward.

Song Hongfei looked at the man, who was wearing the uniform of the Hans National Defense Army with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He had a pair of clear, blue eyes like lake water, a high nose bridge, and thin, well-defined lips that showed his determination and decisiveness. Apart from that, he was unremarkable and inconspicuous.

Song Hongfei felt a chill run down his spine!

When he became alert, he had secretly observed everyone around him but did not find anyone special. At that time, this person was also in the audience, but he did not notice anything unusual. This person looked so ordinary that you would not even notice him. But now Song Hongfei realized that he had misjudged him.

Song Hongfei then realized that although this person seemed ordinary, he could not discern his inclinations from his facial expressions, words, or even his age from his appearance, physique, and voice. This person gave him a sense of profound mystery and unfathomable nature.

The man calmly said, "Mr. Song, let me introduce myself first. I am Lieutenant Colonel Ernst Severl of the Ministry of Defense of the Hans country."

Song Hongfei recalled his historical knowledge and realized that there was no famous person with this name in the history of World War II in Hansik. Judging from the reactions of the people around him, no one knew this person.

But he was certain that this person was the mysterious Hansman!

In fact, Song Hongfei's judgment was correct.

Ernst Seifer was born into an ancient and mysterious family of wizards in the country of Hans. His family inherited an ancient spiritual secret method, which originated from the witchcraft of ancient Europe. Over the centuries, it has been combined with esoteric arts such as religion, divination, theology, metaphysics, medicine, philosophy, and psychology, and has been passed down and developed ever since.

This secret method emphasizes discerning cause and effect. Practitioners must first understand the subtle relationship between cause and effect and cultivate strong mental power. This secret method possesses the ability to anticipate the enemy's moves, excelling at perceiving changes in the opponent's mindset and finding weaknesses in their mental state to exploit. Not only can it discern the opponent's intentions, but it can also empathize with their every move and subtle psychological change, influencing their mind and causing them to become confused, often leading to the enemy's defeat without a fight.

Therefore, when Song Hongfei was explaining on the platform earlier, he was tempted by an impulse to reveal his innermost thoughts. If he had not been exceptionally talented since childhood and had not learned the inner cultivation techniques of traditional martial arts, which gave him a natural resistance to such mind-altering techniques, he would probably have been taken advantage of by the other party long ago.

Lieutenant Colonel Seifer stared intently at Song Hongfei, a strange glint flashing in his azure eyes as he spoke, revealing the truth: "Such achievements probably do not belong to this era. They are the fruits of the future, not the work of people of this time!"

These words carried immense weight, striking Song Hongfei's heart like a heavy hammer, hitting a deep, hidden place within him that he had kept hidden for years.

The air seemed to freeze instantly!