I used the Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword) to fight the Japanese.

Ever since they invented the metal plate bulletproof vest, all three hundred of their former brothers had one, even the Seven Fairies and the logistics personnel had one. After this incident, this thing should be widely available; who knows who the Japanese will target next?

“Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-ding!”

The clanging and banging sounds could be heard from afar near the blacksmith's shop. A dozen or so men were working busily under the direction of the blacksmith and his apprentice, forging long swords and arrowheads—a scene of bustling activity.

"Uncle Cang! What brings you back today? Take a look at the new Mo Dao our brothers made, guaranteed to be awesome at killing Japanese devils!" the blacksmith said enthusiastically, holding up a Mo Dao that had just been quenched.

"Great knife! Everyone, you've worked hard!" Mancang took the Mo Dao and tested it. It was as sharp as ever, and the patterns formed by multiple forgings were very clear.

"How many bulletproof vests do we have left?" Man Cang asked, putting down his Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword).

"Besides the three hundred or so pieces we made last time, we haven't made any new ones recently. We're too busy to keep up with the equipment for over a thousand people! And we're running out of materials..." the blacksmith complained.

With more people, more equipment is needed. Just having a long-handled sword for each person is enough to keep them busy, not to mention various arrows. It would take a long time for more than ten people to work day and night without stopping.

The most crucial thing is the raw materials. With so much equipment, it is difficult to meet the supply by relying solely on the discarded farm tools from each household!

"No more iron? That won't do. You can't cook without rice. Send the brothers to the iron mine to dig up the rails! That stuff is incredibly hard; it'll be perfect for forging weapons!"

"Dismantling the railway tracks?! Great! That's good! And there's not much coal left..."

"Okay, leave it to me. I'll get you several truckloads of supplies by tomorrow morning! You need to speed things up here. In addition to the long swords and arrows, everyone needs a set of bulletproof vests. If you don't have enough men, ask the hunters to send more brothers to help. In another half month, the Japanese might make a big move!"

"Half a month? Sure! As long as we have enough materials, it won't delay the brothers from killing the Japanese!" The blacksmith readily agreed.

"Haha, that's good! You guys go ahead and I'll go find more people!"

...Calling for backup? Who are you going to bite? It's not Zao Hua, is it? Be careful in broad daylight!

Iron can be obtained by cutting into the rails, but charcoal is a different story! There's no time to burn it on the spot; we'll have to find a way from the Japanese!

No, wait! Don't the Japanese have a steel plant? Once we get there, we'll have everything! Why bother digging up rails when there's already steel available?

Without further ado, they gathered the hunters and two companies of men, loaded seven or eight trucks, and headed towards the steel mill. Before, they'd considered strategies and plans, but now that the Japanese were holed up in the county town and dared not move, they were the bosses as long as the Japanese didn't come to their aid. They'd just lead their men and crush them! Could the meat on their lips possibly rebel?

Just as he expected, when seven or eight trucks drove into the steel plant, the dozen or so Japanese soldiers who were left behind were all knocked down before they could even last one round. Then it was time to reap the spoils.

A group of men stormed into the warehouse and started moving everything – equipment parts, tools, generators, gasoline, finished steel, coal, and so on. They loaded everything they could carry onto the trucks! If they weren't so weak, Mancang really wanted to take over the steel plant and continue making steel!

When the brothers left, only the furnaces and large equipment that couldn't be moved remained in the steel plant; the entire steel plant was just an empty shell!

"Stop looking! This place will be ours sooner or later. When that time comes, we'll start a furnace to make steel and build cannons this thick that will blow those little Japanese to bits!" Mangui said, looking at Mancang's reluctant eyes.

"Keep these documents safe, they're much more valuable than that pile of junk! We'll rely on them to get the steelmaking furnace running after we drive the Japanese away!" Mancang said, touching a pile of documents.

After driving out the Japanese invaders, the most pressing need in all sectors was technology. Having this technical data would have saved our nation from many detours in its development. From this perspective, this data is far more valuable than a pile of inanimate objects!

"Alright!" Man Gui knew his older brother's nature; after the iron mine was secured, the most important thing was the data. The village was piled high with these scrap papers—they weren't edible or drinkable, and cleaning them just took up space; he didn't know what use they were!

The group returned to the village laden with their loot late at night. When the blacksmith and his men saw the cartloads of coal and iron, they were overjoyed! They kept patting their chests, promising to complete the task on time!

Mancang only felt at ease after putting a pile of documents into the room before going inside to rest. He slept until noon when he was woken up by the energetic Hu Zi.

"What's wrong? The gunman has been found? So fast!" Mancang said unhurriedly as he got out of bed.

"The gunman hasn't been found yet, but we've roughly figured out what happened. Yesterday, the Japanese fired from the rooftop across from the compound. The gunshot was very quiet; even the family in that house didn't hear it. The surrounding vendors haven't spotted anyone suspicious either, so finding the gunman quickly won't be easy..." Tiger recounted the findings of his investigation.

"Hmm, that makes sense! What are your thoughts?" Mancang asked unhurriedly.

“We still need you to go!” Tiger said bluntly. “After what happened at the steel mill, the gunmen probably realized they made a mistake. I was thinking of what you said yesterday: why don’t you go out and wander around to lure them out? We’ve already chosen a place, Xiahou Town!”

"Hmm? Not bad, not bad. Looks like you've learned to use your brain!" Man Cang's eyes lit up as he praised, "But what excuse should we use? Will the Japanese believe we're just strolling around?"

"Definitely not, so I've already announced that the funeral for Sun Zhengyi, the battalion commander of the Third Battalion of the Modao Regiment, will be held in three days! Didn't the Japanese injure Platoon Leader Sun? Let's just turn this fake funeral into a real one and put on a lively show! We'll give the Japanese a chance to expose the rats hiding in the shadows!" Hu Zi said smugly.

"Good! This is a great idea! It shows our Mo Dao Regiment isn't afraid of the Japanese, and it also draws the Japanese out! Great! It seems you really know how to use your brain now. Keep it up! Fighting the Japanese is all about using your brain!" Man Cang was indeed very satisfied with this idea!

"Hehe, after following you around for so long, I've gotten half a bottle of oil from your fuming, I should at least have made some progress, right?"

"Haha, not only have you learned to use your brain, but you've also learned to flatter! That's great! This flattery is very effective!"

Mancang was indeed quite pleased. Just a few months ago at the mine, this kid was so scared when he killed a sleeping Japanese soldier that he clung to the dead one, trembling with fear. He's definitely improved a lot in the last six months!

That's good. With all his men capable of handling things independently, he, as the regimental commander, can relax a lot! Fighting the Japanese is never just one person's responsibility. As long as everyone can stand on their own and work together as a team, things will get done!

"Go and distribute those three hundred-plus bulletproof vests to the brothers to wear under their coats. No one can be hurt. Also, the Japanese might be using silent sniper rifles, so have everyone keep an eye on rooftops, high ground, treetops, and other concealed places a kilometer away!" Man Cang instructed.