Industry began in 1937

In late January of the second year of the full-scale War of Resistance against Japan, in Xihetou Village, Liaoxian County, Shanxi Province.

The cold wind swept across the ravines and valleys of the northern section of the Taihang Mountains, lashing against this small village surrounded by mountains.

A former military camp next to the village, which had been repaired and reinforced and originally belonged to the Jin Army, has now become the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army.

Inside the low-ceilinged mud-brick house, the stove fire dispelled the chill of the harsh winter, but it could not dispel the somber atmosphere that permeated the command center.

On the map, the arrows of the Japanese army's offensive are intertwined in various parts of Shanxi and Hebei, and the situation remains critical.

Liu, who wears glasses, is leaning over the map, carefully examining the subtle changes in the enemy and friendly forces along the railway line with a magnifying glass.

Deng Bin sat to one side, flipping through the battle reports and base area construction briefings submitted by various units, his brows furrowed as he pondered how to more effectively mobilize the masses and gain a foothold behind enemy lines.

The commander-in-chief and several operations staff officers discussed in hushed tones the detailed battle report on the 386th Brigade's sabotage and harassment of the transportation lines.

At that moment, the staff officer strode in, carrying a translated telegram. His face seemed to have a different expression than usual.

"Comrade Zhang Xianyue of the Xingtai advance team sent a detailed battle report, summarizing the anti-mopping-up battles in the Yingtou and Nanshan directions at the beginning of the month, as well as... some new local developments."

"Oh? Read it." Liu Zhi stood up, rubbing his eyes, which were sore from looking at the pictures for a long time. They already knew the outcome of Xingtai's resistance against the first large-scale mopping-up operation by the Japanese army, but they were waiting for this report to provide the details.

The staff officer cleared his throat and began his report.

From the Japanese army's deployment of troops and their multi-pronged attack, to Zhang Xianyue's advance detachment's ambush at Yuanzhuang River on the southern route, and then to the fierce blocking battle fought by the 1st Battalion under Pan Zhankui's command at Nanshan on the northern route, the numbers of sacrifices, casualties, and spoils... one cold number after another outlines a tragic and heroic picture of a weaker force fighting against a stronger one, and a Great Wall of flesh and blood blocking the torrent of steel.

When the news of the heroic sacrifice of over a hundred soldiers was read, a solemn atmosphere filled the command post, and several leaders wore expressions of deep sorrow.

"It was a good fight, but a tough one," Xu sighed. "We lost nearly half of our main battalion just to hold off an entire Japanese regiment. Our resources are still too limited."

He thought it was quite good that an 800-strong battalion could fight like this.

"But in the end, we managed to stop them, shattering the Japanese invasion and preserving the newly established regime. This was of great significance." Deng Bin put down the documents in his hand, his tone firm. "This proved the possibility of us gaining a foothold in the Taihang Mountains, and it also proved that our soldiers are an ironclad force that can withstand the test of blood and fire. The Party and the people will never forget the martyrs who sacrificed their lives."

Liu nodded, his gaze deep: "The cost was enormous, but this opening battle demonstrated our resolve and prestige, which is crucial for stabilizing the situation in Xingtai and even the entire western Hebei region. What other 'new developments' were mentioned in the report?"

The staff officer continued reading, and the content shifted to the post-war summary and the difficulties faced, especially the issue of replenishing equipment and ammunition.

Then, he mentioned the outstanding role of "Gouzi-made" grenades and bayonets in the battle, the folk workshop called "Gongyi Blacksmith Shop" located in the back mountain of Gouzi Village, and the blacksmith Chen Yuan and the products he brought.

"Oh? Your homemade grenades are even better than those from Yan Xishan's arsenal?" Intrigued, "Tell me more about it."

When they heard the specific descriptions of "pre-made fragmentation grooves," "more explosive fragments," and "the advantage of extended bayonets in close combat," especially when Zhang Xianyue's report relayed the frontline soldiers' evaluation that "it is better than the best hand grenades we have ever used before," the expressions of the leaders became serious.

"This Chen Yuan is no ordinary man. For a blacksmith from the countryside to be able to devise these things, he must have real skills," the commander-in-chief said. "The report says they've almost run out of iron to support the front lines. This is the only place we've found that can reliably produce these useful tools."

"Not just grenades, landmines, and bayonets," the staff officer continued, reading the rest of the report. "Comrade Zhang Xianyue added that, according to local cadre Wen Shizhou, Chen Yuan had privately stated that if there were sufficient iron and a stable power source, he might be able to try to develop simple tools such as small hand-operated presses and bullet molds for bullet reloading."

However, he himself emphasized that the biggest difficulty lay not in the machinery, but in the extreme scarcity of materials such as copper casings, lead cores, and especially primers and propellant, as well as the unknown nature of the manufacturing process.

"A bullet reloader?" Deng Bin keenly grasped the key point and leaned forward slightly.

"Did he really say that? Even with all the difficulties, the idea itself is invaluable! This is no longer the perspective of an ordinary blacksmith; it deserves our attention."

Liu Yong tapped the table lightly with his fingers, lost in thought: "Yes, grenades and bayonets solve the problems of close combat and defense."

But if we want to engage the Japanese in a protracted struggle and annihilate them in mobile warfare, bullets are the true lifeline. Our current bullets are almost entirely allocated by the Nationalist government, captured, and purchased in extremely limited quantities; every bullet we fire is one less available.

If we could truly attempt to reload bullets within the base area, even on a small scale and with numerous difficulties, and even if we could only recover and reuse some of the old cartridge cases, the significance would be immense!

He looked at the staff officer and continued, "What else did the report say about this blacksmith shop and Chen Yuan? What are their specific difficulties?"

"There are two main points. First, there's the severe shortage of iron, especially any good quality pig iron. Second, there's the lack of a stable power source. Currently, they mainly rely on manpower and a small amount of coal, which limits their production scale. In addition, they mentioned that they can repair some damaged rifles, which is very useful for us at the moment."

"Good!" Liu made a decisive decision. "This 'Justice Blacksmith Shop' is very important! It's not just about producing grenades; it represents potential, a spark of possibility for our base to start from scratch and build its own military industry! We must protect it with all our might and support it to the best of our ability!"

He issued the following instructions: "First, in the name of the division headquarters, issue a telegram to commend the anti-Japanese military and civilians of Xingtai for their victory in the anti-mopping-up campaign and to commemorate the martyrs who sacrificed their lives."

Second, notify the division's logistics department to use every means possible, leveraging our connections and channels in Shanxi, to procure a batch of pig iron and secretly transport it to Jiangshui area of ​​Xingtai as soon as possible, specifically for supporting the blacksmith shop in Gouzi Village. Tell the logistics comrades to have a long-term vision; this is an investment in the future!

Third, the information regarding this blacksmith shop from Xingtai, especially its potential involvement in bullet reloading technology research, should be considered important and reported to the head of the newly established repair shop. They should be told that this folk craftsman and his shop are valuable assets and deserve attention. When conditions permit, they can try to provide necessary support, but the methods must be carefully considered to ensure his safety and that it is entirely voluntary.

Deng Bin added, "We must also remind our comrades in Xingtai to cherish and respect technical talents like Chen Yuan. He is a member of the masses, not one of our soldiers. Our support must be practical, addressing their real difficulties, such as iron materials, basic food supplies, and protecting their safety. Regarding bullet reloading, especially the primer issue, we must truthfully tell Comrade Chen Yuan that we are currently unable to solve it. This is one of the biggest technical challenges facing the entire base area's military industry. We should reassure him not to feel pressured, but encourage him to maintain his spirit of research. Everything must proceed step by step, with safety as the top priority."

The commander-in-chief nodded in agreement: "Currently, all our units are setting up repair shops, but they are all just starting out, and everything needs to be built up. This blacksmith shop can repair guns, which is excellent and can greatly alleviate the urgent needs of the grassroots troops. We must make full use of this role. As for more advanced technologies, we can take it slowly. Only when we have a stable foundation of materials and energy can we talk about the next step."

Orders and instructions were quickly recorded, encrypted, and sent out. A message of concern from the division headquarters and a promise of support, though meager, filled with hope, followed the courier's footsteps, crossing mountains and valleys, flying towards Xingtai, towards Jiangshui, and finally arriving at the "Gongyi Blacksmith Shop" hidden in a ravine behind the mountains, where the furnace fire had never been extinguished.

Meanwhile, in Gouzi Village, Chen Yuan was unaware that his name and his humble "ingenious idea" based on "flint" had already caught the attention of the senior command of the military and were given expectations for future development that went beyond its current output.

He was still worrying about the raw materials for the next batch of molten iron, still figuring out how to make the human-powered generator more efficient, and still disassembling and studying the captured grenade launchers and hand grenades. Occasionally, he would think of that unattainable dream of reloading bullets.