Canteen System Assistance Notes

But in the end, no one paid any attention to him. The Eighth Route Army ignored him, the preserved fruit workers ignored him, the Second War Zone had already vanished, and Yan Baichuan had been arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation's Zhu Pianxian and taken to Shancheng, where no one paid any attention to him. Chen Jieshan cried out to heaven and earth, but to no avail. Except for the fact that he would see the instructor day after day when he ate, exercised, and washed clothes, it seemed as if the whole world had forgotten him.

What to do? Submit to the Communist Party and express willingness to accept reform? In any case, just let me out first; if you don’t want me to go out, you can find someone to take care of me... He lifted his hair, which was not much to begin with, and wondered whether he should go find the warden and buy a set of "Das Kapital" to read.

"Chen Jieshan! Is Chen Jieshan here?"

Suddenly, Chen Jieshan heard someone calling him. He jumped up from his low mood. A man in a dark green military uniform knocked on the door and walked in. "What do you want from me? Have you decided when to execute me?"

Finally, someone came to find him. Although his tone was filled with joy, he still cleared his throat, his expression unchanged, full of the pride of a martyr, "Well, it's almost time. A general would rather die in battle than die..." "What are you talking about? Why should we shoot you?" The man was very surprised. He threw a luggage bag to Chen Jieshan, "The last batch has been exchanged, and you are on the list. Pack your luggage quickly, don't leave anything behind." -----------------

Ah? Someone swapped themselves out? Finally, someone swapped themselves out!

The good news came so suddenly that Chen Jieshan, who had long suffered from mental stress, felt a sense of unreality. He quickly stuffed his things into his bag as if he were back in military school, ran downstairs, and stood straight at the door.

Afterward, as the instructor read out the release order, the 1,000 former Jin troops captured during the February Incident formed a line, marched out of the Xijing Guesthouse, and climbed onto trucks. Since these men had little value in our army and were not worthy of execution, the Eighth Route Army sent them packing and transported them to Hanzhong, which was under the control of the Nationalist government.

Zhao Daiwen, the only remaining senior general of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army, set up a shelter here to take in some scattered old Shanxi Army soldiers. Just when Chen Jieshan was about to go there to look for his old colleagues and try his luck, he was suddenly found by a few people from the preserved fruit shop.

"Congratulations, General, on your promotion!"

The man saluted and thanked Chen Jieshan upon seeing him. Without waiting for him to say anything, he had a messenger behind him pull out a telegram of orders and handed it to Chen Jieshan with both hands. "The Military Commission has issued an order. General Chen will soon be appointed Commander of the Ning Province Supply District and will be stationed in Ning Province to take up his post!"

Ning Province?

Oh my god! Isn't that the Eighth Route Army's territory?

Chapter 382: Chiang Kai-shek's Power Stratagem, Producing Molasses

In a sense, Chen Jieshan's release from prison was the result of the Eighth Route Army's "indifference". After all, there were many generals in the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army, and quite a few guys were chased and beaten by the two regiments of local troops. In addition, the Eighth Route Army in Shanxi Province in this time and space was powerful, and it was difficult for the reactionaries in the old Shanxi Army to cause damage to our army and base areas - those who caused damage became historical symbols - so Chen Jieshan's classmates at the Baoding Military Academy pooled some money to help him pay for his stay at the Xijing Guesthouse, and used their connections to intercede with the Eighth Route Army, and only then was he exchanged out of the prisoner-of-war camp.

But he had barely arrived in Hanzhong when the Military Commission's letter of appointment arrived, proving Chiang Kai-shek had seen all this. He had previously held back, feigning ignorance, merely holding onto his money, waiting for the price to rise. Now that this pawn was available, Chiang, ever the emperor, naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity to stir up factional strife and balance the forces.

"Holding three generations of Chiang Kai-shek!"

Chen Jieshan thought angrily, "If you knew, why didn't you rescue me sooner? Why wait until now? And instead, I've been wronged like this. Even a pig knows who's in charge in Ning Province now. Is the Chiang Kai-shek government counting on me to remotely take up a position in Ning Province, and then fight the Eighth Route Army to a mutual defeat?"

Looking at the "Handwritten Letter from Chiang Kai-shek" that came with the letter of appointment, and glancing at the words "My brother Jieshan" at the beginning, he felt sick. But he had to admit that this handwritten letter really touched his heart and tickled his nerves.

As a warlord general, Chen Jieshan knew full well that survival in the Republic of China depended on two fundamental factors: money and food. Food supported soldiers, and money bought guns. Soldiers and guns combined formed an army, allowing a warlord to claim the title of warlord. Naturally, to acquire both money and food, he needed a permanent base of scrambled territory. This letter of appointment as commander of the Ning Province supply zone gave him official approval, allowing him to seek a base in Ning Province where he could regroup.

Therefore, even though the prime location here had fallen into the hands of Red Head, Ma Heziyin and others, and even though everyone could see that Chiang Kai-shek was using himself as a pawn, Chen Jieshan still couldn't resist this simple sugar-coated bullet.

This temptation is like a brown bear seeing honey or a dog seeing bones. It is an impulse engraved at the identity and genetic level and cannot be resisted.

If you want to break the deadlock, you have to eat the fat and throw away the poison.

Chen Jieshan acted quickly. He left Hanzhong and parted ways with Zhao Daiwen, a veteran of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army who was taking in prisoners of the old Shanxi Army. He then crossed Hanzhong, headed northwest along the Baolan Highway, and then turned northeast, bypassing the territory of the Red Heads in his memory and went to the local tyrants around Ning Province.

Chen Jieshan was not without his envious eyes for the fat piece of meat of Ning Province Plain, but he was helpless because the truth in the hands of the red-headed people was too powerful and persuasive.

We can only try to do it indirectly and from the side.

He first arrived in Jincheng and visited the Eighth War Zone headquarters, seeking an audience with its deputy commander, Zhu Yimin, to advance the cost of setting up a supply zone headquarters. He then traveled a long distance to visit Ma Ziyin, the governor of Ning Province; Gao Liqing, the commander-in-chief of the Shanxi-Shaanxi-Suiyuan Border Region; and Ma Xiufang, the chairman of Heilongjiang Province. He needed to gain the support of the local tyrants and establish his own Ning Province supply zone headquarters within their defense zone.

However, Chen Jieshan was rejected four times in a row: Commander Zhu from Jincheng said that a supply headquarters must be established first before funds can be allocated, and the two Ma and one Gao said that they could not help him set up a supply headquarters without funds. Sorry, you have no headquarters and no money now, get out.

"I'm not asking for land, I just want to borrow some personal belongings to set up a headquarters! Fence-sitters are like grass on a high wall, and when the wind blows, both sides will fall. This bunch of bastards, when they saw the Eighth Route Army was so powerful, completely ignored their brothers on the front line and lost their integrity!"

Chen Jieshan was very angry about this. He was furious for a while, but when he found out that he had no soldiers and no people, he could only leave in disgrace. However, as the saying goes, there is always a way out. Soon, when he was crossing the Yellow River, he met a man: He Jizhou.

"Brother Jieshan, why don't you go find Commander Fu?" he suggested. "Unfortunately, He fell into the hands of the Communists. His troops fled and he was imprisoned. Although he was lucky enough to be released, he was left alone and homeless. It was Commander Fu who, despite past grudges, was willing to recruit a defeated general. Brother Jieshan is well-educated and known as a victorious general. He was also a classmate of Commander Fu. I believe this will give him another chance to show his talents!"

He Jizhou was one of the few generals stationed north of the border region who actively opposed the Communist Party. During the February Incident, his troops, in concert with Ma Shaoyun's, attempted a surprise attack on the border region under the guise of a peaceful crossing. However, they were severely defeated by the Eighth Route Army's engineering corps. Ma Shaoyun lost the city, while He Jizhou escaped with his life. Later, short of troops and food, He Jizhou defected to Fu Yisheng.

Fu Yisheng was very generous and agreed to take him under his protection - this was not inconsistent with General Fu's goodwill towards the Eighth Route Army. Actively resisting the Japanese was one aspect, doing business with the Eighth Route Army was another, but expanding power and having troops to support themselves was another: He Jizhou had the organization of a newly formed 26th Division, which was enough for Fu Yisheng to expand the strength of a division. Just for this organization, Fu Yisheng would not treat him unfairly.

Naturally, Fu Yisheng wouldn't abandon Chen Jieshan, who held the title of supply zone commander, and would definitely make good use of him. Chen Jieshan immediately understood the key points: this must be a mutually beneficial transaction, where both parties took advantage of each other and got what they needed. Since it was a transaction, as long as the price was right, there was no risk of betrayal!

He instantly became excited and began to drag He Jizhou north to find Fu Yisheng. After crossing the Yellow River and heading north, the two "losers" felt a sense of sympathy for each other, tiptoeing and trotting until they arrived at Wuyuan. "I see, Brother Jieshan," Fu Yisheng said, stroking his chin and blinking after listening to Chen Jieshan's speech. "As for the headquarters location, Senior, I do have a suggestion."

"General Fu, please feel free to speak."

The terms "my brother" and "my younger brother" that once made him feel extremely disgusted now sounded quite pleasant. Chen Jieshan could not hide his joy, and hurriedly stood up and clasped his fists towards Fu Yisheng.

"Brother Jizhou is currently commanding the newly formed 26th Division, responsible for the Yellow River defense. Many of his men are from the Jin Army. Since the Jinsui Army has dispersed, many former Jinsui Army members have fled here, seeking a place to make a living. By now, there are roughly a regiment. Brother Jieshan is highly respected in the Jin Army and has extensive experience leading troops in battle. It would be wise to hand them over to you, giving them a chance to survive. As for the headquarters..."

He pointed to a large area on the map behind him: "Ning and Sui provinces are inseparable, and their supply areas are even more intertwined. My brother Jieshan, Ikh Ju League - what do you think of it?" Fu Yisheng smiled faintly, and his words revealed some confusion.

"This place is rich in water and grass, abundant in products, and fertile in soil. However, although there are no local gentry and nobles to restrain it, it is occupied by local princes and nobles. They only know how to herd cattle and sheep, and have no idea how to cultivate crops.

But if we can solve the problem of settlement and reclamation in such a vast area with a few measures,

The problem is that it is enough to support an entire army - Brother Jieshan is a man of great talent and strategy, and with the assistance of Brother He's newly formed 26th Division, there should naturally be no problem!"

Miscellaneous Extra: QA_1_0

Thank you all for your understanding. During the May Day holiday, I slept for more than 10 hours a day, and my migraine was indeed quickly relieved. With the help of some medication, I feel much better now and it no longer affects my daily life.

It seems that many diseases are caused by 996, haha.

Then, as promised, I will publish a QA talk to answer some questions raised by many friends in the book review section recently.

1. What was the military industrial production capacity of the Eighth Route Army?

Well, actually, this question is very difficult to answer. This is simply a novel. As a primarily qualitative novel, I, as a clueless author, don't have the ability to delve into every underlying quantitative data point and produce a "quantitative" conclusion.

I could certainly write, "The Eighth Route Army produced XX guns/year, XXX bullets/year, XX shells/year, and consumed XX artillery shells/year..." But even if I had a source for my data, even if it were based on a source, it wouldn't satisfy most readers. After all, the data is purely hypothetical, leaving much to be desired. I can't always list detailed logistical plans, transportation plans, ammunition consumption, and so on, without having to work on maps and consult with staff, right?

But I can list some data for reference, taking Lao Mo, who is currently equipped with Soviet-made Eighth Route Army weapons, as an example.

The Eighth Route Army's rifles in the novel primarily consist of two types: one is purchased American-made Remington rifles, originating from the Remington rifles purchased from the United States during the Tsarist era, which are mentioned around Chapter 55. The United States had a large inventory of these rifles, and the main American factories producing them for the Tsar's orders at the time were Remington and Westinghouse.

According to foreign websites and American military historians, by the October Revolution, the Remington factory had over 20 rifles in stock, along with the corresponding tooling and equipment. Due to years of consumption, foreign aid, and re-chambering, a purchase quantity of around 5 rifles was assumed. Westinghouse, also known as Westinghouse in Chapter 55, had over 52 rifles in stock. There's no documentation of the whereabouts of the Mo's stockpile and equipment produced by Westinghouse. Because Westinghouse was known for its excellent electrical processing equipment at the time, I've assumed a high stockpile of equipment and a low stockpile of weapons.

In this article, it is assumed that the protagonist purchased enough old Mos to replace 3 divisions + 1 virtual division when the Eighth Route Army was reorganized, and purchased as much excess inventory and production equipment as possible. The second is the self-produced old Mos. According to the data, the data of the Remington factory producing old Mos is: from receiving the order and purchasing equipment in 1915, to 1917

Remington produced approximately 85 American Mosin rifles.

Gan, even after adding the time for worker training, tooling design and process operations, its production capacity is about 28 units per year.

But to be frank, China in 1937 was nowhere near the industrial level of the United States in 1917. So, the author looked up some data: The Shestroretsk plant, which produced the Modron rifle during the Tsarist/Soviet era, was in very poor condition. According to data from Gun World and foreign websites, in 1903, it employed approximately 904 machines of varying sizes, 1200 workers, and a 20-hour workday, capable of producing 30,000 Modron rifles annually. The Tula plant, with slightly better conditions, could produce 75,000 to 160,000 Berdan rifles annually in 1982 with 30 to 50 workers and over 1000 machines. Later, to switch to Modron rifle production, the plant imported French equipment, significantly increasing its production capacity.

(Of course, there are more than just Lao Mo products)

Based on the above data, I think the Eighth Route Army will definitely not reach the production capacity of Remington, but it should still be able to exceed the production capacity of the Shestroretsk plant and approach the production capacity of the Tula plant before its expansion in the 19th century. After all, we don't have the luxury of imitating the Americans and making walnut stocks.

Good wood is likely to lose the recycling aperture.

As for other weapons like submachine guns and mortars, for example, the M/45 submachine gun (herein referred to as the Type 81) and the PPS43 (herein referred to as the Red October Type) used by the Eighth Route Army in this article, the former is very low-cost but requires a slightly longer production time, while the latter is slightly more expensive but requires a very short production time. Both are suitable for mass production in places with a limited industrial base. Due to space limitations, they are not listed here.

2. Where did the branch get lost? Should we go and support the remote base?

According to the settings, the cafeteria branch representing the golden finger can be generated by any headquarters-level cafeteria terminal and projected to the area actually controlled by our army. A headquarters can provide 2 branch quotas, and a branch under it can be upgraded to a new one after completing the upgrade.

After becoming a headquarters, it will provide two new branch quotas while also releasing one of its own branch quotas. Therefore, as long as our army fights well, the speed of expansion can increase rapidly.

As of the beginning of 1940, the division of our army was as follows.

The existing headquarters are: Yan'an Headquarters, Huinong Headquarters; the projected branches are: Yimeng Mountain (Junan Dadian) Branch, Northern Jiangsu (Zishi District) Branch, Hubei, Henan and Anhui (Yingshan) Branch, Northwest Shanxi (Pianguan) Branch.

After that, the primary goal of the branch is to support the construction of the major bases, and the secondary goal is to support the upcoming campaign operations. After 41 years, I believe that the number of branches of our army will be enough to support the construction of various bases, and there will still be enough

Some of them were used for mobile projection during battles.

3. When can we launch a major counterattack? I am a bit tired of watching Chiang Kai-shek being criticized all the time. I know the ending after watching the beginning.

Well, this stalemate phase is probably like this.

The author is helpless. In the novel, our army cannot directly enter Sichuan to pound Chiang Kai-shek's government and quickly take over the Kuomintang-controlled areas without causing major unrest, so they probably still have to cooperate. But from the creative level, the silly author will arrange the plot.

We have made adjustments to the schedule to make similar plots less boring. I am very sorry.

As for when we can counterattack, well, looking at the current momentum, it should be soon. Friends who have seen the old version should not spoil it. A lot of preparation has been done before, and I hope that the author will show the new side of our army.

Appearance, can win your favor.

Chapter 383: A Bie's Trouble () Pile of Materials is also a Bad Thing

1940 had passed, and 1941 had arrived. The end of January marked the Spring Festival, so whether in the border region or in Yansui, the streets and alleys were filled with festive red, and the festive atmosphere gradually became more intense. At 5 a.m., Xiong Dazheng woke up in bed. It was still dark outside. He glanced at the alarm clock beside his bed, reluctantly opened the curtains, and half-lay on the bed, reading documents.

There was no other way. If he arrived at the construction site any earlier, the instructor would probably send him back to sleep. He read and took notes, and before he knew it, it was 6:00. Then, the alarm clock started beeping furiously. He slapped it to stop, then jumped out of bed like a carp.

Xiong Dazheng's day begins when he goes out and gets on his bicycle.

For breakfast, Xiong Dazheng bought two meat-filled buns at a roadside stall. After parking his bike outside the factory, he ate as he walked. From a distance, he saw the instructor and several men in military uniforms gathered in a tent. Besides them, there were also several assistants in cotton shirts.

The instructor saw him walk in from the door and stood up and waved at him. "Chief Engineer Xiong, you're here so early again. Did you sleep well last night?"

"Of course I'm fine. I slept like a dead pig." Xiong Dazheng still had the last half of his meat bun in his mouth. "Um... Coach Fang, you came to work so early, but you didn't allow me to come earlier too. This is really unfair treatment! I want to protest."

"How could that be? I think the instructor cares about you more than his own wife."

"How about having Chief Engineer Xiong become Coach Fang's godson... Oh no! We're not at the right age. Sworn brothers would be better!"

The soldiers nearby started joking around, making the group laugh. Compared to the relaxed and carefree demeanor of the comrades in uniform, those in cotton shirts seemed much more reserved. They laughed along and wiped their faces with handkerchiefs, as if the winter heat was unbearable.

"Okay, enough joking," Instructor Fang's expression turned serious as he got into work mode. He was a rare intellectual, and like Xiong Dazheng, he was also a senior engineer in the border area's metallurgy department. His attitude of resting well, working well, and living well was very distinct in him. He could joke around lightheartedly just now, but when it came to work, he had to be serious and give his all.

"What exactly caused the accident at Fujin Ironworks' No. 2 blast furnace? Chief Engineer Xiong, have you come to a conclusion?"

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent, staring at Xiong Dazheng as if awaiting the judge's verdict. The comrades in military uniforms clenched and unclenched their fists, while the managers in cotton shirts bit their lips, as if this young man were the judge of the underworld.

"It can be basically confirmed, almost certain—"

Xiong Dazheng took a deep breath, took off his backpack, and pulled out a stack of photos. He spread the color photos out on the table, compared them with his notebook, pointed at a few photos, and said seriously.

"Blast furnace nodules, furnace blockages—all caused by a single layer of refractory bricks." He pointed to a photo of the furnace mouth, where he'd drawn several curved lines. "Look, the drawing shows three layers of refractory bricks, but the photo shows four—one more."

Uh.....there's one more layer.

Due to the changing war situation and the fall of Shanxi Province, the Baojin Ironworks, which had relocated from Shanxi Province, became the "Fujin Ironworks" when it arrived in Yansui City. As a renowned private ironworks within the border region, Fujin Ironworks was able to produce a significant amount of cast iron, relying on the coal mines of Shenfu and the iron mines of Fugu. Its foundry also produced numerous iron farm tools, filling the product gap left by the Huinong Ironworks and Fushi Special Steel. Even the Eighth Route Army's steelmaking furnaces in Yansui City purchased molten iron from them.

The factory has a good profit and continuous production. They recently decided to imitate the 200-cubic-meter short and fat blast furnace of the Eighth Route Army and build a scaled-down 100-cubic-meter "Fujin No. 2 Blast Furnace" to increase production capacity.

Increase profits. As a result, not long after the fire was started, the furnace workers

The blast furnace is now experiencing reduced iron output, abnormal furnace temperature, and excessive gas pressure.

Initially, the Fujin Ironworks believed this was just a common problem before the blast furnace went into operation, and simply increased the air supply and continued production for observation. However, the amount of coke consumed per ton of iron output began to rise sharply, and several production accidents occurred. The most serious one was a material collapse accident in the No. 2 blast furnace. The heavy and hot mixture of ore, molten iron, and coke hit the carbon bricks at the bottom of the furnace like a cannonball.

It almost wiped out the entire furnace team and caused the temperature of the entire No. 2 blast furnace to

The temperature dropped suddenly, causing the furnace to freeze and the production to be suspended until now.

Afterwards, when the blast furnace was opened, iron slag was found growing everywhere inside the furnace, like twisted tentacles and vines, growing wantonly on the inner wall of the blast furnace, almost covering more than half of the space inside the furnace.

- This is blast furnace nodule, a serious and malignant production accident

Therefore, it is enough to significantly shorten the service life of a blast furnace.

"Chief Engineer Xiong! Chief Engineer Xiong! We didn't say much at the time..." The manager in a cotton shirt was almost crying with anxiety. He was the manager of the Fujin Iron Works. "There's just an extra layer of bricks! How could this happen? How could this happen? Apart from this, we have been constructing according to the drawings! After the fire was turned off, why is the furnace full of iron slag..."

"You should have come to us then!" Coach Fang was a little angry. He suddenly stood in front of Xiong Dazheng and scolded the manager, "If we had rescued them in time, maybe the situation wouldn't be so bad now! Forget about anything else. You let the workers go in to remove the debris, which ended up causing a collapse, resulting in one death and two injuries. Isn't it a waste of lives!"

"Alas...Alas! The blast furnace in Jinyang used to be operated in this way, but who would have thought..."

The two managers present lowered their heads. Honestly, if it hadn't been for the loss of life that brought the border region government to their attention, they probably wouldn't have proactively reported the poor handling of the blast furnace agglomeration, or even the freezing and shutdown of the furnace.

"The blast furnace at the Jinyang plant has a volume of only a few dozen cubic meters, making it an ultra-small blast furnace with a complex internal flow field. It's different from blast furnaces over 100 cubic meters, so previous experience can't be applied."

Xiong Dazheng opened his notebook and began to explain to the others. However, most of the information recorded in it was difficult and complicated mathematical formulas and professional terms, as well as some key parameters of "finite element modeling". These things were no problem for him, a physics student, but they might be a bit difficult for the others. He thought for a while and changed his way of saying it.

"A blast furnace is like a person. Iron ore and coke are like steamed buns, while flux and auxiliary materials are like side dishes. Just as a person needs to breathe, the blast furnace also needs to breathe—the hot air that enters the tuyere. Only when all these things are present can the materials burn fiercely within the furnace, transforming into steel and pouring out from behind."

Now, this extra ring of heat-resistant bricks has increased the length of the blast furnace's throat... well, it's like stretching a person's neck an inch longer. Eating, drinking, and breathing with a stiff neck is always uncomfortable. It causes heartburn, and gas cannot be expelled, causing stagnation. Add to that the poor quality of the iron ore, and the person suffers from loose bowels and gastrointestinal instability. Finally, the iron, coke, and auxiliary materials that were consumed clump together into a bezoar-like mass, completely blocking the stomach and intestines.

"If it's discovered earlier, there are ways to salvage it. Whether it's cleaning the furnace, acidifying it, or simply adding more clean coke, it only costs a few heats of hot metal. It can always be salvaged."

After this brief and clear explanation, everyone present basically understood the cause of the furnace accident. Instructor Fang, experienced in smelting, had previously inspected the furnace and found the tangled, intertwined steel branches like tree roots.

"Chief Engineer Gao, do you think you can still save him?"

He paused before stating his own assessment. "Based on my experience, it's truly difficult." The two managers almost staggered upon hearing this. "What do you think, as a top graduate from Tsinghua University, is there anything worth saving?"

Uh... Xiong Dazheng glanced at the pale-faced manager and suddenly asked in English, "Instructor, can I speak directly?"

That's fine, go ahead. At the previous expert meeting, everyone was pretty much unanimous: If the nodule has frozen the furnace, the only option is to blast it inside. But when it gets this far, the furnace is filled with iron and calcium slag. A small blasting equivalent won't work, but a large one won't guarantee it won't damage the furnace. And even if we clean it out, the top ring of bricks will still be there, and the nodule inside the furnace will still be there, so the iron nodule will keep growing...

Coach Fang nodded at the truck and soldiers nearby.

"Look, I even brought engineers with me."

"Okay..." Xiong Dazheng then noticed that several of the people in military uniforms present today looked unfamiliar. He cleared his throat and issued the final verdict: "Managers, unfortunately, this No. 2 blast furnace is now...