Chapter Ten I Want to Be a County Magistrate

  "Despicable cannon?"

  "That's right."

  "Is one gasoline can enough?"

  "What do you think?"

  "Mr. Qin, you think our Military Intelligence is very good at playing tricks, right?"

  ……

  Zheng Jiemin and Xu Yuanju arrived at the scene with incredible speed, fortunately it was summer, although it was already late, the sky had not yet fully darkened. Before they arrived, the Military Intelligence personnel from Shapingba had already surrounded Shen Chongyu's office, refusing to let anyone in or out, which made Director Shen extremely dissatisfied. However, considering the severity of the situation, he endured it. But this was not what made him most angry, what infuriated the Dean of Academic Affairs was that after Zheng Jiemin and Xu Yuanju arrived, they only asked a few questions about the situation to the agents who had arrived earlier, without even saying a word, they had someone push Shen aside... This blatant disregard almost made Director Shen erupt on the spot. In this era, these educators were in a superior position, scholars like Hu Shi would meet with Chiang Kai-shek with their legs crossed and speaking casually, and Chiang couldn't say anything about it. Although Shen Chongyu was not as famous as Hu Shi, he was generally considered to be of the third rank when meeting officials. Now, however, he was being treated so rudely, and even more so in his own office... But Shen Chongyu's dissatisfaction did not affect Zheng Jiemin and Xu Yuanju, or rather, they didn't put the Dean of Academic Affairs in their eyes at all. If it were usual times, they might have been polite to him due to his social status, but now, they only had two words in mind: "Big Cannon". Who cares about a powerless scholar?

  Similarly, Zheng Jiemin and Xu Yuanju did not expect that Shen Chongyu's angry mood would soon be transferred to them...

  Gasoline barrel!

  It's just that thin-skinned iron bucket!

  Can be modified into a powerful cannon that can directly shock people to death, flatten a large number of defensive fortifications, and effectively kill the enemy... What the hell is this written?

  "Do you think I'm just idle and here to entertain you guys?"

  Qin Wei looked at Zheng Jieming and Xu Yuanju, whose faces had clearly turned green after listening to his explanation, and he couldn't help but feel a sudden chill in his heart... The notorious ruthless cannon, these two guys actually didn't believe him?

  "Mr. Qin, although we haven't known each other for long, you should also know what kind of people we are... If you said something else, I might still be able to believe it a bit, but now you're telling me that a gasoline barrel can be converted into a cannon... Do you yourself believe this?" Xu Yuanju was laughing, his whole face shaking along with it... He had just received a phone call and immediately sent people to protect the guy in front of him, also bringing Zheng Jieming, the number two person from Military Intelligence, over. He thought he could make some achievements, but now Qin Wei had only given him a "gasoline barrel"! He firmly believed that if it weren't for Zheng Jieming being right next to him and this being Chongqing University, he would have immediately pulled out his gun and put it to the kid's head, pulling the trigger. Was the head of Military Intelligence in Chongqing so easy to fool?

  "Director Xu, what makes you say that gasoline drums can't be converted into cannons? Although the range is a bit shorter, but with our country's current military composition and equipment level, this simple cannon that can be equipped in large quantities is absolutely more valuable than a long-range large-caliber cannon for an entire regiment. This cannon not only has a simple production process, is easy to carry, and has a low cost, but also is almost indestructible, it can be said that its cost-effectiveness is quite high... It can even be used nationwide. Do you know what this represents?"

  Qin Wei knew that he couldn't show weakness at this time. If he showed weakness, who knows, he might be dragged to the Jiaxiang Cave or the White House by these two military uniformed secret service heads. But then again, what did he have to be weak about? This was a ruthless cannon, a proven killer in history. During the Huaihai Campaign, it was this kind of gasoline barrel modified cannon that killed the US-equipped National Army soldiers mercilessly, and even the three words "ruthless" were given by the National Army soldiers themselves. Did he need to show weakness?

  "Used nationwide? Humph, Mr. Qin, do you want to make the whole world laugh at us Chinese for being poor?" Xu Yuanju was about to grit his teeth in anger. How dare this guy still be so arrogant?

  "Are we bankrupt? Haha, are you saying that China is bankrupt, Director Xu?" Qin Wei asked back.

  "You..."

  "Mr. Qin, you said that this cannon has a huge power, what can prove it?" Zheng Jiemin suddenly asked.

  "Look at what you're saying..." Upon hearing Zheng Jieming's words, Qin Wei couldn't help but smile wryly. "Secretary Zheng, are you asking me to find a gasoline barrel and then put an explosive pack on it to experiment for your sake?"

  "That's just unproven!" Xu Yuan said coldly.

  "Are you...!" Qin Wei almost cursed, although he didn't curse in the end. His eyes on Xu Yuanji finally brought a lot of fire: "Director Xu, are you intentionally picking a fight? I'm full and have nothing to do, taking your two big figures from Military Intelligence for a ride? Am I bored or itchy, wanting you to help me scratch with an iron or something? No proof? The method has been told to you, of course, it's up to you to prove... Can't even spend 100 yuan?"

  "If it can really be converted into the powerful cannon you mentioned, not to mention 100 yuan, even 1,000 yuan would be cheap. But Mr. Qin, using a gasoline barrel... don't you think this is too childish? That thin layer of iron skin, can it possibly be more robust than those ancient bronze cannons like the 'God of War General'? Aren't you afraid of an explosion? Besides, a gasoline barrel... if this fails, it would be a laughing stock!" Zheng Jieming said solemnly.

  "Laughing stock?" Qin Wei was taken aback, then suddenly enlightened: "I understand, you're afraid of being held back by others and it will be hard to get ahead in the official circle!"

  "Mr. Qin smiled and said, 'If it's just that we can't get along, then it's nothing, but no matter what, we are still the leaders of the National Army. If this gets out, it will be a loss of face for the entire National Revolutionary Army.'" Zheng Jiemin said calmly.

  "In other words, the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers are not even worth one of your officials' faces?" Qin Wei sneered.

  "Mr. Qin, you've gone too far." Xu Yuan said solemnly.

  "Alright, with that gloomy tone of yours, who are you trying to scare? Qin Wei gave him a cold glance and leaned back in his chair. "Isn't it just about being afraid of losing face and affecting your future official career? This proof I'm giving you is enough... but first, you need to prepare the things I need."

  "Mr. Qin is really transparent." Zheng Jiemin smiled, and that was exactly what he meant. The gasoline barrel was converted into a large cannon, which sounded like a fairy tale no matter how you listened to it. Just like he asked earlier, the ancient general's cannons weighed several thousand catties, the barrel was as thick as a city wall, and even if it burst, it wouldn't have much power. Now, replacing it with a thin gasoline barrel... wasn't that making fun of the soldiers' lives? But on the other hand, what if it succeeded? Qin Wei was so confident, he looked like he had full faith in it. Moreover, looking at his appearance, he didn't seem to be the kind of desperate person who would risk everything. After all, how precious were those people's lives? No matter which government or organization, they wouldn't waste such precious human resources on something that would make their country lose face, a nearly meaningless thing. So, could this "heartless" cannon really succeed? If it did, it would be just like Qin Wei said earlier, not only greatly enhancing the military's firepower but also applicable nationwide... That would be a great achievement!

  "Unfortunately, Laozi thinks this thing is a joke." Zheng Jiemin shook his head secretly. Who doesn't want the great merit of splashing heaven? Especially since this achievement won't offend anyone... Developing a simple cannon wouldn't affect anyone's interests. Once successful, it would definitely be a grand procession with everyone carrying him on their shoulders. But the problem is, he really lacked confidence... In his eyes, that thin layer of iron skin on the gasoline barrel was too weak, and didn't look like it could be modified into a cannon at all. So, considering the possibility that it might be a joke, and the possibility that it might succeed, he handed over the task to Qin Wei... If successful, he would have great merit, although some of it would be shared with Qin Wei, but based on his understanding of Chiang Kai-shek, most of the credit would still go to him. After all, Qin Wei was an outsider, and could even be considered a mysterious figure, so even if some credit was shared, Old Chiang would at most just reward him a few dollars. And even if it failed, that would be Qin Wei's own problem, with no relation to him whatsoever.

  "It's settled then... Anyway, you have experts who know what to prepare for me. However, I do have one question for the two of you," Qin Wei didn't think Zheng Jiemin would consider so much, he was just extremely dissatisfied with these two guys in front of him, so he decided to trick them: "Do you think my 'heartless cannon' is impossible to succeed?"

  "I didn't say that, I just think it's a bit unbelievable," Zheng Jiemin said with a smile.

  "Isn't that just a lack of confidence?" Qin Wei paused for a moment, then glanced at the two again: "But to be honest, it's too boring if you just provide the items and I do the experiment... are you daring enough to make a bet?"

  "I never gamble." Zheng Jiemin smiled and shook his head.

  "We military uniforms prohibit gambling!" Xu Yuanjie also said.

  "Haha, what you're banning is gambling at the card table, this is just a bet... Both of you are big shots, can't be intimidated by me, a small role? Besides, even if you lose this bet, it's still a great story... If this unscrupulous plan succeeds, it will be a great contribution to the war effort." Qin Wei said.

  "I won't gamble!" Zheng Jiemin remained unmoved as ever.

  "Really not betting?"

  "No gambling!"

  "What about you, Director Xu? You can't be so clueless either?" Seeing Zheng Jiemin refusing to take the bait, Qin Wei had no choice but to shift his target back to Xu Yuanju.

  "What's the big deal? Don't talk nonsense... It's just a bet, isn't it? Fine, let's bet!" Xu Yuan originally didn't want to bet either. He wasn't worried that he would lose, but rather hadn't planned on playing along with Qin Wei at all. However, just as he was about to refuse, he caught Zheng Jieming secretly winking at him... Now there was no way he could back down.

  "This is what you said, so let's make a bet." Qin Wei didn't see Zheng Jieming's small movement, and saw Xu Yuanhui take the bait. He curled his mouth and said, "If I lose, I'll be at your disposal, Director Xu. What about you?"

  "How do you think I should say it?" Xu Yuan asked back.

  "It's clearly impossible for you to follow me around, so help me out this time, okay?"

  "What can I help you with?"

  I want to be a civil servant!

  "Civil Servant?"

  "It's just government personnel."

  "This is it... okay, no problem." It seems like he's making a big deal out of nothing, looks like this kid can't take that orphanage anymore. Xuyuan thought to himself.

  "You can agree, but let me remind you, I don't want to be ordered around."

  "Do you want to be an official?"

  "Heh heh, that's right."

  "No big deal. What kind of official do you want to be?" Xu Yuanju picked up the tea that had been brewed by his subordinates early in the morning. Isn't it just an official? With his position and power, in the whole Chongqing, getting a few small officials is simply a matter of making a phone call.

  "I want to be the county magistrate!"

  "Hmmph!"

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