Chapter 8 Continues to Make Trouble

  He Shao-t'ang's transfer report had not yet been submitted, he was also a young man who was somewhat impatient, but his experience studying in Japan and serving in the Military Affairs Department had taught him to think deeply before making decisions. Moreover, after thinking that he could make a decision, he would still feel out the situation before taking formal action. So before submitting his transfer report, he found some free time to visit his uncle, Minister of Military Affairs He Yingqin's home.

  At the beginning, He Shao-tang explained his intention and handed over the materials of the 23rd Division. He Ying-qin did not show any special expression. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, but after He Ying-qin carefully read through the materials that He Shao-tang had personally photographed and compiled, he calmly said to He Shao-tang: "Do you know? The 23rd Division you mentioned has recently had some trouble. Your sworn brother has ordered eight 75mm field guns from the French at one go, which has startled all the arms dealers. The news has already been reported to the central government. If it weren't for the Ministry of Military Affairs considering that the 23rd Division is too close to the front line and the Guangdong and Guangxi armies, they might have even disbanded this division."

  The situation is very serious! He Shao-tang sensed something was off: if Uncle had said this with a hint of anger, there might still be room for reversal, but now he said it as calm as a stagnant well, meaning that he would not intervene to change the course of events. In other words, it's likely that Chairman himself has taken notice of the matter. He Shao-tang, who wanted to continue asking about the situation and ask Uncle for help, restrained himself at the last moment. He still understood his uncle, who had always taken care of him, well enough to know that further questioning was unnecessary. So he quickly took his leave, and it was clear from his final behavior that Uncle appreciated it.

  As he came out of He Yingqin's residence, he was quite resentful of Tan Xiao for not being cautious. His first impulse was to explain the situation to Tan Xiao and discuss a strategy. However, after some thought, he changed his mind: he couldn't inexplicably get himself involved first, he had to ensure that he wouldn't be implicated before taking further action. Heaven knows whether the external contacts of the 23rd Division are being monitored now!

  He Shaotang did not go home, but went to the residence of his distant uncle He Shaozhou. Now only this distant elder brother may be able to help him and Tan Xiao. With He Shaozhou's experience as a first-term student at Huangpu and his years of commanding troops, he may be able to save the 23rd Division temporarily if he lends a hand.

  Like He Yingqin, He Shaozhou also listened to everything that He Shaotang had to say with unusual calmness and carefully read through all the materials brought by He Shaotang, raising many questions during the process. In the end, He Shaozhou fell silent. He Shaotang didn't even dare to breathe: obviously, He Shaozhou was thinking of a way to help him, to help the 23rd Division temporarily. If He Shaozhou wasn't going to help him, he wouldn't have considered it for such a long time.

  "There's no guarantee of success, but we can give it a try. There's only one way to find out." He finished the cigarette in one breath.

  "It's okay as long as there's a way, we have to try it out!" He Shaotang was overjoyed: "Brother, when I and Tan Xiao became sworn brothers, I also swore you in, so you must help us no matter what!" He Shaotang showed a sly and mischievous face.

  "Come on, who doesn't know that you make friends with anyone after a few drinks? You must have hundreds of sworn brothers by now?" He Shaozhou smiled and said: "I just think that if Tan Xiao is as you described, he's worth helping out. But let's be clear, I'm not confident!"

  "I wonder what clever plan Big Brother has this time?" He Shaotang's mood had already improved, in his impression, this big brother had never failed to help him, and this time should be no exception.

  He Shaozhou glanced at Zhong: "You haven't had dinner yet, have you? Go fill your stomach, and later Big Brother will take you to see someone. If he agrees, then it's settled."

  "Who is so fierce? Even big brother asks for his permission? Uncle doesn't even manage him and he can still get things done... Can't really figure it out..."

  "Principal."

  "Uh..."

  He ShaoTang often walked in Nanjing's military strategic locations, but being close to the national leader was a first, and it was face-to-face.

  It's been an hour, and He Shaotang's heart is still racing. Before coming, he had many imaginations, hoping to leave a good impression in front of the committee chairman, and even... ...But after really seeing him, a strange pressure suddenly enveloped him: his movements were stiff, his words were tasteless, and he could only force himself to answer when He Shaotang asked questions, with difficulty opening his mouth, and even not knowing whether his pronunciation was clear. --- Originally, the pressure of facing a big man is so great, why didn't I feel this way when I saw my uncle?!

  He Shao-t'ang, according to He Shao-chou's account, apart from fabricating a transportation accident to steal military supplies, had a very good private relationship with Tan Hsiao and admired his ability to command troops to the point of worship. Moreover, he truthfully confessed that he was going to take up Tan Hsiao's invitation to become chief of staff of the 23rd Division. Finally, he absolutely asserted that Tan Hsiao was the most capable military officer he had ever seen in both China and Japan, and even compared him with his brother-in-law Kuei Yung-ch'ing: Kuei Yung-ch'ing's ability to drill troops only qualified him to be a errand boy for Tan Hsiao!

  This remark could startle He Shaozhou, after all, now Gui Yongqing is leading the Central Instructional Corps!

  He Shaotang has become somewhat incoherent, and he himself is also inexplicable. It's as if there's a feeling of letting go: no matter what, he must protect Tan Xiao and the 23rd Division!

  The committee chairman was silent for half a response, and He Shaozhou forced himself to say: "Principal, the student thinks that Tan Xiao is wrong. He thought that since he didn't apply to the Military Affairs Department, he could buy military supplies on his own, but he doesn't necessarily despise the central government. This person hasn't read many books, and he's been leading troops in the security team. Now, the equipment of the security teams in various places is insufficient, and it's common for them to purchase their own equipment, which is also allowed by local authorities. This time, it should be a habit that has become natural, rather than intentionally violating military regulations. The student heard the report from his younger brother and felt that this person has a talent for leading troops. If he is polished well, he may not necessarily become a famous general in the future. Therefore, please think thrice, Principal, and spare him a life."

  "I haven't even seen it reported in the papers yet. Actually, it was just a matter of a temporary regiment, and it didn't have to be referred to the Ministry of Military Affairs; it could have been handled locally in Hunan. Shao Zhou brought it directly to me, so let's not make a big deal out of a small issue."

  "The principal's teaching is that the students are confused, and Xiao Di was also confused when he was anxious... What does the principal mean? Is it to let things go and make a big deal out of nothing, or... He Shaozhou hasn't figured it out yet."

  "What is the attitude of respect?" Chiang Kai-shek suddenly asked He Shao-tang.

  He Shao Tang was anxious and said that Uncle wanted to be severe, in case the chairman of the committee would just let him go. But if Uncle planned to let him off lightly, then why did you two still want to visit at night?

  "Uncle didn't say what to do, just criticized the student for not speaking on behalf of others... So the student... " He Shaotang was quite clever and came up with an ambiguous response, but it brought himself closer to the center of the matter.

  "Alright, I'm aware of this matter now. You two can go back first. We'll see how to handle it later. After all, purchasing eight large cannons isn't a trivial matter, and the Ministry of Military Affairs will also need to hold a meeting to discuss it..."

  Are these ambiguous words perhaps the language art of a leader?

  Chiang Kai-shek saw off He Shaozhou and his brothers, then bowed his head in contemplation for a while. When Lin Yu returned from seeing the guests off, he asked: "Yuwen, what do you think?"

  "Shao Zhou rarely goes out of his way for someone, I guess it was his younger brother who persuaded him. What could have persuaded him must be these materials. If these materials are true, then this Tan Xiaodao can indeed get off lightly." Lin Wei didn't beat around the bush and directly expressed her thoughts.

  Chiang Kai-shek nodded slightly, he had already looked through these materials earlier, now his hand passed over again, picking up a photo from the materials: a young man in military uniform standing on the podium of the auditorium giving a speech to the densely packed soldiers below. His gaze focused on the top edge of the photo, the lens just happened to capture Chiang's giant military uniform, he was not looking at his own appearance, but at the eight-character slogan listed on both sides of his military uniform in the enlarged photo: One country, one leader; one doctrine, one army!

  ……

  He Shao-tang, who was anxious and uneasy in the car, couldn't help but ask He Shao-zhou: "Brother, what does 'delegated seat' mean? I'm all mixed up and can't understand it."

  "There's hope, let's go to Uncle's place again tomorrow and tell him the situation tonight in detail, Uncle will know what to do." Hei Shaozhou replied. He was still calm and collected.

  "Is there hope? I don't understand, can you tell me?"

  "We left our materials just now, and the principal didn't let us take them back. He wants to have a look first before making a decision, so there's still great hope!"

  "Oh, I see. But still can't understand why you hope for something so big?" He Shaotang felt that his brain was clogged tonight and couldn't analyze anything.

  "Little brother, do you know why I dare to help with this matter?" He Shaozhou straightened his back and began to educate his little brother: "Because those materials, they were done too well. I think as long as the principal sees them, Tan Xiao won't die! Haha, one country, one leader; one ideology, one army! Haha, little brother, you're getting more talented!"

  "Big brother, it wasn't little brother who did that, it was Feng Sheng-ge. Everything you see is him, really!"

  "Really?" He Shaozhou seemed to be thinking: "I support you going to the 23rd Division, even if it's just as an advisor, you should go!"

  "Oh? Why? Just for those materials?" He Shaotang asked.

  "For the sake of those who can get things done!" He Shao-tang said: "In the past, when you asked your brother to do something, it wouldn't be a ridiculous thing, but also not something that would make your brother feel difficult. Today's matter, if not handled properly, may even implicate both of us. You still came, and this Tan Xiao is very important in your heart! Brother thinks it's worth it, you've sworn brotherhood with so many people, just this one is worth it!"

  "Big brother, I've already sworn you in as well. You're the big brother, he's one month older than me, so he's the second brother! Hehe." Gradually, He Shaotang felt a bit more at ease after being tense for an entire night: "Big brother, when we get back, should we inform the second brother about what happened here?"

  "No, absolutely no, I estimate that the 23rd Brigade has already been monitored. Don't contact Tan Xiao for anything recently until things are over or nobody mentions this matter again, got it?"

  The next morning, the two rushed to the airport and met with He Yingqin before he flew to Beiping. They carefully told him about what had happened the night before. He Yingqin simply nodded his head, thought for a moment: "Oh, my plane has been refueled." He beckoned to his entourage, picked up his briefcase and headed straight to the military transport plane, leaving the two standing foolishly in place.

  The brothers in Nanjing were teasing Tan Xiao, but Tan Xiao himself didn't even sneeze once when he was in Lingling. He felt great! The special bullets he prepared for the 38th anniversary all passed the test without any suspense, and more importantly, another type of bullet that is even cheaper - the full copper-plated steel bullet with a pointed tip, which eliminated the need for plastic coating, was also successfully produced. Although the copper-plated steel still relies on imports, overall the cost is still relatively low.

  Thanks to the help of Hengyang Arsenal, he has made some progress in modifying some weapons. The one he's holding is a modified ZB26 light machine gun. For this weapon, which is widely considered superior to Japan's Taisho 11 and Type 96 light machine guns, Tan Xiao thinks it has an obvious weakness - a firing rate of 240 rounds per minute, which is even lower than the infamous Japanese Taisho 11, also known as "crooked handle". So he improved this machine gun, referencing the original timeline's PLA Type 79 machine gun. The process went smoothly. The original design of the ZB26 was to use a cartridge chain for feeding, and this modification is a restoration. Of course, there's still much work to be done: by adjusting the firing pin and other micro-movements to increase the firing rate to 550 rounds per second, slightly higher than Japan's "crooked handle". And designed a 50-round circular cartridge box (actually basically copied from Type 79), because the cartridge box is placed under the gun body, so the sight was set on top of the barrel, making the aiming method become direct sighting... Through the division of labor between Hengyang Arsenal and Lingling Ordnance Factory, six days of work, a sample gun was manually modified.

  After test-firing, it was found that the accuracy had decreased slightly, but it wasn't a problem with the gun itself - the rate of fire had simply increased too much, and the machine gunner hadn't adapted yet. Moreover, at this rate of fire, if rapid firing was used to shoot continuously, more than two spare barrels would have to be prepared, because by the time the barrel that had been replaced had cooled down, the new one had already overheated. This was a problem - although the ZB26 itself came with a spare barrel, in reality, the Nationalist Army on the anti-Japanese battlefield basically fought with just one gun and one barrel. Preparing more spare barrels would be good, at least the firepower would increase greatly. Tan Xiao thought that maintenance should also be paid attention to, after all, the increased rate of fire would accelerate wear and tear on many parts of the gun. But now, the modified ZB26 had finally become a real machine gun! However, there was still one problem to solve: originally, the ZB26 used magazines, as long as you had magazines, you could load bullets, but after using the ammunition box, it became more troublesome to replenish bullets, especially for the miscellaneous Nationalist troops in the future who wouldn't have that many fabric belts. It seemed like he would also have to solve this problem: replacing the disposable fabric belts with reusable metal belts was inevitable - modifying a single gun wasn't easy!

  As for another modification, it is the modification of the Type 20 mortar: The reference prototype for the modification was a mortar of the same type that had been modified by the Eighth Route Army in his original time and space, which was on display at his training base. It added a trigger rope - a mortar that can be fired horizontally. Now his conditions are much better than those of the Eighth Route Army a few years later, so he also modified the mortar mount to make it adaptable to both curved and horizontal firing requirements. According to the plan, the flat-firing mortar will also participate in anti-tank warfare. When the mortar uses hollow-charge warheads, there is no doubt that its threat distance to tanks will be far stronger than the "Iron Fist" later developed by the Germans. As long as the gunner undergoes sufficient training and improves his hit rate, the threat to Japanese tanks within a distance of 50 to 800 meters will be extremely lethal - the slow speed of the shell is actually an advantage in releasing the chemical energy of the hollow charge when hitting the target. And when the enemy tank approaches within 400 meters, it will also be ambushed by rifle grenades, and as it gets closer, it will encounter anti-tank mines and hand grenades... From the moment they enter the range of the anti-tank guns, the Japanese tanks will face a continuous barrage of attacks. How many tanks and armored vehicles did Japan deploy in China over the past eight years? Probably more than 2,000, maybe now they can all be turned into scrap metal in just one year?!

  Looking at these results, Tan smiled triumphantly: he believed that due to his crossing, Japan's tanks and armor would basically become scrap iron. Without the cover of those iron monsters, as the main attacking side, the casualties they had to pay would increase by at least three times or more. Simply calculating the numbers, on the original battlefield where over 40,000 people were annihilated, the number of Japanese deaths would become a terrifying 160,000! "When He Shaotang this little brother comes back again, he will definitely be stunned by my creation!"

  He didn't know he had broken another military rule: privately altering his weapon!