Chapter 35: Shearing the Soviet Bear to Forge a Base Arsenal

Following the pacification of Yangjia Village, the Rainbow Army, led by Li Yunlong, successfully cleared out all the bandit dens in the vicinity of Mount Wutai. These bandit nests were like rat holes infestations clinging to the region. Once the bandits were eliminated, the "grain" found hidden in these burrows was truly astonishing.

Su Changqing once heard a story on the internet from his earlier years. It was about a man who claimed that during a famine in his grandfather’s time, many in their village starved to death, but his grandfather survived. The reason he managed to endure that crisis was thanks to the "rats" burrowing under their house. While digging out a rat hole, his grandfather unexpectedly discovered a cache of grain. It was precisely because of this grain, stolen by the rats over time, that his grandfather barely scraped through those years of starvation.

These bandits were no different from those rats; the hidden treasures in their strongholds were quite substantial. Currently, Su Changqing, who controlled Mount Wutai, had managed to resolve his financial troubles by relying on the "gold mines," the assets seized from the bandit dens, and the confiscated properties of unscrupulous gentry, landlords, and corrupt officials.

Of course, solving the financial problem was only one aspect. Money alone was useless if one could not purchase the necessary goods. At this moment, Su Changqing’s gaze was fixed firmly on two locations on his map: Changlin Mountain and Qiuzi Slope.

There was, naturally, a reason for focusing on these two places. According to the system's intelligence, Changlin Mountain held an unprecedented scale of coal reserves for this region. The coal seams were shallow, and the quality was exceptionally high, making it perfect for fuel. But having coal without iron would be futile. Fortunately, in the area around Qiuzi Slope, there lay an untapped iron mine. While this deposit primarily contained iron ore, other metals like copper and aluminum were also present.

Coal, iron, and other mineral deposits—this was precisely why Su Changqing had chosen Mount Wutai as the strategic location to establish his base and pursue further development. Currently, he had dispatched a team of professionals to organize the survey and had already begun extraction efforts. As for the surrendered bandits and the villagers captured at Yangjia Village, Su Changqing put them to "productive use," employing them to work the mines. After all, free labor was too good to pass up.

With money and mines secured, the most critical needs for Su Changqing now were talent and equipment. Without these two, building a mature arsenal in the Mount Wutai region would be nothing more than a fantasy. However, the location of the Jin-Cha-Ji base was close to the grasslands, which were currently under the control of the Polar Bear Empire. For Su Changqing, this presented an excellent solution.

If there was a lack of equipment and talent, it was easily handled. He would open a corridor to the grasslands and use the system’s assistance to trade with the Polar Bear Empire. The system's "Ideological Imprint" function was incredibly powerful. Of course, this function had certain requirements—namely, that the target must already possess a certain inclination. For instance, the local chieftain who was willing to offer grain while they were crossing the grasslands did so because of his deep religious devotion. Similarly, some of the university talents from Beiping who joined the Mount Wutai base had long harbored a desire to head toward Yan'an.

For certain individuals, however, the "Ideological Imprint" was ineffective. For example, Su Changqing could not use the system to influence the "Master of Micromanagement" in Jinling, who remained stubborn about refusing to shake hands with the Rainbow Army, end the civil war, and unite against the Japanese invaders.

While Su Changqing remained cautious and vigilant regarding the Polar Bear Empire, at this time, the Empire and the Rainbow Army shared a common faith—they were "Comrades." Su Changqing himself had even studied at the Frunze Military Academy. Furthermore, as the Japanese invaders had fully occupied the Northeast, posing a significant threat to the entire Far East, the Polar Bear Empire would be quite willing to send over equipment and technical experts—all it took was the right bargaining chips. With gold to pave the way, there was always a solution.

"Milong!" Su Changqing looked at the man from the Northeastern Army, who appeared somewhat disheveled. "Do you want to fight your way back to the Northeast sooner?"

Upon hearing this, Milong's eyes brightened instantly. "Commander—no, sir—are you serious? I want to, of course I want to!" Milong appeared visibly stirred. "But with our current troop numbers and weaponry, fighting back to the Northeast so soon is too difficult, too difficult."

"However, there is an opportunity now to establish an arsenal capable of producing powerful weaponry," Su Changqing said, patting Milong on the shoulder. "With effective weapons and equipment, why worry about not being able to fight our way back?"

In the drama, Milong was an expert at trafficking supplies. It was precisely why, while the other cannon fodder soldiers in the collection station were gaunt with hunger, Milong remained plump and well-fed, pulling out canned goods one after another while eating pork stew with vermicelli. Milong was sharp-witted and had a talent for business—this was the primary reason Su Changqing had taken a liking to him.

"Commander, what do you mean?" Milong asked, looking at Su Changqing with curiosity.

"I have a mission for you, and I hope you can execute it well. If you succeed, our Mount Wutai base will soon have a brand-new arsenal. By then, those Hanyang-made rifles? They’ll be nothing more than firewood sticks," Su Changqing said with full confidence. As long as there was equipment and machinery, under the boost of the system, producing weapons and gear to drastically enhance the First Column's strength would not be a difficult task.

Hearing that such an important mission was being entrusted to him, Milong’s excitement was palpable. "Commander! Don't you worry, I, Milong, guarantee I will complete the mission!"

Just after Su Changqing assigned the task, his young orderly hurried in. "Commander! Battalion Commander Zhang wants to see you! He says there is a matter he wants to consult you about."

Su Changqing raised an eyebrow. "Consult me?" He felt a spark of curiosity. "What is it?"

"Battalion Commander Zhang has been in charge of recruitment as per your orders. Two fellows arrived today. One is a monk from Henan, and his kung fu is extraordinary. He took on four or five of our soldiers by himself without losing ground. This monk says he wants to join the Rainbow Army for no other reason than his admiration for your reputation, and he wants to be your personal guard."

"As for the other one, he’s even more outrageous. He seems to have come from Chahar Province, and his bravado is immense. As soon as he opened his mouth, he demanded to be a regimental commander! Battalion Commander Zhang tested him, and I have to say, the guy actually has some real skills. Zhang couldn't make a decision, so he sent me to find you."

A monk? And a guy boasting about wanting to be a regimental commander? Interesting, very interesting. Su Changqing’s mouth curled into a smile. "Take me to see them!"

"Yes, sir!"