My client Li Yunlong

"Keep attacking."

After thinking for a moment, Neji Okamura ordered the troops to continue the attack.

Although he has noticed that the continuous offensive, lack of ammunition supplies, and seriously insufficient reserve personnel have caused morale problems in the attacking troops.

And as time goes by, the problem will become more and more serious.

But he had no choice.

In terms of imperial strategy,

The purpose of this battle is not to break through the defense line in southern Hebei, nor to defeat the Tubal Road - this is not because they don't want to, but because the Locust Army simply cannot do it.

The Eighth Route Army has been operating a defense system for more than half a year, with sufficient logistical supplies and sufficient reserve troops. In his opinion, unless all the Kwantung Army comes over, there is no chance of victory.

Therefore, the current purpose of the locust army is to maintain high pressure on the Tubal Road base area and suppress the surrounding commercial circulation.

This allows the economics class to reap profits.

The purpose of this war is economics.

The monthly income of more than 100 million US dollars, equivalent to direct income of 400 million yen, made the base camp completely jealous.

As for broken jade and death.

In fact, the troops sent later were all second- and third-line troops, and even supplementary troops were the main force. After being tempered in battles, these troops became obviously more elite.

When these elites grow up, they will surely be able to expand the empire's territory in Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

Those who died are all waste.

Nothing to do with the Empire.

···
"Nani?"

at the same time.

Shimen,

An order from the base camp arrived at Suzuki Fanjiri.

Ordered that part of the business in North China, which was originally the responsibility of the Economics Department, was handed over to Ogami.

"idiot."

Suzuki Hoji was so angry that he cursed and overturned the objects on the table to the ground.

In his view, his superiors were trying to kill the donkey.

He made $50 million a month for the empire.

And this is how the Empire treats him?

"The wise man."

After a long time, Suzuki Hoji calmed down, muttering the orders on the table and Ogami's orders.

It was impossible for the Imperial Headquarters to let his economics department dominate. Suzuki Fanji knew this very early.

The profits in North China are too huge, 50 million US dollars per month. Even Manchuria does not have such profits every month. Obviously, this is also a huge contribution.

There must be people in the country who are jealous.

But he didn't expect that he would take action just when he started to arrange his confidants.

The action was so fast.

Aren’t you afraid that your monthly income will be damaged due to the spin-off?

and.

Suzuki Fanji looked at the last item of the order.

Taking into account that Colonel Tomomichi was not familiar with the North China region, he asked Naoto Matsuzaki to assist.

He even got his old rival, Naoto Matsuzaki, to intervene. The top management obviously used a balancing act to let him compete with Ogami and Naoto Matsuzaki to gain more benefits for the empire.

"food!"

Suzuki Fanji's eyes flashed sharply.

Fortunately, although the empire stripped away some of his power, it did not touch the silver dollar business under his control. The entire silver dollar business was still under his control. Recently, he has also opened up the pharmaceutical business, and the base camp has not been divested.

After all, medicine trading does not require many official channels of the empire, and anyone can do it.

He doesn't believe it.

Which wise man can get more benefits every month than buying and selling silver coins?
In April, the expected profit from the silver dollar trade, plus the drug trade, was as high as $70 million.

···
"Nan Shang-kun, should we continue to raise food prices?"

at the same time.

Northern Review.

Inside the newly established business department office.

Matsuzaki Naoto sounded anxious.

Although he successfully obtained some economic rights, the gap between him and Suzuki Fanji is still very huge.

Grain trading, as well as some other businesses, had no hope whatsoever.

Compete with Suzuki Hoji and hope to earn tens of millions of dollars every month.

"Do not."

Ogami shook his head.

Raise food prices?

He didn't care.

However, the order given to him by his master was to lower the price of food in the Japanese-occupied areas, so it was absolutely impossible for him to raise the price of food.

But also increase your income.

In this regard, the master gave him a good idea.

"I have a solution."

The male superior spoke confidently.

A mere $50 million,
He really didn't, but his master did.

"I completely rely on Nan Shang-kun."

Matsuzaki Naoto decisively surrendered and expressed his position.

···
"how?"

At the foot of Shuiyaozi Mountain.

The current location of the arsenal in Taihang Base Area.

The division staff walked into the arsenal anxiously.

Although the situation on the front line is stable, the Eighth Route Army is not feeling well either. The Japanese attack one after another, which consumes a lot of ammunition, especially grenades and bullets of various calibers.

Therefore, the inventory of grenades and bullets in the base warehouse is getting smaller and smaller.

After all, the number of independent regiments in one month really cannot meet the consumption of hundreds of thousands of troops in the entire base area.

In order to make up for the lack of bullets and reduce troop casualties, the troops had to increase the use of artillery, which led to a shortage of mortar shells, especially 60 and 82 mortar shells.

The 120 heavy artillery is quite sufficient.

For this reason, the division chief of staff came to the arsenal to see when the base area could produce its own rifles and bullets.

If you can no longer increase the amount of ammunition.

Either the frontline casualties begin to increase, or the number of positions is reduced, the defense is reduced, and part of the county is abandoned to the Japanese.

"We commissioned part of the production line."

Zhang Wanhe replied:
"At present, it is possible to produce Type 40 submachine guns with relatively simple technology, as well as Mauser pistol bullets."

"Ninety-eight K, Czech machine gun, and Mauser pointed bullets."

The Bayi-type rifle based on the Bayi-bar is a good gun.

But after all, it is something from the 43s and s. Even if the versatility of parts has increased, the manufacturing technology requirements are far higher than that of the pps submachine gun, although the current equipment level in the base is sufficient.

However, there are still obvious deficiencies in the technical level of workers and other factors.

Especially raw material limitations.

The steel quality, manufacturing precision, and propellant manufacturing process required for the Bayi Bar are far higher than those for Mauser rifles and Czech rifles.

In addition, the army has a large number of Type 20 shell guns and Type 40 submachine guns. Most of the troops' tactics are designed and trained based on several weapons.

For this reason, the headquarters finally decided to first produce firearms with lower technical requirements such as the 54-type submachine gun.

"Great."

The division staff were immediately overjoyed.

He came here just to make a routine inquiry and didn't have much hope in his heart.

After all, how long has it been since the machinery and equipment arrived?

I didn’t expect that we could actually produce firearms and bullets.

"However, there is a problem."

Zhang Wanhe sighed:

"We don't have enough raw materials."

"Raw materials?"

The division chief of staff frowned.

"Yes, the steel used to make guns and the materials used to make propellants."

There seems to be no solution to this problem in the short term.

Although the equipment for the million-ton steel plant and the chemical plant are in place, the base area does not have the manpower to set up this thing, let alone the supporting steel rolling mill, iron ore supply plant, and thermal power plant.

Preliminary estimates indicate that the base will acquire a million-ton steel mill, a million-ton steel rolling mill, and a chemical plant with an annual output of one million tons of fertilizer, which will require more than 50,000 workers.

They are all skilled workers.

Omg.

Where can the base area get more than 50,000 skilled workers?
Zhang Wanhe said:
"Currently, the arsenal has the ability to manufacture the steel required for qualified firearms on its own." "The electroslag remelting furnace we are currently using has been installed in place, and the high-power generators have also been debugged."

"But we don't have the raw materials."

“The electroslag remelting furnace requires scrap steel and some special and rare metal materials, but we don’t have enough of these.”

"Can the Japanese rails be used?"

the chief of staff asked.

"Row."

"Scrap steel is actually not a big problem. If it really doesn't work, we can still use Li Yunlong's steel bars, which are now tens of thousands of tons per month."

Zhang Wanhe spread his hands:

"In fact, the main gap is chemical raw materials, which require special metal materials."

"How long will it take for the base area to produce its own products?"

The division staff continued to ask.

"It will take a year and a half at the earliest, and it may even be more than two years."

Zhang Wanhe answered without hesitation:

"The factory has just selected a site, and the location has not been secured yet."

"where?"

The chief of staff of the division asked curiously.

From this tone, it seems that the location is within the area controlled by the Japanese.

"Fen River Basin, and Guanzhong Plain."

"No wonder."

The division chief of staff was stunned.

Of these two places, one is in the hands of the Japanese and the other is in the hands of the preserved fruit.

Although it is easy to get it done with the current strength of the army, it will take about half a year to fully digest it, and it will take a lot of time to build related facilities, such as roads and railways.

"There's another big problem."

"The iron ore we need has not yet been obtained."

Zhang Wanhe spread his hands.

"Iron ore?"

The division chief of staff sighed.

An iron ore plant capable of producing 1.5 million tons of steel per year requires at least 3 million tons of iron ore per year.

And a mine with an annual output of three million tons of iron ore,
How much manpower and material resources are needed to build it?
how long it takes?
“There’s still a long way to go.”

The chief of staff of the division sighed with emotion.

Industrial construction still has a long way to go.

Although they now have various decades-old advanced technologies that even foreign countries are jealous of, they also have all the equipment, and even top foreign technical experts to help the base absorb and digest these technologies.

However, industrial construction still has a long way to go.

After all, heavy industry has very high demands on foundation.

The development gap with foreign countries that is more than a hundred years cannot be caught up in one or two years.

"but."

After sighing, the division staff officer suddenly had a thought:
"Can it be imported?"

he asked.

If you can’t produce it yourself, then import it.

Anyway, the funds in the base area are not generally abundant now.

"can."

Zhang Wanhe said:
"I'm preparing to go to the headquarters to discuss this matter!"

"Okay, let's go together."

Division staff Zhang said immediately.

···
“Scrap steel is needed.”

"Need chromium, tin and other metals?"

"Do you still need chemical raw materials?"

The economic development department of the Taihang Base Area heard the request and left the General Deputy/General Staff. The person in charge of the economic development plan of the base area fell into deep thought.

The needs of the troops must be met as soon as possible.

Make every effort to provide raw materials for the arsenal.

However, currently the base cannot produce any of these things by itself.

So it can only be imported.

"I'll try to find a way."

said the head of the economic development department of the base area.

If it was before, it would definitely not be a big problem.

Now that the base area has sufficient funds, as long as they are willing to give money, they can buy nothing except strictly controlled materials and large machinery and equipment that cannot be transported.

But now the Japanese are attacking like crazy, and all the entrance channels are controlled by the Japanese.

It is estimated that it will be very difficult to import these raw materials.

···
"Scrap steel?"

"Chemical raw materials?"

"Rare metal?"

The next day.

A message appeared in Liao County's import and export list.

A group of businessmen looked at the big deal in front of them and were jealous.

Produced by Ba Ye, it is as generous as ever.

Although these raw materials are difficult to obtain, the profits are really sufficient.

Either way, you can make a lot of money.

just.

These things are really difficult to import.

···
"good chance."

at the same time.

Northern Review.

Matsuzaki Naoto rushed into the office and said to Ogami:
"My lord, what a great opportunity, what a great opportunity!"

"What good opportunity?"

The male superior's eyes flashed.

In fact, he already knew it. A liaison officer contacted him last night, but he needed to hide himself properly.

T&T Tech is not just for a living.

Scrap steel, chemical materials, and rare metal additives essentially violate the principle of transportation of prohibited goods. Even in the previous Jinan region, transportation was prohibited.

Because the empire needs these too.

But...

Now that business is open in the United States, scrap steel can be bought, and as for these metals, it can also be bought, as long as the price is right.

And the base camp is in special need of funds.

So it's not impossible.

However, it must be carried out with the strength of the base camp.

"Opportunity to make money."

Matsuzaki Naoto revealed his plan without hesitation. '

Use the technical transportation channels mastered in the business class to transport various raw materials from China, even the United States, and Southeast Asia, and then sell them to the people in Liao County.

Based on the scale required by Tubal Road, the profit from trading is expected to reach US$65 million per month.

Sixty-five million dollars a month.

It is definitely a business comparable to silver trading.

"But aren't these embargoed materials?"

Ogami did not directly agree, and even expressed hesitation.

"What the empire needs is dollars and funds. Even if these things are given to Tubal Road, it will have no impact."

Matsuzaki Naoto sounded confident:

"Anyway, no matter whether we give it or not, the empire won't be able to take over the Tubal Road base."

"Makes sense!"

On this point, the male superior had no choice but to agree.

Now the empire's 150,000-strong army has assembled and launched a frenzied attack on the Tubal base area, but the result is clear at a glance.

Not even the first defensive position was taken.

He even suffered heavy losses himself.

"We do this."

The atmosphere was in place, and Ogami proposed his plan:
"Let's do a batch on a small scale first, and let the base camp handle the formalities after the actual profits come out." (End of Chapter)