Chapter 24: Heading to the Military Department

The young workers in the technical team watched, mesmerized; they had never seen such exquisite craftsmanship. The young Chief Engineer before them not only understood theory, but his practical skills were also astonishing.

Li Shouzheng and Cheng Yanhai stood to the side, smiling at each other with eyes full of admiration. It seemed their choice was correct; this young man was truly a treasure.

"Alright, the first one is finished." Li Mingyuan put down the gun in his hand and gently toggled the mechanical parts a few times to confirm everything was normal.

A brand-new Type 56 Rifle was thus born, its pitch-black body gleaming with a cold, stern light under the lamps.

Enthusiastic applause erupted in the workshop, and the workers' eyes shone with admiration.

Even those old workers who had originally looked down on Li Mingyuan now had to admit that this young man truly had ability.

"The second one, the Type 56 Submachine Gun." Li Mingyuan did not stop and began a new round of processing.

In the next few hours, Li Mingyuan worked tirelessly, like a precision machine.

The submachine gun and the sniper rifle were completed one after another; every gun was finely crafted, with parts fitting together seamlessly.

"We can conduct test firing tomorrow." Li Mingyuan picked up the three guns, each with different characteristics and uses. "If there are no problems with the testing, we can begin small-batch production."

Factory Lou Changzhang was so excited his eyes lit up. "Chief Engineer Li, your craftsmanship... it's just incredible! I've been at this factory for decades and have never seen such a formidable technician!"

Li Mingyuan smiled and shook his head. "How can someone in technology not understand practical operation? Theory and practice must be combined so I can design things truly suitable for production."

It was already eight o'clock in the evening, and the full day of work had finally ended. Li Mingyuan stretched, looking at the three brand-new weapons with a satisfied smile on his face.

"We can test fire tomorrow. If everything goes smoothly, our project can be completed ahead of schedule," Li Mingyuan said to Chen Dezhong beside him.

Chen Dezhong nodded excitedly. "Chief Engineer Li, don't worry. We will definitely make every part according to your requirements and will never let you down!"

……

The next morning, Li Mingyuan carefully packed the three guns into a custom-made leather case, preparing to head to the Military Department testing ground.

These three guns condensed all his heart's blood; every part had been meticulously polished, and every structure had been repeatedly calculated.

"Alright, we can set off." Li Mingyuan closed the case, his eyes revealing confidence.

Factory Lou Changzhang drove him personally, and Li Shouzheng and Cheng Yanhai followed along. The atmosphere was somewhat heavy along the way.

Outside the car window, pedestrians were sparse on the streets of Jingcheng, and occasionally a few old trucks could be seen driving slowly by, kicking up dust along the way.

Li Shouzheng's expression was grave as he turned to look at Li Mingyuan:

"Chief Engineer Li, the Military Department is full of veteran firearms experts, some of whom fought alongside the old marshals; they are more difficult to deal with than anyone. Are you... prepared?"

"Indeed," Cheng Yanhai stroked his Shanyanghu and whispered a reminder:

"I heard General Zhang specifically invited several senior gunsmiths from Fengtian and Hanyang, just waiting to see us make a fool of ourselves."

Li Mingyuan smiled indifferently, his fingers tapping lightly on the leather case: "Rest assured, today will surprise everyone."

Cheng Yanhai and Li Shouzheng exchanged a look, both of their eyes filled with worry.

Although they were deeply convinced of Li Mingyuan's technical skills, those old foxes in the Military Department were not easy to deal with; many still held the mindset deep down that "foreign guns and foreign cannons are the only good things."

The car bumped as it drove out of the urban area, heading toward the military base in the suburbs.

Li Mingyuan looked out the window, calculating the test plan in his mind, a faint, elusive smile hanging on the corners of his mouth.

"I say, Chief Engineer Li," Factory Lou Changzhang looked at Li Mingyuan through the rearview mirror, "can you reveal what is special about these three guns? Why would they make those old experts surprised?"

Li Mingyuan smiled mysteriously: "You will know soon, Factory Lou Changzhang. I can only say that this is not just three guns, but a complete weapon system that covers everything from close-range to long-range combat."

……

The Military Department testing ground was located in a hidden valley in the western suburbs of Beijing, surrounded by sentry posts and heavily guarded.

After passing through three checkpoints, the car finally arrived at its destination.

A simple shed was set up in the center of the testing ground, where more than a dozen military experts had been waiting for a long time. Beside the shed was a five-hundred-meter-long shooting range.

The atmosphere was as solemn as the calm before a storm, and everyone stared intently at the newly arrived Li Mingyuan and his party.

A middle-aged military officer wearing general's stars stepped forward; this was the General Zhang mentioned by Deputy Minister Zhao. Deputy Minister of the Military Industry Department Zhao Mingyuan also walked over immediately.

General Zhang was a lean, middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties, with sharp eyes; one look and it was clear he was a veteran revolutionary who had seen many battles.

"This is Comrade Li Mingyuan from the Rolling Mill," Deputy Minister Zhao introduced, "who returned from studying in the Polar Bear country and designed an advanced weapon system."

"This greenhorn?" an old expert in his sixties sneered, looking Li Mingyuan up and down.

"I heard he made three guns in one day—toy guns, right? They must be shoddily made."

Another expert wearing thick glasses flipped through the materials in his hand: "Studied in the Polar Bear country? Their designs are always cumbersome and inefficient; what breakthrough could there be? We want simple and durable, not those flashy things."

Li Mingyuan stood where he was, calm and composed, only the corners of his mouth lifting slightly, saying nothing.

He was already used to this kind of sarcasm; his past life's workplace experience taught him that sometimes silence is the best counterattack.

Deputy Minister Zhao of the Military Industry Department walked to Li Shouzheng's side and whispered secretly: "Lao Li, is there really no problem? Don't make a fool of ourselves when the time comes. The higher-ups have high hopes for this project."

Li Shouzheng quietly wiped the sweat from his forehead: "Don't worry, Minister Zhao, Chief Engineer Li's design truly has its unique merits."

General Zhang cleared his throat: "Comrade Li Mingyuan, please demonstrate your results. Everyone is waiting."

Amidst the questioning gazes of the crowd, Li Mingyuan walked unhurriedly to the table in the center of the field and calmly opened the gun case. The three pitch-black guns immediately attracted everyone's attention.

These three guns had sleek shapes, and their black bodies gleamed with a cold, stern light under the sun; even a layman could see they were finely crafted.

"This... actually looks quite good." An expert muttered, a flash of surprise in his eyes.

Li Mingyuan first picked up the rifle and skillfully demonstrated it to everyone:

"This is the Type 56 Automatic Rifle, using a gas-operated piston system, with an effective range of 800 meters, equipped with a 30-round magazine, and weighing less than 4 kilograms."

Several old experts immediately crowded forward, scrambling to take the gun for inspection, their expressions gradually freezing.