Chapter 46: Five Hundred Thousand Rounds?!

Li Mingyuan patted the blueprints, his tone remaining calm.

"It is already designed. It only needs two days to modify the workshop's stamping machines and assembly tables, and another day for testing, after which it can be put into production."

This sentence was like a heavy hammer, slamming fiercely into everyone's hearts.

The entire workshop fell into an eerie silence, with only rapid breathing and the occasional sob.

"My God..." Li Shouzheng took off his glasses and wiped away non-existent dust with his sleeve, though he was actually hiding the tears in his eyes.

"In my life... I have seen many brilliant engineers, but... but..."

He could not continue, only shaking his head incessantly, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Factory Lou Changzhang's hands were already shaking so much he could not hold the blueprints steady; his facial expression was twisted, as if he wanted to cry yet wanted to laugh, eventually only able to emit a strange whimpering sound.

"Take action immediately!" Chen Dezhong was the first to snap out of it, his voice trembling but firm.

"Everyone, follow Chief Engineer Li's blueprints and start modifying the equipment immediately! Even if we don't sleep today, we must get the materials ready!"

The workers woke as if from a dream, and an unprecedented enthusiasm erupted in the workshop.

They scrambled to look at the blueprints and raced against time to begin preparations, their eyes flashing with a fanatical light, as if they saw a brand-new world opening its doors to them.

Ten days later, Department Chief Zhang came to the Rolling Mill again, his face full of skepticism, although in his heart he had already begun to believe in this impossible miracle.

"Factory Lou Changzhang, Chief Engineer Li's promise..." Before Department Chief Zhang could finish his sentence, he was led by Factory Lou Changzhang to the front of the warehouse.

The moment the warehouse door opened, Department Chief Zhang stood rooted to the spot as if struck by lightning.

Two hundred rifles, two hundred submachine guns, and one hundred sniper rifles were neatly stacked on the warehouse shelves, each one exuding a cold metallic luster.

"This... this... how is this possible!" Department Chief Zhang stammered, his right hand gripping the door frame tightly, as if he would collapse to the ground if he did not.

"You haven't seen the most shocking part yet." Factory Lou Changzhang smiled mysteriously and led Department Chief Zhang toward the warehouse on the other side.

When the second door opened, Department Chief Zhang almost screamed out loud.

Crates of 7.62-spec bullets were piled like a mountain, a full five hundred thousand rounds, shimmering with a cold metallic light under the lamps.

"This... is this the output of ten days?" Department Chief Zhang's voice changed pitch, and he could not help but take a step back.

"Five hundred thousand rounds in ten days... fifty thousand rounds a day?"

"That's right," Li Mingyuan walked out from the shadows, his tone as calm as if he were discussing today's weather.

"Copper-clad Steel Bullets, every single one meets military standards."

Department Chief Zhang turned abruptly toward Li Mingyuan, his eyes nearly fanatical, "Chief Engineer Li, do you know what the daily output of the Hanyang Military Factory and the Fengtian Military Factory is?"

"About thirty thousand rounds or so." Li Mingyuan had long since learned about the military production capacity of this era through Li Shouzheng.

"Right! Thirty thousand rounds! That is our country's most advanced military factory!" Department Chief Zhang shouted, nearly losing control. He extended a finger, but it trembled uncontrollably, "And you... five hundred thousand rounds in ten days... this is simply... simply..."

He could not continue, only circling the warehouse incessantly, sometimes touching the bullets, sometimes tapping the gun barrels, like a child who had received a long-desired toy, or like a veteran who had just witnessed a historic moment.

"If we are given more materials and time, the production capacity can be increased further." Li Mingyuan added calmly; this feeling of showing off made a sense of indescribable satisfaction rise in his heart.

Of course, the price of this production was that the bullet stamping machine started smoking and had to be repaired.

"Whatever the country needs, we can produce." Li Mingyuan continued, his eyes flashing with the confidence of a transmigrator.

Department Chief Zhang finally stopped, took a deep breath, and tried to make his voice sound calm.

"Chief Engineer Li, I must immediately report this miracle... no, this breakthrough to my superiors!"

He kept shaking his head, seemingly still unable to believe everything before him, "The monthly output of dozens of military factories across the country... you completed it in ten days in a small Rolling Mill!"

Factory Lou Changzhang stood to the side; although he had already seen these results, his chest was still heaving with excitement.

As one of the people involved, he knew better than anyone what this meant.

"Chief Engineer Li, you are truly... truly..." Factory Lou Changzhang could not find the right words to describe his feelings, only able to pat Li Mingyuan's shoulder hard, his eyes filled with tears of excitement.

Li Shouzheng stood in the corner, the old man's hands trembling slightly, his eyes filled with longing for the future as he looked at all of this.

This was only the beginning; if the items on that parts list could all be obtained, the true miracle would only then begin.

"This is not the final form," Li Mingyuan looked at the shocked crowd before him, already having a grander blueprint in his heart, "Once the Numerical Control System is completed, the production capacity can at least double again."

Upon hearing this, Department Chief Zhang's knees went weak, and he almost fell to his knees.

He hurriedly steadied himself against the nearby shelf, taking several deep breaths to stabilize his posture.

Looking at Li Mingyuan again, it was as if he were looking at a god who had descended from the heavens.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the Siheyuan was completely different.

Jia Zhangshi paced back and forth in the courtyard with Jia Dongxu, her face full of anxiety.

"How are we going to handle this wedding? We can't even afford a decent banquet!" Jia Zhangshi said with a bitter face, her voice carrying both a desire to show off to her future daughter-in-law and the helplessness of reality.

Jia Dongxu kept his head down, not daring to make a sound.

This wedding was more to satisfy his mother's vanity, yet he was powerless to change it.

"Dongxu, go ask at your factory if you can get an advance on your wages?" Jia Zhangshi's eyes rolled, and she had another idea.

Jia Dongxu shook his head in distress, "Mother, I just joined the factory and am still an Apprentice Worker; how could I get a wage advance?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi immediately changed her expression.

"Useless thing! You can't even come up with money for a wedding; do you think Qin Huairu will even look at you?"

Just as they were speaking, Qin Huairu poked her head out from the Jia Family doorway and sighed softly.

She had already registered her marriage with Jia Dongxu and had originally thought she could live a city life, but she had not expected her in-laws to be even poorer than her own hometown.

"Auntie, there's no need to hold a banquet; simple is fine." Qin Huairu said in a low voice, though her eyes drifted involuntarily toward the other end of the Siheyuan, where the tempting aroma of food drifted over from time to time.

"No!" Jia Zhangshi slapped her thigh, "This is my son's wedding; how can it not be decent?"

She looked around, her gaze finally landing on Yi Zhonghai's door, and her eyes lit up.

"I've got it! Go ask Old Yi to borrow some money!"

Hearing this, Qin Huairu frowned slightly.

Although she had just arrived, she had already heard quite a few things about the Siheyuan and knew that Yi Zhonghai was supposedly helpful, but after interacting with him, she felt that did not seem to be the case.

Jia Zhangshi had already pulled Jia Dongxu along without allowing any argument, heading straight for Yi Zhonghai's room.

Watching the backs of her mother-in-law and husband, Qin Huairu sighed softly, unsure if her choice was truly the right one.

"Miss Qin!" A crisp voice came from behind her; Qin Huairu turned around and saw He Yuzhu's shy yet eager face.