Chapter 216: Supplies

There is not enough space inside Luolong County to farm; there is plenty of space outside the city, but Demon Beasts run rampant out there, making farming very unsafe. It is highly likely that after planting, the crops would be ruined by Demon Beasts before they could even be harvested.

After pondering for a moment, Meng Yifan prepared to expand the Luolong County city walls to enclose a large plot of land for planting potatoes and sweet potatoes.

The Great Wu Heavenly Dynasty generally uses large stones bonded together with sticky rice mortar, but this is too troublesome to build with. Meng Yifan prepared to use concrete to build the city walls.

Concrete is a good thing; it builds city walls quickly and sturdily. To manufacture concrete, the most important thing is cement.

Meng Yifan searched online for the methods and processes of manufacturing cement. After looking at them, he felt it was not that complicated and that there was a way to manufacture it in the Great Martial Heavenly Dynasty World as well.

Meng Yifan finished loading all the potatoes and sweet potatoes from the warehouse. Next, he began loading weapons and ammunition. He first ruled out heavy weapons like tanks, armored vehicles, and howitzers.

Although these weapons have immense power, their volume is too large. The Space Ring has limited space and simply cannot fit these big guys.

Meng Yifan prioritized loading assault rifles. If the army he trained in the Great Wu Heavenly Dynasty were each equipped with an assault rifle, the firepower would be too fierce.

If the Divine Machine Battalion troops came to encircle and suppress Luolong County again, Meng Yifan's soldiers could let them taste what is called firepower suppression.

As long as they are operated properly, they could wipe out a Thousand-man Unit of the Divine Machine Battalion in minutes.

There were several types of assault rifles in the warehouse, including the AEK-971, G36, M16, and the AK47. Meng Yifan ultimately chose the AK47 assault rifle.

With the existing level of technology in the Great Wu Heavenly Dynasty, wanting to manufacture modern weapons is simply impossible; they cannot even perform the most basic maintenance.

Even if Meng Yifan handed the knowledge of manufacturing firearms to Wang Dachui, he would not be able to build them, because manufacturing firearms cannot be accomplished just by a master craftsman who understands the manufacturing process.

For example, the barrel of an AK47 is cast from alloy steel and uses a chrome-plating process. With the Great Wu Heavenly Dynasty's industrial level, which is similar to the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, it is impossible to produce a qualified barrel, let alone other parts like the springs inside the firearm.

Meng Yifan has traveled back once. If following the normal countdown, it takes one year. He must ensure that the weapons he brings over can be used normally for at least one year.

Therefore, when Meng Yifan chooses weapons and equipment, he first considers sturdiness and durability, trying his best to avoid damage.

As for the AK47, this world-famous firearm, its characteristics are simple operation, easy to learn, high shooting accuracy, and sturdiness and durability. Even if it has been run over by a truck, it can still be used.

An AK47 can still guarantee effective accuracy after firing 15,000 rounds of ammunition, and it can still be used normally in various harsh environments.

There were two hundred AK47s in the warehouse, and Meng Yifan loaded them all into the Space Ring. Then he loaded 20,000 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition. This way, each AK47 is paired with 100 rounds of ammunition, which basically only fills three or four magazines.

Looking at it this way, the ammunition is not sufficient, but there is only this much 7.62mm ammunition in the warehouse. Wanting to purchase ammunition from other places is already too late; he can only make do with it for now.

Meng Yifan also loaded three hundred M67 Grenades. This grenade is simple to use and has a reliable detonation system and a large kill radius. Its explosion produces a large number of metal fragments, which can effectively destroy personnel and light armored targets.

After loading the AK47s and M67 Grenades, Meng Yifan loaded three Gustav Rocket Launchers and one hundred matching rockets. After loading this equipment, the Space Ring was basically full.

With a little bit of space left, Meng Yifan loaded three boxes of instant noodles and one box of ham sausages to take to the Great Martial Heavenly Dynasty World for Meng Dayong and the others to taste.

Instant noodles and ham sausages are called junk food by experts on Earth, but Meng Yifan hasn't eaten them for a long time and really wants to eat them. The three boxes of instant noodles he is bringing over are not many. Meng Yifan plans to give one cup to each of the people close to him, and he will keep the rest to eat slowly himself.

Meng Yifan looked at the warehouse, which was much emptier, and muttered, "I have to find a way to make money."

In modern society, supplies are abundant; as long as you have money, you can purchase a large amount of supplies. Mercenaries like Meng Yifan and Jiang Hailong have special channels to purchase weapons and equipment, but weapons are not cheap.

This time, they occupied the entire Valley and captured a batch of supplies, but if they want to replenish firearms and ammunition, they have to spend money to buy them. Meng Yifan still has some savings, but that little money is completely insufficient for buying a large amount of weapons and equipment.

The hundred or so mercenaries in the Valley have now submitted to Meng Yifan. Not to mention anything else, Meng Yifan has to be responsible for the food, drink, and daily needs of these people, all of which cost money.

Money is not omnipotent, but without money, you can do absolutely nothing. Meng Yifan has mastered the Game Panel and can travel between the two worlds. He must think carefully about what treasures to pack in the Space Ring the next time he returns to Earth to sell for money.

Time flies like a white horse passing a crevice. Soon, the countdown on the Game Panel had only one minute left. Meng Yifan did not leave the warehouse; he found a chair to sit on and waited bit by bit for the final countdown.

"3, 2, 1." As the countdown hit zero, Meng Yifan once again felt the world spinning and his head dizzy, as if his Divine Soul were being pulled into the Space-Time Channel. Colorful starlight flashed by, and he couldn't see what was around him at all.

He didn't know how much time had passed when Meng Yifan felt an intense sense of weightlessness, just like bungee jumping from a great height. Then, Meng Yifan suddenly woke up. He opened his eyes and looked at the antique sandalwood furniture beside him, knowing that he had already returned to the Practice Chamber.

"Huh!" Meng Yifan stared at the Game Panel and was surprised to find that this time the countdown was only 180 days, exactly half of what it was before, which left him somewhat puzzled.

"The time in the Great Wu Heavenly Dynasty is getting shorter, while the time to return to Earth is getting longer. What is the connection between the two?"

"Could it be that the time in the final two worlds will become about the same?" These questions had no answers; he could only wait until the next time he traveled back to see what changes there were in the countdowns of the two worlds.

Meng Yifan walked out of the Practice Chamber, called Liu Dengke over, and said, "Mr. Liu, I am giving you a task. Go outside the city to recruit refugees who are good at farming; we are preparing to farm outside the city."

Liu Dengke was stunned for a moment and said, "Lord Meng, there is currently a drought outside, and the fields are too dry; they are simply not suitable for growing crops. Even if we work hard to plant them, they will be parched to death by the drought. At that time, there will definitely be no harvest, so it would be better not to plant at all."

Meng Yifan smiled, took a large potato and a sweet potato out of his backpack, and said, "Mr. Liu, don't worry. I have found two new drought-resistant crops. They only need a little water to survive, and their yield per mu is very high."

"This crop with the yellowish skin is called a potato; its yield per mu can reach 5,000 catties, and if planted well, the yield per mu can reach 8,000 catties. This crop with the deep red skin is called a sweet potato; its yield per mu can reach about 6,000 catties, and if planted well, it is even possible to reach a yield of 10,000 catties per mu."

Liu Dengke was dumbfounded as he listened. He suspected that he had misheard the numbers. How could there really be crops in this world with a yield of 10,000 catties per mu?

You must know that the Great Wu Heavenly Dynasty mainly grows wheat and rice, and the yield of this wheat is generally 150 to 250 catties per mu, while the yield of rice is only 300 to 400 catties per mu.

And now Meng Yifan was telling Liu Dengke that both potatoes and sweet potatoes could achieve a yield of over 5,000 catties per mu, more than ten times that of rice and wheat. This was too exaggerated, and these two crops were also drought-resistant crops that could be planted even in years of famine.

Heavens, if what Meng Yifan said was all true, then potatoes and sweet potatoes were too miraculous. As long as they were widely planted, they could save millions of disaster victims.

"Lord Meng, you aren't teasing this old man, are you?" Liu Dengke asked in disbelief.

Meng Yifan gave a wry smile and said, "Mr. Liu, you say I'm bragging; what's the point of teasing you? Whether it's true or not, hurry up and recruit refugees to start farming. When the potatoes and sweet potatoes are harvested, you can weigh them yourself and you'll know."

Liu Dengke nodded. During the time he had spent with Meng Yifan, he knew that although Meng Yifan was not old, he was mature and steady, not the type of person who liked to brag or joke. Since he said that potatoes and sweet potatoes were drought-resistant and high-yielding, it was very likely true.

"Lord Meng, I wonder if there are enough potatoes and sweet potatoes to use as seeds?" Liu Dengke asked.

Meng Yifan estimated the quantity of potatoes and sweet potatoes in the Space Ring and said, "Enough to plant 3,000 mu of land."

Liu Dengke was wild with joy. If calculated based on the 5,000 catties per mu that Meng Yifan mentioned, 3,000 mu of land could harvest 15 million catties of grain. This could completely solve the problem of grain shortages in Luolong County.

Moreover, when planting potatoes and sweet potatoes for the second season, there would be enough seeds to spread out and plant on a large scale. At that time, they could have a bumper harvest and would never have to worry about grain shortages again.

Liu Dengke was a Confucian scholar who usually walked in a slow and deliberate manner. This time, in order to plant the potatoes and sweet potatoes well, he ran all the way outside. At the gate, he even fell down, and his knees were bleeding, but he didn't care; he only wanted to plant the potatoes and sweet potatoes as soon as possible.

Liu Dengke was well-read. He knew too well that in such a year of famine, if one had sufficient grain in hand, one could gather a large number of refugees and subsequently recruit a large army. Meng Yifan's strength could develop rapidly.

At that time, he might really be able to overthrow the Great Wu Heavenly Dynasty and establish a new dynasty. Then Liu Dengke would be a founding hero and might really become a prime minister who is under one person and above ten thousand.

"Could what the fortune teller said back then be true? Do I really have the fate to be a prime minister?" Thinking of this, Liu Dengke was full of energy and determined to plant the potatoes and sweet potatoes well.