Chapter 371

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

The flight from Zhengzhou back to Chong Qing was long.

Beneath the wings, mountains and rivers were left as only blurred outlines.

Lv Muzhi sat by the window, rubbing an old pocket watch in his hand, a gift from his wife Zhu Sanxiang during his time in America, over ten years ago.

His son Lv An was born on December 13, 1930, and would soon turn eight; this trip back was just in time for his birthday.

(His son is almost eight, surely someone will say something about having another child after two years away, please, don't say that kind of thing!)

Thinking of his wife managing the arsenal's accounts alone in the rear while also caring for their child, a deep guilt surged in his heart.

This flight felt especially long, and Lv Muzhi felt some nervousness in his heart, a feeling he hadn't even had when fighting the Japanese Army.

"Lu Commander, we're almost there," Zhang Fei whispered a reminder.

Lv Muzhi put away the pocket watch, and the plane landed steadily at the airport.

After getting off the plane, a motorcade was already waiting.

Sitting in the back seat of the sedan, Lv Muzhi rubbed his brow and asked the guard officer in the front seat: "Is Madam home today?"

The guard officer turned and answered: "Report to Commander, I heard several batches of newly arrived equipment need acceptance today, Madam went to the arsenal early this morning; just now the Arsenal Guard Regiment called the airport, Madam is still in the factory."

Lv Muzhi fell silent for a moment: "Then let's go to the arsenal... does Madam go to the arsenal every day?"

The guard officer drove while answering: "She goes every day, rain or shine."

The motorcade turned direction and headed toward Qijiang in the south.

The car passed through layers of sentry posts and finally stopped before a factory district filled with chimneys; it was already afternoon by then.

The machinery in the factory district rumbled, and transport vehicles moved in and out in an orderly fashion.

Tall factory buildings, neat warehouses, crisscrossing tracks, strict guards—everything seemed well-ordered.

"Madam really manages this place well," Zhang Fei couldn't help but praise.

"But... why is no one coming out to welcome us?"

Under normal circumstances, unless deliberately kept secret, there would be a welcome ceremony wherever Lv Muzhi went.

He had already sent a telegram to his wife about returning home.

At this moment, the Regimental Commander of the Guard Regiment protecting the arsenal ran out in a panic, bringing several guards and saluting Lv Muzhi: "Report to Lu Commander, Regimental Commander of the Arsenal Guard Regiment Li Baoguo reporting for duty!"

Besides the guards at the gate, the Regimental Commander brought no more than ten people.

Zhang Fei stepped forward and asked: "Regimental Commander Li, you're really too inconsiderate; Lu Commander has arrived, and the brothers of the Guard Regiment aren't coming out to welcome him?"

Regimental Commander Li Baoguo said softly: "How could I dare... it's not that Madam Puzhu doesn't allow a welcome; I took a huge risk just to dare come out and welcome Lu Commander."

Hearing these words, Lv Muzhi guessed and said: "It must be that the factory's production tasks are urgent; my wife avoids such grand displays to ensure production, and I understand that."

Zhang Fei nodded: "Yes, Madam has always been a sensible person; it should be like that."

Regimental Commander of the Arsenal Guard Regiment Li Baoguo originally wanted to affirm Lv Muzhi's words, but out of loyalty to Lu Commander, he reminded:

"Um... Lu Commander... today is the arsenal's weekly day off; except for the Tank Department and Energy Department still operating, most workers are resting."

"And, ever since they knew you were coming back, Madam has had a grim look on her face; you'd better be careful!"

Upon hearing this, Lv Muzhi looked toward Zhu Sanxiang's office deep in the factory, feeling a hint of nervousness in his heart, and sweat appeared in his palms.

Zhang Fei also realized that Lv Muzhi going directly there might be dangerous, so he said: "Lu Commander, how about this: I'll go first to conduct reconnaissance by fire."

Lv Muzhi raised his hand to stop him: "No... no need, let's go directly."

On the way to his wife Zhu Sanxiang's office, Lv Muzhi felt a thousand emotions.

Although Zhu Sanxiang didn't study machinery, during their time in America she traded stocks with him and also studied economic management at university.

Plus, the Zhu Family was originally in business; during his absence, the arsenal continued to run smoothly.

As for arsenal matters, professionals handle professional matters; what Zhu Sanxiang had to do was coordinate all parties and provide sufficient logistics for the Youth Army.

It could be said that half of the Youth Army's sky was truly held up by his own wife.

On the factory district's road, Lv Muzhi saw a Type III Long-Barrel Tank drive out, with several mechanics covered in oil sitting on it, not knowing where they were headed.

Lv Muzhi stopped them and asked: "This is a Sanhao Tank, right? Where are you driving it to?"

The workers didn't know Lv Muzhi, but they knew the accompanying Regimental Commander of the Guard Regiment Li Baoguo; seeing Colonel Li Baoguo standing respectfully to one side, they knew the visitor was no ordinary person.

"Uh... Report to Commander! This is a Sanhao Tank that just came off the line, heading to the Testing Ground to test performance; after passing the test, it can be sent to the Frontline!"

Lv Muzhi patted the thick armor on the Sanhao Tank's exterior, very satisfied.

"What is the arsenal's current tank production capacity?"

The workers looked at Regimental Commander of the Guard Regiment Li Baoguo, glancing at each other, and no one dared to answer.

Finally, an engineer crawled out of the tank and plucked up his courage to say: "Commander, I am Senior Engineer Zhou Ping of the factory's Tank Department; what you just asked is a military secret, they don't know it, and if I answer, Regimental Commander Li will arrest me..."

Li Weiguo hurriedly stepped forward and said: "Engineer Zhou, it's fine to say; this is Lu Commander, this arsenal was organized by him."

Senior Engineer Zhou Ping was stunned after hearing this; he didn't expect the legendary Lu Commander to really have come, and was about to spill everything he knew.

Lv Muzhi stopped him and said: "Since it's a secret, on an occasion like this, you don't need to tell me directly; go back to your work."

Everyone continued toward Zhu Sanxiang's office; along the way, Li Baoguo explained the factory's secrecy system to Lv Muzhi.

Lv Muzhi understood all of this; after all, he was the one who first created this secrecy system, and his wife Zhu Sanxiang further perfected it.

At the same time, the workers in the factory had a title system; workers who worked for a full year and passed both culture and professional exams could obtain the title of Junior Engineer, with wages double that of ordinary workers.

Above Junior Engineer were Intermediate Engineer, Associate Senior Engineer, and Senior Engineer.

Promotion from Junior to Intermediate Engineer required three years of work experience plus an exam; promotion from Intermediate to Associate Senior required five years.

And among Senior Engineers in Lv Muzhi's factory, almost none were promoted solely by years of service; most were experts and scholars in their professional fields who helped the arsenal solve technical problems, and there was a high educational requirement.

The treatment of Senior Engineers was also quite generous; not to mention material rewards, just in terms of honor, a Senior Engineer could directly hold the rank of Major General—of course, a Major General without real power.

Among the numerous arsenals scattered across the Southwest and affiliated factories such as mining and metallurgy, of nearly one hundred thousand workers, no more than twenty could obtain the title of Senior Engineer.

Everyone finally arrived at the front of a three-story brick building deep in the arsenal.

This was the Chongqing Development Office, established when Lv Muzhi first entered the Southwest.

To this day, the director of the Chongqing Development Office was Zhu Sanxiang.

The guards armed with live ammunition at the gate saw Lv Muzhi and the others arrive and wanted to report it, but were stopped by Lv Muzhi.

Outside the director's office, pushing the door open a crack, one could see a figure in formal attire with hair simply tied up, leaning over a wide desk, flipping through a thick ledger.

Lv Muzhi stood stunned outside the door.

One could say that his own family, separated more than together, had devoted their youth to this country.

May everything in the future move toward a good ending.