Chapter 373

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

Zhang Fei and Liu Zhi were teasing Lv An, teaching Lv Muzhi's son to goose-step.

"Commander Lu and his wife are out!" a guard stepped forward to report.

Son Lv An ran over first, throwing himself into Lv Muzhi's arms.

Lv Muzhi scooped up his big son in one go, hugging and kissing him.

Liu Zhi also strode forward, his face full of smiles: "Wei Yue! Haha, I've finally waited for you to come back!"

He slapped Lv Muzhi's shoulder hard, his gaze falling on those three general's stars, and said emotionally, "Good, good! Back at Whampoa, I saw that you kid were no ordinary thing!"

Now you're just like me, promoted to Second-Class General! The student surpasses the master!"

Liu Zhi said this with great satisfaction, and there seemed to be no dejection in his eyes about being far from real power and staying at the military academy.

"You flatter me, Teacher." Lv Muzhi put down his son Lv An, reaching out to take Liu Zhi's hand: "The student's achievements today are inseparable from your teachings back then."

Every step of promotion is inseparable from your promotion.

Now not only me, but even my son will receive your guidance at the military academy."

Hearing this, Zhu Sanxiang frowned, somewhat displeased, but still said nothing, finally smiling and calling out:

"Don't stand here, everyone. Muzhi rarely comes back, let's all go to my home. Dinner should be ready soon. Let's go home together to celebrate the victory of the campaign!"

Hearing the two words "campaign," Lv An's eyes clearly lit up: "Dad, can you teach me to shoot at home? I want to go to the battlefield and kill the Japanese devils too!"

Zhu Sanxiang gently pinched Lv An's face: "You're not even as tall as a gun yet, what nonsense are you talking..."

Just then—Boom!!

A dull and huge cannon roar came from deep within the factory area, shaking the window glass slightly.

"What's happening?!" Zhang Fei's complexion changed, instantly stepping in front of Lv Muzhi, his right hand already on the gun holster at his waist.

The surrounding guards looked toward the direction of the explosion, but had little reaction.

"Don't be nervous." Zhu Sanxiang hurriedly spoke up to explain.

"It's not an enemy attack; the testing area is conducting live-fire tests of a new tank."

"Forgot to tell you, these days happen to be the final stage of the tests."

Hearing this, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhang Fei somewhat embarrassedly released his hand on the gun, smiling sheepishly: "Haha, made everyone laugh."

Lv Muzhi's heart stirred, very interested in that explosion: "New tank? Perfect timing to go see it?!"

Zhu Sanxiang helplessly shook his head: "Ai! Why pick this time, can't it be next time?"

Lv Muzhi patted Zhu Sanxiang's shoulder: "Since we've come..."

Zhu Sanxiang finally had no objection: "Then I'll call Deputy Director Li. He's the Technical Director and can explain clearly. After all, I'm an amateur myself."

The group took a car to the testing ground located deepest in the arsenal, built leaning against the mountain wall.

Along the way, sentry posts stood in rows, guards were strict, and every checkpoint required strict inspection of documents.

Of course, Zhu Sanxiang and Lv Muzhi came personally to inspect, and with Liu Xiang, a Second-Class General, visiting, the way was smooth all along.

With so many high-ranking officers coming at once, the soldiers on duty hadn't lowered their saluting hands the whole way.

When everyone got out of the car and came to the open space in front of the observation post, their gazes were immediately drawn to the steel figure in the center of the venue.

At first, Lv Muzhi thought what he was inspecting was the Type III Long-Barrel Tank he had encountered in the factory area, but the steel war machine on site...

Obviously was not a standard Type III Tank.

Lv Muzhi recognized it at a glance: this was the Type 3 Assault Gun from his mind, abbreviated as Sanha Zi, the prototype vehicle had finally landed successfully!

"Commander Lu!" Deputy Director Li Yingfang, in charge of technology, stepped forward and began a detailed introduction.

"This is the 'Type 3 Assault Gun' experimental model, designed and improved by our arsenal based on the Type III Tank chassis!"

"It cancels the complex rotating turret, adopts a fixed fighting compartment, reducing overall height and production difficulty, but firepower is not reduced at all!"

"The main gun is a 75mm cannon. The armor-piercing shell currently being tested can still effectively penetrate 27mm homogeneous steel armor at a distance of three thousand meters!"

"27mm penetration... three thousand meters?" Zhang Fei beside him savored the data, a look of doubt on his face: "Commander Lu, those thin-skinned bean tanks of the little devils, the thickest front is only a dozen or twenty millimeters, right?

Is it necessary to use such a powerful cannon? Isn't it a bit... using a butcher's knife to kill a chicken?"

Lv Muzhi replied: "Things are always developing and changing, and war is the same.

We have a sharp spear, and the Japanese army will study a sturdier shield.

If the Japanese army invests resources to develop or introduce tanks with thicker armor and stronger firepower, we must have more powerful weapons.

To put it bluntly, the Japanese army's industrial capacity is above ours. We can't wait until the Japanese army reacts to act; that would surely mean getting beaten. We must plan ahead."

Liu Zhi nodded frequently: "Wei Yue is right! Preparing for a rainy day is the way of a general."

Zhu Sanxiang, listening to several big men chatting here, spoke up at the right time: "Since we've come, there are a few new things at the testing ground. Let's go see them together? They're in that shed over there. Old Li, take everyone for a look."

Everyone followed Li Yingfang to a huge shed on the other side of the testing ground.

Electric lights were on in the shed, enough to clearly see the steel object parked inside.

Also based on the Type III Tank chassis, but the upper structure was completely different.

It had a higher, more square fighting compartment, inside which stood a cannon with a clearly larger caliber, the gun body thicker and longer, the muzzle brake structure complex.

"This is a self-propelled gun experimental vehicle developed based on the Type III Tank chassis." Li Yingfang pointed to it and introduced, "We have equipped it with a 105mm howitzer.

Its main design purpose is to provide timely, mobile fire support for infantry troops, striking enemy fortifications and artillery positions.

It is currently undergoing debugging of the suspension system and firing stability."

Beside the vehicle body, several technicians were busy.

What caught the eye was that among them were not only Xia Guo people with black hair and yellow skin, but also two or three blond, blue-eyed Americans, speaking English mixed with stiff Chinese as they communicated with their Xia Guo colleagues, adjusting a hydraulic device on the gun mount together.

"Oh? There are American experts too?" Liu Zhi was somewhat surprised, pointing at those Americans. "The Type III Tank is Hans State goods; letting Americans participate in the improvements... will it cause trouble?"

"The Hans State side's attitude is rather delicate right now."

Lv Muzhi watched the scene of cooperative debugging, arms crossed: "Teacher, the world bustles, all for profit; the world throngs, all for gain."

"Hans State is gradually leaning toward Japan; that is their choice."

"Since this Type III Tank has fallen into our hands, it is our tool for fighting the devils."

"Whoever can help us better utilize it and improve it, we will cooperate with them."

"The Americans have their technical strengths, particularly in machinery."

"They are interested in this Hans tank, so we provide them this platform, they provide technical assistance, speeding up R&D—each takes what they need."

"And, letting the Americans deeply participate in our improvement research on Hans equipment,"

"in the future, when acquiring American equipment, we can obtain a more prioritized order."

Liu Zhi, hearing this, nodded thoughtfully and said no more.

Finally, they came to another vehicle shed.

Parked here was a vehicle converted from a Type III chassis with an even more peculiar appearance.

It had no enclosed fighting compartment; instead, on an open gun mount capable of 360-degree rotation, four black gun barrels were installed, pointing side by side at the sky.

"This is our Type III Self-propelled Anti-aircraft Gun prototype vehicle."

Li Yingfang proudly introduced: "Same Type III chassis, but we designed a brand-new gun mount and ammunition feed system for it, installing four linked 20mm anti-aircraft guns!"

"Compared to the twin-linked 20mm self-propelled gun we previously modified based on the T Tank chassis."

"Its firepower density has doubled, the chassis is more stable, ammunition capacity is greater, and sustained combat capability is stronger!"

"This is the advantage of the medium tank chassis!"

Four slender anti-aircraft gun barrels gleamed under the lights.

Lv Muzhi could imagine that when its four gun barrels spat out a searing web of fire, what a terrible aerial grass-cutting machine it would be.

Lv Muzhi couldn't help but applaud in praise: "This Type III Self-propelled Gun, as a medium anti-aircraft vehicle, is simply the golden shield of my Youth Army!"