153: Listen to advice, eat your fill, and return home.

At Changsha New Port, Lu Fan only stayed for two days.

He received a telegram from Li Zhenshan, learning that they had safely arrived in Qitainan, the provincial capital of the Shandong region.

His heart was completely at ease. After finishing the handover of the detailed preparation plans for the Battle of Shanghai to Tang Jifeng, Bai Jinbiao, and the others...

He immediately initiated the crossing and returned to the modern era.

The Battle of Shanghai was about to begin. Although going back now meant missing the first stage of the war...

He had to return to the modern era to stock up.

Returning to the familiar space-time, Lu Fan went back to Dala Village in the guise of Li Feiyu.

After ordering two sets of 7.62mm bullet production lines and raw materials at the ammunition shop...

With Saleh's introduction, he successfully ordered an AK47 production line.

August 3, 2025.

Inside a suite at the Karachi Seaside Hotel, Lu Fan stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the azure Arabian Sea outside with a furrowed brow.

The feeling of powerlessness from the fall of Pingjin did not dissipate with the shift in space-time; instead, it became clearer.

He forced himself to calm down and conduct a review.

"The July 7th Incident, the fall of Pingjin... the root cause lies in the corrupt system, the conflicting minds of the high command, and the indecision between war and peace.

In this situation, when the top is crooked, the bottom follows. It's difficult for various units to coordinate, and they even hinder each other.

So even if the enthusiasm of the military and civilians to resist the Japs is high, defeat is still inevitable."

He smoked cigarette after cigarette and drank can after can of cola.

Lu Fan whispered to himself: "This overall situation still cannot be reversed by relying on the current rulers."

After figuring this out, his thoughts turned to himself. The only thing he could change right now was himself.

And his own problems were also very prominent:

Problem one: The Security Team has too few people, just over a hundred.

Even with excellent equipment, in a grand battle involving tens of thousands of people at every turn, the role they can play is limited; they can only serve as a surprise force or a sharp blade.

Problem two: The degree of mechanization is still too low.

Relying on only one type 97 tank and a few troop carriers, there is a lack of sustained heavy firepower and armored assault capabilities.

It's difficult to support large-scale, long-term frontal combat or strategic mobility."

His thoughts gradually became clear.

To make a difference in the upcoming, unprecedentedly tragic Battle of Shanghai...

Or even to turn the tide, he had to immediately address these two shortcomings.

Expand the team and improve the level of heavy equipment.

At noon, Lu Fan and Wu Xue sat opposite each other across an exquisite mahogany tea table.

"Manager Wu, this is the procurement list for this time. Please take a look."

Lu Fan pushed a document over, his tone calm.

Wu Xue took the list and scanned it quickly, a subtle expression gradually appearing on her face.

The list was as follows:

Infantry Weapons: type 85 submachine gun: 2,000 units

QJY-201 General Purpose Machine Gun: 500 units

JS 7.62mm Medium-Caliber Sniper Rifle: 100 units

Corresponding Ammunition (7R): 50 million rounds

Heavy Firepower: type 69 40mm rocket launcher: 800 units

Corresponding Rockets: 8,000 rounds

Armored Vehicles: Type 97 Main Battle Tank: 20 units

125mm Tank Shells: 1,000 rounds

Wheeled Troop Carriers: 10 units

Protective Gear: Level III Standard bulletproof vest: 1,000 sets

After Wu Xue finished reading, she almost wanted to laugh out loud.

But her professional ethics made her maintain a surface calm.

This Mr. Lu was truly... too good at helping them clear their inventory!

Last week, the military region began to comprehensively update its weaponry and equipment, and all these old antiques were dumped onto their company to handle.

Especially those type 85 SMGs and type 69 rocket launchers; they were quite a headache to deal with.

Her head was spinning trying to figure out how to digest this inventory.

And an order like Lu Fan's was simply a delivered performance boost and clearance opportunity for her and the company.

Wu Xue put down the list with a professional smile: "Mr. Lu, the inventory for the items on the list is basically sufficient."

She paused slightly, her finger lightly tapping on the item '20 type 97 tanks,' showing a bit of a difficult expression.

"It's just... the stock of type 97 tanks that the company can currently allocate is quite tight.

And in terms of price... I'm afraid it won't be too low, as it is considered one of the main models, after all."

Lu Fan picked up his teacup and calmly blew on the steam: "Oh? Then what suggestion does Manager Wu have?"

He could see that the other party wasn't really out of stock, but rather seemed to want to promote something else.

Wu Xue was waiting for those words.

She lowered her voice slightly, her tone becoming confidential: "Mr. Lu, to be honest with you.

We happen to have a batch of liquidated assets on hand with extremely high cost-performance. I highly recommend the type 80 main battle tank."

She carefully observed Lu Fan's expression, and seeing that he seemed interested, she continued with a detailed introduction: "This batch of Type 80s...

Although the fire control system is outdated by current standards, the foundation is very solid.

The total combat weight is moderate, and the power of the 105mm rifled gun is more than enough to handle most targets.

The frontal armor defense was quite outstanding at the time, especially at dealing with HEAT rounds.

Most importantly, its mobility is very good, its off-road performance isn't bad either, and..."

Wu Xue emphasized: "Its fuel consumption is relatively low.

It puts little pressure on logistics, is very rugged and durable, and much simpler to maintain than newer models.

For a customer who needs armored assault power but also has requirements for logistical support, it is definitely an excellent choice.

There's also plenty of quantity, and as for the condition... we guarantee they can run and fight. We can be responsible for basic maintenance before they leave the factory.

The price is only a fraction of that Type 97."

After she finished speaking, she looked at Lu Fan with a hint of anticipation.

Disposing of this batch of type 80 tanks was one of her recent performance indicators. If she could sell them, her promotion would be just around the corner.

Lu Fan's heart was already surging with waves.

Low fuel consumption, rugged and durable, simple maintenance, and a 105mm gun that could be called 'destruction-level' in 1937.

The armor was enough to ignore all of the Japs' active-service tanks and anti-tank weapons.

This was simply a perfect choice tailored for the Battle of Shanghai.

He suppressed the urge to agree immediately and pretended to ponder.

His finger lightly tapped on the tea table, as if weighing the pros and cons.

A few seconds later, he looked up at Wu Xue and said decisively: "Manager Wu's introduction was very detailed.

Since there are difficulties with the supply of the Type 97, let's switch to this batch of Type 80s. I trust your judgment.

Quantity... let's start with 20. For the matching 105mm shells, provide them at a standard of 100 units per vehicle.

In addition, the other items on the list remain unchanged."

Twenty units!

Wu Xue was overjoyed, and her smile became a bit more sincere.

"Mr. Lu is indeed straightforward! No problem! 20 type 80 tanks, with 2,000 matching shells.

Together with all the materials on the list, we, Huaxing Heavy Industries, guarantee to have them ready for you as quickly as possible."

An arms deal where each party got what they needed was quickly reached amidst the aroma of coffee.

Wu Xue successfully completed her task of clearing inventory, adding another beautiful stroke to her performance record.

And Lu Fan obtained the armored force he urgently needed, which could change the historical battlefield.

Perfect~~

With the major concern settled, Lu Fan's next task was to return to his country.