11: Chapter 11 Army Equipment Replacement

Section 1

At five o'clock in the morning, before dawn, Li Ling was woken up by the system.

"Host, the first batch of equipment from the Production Base is ready. Do you want to take a look?" The system's voice carried a hint of pride.

Li Ling rolled over in a daze: "What time is it... can't you let me sleep a little longer?"

"Then you keep sleeping. I'm taking back the equipment for these five thousand men."

"Don't!" Li Ling sat up in a flash. "I'll be there right away!"

He was joking; those were five thousand sets of modern rifles and Mortars, the first batch of re-equipment supplies he had fought for days to secure from the system. If they were really taken back, who could he cry to?

Li Ling washed and dressed as quickly as he could, then mounted his horse and rushed to the military camp outside the city. He was followed by two personal guards, both elites chosen by his father from among the veterans. One was named Wang Hu, and the other was named Zhao Tiezhu. Both were taciturn by nature; they had followed Li Ling for half a month, and the total number of words they had spoken did not exceed twenty.

"Young Master, slow down. It's not dawn yet, and the road is difficult to travel." Wang Hu finally couldn't help but speak up.

"It's too late. I have to go see my treasures." Li Ling didn't look back and spurred his horse into a gallop.

He really couldn't wait.

He had been transmigrated to this parallel space-time of 1898 for almost a month. Every day, besides acting shamelessly to demand resources from the system, he spent his time in the military camp training the thirty thousand carefully selected New Army soldiers. Although the first batch of re-equipment only covered five thousand men, it meant his plan had finally taken a substantial step forward.

When he arrived at the military camp, it was just breaking dawn. Li Ling dismounted and headed straight for the warehouse area.

The efficiency of the Production Base was truly impeccable. A full five thousand rifles were neatly stacked in wooden crates, tightly wrapped in oiled paper. Each rifle was an improved version of the 1903 Springfield M1903, which the system called the "qingyun-1 rifle." It had a 7.62mm caliber, a five-round magazine, and an effective range of eight hundred meters. Compared to the old single-shot rifles still used by the Qingxia Kingdom Army of this era, it was a generational crushing victory.

Li Ling picked one up and skillfully pulled the bolt; the sound of metal clashing was crisp and pleasant. In his previous life, as an all-around military industry expert, he was well-versed in all kinds of firearms. Although the M1903 was already an antique in a museum in his original era, placed in 1898, this thing was absolutely a powerful weapon.

"System, how is the quality of this batch of guns?" Li Ling asked.

"The qingyun-1 rifle uses a chrome-molybdenum alloy steel barrel, which increases the lifespan by 30% compared to the original version and reduces the failure rate by 50%. Each rifle is issued with two hundred rounds of ammunition." The system paused. "In addition, the Production Base has produced an extra five hundred thousand rounds of ammunition, which is enough for you to use for a while."

"Five hundred thousand rounds?" Li Ling frowned. "Five thousand men, two hundred rounds each would be one million rounds. Five hundred thousand is only half."

"Shut up. This is the production capacity limit of the Production Base. Producing at thirty times the speed also consumes resources. If you want more, go find resource points."

Li Ling curled his lips but didn't continue to make a fuss. He knew that although the system's Production Base was awesome, it wasn't creating something out of nothing; it needed resource points to operate. Over the past month, through various small achievements and the system's monthly fixed resource points, the wealth he had saved was barely enough to re-equip these five thousand men.

"What about the Mortars?" Li Ling put down the rifle and walked toward another warehouse.

"Sixty 60mm Mortars, each issued with sixty shells." The system said, "There are also one hundred and twenty Mortar teams, four men per team. The Production Base has directly materialized the operators, all of whom are veterans with combat experience. You can distribute them directly."

Li Ling opened the warehouse door. Sixty Mortars were neatly arranged, their barrels gleaming with a deep blue metallic luster. He walked over and touched them; they felt cold and smooth, and the craftsmanship was too exquisite to be a product of this era.

"Sixty cannons, five hundred men operating them, and the remaining four thousand five hundred men using rifles..." Li Ling calculated. "System, does this count as a light infantry battalion?"

"It doesn't count as anything. A standard Heavy Combined Arms Brigade has hundreds of cannons; your sixty are not even a fraction of theirs." The system complained, "Don't get carried away. This is just the beginning."

Li Ling chuckled and didn't refute. He knew the system was right, but one must eat one bite at a time and walk one step at a time. He was already very satisfied to have this start.

Section 2

The sky was completely bright, and the military camp began to bustle.

The thirty thousand New Army troops were stationed in the camp outside the city, divided into three large camps, with ten thousand men in each. These thirty thousand men, whom Li Ling had carefully selected from his father's one hundred and eighty thousand troops, were basically young men in their early twenties. They had good physical fitness, were quick-witted, and most importantly, were loyal to the Li family.

Li Ling had the first batch of three thousand men gathered, ready to distribute the guns.

In the center of the parade ground, three thousand men stood in formation. Although they had been training for less than a month, they already had the look of soldiers. Li Ling stood on the platform, looking at the young faces below, and took a deep breath.

"Brothers!" Li Ling began, "Today, you will become the first unit in the entire Army to be re-equipped with new weapons!"

There was silence below, and the soldiers looked at each other. Although they knew the Young Master had been engaged in some new type of training recently, they had no concept of new weapons.

Li Ling waved his hand, and Zhao Tiezhu brought people to carry over the crates of rifles.

"Each person gets one new gun and two hundred rounds of ammunition. In addition, there are sixty cannons to be distributed to the Artillery Company." Li Ling picked up a rifle and held it high. "It doesn't matter what this gun is called. What matters is that from today on, the weapons in your hands will be ten times stronger than those of the Japan devils and five times stronger than those of the foreigners!"

There was finally a reaction from below. The soldiers whispered to each other, their eyes full of curiosity and anticipation.

"However—" Li Ling's tone changed, his voice suddenly stern, "Whoever dares to leak the secret of this gun, don't blame my military law for being ruthless!"

Three thousand people responded in unison, their voices shaking the sky.

The distribution of guns went smoothly. The soldiers received the new guns and couldn't put them down. Li Ling also had the instructor team materialized by the Production Base start teaching the soldiers how to use the new guns, including a series of subjects such as disassembly, maintenance, aiming, and shooting.

However, the first lesson became a joke.

An instructor shouted the command: "Prone position, load ammunition!"

Three hundred soldiers lay down in unison, but their postures were strange. Some lay like toads, some had their butts stuck high in the air, and there was even a soldier who was so nervous that he held the gun backward, with the butt against his shoulder and the muzzle facing his own face.

The instructor's face turned green: "That's suicide, not shooting!"

Li Ling watched from the side and got a stomach ache, but he was too embarrassed to laugh out loud, so he could only hold it in.

Wang Hu said in a low voice from the side: "Young Master, these soldiers... can they do it?"

"They can." Li Ling suppressed his laughter. "It's like this at the beginning. They'll be fine after practicing. When I first touched a gun, I was even worse than them."

Wang Hu was skeptical, but Zhao Tiezhu was expressionless, only staring at the instructor's movements and silently remembering them in his heart.

Section 3

Guns were issued in the morning and training took place in the afternoon. Li Ling watched the whole time and didn't leave for a moment.

By evening, the soldiers could barely complete the basic movements. Although they were not very standard, at least there would be no more blunders of holding the gun backward. Li Ling knew that this matter could not be rushed; training required time, and ammunition also needed to be accumulated. He could only take it slowly.

"System, lottery." Li Ling silently recited in his heart during a break.

"Why, you thought of the lottery today?" The system responded lazily.

"A fixed monthly lottery. Today is the end of the month, might as well draw it." Li Ling rubbed his hands. "Hurry up, my luck is good."

"Fine, draw it."

Li Ling silently counted to three in his heart and then shouted "Stop".

The virtual turntable in front of him slowed down, and the pointer pointed to a grid.

"Congratulations to the host for obtaining: one Hand grenade production line." The system announced, "It can produce wooden-handled Hand grenades and egg-shaped Hand grenades, with a daily output of five hundred."

"Hand grenade?" Li Ling's eyes lit up. "This is good stuff, a divine weapon for close-range killing!"

"And it's an improved version, with 20% more explosive power than the original and 30% more shrapnel." The system added, "The Production Base has already started production, and the first batch of two thousand can be delivered in three days."

"Great!" Li Ling slapped his thigh excitedly. "Now the infantry's close-combat capability has been greatly improved."

He had studied the history of World War I and World War II in his previous life and knew how great the role of Hand grenades was in trench warfare and urban street fighting. Especially for the current Qingxia Kingdom Army, facing the bayonet charges of the great powers, Hand grenades were definitely one of the most effective countermeasures.

"However, a daily output of five hundred is still too little." Li Ling began to calculate again. "One production line is not enough. Can you give me another one?"

"Get out."

"Don't be like that, we are—"

"I said get out." The system's tone was non-negotiable. "If you want more, go find resource points to upgrade the production line. Don't act shamelessly with me."

Li Ling curled his lips, knowing the system was right, but his heart was still itching. Five hundred Hand grenades sounded like a lot, but if a real war started, it would be normal to consume thousands in one battle. It seemed he still had to find a way to get more resource points and upgrade the production line as soon as possible.

Section 4

At night, Li Ling returned to the mansion, and Empress Su Wanqing was already waiting.

"Brother Ling, you're back." Empress Su Wanqing was wearing a light cyan dress, holding a bowl of hot soup in her hands. "I made chicken soup for you. Drink it while it's hot."

Li Ling took the bowl and took a sip. It was fresh, fragrant, and rich, and the temperature was just right; it was clearly timed well.

"Wanqing, your skills are getting better and better." Li Ling praised sincerely.

Empress Su Wanqing blushed and lowered her head: "As long as Brother Ling likes it."

The two had grown up together. Empress Su Wanqing's father was a staff officer of the Li family and was deeply trusted by Retired Emperor Li Zhenshan. Empress Su Wanqing was two years younger than Li Ling and had followed Li Ling around since she was a child. The two had an extremely good relationship. Although Li Ling after the transmigration inherited the original owner's memory, his feelings for Empress Su Wanqing needed to be cultivated slowly. However, after a month of getting along, he had completely accepted this gentle and considerate girl.

"Brother Ling, I heard you issued new guns today?" Empress Su Wanqing sat next to Li Ling and asked curiously.

"Yes, the first batch of three thousand, and the remaining two thousand will be issued tomorrow." Li Ling did not hide it. "From now on, our soldiers will no longer be afraid of the foreigners' guns and cannons."

Empress Su Wanqing's eyes shone: "Brother Ling is truly amazing."

"This is nothing." Li Ling smiled. "When I build the Navy in the future and sail our own Battleship around the Pacific Ocean, that will be truly amazing."

Empress Su Wanqing didn't understand what a Battleship was, but she believed that if Li Ling said he could do it, he would be able to. In her eyes, Brother Ling had been different from others since he was a child, and now he had become omnipotent.

"Brother Ling..." Empress Su Wanqing hesitated and said softly, "You must pay attention to your safety and don't be too tired."

Li Ling felt a warmth in his heart and reached out to rub her hair: "Don't worry, I'm in good health."

Empress Su Wanqing blushed even more, but she didn't dodge, letting Li Ling's hand rub her head.

The two were silent for a while, and the atmosphere was a bit ambiguous.

"Wanqing." Li Ling suddenly spoke.

"Hmm?"

"When this period of time is over, I'll take you to the seaside for a walk."

Empress Su Wanqing's eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously: "Okay!"

Section 5

The next day, the re-equipment continued.

The second batch of two thousand rifles was successfully issued. Added to yesterday's three thousand, the re-equipment of five thousand men was fully completed. Li Ling organized these men into a reinforced regiment, with three infantry battalions and one Artillery Battalion, plus a reconnaissance company and a communication platoon, basically possessing independent combat capability.

But what Li Ling didn't expect was that the news of the re-equipment spread much faster than he had expected.

That afternoon, his father, Retired Emperor Li Zhenshan, brought several generals to the military camp.

"Ling'er, I heard you gave the soldiers new guns?" Retired Emperor Li Zhenshan got straight to the point, his tone carrying a hint of suspicion.

Li Ling smiled and took his father to the shooting range.

"Father, watch closely."

He picked up a qingyun-1 rifle, aimed at a target one hundred meters away, and pulled the trigger.

"Bang!"

The gunshot was crisp, and the target fell to the ground in response.

The generals around Retired Emperor Li Zhenshan looked at each other. None of them had seen how Li Ling aimed; they only heard a gunshot, and the target fell.

"This gun..." Retired Emperor Li Zhenshan frowned. "Where did it come from?"

"I have my own channels. Father, don't worry, the source is absolutely reliable." Li Ling knew he couldn't tell the truth and could only be vague.

Retired Emperor Li Zhenshan looked at his son deeply and did not pursue the question. He understood his son; he had had his own ideas since he was a child, and now he had become even more mysterious. Since his son didn't want to say, he wouldn't ask, as long as it was beneficial to the Li family.

"Can it fire continuously?" Retired Emperor Li Zhenshan asked.

"Yes, a five-round magazine. Pull the bolt once to fire one shot." Li Ling demonstrated, firing continuously. Five bullets were fired within ten seconds, and all five targets were hit.

Several generals were completely shocked.

"This, this gun is better than the foreigners'!" A general blurted out.

Li Ling smiled: "Not only is it better than the foreigners', but it's also cheaper than theirs. In the future, our soldiers will each have one, and there will be plenty of ammunition."

Retired Emperor Li Zhenshan was silent for a while and finally nodded: "Good. For this batch of guns, equip the thirty thousand you are training first, and replace the rest slowly."

"Father is wise." Li Ling flattered him.

Retired Emperor Li Zhenshan glared at him: "Stop flattering. I want to see what you can actually accomplish."

Li Ling chuckled: "I guarantee I won't let Father down."

After sending away his father and the generals, Li Ling returned to the shooting range, watching the soldiers who were still training, and a sense of pride surged in his heart.

Five thousand men re-equipped was just the beginning.

In the next month, he wanted all thirty thousand New Army soldiers to be re-equipped with the qingyun-1 rifle, each battalion equipped with sixty Mortars, and each soldier equipped with four Hand grenades. By then, let alone the small troops of the Japan, even if the regular armies of the great powers came, he would dare to face them head-on.

"System." Li Ling recited in his heart.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

The system was silent for two seconds and then replied: "Don't be mushy. Go train quickly and don't be lazy."

Li Ling smiled and shook his head. This system, while saying it was disgusted, was actually more reliable than anyone else.

As the sun set, the loud sound of a bugle rang out in the military camp.

The five thousand re-equipped New Army soldiers finished their first day of training. Although they were exhausted, their eyes were shining. They knew that from today on, they were no longer weak soldiers who were bullied by everyone, but elites holding sharp swords.

Li Ling stood by the parade ground, watching the soldiers march back to the camp, silently calculating his next plan.

Re-equipment was just the first step. The real test was still to come.