48: Chapter 48 Steel Torrent

After the Radar System and communication systems were deployed, Li Ling wasted no time in starting the modernization of the Army.

In the first super luxury gift package, besides the Special Forces and the Radar System, it also included a massive amount of modern weaponry: five hundred Heavy Machine Guns, one thousand Mortars, three hundred Anti-tank Rifles, as well as a vast quantity of matching ammunition and spare parts.

If these weapons were placed in the 21st century, they would only be considered antiques in a museum, and even museums would find them too old. But in 1898, they were absolutely a dimensionality-reducing strike—not a war of the same dimension, but a one-sided slaughter.

The Heavy Machine Gun was water-cooled, with a caliber of 7.92 millimeters, a theoretical rate of fire of six hundred rounds per minute, and an effective range of one thousand meters. Compared to the Maxim machine gun of the same era, it was nearly twenty kilograms lighter and had higher reliability—it could fire five thousand rounds continuously without jamming, while contemporary machine guns would malfunction after firing just a few hundred. Its firepower sustainability was stronger; as long as the barrel didn't turn red and the water didn't boil dry, it could keep firing.

More importantly, the Production Base provided by the system could continuously produce this type of machine gun and matching ammunition, so there was no need to worry about consumption. Li Ling had done the math: even if his one hundred thousand elite troops each fired one thousand rounds per day, the capacity of the Production Base could keep up.

The Mortar was a 60mm light Mortar with a range of three thousand meters and a rate of fire of twenty rounds per minute. This Mortar was lightweight—the whole gun weighed only twenty kilograms, and three people could carry it while running; it was easy to transport—it could be disassembled into three parts, with one person carrying the barrel, one carrying the base plate, and one carrying the shells; it was simple to operate—a three-person team could become proficient after three days of training.

For an Army of this era that relied mainly on line infantry, the Mortar was simply a nightmare. It could hide behind cover and fire indirectly, with shells falling from the sky directly onto the heads of the infantry, while the enemy couldn't hit it back. Line infantry feared this kind of strike from the sky the most—they marched in neat formations, and one Mortar shell landing in the middle of the formation would have a kill radius of over ten meters.

The Anti-tank Rifle seemed a bit ahead of its time in this era, as there were no tanks yet. But Li Ling had his own considerations: this 14.5mm caliber Anti-tank Rifle was not only for dealing with future armored targets, but was also a divine weapon for hitting bunkers, fortifications, and light ships. Within a range of one thousand meters, it could easily penetrate a half-meter-thick brick wall, and piercing a ten-millimeter-thick steel plate was a piece of cake.

"I want all one hundred thousand elite troops to be equipped with these weapons within three months," Li Ling announced at the military meeting.

The generals in attendance looked at each other. Equipping one hundred thousand troops in three months was, in their view, simply a fantasy. One had to know that even equipping the troops with the most basic rifles and ammunition couldn't be done in less than a year or two. Let alone these unheard-of new weapons—Heavy Machine Guns and Mortars, they hadn't even heard the names before.

"Young Master Li, is... is this possible?" an old general asked hesitatingly. He was a veteran subordinate who had followed Li Ling's father for many years and had seen a lot, but at this moment, he was also full of bewilderment.

Li Ling smiled slightly: "You just focus on training, I will take care of the weaponry and equipment."

He really could take care of it.

The system's Production Base was producing day and night at thirty times the speed. In the underground factory, the assembly line never stopped, mechanical arms flew up and down, barrels, bolts, magazines... parts were quickly assembled into finished products, then boxed, packed, and shipped out. Every day, crates of weapons and ammunition were transported out of the underground factory and piled up in the military port's warehouse, as high as a small mountain.

The re-equipping work was carried out in batches. The first batch to be re-equipped were the three elite divisions directly under Li Ling, totaling sixty thousand men.

On the training ground, the sound of gunfire was deafening, ringing from morning until night. The nearby villagers thought a war had broken out at first, only to find out later that it was just training.

When the soldiers operated the Heavy Machine Gun for the first time, they were all shocked by the terrifying rate of fire.

"Da-da-da-da-da—"

A burst of bullets went out, and the target opposite was smashed to pieces, wood chips flying everywhere, smoke filling the air. The soldier shooting stared blankly at the still-smoking barrel, his mouth open wide enough to fit an egg, unable to believe that this was something he had fired.

"Young Master Li, this gun is too fierce!" a young soldier said, his voice trembling with excitement, "One burst can kill dozens of Japan soldiers! Before, we used those old rifles; you had to pull the bolt after every shot, and it took forever to reload. This thing..."

"Fierce, right?" Li Ling patted the body of the Heavy Machine Gun, the metal making a dull sound, "From now on, this is what you'll rely on in battle. Remember, don't hold back on the ammunition; I have more here when you finish. The more you fire, the happier I'll be—because every bullet fired means an enemy has fallen."

The soldiers cheered, their morale rising as if it were about to ignite.

The training for the Mortar was even more interesting.

Soldiers of this era were accustomed to direct-fire artillery—the muzzle faced the target, a shell was fired, and they could see the trajectory of the shell. Seeing the Mortar, an indirect-fire weapon, they were all confused.

"Young Master Li, how do you aim this gun?" the commander of the Artillery Company asked, holding a Mortar shell, looking confused as he turned the muzzle toward the sky, "The muzzle is pointed at the sky, won't it just hit the sky? It's not high enough to hit birds either."

Li Ling demonstrated personally. He squatted down, used the sight to adjust the angle and direction of the mount, picked up a shell, and let go. The shell slid down the barrel, making a muffled "thud" sound.

"Thud—Boom!"

The shell flew out, drawing a beautiful parabola in the air, and landed precisely on the bullseye five hundred meters away. A flash of fire, dirt flying, the target was blown to pieces, with fragments flying over ten meters away.

"Did you see that?" Li Ling clapped the dust off his hands and stood up, "This is called indirect fire. The shell goes up to the sky first, then falls back down, specifically to hit enemies hiding behind cover. You are on this side of the mountain, and the enemy is on the other side; you can't hit them with direct fire, but the Mortar can. The shell goes over the mountain, drops on the enemy's head, and they won't even know how they died."

The artillerymen suddenly realized, each one eager to try.

The re-equipping of the Anti-tank Rifle was more low-key. This gun had massive recoil, and soldiers who hadn't undergone strict training couldn't handle it at all—some had their shoulders bruised black and blue the first time they fired, and others were knocked directly to the ground. Li Ling only distributed it to the Special Forces and elite infantry companies for special missions.

During the re-equipping period, Li Ling spent almost every day on the training ground. He trained alongside the soldiers, ate the same mess hall food, and felt the same shoulder pain from the recoil of the Heavy Machine Gun. The soldiers' affection for him grew with each passing day; in private, they called him "Big Brother Li," and some even secretly stuffed cured meat and dried dates they brought from home into his hands.

"Big Brother Li, when are we going to fight Japan?" a new recruit asked, working up the courage, his eyes full of excitement and anticipation.

"What's the rush?" Li Ling took a bite of a steamed bun and chewed twice, "Wait until you can shoot accurately and fire the artillery steadily, then we'll go. By then, we'll beat them until they call us Daddy."

The soldiers burst into laughter.

Empress Su Wanqing often came to the training ground to see him, bringing her own home-cooked meals every time. She knew Li Ling ate poorly at the training ground, surviving on steamed buns and pickles, and her heart ached for him.

"Look at you, you've been tanned black as charcoal." Empress Su Wanqing wiped his sweat while chiding him, "Your face is covered in dust, your clothes are covered in mud, you look like a mud monkey."

"It's good to be dark; dark is healthy." Li Ling grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, "This is called bronze skin; in the modern era, you'd have to go to the beach to get a tan like this."

"What modern era, you're talking nonsense again." Empress Su Wanqing rolled her eyes at him and opened the food box, which contained braised pork, stir-fried vegetables, and a pot of hot tea she had made herself.

Li Ling smelled the fragrance, and his saliva was almost flowing out: "Wanqing, you are truly my own wife!"

"Who is your wife! Shameless!" Empress Su Wanqing blushed and tapped him lightly.

Just then, an orderly delivered a letter. The envelope was made of high-quality rice paper, emitting a faint scent of sandalwood, and the seal was stamped with the royal golden seal, with the best cinnabar used for the ink.

Li Ling opened the envelope, which contained a piece of exquisite stationery, the handwriting elegant and neat, with every stroke showing the upbringing of a young lady from a prestigious family. The content of the letter was very simple—the royal princess had heard of Li Ling's deeds in repelling the Japan fleet and defending the maritime borders, and she was very impressed, hoping to meet him.

After reading the letter, Li Ling frowned slightly.

"System, what do you think this princess is plotting?"

The system was silent for two seconds, then analyzed: "According to existing intelligence, the royal family is currently beset by internal and external troubles; the old emperor is in poor health, several princes are fighting for the succession until they are bloodied, and the imperial court is a complete mess. The princess contacting you proactively is very likely because she wants to rope you in as a backer. After all, you now hold heavy troops and have the record of defeating Japan; whoever wins you over holds a trump card."

"So that's the rhythm of a political marriage?"

"Most likely. Host, you need to prepare to take over."

"What do you mean take over?!" Li Ling almost jumped up, "Can you speak properly? What do you mean take over? I am..."

"Just kidding." The system laughed cheekily, "But seriously, the royal princess is indeed a big thigh to hold onto. With her, you have a righteous cause, and everything you do in the future will be justified. If you want to unify the country, having the royal family's endorsement will reduce the resistance significantly."

Li Ling was silent for a while, then finally sighed: "Fine, then let's meet."

He wrote a reply to the princess, the wording respectful yet humorous, expressing loyalty to the royal family while also hinting that his own strength could not be underestimated—he wrote, "Although this subject is untalented, I am willing to sweep away the sea bandits for the imperial court and protect the peace of the land," and added a sentence at the end, "If the princess does not mind, I shall personally go to the capital to behold the celestial countenance."

The messenger took the reply and rode off quickly. Li Ling watched his back disappear into the dust and fell into deep thought.

Empress Su Wanqing noticed his abnormality and asked softly: "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Li Ling rubbed his temples, "Just feeling that things are getting more and more complicated."

He looked at the stationery in his hand, then looked at Empress Su Wanqing, and folded the stationery into his pocket.

Some paths, he had to take. But he would not leave behind the people behind him.