Chapter 22 of 43
Chapter 22
14 min read3,380 words
PS: The second update is here! Please follow and give recommendations!
"Xingkai, we need to increase the production capacity of the firearms workshop! I'm waiting for all the soldiers to be equipped with these 'Feiyu' rifles!" Military officer Niu Meng patted Zhao Xingkai's shoulder and said. The moment he heard that the effective range of this rifle was as high as two hundred meters and the rate of fire could reach at least ten rounds per minute, his eyes had already lit up. Currently, Feiyu Company's army only had four companies, totaling a little over five hundred people. In terms of numbers alone, this was not even a significant force among the many powers on Mindanao Island. But their true combat strength was not to be underestimated! If all the soldiers could be equipped with the new 'Feiyu' rifles, it would bring a leap in the combat capability of Feiyu Company's army. At that time, Feiyu Company's dominance over Mindanao Island would no longer be a dream, and they might even surpass the powerful Lanfang Company in the South China Sea!
"Brother Niu, don't worry, I will do my best! As long as the materials are sufficient, I guarantee that one month from now, the production of 'Feiyu' rifles will increase tenfold, with at least twenty rifles produced daily!" Zhao Xingkai quickly replied.
"Ha ha! Good, this is what you said! If you can't complete the task, I'll have to give you a hard time!" Niu Meng laughed heartily. Six hundred 'Feiyu' rifles in a month would be enough to arm four companies! In less than a year, Feiyu Company's army would become the strongest on Mindanao Island. Occupying the entire island would no longer be a challenge!
"Brother Zhao, we will do our best to ensure the supply of materials! Also, besides accelerating the production of rifles, the production of bullets must also be sped up! Otherwise, without enough bullets, even the best rifles are no better than firewood!" Long Yufei reminded. Moreover, producing six hundred rifles a month was not his ultimate goal! Any industrial power in the West could easily produce over a hundred thousand rifles annually! In times of war, this production could be further increased. Their future enemies would be the Western powers, so they needed to catch up in industry, especially in military industry!
"Yes, Commander!" Zhao Xingkai nodded solemnly. The firearms workshop had just started producing 'Feiyu' rifles and their accompanying bullets, so low production efficiency was inevitable. But he believed that after some time, the production would definitely increase!
Long Yufei nodded and said, "Let's go and test the rifles! Let's see how powerful the 'Feiyu' rifle is!" Before he came to this world, he was just an ordinary person who had never touched a gun except during military training. Now, as the second-in-command of Feiyu Company and the de facto leader, he could indulge in a bit of gunplay, a privilege he could enjoy!
"Ha ha, great! Commander, I've been eager to try out the new rifle!" Niu Meng beamed and immediately picked up a 'Feiyu' rifle from the rack. The others followed suit!
Under Li Hu's arrangement, several targets were quickly set up on the beach. About a hundred meters from the targets, Long Yufei and the others stopped. This distance was just outside the effective range of the Berdan rifle. The 'Feiyu' rifle had an effective range of over two hundred meters, but ordinary soldiers found it difficult to hit targets beyond two hundred meters. A distance of a hundred meters was the most suitable for combat!
Long Yufei skillfully pulled the bolt, loaded a shiny bullet into the chamber, and then chambered it, aiming at the target about a hundred meters away.
"Bang!" A crisp gunshot rang out, and a bullet hole appeared on the distant target. The thick wooden board had been penetrated.
Subsequently, Long Yufei ejected the spent cartridge and reloaded the rifle. The entire process was smooth and fluid, and anyone who didn't know better would think he had been using the 'Feiyu' rifle for a long time.
After firing five shots, Long Yufei stopped. Although he was still eager, the bullets were too scarce, and he had to conserve them! He was generally satisfied with the performance of the 'Feiyu' rifle. Although it still had a significant gap compared to the real Mauser 71 rifle, the technology they currently possessed was far from what the large German arms conglomerates had decades later. Therefore, he couldn't be too demanding!
Next, Niu Meng, Zhao Yi, and Li Hu also took turns firing a few shots. Everyone praised the performance of the 'Feiyu' rifle.
"Brother Zhao, I have a method to enhance the power of the 'Feiyu' rifle!" Long Yufei said.
"What method?" Zhao Xingkai's eyes lit up, and he immediately asked. Both he and his father were obsessed with firearms manufacturing, spending almost all their time on it.
"What is the composition of the gunpowder used in the bullets?" Long Yufei asked.
"The composition of the gunpowder? It's fifty percent saltpeter, twenty-five percent sulfur, and twenty-five percent charcoal! We have always used this ratio!" Zhao Xingkai was taken aback and then replied.
Long Yufei shook his head and said, "The key lies here! Western scientists have experimented and found the optimal formula: seventy-five percent saltpeter, ten percent sulfur, and fifteen percent charcoal!" This was the standard formula for modern black powder!
"Is that true? I'll find someone to test it immediately!" Zhao Xingkai jumped up, as he had never considered this aspect before.
"Not so fast, Brother Zhao! We can add egg whites to the gunpowder, dry it, and make it into granules. This will make the gunpowder burn more completely and increase its power!" Long Yufei continued. Granulated gunpowder burned more completely than powdered gunpowder, a basic fact in the modern world!
"Okay, Commander, I'll remember that!" Zhao Xingkai nodded repeatedly. He had no doubt about Long Yufei's words. The numerous ideas Long Yufei had proposed had been proven correct through extensive experiments!
Currently, all countries used black powder. Long Yufei wanted to use smokeless powder, but with their current technology, even if he told them the formula, they couldn't produce it! Therefore, they could only further tap the potential of black powder!
"Brother Zhao, now that we can manufacture rifles, we also need to be able to produce artillery in the future! Currently, we don't have artillery suitable for infantry, but we need to find alternatives!" Long Yufei said. The artillery of this era was generally weak, had a short range, and was very cumbersome, making it unsuitable for the jungles of Mindanao Island. Long Yufei planned to start manufacturing mortars once suitable steel for artillery was produced. This lightweight, powerful, and easy-to-operate artillery would become the main infantry support weapon for Feiyu Company's army! However, before that, the infantry also needed more powerful weapons!
"Commander, why don't we just take a few cannons from the 'Feiyu' ship?" Niu Meng suggested!
Long Yufei shook his head and said, "The cannons on the 'Feiyu' ship are too cumbersome for jungle combat!" In this era, there was a rule: the weight of a cannon was 150 times that of its shell, and the barrel length was twelve times the caliber. This made the cannons of this era very heavy, with a 4-pound cannon weighing nearly 600 pounds! Without pack horses, they couldn't follow the troops into battle. And Feiyu Company didn't even have a single horse!
"What should we do then?" Niu Meng asked anxiously.
"We can manufacture a substitute weapon. It would look something like this!" Long Yufei squatted on the beach and drew the shape of a wooden-handled grenade with a dagger.
"Fill it with gunpowder, steel balls, and iron nails. Pull the fuse and throw it with the strength of the soldiers to injure the enemy! The basic idea is this, and the firearms workshop can experiment with the manufacturing process!" Long Yufei said.
Zhao Yi and Zhao Xingkai's eyes were already shining. They looked at Long Yufei with admiration, making him a bit embarrassed!
"Commander, please rest assured, we will develop it as soon as possible!" Zhao Yi and Zhao Xingkai promised!
Niu Meng was also very excited. Any weapon that could enhance the combat capability of Feiyu Company's army made him eager to have it immediately!
"Uncle Zhao! We can send people to search for other metals on the island. One is called molybdenum, a black mineral that is soft like graphite! The other is called chromium, a white mineral! These two minerals were discovered by the West decades ago! Adding appropriate amounts of these minerals to steel can increase its hardness, making it better for manufacturing gun barrels! Another is called nickel, a silver-white, hard, and highly malleable mineral. If we want to produce suitable artillery steel, nickel is essential!" Long Yufei said. The cannons of this era were mostly made of iron or bronze, making them very heavy and prone to bursting. Using alloy steel could significantly reduce the weight of the cannons! In particular, mortars could then be manufactured!
Zhao Yi and Zhao Xingkai nodded repeatedly.
"Commander, when we get back, I'll tell my second son to find these minerals as soon as possible!" Zhao Yi said.
The new rifles, grenades, and mortars that could follow the infantry and provide fire support were the development path Long Yufei designed for Feiyu Company's army! Long Yufei believed that such infantry combat power was far ahead of the West, and even if they couldn't defeat the Western powers, they could certainly defend themselves!
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---