Chapter 31

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In the blink of an eye, it was the end of 1835. Long Yufei had been in this world for about half a year. During this half year, he not only successfully integrated into this world but also became the de facto leader of Feiyu Company. Luo Sanggu was merely a nominal leader, and in reality, all major decisions were made by Long Yufei. The high-level executives of Feiyu Company seemed to have tacitly accepted this situation. Long Yufei had already proven his capabilities through his performance and gained the recognition of the many pirates on Feiyu Island. After all, when they were braving the storms at sea, they never imagined such a day would come.

The Feiyu Company was growing rapidly every day. Almost every day, Chinese villages were joining Feiyu Company. These villages ranged from a few hundred to over a thousand people, causing the population of Feiyu City to continuously increase. The entire Feiyu City had become a bustling construction site. The originally slow progress of urban construction significantly improved with the addition of a large workforce. Perhaps in a few months, a magnificent city would appear in the northern part of Mindanao Island.

The plains outside Feiyu City had also been cultivated into many fertile fields. The climate of Mindanao Island was hot, suitable for the growth of rice and other food crops. Even though it was winter in China, planting could still be done here. As the population of Feiyu City increased, the need for land also grew. Fortunately, the area outside Feiyu City was flat, allowing for the cultivation of sufficient farmland.

The steel mill and non-ferrous metal smeltery of Feiyu Company had also expanded their scale. Now, they could produce hundreds of tons of steel and wrought iron each month, and the production of copper had increased to about twenty tons. This meant that the ammunition supply for the Feiyu Army was no longer limited. The molybdenum, chromium, and nickel mines that Long Yufei had been searching for had also been found and were now being mined. Soon, the lifespan of the gun barrels used by the Feiyu Army would be greatly improved. Most importantly, the production of steel for cannons would be secured!

The armory of Feiyu Company was now producing fifty Feiyu rifles and ten thousand bullets daily, which was sufficient to ensure the training and combat needs of the Feiyu Army. However, at Long Yufei's request, the armory director, Zhao Xingkai, was still expanding production capacity. As the Feiyu Army's control expanded and more troops were formed, the demand for weapons and ammunition would increase. It was better to prepare early than to be caught off guard in the future!

Long Yufei was very busy every day. In the morning, he worked with the blacksmiths of Feiyu Company to develop steam engines. Feiyu Company had no professional technical personnel, so they could only rely on these craftsmen. Fortunately, Long Yufei was very proficient in mechanical engineering; otherwise, it would be impossible for the blacksmiths alone to manufacture steam engines. In the afternoon, Long Yufei worked with Zhao Yi and his son to develop new weapons. The Feiyu Army currently lacked artillery to support infantry operations, which limited their ability to capture strongholds. As the new units of the Feiyu Army were about to complete their new recruit training, Long Yufei was eager to equip the Feiyu Army with artillery as soon as possible, so they could launch an offensive against the indigenous people of Mindanao.

The transportation conditions on Mindanao Island were poor, making it unsuitable for the use of heavy artillery. Therefore, Long Yufei's goal was to develop mortars. The history of mortars can be traced back to 1342. At that time, the Spanish army besieged the city of Algeciras, which was occupied by the Arabs. The Arabs set up short tubes on the city walls, with the muzzles pointing high towards the outside. They placed a package of black powder in the tubes, followed by an iron ball, and then ignited the fuse to shoot at the Spanish soldiers outside the city. This primitive cannon, known as "Mortar," can be considered the prototype of modern mortars.

The first true mortar was invented during the Russo-Japanese War in 1904 by Russian artillery captain Leonid Nikolaevich Gobyato. At that time, the Russian Empire and Japan were engaged in fierce battles over the Port Arthur. The Russian army occupied the Port Arthur fortress, and the Japanese dug trenches to approach within a few dozen meters of the Russian positions. The Russians found it difficult to use regular artillery and machine guns to kill the Japanese. Therefore, Gobyato tried to modify an old 47mm naval mortar by mounting it on a wheeled carriage and firing a long-tailed shell at a high angle. This proved effective in killing the Japanese in the trenches and repelling their attacks. The shell was long and over-caliber, weighing 11.5 kg, with a range of 50 to 400 meters and a firing angle of 45° to 65°. This emergency field artillery, called "Thunder Cannon," was the world's first mortar. However, Gobyato's mortar, which was modified from a naval mortar, had a short range and could not be disassembled into portable parts, making it inconvenient for use by small infantry units, and thus it did not gain widespread use.

It was not until World War I, with the development of trench warfare, that countries began to recognize the importance of mortars and developed various dedicated mortars based on the "Thunder Cannon." During World War II, mortars were used even more widely, and almost every country's army was equipped with this light and portable artillery suitable for infantry operations.

Mortars are mainly composed of the barrel, stand, baseplate, and sights, and can be disassembled, making them easier to transport during marches. Previously, the steel produced by the steel mill did not meet the requirements, causing the development of the Feiyu Army's artillery to stall. However, with the addition of molybdenum, chromium, and nickel to the alloy, this problem has been solved. With Long Yufei's advanced knowledge, the Feiyu Army would soon have light and portable mortars.

Long Yufei spent most of his time on research and development, and only handled other company affairs in the evenings. The company was rapidly developing, and there were many things to handle every day, often keeping Long Yufei busy until late at night.

"This can't go on. I need to find a way to distribute these tasks, or I'll be worn out!" Long Yufei stretched after finishing the last document.

"Yufei, I'm sorry, but I can't do anything to help you!" Luo Sanggu said beside him. In her youth, Luo Sanggu had supported Feiyu Island, but she was not skilled in knowledge or needlework. Seeing Long Yufei work so late every day, she felt uneasy.

"It's okay, Yuhua. Your support is the greatest help to me!" Long Yufei said, holding Luo Sanggu's hand.

Luo Sanggu struggled a bit but could not break free, so she let Long Yufei hold her, though she looked somewhat shy.

Seeing the once fearsome pirate leader now acting like a shy young woman, Long Yufei felt very satisfied and, moved by the moment, pulled Luo Sanggu into his arms.

The climate of Mindanao Island was hot, and both of them were wearing very light clothing, allowing them to feel each other's body heat clearly.

Long Yufei was 25 years old and had previously been a tech-savvy person, busy with his studies and never even touched a woman's hand, let alone gone further. Now, with a beautiful woman in his arms, he could not control himself.

There was a small bed in Long Yufei's office, used for a quick nap when he was tired. It came in handy now. Long Yufei lifted Luo Sanggu and placed her on the small bed, then pressed himself on top of her.

Luo Sanggu's face was flushed, her eyes tightly closed, like a lamb ready to be slaughtered. Of course, with her strength, she could easily have slapped Long Yufei away. However, she had already fallen for him and did not resist his advances, allowing Long Yufei to succeed.

The small bed began to creak, and under the light of the oil lamp, two intertwined shadows appeared on the wall. The guards outside the office were all driven away by Long Yufei's personal guard, Li Hu.

After the storm, Long Yufei held Luo Sanggu in his arms on the small bed, his hands roaming over her smooth body, while Luo Sanggu buried her head in his chest, unsure how to face the situation.

"Yufei, will you think I'm a bad woman?" Luo Sanggu asked, somewhat worried. After all, they had not yet married, and she feared Long Yufei would think she was a loose woman.

"How could I think that? You are a good woman, and getting you is the greatest fortune of my life!" Long Yufei said sincerely.

"But I can't do anything, I can't sew or take care of people!" Luo Sanggu said softly.

"These things don't matter. As long as we love each other, that's enough!" Long Yufei said firmly. As a modern person, he did not have the same expectations as many old-fashioned people, who required women to be obedient and not show themselves in public.

Hearing Long Yufei's heartfelt words, Luo Sanggu finally felt reassured. She completely believed him, and her heart felt as sweet as honey.

"Yuhua, I've decided. I will marry you! I'll go talk to Uncle Zhao tomorrow!" Long Yufei said suddenly.

"Ah!" Luo Sanggu was surprised.

"What? Don't you want to?" Long Yufei asked, somewhat anxious.

"No, of course I want to!" Luo Sanggu said quickly.

"Ha! That's great! I never thought I could get such a good wife!" Long Yufei laughed.

The next morning, Long Yufei went to find Zhao Yi. He had no parents, and neither did Luo Sanggu, so the marriage arrangements could only be handled by Zhao Yi and Li Decheng!

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