Chapter 4

Having traveled through time for three years, Zhao Jian, through a series of intense studies, had gained a much deeper understanding of the world than most of his peers, and even more so than many adults who were concerned with international affairs.

In the history of this world, the greatest variable was the mysterious existence known as the "Ancients." They might have been the creators of a civilization on Earth, or perhaps visitors from far beyond the stars. Modern humans knew very little about them, with only some "relics" and "artifacts" showcasing their highly advanced civilization and influencing human development.

However, although these things were impressive, they were not the products of human technology and were far too advanced. Despite having a history of interaction with these artifacts for thousands of years, humans only began serious reverse engineering in the early 19th century, and progress was extremely slow. Therefore, while the technology in this timeline was somewhat higher than what Zhao Jian was familiar with, it was only in certain fields.

In terms of military equipment, apart from space warships and mechs that had replaced tanks, the main infantry weapons of major powers were still bolt-action rifles, bayonets, and hand grenades. Submachine guns had only been in use for less than 20 years. Therefore, Zhao Jian was not worried that the second-hand guns he had acquired would be unwanted.

Three days after inviting Liang Guoxiong to a banquet, Zhao Jian led his family's tea transport caravan to the Qingdao Garrison. The carts were loaded with whole sides of pork, fresh vegetables, and even crates of "shaojiao" (a type of liquor). Under the pretext of "consoling the garrison," Zhao Jian had the caravan enter the camp through the main gate with a smile.

The "godson" of Liang Guoxiong was well-known to everyone in the Qingdao Garrison. However, Zhao Jian was friendly and did not act arrogantly just because he was a wealthy young master. Therefore, he was quite popular in the camp. He smiled and greeted everyone along the way, and if anyone asked what was on the carts, he would lift a corner of the tarp to reveal the pork and liquor, and they would exchange knowing smiles.

"You little rascal, you're spending money again."

Looking at what Zhao Jian had brought, Liang Guoxiong's tone was one of scolding, but in reality, he appreciated Zhao Jian's approach. After all, they were planning to sell military supplies, and it was almost impossible to keep such a matter completely secret from the thousands of people in the garrison. Therefore, it was necessary to bribe them with good food and drink.

Liang Guoxiong gestured for his subordinates to help unload the carts and then gave Zhao Jian a meaningful look. Zhao Jian immediately understood and followed Liang Guoxiong into the depths of the camp. After a series of twists and turns, they arrived at a few warehouses, and Liang Guoxiong pointed to them.

"These are the armories. Everything is here."

As soon as Zhao Jian entered the warehouse, he saw rows of neatly arranged rifles on the shelves. Some soldiers were using hammers and axes to violently dismantle them, and the pile of gun bolts in the wooden boxes made Zhao Jian's heart ache.

"Godfather, didn't we agree that you would sell them all to me?"

"Brat, there are 1,700 rifles here, and you want to take them all!?"

"It's not that many."

Liang Guoxiong playfully tapped Zhao Jian on the head, thinking that this kid had quite an appetite. While he could use scrap metal and wooden rods to replace some of the real guns, he couldn't go overboard. The military would send inspectors, and if they found that the number of destroyed guns was off, he would be in serious trouble.

The workers in the warehouse were all Liang Guoxiong's confidants. They were mixing the dismantled rifle parts with the fake parts. The stocks contained wooden sticks, the barrels had iron rods, and various other parts were mixed with nails and screws. As long as the weight was the same, no one would notice the difference once everything was processed.

"Stupid kid, my garrison has 1,200 men, and each man gets 400 rounds of live ammunition training per year. After a few years, the rifling in these guns is almost worn out. The 500 spare rifles I'm giving you are rarely used and are mostly 70-80% new. You can get a good price for them."

"Alright! I'll try my best to sell each one for more than 10,000 francs."

Although he thought 500 rifles were still a bit few, Zhao Jian didn't want to push his godfather further. He walked over to the rows of rifles that were clearly much newer and picked one up, caressing it in his hands.

The rifle in his hands was the previous generation's standard issue rifle in the Tang Dynasty, similar in appearance to the British Lee-Enfield. It had a 10-round magazine, a bolt-action mechanism, and a very fast rate of fire, with excellent accuracy and power. One of its key features was the detachable magazine, which allowed for quick reloading.

Notably, this rifle was called the "Yonglin Type 12" in the Tang Dynasty, with Yonglin being the era name of the previous emperor. The previous era names were Huizhen, Inaba, and Kazehi, while the current era was Reimu. This made Zhao Jian both speechless and amused, wondering if the new rifles Liang Guoxiong's garrison would soon be equipped with might require coins to operate!

All 500 rifles had their serial numbers ground off by Liang Guoxiong's men using files, and they were then wrapped in old cloth bags. When Zhao Jian was ready to leave, they would be loaded onto his family's carts to avoid too many people noticing their departure from the warehouse.

"Xiao Jian, what do you plan to do with these rifles? Have you already contacted buyers?"

"Not yet! I need to go to Africa first to do some on-site research." Zhao Jian answered honestly.

"Oh, is that so... Wait a minute! You're going to Africa?"

Hearing that Zhao Jian was going himself, Liang Guoxiong's eyes widened. Zhao Jian, startled by his sudden loud voice, shrank back and then said, somewhat confused.

"Yes, what's the problem?"

"What's the problem? You're only 12 years old. Why are you going to that godforsaken place instead of staying at home? I've heard that there are even cannibals there. Are you not afraid of being cooked and eaten? I think you should leave this to Qin Bo and the others. Don't go and meddle in it!"

"Godfather, those are just rumors. It can't be that bad! I'm worried they won't understand the local situation, so I want to go and help supervise."

"Ha! You're just a kid. How can you know more than those who have traveled far and wide?"

With his forehead being poked by Liang Guoxiong's finger, Zhao Jian couldn't explain and could only laugh and try to think of a good reason.

"Godfather, I just want to go out and see the world! Look at those big families; children start getting involved in business at 11 or 12. I don't want to fall behind!"

"Hmm! You have a point. You can see the world, but there are many places to go. What can you see in Africa? The corrupt British colonies?"

"Godfather..."

"Enough! I absolutely won't agree to this. I'll contact some experienced old friends to go with you, and you stay at home and read books. If you don't give up this idea, you won't get a single rifle."

Faced with Liang Guoxiong's firm stance, Zhao Jian thought for a moment, then suddenly became serious. Liang Guoxiong glanced at his serious face and couldn't help but laugh.

"Trying to act mature? Wait until you're over 1.5 meters tall."

"Godfather, I remember your hometown is in Northeast China, right?"

"Yes, your father and I are both from beyond the Pass. We're fellow countrymen."

"I remember you both left home at 12 to seek your fortunes."

Zhao Jian's words made Liang Guoxiong suddenly recall his own journey south from the Greater Khingan Range to study. He and Zhao Jian's father, Zhao Teng, were from the same hometown. Their ancestors had moved to the Northeast, and they later returned to seek education. At 12, they left home with nothing but courage.

"That's different. Back then..."

"But the people are the same. If I stay in the Zhao family mansion all my life, I'll never become a real man. One should go out and explore, not just to see the beautiful, advanced, and modern, but also the primitive, bloody, and cruel. That can build a man's courage, and I won't regret the journey."

Zhao Jian's words made Liang Guoxiong fall silent. He hadn't expected a 12-year-old to speak with such wisdom and courage, which reminded him of his younger self. He stared into Zhao Jian's eyes for a long time, seeing no sign of backing down, and finally nodded.

"You have the makings of a man. I can agree to this, but I have one condition. I'll pick 10 men from my guard squad to go with you. They are my trusted confidants and have saved my life. They will be responsible for your safety, and you must take them wherever you go. No acting alone. Can you agree to this?"

"No problem!"

Zhao Jian readily agreed.

PS: I went out to do some errands this afternoon and just got back. I had a good state of mind this morning and will try to write another chapter around 9 PM. On the 5th, I need to go to Haicheng to pay respects to my great-grandfather, so I will pre-schedule some chapters. If there are any issues with the backend, I will make up for them when I return on the 7th.