Chapter 60

Feng Yuxiang did not disturb the clerk; he directly looked into the display room. Inside, there were several firearms: the Committee 1888, the Mauser, and the Maxim. As an officer of the Beiyang Army, he was well aware that the strength of the Beiyang Army lay in these Maxim machine guns. In the face of the storm of metal bullets they produced, any infantry charge was a nightmare when confronted with the Maxim machine gun's onslaught. However, what surprised him the most was a box of bullets placed next to the Maxim. The box was open, and the bullets inside were different from ordinary ones.

"Pointed tips!" Shi Congyun, noticing Feng Yuxiang's gaze from the side, almost shouted in surprise.

As a qualified soldier and a grassroots commander, he was well-versed in the performance of common firearms. In this era, even in most countries, the importance of logistics was not recognized. There was no standardization of weapons in the infantry. In China, this was particularly evident. A squad of 12 people might have 12 different types of guns, ranging from old models to ordinary replicas, to the Hanyang-made rifles. The chaotic configuration and backward logistics conditions were a fundamental issue affecting the combat effectiveness of the Chinese army. It wasn't that no one had noticed; it was because of poverty. The number of guns became a key measure of one's capabilities. Just look at those bandits; they measured their strength by the number of guns they had.

The three experienced officers were very clear about the pointed-tip bullets. These were definitely original imports, specifically for machine guns. It was almost impossible to reload them, and China had no capability to produce them, relying entirely on imports.

Their knowledge of pointed-tip bullets came from the German instructors during their Beiyang training. These instructors had many complaints about the Maxim, saying that while it could use the same caliber bullets as rifles, the power was far inferior to that of pointed-tip bullets. The Maxim's formidable metal storm could not be fully utilized.

A box of 100 bullets, when used by the Maxim, might be depleted in just a few seconds. However, their value was much higher than ordinary rifle bullets, almost five times as much, and they were in short supply. Under such high prices and difficult import conditions, these bullets were rare even in the Beiyang Army, where most Maxims used rifle bullets.

"Hey, clerk, come over here!" Shi Congyun suddenly called out to a clerk passing by and asked, "How much is this Maxim?"

"Sir, 1000 yuan, including 500 rounds of bullets!" the clerk respectfully replied.

"Are they this type?" Shi Congyun asked, reaching into the bullet box and grabbing a handful of pointed-tip bullets, their unique feel making him feel intoxicated.

"Yes, all the Maxims we sell come with this type of bullet!"

"Can we buy them in bulk?"

"Well!" The clerk hesitated. In recent days, the sales at the German-American Trading Company had been very hot, mostly rifles and pistols. There were only a few orders for machine guns from the new army. The clerk, who was not involved in these transactions, was unsure. After a moment, he replied, "I think so. We always pair the Maxims with these bullets!"

The fact that all the Maxims were equipped with pointed-tip bullets clearly indicated a close relationship between the trading company and the military of the powers. Previously, they had only thought of Yang Yuanzhao as someone with resources, but they hadn't expected him to have connections with a company like the German-American Trading Company. No wonder he was so confident in inviting them.

"May I ask what you need? I can assist you!" the clerk asked, sizing up the group.

Feng Yuxiang and the others exuded a very distinctive military aura. A soldier visiting a trading company that mainly sold guns was definitely there to buy guns. Even if it was just a few, there was a significant reward. Because Yang Yuanzhao was eager to recover his capital, he planned to return to Baotou, where there were vast gold mines. In Shanghai, he needed to acquire everything he required, which would cost a considerable amount of money. The more he could buy, the better. The rewards were very high, with a 2% commission on the total amount. A foreign gun plus bullets cost nearly 100 yuan, and the average monthly wage for a worker in Shanghai was less than 8 yuan, even in good factories.

Shi Congyun looked around and said, "I'm here to find Yang Yuanzhao!"

"Yang Yuanzhao? There's no Yang Yuanzhao here. Li Yuanzhao? This is a German trading company!" the clerk said. This clerk, who spoke good English, had just been recruited and was still unfamiliar with the company, not knowing Yang Yuanzhao's position.

"Who's looking for Mr. Yang?" Habi, who happened to be passing by, heard this and walked over. The clerk immediately said respectfully, "Gentlemen, this is our general manager!"

"I'm Habi. Are you here to see Mr. Yang? He's not here right now."

"He's not here, but he invited us," Shi Congyun muttered.

Habi's eyes lit up. "You must be Mr. Feng, Mr. Shi, and Mr. Wang. Mr. Yang has entrusted me with the matter. You can discuss everything with me!"

Feng Yuxiang nodded and was led by Habi into a reception room. It was a former guest room in the mansion, with excellent ventilation and lighting. The decoration was not luxurious, just a few tables and chairs arranged for guests.

Habi said, "It's quiet here. Please feel free to speak. According to Mr. Yang's instructions, all firearms can be sold at half price."

Habi's voice was low. Half price meant the trading company would barely make a profit. If this news got out, it would be a significant blow to the German-American Trading Company's rising sales.

"Half price?" The group's eyes widened in surprise. They had seen the guns, which were definitely original German imports, and the prices in Shanghai were very high. At half price, around 35-40 yuan, it was a very good deal.

Feng Yuxiang thought to himself that this young brother was truly as good as his word, but he wondered how much loss this price would cause.

Habi, seeing their shocked faces, continued, "By the way, I forgot to mention, each rifle comes with 200 rounds of bullets, and each machine gun comes with 1000 rounds. The machine gun bullets are pointed-tip!"

In China, weapons were generally not sold with bullets, at most 10-20 rounds. 200 rounds was a significant discount, but the most crucial part was the machine gun. As a battalion commander, Feng Yuxiang deeply understood the importance of good firearms, especially machine guns. The difference between dedicated machine gun bullets and makeshift rifle bullets was enormous, affecting the machine gun's sustained firing time, shooting speed, and bullet power. Even the Beiyang Army could not afford to use dedicated machine gun bullets for all their guns, only a few elite artillerymen in the Model Third Division could use them. In a single battle, if all the bullets were used, the Beiyang Army could not sustain it.

Feng Yuxiang glanced at Shi Congyun and Wang Jinming, whose faces were also shocked. 1000 pointed-tip bullets, at two yuan per bullet, were in short supply. For experienced artillerymen, a qualified bullet might represent a medal or even a life. Pointed-tip machine gun bullets were hard currency in the Beiyang Army. At the original price of 1000 yuan, half price was 500 yuan, meaning an expensive Maxim was almost given away for free.

Feng Yuxiang had initially planned to buy only a few, but now he had a better idea. He thought for a moment and said, "We need to discuss this."

Habi nodded and said, "Please take your time."

Habi left, and Wang Jinming said, "Feng Yuxiang, we have limited funds, only 500 silver dollars. How about we buy 10 first?"

"10? That's not enough!" Shi Congyun said.

"Right, 10 guns won't make much of a difference. Such a good deal is rare!" Feng Yuxiang also remarked.

Shi Congyun and Wang Jinming had the same expression, like a glutton facing a delicious meal but unable to eat it.

The reception room was quiet. Habi had specifically instructed that no one should disturb them.

Shi Congyun suddenly had an idea, slapped his thigh, and said loudly, "Feng, I have a plan!"