RPAGF Chapter 166 Full of Danger
Chapter 166 Full of Danger
"Hmm," Liu Bei gestured for the guards to remove the man's hood. When the man removed his hood, it was immediately apparent that it was Yuan Chen, the technician who had escaped from the Yuyang Arsenal.
"May I ask your honorable name, sir?" Liu Bei stepped forward and asked Yuan Chen.
As the saying goes, one cannot hit a smiling face. Seeing Liu Bei's politeness, Yuan Chen replied politely, "My surname is Yuan and my given name is Chen."
"I wonder why you, sir, have betrayed the King of Wei?" Liu Bei's question was quite pointed, directly hitting Yuan Chen's weak spot. After all, no one likes a subordinate who might betray them at any time, and Liu Bei was no exception. Someone with Yuan Chen's past record was definitely a key person to watch.
"May I ask who you are, sir?" Yuan Chen asked.
"My elder brother is the Prefect of Ba Commandery, and the Imperial Uncle Liu Bei, Liu Xuande!" Guan Yu said in a deep voice.
"Liu Huangshu?"
Yuan Chen asked in confusion, "Although Liu Bei's name isn't particularly famous, I have heard of him. Moreover, the red-faced man said that Liu Bei is just the governor of Ba Commandery. What kind of place is Ba Commandery?"
Yuan Chen didn't know much about it, only that he was in Yizhou. So he had already arrived in Yizhou. No wonder he had been traveling for so long. Moreover, on the way here, Yuan Chen felt that the scenery was completely different from that in the north.
So we've arrived in the south.
"Lord Liu, do you really think you dare to take me in?" Yuan Chen asked incredulously.
"Why wouldn't I dare? Does the King of Wei have the right to interfere in the affairs of my Ba Commandery?" Liu Bei laughed heartily.
Yuan Chen said, "Before Mr. Jian Yong brought me here, he promised that if I didn't want to stay, he wouldn't make things difficult for me. However, as payment for bringing me to the south, I will give you a copy of the latest firearms technology data of the autonomous region."
"Sir, are you really unwilling to stay?" Liu Bei asked Yuan Chen kindly. On the surface, Liu Bei seemed harmless, but he already had some murderous intent in his heart. He looked at Jian Yong, wanting to know if Jian Yong had made such a promise. He saw Jian Yong nod, and Liu Bei knew what was going on.
He tentatively asked, "If you don't want to stay, sir, I'll have someone escort you to a safe place and give you some money so you can have a good life."
"Then thank you very much, Lord Liu," Yuan Chen said.
"Then where is this document, sir? Do you need me to send someone to protect you as you retrieve it?" Liu Bei said, his words concealing a sharp edge.
“No need. All the information is in my mind. I have memorized it all.” Yuan Chen smiled confidently. He was no fool. Of course he knew what Liu Bei wanted to do. If he really didn’t have a brain, how could he have made the move to defect directly?
"Okay, that's good. I was just worried about the data being lost," Liu Bei continued kindly.
He said to Jian Yong, "Please treat Mr. Yuan Chen well and make sure he feels at home."
"Yes, my lord, I obey."
After Jian Yong led Yuan Chen away, Liu Bei's smiling face instantly darkened. He said to Guan Yu, "Yun Chang, you must keep a close eye on this man. He is key to the future advancement of our army's equipment."
"Yes, brother, Yun Chang understands," Guan Yu stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting.
Yuan Chen has fallen into Liu Bei's hands. Is there still a chance for him to escape? No one knows for sure, but many people do know that Chen Er is genuinely unhappy at this moment, but he doesn't show any further concern about the matter.
It was several months later when the intelligence department obtained this information, by which time Yuan Chen had become Liu Bei's chief military expert.
Chen Er laughed upon hearing this news and said to Guo Jia, who had already returned to Yuyang, "Fengxiao, look at this. An ordinary technician who defected from our hands has become Liu Bei's chief military expert."
"My lord, our autonomous region's technology is far ahead of other forces. Although that technician named Yuan Chen is just a worker in an ammunition factory, his understanding of firearms technology is far more advanced than that of many other forces' military industries," Guo Jia said with a smile.
Guo Jia and the others were not overly worried about Yuan Chen's defection. After all, the technology Yuan Chen took with him was not too critical. Although it could increase the rate of fire, Yuan Chen did not know the formula for the paper cartridges of the bullets. It was still too early for Liu Bei to put these technologies into actual production and popularize them in the army.
Once Liu Bei and his men were able to engage in actual combat, Chen Er and Guo Jia were confident that the autonomous region's army would be able to master more advanced firearms.
"My lord, we have reason to believe that Yuan Chen will not be of much use to Liu Bei. Liu Bei does not have a complete military-industrial complex. Even if they master the technology, they will not be able to quickly put this theoretical technology into actual production," Guo Jia said to Chen Er.
There is a consensus across the autonomous region regarding the development of industrial strength. The strength of the military is not solely reflected in its equipment and training, especially in this era of large-scale use of firearms. Money and logistics are even more important, and a strong industrial base is what truly gives the military greater strength.
"When the cannons roar, gold flows like water; this is the core of the war now," Chen Er said to Guo Jia.
"What you say is very good, my lord." Guo Jia nodded in agreement. Indeed, this is how war is now: "Just like in this war to destroy Chen, cannons played a decisive role. Hundreds of cannons of various types directly bombarded the enemy on the battlefield, making them unable to raise their heads. In less than five minutes, the entire Chen army showed signs of collapse. Although this was partly due to the Chen army's lack of sufficient advanced training, it also fully demonstrates the enormous role of cannons on the battlefield."
"However, this was also evident on the battlefield. The consumption of ammunition was enormous. According to wartime standards, each of our artillery positions had twenty spare rounds, but even that couldn't keep up with the rate at which the artillery was firing. In the end, we had to detach some artillerymen to reload their guns and continue fighting. The consumption was huge, which put a lot of pressure on logistics and also on our military budget. Every shell cost money!"
“Yes, every shell fired costs money. Without enough money, we really can’t afford such expenses,” Chen Er nodded and said.
While Chen Er and Guo Jia were discussing the matter, Liu Bei in the south ushered in his spring. He quickly put the technology brought by Yuan Chen into production, although he left Yuan Chen behind and used some underhanded methods.