Chapter 60: Li Yunlong Places an Order, Arranged!

Zhicheng City.
Lin Ran was getting ready to return.
His stay here had been quite lengthy this time, and he had thoroughly experienced a unique and distinctive atmosphere.
Inside the command post, Li Yunlong, Zhao Gang, Kong the Stubborn, and others had gathered together.
Lin Ran smiled and said, "Haha, congratulations, Commander Li! No, I should address you as Brigade Commander Li now!"
Li Yunlong's official appointment had finally come through.
To say that Li Yunlong deserved the primary credit for the capture of the Taiyue region was no exaggeration at all.
Word had it that the higher-ups were currently planning to establish the Taiyue Military District.
Of course, everyone present knew very well that the greatest contributor was none other than Lin Ran.
Li Yunlong bared his large teeth in a wide grin and said, "Hahaha, Brother Lin, stop teasing old Li!
This new uniform and rank—aren't they all thanks to your light, my brother? You might as well just keep calling me Commander Li; it sounds much more pleasing to the ear!"
Who wouldn't be happy about getting a promotion?
It wasn't that Li Yunlong was obsessed with official titles, but how did that saying go? A soldier who didn't want to become a general wasn't a good cook?
Zhao Gang also wore a joyful expression and said, "Indeed! For this battle to achieve such earth-shattering results, the primary credit goes entirely to you, sir, for your brilliant strategic planning and the superior equipment! Without your generous and formidable assistance, this victory would have been utterly impossible!"
His chair as regimental political commissar had barely warmed up before he was suddenly appointed as brigade political commissar. Such a rapid promotion was something he would never have dared to dream of.
Only Kong Jie squatted on a small wooden stool in the corner, puffing away at his old dry-tobacco pipe. The swirling smoke could not conceal the rather sour and envious expression on his face.
If Li Yunlong had truly won this heaven-shattering merit through his own genuine capability, Kong Jie would have slammed the table in admiration and rejoiced for his old comrade-in-arms.
Yet the problem was... just how much did this victory actually have to do with Li Yunlong?
Those divine and lethal weapons sent by Mr. Lin—let alone Kong Jie himself, even if you tied a... ahem, no matter whose hands they were put into, the results wouldn't have been much different!
"Dammit, you rascal Li Yunlong, you really stepped into dog-shit luck!" The more Kong Jie thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt. "If it weren't for Mr. Lin..."
Li Yunlong barked, "Kong the Stubborn, shut your trap!"
Kong Jie cursed back, "You motherfu—*&*&￥#..."
Watching the two grown men bicker like children, Lin Ran smiled and shook his head.
He didn't quite catch all of the local dialect Kong Jie used, but its profanity content was exceptionally high.
"Alright, alright!" Zhao Gang hurriedly stepped in to play the peacemaker. "Calm down, both of you! Listen to Mr. Lin talk about business!"
Only then did Li Yunlong and Kong Jie obediently shut their mouths.
Zhao Gang wore a look of utter helplessness; this stubborn mule Li Yunlong could only be kept in check by Lin Ran.
Even the division commander or the brigade commander might not always be able to handle him, but the mere mention of Mr. Lin would invariably tame this headstrong fellow.
No longer paying any attention to Kong Jie, Li Yunlong turned back to Lin Ran, showing a hint of reluctance:
"Brother Lin, are you really not staying a few more days? Old Li here hasn't even had the chance to properly show you around our new territory!"
Lin Ran smiled and shook his head. "No, there are still quite a few matters waiting for me over there."
He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over Li Yunlong, Zhao Gang, and Kong Jie.
"I specifically asked the three of you here today because there is a matter I would like to hear your thoughts on, and seek your opinions."
"Hah! Brother, you're being far too formal with that kind of talk!" Li Yunlong waved a large hand grandly, overflowing with bold spirit.
"If there's anything you need, just give the order! You point east, and old Li will never head west! There's no need to ask for opinions!"
After several major battles, Li Yunlong trusted Lin Ran implicitly, a hundred percent.
Furthermore, his admiration for him was absolute!
This was no ordinary wealthy merchant; whether it was in strategic vision or insight, he was top-notch.
Even the brigade commander could not stop praising him!
Take this time, for instance: the headquarters had just sent a telegram inquiring about anti-aircraft firepower, and Brother Lin already had over a hundred anti-aircraft guns in place.
At the time, they were simply too overjoyed to think much of it, but looking back at it now...
Such profound foresight was simply astonishing to contemplate!
Zhao Gang, being much more composed, promptly stopped Li Yunlong, saying, "Old Li! Stop interrupting! Let Mr. Lin finish what he has to say!"
Kong Jie chimed in from the side as well, "That's right! Listen to Mr. Lin!"
Lin Ran smiled and cut straight to the point. "Actually, it's nothing major. I just wanted to ask you all: how do you feel about the weapons sent previously? Have you found any shortcomings? Or perhaps..."
His piercing gaze fixed on the three men.
"What kind of new gear are you currently lacking the most and wanting the most?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the three men instantly concentrated their attention to the utmost.
This was no casual chat; it concerned the equipment in their brothers' hands and life-and-death on the battlefield!
Li Yunlong smacked his lips and spoke first, "Brother Lin, those weapons you sent are beyond reproach—they are absolute top-tier gear without a doubt!"
He paused, shifting his tone. "However... if I really have to pick out a slight flaw, it's still that same old issue: the firepower is too fierce, and our Eighth Route Army's logistics simply can't keep up!"
Kong Jie felt the exact same way and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Old Li hit the nail right on the head! Those bullets and shells are fired out like gushing water; while it's undeniably exhilarating, taking a look at our stockpile afterward makes my heart ache so much it cramps up!"
Lin Ran listened attentively and turned his gaze toward Zhao Gang.
After pondering for a moment, Zhao Gang said, "Aside from the ammunition issue, I believe there is also a certain shortcoming in terms of shooting range."
Though Zhao Gang served as a political commissar, his military expertise was by no means weak.
He analyzed, "Whether it's submachine guns or assault rifles, their effective range falls far short of traditional Arisaka rifles.
During our previous two major battles, we first used rocket launchers to stun the Japanese devils before charging in for close-quarters combat, which masked our disadvantage in range.
However, in the future, if we engage the little Japanese in conventional positional warfare or defensive battles out in open terrain, the lack of effective mid-to-long-range firepower suppression will cause us to suffer heavily!"
Once Zhao Gang finished speaking, Li Yunlong's eyes lit up. "Old Zhao, I didn't expect you to have such tactical insight. Old Li truly underestimated you!"
Kong Jie also nodded in agreement. "Indeed, what Old Zhao said makes complete sense."
If they were to fight positional battles against the little Japanese in the future, they surely couldn't use machine guns in place of regular rifles, could they?
Zhao Gang smiled and continued, "Mr. Lin, I heard that abroad there seems to be a type of rifle capable of continuous firing with decent accuracy and range? They seem to be called... semi-automatic? I wonder if you might be able to find a way to acquire some?"
A thought stirred in Lin Ran's heart.
Continuous-firing... semi-automatic rifles?
The M1 Garand?
Such a weapon did exist in his armory, though...
After pondering for a moment, Lin Ran replied, "Alright, understood. Next time, I'll strive to bring you a batch of semi-automatic rifles."
He looked around at the three men and asked, "Are there any other requirements?"
Li Yunlong rubbed his hands together, carrying a trace of hesitation and anticipation as he tentatively asked:
"Brother Lin... um... medical supplies... especially those for treating wounds and reducing inflammation, can you manage to get some of those?"
Mentioning this, the smile on his face faded somewhat.
"After these few battles, although our casualties were kept much lower than anticipated, a thousand or so of our brothers are still lying down wounded.
With a shortage of doctors and medicine, watching the brothers' wounds deteriorate makes us feel..."
Following several battles, although the Eighth Route Army did not suffer overwhelming casualties, around a thousand men were nevertheless wounded.
They were in urgent need of medical supplies!
Anti-inflammatory drugs, in particular, were literal lifesavers!
Zhao Gang and Kong Jie also immediately cast eager gazes toward him.
Lin Ran smiled and said, "Rest assured, I've already arranged for people to acquire medical supplies; it simply takes some time."
He had previously mentioned to Shen Zhiyao that he needed a large quantity of medicines, especially penicillin.
Yet such items were rather troublesome to procure, and given the massive volume Lin Ran required, even the eldest Miss of the Shen family had to follow the necessary procedures.
"That's wonderful!" Li Yunlong said, feeling immensely relieved. "With your word, Brother Lin, this heavy stone in old Li's chest can finally drop. The brothers are saved!"
He was determined not to let his comrades—who had braved countless life-and-death situations—perish not from the enemy's bullets, but rather on sickbeds due to a lack of medicine.
"Semi-automatic rifles, ammunition replenishment, and anti-inflammatory medicines..." Lin Ran summarized.
"Is there anything else...?"