latelenovela Chapter 177 Digging a hole
Chapter 177 Digging a hole
"Hehe!" Stone scratched his head sheepishly.
"Brother Tie Niu, are my grandma and Xiao Hua alright?" After hesitating for a while, Shi Tou finally asked the question he cared about most.
"Second Grandma is still in good health, but she misses you terribly. The son Xiaohua gave birth to for you can already call you 'Daddy,' and the little guy is so robust and strong. He's much stronger than you were when you were a child. Don't worry!"
Thinking of his eldest son, whom he had never met, Shi Tou grinned foolishly.
"Brother Tie Niu, how long are you going to stay this time? You've seen how many battles they've fought so far. How are the Japanese and Russian armies faring? Can we handle them?"
"It should be by the end of the year! That's what the military has planned!"
"The Japanese and Russian armies? Heh!" Zhang Tieniu curled his lip.
"The Russian army is a complete mess in battle; they only rely on sheer numbers! Their organization is disorganized, logistics are chaotic, and the soldiers lack fighting spirit. Their weapons and tactics are outdated. I don't know how they even became one of the great powers," Zhang Tieniu said dismissively.
"As for Japan, they are clearly superior to Russia in many aspects. In particular, their junior officers and soldiers are well-trained and have a strong fighting spirit. That's about it; there's not much else to say!"
"With their equipment, if they really faced our army, I'd beat the crap out of them! Not to mention we also have... hehe!"
As a regimental-level officer, Zhang Tieniu knew many secrets within the military. He was aware of the secretly formed armored units. If those steel behemoths were to charge, who could stop them?
After rectifying the officialdom in Shandong, Shen Lian then devoted his energy to the construction of the military division.
Now, with the Laiwu Steel Plant going into operation, Shandong's steel production capacity has surged. His car factories and weapons factories no longer need steel.
This Shenlian truck is powered by a minimalist single-cylinder diesel engine. Its two-ton payload capacity immediately attracted strong interest from countries around the world upon its release.
Various countries have come to purchase it, but Shen Lian doesn't want to sell it to them yet. He'll wait until he's finished fighting the Japanese; he wants to keep them hanging for now.
After several modifications, the Leopard tank has begun finalized production, and Shen Lian expects that it will be no problem to form two armored divisions by next year.
After Shen Lian agreed to various future collaborations, production of the 150mm heavy artillery began under the guidance of Krupp engineers.
With everything progressing steadily, Shen Lian was in a very good mood. He was just waiting for the outcome of the Russo-Japanese War.
In January 1905, after capturing Lushun, the Japanese army marched towards Fengtian.
Although the Russian army still has 400,000 to 500,000 troops in the Northeast, it is clear to everyone that the Russian army's defeat is not far off.
Shen Lian also stepped up his preparations. Before that, he needed to dig a pit for the Japanese.
"Jason, my friend! Welcome back to China and for bringing me so many gifts! Thank you so much!" Shen Lian sent a telegram to Jason right after the New Year.
"Your Excellency, it is a great honor to be summoned by you!"
Jason is not the same person he was back then. Over the years, he has secured a large amount of business from Shen Lian, making him one of the most successful German businessmen in the Far East.
Her status in Germany also soared, and she attended high-society events, becoming a target of courtship among the nobility.
With his help, Shen Lian's products, such as cars, cigarettes, and lighters, successfully entered the European market. The two worked together very well.
"Jason, I have a big business opportunity right now. I wonder if you'd be interested?" Shen Lian said, tossing him a cigarette.