Chapter 18: A Letter of Introduction

"My goodness, that was quite a blast, more powerful than a shell!"

Behind the low wall cover, as the explosion gradually subsided and the ringing in everyone's ears lingered, a squad leader couldn't help but exclaim in dialect.

With his voice, the others finally snapped out of their daze. The shocked expressions on their faces gradually turned into joy. They exchanged glances and stood up one after another. The old factory director was particularly excited.

"We did it! Our gas cylinder worked! Hahaha!"

Hearing the joy in the old factory director's voice, the dozen or so people behind the wall couldn't help but burst into laughter as well. They looked at the smoke gradually dispersing on the distant hillside, discussing excitedly about the gas cylinder bomb.

"I never thought this homemade explosive would be so powerful!"

"Did you see who made it? It was Xiao Wang, our factory manager! Do you think those villagers could make something this potent?"

"It seems more powerful than a medium-caliber artillery!"

"Of course! With such a big cylinder of explosive, it would be strange if it wasn't powerful!"

"Launch angle was at thirty-five degrees. I feel like if we adjust it to forty-five, it could reach two to three kilometers."

"Wow! This thing is seriously impressive!"

As the people couldn't help but discuss excitedly, workers and their families who rushed over in a panic, thinking there was an accident due to the loud noise, saw the group standing behind the cover, laughing and chatting. They were momentarily confused.

"Wang Ye, congratulations."

"You've completed the first product you designed for the factory, and its effect far exceeded expectations."

"At least for me, I didn't expect it to be this powerful."

As they stood behind the cover, Director Li smiled and handed Wang Ye a "Peony" cigarette. As Wang Ye lit it, Director Li continued, looking at the setting sun in the distance.

"But, this is just the first step."

"How to sell it is the more critical second step."

"Now that the sample has been produced and successfully tested, can you reveal the mystery you teased us with earlier?"

Hearing Director Li's words, everyone's attention was finally drawn to Wang Ye. Under their gaze, Wang Ye exhaled a puff of smoke and then smiled as he spoke:

"It's actually quite simple. In a market economy, if we aim at a certain 'demand' and produce a product to meet it, we just need to find the people who have that demand and sell our product to them."

"If they see our product and understand that it meets their needs, they will naturally pay for it."

Just as Wang Ye finished speaking, Li Director, who was also smoking, looked surprised and asked:

"So, who are they? Where are they?"

"Wang Ye, don't tell me you're planning to go to Africa. Even if I agree, Director Li won't. Without his approval and foreign exchange, you won't be able to go. Even if you do, you won't have the money. It's pointless!"

With Director Li's inquiry, Wang Ye wasn't surprised. Under everyone's gaze, he calmly replied:

"Director Li, it's not that simple. In this world, Africans are not only in Africa but may also be in China."

"I don't need to go abroad to find customers. But, I still need a little help from you—to write me a letter of introduction."

With Wang Ye's statement, Director Li's movement paused for a moment. He frowned slightly and then asked without hesitation:

"Where do you want to go? What unit?"

"Fangshan Advanced Army Academy."

"I'm going there to visit a 'friend.'"

"I believe he will be very interested in our gas cylinders."

Wang Ye's mention of Fangshan was, of course, a reference to Changshan, the place associated with Zhao Yun in the novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms." This place had undergone many changes over the centuries and had become known as something like "Stone Village" in the present day. Despite not being a particularly prominent city, it housed a well-known military academy—the Fangshan Advanced Army Academy.

The reason for its fame was simple. Because China was close to many third-world countries, many African countries liked to send officers here for further education. Over the decades, this had directly or indirectly produced countless generals and leaders for Africa, and even warlords!

Even the commanders of wars between two African countries, or commanders on both sides of a civil war, had been students here!

"Oh? Fangshan Advanced Army Academy? What are you going there for? Sounds like a military academy! Do we have foreigners in our Chinese military academies? Can he approve the purchase of gas cylinders?"

Upon hearing Wang Ye's words, Director Li, with a cigarette in his mouth, looked surprised and asked. After all, he was a local official, and with the information being so limited in this era, not knowing was normal. What was even more unexpected was that Wang Ye had already collected so much intelligence!

After a moment of silence, Director Li, with the cigarette almost burnt to the end, shook his head and asked again:

"Continue!"

"Actually, I've made it quite clear."

"Alright, before leaving Yanjing, I did a little investigation. According to what I found, Tanzania is currently mired in a state of war."

"Four years ago, their neighbor Uganda launched an aggressive war against them, and then their neighbor Libya also joined the fray, becoming a three-way war."

"Now, four years have passed. Although large-scale war has mostly ended, Tanzania, to stabilize the situation, has to station troops in countries like Uganda and Libya, which invaded them, to maintain stability."

"As a result, conflicts and wars on their territory have never stopped."

"Moreover, neither Tanzania, Uganda, nor Libya has any military industry. All weapons depend on imports, requiring a large amount of arms imports every year."

"Before the mid-1970s, we provided military support to this country."

"In recent years, military support has turned into arms exports."

Wang Ye paused here, looking at Director Li and Director Li. The two looked at each other and saw the surprise in each other's eyes because they didn't know about these things. What was even more unexpected was that Wang Ye had already collected so much intelligence!

After a second of silence, Director Li, with the almost-burnt cigarette, shook his head and said again:

"Keep going!"

Wang Ye, somewhat helpless, shrugged and continued:

"Actually, I've made it quite clear."

"Well! Before leaving Yanjing, I did some work. According to what I know, a high-ranking Tanzanian, a member of the National Defense and Security Committee, is studying at this academy."

"Through observations from various intelligence sources, I believe he is an ambitious man, with strong aspirations for future career development and maintaining Tanzanian national defense and security. So, he would definitely be interested in the gas cylinder."

"And I bet this person has the authority to decide on arms purchases!"