Chapter 52: The Beginning of Struggle

The sun rose higher and higher, and soon it was nine in the morning.

"Ding, ding, ding!"

Accompanied by the sound of metal clanking, the noisy atmosphere gradually quieted down. All eyes turned to the side of the canopy, where Kikuete, wearing a smile, stepped onto a small platform. He began, "Good morning, gentlemen!"

"First of all, welcome to those of you who have taken the time to come and observe amidst your busy schedules."

"In my view, your presence here is the greatest support for the development of Tanzania's independent military industry."

"I believe that deserves applause!"

With Kikuete's words, there were sparse claps, but Kikuete didn't mind. He continued with a faint smile, "In my view, our country is one of the most peace-loving nations in the world."

"However, there are wolves lurking around us!"

"They covet our land, our minerals, our gold, our people. They envy our rapid development in recent years!"

"And then they despicably and shamelessly launched an aggressive war, invading our land!"

At this point, Kikuete's expression turned solemn, grave, and angry. Finally, he raised his fist forcefully and shouted eight degrees louder, "But they were wrong!"

"In the face of a united Tanzania, their fate is one: failure!"

"The brave and great Tanzanians, under the correct leadership of the president and the government, thwarted their plan to carve up Tanzania. We succeeded! Victory belongs to us in the end!"

"Tanzania, forever great!"

As his words fell, thunderous applause erupted, as the performance of the Tanzanian leadership in the face of war in recent years was commendable. Even in the face of Uganda, supported by Libya, Tanzania eventually emerged victorious, driving out the enemy and even counterattacking to control enemy territory.

So the Tanzanian government's approval rating and reputation among the people were very high, and this was also a source of pride for the senior officials present who had come through the era of war.

"However, although we won the war."

"But the subsequent security issues dragged us into the quagmire of war!"

After the applause died down, Kikuete's voice turned heavy, and he said with an unusually tragic tone, "To combat the armed groups roaming our country, to prevent the neighboring countries from retaliating, we have had to expand our forces many times."

"To ensure that our soldiers have weapons, we have had to spend the hard-earned dollars we earned from selling minerals on weapons purchases, year after year!"

"And this has led to our economy stagnating in recent years, even regressing!"

Many of the high-ranking officials present nodded in agreement with Kikuete's remarks. After all, Tanzania was a backward agricultural country, and development could not be achieved without importing agricultural tools, seeds, and fertilizers from abroad.

And then, all the money was spent on weapons, leaving no money to buy these things!

At this moment.

Kikuete scanned everyone present on the stage with a thoughtful expression on his face. Then, he furrowed his brows and said, "In the past year, I have been learning from our Eastern friends, China."

"There, I saw a prosperous and thriving country, different from the China of the past. So I couldn't help but think, if we want to develop, what should we do?"

Facing Kikuete's question, some frowned in thought, some seemed slightly hopeful, and some were skeptical. After a few seconds of pause, Kikuete smiled bitterly, shook his head, and said, "Unfortunately, perhaps because of my lack of wisdom, I can't think of a better solution."

"But one thing I am sure of is that our precious dollars should not all be used to buy weapons but should be used to buy seeds, agricultural tools, fertilizers, steel, and machinery!"

"But security issues cannot be neglected either; this is the premise of national stability!"

"So, to save these military purchase dollars, we need to have our own military industry!"

"This way, we can produce a certain number of weapons ourselves!"

"We cannot rely entirely on imports!"

At this point, Kikuete changed from a pensive, confused, and hesitant expression to one of excitement, confidence, and upliftment. His voice once again rose, and he said enthusiastically, "So after returning from China, I have been pushing forward with relevant work."

"Now, our Tanzania's first independently designed and manufactured weapon, the heavy mortar, has finally succeeded!"

"Next, soldiers will demonstrate this weapon for you!"

"Its power will surely shock you!"

Hearing Kikuete's words, many faces in the canopy showed anticipation and excitement. After all, as senior officials of the country, they also hoped that the country would become richer and stronger because only with a stronger country could they seek more benefits personally!

"Clap, clap, clap!"

With enthusiastic applause, the black cloth covering the gas cylinder was pulled away!

At that moment, what appeared was a cylindrical object, nearly 1.3 meters long and at least 30 centimeters in diameter. It had a circular tail fin at the back and was overall robust. It looked like a heavy aviation bomb, painted with the Tanzanian flag!

At this moment, it no longer resembled a gas cylinder in any way!

"Damn! Isn't this too big?"

"It's completely different from what I imagined a mortar to be!"

"Oh my god! The explosive power must be incredible, right?"

"But with this size, can it really fly?"

"Haha, Kikuete's learning from China has been very effective!"

"It looks very powerful!"

Instantly, there was a buzz of discussion under the canopy, with the majority expressing astonishment and admiration. Meanwhile, General Baduke's expression turned ugly. It was clear that everyone's attitude was beginning to favor Kikuete!

At the same time, Kikuete walked over and patted the gas cylinder on the platform, saying, "Next, allow me to introduce it to you briefly."

"The ammunition of this heavy mortar can reach an astonishing fifty kilograms. Because of its better shape and more propellant, its maximum range can reach an astonishing one to two kilometers, with a minimum range of two hundred meters!"

"Because if the range is less than this, the operator will also be blown to pieces!"

Hearing this, laughter erupted in the tent, and Kikuete couldn't help but laugh and say, "Next will be a live fire test!"

Just as Kikuete finished speaking, General Baduke, sitting there, suddenly cleared his throat. Under everyone's gaze, he stood up with a frown and said, "I believe the shell of this mortar is imported from China, right?"

"If so, Kikuete, how can you say this is a weapon independently designed and manufactured by us?"

"Isn't this deceiving the president and everyone else?"

His tone became increasingly severe and ended in a rebuke. The faces of the officials in the tent also changed abruptly, and many looked at Kikuete with different expressions!