The shipyard had suffered minimal losses at the time, but with the workshops bombed, steel keels could no longer be provided.
Therefore, operations there were also suspended.
Hearing the sound of a motorcade outside, Li Shun and Yan Shuangying came out to greet them.
After exchanging greetings, Fang Er walked into the shipyard. The interior was spacious, with all three dry docks empty.
Standing on the wall of a dry dock, he looked at the swift river current outside and nodded with satisfaction.
They would temporarily set up workshops here.
After refitting this batch of firearms, they would then formally rebuild the workshops.
After inspecting the site, Fang Er returned to his residence. He had a few empty rooms cleared and, by evening, brought out the generator and transformer.
Three of each type of lathe were also brought out.
With these, they would have enough to refit ten thousand Skyfire troops before the spring.
The next day, Liu Meng received Fang Er's orders and brought three hundred veteran soldiers to load the machines onto vehicles and transport them to the Ba River Shipyard.
Fang Er, along with Zhao Gang and others, directed the soldiers to place the machines one by one. Several more days were spent on debugging.
"How many primers can the vocational school produce daily?"
Watching the machines run, Fang Er asked Zhao Gang.
"Reporting to Marquis, we can only produce about half a jin a day."
A single bullet requires 0.05 grams of primer. Half a jin is enough for five thousand rounds of ammunition. While it sounds like a lot, each soldier needs at least a hundred rounds as a reserve.
Ten thousand Skyfire troops would require the vocational school to work non-stop for two hundred days to meet the demand.
Fang Er frowned.
"Increase production capacity. Before the New Year, at least one hundred jin must be produced.
Find every possible way, overcome any difficulties. If you can't solve them, tell this Marquis!"
Zhao Gang looked somewhat troubled. There were less than two months until the New Year.
"Marquis, rest assured, I will complete the task."
He knew what Fang Er meant. After the New Year, in spring, the Skyfire Army would march north. This was no longer a secret for the higher-ups at Fang Family Village.
It could be said that if it weren't for winter now, with blizzards sweeping across the grasslands, the young Marquis before him would have already led his men to attack.
Fang Er nodded with satisfaction at Zhao Gang's reply.
"The vocational school will recruit students after spring. During this interim period, mobilize all available craftsmen.
If manpower is still insufficient, this Marquis will request personnel from the Ministry of Works."
Zhao Gang and the others were displeased. Although they had all come from the Ministry of Works, they did not wish to see Fang Er borrow people from the imperial court again.
"Marquis, there's no need. We can handle it."
Fang Er understood his meaning. Borrowing people would inevitably mean sharing technology. Zhao Gang and the others were well aware of how advanced Fang Family Village's technology was for the entire Great Tang.
It wasn't that they feared their techniques being learned, but rather that they feared them falling into the hands of ill-intentioned people. If that were to happen, no one could guarantee it wouldn't bring the next tribulation to Fang Family Village.
Fang Er looked at Qi Sui, who was by his side. "Mobilize the entire Guard force. No one is allowed to enter or exit freely."
Qi Sui nodded. "Marquis, rest assured. Forget people, even a fish cannot leave the waters around the shipyard without your permission!"
Hearing Qi Sui's assurance, Fang Er handed him a box of cigars. "Watch them carefully. This Marquis will return in a couple of days."
With that, he left the shipyard.
At the vocational school, Hua Niang was leading people in sewing the fabric for hot air balloons.
Upon seeing Fang Er arrive, Hua Niang stopped her work.
"Marquis, do you have any instructions?"
Fang Er nodded. "How many balloon envelopes have been sewn?"
Hua Niang raised her right hand and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Reporting to Marquis, three have already been sewn."
"Sew six more. Ten will be enough. After that, switch to making cotton-padded jackets. The current uniforms of the Skyfire Army are fine for wearing at home, but they are still a bit thin for the grasslands." Fang Er instructed.
"Yes, Marquis. This servant has noted it."
Hua Niang nodded.
After giving his instructions, Fang Er casually toured the vocational school for a while before getting up and leaving.
Upon returning home, Xiao Qing and the others had already prepared dinner.
After a simple meal, Fang Er returned to his room.
There was no other reason.
It was time for the system to refresh.
Lying on the bed, he opened the system interface and found that the items had indeed been automatically refreshed.
A whole assortment of electronic equipment: watches, mobile phones, televisions. Fang Er was utterly bewildered.
"Damn it, watches are fine, but what the hell use are mobile phones and televisions?"
Looking at the remaining items: a tape recorder, a CD player, and a rotary phone.
"What the fuck! Can anyone tell me what use these things are!"
Without tapes or CDs, were they meant to be decorative?
Flipping to the next page, fortunately, this page contained two different models of walkie-talkies, which could indeed be put to use.
The team was growing larger, and the existing walkie-talkies weren't enough. It was better than nothing.
Whether they could be used now or not, he would redeem them all at three times the price.
Having points made him so willful.
Last time, at the Ishikimi Silver Mine, he had earned five million points. Redeeming them all thrice only cost six thousand points. He didn't feel the pinch.
Refresh.
"Holy shit!"
Fang Er just wanted to shout out loud.
"Truly, holy shit!"
Shifeng.
Feicai.
Wuzheng.
Feimaotui.
Juli.
Jinwa.
Tiantong.
Tianmushan.
Debao.
Beiqi.
The first page was entirely filled with three-wheeled vehicles.
One could only say the system was truly resourceful!
Three thousand points for thirty three-wheeled vehicles. Fang Er could only say, "System God, how about thirty more?"
System: Flip it yourself. Your taste is truly questionable.
Fang Er
With an excited heart and trembling hands, he pressed the legendary "shit-yellow" button.
Refresh.
"Damn, it's blown up!"
Fang Er almost jumped up, more excited than when he had seen the ten brands of three-wheeled vehicles.
The second page was actually four-wheeled vehicles.
That's right, the four-wheeled vehicles that went "dun dun dun dun."
Agricultural tractor heads.
"Redeem! Must redeem! Whoever doesn't redeem is a son of a bitch!"
ps: Second update.