HCB Chapter 977 Watching the Scene
Chapter 977 Watching the Scene
Zhang Yunhe, smoking a cigarette, looked at the bazooka rocket launcher in the photo and said, "It's a good thing, but it's only been developed recently, and I don't know its specific performance yet. As for that flamethrower, we need to see the actual product and see it in action before we can assess whether they can actually be effective on the battlefield!"
James said, "That's easy. I can arrange for the people from the arsenal to give a live demonstration so you can experience their power firsthand!"
Zhang Yunhe considered for a moment and said, "Okay, when?"
“I know it’s not easy for you to come all this way, so let’s hurry up and head to Maryland first thing tomorrow morning, okay?” James asked.
"Okay, you arrange it!"
James was indeed very capable here. The next morning, after breakfast, James drove to the hotel to pick up Zhang Yunhe and they drove to the suburbs. At a military airport, they boarded a transport plane and flew to Maryland.
Shortly after boarding the transport plane, it took off. At first, the cabin was shaking violently, but it got much better after the flight stabilized.
Zhang Yunhe tossed a cigarette to James and said, "Looks like you have connections in the military; you can even arrange military transport planes at any time."
James remained modest, saying, "It's all thanks to old friends who gave me face!"
This flight was essentially a traverse of the entire Joker Kingdom. Even traveling on a military transport plane, Zhang Yunhe and James endured a full 15 hours, including a transfer, and finally arrived in Baltimore at midnight.
The two found a hotel in the city and checked in. The next morning, after having breakfast at the hotel, they drove to Edgewood Arsenal.
Upon arriving at the gate of the arsenal, the two underwent a rigorous inspection.
After entering the arsenal, Zhang Yunhe sat in the car and looked out the window. He said to James, "This doesn't look like an arsenal, it looks like a chemical plant!"
“You’re right, it’s actually a chemical plant. It specializes in researching and producing chemical weapons, and it has produced more than 100 million chemical munitions to date!” James said in a low voice.
He then added, "Don't wander around after you get off the bus, and don't be curious. Security is tight here, and it would be troublesome if you caused any misunderstandings!"
Zhang Yunhe nodded: "Understood!"
The car stopped in front of an office building, where a middle-aged military officer in a training uniform was already waiting.
"Oh, Baldwin, I've missed you so much! How are you?" After getting out of the car, James strode toward the middle-aged officer, and the two greeted each other and hugged tightly.
“Excellent! Look how much weight I’ve gained over the years! Oh, is this the Mr. Zhang you were talking about?” Baldwin asked.
Zhang Yunhe stepped forward and extended his hand: "Hello, Mr. Baldwin, I am Zhang Yunhe!"
Baldwin shook hands with Zhang Yunhe: "Welcome to Maryland, my friend. Let's talk in my office!"
The two then followed Baldwin into the office building.
In Baldwin's office, the three men drank coffee and discussed the current situation.
After half a mid-range shot, James said to Baldwin, "Baldwin, Zhang and I don't have much time. We have to rush to New Jersey, so you need to arrange for us to check out the effectiveness of the flamethrower. If we are satisfied with the results, we will place an order!"
"No problem, I've already prepared!"
After Baldwin finished speaking, he picked up the phone on his desk and dialed a number. "Get ready, we'll begin in 15 minutes!"
After hanging up the phone, he said to the two of them, "Let's go, I've made all the arrangements, let's go to the test site now!"
The testing ground is a special place, not inside the arsenal, but it's not far away; it only took less than 10 minutes by car to get there.
Upon arrival, the sentry checked Baldwin's credentials and then let him pass, allowing the car to drive into the test range.
A captain and two sergeants were already waiting at the edge of the test site, and three professionals wearing chemical protective suits, holding flamethrowers, and carrying fuel on their backs stood by, doing the final equipment checks.
“Lieutenant Colonel, welcome. We are ready and can begin at any time!” the captain said, saluting Baldwin.
Baldwin returned the greeting and said, "Let's begin!"
"Yes, sir!" The captain saluted again and turned to give instructions to the three professionals in hazmat suits.
The three men immediately began their demonstration. There were three bunkers a hundred meters ahead. Each of them carried a fuel tank and held a flamethrower, and they moved towards the bunkers using tactical maneuvers.
They crouched low, using various obstacles in the open space as cover as they advanced, sometimes crawling in the grass, sometimes crouching low and rushing forward quickly.
During this time, gunshots rang out continuously from the three bunkers, and bullets rained down on the three men.
Upon seeing this, Zhang Yunhe exclaimed in surprise, "They're using live ammunition?"
The captain glanced at Zhang Yunhe and nodded proudly: "Of course, how can there be pressure without live ammunition, and how can we simulate the battlefield environment?"
Zhang Yunhe nodded, then pointed to the three bunkers and asked, "Is someone firing from inside the bunkers?"
The captain shook his head: "No, there are fixed light and heavy machine guns inside the bunker, and the triggers are all tied with tow ropes that extend to the outside. There are people specifically assigned to control the firing!"
This wasn't just for show; it was real shooting, with live ammunition. A slight mistake could mean certain death, so the three professional flamethrower operators dared not slack off in the slightest.
A few minutes later, the three flamethrower soldiers finally reached the range of the flamethrowers without any serious injury and began to hide behind cover, sticking out their gun barrels to aim at the bunkers they were responsible for in various locations.
Three tongues of fire shot out one after another, and all three bunkers were on fire in an instant. The flames spread from inside the bunkers to the outside, and even the wild grass below the path of the flames caught fire, creating thick smoke.
Upon seeing this, Zhang Yunhe couldn't help but exclaim, "Truly impressive!"
James nodded and said, "I also think it's very powerful! Zhang, how many do you think we should buy?"
They've come all this way, and James went to such great lengths. The armory even sent someone to receive them and give a demonstration. They've shown a lot of sincerity. It would be really unreasonable not to buy a single one.
Zhang Yunhe thought for a moment and said, "Flame guns are not a primary weapon after all, so we can't buy them in large quantities like we would rifles, pistols, machine guns, and artillery. Besides, I don't know if they will be popular in our area. I think we should buy 300 sets first, with 5 boxes of fuel for each set, and try it out first!"
Upon hearing Zhang Yunhe's words, Baldwin and the captain both showed delighted smiles. They thought it would be quite good if Zhang Yunhe could purchase 100 sets on his first try, but they didn't expect him to purchase 300 sets on his first try, which greatly exceeded their expectations.
It's important to understand that their arsenal isn't privately owned; it relies entirely on government funding. Both managers and researchers receive fixed salaries and, under normal circumstances, have no opportunity to skim off the top.