MLMD -Chapter 340 Ammunition Exhausted and Supplies Depleted?

After finishing the serious matters, Yue Yang stretched lazily in satisfaction. “Then it’s settled. I’ll leave the company’s establishment to the two of you. I’ll only handle the source of the goods. Brother Zhao will manage sales, and Young Master Yun will take care of the company’s other miscellaneous affairs—things like public relations. What do you think?”

“I think that works!”

“No objections from me!”

Zhao Santong and Yun Feng both nodded. One was in charge of sales, the other of PR—these were their areas of expertise. Zhao Santong said with some emotion, “Brother Yue, Yun and I are basically getting the easy part of this. It really makes us feel a little embarrassed.”

Yun Feng nodded as well. Although Yue Yang hadn’t explained how he obtained the jadeite raw materials, in their eyes, transporting jadeite from distant Myanmar to Mingzhu must have involved countless unseen battles and bloodshed.

Yue Yang smiled faintly. Naturally, there were things he wouldn’t say. He glanced at Yun Feng, considered for a moment, then said, “Young Master Yun, I hear you have wide connections. I want to custom-order a batch of stab-proof vests. Do you have any good contacts you could introduce to me?”

“You want stab-proof vests?”

Yun Feng looked Yue Yang up and down in curiosity. “Those are sold everywhere online. You can buy as many as you want. Why come to me?”

“The stuff online isn’t very durable. I need high quality, and the quantity will be fairly large.”

Yun Feng laughed, lifted his teacup, and sniffed the aroma. “I do know a friend who runs a factory. They supply stab-proof vests and steel helmets to the military and police—top-notch quality. But they’re a big factory. If the order’s too small, they won’t bother shipping.”
In other words, if it was just dozens or a hundred sets, don’t bother—people had their pride.

The corner of Yue Yang’s mouth lifted slightly. “Of course. If the quantity’s too small, I wouldn’t dare trouble you. How about this—ask your friend for ten thousand sets first. I’ll use them for now. If they’re good, I’ll keep placing orders.”

“Pfft—”

Yun Feng sprayed all the tea in his mouth onto the floor. After a long while, he stammered, “B-Brother Yue, you… you’re not joking with me, are you? You really want… ten thousand sets of stab-proof vests? Not ten thousand condoms?”

Yue Yang shot him an annoyed look and laughed impatiently. “Why would I lie to you? Is that funny? Ten thousand condoms—do you think I’m some reincarnated sex demon? How could you even think of that? Even if I used them until I died, I wouldn’t finish them!”

Yun Feng sat there stunned for a long time before finally shaking his head. “Brother Yue, I’m truly impressed. Fine… I’ll call my friend right away.”

Zhao Santong, watching Yue Yang from the side, had his eyes spinning rapidly. This Brother Yue was becoming more and more mysterious. First, he could obtain a huge batch of jadeite raw materials, and now he wanted ten thousand sets of stab-proof vests and helmets. The implications were enormous. Stab-proof vests were protective equipment—one per person was enough. That meant only two possibilities: either he was buying them for his subordinates, or he was buying them on someone else’s behalf. Either way, it showed that this young man possessed power far beyond ordinary imagination. After all, this was ten thousand sets of stab-proof vests, not ten thousand toothpicks.

Yun Feng took out his phone and contacted his friend. The other party readily agreed, saying that a 30% deposit could be paid first, with the remainder paid upon delivery a month later.

“One month?” Yue Yang frowned and shook his head. “That’s too long. How about this—have your friend allocate three thousand sets for me first. They must be delivered within five days. The remaining sets can be delivered to my Guangyuan Trading Company’s warehouse a month later, and then my company’s finance department will transfer the payment.”

“You need them that urgently?” Yun Feng was slightly startled. Clearly, Yue Yang was in real need. He picked up the phone again and spoke with his friend. In the end, his friend agreed to reallocate three thousand sets from other orders.

After everything was settled, Zhao Santong looked at the pensive Yue Yang and asked, “Brother Yue, how long will you be staying in Mingzhu this time?”

Yue Yang sighed softly. “I’ll be leaving in five days. I don’t know when I’ll come again next time, so I’ll have to trouble Brother Zhao and Young Master Yun with the company matters.”

“So soon!” Yun Feng’s expression tightened in surprise. “Brother Yue, do you have something urgent?”

“Yes.” Yue Yang smiled bitterly. In another spacetime, his tens of thousands of troops were still facing Huang Taiji’s hundred-thousand-strong army beyond the passes. If not for the logistics crisis forcing him to come, he would never have left his army in the heat of battle to indulge himself in the modern world.

“What a pity,” Yun Feng sighed. “I was hoping to show you around properly for a while. Who knew your schedule would be so tight?”

Yue Yang sighed as well. “No need for fun. That can wait for the future. I just have too many things to do and too little time.”

Then he added, “By the way, Young Master Yun, while I’m away, please look after Xiao Lu for me. She’s alone here, not very worldly, and I can’t always be watching over her. I’ll have to trouble you with that.”

Yun Feng burst into laughter. “Haha… don’t worry, Brother Yue. Even if you didn’t say it, I’d take care of her. After all, she’s your precious darling. Oh right, Brother Yue, I’ve got quite a few good items over at my company. These next few days, why don’t you drop by? If you see anything you like, just tell me—I’ll set it aside for you!”

Seeing Yun Feng’s lewd grin, Yue Yang shook his head helplessly. Zhao Santong smiled and shook his head as well. He was long past his prime, no longer able to chase beauties, but even so, there was a hint of envy in his eyes—after all, being able to do so was a kind of blessing.

The three chatted and laughed for another half day. Around noon, they finally ended the meeting. After leaving the study, Yue Yang, as the host, took everyone to the Miluo Lai Restaurant for a lavish lunch. It wasn’t until the afternoon that they parted ways and returned home.

For five consecutive days, Yue Yang spent his days on the phone with Zhang Xiaoxiao and Liu Shengnan, urging the staff of Guangyuan Trading Company to quickly inventory the goods and check for any omissions. During those five days, he also ordered a small conveyor belt and installed it in the courtyard of his suburban villa. After finishing his daytime work, he returned to Yulong Bay each evening to dine with Xiao Lu, who waited for him like a virtuous wife, having prepared the meal in advance.

At night, the two indulged in passion together. Whether by the swimming pool, in the bedroom, the living room, or the kitchen, every place became a playground for their pleasure. On the fifth night, after Yue Yang once again sent Xiao Lu to the peak of ecstasy, the bedroom finally fell quiet.

Yue Yang lay on the bed and lit a post-coital cigarette, faint smoke curling through the room. Xiao Lu obediently crawled under the covers to carry out her usual cleanup, a warm, soft, comforting sensation filling his body. He reached out and stroked her hair a few times in approval.

After a while, having finished, Xiao Lu emerged from the covers, a faint blush still on her face. She wrapped her arms tightly around Yue Yang. He gently stroked her fragrant, slightly sweaty shoulder and smiled. “Baby, did it feel good just now?”

“Mmm…” Xiao Lu let out a sweet, soft hum through her nose, wriggling coquettishly in his arms. “You’re so bad. You knew I couldn’t take it anymore, yet you still wanted me so many times. You don’t even feel sorry for me.”

Yue Yang flicked her pert nose teasingly. “You kept shouting that you wanted it. I was just afraid you wouldn’t be satisfied.”

Xiao Lu blushed deeply, rubbing her flushed face against his chest as if she wanted to burrow into him. “Ah Yang, you’re so bad, always bullying me.”

Yue Yang stroked her unusually silky hair, a surge of indescribable tenderness rising in his heart. “You don’t like me bullying you?”

“You’re bad, you’re bad.” Xiao Lu hugged him even tighter.

Looking at the beauty acting coyly in his arms, Yue Yang found it hard to believe that just four or five days ago she had still been an innocent girl. In less than a week, under his guidance, she had transformed into a bedmate utterly infatuated with him. He couldn’t help marveling at how great a change women could undergo.

After a long while, when the beauty in his arms gradually calmed down, Yue Yang said, “Xiao Lu, I’m leaving tomorrow. Take good care of yourself while you’re here, alright?”

As soon as his words fell, he felt her body tremble slightly. In a faintly different voice, she asked, “Ah Yang, can’t you stay in the country?”

“Silly girl, I have to work.” Yue Yang gently stroked her hair to comfort her. “You know I started a jewelry company with President Zhao and President Yun. There are many things I need to handle. I can’t stay here all the time. Besides, you’ll be starting filming soon—it’ll take at least three or four months. After you finish, I’ll be back to see you. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

“But I don’t want to be apart from you. What if I don’t film anymore?” Xiao Lu pouted. She had never imagined that in just a few days she would develop such strong dependence on a man. The coquettish words she had never uttered before, and the shameless acts she once thought only “bad women” did, now came to her naturally, as if they were perfectly right.

“Silly girl, how could that be allowed?”

Feeling her attachment, Yue Yang laughed softly and scolded her, then leaned in to kiss her lips. He kissed her until her starry eyes grew hazy, her teeth bit lightly on her lower lip, her long lashes trembling, her breathing quickening, her hands roaming over his face. Only then did Yue Yang gently roll her onto her back, lean over, and thrust forward. The beauty beneath him lifted her head, a long sigh escaping her trembling lips as a feeling of immense happiness filled her heart…

The next day, 5 a.m.

In Yue Yang’s suburban courtyard, a conveyor belt hummed as it ran, empty at the moment. Yue Yang drove a small forklift and parked it beside the belt. The courtyard had been surrounded by high walls years ago, making it impossible for outsiders to see what was happening inside.

He stopped the conveyor belt, unplugged the power, and used the forklift to move it aside. He looked up at the silvery-white spacetime gate before him, then glanced around and sighed softly. Once he left, who knew how long it would be before he could return—certainly not within a few months. After all, countless matters awaited him in the other spacetime.

With no time for further reflection, Yue Yang checked all the bolts and power switches in the courtyard one last time. Then he stepped into the spacetime gate, which was emitting a gentle glow…

Chongzhen Year Ten, April 3rd

The sun climbed over the hills as usual. Wearing armor, Hu Laosan stood atop the large camp at the mouth of the valley, gazing at the Qing army slowly approaching from afar. He sighed inwardly. It was already the eighth day, and the Marquis still hadn’t emerged. The camp’s gunpowder, lead bullets, and food supplies were running low—probably only enough for half a day of fighting. If the ammunition ran out completely, the entire army would be forced to fight the Qing with bayonets.

Heavy footsteps sounded nearby. Hu Laosan glanced sideways but didn’t respond. After a moment, Wu Chengfeng’s voice sounded beside him. “General Hu, can our bullets and gunpowder last through today?”

Hu Laosan shook his head gravely. “I don’t know. It depends on the intensity of the barbarians’ attack. If it’s like before, maybe we can barely last half a day. If they go all out, we probably won’t even hold for that long.”

Wu Chengfeng snorted. “What’s there to be afraid of? If we run out of gunpowder, we still have bayonets. Worst case, we fight them to the death. Even if we all die here, we’ll have repaid the Marquis’s grace.”

Hu Laosan snorted coldly. “All you know is reckless fighting. Most of the elite of the Yingzhou Army are gathered here. If they’re all wiped out, what will happen to the Northern Route? Will Governor Hong of Datong pass up such a chance to stab us in the back?”

“Then what do you suggest? We can’t just wait to die!” Wu Chengfeng raised his voice. “The barbarians attack every day without regard for losses. Our ammunition keeps decreasing, and now even our food is running out. If we don’t make a desperate stand now, when the supplies are gone we won’t even have the strength to fight!”

“That still doesn’t mean we fight head-on!” Hu Laosan glared at him, then lowered his voice. “If it truly comes to an impossible situation, you must not cling to the fight. You must lead your men and break out quickly, returning to the Northern Route. Leave some seed for the Yingzhou Army.”

“What? You want me to be a deserter?” Wu Chengfeng’s eyes widened as he shouted angrily. “Absolutely not! The Yingzhou Army has never produced deserters. Do you want me to be ridiculed for the rest of my life?”

“Shut up!” Hu Laosan exploded, grabbing Wu Chengfeng by the collar. “This isn’t desertion—it’s enduring humiliation for a greater cause. Our ammunition is almost gone. Once the barbarians break into the valley, the best outcome is mutual destruction. And you… you still have to shoulder the responsibility of protecting the Young Madam and the Young Marquis if the Marquis doesn’t return. Otherwise, with only Yue Shunbao’s few thousand troops, they won’t be able to hold onto the territory the Marquis fought so hard to build. Do you understand?”

Wu Chengfeng’s eyes instantly reddened.

It had been eight days since Yue Yang disappeared. Ammunition was nearly exhausted, food was scarce, and yet the Qing continued their daily assaults. Their method was simple: they first drove the Mongol tribes allied with them to attack, using shield wagons and heavy shields to advance step by step, consuming the Yingzhou Army’s gunpowder. Then their own infantry and cavalry would either pin or attack. Their sole objective was to deplete the Yingzhou Army’s ammunition as much as possible.

Against such a turtle-shell formation, the best strategy would have been to launch proactive attacks and annihilate their effective forces—but breaking the shell required artillery, and artillery consumed enormous amounts of ammunition. Each cannon shot required about half a jin of gunpowder and a six- or even twelve-pound iron shell. This time, Yue Yang had brought three artillery battalions, over three hundred cannons of varying sizes and calibers. Each full salvo consumed over a ton of ammunition. The daily expenditure was staggering.

After suffering repeated losses, the Qing had learned their lesson. Under the command of Dorgon, Yueto, and Daišan, they dispersed their forces and resolutely adopted a strategy of trading casualties for the enemy’s ammunition. After seven or eight days of bitter fighting, the Yingzhou Army’s ammunition was finally nearing depletion. Without ammunition, the combat effectiveness of the twenty thousand Yingzhou musketeers would drop by more than half. With bayonets alone, they could never withstand the Manchu elites who had grown up in constant battle. Both sides understood this clearly, which was why Hu Laosan had said what he did.

The two men, both resolved to fight to the death, fell silent. Wu Chengfeng gazed at the increasingly distinct figures of the advancing army and asked softly, “General Hu, has the Marquis still not come out from the supply depot behind the valley?”

Hu Laosan shook his head bitterly. “No… Chen Zhi is guarding it with the personal guards. No one is allowed inside. And the Marquis said earlier—anyone who enters without permission will be killed without mercy.”

“Sigh… if the Marquis still doesn’t come out today…”

Wu Chengfeng didn’t finish the sentence, but both men knew that if the Marquis didn’t emerge today, the proud Yingzhou Army might truly perish in this valley beyond the passes.

“Wooo—”

As the Qing army drew nearer, a bleak horn sounded in the distance. Lines of figures advanced steadily. From atop the temporary barricade of wood and stone, the enemy’s faces were now clearly visible. The Qing army was about to launch another attack…