It wasn't until he and Immel Brown left Diego and embarked on the road to Elena that William Richardson quietly let go of his worries along the way. The sudden relaxation of his heartstrings made him feel the tiredness that had been building up for many days pouring out like a tide. Although he was still in a hurry, he sat in the carriage and soon fell into a short and deep sleep.

Although the 3rd Army, the 3rd Guards Army and the 1st Army of the Western Theater were fighting on the territory of the province of Enspan, basic communication between cities was still functioning. A few crowns of crown were handed over, and Imel set out on the road to Sam City for himself and the identified uncle beside him. The city of Moon, which is closest to Elena, is heavily guarded, making it difficult for people to enter. Imel chose the city of Moon as the end point of their carriage. After that, they will pass through a path known only to intelligence officers and enter Elena to complete this escort mission.

"Your name is Imel Brown?"

William Richardson, who woke up at some point, lay on the rickety carriage and looked at Immel. There was some curiosity in his eyes, after all, the main force of Gastens was still serfs, and it was not easy to meet someone with his own surname, who supported and was working for Elena.

"Well," Immel nodded, as if he knew what William wanted to ask, "I'm not a serf, I used to study in Roseville and was a student. ”

"Then why are you here?"

"Because I think communism is right", Imel does not hide his thoughts, "Gastens They released the first issue of Fluorite, which I now keep." I have read every issue of "Fluorite" carefully. I have also carefully studied Master Huni Havare's "On Capital". From my personal point of view, I believe that in this era without a Magister, communism can truly unleash the vitality of everyone in this country, and change its rotten, dark, and crumbling reality. ”

"So you're here for Elena?" , William Richardson continued. Although he has been forced to leave Roseville, he even has a wanted warrant for his name. But William Richardson still didn't consider himself a communist. He was more inclined to think of himself as a father who joined a group for his daughter than a communist.

"Yes, only there is real communism here", Imel lowered his voice as he said the word communism. Like the Third Republic, Justin began a large-scale campaign to eliminate communism from the time Elena Gastens secretly decided to rebel. From the seizure of relevant newspapers and periodicals to the arrest of any suspicious communists, almost all means have been taken out, and communism must be nipped in the bud. Although the province of Ens is one of the provinces most heavily influenced by Gastens, the long-distance carriage they rode in was relatively closed. But out of subconscious safety considerations, when two people talk about this topic, they will still control their voices and pay attention to the impact.

"True communist ......"

William Richardson repeats it, but it is difficult to understand the enthusiasm in Imer's words. He was silent for a moment, then asked.

"You know, in this situation, Elena doesn't necessarily win. If Elena loses, you might die? ”

"It's not terrible to die", Imel seems to have an answer to this question, "It's terrible not to know why you are alive." ”

William Richardson was taken aback by this statement. He looked at Imel with some surprise, he didn't expect such words to come from the mouth of such a young man.

"I didn't say it," Imel scratched his head a little embarrassed, "it's the exact words from the 19th issue of Fluorite". Speaking of this, Imel put his hand on his chest and began to recite in a very serious tone.

“…… Communism is not a game of housekeeping and play, and choosing this path means choosing personal blood, suffering, and even death. However, I think the greater sorrow lies in our ignorance and ignorance of ourselves and the world than the bitter weeping that comes with choosing the path of our own path. It is not terrible to die for the sake of communism, or for other ideals and causes, but it is terrible that we do not know why we are alive. If I had to choose between the aimless waste of my life and the cause of communism, I would definitely choose to use my limited life to paint this incomparably magnificent blueprint......"

This passage recited by Immel, William has also seen it, and even has a vague impression. However, it is absolutely impossible for him to recite it so smoothly and clearly. He looked at Immel's pious demeanor, looked at his determined gaze, and suddenly understood what Gastens had told him.

"The most powerful thing in the world is not magic and magic, nor technology or a bigger, stronger steam engine, but faith, and the cause for which faith can be fought for all its life and dedicated."

"I'm sorry, I accidentally got too involved", Imel, who had finished reciting, suddenly turned into a shy big boy again. Only at this time, the vulture and apathy in him due to his intelligence work will disappear in a very short time, releasing his own true nature.

"It's okay, it's okay", William smiled, "how do we get in when we get there?" Isn't that place locked down? ”

"It's only the main roads on the east and west sides that are blocked, and the paths on the mountains they can't block."

Imel explained, and fell silent. William nodded, and fell silent. As the short and comfortable carriage journey comes to an end, he will return to his journey, risking everything he has until he meets his daughter and Gastens.

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Just as Skye Hamm and Elliot surrounded Elena, fighting for the weapons in Gastens and the elimination of communism. In the Negru Republic on the western side of Ankenrein, the influence of Gastens is also quietly expanding.

"How's it going, old friend?"

When Taijia Bush, commander of the Eastern Front Command of the Republic of Neglo, pushed open the fragrant door of the office of the director of the National Arms Research Institute of the Republic of Neglo, his loud voice had already spread the word of his intention to visit the entire office. Tim Gray, the director of the Weapons Research Institute, who was discussing something with Atta Welsh, the director of the Small Arms Department and the inventor of the Welsh rifle, looked up, beckoned to Thaika Bush, and smiled.

"Just talking about this, you came, let's come over and have a look."

"That's a good feeling! Don't you know, we've got a lot of people killed when we got these guns......"

Unceremoniously, Tai Bush strode forward, reached out to push the two men away, and saw two steam rifles on a large black table. The barrel of one of them is engraved with the name of the Rein.

Valiant I steam rifle, produced at the Elena Steam Equipment Factory.

The other rifle, on the other hand, has the style of the Neglo Republic, which is more familiar to Tai Bush. The black steel barrel and yellow wooden butt, as well as the snow-capped mountain round badge that he was very familiar with, were carved in the center of the side of the butt, announcing the identity of the gun.

"This is our imitation", Tim Gray followed Taijia Bush's gaze and began to introduce, "This gun you brought over is very powerful, not ordinary, it is an epoch-making kind of power—"

"That's nature, you don't know how many people have died because of it. How many people did those red dogs on the other side kill with these weapons! Taijia Bush agreed, "I know it's powerful, and what I want to know is whether we can make such a powerful thing ourselves!" ”

"No, you don't know", Tim Gray and the Tai family are old acquaintances, and talk more casually, "You only know that this gun kills people, but you don't know how much it has subverted the design and thinking of steam weapons, and how much our weapon theory has changed." The direct supply of steam using compressed air instead of water vapor immediately solved the condensation problem that we had not been able to solve. And, it's—"

Seeing Tim Gray enter the research mode, Tai shrugged at Atta Wales, who was standing beside him, and fell silent. It was a quarter of an hour before Tim Gray finished his lecture. He glanced at Tai Bush, who was sitting on the sofa next to him, and then at Atta Wales, who was quietly looking at him, and laughed to himself.

"What were we talking about?"

"Commander Bush asked, can we copy this Valorant rifle."

"Oh," Tim Gray poured a glass of water for Tai House Bush, "yes, but there are still some problems." ”

"What's the problem? To what extent can it be restored? He stood up and took the replica gun on the table and began to examine it carefully.

"The material and process of the high-pressure gas cylinder of this gun is a problem, we can't make the same level of equipment, we can't guarantee the power and endurance at the same weight. However, by increasing the weight, reducing the requirements, and borrowing from the design ideas of the steam cannon, we can restore about 60% of the level. The cylinder pressure of this gun that we copied ourselves was probably enough to ensure the design of ten consecutive rounds, after which it needed to be reinflated. At the same time, we have not completely solved the problem of making small high-speed steam inflators, which take about five to seven minutes to inflate with a steam backpack. ”

"Let me think about it," said Tai, holding out his hand to signal Tim to pause, "so our own weapon can shoot ten rounds, and then it won't be used for a while, right?" ”

"Yes," replied Tim Gray briskly, "I have to admit that this place, called Elena, is ahead of us in the theory and practice of steam weapons." ”

"Ten rounds is not bad......", the Tai family was not disappointed, "as long as I can use the same skirmish tactics as the other side, I will be satisfied." The current platoon gun tactics are a dead word when they meet this kind of weapon. Extremely inflexible and powerless. The new weapons are still inferior to the other side, but at least at the same level of technology, right? ”

"It's the same generation," corrects Tim Gray, "if the front-loading steam rifle represents a great generation of steam weapons, then this rear-loaded, compressed-air steam rifle represents a new era of weapons." Any country and army that fails to catch up with this great era will pay a heavy price. ”

"Okay, okay, I know you're great, you're saving our Negru Republic," the Tai family gaged and ruined the solemn atmosphere that Tim Gray had so hard to create. He picked up his gun, strapped his backpack, and looked up expectantly.

"Where's your weapons testing ground, take me there!"

————————————————

"What about the casualties?"

Unlike his old rival, Skye Hamm isn't in a good mood. Although it was decided not to launch large-scale battles for the time being. But out of a desire for the weapons behind the mountain, after a few days of patience, he sent the 2nd Division to launch another attack, which, as before, was in vain.

Not only did they return in vain, but they also suffered heavy casualties.

"General, you can't fight like this anymore, it's a massacre to fight like this!" , the commander of the 2nd Division, Murphy Riyadh, was somewhat agitated, "the enemy's trenches and machine guns simply could not break through." Our soldiers lined up to go up to send them to death, one team went up to die and one team died, two teams went up and two teams died, and when they went up to three teams, they all blew up, and they ran everywhere, how can this be fought? ”

"Won't their machine guns be suspended for a while?" Skye Hamm was talking about the pattern they had discovered earlier. The enemy's steam machine guns, although powerful, would stop to rest after firing continuously for a while. This is a good time to charge. They had been able to grab a steam machine gun in the battle, and it was this brief interlude.

"That window of time was too short, and they staggered the rest times of the different machine guns, each time the machine guns were able to attack continuously, and we couldn't break through the enemy's lines. We have to think of something else. ”

"Something else?" Skye Hamm frowned, the steam machine gun they grabbed was the most valuable trophy right now. However, the strength of the Western Theater in terms of steam weapons is weak, and the few steam weapons experts who are at a loss for the enemy's machine guns are at a loss, "Commander Zhong is not willing to give the machine guns we captured to the people of the Weapons Research Institute." ”

"Then let's find out if there's another way to get into Elena!" Murphy Riyadh quickly picked up, "If there is, we can bypass the enemy's strongest defense front and launch a surprise attack." ”

"Do you think Gastens wouldn't know if there was such a road? Those mud legs under his command are not more familiar with this land than us? ”

Skye Hamm is not optimistic about Riyadh's proposal. But he thought about it for a few seconds before deciding to give it a try.

"I will arrange more people to find the way, and during this time, we will do a good job of blockade, and all people and vehicles will not be allowed to enter Elena. I'd like to see how he, no matter how good he is at Gastens, can conjure people and guns out of this mountain! ”