Guiding the Eastern Theater Command to New Hefei was already agreed — he'd told Liu Yiwu as much in person. Nothing more needed to be said about it.

His mind was elsewhere.

"Oh — Commander." Guo Shanni reached into her coat. "I've been told not to follow your vehicle after all. I'll wait here at the Xuyi County camp. The Command is covering my expenses directly, so—" She held out the thousand greenbacks. "This is yours."

Shen Cong took it without ceremony.

If the Command was paying her per diem, there was no reason to fund it himself. He spent freely as a rule, but a thousand greenbacks bought seven bone-gold rounds. No point in unnecessary waste.

He turned away from Guo Shanni, completed the handoff with Firewheel Trading's Ding Jikai, and got the steel cable and steel stock loaded into Great Vajra's storage compartment.

He was about to leave when something occurred to him. He turned back and waved Guo Shanni over.

"Commander."

"One task. Find out which department handles weapons sales for the Command—"

"The Equipment Development Section."

"Right. Ask the Equipment Development Section whether they can sell me howitzer shells. Price is negotiable." He climbed back into the cab and drove away.

That afternoon, the second round of transactions with Tempest Hunting Company went through — steel cable and stock delivered, and fresh intelligence on the Vulcan Cannon. The approved six-barrel rotary machine gun was priced at four thousand greenbacks. Ammunition: one hundred and twenty per round.

Shen Cong handed over every greenback he had on him and told them to buy the gun immediately, plus as many rounds as the money could cover.

By evening, Tempest delivered: one Vulcan Cannon, and four hundred rounds.

His funds had only covered a hundred. The remaining three hundred came on credit from Tempest.

"I'll get you the balance as soon as I can."

"No rush, Brother Wu. Whenever you're ready."

"Good."

That same night, Shen Cong began manufacturing components. He worked through until dawn without stopping, and by morning every piece of the rig was finished.

First light: installation…