Too Big a Step Risks Tearing One's Balls

Anshan Armaments Factory, underground warehouse.

This was Zhang Xueming's secret base, and the very heart of the Fengtian clique's military industry.

The air was thick with the mingled scent of machine oil and cold steel.

Zhang Xueming rubbed his hands together, exhaling a puff of white breath.

Before him was a massive blue light screen, visible only to him, its surface glittering with a dazzling array of product icons.

The Strong Army Hegemony System.

This was his greatest asset for survival.

"Eighty million Silver Dollars in startup capital, plus what I scraped together from the confiscations—all told, the liquid funds I can move are around ninety million."

Zhang Xueming stroked his chin, his eyes darting rapidly across the light screen.

Money, he had.

Feng Yong's return was also imminent.

Now, all that was left was the hardware.

His gaze finally settled on the Fighter Jet category.

Air Force, Air Force—with air but no force, that's just flying a kite.

He had to have his own flagship product.

On the light screen, rows of fighter jet icons stretched from left to right, representing different technological generations.

At the far right, a few models with sci-fi designs and violent aesthetics were practically waving at Jian Shou.

"An ME262 production line... Holy Shit, if I could pull This Thing off, wouldn't I be strutting around unchallenged?"

Zhang Xueming's heart itched.

Going straight to the jet age in one leap—just thinking about it was thrilling.

He clicked on the details to check the price.

"Points required for exchange: 5 million. Includes full engine production technology, material smelting processes..."

"Hiss..."

Zhang Xueming sucked in a sharp breath of cold air.

Expensive!

Too expensive!

His entire net worth wouldn't even cover a fraction of that.

But the real killer wasn't the points.

It was that This Thing was nowhere near the industrial level of this era to handle.

Not to mention anything else, just a single qualified engine blade required heat-resistant alloys that would stump every Scientist in the world.

Without a supporting industrial system, even with blueprints, you couldn't build it.

Forcing the exchange would only result in a pile of expensive Iron Lumps that could never take off.

"No, no—too big a step and you'll tear something."

Zhang Xueming decisively abandoned that idea.

Meals must be eaten one bite at a time, roads must be walked one step at a time.

Playing with technological gaps was fine, but you couldn't go too far, or you'd collapse on your own.

His gaze slowly retreated from right to left.

Finally, his finger landed on the icon of a biplane fighter.

[Ying Country 'Gladiator' MkI Fighter Production Line]

[Description: The pinnacle of the last-generation biplane fighters, boasting excellent maneuverability and climb rate, balanced firepower configuration, stable and reliable performance.]

[Points required for exchange: 50,000]

This price was quite affordable.

A hint of a smile curled at the corner of Zhang Xueming's mouth.

He didn't choose this plane because it was cheap.

He lightly swiped his finger across the icon.

Behind the icon, a clear tech tree immediately unfolded.

[Subsequent upgrade path one: 'Gale' Fighter. Monoplane structure, all-metal stressed skin, Rolls-Royce 'Merlin' engine... One of the strongest piston fighters of the era!]

[Subsequent upgrade path two: Carrier-based Aircraft 'East Wind'. Modified from the 'Gale' Fighter, featuring folding wings, reinforced landing gear, born to dominate the oceans!]

This was Zhang Xueming's true goal!

What he wanted wasn't just a single aircraft.

What he wanted was a complete technological pathway—one that could be continuously upgraded and iterated!

From biplane to monoplane, from land-based to sea-based.

This tech tree fit perfectly with his vision for the future Air Force and Navy.

"This is the one."

"System, exchange the 'Fighter' MkI production line, along with the complete technical blueprints for the subsequent 'Gale' and 'East Wind'."

[Exchange successful. Total cost: 150,000 points. Relevant technical materials and production equipment list have been sent to the warehouse. Please check, Host.]

As the system prompt faded, a mountain of wooden crates and thick stacks of documents materialized out of thin air in the corner of the warehouse.

Zhang Xueming clapped his hands in satisfaction.

The backbone of the Air Force was set up.

Next up—the Navy.

He walked out of the cold underground warehouse, crossed a long corridor, and entered a meeting room.

The moment he pushed open the door, a wave of air mixed with tobacco smoke and a hint of dejection hit him.

Inside the meeting room sat seven or eight men in suits and glasses.

Their faces were haggard, their eyes dim, and their suits wrinkled—none of the elite demeanor one would expect from returned overseas scholars.

At the head of the group was a middle-aged man, around forty, with a few streaks of white at his temples. The ashtray in front of him was crammed with cigarette butts.

Seeing Zhang Xueming enter, he stubbed out his cigarette, stood up, and forced a smile that looked worse than a grimace.

"Young Marshal."

"Mr. Chen, everyone, sorry to keep you waiting."

Zhang Xueming strode forward quickly and warmly shook his hand.

"The journey must have been exhausting!"

This man was the great talent he had gone to great lengths to recruit from the delegation attending the Paris Peace Conference.

Chen Houpu.

The man later hailed as the father of modern Chinese naval forces!

And the people behind him were all top graduates who had studied in Britain and America, specializing in shipbuilding, navigation, and marine engineering.