Chapter 62: A Leap Forward

It was the first time the newly built reception hall in the old camp was used.
The tables had snow-white tablecloths and silver tableware, red carpets covered the floors, and several reproductions of oil paintings hung on the walls. The candlelight was bright.

Faced with this Chinese-style European architecture, the arms dealer spread his arms in acceptance, showing he would adapt to local customs, without criticizing or pointing out the host’s nouveau riche vibe. “It’s as if I’ve returned to my hometown in the Netherlands. Thank you very much for your hospitality.”

“Mr. Desmond, now we can discuss the plan you prepared specifically for the Xiliu Camp, right?”

Desmond found a chair to sit down and casually picked up a dining knife. “Silver. You must have many such fine items, right?”

Liu Yu knew his price would be high, but he still had some confidence. “We’re quite interested in your accessories.”

Just the magazine alone was worth the cost. Without it, Spencer’s sustained firing rate could only reach 14 rounds per minute. With it, the sustained rate could be guaranteed at 21 rounds per minute. As for burst firing, using the magazine could even reach a terrifying rate of 30 rounds per minute—though this rate couldn’t be maintained due to overheating of the barrel. As for the other accessories he brought, they could also enhance the combat strength of the Xiliu Camp to varying degrees.

Yet Desmond wore a sunny smile. “Those are just minor deals. I’m here to pitch you a customized plan.”

He was a shrewd businessman. If he acted, he aimed to make enough to last three years. He had known about the Xiliu Camp for over a year and had sent two teams to Shanxi to gather detailed information about them. All this time, he had let Deng Cunyu and Liu the Purchasing Agent make small profits.

Now it was time for Desmond to make a big profit!

Liu Yu couldn’t help but ask, “So what exactly is your plan?”

Desmond smiled. As an arms dealer, he was prepared to serve his customers thoroughly. Before doing business, he would carefully study their preferences, purchasing power, and expectations.

However, among the several arms firms in Hong Kong, his business had always been modest—not because his strategy was flawed, but due to the unspoken rules of the Eastern world: bribes.

The Qing officials who bought foreign guns and cannons all made huge profits from this. Often, they only cared about the bribes and not the quality of the weapons, storing them in warehouses afterward. Since Desmond had limited funds and couldn’t offer such large bribes, and he insisted on selling genuine goods, his business had not been satisfactory. Now, he intended to make a huge profit from this young general of the Xiliu Camp.

He stroked the crystal goblet, a tribute from the Flower Sect. “I must emphasize that Desmond’s Trading Company not only sells top-quality arms, renowned throughout the Far East, but we also customize practical procurement plans for many clients. For example, in your case…”

He was well aware of Liu Yu’s capabilities: “You currently have four infantry companies using Western tactics, but judging from the number of guns Deng Cunyu purchased from me, you’re not yet able to equip these four companies with breech-loading weapons. Moreover, your efforts to acquire arms are carried out under very unfavorable conditions…”
“In Hong Kong, a fully equipped Remington rifle can be bought for eight dollars, but here… I believe that even paying eighteen dollars, I might not be able to get a Remington rifle. And I know you’re a highly talented person. Although your military industry is still in its infancy, even the largest arms manufacturer in the Far East, the Jiangnan Arsenal, doesn’t possess the same vigor as yours.”
Liu Yu wanted to know more about Desmond’s plan: “I want to know something more direct.”
Desmond smiled gently and said elegantly, “And from what I know, you certainly won’t be limited to just four Western-style infantry companies, right?”
“Six!” Liu Yu indicated with six fingers. “I’m about to expand to six companies. I hope to get your help.”
Desmond continued to plan for Liu Yu: “I think your ambitions won’t be limited to six infantry companies. You want more troops to fight against the French, and that’s exactly what I hope to see.”
“I’ll take care of your business.” Liu Yu wasn’t sure what Desmond was trying to do. “What we need now are large quantities of rifles and ammunition.”
“I can sell them to you, at a fair price, of course,” Desmond said with a smile. “But buying arms like this is still far from your planned goals, right? What you really need are at least twelve infantry companies or more.”
“I simply don’t have the resources for so many weapons.”
As Deng Cunyu’s supplier, Desmond could arrange sufficient supplies, but breaking through the blockade to reach Shanxi was an extremely difficult task.
This time, he came to Shanxi by ship, determined to conduct arms smuggling only once before turning to more profitable businesses with the Xiliu Camp. “So, wouldn’t it be better if you could manufacture guns and bullets on your own?”
His words almost scared Liu Yu into jumping. That was nothing short of a leap forward—how could that be possible!
Given his country’s industrial level, manufacturing muzzle-loading guns wasn’t a problem, but breech-loading guns were beyond his capabilities. “That… it’s impossible.”
Desmond liked Liu Yu’s reaction—it meant business was on track. “I’ll bring you a complete set of machinery for manufacturing guns and bullets. You must have heard of Schneider, right?”
Liu Yu immediately understood Desmond’s intention—he was trying to sell him a Schneider production line.
When Liu Yu went to Deng Cunyu to buy guns, he had criticized Deng Cunyu’s Schneider rifles as the worst among foreign breech-loading guns.
But in reality, these rifles were quite good. They weren’t true breech-loading guns but a compromise used before breech-loading weapons were widely adopted by the military.

Around 1866, the British army planned to replace its rifles with breech-loading models, but it still had millions of Enfield 1853 muzzle-loading rifles in stock, and production of breech-loading rifles had not yet gotten underway. Thus, the British sought conversion plans from around the world and ultimately chose the design proposed by an American named Snider.

Snider’s design involved modifying the Enfield-style muzzle-loading rifle by cutting off the upper half of the barrel’s rear end, installing a bolt and a firing pin, and opening the bolt during loading while using the existing hammer to turn it into a breech-loading rifle. This approach allowed the use of existing muzzle-loading rifles, and converting a single muzzle-loader into a breech-loader only cost one pound.

This solution earned designer Snider a generous prize of 20,000 pounds, and the modified Snider rifles were very popular due to their low cost and good performance. Many British auxiliary troops continued to use them until the 1880s.

For Liu Yu, this conversion plan was also excellent. The Snider-style breech-loading rifles were still considered modern equipment in many Qing army units, with reliable performance. Liu Yu could use these rifles, which were inferior to Remington models, to arm his non-infantry units such as logistics, engineering, and artillery troops, as well as distribute them to auxiliary units.

“This is the most cost-effective solution—only four taels of silver are needed per breech-loading rifle!” Desmond promoted his plan to Liu Yu. “Don’t underestimate the Snider rifle; it’s a fine breech-loader, just slightly inferior to the Remington.”

Upon hearing the name Remington, Liu Yu thought of another issue: “This method sounds great, but here everything is in disarray—no workers, no equipment. How can I convert these Snider rifles?”

“It’s not conversion; it’s assembly! Assembly!” Desmond emphasized loudly. “It’s much easier than manufacturing a new rifle. I’ve already brought all the parts, including the firing pin, and we have skilled workers. Follow our instructions, and there won’t be any problems.”

Liu Yu still felt it was too ambitious to jump straight to converting muzzle-loading rifles into breech-loading ones. “I’m still worried about the quality of the work.”

In modern Chinese history, there were many such examples. The most typical was the Remington rifles produced by the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau and Tianjin Machine Factory. These two factories manufactured tens of thousands of such replicas, but while local defense forces clamored for new weapons, no one thought to use the domestically produced Remington rifles.

This was because the quality of the imitation was poor, turning those tens of thousands of Remington rifles into deadly weapons that could fire accidentally at any time. Some models overheated after firing just 15 rounds and became unusable. The most obvious sign of poor quality was that the parts produced on the same production line varied in size and were completely incompatible with each other.

Liu Yu didn’t want to be a victim of such poor quality, but Desmond reassured him: “Don’t worry! This is conversion, assembly—not manufacturing a new rifle. It’s much easier.”

“I personally modified Snider rifles in Hong Kong, with great success. This time, I bring a complete set of equipment—parts needed for modification, machinery for production, and experts who specialize in modifying machinery. I guarantee installation and the production of rifles. If I can’t produce qualified breech-loading rifles, I’ll deduct my payment from the security deposit.”

In this era, large machinery can’t be used right after purchase; it requires installation by skilled personnel. Desmond was determined to exploit Liu Yu’s resources to the fullest: “Besides this set of equipment, I also have a set for manufacturing bullets, capable of producing cartridge cases…”

For the military industry, two key aspects are crucial: the ability to produce cartridge cases in terms of ammunition, and the ability to manufacture qualified gun barrels in terms of firearms. The latter is still a long way off. For now, Liu Yu could only dream of successfully modifying Enfield 1853 front-loading rifles according to Desmond’s plan to create usable breech-loading rifles.

The ability to produce cartridge cases is extremely important. Liu Yu listened intently: “What else?”

Desmond said mysteriously, “Considering your unit’s special circumstances, I’ve specifically purchased several additional pieces of equipment.”

“Your unit will eventually have three main types of rifles—Remington, Spencer, and Snider. The rifle bullets fired by these three types are all different; some use center-fire, while others use edge-fire. But now, I’ve found a set of equipment that solves this problem for you.”

Desmond truly put in a lot of effort to develop a production line that could manufacture three different types of bullets simultaneously. He consulted technical experts until the problem was fully resolved, then brought this equipment to Shanxi to sell it.

The quality of the bullets wasn’t an issue, but the production speed of Snider bullets was only average. As for Remington and Spencer bullets, they were still new to production and could only be made in small batches. Now, he had passed this troublesome task to Liu Yu to handle.

“With this set of machines, your unit can produce complete sets of rifle bullets, including cartridge cases, except for a few key components like primer caps…”

“All the equipment, along with my technical staff, is already at the port in Shanxi, waiting for you to take delivery!”

Smuggling so many prohibited items into Shanxi this time carried enormous risks for Desmond. After all, the ship also carried some military stockpiles. He had gone to great lengths to ensure everything was in order, and it would be impossible to carry out such smuggling again.

Right now, his equipment and staff were still at the port, but as long as Liu Yu gave the go-ahead, they could start working immediately.

“I guarantee you’ll have breech-loading rifles and bullets within a month!”

Although it was still just an assembly factory, Desmond’s proposal really suited Liu Yu’s needs.

Importing military raw materials was easier than importing weapons directly. Moreover, Desmond guaranteed, “I’ll cover any quality issues with my security deposit!”

Now, only one problem remained.

Liu Yu snapped out of his excitement: “How much do you want for this plan?”

Desmond seemed to see a vast pile of gold beckoning to him: “120,000 taels of silver! That’s the lowest price.”

“Hmm.”

Demos saw Liu Yu still hesitating and said, “This is the best price possible. I can include Spencer’s accessories as a bonus.”
“Hmm.” Liu Yu picked up a snow-white towel to wipe his face. “I’m not in charge of business negotiations. You should talk to the person I’ve designated for further discussions.”
“Hmm?”
“I’ve passed the evaluation. You can proceed with the actual negotiations now.”
“By the way, you explained things very well just now. Drink more water, and please explain it again later.”
……
“This is our modification plan…”
Demos felt he had never spoken so much in his life. Every time he explained something, he had to exert great effort to succeed, and there was no room for mistakes. Up to now, he doubted whether he could lower the price enough to satisfy Xi Liu Ying.
Xi Liu Ying sent an extremely elite negotiation team, led by Jiang Ningxue, with Colonel Jeken as advisor, and Jing Shiyi, Jiang Linyang, and others as members—something Demos was grateful for.
All members of this negotiation team had knowledge of firearms, so they wouldn’t be at a loss, but Demos still had to explain everything in detail on the drawings. Sometimes they even asked highly technical questions.
At times, he had to explain very dull technical issues multiple times. He couldn’t afford to get distracted, as the other side would sharply point out flaws and use them to demand further price cuts.
The price dropped from the best possible amount of 120,000 taels to 107,000 taels, but Demos felt his opponents still wanted to push further. They were determined fighters who wanted to force him to give up more profit.
“Spencer’s accessories should be calculated separately,” Jiang Ningxue said. “We can’t mix them together.”
Jiang Ningxue had already seen through Demos’s tactics, so he had to explain, “Those are free gifts and don’t need to be calculated separately.”
Jiang Ningxue asked, “Does that include the 160 Spencer rifles and 20 Remington rifles you brought? Are those also free gifts?”
Demos had to clarify, “Of course not.”
He could tell that this negotiation team was quite impressed with his plan, and since Liu Yu had approved it, the next hurdle would be over the price.
He was confident he would win in the end, but he didn’t know how much he would have to compromise.
As the military advisor on the negotiation team, Jeken was very satisfied with Demos’s plan—it was practical, easy to implement, and could greatly enhance Xi Liu Ying’s military manufacturing capabilities.
But he was dissatisfied with the price. “Dear Demos, why did you set such a high price?”
“Look, these Snider rifles are from 13 years ago. They’re already outdated, and their performance is even worse than that of Remington rifles. In Hong Kong, a brand-new Remington rifle only costs $8!”
“You’re avoiding the cost issue. To modify a Snider rifle, we first need to obtain an Enfield. Without Enfield rifles, we can’t do anything…”
“Your price is really too high. I’ve personally checked your machinery—it’s indeed usable, but it’s all second-hand equipment. You can’t sell it to us as new products.”

He and Jing Shiyi had both been on the steam-powered cargo ship that came from Demons. He was very impressed by the various devices displayed by Demons, but he still needed to push for a lower price.

Liu Yu was still holding a Snider rifle. This type of gun was considered miscellaneous equipment in the Xiliu Camp and was generally not issued to infantry regiments but served as a self-defense weapon for non-combat units. But upon further thought, it was indeed a waste. In the Qing Dynasty’s defense forces, such guns would be standard advanced weapons, so it was far too extravagant to use them for self-defense by non-infantry units or secondary forces.

He had a grand plan that required a large number of guns, personnel, and funds, and rifles were at the top of the list. According to his estimates, by the time the Sino-French War broke out, the Xiliu Camp would need to consist of four battalions and twelve companies. Without counting auxiliary units, at least 1,400 rifles would be needed, yet currently he could only meet half of that demand.

More importantly, the Black Flag Army needed to adopt breech-loading guns. Just as in history, the Black Flag Army currently only had a few more breech-loading rifles. If things continued at this pace, by the start of the Sino-French War, they would have only a few dozen more breech-loading rifles than in history.

It was difficult! He had said he would sell even his pots and pans to get the guns, but now he didn’t even know where those pots and pans were! He could only weigh the gun in his hands and say to Luo Yanqiu, “It’s a good gun too.”

Luo Yanqiu understood what he meant. “It really is a good gun. Do you want to lend me ten to play around with?”

Liu Yu shook his head. “I don’t have money.”

He really didn’t have money—absolutely no money.

Demons’ plan was highly feasible. Once negotiations succeeded and the two sides cooperated, the Xiliu Camp could use the Enfield 1853 muzzle-loading rifles to modify into usable breech-loading guns, and they could also achieve partial self-sufficiency in bullets. More importantly, there were quite a number of Enfield 1853 muzzle-loading rifles in Tonkin. Liu Yu’s warehouse already held over a dozen of them, all captured as spoils of war. With the necessary equipment and modification kits, they could produce breech-loading guns on a continuous basis. Moreover, compared to breech-loading guns, these muzzle-loading rifles could also be purchased along the Sino-Vietnamese border.

Demons also provided a route. Through this overland route from Guangxi, Liu Yu could buy the Enfield 1853 muzzle-loading rifles he needed from the Guangxi defense forces and then use machines to modify them. Although the key components still had to be imported, starting from scratch and achieving such progress, Liu Yu felt he had reason to be proud.

The problem remained money. He wasn’t an expert in negotiations, and Jiang Ningxue and the others couldn’t persuade Demons to lower the price. 107,000 taels of silver seemed to be his bottom line.

Where could he get 100,000 taels of silver? Right now, the total funds the Xiliu Camp could mobilize were only the 35,000 taels from Jiang Ningxue, and even that wouldn’t be enough if spent entirely.

Luo Yanqiu understood Liu Yu’s worries. “Do you want us to pay a deposit?”

Liu Yu shook his head. It was just a drop in the bucket and wouldn’t solve the urgent problem.

After thinking for a while, he finally made up his mind. “I’ll go see Ningxue.”

But Luo Yanqiu, with her womanly intuition, guessed the secret. “Are you going to use your wife’s money?”

Liu Yu nodded. “I’ll see if I have any private savings.”

Hopefully, Ningxue could give me a pleasant surprise.