Half a month passed in a flash.
Under Wu Liang's technical guidance, the first seamless steel pipe that met the standards was successfully manufactured.
This seemingly ordinary steel pipe represented a brand new level in the Black Rock Tribe's industrial manufacturing capabilities.
It meant they could produce boilers and pipes capable of withstanding higher pressure and temperature, as well as more precise gun barrels.
Suina, without a word, plunged into her exclusive weapon research and development room and didn't emerge for three days and three nights.
On the morning of the fourth day, a secret firing range outside the Black Rock Tribe had been cordoned off by soldiers, three layers deep.
Wu Liang, accompanied by Akomann, Ignis, and other core members, stood on a high platform, waiting with solemn expressions.
Not long after, Suina, with a few Artisans, pushed over a large object covered with a black cloth.
Suina walked up to Wu Liang and abruptly pulled back the black cloth!
It was a large, entirely black contraption fixed on a sturdy tripod.
Most striking was its thick gun barrel.
It was encased in a larger cylinder, connected by two leather tubes that led to a large iron bucket filled with water nearby.
On the side of the gun body hung a long ammunition belt, strung together with canvas and brass plates.
Hundreds of gleaming yellow bullets were neatly arranged on it, trailing down into an ammunition box on the ground.
The entire weapon exuded a cold aura.
"This is... a heavy machine gun?"
Akomann's voice was a bit dry.
"I prefer to call it the maxim heavy machine gun, or a battlefield meat grinder."
Wu Liang said indifferently, but his eyes gleamed with excitement.
Suina, flattered by Wu Liang's praise, personally walked behind the machine gun and skillfully pulled the bolt.
Then she fed the first bullet of the ammunition belt into the chamber and nodded heavily at Wu Liang.
"Begin."
Wu Liang ordered.
At the end of the firing range, about two hundred meters away.
A row of simulated fortifications made of logs and sandbags stood, with dozens of dummies dressed in worn leather armor placed behind them.
"Fire!"
At Suina's command, an Artisan beside her pressed a butterfly-shaped trigger on the machine gun's grip.
"Da da da da da da da da——!"
A muffled roar instantly tore through the morning's tranquility.
It wasn't the crisp single shot of a rifle, but a dense, continuous line of seemingly endless roars!
A visible tongue of flame spewed from the muzzle.
Innumerable gleaming yellow casings, like rain, frantically ejected from beneath the gun body, clinking and clanking as they fell to the ground.
At the distant firing range, a terrifying scene was unfolding.
The sturdy log fortifications were torn open by an invisible, giant blade, wood chips and dirt splattering everywhere, instantly ripped into huge gaps.
The dummies behind them were shattered by the dense hail of bullets, with shredded cloth and straw filling the air!
In less than ten seconds!
When the gunfire ceased, a large portion of the long ammunition belt had been expended.
And the distant firing range had been completely transformed.
The original fortifications had become a chaotic ruin.
As for the dummies, not a single intact one could be found.
The entire firing range was deathly silent.
Everyone was completely stunned by the destructive power of this maxim heavy machine gun.
They had seen volleys from heavy crossbows and massed rifle fire from Rifle Battalions.
But no weapon could inflict such efficient, terrifying destructive power!
"This... this... it's too terrifying. If we had this against the beast tide back then, it would have been nothing."
Ignis opened her mouth, her words stammering.
"I say, Suina, how many bullets did this thing fire in an instant?"
"Theoretical rate of fire, six hundred rounds per minute."
Suina's voice was extremely excited, trembling with emotion.
Even though she had personally manufactured this thing, she was now utterly surprised and delighted by its terrifying power.
It completely exceeded her expectations.
"Those ten seconds just now, at least a hundred rounds were fired."
A hundred rounds!
Akomann's heart lurched.
This meant that in those brief ten seconds, the firepower unleashed by this machine was equivalent to a hundred-man rifle squad firing a simultaneous volley!
And it only required two or three people to operate!
"How effective is the water-cooling jacket?"
Wu Liang was most concerned about the technical aspects.
"Excellent!"
Suina pointed to the leather tube leading to the water bucket.
"The immense heat generated by the gun barrel is carried away by the circulating water, turning into steam, which is then discharged through the other tube."
"Theoretically, as long as there's enough water, it can keep firing! Until it runs out of bullets!"
Keep firing!
These three words sent shivers down the spines of all the military commanders present.
It was unimaginable what a desperate sight it would be on the battlefield if the enemy's charging ranks encountered such a fire-spitting contraption head-on.
It would be a unilateral massacre!
"Wu Liang..."
Akomann turned and looked at Wu Liang.
Her eyes were incredibly complex.
Awe, fanaticism.
"Is this... what you meant by a new era of warfare?"
"No, this is just the beginning."
Wu Liang's gaze swept over the ruined firing range and looked into the distance.
"Akomann, I ask you, if you were to use an infantry battalion to assault a position defended by these machine guns, what are your chances of victory?"
Akomann fell silent.
She rapidly simulated the scenario in her mind.
Even if the infantry battalion's soldiers wore heavy armor and carried tower shields, in the face of such dense bullet rain, they would be no different from paper.
The longer the charge, the heavier the casualties.
Finally, she uttered two difficult words:
"No chance."
"Exactly."
Wu Liang nodded.
"Before it, all elites are meaningless."
"This is the logic of industrialized warfare: using steel and gunpowder to flatten all individual differences."
He turned around and faced his most elite generals:
"From today onwards, the Black Rock Tribe's philosophy of war must completely change."
"We must get used to using absolute firepower to crush our enemies, to slaughter our enemies!"
"We must make everyone who stands against us understand that opposing the Black Rock Tribe leads only to death!"
These words were full of murderous intent, sending a chill down everyone's spines.
"Suina!"
Wu Liang looked at his Chief of Military Industry.
"Here!"
"Within a month, I want to see at least twenty maxim heavy machine guns, and fifty thousand rounds of ammunition to go with them!"
"Whatever you need—people, materials—go directly to Florgloria; she will unconditionally provide for you!"
"Yes! Mission accomplished!"
Suina excitedly waved her fist.