The cool soldier left after speaking, leaving Zhou Shu in a mess.
It was almost impossible to complete forging 500 Horse Slaying Sabers, 1000 Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Sabers, and 3000 Huben Sabers in a month.
Previously, it took three months to forge 3000 Huben Sabers for the Huben Troops.
This was already the result of working tirelessly.
If such a thing happened again, the Forging Apprentices could die from exhaustion at any time.
Not to mention, there were also 500 Horse Slaying Sabers and 1000 Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Sabers!
The difficulty of forging the Horse Slaying Saber and Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Saber was even greater than that of the Huben Saber.
All the workshops after the 36th Workshop are under my control. But that's still not possible. Zhou Shu felt helpless.
Forging weapons was not purely physical work. It was technical work!
To forge the Huben Sabers, Zhou Shu, Zhang Yibei, and the others had to work together for half a month before they could barely cooperate.
This is an important military matter. If I don't complete the mission by the deadline, I will be punished according to military law. If you want to kill me, just say so. Why are you looking for excuses?!
Zhou Shu was indignant. Meng Bai was giving him an enormous problem.
He had already mentioned military law, so Zhou Shu couldn't reject the mission now.
"I have no freedom, no freedom…" Zhou Shu snorted.
There was nothing he could do. As long as he was still a member of the Forging Division, there was no way he could escape this.
The Forging Division was the military's logistics department. Although it was an independent entity in name, Great General Meng was the commander-in-chief of the three armies of Great Xia. He had the right to ask about any matters involving the military.
The missions he assigned couldn't be rejected by even the grand minister, Yin Wuyou.
In other words, Zhou Shu had to accept this mission. If he could do it, he had to do it. Even if he couldn't, he still had to do it.
Fortunately, Meng Bai gave him an imperial sword and allowed him to use the resources of other workshops.
Otherwise, he could just wait for death.
It was impossible to complete this mission with just the 0th Workshop!
It seems like I can only start work early!
Zhou Shu sighed and called out to the foreman of the Ministry of Works. "I'll add another five hundred taels. The construction must be completed within three days!"
…
In the 97th Workshop, Xiao Zongshui was livid.
"Superintendent Xiao, do you have any other questions?" Zhou Shu said with a formal smile.
"Superintendent Zhou, handing over a thousand Huben Sabers in a month is impossible!" Xiao Zongshui gritted his teeth. He wanted to curse out loud but ultimately endured it.
Xiao Zongshui couldn't disobey Great General Meng Bai's orders, so no matter how aggrieved he felt, he had to endure it. Zhou Shu wasn't only the superintendent of the 0th Workshop, but he also represented Great General Meng.
"Is that so?" Zhou Shu restrained his smile. "If I remember correctly, the 97th Workshop provided three thousand Huben Sabers to the Huben Troops in three months.
"In that case, a thousand Huben Sabers in a month shouldn't be a problem for the 97th Workshop."
It would be a miracle if there were no problems!
Aren't you well aware of whether or not the mission can be completed?
Xiao Zongshui cursed in his heart. Back then, he had forced Zhou Shu to lead the forging mission of the Huben Sabers.
Now, Zhou Shu had been promoted, and the other Forging Apprentices who had participated in forging the Huben Sabers had been sent to the other workshops.
If Xiao Zongshui had known that this would happen, he wouldn't have split the people out in the first place.
Now, retribution had arrived!
Xiao Zongshui suppressed the anger in his heart and said in a low voice, "Superintendent Zhou, it's not good for you to use your position to get even with me for a private grudge, right?"
Zhou Shu narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Superintendent Xiao, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. If you don't want to do it, you can just say so. I'll report it truthfully to Great General Meng.
"Our Forging Division has plenty of workshops. Even without the 97th Workshop, we can still operate!"
Xiao Zongshui shivered. The Forging Division could still operate without the 97th Workshop. Then, wouldn't it be even less of a problem if it didn't have him as a superintendent?
If Zhou Shu really reported this to Great General Meng, it was hard to say what other things would happen. But as the workshop's superintendent, he would probably be done for.
"Superintendent Zhou, that's not what I meant." Xiao Zongshui felt a chill run down his spine when he thought about his tragic fate after being dismissed. He lowered his head and said, "But this mission is really difficult.
"Superintendent Zhou, you were from the 97th Workshop. Other people might not know what's going on in the workshop, but how can you not know?
"I can't even hand over a hundred Huben Sabers in a month, much less a thousand."
Xiao Zongshui had a bitter expression. He knew very well that without those who had participated in forging the Huben Sabers previously, he wouldn't even be able to hand over a single Huben Saber.
"Superintendent Zhou, can you make an exception?" Xiao Zongshui said humbly.
"Superintendent Xiao, I'm not making things difficult for you." Zhou Shu shook his head. "The secret forging formula of the Huben Saber is in the hands of the 97th Workshop. The great general asked me to be in charge of the supply of weapons. If I don't look for you, who should I look for?"
Xiao Zongshui opened his mouth. He really couldn't refute these words.
The secret forging formula of the Huben Saber was indeed the 97th Workshop's, which meant that it was in Xiao Zongshui's hands.
When Zhou Shu was still a Forging Apprentice at the 97th Workshop, Xiao Zongshui didn't take him seriously. At that time, he took the forging formula of the Huben Saber for himself and went to make a deal with Cheng Wanli.
According to the procedures of the Forging Division, the forging formula of the Huben Saber was indeed the 97th Workshop's. According to the rules of the Forging Division, even if the other workshops wanted to forge Huben Sabers, they had to obtain the authorization of the 97th Workshop and pay a certain fee.
To a certain extent, the various workshops of the Forging Division were independent of each other.
Xiao Zongshui wasn't in a position to make known his suffering. He really couldn't say that he could authorize Zhou Shu.
The Huben Saber was originally developed by Zhou Shu. How could Xiao Zongshui turn the tables and ask Zhou Shu for money?
Under other circumstances, Xiao Zongshui was indeed capable of doing so.
But now, Zhou Shu was borrowing Great General Meng's power to coordinate all the workshops' resources. If Xiao Zongshui really dared to say this, he would be dismissed from the position of the workshop's superintendent!
"Superintendent Zhou, can't I return the secret forging formula of the Huben Saber to you?" Xiao Zongshui said almost pleadingly.
"What do you mean, Superintendent Xiao? Am I the sort of person who would acquire something by trickery?" Zhou Shu said coldly with a stern face.
"Superintendent Zhou, I really didn't mean that." Xiao Zongshui was miserable. How could he have imagined that he would have to humbly explain himself to a mere Forging Apprentice one day?
Xiao Zongshui gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, "Superintendent Zhou, you were the one who developed the Huben Saber. The profits from supplying the Huben Troops should be yours. I'll get someone to deliver it to you later!"
Looking at Xiao Zongshui, Zhou Shu suddenly felt dispirited.
Back then, he had thought that he would teach Xiao Zongshui a lesson after he made a comeback.
But now that Xiao Zongshui was so meek and subservient in front of him, he didn't feel any sense of accomplishment.
To put it bluntly, Xiao Zongshui wasn't a big shot. There was no sense of achievement in bullying him.
"Since Superintendent Xiao has said so, I will reconsider it." Even so, Zhou Shu didn't reject Xiao Zongshui returning the profits from forging the Huben Sabers to him. He deserved it, so why not?
"Many thanks, Superintendent Zhou! Many thanks, Superintendent Zhou!" Xiao Zongshui thanked Zhou Shu profusely.
"Also, Great General Meng's mission has to be completed quickly. My 0th Workshop needs manpower," Zhou Shu continued. "Superintendent Xiao, help me urge Zhang Yibei and the others to transfer to the 0th Workshop as soon as possible."
"I'll do it right away!" Xiao Zongshui had no room to refuse.
Xiao Zongshui couldn't afford to offend Zhou Shu now that he had power in his hands. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to bear the consequences if Zhou Shu said anything to the great general.
"I also need your full cooperation for this mission, Superintendent Xiao. Since you, Superintendent Li Hongyuan, and the others have a good relationship, I'll have to ask you guys to help out this time.
"Don't worry. After this matter is done, I will definitely report this to the great general and heavily reward you all."
What else could Xiao Zongshui say?
Zhou Shu was strutting in borrowed plumes, but he was speaking the truth. The great general had indeed allowed him to mobilize the resources of the Forging Division workshops.
No one could refuse!
Therefore, even though they knew that Zhou Shu was taking revenge, Xiao Zongshui and the others still had to bear with it!
This was a major military matter, so they absolutely didn't dare try and go against Zhou Shu.
"Superintendent Zhou, we will naturally cooperate fully. But you are an expert and should understand that our workshops don't have the ability to independently forge Huben Sabers, Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Sabers, and Horse Slaying Sabers…" Xiao Zongshui said bitterly.
"This isn't something you should worry about." Zhou Shu shook his head. "All you need to do is listen to my orders.
"Listen to my orders. If you can't complete the mission, the responsibility is mine.
"If you don't listen to me, you will bear the responsibility yourselves if you are unable to complete the mission!
"Go tell Li Hongyuan and the others that from tomorrow morning on, all of you superintendents will come to my 0th Workshop to help out every day!"
Zhou Shu decided to let these superintendents experience the life of a Forging Apprentice!
Can't forge weapons?
It's alright. You know how to serve tea and water, right?
If you don't even know this, you know how to sweep the floor, right?
In short, all of you will get to experience it properly this month!
This is what you get for bullying Forging Apprentices!
"I'll definitely relay the message." Xiao Zongshui's attitude was very proper. He only had one thought now—he would do whatever Zhou Shu said. He couldn't let Zhou Shu catch his mistake!
"That's for the best. Hurry up and send the people over." Zhou Shu turned around and walked out.
"Don't be late tomorrow morning. I don't have a good temper.
"I have a small suggestion. Superintendent Xiao, it's up to you whether or not you want to listen to it. Forging Apprentices are also humans. Treat them slightly better. Give them less pressure and more care."
With his back to Xiao Zongshui, Zhou Shu walked farther and farther away. His voice came from afar and entered Xiao Zongshui's ears.