“Li, I recall your research into silicon materials is also quite profound!” Walker Li asked, narrowing his eyes.
“No, while I have some research, it’s certainly not profound!” Li Yuanzhe stated very cautiously, which was indeed the truth. Li Yuanzhe might be considered a silicon materials research expert, but the title of top scholar was not fitting.
“I certainly know this, but the Chinese people don’t. Moreover, I’ve heard that your people in China have a very deep obsession with Nobel Prizes. Figures like Yang Zhenning and Li Zhengdao, who have won Nobel Prizes, are exceptionally welcomed within China and are honored guests for many governments and research institutions.”
“Li, you are also a Nobel laureate, so you should receive the same treatment, right!” Walker Li said.
“Walker, what do you mean by that? If you have something to say, just say it directly,” Li Yuanzhe replied, watching Walker Li warily.
“Okay, my dear friend, I’ll tell you the truth. I am actually a member of the CIA now, though a semi-public one. My mission is to monitor the technological progress of various countries worldwide for the CIA and ensure that this progress aligns with our nation’s interests!”
“Some experts at the CIA believe it’s necessary to understand the truth about polysilicon. Therefore, if you are willing to actively extend an olive branch to mainland China and express your willingness to join the research on polysilicon, then I believe they won’t obstruct you. Instead, they will proactively deliver relevant polysilicon information to you.”
“As long as you can find a way to help us obtain this information, I guarantee that there will be no problem with your two grandsons’ universities, and I can even apply for a very substantial operational fund for you.”
“By the way, haven’t you collected the 10 million RMB prize money yet? If you go to the mainland, you can openly collect this prize money. Are you really not tempted?” Walker Li asked.
“But I cannot betray my…” Li Yuanzhe hesitated.
“Li, you are not betraying your faith. On the contrary, your work is for our free world. How do they say it in the mainland? Ah, yes, a heroic underground worker!”
——————
Li Yuanzhe ultimately did not agree to Walker Li’s request, as he felt such an action was too dangerous. If exposed, he would be ruined. Moreover, doing so would certainly cost him his public office in Taiwan Province, and his decades of hard work would vanish. Therefore, Li Yuanzhe refused.
Walker Li did not press further. In fact, Walker Li did not place much importance on this polysilicon himself. He suspected it was mostly Chinese boasting. The experts at the CIA were also likely trying to make their work seem more significant by making pronouncements.
Otherwise, why wouldn’t these experts research it themselves instead of organizing risky operations to obtain intelligence and data for him?
However, the CIA did issue a mission, prompting some American universities to begin polysilicon research. Simultaneously, not only the United States but many other countries worldwide also took notice of this polysilicon, establishing polysilicon project research groups within their own nations.
Thus, under the malevolent influence of a certain individual, the historical trajectory of graphene, which had not yet begun, was already veering off in a completely opposite direction from its intended course.
Just as Li Yuanzhe was doing his utmost to raise money for his beloved grandsons’ living expenses in the United States, Huang He arrived in Shanxi.
Do not misunderstand; Huang He was not looking to invest in the mining industry. Rather, the crew of "Drawing Sword" was currently engaged in intense filming near the ancient city of Pingyao in Shanxi.
As the first official drama to be filmed after Huang He acquired Tangren, and especially a historical drama like "Drawing Sword," Huang He was filled with curiosity.
Furthermore, Huang He had heard that the most famous scene in the history of the "Drawing Sword" television series was about to be filmed. Thus, Boss Huang took a flight and rushed to Pingyao.
Years later, although Pingyao did not develop a true film and television city, it became a well-known filming location, with many films and television dramas depicting life in northwestern China being shot there.
And the initiator of this was Huang He’s "Drawing Sword."
When Huang He arrived at the filming site, the entire crew was engaged in intense preparation work near the south gate of the ancient city of Pingyao.
At this time, the city walls of the south gate were already adorned with numerous anti-Japanese war slogans, and there was a small gate tower on the wall. Three sets of cameras were mounted on it for filming, and an actor dressed as a Japanese officer was rehearsing on the gate tower.
Meanwhile, groups of extras dressed in Eighth Route Army uniforms were running back and forth below the gate, being briefed on something under the direction of the assistant director. Simultaneously, a cannon with a significant historical weight was being slowly positioned, pulled by a tractor.
Seeing this, many would likely understand what famous scene was being filmed.
This was the battle hailed as the turning point of World War II, a great victory on the Eastern Front, the glorious assault on Ping’an County, in other words, the decisive battle of Li Yunlong’s siege of Ping’an County.
However, it was peculiar that there were actually two cannons on site. In addition to the cannon being towed out, there was another, slightly smaller cannon.
This didn't seem right. Had the Italian cannon become two?
Huang He walked over curiously, touched the barrels of both cannons, and asked a nearby crew member, “Are both of these Italian cannons?”
“Who are you… Huang, Boss Huang!” This prop manager initially seemed displeased, but upon clearly recognizing Huang He, he immediately straightened up and said, “Boss Huang, neither of these are Italian cannons?”
“Oh!” Huang He exclaimed in surprise, “Are these not the cannons being used for filming?”
“They are indeed being used for filming, but neither of these are Italian cannons. The larger one on your left is the French 1897 field gun, and the one on your right is a Japanese Type 94 mountain gun.”
Hearing this, Huang He frowned and said, “Have I not provided enough funding to the crew? Why are you not bringing in a genuine Italian cannon and instead using a French one and a Japanese one? If someone knowledgeable sees this, they’ll laugh us to death!”
Huang He was somewhat displeased. He had invested so much money precisely to strive for excellence and produce a higher quality "Drawing Sword" than the historical version. To stumble on such a significant prop as the Italian cannon was indeed disappointing.
“Boss, please listen to me. Actually, this is the Italian cannon from the original novel!” Director Chen Jian rushed over, explaining with a helpless expression.
Huang He had not informed him of his impending visit. Chen Jian, who had been preparing to film scenes on the city gate tower, had just received news that Boss Huang was visiting, causing him to rush down hastily.
“That’s impossible. How could an Italian cannon become a French one?” Huang He asked, confused.
“That’s all thanks to the middlemen!” Chen Jian said with a wry smile. “Regarding the issue of the Italian cannon, I specifically discussed it with Teacher Du Liang. He said that when he was writing the novel 'Drawing Sword,' he conducted investigations with some veteran soldiers of the PLA. They mentioned that during the fighting against the Japanese devils, the best artillery that could be captured in the Shanxi region was the Italian cannon!”
“As for the specific model of this cannon, Teacher Du Liang himself was unclear.”
“So I went to experts who specialize in World War II weaponry. They said that Italy itself did not have enough of its own artillery, so the newest artillery would not appear on the Chinese battlefield. However, Italy and Japan were Axis powers, and in the early stages of their alliance, Italy had sold a batch of artillery to Japan. Therefore, Italian cannons appearing in the Japanese army should be from this batch of artillery.”
“It’s just that the Italians had malicious intentions. The Italian cannons they sold to Japan were not actually produced by Italy itself. Instead, they were a batch of 1897 field guns that Italy had acquired from the French army during World War I. France, in order to have Italy betray the Allied Powers and join the Central Powers, specially gifted this batch of field guns to Italy.”
“Later, these cannons never fired a single shot before the war ended. These cannons were then stored in warehouses. Subsequently, when Japan joined the Allied Powers, Italy retrieved these field guns from the warehouses, replaced the original French inscriptions with Italian ones, and sold them directly as Italian goods to Japan, at full price.”
“After the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression began, the performance of these field guns could no longer keep up with the times. Even Japan’s Type A divisions disdained to use such artillery, so they were all sent to Type B divisions, and these divisions were primarily deployed to battlefields in northwestern regions like Shanxi, fighting against our army. Thus, we also captured many such cannons!”
“Seeing the Italian inscriptions on these cannons, our soldiers naturally assumed they were all produced in Italy, and thus, they began to refer to these decidedly French 1897 model field guns as Italian cannons!” Chen Jian explained.
“Actually, even this single 1897 model is quite a stretch. The number of these cannons captured on the battlefield was already limited, and later most were melted down for steel. We only managed to find a few remnants in some military universities and museums for display. After much persuasion, we borrowed them for filming the television series.”
“However, we are only allowed to borrow them for three days. They must be returned after three days, and to protect these ancient artifacts, we can only film with them, not actually use them!”
“So, I also brought this Type 94 mountain gun. When filming distant shots and wide shots, we will use the footage of this authentic Italian cannon. But when filming the final firing scene, only the rear of this Type 94 mountain gun will be shown, to substitute for the Italian cannon, as the rear of both cannons looks quite similar anyway!” Chen Jian explained the origins of both cannons.
The Italian cannons in the historical "Drawing Sword" television series were in a similar situation.
“You’ve done an excellent job. Everyone, you’ve all worked hard!” Huang He was deeply moved. It was no wonder that the historical "Drawing Sword" became an indelible gem in the history of Chinese television dramas. The filming team’s meticulous attention to detail and historical accuracy regarding a prop cannon demonstrated an pursuit of the absolute extreme.