Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 103, Section 102: Flying Over the Indochina Peninsula, Observations in Kolkata
Fang Wen parked the plane under the guidance of airport staff.

Next, I received the warmest welcome I've ever received in a domestic flight.

A large group of people, including reporters, officials, and military officers.

They surrounded a bald, middle-aged man wearing small round glasses and a Zhongshan suit.

Judging from this, Fang Wen could already guess that it was Long Yun, the King of Yunnan.

He got off the plane and shook hands with the other person.

Reporters picked up their cameras, and a burst of flashes captured photos of the two shaking hands.

Following that was Long Yun's speech.

"This is Fang Wen, the air hero who sank the Japanese cruiser Izumo. You Yunnan Army airmen should learn from him."

The officers who came with him stood at attention and shouted in unison, "We will live up to our mission."

After all that was done, the reporter left, and then it was time to get down to business.

Fang Wen repeated what he had said at Wuhan Airport, introducing the various performance characteristics of the P26 series fighter jets.

The other party will listen and then offer their own judgment.

"Since it is primarily designed for agility and mobility, it is better suited for reconnaissance, harassment, and interception. It might not be suitable for main offensive operations."

Fang Wen nodded in response: "It depends on the environment. The P26 series aircraft has high maneuverability and short range, which means that this aircraft is only suitable for army aviation. On the ocean, if this kind of aircraft deviates from its course, it will only crash into the sea."

"Then why can your plane fly to Europe?" Long Yun asked, puzzled.

"I made some modifications, adding external fuel tanks to the aircraft, so that it can maintain combat effectiveness while also being capable of offensive operations," Fang Wen explained.

"I see. Then if I buy a P-26 fighter jet and modify it with external fuel tanks, wouldn't that allow me to fly even further?"

This idea wasn't very professional, Fang Wen explained:
"I'm afraid that won't work. The P-26's design maximizes its advantages, but it's not suitable for long-range combat. If I modify it, it will only be a temporary solution. In combat, we'll need to jettison the external fuel tanks, which will also reduce the capacity to carry two aerial bombs."

Fang Wen was being somewhat reserved in his words; his Shrike's auxiliary fuel tank contained hidden mechanisms and napalm bombs, so it wasn't without bombing capabilities.

But this is his secret, and of course he won't tell outsiders.

After a conversation, the important figure left, leaving the airport officer to receive Fang Wen.

After having dinner with the other party, Fang Wen didn't chat much and directly asked them to arrange accommodation.

Inside his temporary accommodation at the airport, Fang Wen took out a telegraph machine and sent a telegram.

"We have arrived in Kunming."

Neil called back.

"You will be in contact with the embassy for the rest of your journey. Best of luck."

Fang Wen took out the telegraph book, checked the information in the first column, and then adjusted the frequency to send a telegram to Calcutta.

The other party called back.

"I'll pick you up at the airport tomorrow."

Fang Wen breathed a sigh of relief upon confirming that someone would be there to meet him in Kolkata.

Next, we waited until 8:30.

A call came in from Shanghai.

"The matter has been investigated. It was not Miss Liu's teacher who made the move. The two sides were arguing when the Japanese man suddenly fell to the ground, claiming he was attacked. That's why he was taken away by the police. We are trying to find a solution."

They were actually extorted by a Japanese businessman.

Fang Wen didn't care about the money; what he was worried about was the Japanese attacking his family.

But he couldn't go back himself, so he could only ask his wife to rescue the people first, and then he would deal with it when he returned from Europe.

He sent a reply.

"I'm about to go abroad. I'll contact you again in three days."

The reason for setting it for three days later is that the entire overseas flight is expected to take only three days. Fang Wen does not plan to call home every night to let them know he is safe. He believes he can definitely complete the entire journey.

After the telegram communication ended, Fang Wen did not go to sleep immediately this time.

Because the upcoming routes may have poor hygiene conditions, with no showers or clean drinking water, he had to make preparations.

For example: take a shower, prepare more drinking water, and bring some dry food.

The next day, Fang Wen got up early with more things in his luggage: a leather water bag and a ten-pound Yunnan ham.

According to the airport officer, these two items are essential for long-distance travel.

After putting his things into the cockpit, Fang Wen waved goodbye to the people at the airport, started the engine, and drove the plane onto the runway for takeoff.

The plane flew southwest.

We passed through dense forests and the Laotian plateau, and entered the Bay of Bengal.

During the several-hour flight, we experienced the slightly cool Yunnan and the humid Indochina Peninsula.

As we emerged from the Lao plateau, a torrential downpour occurred.

The plane continued flying despite the torrential rain, and a few minutes later the sun suddenly shone brightly, and the air became somewhat salty.

Fang Wen piloted the plane along the coastline of the Bay of Bengal and finally arrived at Kolkata Airport.

During the British Indian period, this place was the capital, and the port on the edge of the city maintained a large amount of colonial trade, so it was also very prosperous.

Fang Wen located the airport and turned on the radio.

Call in English.

There was no response from the static of the radio.

He continued to call repeatedly.

The other party finally responded.

"Shrink, please respond. We have not received your landing clearance."

What the hell is this shrinking account?
Fang Wen continued to communicate with the ground.

It took me a while to understand.

The other person's Indian-accented English pronunciation made it impossible to understand Fang Wen's words.

They misheard "shrike" as "shrink".

The two words sound similar; the former refers to a type of bird, while the latter means to contract.

After the explanation was made clear, it was finally approved.

The plane is diving downwards, preparing to land on the airport runway.

A group of dark-skinned children were shouting and running around under the plane.

When the plane landed and came to a rest area, these children actually walked through the airport's useless protective barriers, came to the runway, and surrounded the Shrike.

The children spoke in a language that Fang Wen couldn't understand at all, and stretched out their hands.

An airport staff member explained in Hindi-English.

"They are begging from you. Please give them some food, or money."

Looking at the children below, Fang Wen reached into the right-side storage compartment of the cockpit, ready to grab a handful of malt lollipops for them.

A voice appeared.

"Don't do anything kind; your kindness will not be rewarded and will only bring trouble."

Fang Wen looked down and saw another person getting off the plane.

He was wearing a white blazer, riding breeches, a beret, and leaning on a symbolic cane.

He looked exactly like a classic British aristocratic gentleman.

What the other party said makes sense.

If these children can just wander into the airport, who will protect the things on their own plane?

If we give them candy, someone might climb into the plane at night to steal things.

Fang Wen put down the malt candy stick in his hand.

He climbed down the boarding stairs and shook hands with the other person.

"Hello, I am Fang Wen."

“Hel, Calcutta cultural researcher, it’s a pleasure to meet you,”

The other party mentioned a rather strange position, but Fang Wen wasn't interested in asking any further questions. He was more concerned about the next flight.

Because he was worried about the security situation there, he decided not to leave and instead communicated with the other party under the plane.

"I'd like to go to Delhi today, is that alright?"

"Why not stay here for a day? Your expenses here can be reimbursed."

Fang Wen turned to look at the children being chased away by airport staff.

"The question is, can I leave the plane here overnight without worry?" Hull nodded. "I understand your concerns. It's alright. Although they can be cunning at times, they have a very effective hierarchy. You just need to pay a fee to hire two high-ranking security guards, and that will solve the problem."

"Noble security guard"—a strange combination of words.

Fang Wen, who came from the internet age, has figured it out.

This may be referring to India's caste system.

He asked, "Are you a Brahmin?"

Hel shook his head: "Brahmins don't do security work; it's Kshatriyas."

Then he said to the staff member who had chased the children away, "Go and call Desai and Ram here."

The staff ran away, and after a while, two men with light skin and tall stature came over.

Fang Wen asked in a low voice, "How much?"

"Do you have rupees?" Hull pulled out a local banknote, which surprisingly featured a British king's portrait.

“No, how about £1?” Fang Wen took out a small denomination banknote and handed it to Hull.

He believed this banknote was enough to pay for the two Kshatriya guards for one night.

After all, he had specifically checked the exchange rate of the pound before setting off.

Due to the depreciation of the US dollar, the current exchange rate is 1 pound to 4.2 US dollars.

Hel took the banknotes: "That's enough."

He took out a few rupees and used them to hire two Kshatriyas to watch over the plane.

The two were satisfied with the reward. One of them stayed behind while the other ran back to get two rifles. So they stood guard by the plane, each carrying a rifle.

"Don't they have to take turns guarding them?" Fang Wen asked in surprise.

"They will after we leave. Let's go, take your valuables, and get out of here," Hel replied.

Fang Wen nodded, climbed onto the plane, and took his canvas bag, water, and Yunnan ham with him.

As for those precious U.S. Treasury bonds, they were hidden in a secret location known only to him. To steal them, the entire plane would have to be completely dismantled.

If that's the case, Fang Wen will have no choice but to accept it.

The two were walking on the runway at Kolkata Airport.

Herl was very interested in the ham that Fang Wen brought.

"I've had this kind of pickled food in the Netherlands. You can slice it into very thin pieces and eat it directly."

"Really? This is called Yunnan Xuanwei ham, and it's eaten directly. Would you like some?"

“That’s great. I have a suggestion: let’s go to a restaurant and get something to eat first.”

Fang Wen hesitated.

He wasn't afraid of the harsh conditions of high-altitude flight, but he was afraid of getting sick from the food in Kolkata.

The online videos before the time travel featured extensive coverage of the various delicacies in this place.

It was precisely because of that concern that he brought his own food and water to complete the flight.

However, Fang Wen accepted the other party's earnest invitation.

He was taken by Hull to a building outside the airport that looked like a temple.

Many people were eating inside, sitting on the floor, grabbing food from their plates with their hands, and talking loudly as they ate. Fang Wen could even see the spittle flying out of their mouths as they spoke.

"No, I'm not used to the food here," Fang Wen said decisively.

"That's such a pity, the food here is delicious," Hel said regretfully.

"I'm just asking you, will it cause diarrhea?" Fang Wen asked directly.

Hel thought for a moment, seemingly recalling some unpleasant memory: "Oh, okay, we won't eat here."

"I'm not eating at any of these places, I'm going back now. If you'd like, I can treat you to ham and other things."

Ultimately, Hel accepted Fang Wen's suggestion.

He took Fang Wen back to the airport and arranged accommodation for him.

The interior was fairly clean, but there were two downsides: it was quite hot and there were a lot of flies.

After closing the doors and windows, Fang Wen took out the food from the canvas bag.

It has Chongqing-style broad beans with a unique flavor and Hechuan peach slices.

There are Shanghai-style pastries: flaky pastries.

Fang Wen had other food in his pocket, but he wouldn't take it all out.

To ensure food hygiene, he gave half of the food to Hel and used his own knife to cut two long strips from the Yunnan ham.

Pastries and snacks, along with Yunnan ham and pork strips, will serve as tonight's dinner.

After finishing Fang Wenfen's food, Herl suddenly sighed.

"I'm homesick."

"Why?" Fang Wen asked.

“The fried fish at home is so delicious, I haven’t had it in ages. And I’m tired of this job,” Hull explained.

Fang Wen mentally assessed him: He was a very monotonous and boring old-fashioned Englishman.

In preparation for his trip to Europe, Fang Wen planned to have more exchanges with this person.

He then sliced ​​two more pieces of ham, one for each person.

"Hel, aren't you afraid of war breaking out if you go back?"

"War? We just ended a world war, how could another war break out?" Hull asked in surprise.

Perhaps his reaction reflects the common perception among Europeans today.

World War I was only 15 years ago. Fifteen years is not enough time to heal the wounds of war. How could another war break out?

Fang Wen continued the conversation.

"Because of the economic crisis? All the countries in Europe are doing badly right now, and war is the fastest way to solve the problem."

Hull shook his head firmly: "You don't understand Europe. The economic crisis is only temporary. We in the Commonwealth have plenty of resources to deal with this crisis. The same goes for France; their previous overseas investments have yielded substantial returns. The Weimar Republic is also about to emerge from its economic slump; it's said that their unemployment rate has already risen this year."

Such a firm judgment made Fang Wen decide not to continue the conversation and move on to the next topic.

Have you heard of penicillin?

"never heard of that."

At this point, Fang Wen lost interest in talking to the other party.

He politely got up to see Hel out, ending the conversation.

It's time to contact Delhi.

Fang Wen took out the transmitter, adjusted the frequency, and sent a message to Delhi.

The other party replied on time, confirming the flight itinerary for tomorrow.

Having finished what needed to be done, and with nothing to relax in this dull place, it's time to rest.

He took a blanket from his canvas bag, spread it on the wooden bed, and fell asleep fully clothed.

It has a hot subtropical climate, is located by the sea, and is a densely populated city.

This means that it will be a hot night, and there will be mosquitoes bothering us.

The buzzing sound kept lingering in my ears, and I would occasionally take a puff.

Unable to sleep at all, Fang Wen got up several times in the middle of the night and suddenly remembered what his wife had told him when she was packing his luggage: "Your journey to Europe is long and you will definitely experience many difficulties along the way. I have prepared some food and supplies for you to use on the road."

I've seen all the food I eat, but where are the things I use?

He quickly got up, opened his canvas bag, and took out a fragrant brocade bag from the bottom.

There are many little gadgets inside.

Dragon Tiger Brand medicated oil for repelling mosquitoes and refreshing the mind, Baoji Pills for treating colds, and Rendan pills for heatstroke.

And bundled mugwort rolls.

It was his wife's thoughtfulness that brought him peace. Fang Wen lit some mugwort and applied some medicated oil before he finally got some quiet.

After finally enduring until dawn, Fang Wen immediately got up and went to check the airport runway.

Two Kshatriyas were asleep back to back under the plane.

However, judging from the condition of the plane, it was not robbed last night.

He turned back and woke up Hel in the next room, who then took care of the airport's fuel supply.

Then, without even having breakfast in Kolkata, they boarded the plane directly and took off for Delhi Param Airport, their second transit point in India.

(End of this chapter)