Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 105, Page 104: A Visit to the Pahlavi Dynasty Palace in Iran

The plane circled in the air.

Fang Wen's heart sank.

If a landing site in the Bam area cannot be found soon, we must return to base as soon as possible.

He calculated his fuel level; it was enough to last, but if he couldn't find it, he'd have to return to Karachi and come back tomorrow.

The reason for this problem is that Bam does not have a formal airport; instead, locals direct passengers to a hard dirt road suitable for landing.

Where are the people who are supposed to meet me?

Where is that runway where we can land?
Fang Wen had already circled the plane several times, but still hadn't found it.

The only thing that catches the eye is the huge earthen building complex below, a city of mud.

People in the city looked up at the Shrike plane, and many were waving their arms and shouting.

Those were not the messengers. Fang Wen clearly remembered that the telegram described a person riding a horse and waving a red headscarf.

After another round, Fang Wen was somewhat disappointed; it seemed the contact wouldn't be coming.

Just then, in his state of mechanical perception, a magnificent horse appeared at the edge of his vision.

Outside the earthen city, a knight in white robes galloped up on horseback, raising his right hand and waving a red headscarf.

That's him.

Fang Wen was delighted and steered the plane downwards, flying over its head.

The other person tightened the reins to stop the horse, then turned and galloped off in the direction they had come from, waving their headscarf.

This is pointing out the direction.

Fang Wen continued to circle in the air, watching intently.

The other party ran to a flat area far away from Tu City.

The ground there was white, seemingly the remnants of some ancient ruin.

It seems we landed here.

Fang Wen conducted an assessment from the air.

It is 400 meters long and over 100 meters wide. The ground appears to be hard and there are no obstacles, so it should be safe to land there.

After making the decision, he piloted the Shrike to lower its altitude, adjusted its landing position, and landed on the white ground.

The hydraulically supported tires of the Shrike were pressed down during landing and then recovered, gradually coming to a stop as the brakes slowed it down.

We've finally landed safely.

Fang Wen stood up in the cockpit and turned to look at the person.

The white-robed knight rode in on horseback.

Communicate in English on the plane.

“Mr. Fang, my name is Tai’an. You can rest here. The fuel will take a while to arrive.”

"How long will it take?" Fang Wen asked.

"It should take an hour."

Since it was only an hour, Fang Wen didn't plan to get off the plane. He continued to talk to the other party.

"Tai'an, are you a local?"

"No, I worked for Anglo Oil Company in the UK. I recently lost my job, which is why I took this job."

An Iranian man who worked for BP lost his job.

This seems like a good topic.

Fang Wen asked, "Why?"

"You didn't know?" Tai'an suddenly realized. "That's right, you're from the East. It's not a secret, I can tell you."

He mentioned a very significant event that happened in Iran this year.

This year, the current Pahlavi king announced the cancellation of BP's Anglo-Chinese franchise.

Not only that, but it also imposed import quotas on European governments, set prices, and demanded investment in domestic oil infrastructure.

This behavior led to a rise in oil prices, which drew strong criticism from various countries, with international media criticizing the Pahlavi dynasty for its short-sighted actions.

However, within the Pahlavi dynasty, these measures were seen as a way to significantly increase the national surplus and boost purchasing power, and the people welcomed them.

But one country is particularly unhappy about this.

United Kingdom.

At that time, the Pahlavi dynasty of Iran was an important source of British oil, and Abadan, located in Iran, was one of the world's largest oil refining centers.

Britain suffered huge losses as a result of the Pahlavi dynasty's actions, but it was unable to break free from its dependence on Iranian oil and could only grit its teeth and continue investing.

After hearing what Tai'an said, Fang Wen gained a deeper understanding of the world's格局 (geju, a concept encompassing both overall situation and overall structure).

He sensed that Iran, which supplied large quantities of oil to Europe, would play a very important role in World War II.

Perhaps, there are intelligence agents from various factions lurking in Tehran, all in an effort to secure benefits for their own countries.

But this has little to do with the East; the Pahlavi dynasty, as it stands, has nothing to do with China.

Therefore, Fang Wen didn't have much of an opinion on what Tai'an said, and he spoke very directly.

"If everyone wants your oil, then the future is destined to favor one side. Ultimately, you will have to choose one as a long-term strategic partner."

“What you said seems to make sense, but it’s not something I should be thinking about.” Tai’an looked behind him. “The fuel is here.”

An oxcart pulled up with a large oil drum and refueled the plane using the most primitive refueling method.

After refueling, Fang Wen waved goodbye to Tai'an and took off again.

For the remaining 1000 kilometers, the terrain gradually rises, leading into the Iranian Plateau.

Most of Iran is characterized by this mountainous plateau landscape.

As altitude increases, the air becomes thinner.

Fang Wen lowered the flight altitude and put on his scuba gear.

Just in case, he turned on the compressed air pump this time, and as the air from the low-altitude area entered his respiratory tract, he felt refreshed.

We flew for three hours until a tall mountain appeared ahead.

That is the highest mountain in Iran, Mount Damavand.

The city of Tehran is not far down the mountain.

We finally arrived at our destination, completing a 3000-kilometer long-haul flight in one day.

Fang Wen relaxed a bit. He would be spending the night here and arriving in Europe tomorrow.

After locating Tehran Airport, he immediately made a radio call.

"The Shrike is calling Tehran Airport to request landing."

After three repetitions, the ground responded.

"Shrike, clearance to land."

The plane that had been circling in the air landed safely at the airport.

The people who came to greet us this time.

Fang Wen's first instinct was that he was American.

The other person was wearing a black suit and a wide-brimmed hat.

It looks very formal, but it gives people a very casual feeling.

This is different from the British, whose suits for formal occasions are always ironed and more crisp.

Neil is like this, Americans in Shanghai are like this, and so is the person who came to pick him up at the airport.

Fang Wen got off the plane and tentatively asked, "An American?"

The other person was surprised and nodded involuntarily.

"How did you figure that out?" "Generally speaking, I can't tell, but if I had to choose between a British person and an American, I'm sure you're American," Fang Wen replied.

“You guessed right, clever Chinese.” The other person extended his hand and introduced himself as he shook hands: “Welcome to Tehran, Mr. Fang. My name is Indiana Deco, I belong to the Office of Strategic Services, and I am currently the military attaché at the Tehran Embassy.”

Fang Wen was surprised by the other party's casual revelation of his identity.

The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was the predecessor of the CIA, and combined with the identity of a military attaché, it was clearly a manager of an overseas intelligence agency.

Perhaps intelligence gathering isn't as rigorous these days as it is in the future, because Indiana Deco doesn't seem to care about his identity at all.

Fang Wen was surprised, but on the surface he acted as if nothing had happened.

He asked, "Will there be another plane presentation tonight?"

"Yes, but not at the airport. You have to come with me to the palace."

Fang Wen never expected that he would have to go to a place like the royal palace when he was only staying in Tehran for one night.

"To the palace to introduce airplanes?" he asked.

“Yes, and also tell them some stories about bombing during the war, like the cruiser you sank in Shanghai,” Indiana Deco explained.

Fang Wen understood. Such high-end gatherings also needed topics of conversation, and his arrival provided them with a new topic. Therefore, performing in front of the Pahlavi royal family and guests from various countries would be enough to complete his mission.

He didn't seem to mind at all. This kind of self-narration wasn't the first or second time he'd done it, and he'd gradually gotten used to this kind of report-like performance.

However, before heading to the palace, the issues of the plane and luggage needed to be resolved first, and I also needed to take a shower and change into clean clothes so as not to embarrass the Chinese people.

These requirements have all been addressed.

Indiana Deco assured that the closer a place is to Europe, the more civilized and safe it will be, and that theft will not occur there.

Indiana Deco advised against bringing that bag of food to the palace, as many of these snacks contained lard, which was not suitable.

As for showering and changing clothes, that was definitely necessary. Indiana Deco arranged a place for Fang Wen to stay at the airport, with clean water for showering.

Having not showered for three days, Fang Wen couldn't wait to enter the room and take a comfortable hot shower.

I shaved, combed my hair, and then opened my canvas bag.

His wife had considered Fang Wen's social attire in Europe.

As a Chinese person, there is no need to wear Western-style clothing, as that does not represent Chinese culture.

Therefore, she prepared two sets of clothes for Fang Wen.

One of them is a Zhongshan suit, which is currently in fashion.

One set is a traditional long gown.

Fang Wen chose a long gown.

This outfit isn't simple to put on either.

First, you need to change into a white cotton undershirt. The pants are traditional cotton-linen trousers, and the shoes are old Beijing style with thick soles.

When paired with a long gown, it creates a natural, comfortable, and artistic Eastern style.

After getting dressed, Fang Wen went out.

Indiana Deco looked on in surprise. "Is this the East? It's quite unique."

"Let's go." Fang Wen took out a scarf and wrapped it around his neck, just enough to ward off the cold of Tehran.

As the car entered downtown Tehran, a magnificent palace came into view.

Lestan Palace, also known as the Rose Palace.

As night fell, the palace was brightly lit, and guests dressed in their finest attire alighted from their carriages.

The woman linked arms with the man, and they chatted as they entered the palace.

Fang Wen and Indiana are two single men.

This drew surprised glances from the guests.

More importantly, it's about Fang Wen's distinctive outfit.

Amidst the attention, Fang Wen and Indiana entered the palace.

The palace was even more lively, with people forming social circles in the magnificent halls, chatting about their own topics.

Indiana brought Fang Wen a glass of wine.

"This place isn't right for you, and it's not right for me. Let's go over there."

He led Fang Wen out of the hall and into the back of the palace.

There is food there.

Persian food served on a huge ceramic plate.

It is made from rice, butter, tomato sauce, and fruit.

Put a plate on the plate, then go to the side to get roast meat, meat pies, lamb stew, and stewed chicken to eat with it.

Fang Wen, who hadn't eaten hot food for three days, looked at the food and no longer had any reservations. He followed others and filled a large plate for himself.

Indiana was similar; it was mostly filled with barbecue.

“I like these kinds of banquets; they talk about the delicious food we’re eating.”

Fang Wen was a little puzzled: "Indiana, don't you need to work here? I mean, to collect some information that might be useful to your country."

"Of course I will, but it won't conflict with eating. I'll go over after they've finished their socializing." Indiana's words indicate that he is very familiar with the area.

Just then, a group of people walked past Fang Wen, each one standing straight, arrogant and full of energy.

Fang Wen couldn't help but ask, "Who are they?"

"The Weimar Republic, they have been proclaiming the nobility of the Aryan bloodline here, and even saying that the Pahlavi dynasty is a branch of the Aryan bloodline."

Fang Wen immediately lost his appetite, ate two pieces of mutton in large bites, wiped his hands with the tablecloth on the table, and quickly followed.

He wanted to see what the Nazis were doing.

But when he got to the main hall, he found that he couldn't understand what these people were saying.

Fang Wen only knows English and Chinese. Everyone here is very good at communication. They are proficient in multiple languages, and each small circle uses a different language to communicate.

German, French, Iranian, and other languages.

Those who use English are actually a minority.

Fang Wen turned around and looked at Indiana, who had followed him, and suddenly understood.

"You wouldn't understand either."

“Yes, that’s why I said I’d come back later. They only use English in formal settings,” Indiana replied.

This formal occasion will come soon.

When the master of the palace appeared, everyone immediately broke up their respective cliques.

Listen to what that person is saying.

"Today, we are discussing the issue of oil. Considering the significant investments British oil companies have made in our country, involving the jobs of tens of thousands of people, we have agreed on a new cooperation agreement. The oil companies will allocate more of their profits as taxes and invest in new infrastructure."

Indiana, however, remained unperturbed and whispered these words.

His whispers were directed at Fang Wen, not necessarily at Fang Wen, but at anyone he could find to complain to.

"The British took most of the profits, and now that the economy is bad, the oil companies' profits have plummeted, and the King's income has decreased, so he wants to take it back and do it himself. The Germans and Russians see this as a profitable business, and they also want to get involved. The Germans promised to invest heavily in infrastructure and wanted to get involved. That's when the British got nervous and took the initiative to change the profit-sharing terms."

These are all part of the power struggle between several major countries.

An army marches on its stomach, and World War II required vast amounts of strategic oil resources, making the Pahlavi dynasty a target of competition.

This power struggle will continue until the Pahlavi dynasty falls to one side or is occupied.

Fang Wen watched these events unfold from an outsider's perspective, but he didn't feel involved, because all he cared about was China.

But this bystander status ended quickly.

The master of the palace spoke up: "The Pahlavi dynasty is a continuation of Persia. Long ago, we maintained long-term trade relations with the great Eastern power, China, as recorded in various historical documents. Now, a pilot from the East has traveled 8000 kilometers to come here. He is also a soldier who once piloted a French Potez 25 fighter jet and sank a cruiser. This experience will be the most wonderful story. Now let us hear him tell that story."

(End of this chapter)