Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 150, page 149: Fang Wen's Fury, the Literary Salon, and Heaven and Earth

No one realized the strategic significance of Fang Wen's proposed air distribution plan for Taishan Airlines.

Once the aviation logistics park is completed, Taishan Airlines will be fully operational.

At that time, it could not only carry passengers and airmail, but also establish a broader resource allocation system, allowing Taishan Airlines to be more closely integrated with China's social and economic life.

Although they didn't understand the significance of these things, Fang Wen's small group knew it was a good business opportunity that could make money.

Therefore, Manager Liu and Fang Shouxin gladly accepted the job.

The celebration ended, and everything returned to normal.

Fang Wen made a special trip to Nanjing.

He arrived at the gate of the Nanjing government building and asked the gatekeeper to inform Yue Jinping, while he waited outside.

Yue Jinping, dressed in military uniform, strode out.

"You're here? What do you want?"

Fang Wen replied, "When we came over, we saw a Western restaurant had opened nearby, so we went over to chat."

The two chatted and laughed as they entered the Western restaurant, where a waiter led them to a quiet private table.

"Gentlemen, we have iced coffee, hot coffee, strong cocoa, braised pigeon, and steak. What would you like to order?"

The shop is small, with few items, but it's quiet and has a certain style characteristic of this era.

It was a bit hot, so Fang Wen casually ordered an iced coffee and a steak.

Yue Jinping only ordered a cup of strong cocoa.

Feeling a bit hungry, Fang Wen decided to eat something before getting down to business.

He was eating his steak, while Yue Jinping watched.

"Watching you eat reminded me of a poem."

"Really? Read it aloud."

"Several foreign restaurants with their vermilion doors are open, where pigeons and beef stews are cooked with utmost care; each guest can eat as much as they like, and drink fine wine as they please after they are full."

Fang Wen finished the last piece of steak, took a sip of iced coffee, and recalled the words Yue Jinping had recited.

"Very vivid, describing the process of eating steak clearly in just a few words. Who wrote it?"

“It was written by someone from the late Qing Dynasty. I read it in an old book called Shenjiang Baiyong,” Yue Jinping replied.

Fang Wen nodded, noticed the cocoa on Yue Jinping's lips, picked up a napkin and reached out to wipe it off.

Then get to the point.

"I want to participate in the Great Wall Resistance and fly my Shrike there."

Yue Jinping was savoring the happiness of Fang Wen interjecting on her behalf when she heard Fang Wen's words and immediately shook her head.

"You can't go; no plane can participate in that war."

"Why? Is there no other way?" Fang Wen asked in surprise.

"It's not a matter of connections; the higher-ups would absolutely not agree."

Yue Jinping's words were profound, summarizing them in six characters: "To repel external aggression, one must first pacify the internal situation."

At this time, the entire Chinese air force was being used against its own people.

Therefore, not a single aircraft from the Central Air Force participated in the Great Wall Resistance.

Therefore, Japanese bombers could fly deep into enemy territory.

Therefore, Japanese planes could swagger over Beiping and drop leaflets.

Since the Central Air Force could not participate in the Great Wall Resistance, other Chinese aircraft naturally could not go either, as doing so would be a slap in the face to the Central Air Force.

Hearing Yue Jinping's explanation, Fang Wen felt a chill in his heart.

Foreign enemies were about to overthrow Beiping, and the Nationalist government did this.

Although he was mentally prepared, Fang Wen still...
He lost all interest, left the bill on the table, and got up to leave.

Yue Jinping was left staring blankly at his retreating figure.

Fang Wen walked to the outside of the National Government building and looked at the magnificent gate.

Too disappointed.

Having missed the opportunity to engage in aerial combat at the Great Wall, Fang Wen returned to Shanghai from Nanjing and gradually adjusted his mindset, returning to his normal work routine.

Work is the best way to relieve stress; only success in one's career can gradually dispel the disappointment with the Nationalist government.

After all, he was someone who knew the future, and the future was ultimately bright.

There are so many things to do at work, I'm always busy.

He drove the Taishan No. 1 from Shanghai to Xiangxi Airport, then flew to Yunnan Airport to load cargo, and finally arrived in Kolkata.

He escorted Shao Sishen and a steward from the Shao family who had accompanied him.

They also unloaded 4 tons of supplies.

This is Yunnan ham that British soldiers wanted.

British naval soldiers who frequently patrol at sea have a particular fondness for Yunnan ham.

In exchange for the return of the F.220, a large quantity of British naval supplies were brought back.

For example, canned goods, blankets, and two tons of aviation gasoline.

This was a one-off deal, a private transaction between the two parties, and could be considered smuggling during the Republic of China era.

Therefore, on the return trip, they flew directly from Kolkata back to Xiangxi Airport and unloaded all the aviation gasoline into the airport's fuel depot.

As for the canned food and blankets, they were given as company benefits to the bomb factory employees and the Ganjun security team who were living a hard life at Xiangxi Airport.

After unloading, Fang Wen flew the empty plane back to Shanghai.

He and Howard were going to carry out camouflage modifications on the plane.

A floor was installed over those rails and bomb bays.

This floor can be removed and used as a cover when not in use, so that no one will notice anything when loading cigarettes and medicines.

Octover 5st

Manager Liu and Fang Shouxin went into the city to conduct final negotiations with several tobacco companies.

The cooperation between the two parties has been finalized; now the discussion revolves around the sales share each company will receive.

This is what the tobacco companies are most concerned about.

They were even willing to give up most of their profits just to have Taishan Airlines exclusively sell their cigarettes.

That won't do. If a single cigarette becomes a bestseller, it's easy for the other party to kick you out and go it alone.

Therefore, Taishan Airlines insists that all tobacco companies must join.

That leaves only the final negotiation: who gets the bigger share and who gets the smaller share.

It's easy to imagine that in today's negotiations, Manager Liu and Fang Shouxin will be bombarded with all sorts of sweet talk and even seductive advances.

Fang Wen, who couldn't go to downtown Shanghai, could only look on with envy.

But he wasn't idle either.

Because his travelogue of the Eurasian flight was published in the newspaper, his long-haul Eurasian flight became well-known in Shanghai.

Shanghai's arts and culture circles greatly admired this carefree travel lifestyle, so they formed a group and went to the airport to hold a special flight salon.

Fang Wen did not resist such an event and took the initiative to cover the venue and expenses to entertain the guests.

The flight salon was held in a large courtyard next to the headquarters of Taishan Airlines.

The second tung oil-for-airplanes signing ceremony was held there. The venue is large and suitable for salon-style social events.

In the courtyard, food and fruit were laid out on a long table, while drinks were served on the other side. There were no waiters; guests simply took the plates from the table and helped themselves to the food and drinks.

Those who came to the flight salon were quite familiar with this.

They had seen this description in the third part of their travelogue about flying between Asia and Europe; it was a style of dining that had just become popular among the upper classes in Europe, and it was perfect for the current situation.

People held their plates and ate their food in small bites; or they picked up their wine glasses and chatted with their friends.

You can stand or sit; as long as you find someone to talk to, you can chat for a long time.

Until the main hosts of the salon, Fang Wen and Kuang Mingzhu, arrived.

Everyone immediately gathered around, wanting to ask questions they had after reading the travelogue of the Eurasian flight.

"Shall we talk about this in the future?"

Fang Wen entered the house surrounded by them and sat down. The others either sat on the sofa or formed a circle around him.

A quiet woman eagerly asked, "Mr. Fang, may I ask you, what does it feel like to fly thousands of meters in the air?"

Fang Wen smiled and replied, "Well, there will be different flying experiences. For example, when I fly small, unprotected planes like the Qingyun and Boluo at high altitudes, there will be airflow coming from both sides, and it can be very humid at high altitudes. When you fly these planes through the clouds, you will get soaked. And stormy weather is even more uncomfortable. We have to get out of there as soon as possible, otherwise the plane will be full of water."

Someone immediately chimed in: "What if the rain is so heavy that it floods your cockpit?"

This is still a good vantage point. Fang Wen smiled and replied, "This situation is impossible. The cockpit of an aircraft has drainage holes, but flying in heavy rain is the most uncomfortable thing. I can guarantee that."

Another person asked, "Mr. Fang, could you give an evaluation of your overall dining experience during the trip?"

The travelogue of the Eurasia flight didn't say much about this.

The main consideration was international influence, since newspapers are a medium that can easily spread around the world.

But in this kind of small, private salon, Fang Wen can certainly speak his mind.

"First of all, I want to say that Chinese cuisine is absolutely number one. Even though I often travel around the country, I still haven't tried all the different kinds of food in my country."

Everyone smiled and nodded, deeply agreeing with the sentiment. Even in a place like Shanghai, restaurants from all over the world often open, many of which are things that no one has ever tried before.

Fang Wen continued, "Then let's talk about overseas. The Indochina Peninsula has abundant rainfall, and like our southern region, rice is the staple food. The dishes are mostly boiled, stewed, cold-dressed, roasted, or fried. There are many kinds of meat, but I suggest you don't try them casually."

One person summarized it as: "Eat less meat and more vegetables."

Fang Wen nodded in agreement, and then went on to talk about Indian food.

He hadn't tried Indian food, so he could only describe it based on his brother-in-law's experience.

Many people were sufficiently alarmed by his brother-in-law's experience of having diarrhea for three days after eating one meal.

The culinary journey then gradually became more exciting.

They have excellent Persian cuisine, Turkish kebabs, French cuisine, and German cuisine.

Only British fried fish was something Fang Wen couldn't praise.

This is also a major reason why the British Calcutta Navy was willing to exchange supplies for Yunnan ham; they couldn't eat fish and chips every day.

The salon was now in a free period, and Fang Wen and Kuang Mingzhu prepared to leave.

Just then, someone came over with a newspaper.

"Now it's time for current affairs commentary. As usual, I'll read the news. If you have anything to say, you'll have to wait until I finish reading."

Gathering together to discuss current events is the very essence of a salon. Fang Wen and Kuang Mingzhu exchanged a glance and then sat down again.

The man picked up the newspaper and began to read.

"The notorious traitor Zhang Jingyao has been killed."

"Zhang Jingyao, courtesy name Xunchen, served as commander and army commander under Wu Peifu, Zhang Zhongchang and Zhang Zuolin. He was assassinated in Beiping in 1933."

"This newspaper has collected information from all sides and will present readers with the most comprehensive perspective on the process of this major traitor's execution."

"It is reported that at the beginning of this year, Japanese people contacted Zhang Jingyao and promised to provide him with 1000 million yuan in funding to assassinate He Yingqing and seize the opportunity to stage a coup and establish the 'North China State'. Zhang Jingyao, for his own selfish reasons, did not hesitate to betray his nation and agreed to serve the Japanese."

"He received 30 silver dollars from the Japanese Kwantung Army for operational expenses and was appointed 'Commander-in-Chief of the Second Army Group of Beijing and Tianjin,' ordering him to infiltrate Beiping and act at his own discretion during the Great Wall Resistance War."

"After he entered Beiping, he was discovered by the Beiping Military Commission branch, which notified Dai Li, the head of the Fuxing Society's action group, who then arranged for him to be assassinated in the Six Nations Hotel."

After reading the newspaper, someone immediately offered their comments.

"This man was a meritorious official, but he did not do anything to serve the country. He is dead and that is that."

"Wait a minute, his courtesy name is Xunchen, so he probably doesn't mean he's loyal to the Japanese."

"So, he sacrificed himself for his master?"

Everyone burst into laughter, and even Kuang Mingzhu couldn't help but laugh out loud.

No one sympathizes with this kind of person.

The man then continued reading the newspaper.

"A man using the pen name He Jiagan published an article called 'Heaven and Earth'."

The man read aloud hundreds of words.

It describes the strange state of affairs in the present situation.

Although there are some metaphors in the text, everyone present understands what "pacifying the country and repelling external aggression" means.

But no one made any comments after reading the newspaper.

Everyone was afraid of offending that person.

Fang Wen was better able to understand the meaning of the article; he was a pilot, a patriotic pilot.

The greatest pain at this moment is not being able to pilot a fighter jet and fight the enemy on the Great Wall.

He stood up angrily.

"A good article. In heaven and on earth, the northern border of China has been repeatedly invaded, yet we are powerless to resist. But when it comes to our own people, we cut them in half with great pleasure."

His words drew everyone's attention.

Kuang Mingzhu quickly grabbed his arm and made him sit down.

A man sighed and said, "We can all understand General Manager Fang's intentions, but the future is not in our hands. If we can't reach the sky, how can we talk about anything else?"

Others chimed in in agreement:
"Yes, the affairs of the world should be handled by those who govern the world. We scholars are merely speaking the words of scholars."

"Why not talk about romance and nature instead of state affairs?"

Fang Wen did not reply, responding coldly.

The people in front of us are a portrait of a group of people in this era. They admire and yearn for the life they live, are indifferent to their environment, do not fight, do not pursue, and simply live in their aspirations.

But they don't realize that if the Japanese can bomb Beijing at will today, they will bomb Shanghai in the same way in the future.

Everything the Japanese did during the Great Wall Resistance today will later be applied to other parts of China.

Even more tragic.

Never assume that yielding will earn the enemy's mercy; it will only lead to them taking advantage of you step by step.

The Manchukuo outside the Great Wall now wants to establish the Hebei State.

From now on, the entire Chinese nation will be nothing but prey in their eyes.

Will they be merciful?

Absolutely not, the scene that would happen in Nanjing flashed through Fang Wen's mind.

Bang! Fang Wen slammed his right hand on the coffee table beside him, and the teacup fell to the ground.

He said nothing. If he couldn't do it now, he should shut up and not try to show off. But he would save up his anger and hatred and repay the Japanese in the future.

Under the watchful eyes of a group of people indulging in romantic pursuits, Fang Wen strode away.

Kuang Mingzhu followed firmly. The people here were hypocritical. She preferred her husband's uprightness and shrewdness, and she also liked the Taishan Volunteer Army, this small group.

(End of this chapter)