Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 163, page 162: Breaking Out of the Bermuda Triangle Storm, LaGuardia Airport, New York, Friendship at Trinity Church

It got dark in an instant; the bad weather came on very quickly, leaving no time to react.

As a veteran seaman, Lin Shuiwang had some knowledge of the Atlantic Ocean's weather.

He exclaimed urgently, "The Atlantic storm season begins in June and ends in November, during which multiple storms will occur, but the exact timing is uncertain."

"What storms might occur in June?" Fang Wen asked calmly.

Hurricanes are marked with symbols to represent human understanding of them.

But in this era, hurricanes were not given various names, but rather numbers.

Lin Shuiwang replied without hesitation, "It should be Hurricane No. 5, only it would blow from the northeast to the southeast."

At this point, Lin Shuiwang's expression changed drastically.

"General Manager, it's not Hurricane No. 5, it's Hurricane No. 1, we must get rid of it."

"What deadly hurricane?" Fang Wen asked as he steered the plane away from the eye of the storm.

Lin Shuiwang, his face pale, explained, "What we sailors who run cargo ships to Europe and America fear most is this hurricane. It will take our ships into an area called Bermuda, where many ships have disappeared."

Fang Wen had heard of the word Bermuda.

In preparation for his transatlantic voyage, he had researched the various dangers of the Atlantic.

Strictly speaking, it should be called the Bermuda Triangle.

It mainly refers to the Bermuda Triangle (also known as the Devil's Triangle), a mysterious area located in the North Atlantic. This area, formed by connecting Florida, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico, has long been shrouded in mystery and danger. Many planes and ships have mysteriously disappeared here, giving rise to countless speculations and legends about supernatural phenomena.

The most dangerous area is the waters near the Bermuda Islands.

The records Fang Wen searched were not all baseless; some were true.

In 1872, the cargo ship Mary Celeste mysteriously disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle shortly after setting sail from Panama. All 23 crew members on board perished without any distress signal being sent.

In 1840, the ship "Rosalie", which set sail from France, lost contact when it was near Cuba. Several weeks later, it was found by the navy in the Bermuda Triangle, but there was no one on board. All the crew members seemed to have vanished into thin air.

In March 1918, the U.S. Navy freighter USS Cyclops disappeared en route from Brazil to Norfolk, Virginia, after loading manganese ore. This 165-meter-long giant freighter, carrying 309 sailors, remains the largest ship disappearance on record in recent times.

Fang Wen immediately became extremely alert.

He took out a map to check his current location.

(Satellite map simulation)
After looking at the map, Fang Wen quickly made calculations in his mind.

The area where the aircraft is currently located is more than 2000 kilometers away from Bermuda.

The problem is that the aircraft is currently in a storm zone, with strong airflow blowing from the northeast to the southeast. This opposite airflow will generate enormous pressure and cause serious damage to the aircraft.

The best approach is to fly in the direction of the cyclone and then look for opportunities to break free from its control during a weak point in the flight.

This is very important. If you fly along the direction of the deadly hurricane's cyclone to Bermuda, there is likely to be even greater danger, and you will have to disembark midway.

Without hesitation, Fang Wen loudly ordered, "When you're ready, there will be some bumps along the way, so tie yourselves up with ropes."

Indiana and Lin Shuiwang had never seen Fang Wen so serious before, so they quickly found a rope and did as he said.

As they bound themselves, Fang Wen also secured himself to the driver's seat and then entered a state of mechanical perception.

In his mechanical perception state, he transforms into a giant bird in the sky.

But in a hurricane, it appears exceptionally small.

A strong airflow was blowing from the northeast, and the aircraft's fuselage trembled slightly under the strong air pressure.

Just as Fang Wen judged, flying against the storm was simply impossible; it would only cause the fuselage to collapse due to excessive pressure and crash into the sea.

He steered the plane to fly southwest.

This significantly reduced the pressure, and the aircraft's speed was even passively increased.

The task is to figure out how to escape the control of this moving storm of death.

The plane lowered its fuselage, making only a small adjustment for a moment, before Fang Wen immediately pulled back.

That's too dangerous; descending is practically suicide.

At that moment, he clearly sensed the danger and stopped the behavior in time.

Fang Wen made the judgment that lowering the flight altitude would expose the aircraft to a stronger storm environment, and the lower the altitude, the more dangerous the storm below would be.

Conversely, the higher the flight altitude, the lower the pressure received.

After making this significant discovery through mechanical perception, Fang Wen immediately adjusted his escape plan.

He carefully adjusted the flight angle so that the wing formed an angle with the airflow, which allowed the airflow to generate a greater upward lift on the aircraft as it moved.

At the same time, the engine also increased its power output, and with the combination of the two internal and external forces, the aircraft suddenly climbed more than 1500 meters.

This height has exceeded the height limit of d.332.

But it made Fang Wen feel completely relaxed.

At that moment, the plane pierced through the dark clouds, and sunlight streamed onto its fuselage.

Meanwhile, in the rear cabin...

Chaos reigned, with supplies scattered everywhere. Lin Shuiwang and Indiana, who had tied themselves up with ropes, were thrown to the rear.

The two stood up awkwardly, looking at the bright sunshine outside as if it were a miracle.

Is it the Buddha's light shining upon us or the baptism of holy light?
Different feelings arise spontaneously.

"May the Third Prince protect us and bring us good fortune." Lin Shuiwang clasped his hands together in prayer towards the east. The Third Prince was from the East Sea, and his help in rescuing people from suffering in the Atlantic Ocean must have involved a lot of connections. When he returned, he would have to burn a lot of incense and put on a grand procession.

“The Lord has protected us.” Indiana knelt devoutly before the True Cross, praying and attributing all of this to God’s grace.

Despite the relaxation of the two, Fang Wen remained vigilant.

Although the increased altitude reduced the crisis, we were still within the range of the death storm and had to fly out of this area as soon as possible.

He steered the plane westward.

An hour later, they finally escaped the range of the death storm.

Fang Wen then relaxed.

He observed the center of the death storm below and behind him with a mechanical, human-machine integrated perception.

A massive vortex formed there, sweeping through clouds, air currents, and the ocean, turning that area into a dangerous wasteland.

The central area is the Bermuda Islands.

Fang Wen couldn't help but wonder if such a strange and mysterious area might contain something similar to the Four-Faced Buddha and the amber cross.
In a state of human-machine integration, he focused his attention and tried to locate the eye of the storm.

There was nothing there that he felt could benefit his mechanical perception.

But in the very center, there was a danger that made Fang Wen's heart pound.

It seemed that this place was not within his current reach, so Fang Wen gave up the idea of ​​continuing his exploration and flew his plane towards the North American continent.

The sudden appearance of the deadly hurricane caused the flight path to deviate.

In order to fly to New York accurately, Fang Wen had to re-determine the flight route.

Lin Shuiwang took out a sextant and began to measure, marking the locations on the map.

Fang Wen took a look.

Due to the hurricane, the flight path had shifted by several hundred kilometers, but with ample fuel reserves, there was no problem reaching New York after readjusting the course. Fang Wen then adjusted the course and continued flying towards New York.

It's only 2300 kilometers from New York, and at D.332 speed, it will take a little over 7 hours to arrive.

It was already past midnight.

Looking at the lights below, Fang Wen was searching for the location of the airport.

It's hard to say for sure, and Fang Wen doesn't want to reveal too much of his abilities.

He turned on the radio.

"This is a call from Taishan Airlines transatlantic crew, LaGuardia Airport. Please respond."

After calling again and again, a response came.

"Received. Airport lighting guidance devices have been activated. Landing can proceed after confirmation."

Fang Wen noticed that in the southern part of New York City, runway indicator lights were lit up in an area.

That is LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York. The reason for choosing to land here is that it is the closest airport to Trinity Church, which makes it convenient to transport the True Cross.

He maneuvered the plane, circling in the air to adjust the landing angle, and landed steadily on the airport runway.

Airport staff who were working overtime to greet them then directed the plane to park in the hangar.

Once the plane landed, the waiting reporters couldn't wait to come over and conduct interviews.

Fang Wen looked at Lin Shuiwang and suddenly realized that Lin Shuiwang was actually very suitable for a job in external publicity.

He said in a low voice, "You deal with these reporters, Indiana and I will go see the priests."

"What should I say?" Lin Shuiwang asked blankly.

"Say what they want to hear," Fang Wen instructed before walking to the other side of the hangar.

There, Indiana was talking to several men in black robes.

When Fang Wen arrived, he made a special introduction to him.

"He is the one who discovered the True Cross. If he hadn't relinquished ownership of the exploration of the True Cross, I wouldn't have been able to bring it back. Moreover, it was he who flew a plane across 6000 kilometers and even encountered the deadly attack of the Bermuda Triangle to bring the True Cross back."

Indiana spoke very seriously. After experiencing the storm of death, he felt the insignificance of mankind and also realized the greatness of God, which is why he made this statement.

That is why Fang Wen, who was specifically mentioned, became the key figure in the whole incident.

In the eyes of the clergy, all of this has special significance.

One of the elders said solemnly, “This is a test from God. The Bermuda Triangle hurricane is the devil from hell trying to steal the sacred object. You have done well, and God will protect you.”

Fang Wen thought to himself, "It's understandable that God would bless Indiana, but I don't believe in Him, so how can He bless me?"

It’s better to be practical.

He thought to himself that he couldn't be too embarrassed to say this, so he said directly, "I need your help."

"Your actions deserve reward. What kind of help?"

"I haven't decided yet, but I won't make things difficult for you. At most, I'll help you connect me with some important people that I can't reach within your capabilities. I might need their help with my trip to the United States."

It was just a recommendation, nothing much. The people at Trinity Church even felt they could help this kind person who brought the relics to the church.

They readily agreed to Fang Wen's request, as long as he came to the church and explained who he needed to be introduced to. They had quite a few connections in New York.

Upon receiving this reply, and not forgetting Fang Wen's 6000-kilometer journey to bring the items, he, along with Indiana and several young priests, carefully lifted the True Cross from the cargo hold and placed it in the truck bed.

Afterwards, Fang Wen walked onto the plane alone and came out with a travel backpack.

He called to Lin Shuiwang, who had finished cooperating with the reporters, locked the hangar door, and then he and Lin Shuiwang got into the church's truck and left.

The truck left LaGuardia Airport, drove through the streets of Queens, and then drove onto the bridge to Manhattan Island.

It finally stopped at Trinity Church at the very bottom of Manhattan Island.

There, the church staff began busily removing the crosses, and Fang Wen and his group no longer needed to do anything.

Fang Wen said goodbye, "The things have been delivered, we should go now."

The eldest of the black-robed priests took out a car key and pointed to a car next to him.

"Thank you for your help. I think you might need a car. Please take mine. It's just a small token of my appreciation."

Fang Wen looked over there.

It's a four-seater car, and it looks pretty good.

He took the keys and asked, "What kind of car is this?"

“Chevrolet Confederate,” the old man replied.

"Thank you," Fang Wen said with a smile, accepting the gift.

He got into the driver's seat, placed his travel backpack under the seat, and beckoned the two people to get in.

"Let's go."

Indiana and Lin Shuiwang got into the car, which started and drove along the quiet streets of Lower Manhattan.

It was already 1 a.m., and there were no pedestrians on the streets.

"Is there a place to eat?" Fang Wen asked.

“Even the restaurants run by Sicilians and Chinese people are closed now,” Indiana replied.

“I know where to find a place to eat, go to Mott Street,” Lin Shuiwang said.

Mott Street isn't far; it's also in Lower Manhattan. Following Lin Shuiwang's directions, the car turned right at the next intersection and arrived at our destination.

It was a narrow street, just wide enough for one car to pass through.

Fang Wen drove his car into the area and, by the moonlight, saw a familiar scene.

There are many Chinese signs here, which suggests it was one of the earliest Chinese settlements.

After driving for a while, Lin Shuiwang pointed out the window on his right and said:

“I remember it was just ahead. His family could get up at night if you knocked on the door, and they could do business anytime. A few years ago, when I was working on ships in the United States, my friends and I found this place at night.”

The car stopped immediately, and Lin Shuiwang got out first, forcefully banging on the closed storefront.

He shouted in Cantonese, "Open the door! I'm hungry and want to eat!"

After a while, someone inside actually responded.

What would you like to eat?

"Eat roast goose and sweet meat."

After a brief exchange, the storefront door opened, and the couple who owned the shop were indeed opening for business at around 1 a.m.

Afterwards, Lin Shuiwang negotiated with the owner and ordered a bunch of things.

Roast goose, honey-glazed char siu, and congee for the next day's sale, etc.

The three sat down to eat in the shop, and Fang Wen talked about his plans.

"This time I'm here to acquire some assets in the United States, open a casino company, buy some stocks, and bring back some good stuff."

(End of this chapter)