Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 195, page 194: Flight Across the South China Sea, Sarawak White Emirate, Quinine

Shunzi's wedding ended, and the guests went home one by one.

The plane took them to Shanghai Airport. Most of them stayed in Shanghai, but a few of Fang Shouxin's fellow apprentices had to continue their journey by plane to Jinan and then back to Cangzhou.

The tobacco business is also proceeding quietly.

However, this year's quantity will not be large. After all, tobacco is a product that is only harvested once a year. It is planted in March or April and matures in July or August. What is left in each base area now is this year's stock.

Production will increase significantly next year to address economic issues.

Time passed, the company's operations were uneventful and orderly, and before we knew it, it was December.

This month, with the fighting between the North and South subsiding somewhat, attention has shifted to Fujian, a province in southeastern China.

There was a powerful army there, the 19th Route Army, which openly confronted Chiang Kai-shek.

For this reason, Lin Shuiwang, who was originally preparing for the Asia-Europe international air route overseas, returned to China specifically for this purpose.

He had just brought his mother back home, but unexpectedly, war broke out in his hometown. How could he not be worried?

After Lin Shuiwang returned to Shanghai to visit his family, he not only brought his mother back with him, but also a guest from Fujian.

At the headquarters of Taishan Airlines, Fang Wen received the guests brought by Lin Shuiwang.

The other party took the initiative to introduce themselves.

"General Manager Fang, hello. My name is Lin Guangzhong, and I am the president of the Nanyang Fujian Association. I met Lin Shuiwang in Fujian this time and happened to have an urgent matter to ask for your help, so I shamelessly came to find you."

Fang Wen looked at Lin Shuiwang.

Lin Shuiwang quickly explained, "He wants to use our company's Taishan No. 1 cargo plane to transport a batch of supplies from Southeast Asia to the 19th Route Army."

Fang Wenqi asked, "The 19th Route Army is the Guangdong Army, right? Why do you value it so much?"

Lin Guangzhong sighed: "Our Fujian region is mostly mountainous and not suitable for habitation. Most Fujianese people rely on the sea for their livelihood, and over time they have scattered all over the world. In recent years, it is shameful to say that bandits have been rampant in Fujian. We have to worry about the money we send home being stolen by bandits. We have raised funds many times to suppress bandits, but with little effect. This time, the 19th Army came and actually carried out bandit suppression. We have seen it and are willing to provide some support for this kind of army."

"I see," Fang Wen laughed. "So this is a real bandit suppression operation, but it ended up like this. I'm willing to help. No one else can fly the route to Southeast Asia, so I'll fly it myself. By the way, how much supplies do you need to transport?"

"Two tons."

"No problem, Lin Shuiwang. You take the guests to rest. I need to make some arrangements first."

After Lin Shuiwang led his men out, Fang Wen sorted out the things he needed to do recently and figured out how to arrange them.

In mid-month, three cargo ships will arrive at Yangon Port fully loaded with oil refining equipment to begin joint construction of the refinery.

Later this month, two D.332s will roll off the production line. I need to personally go to France and fly the planes back with a French pilot so that the Asia-Europe international route can officially begin in January.

Now I have time to do this.

Besides, didn't my father-in-law say he was buying quinine in Indonesia?

I don't know if I need any help, but there are 6 tons of spare payload available for this flight to Southeast Asia.

He got up and went to the office next door to talk to his wife.

"Mingzhu, how's the deal with your dad and others to jointly acquire quinine going?"

"Oh, that's it. They've stockpiled several warehouses of goods, but haven't started shipping them yet."

"how many?"

"It should be over ten tons."

"This time I'm going to Southeast Asia, I'll be using the Taishan No. 1 to transport six tons for them."

“If you’re going to Southeast Asia, you can bring my dad back. He went there three months ago and hasn’t come back yet. My mom has told me about it several times; she’s worried about him.”

It turned out that his father-in-law had already passed away. Fang Wen asked Kuang Mingzhu to contact his father-in-law first so that she could find him after arriving in Southeast Asia.

Subsequently, they replied by telegram, leaving their contact information.

The next step is to contact the airport.

This requires the help of overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia; Fang Wen has no connections there.

Over the next two days, both sides worked together to find a landing airport.

Lin Guangzhong's Fujianese connections led to a flat landing point in Kuala Lumpur.

At that time, there was no formal airport there.

In the end, they chose the landing point found by Fang Wen's father-in-law.

The Kingdom of Sarawak.

There is a private airport for the King in Kuching, Sarawak, near the Chief Minister's residence. There is also a deep-water port nearby, which is perfect for unloading cargo.

This way, the cargo ships don't need to unload in Kuala Lumpur; they can sail directly out of the Strait of Malacca to Sarawak.

Two days later, Lin Shuiwang brought Lin Guangzhong over and boarded the Taishan No. 1 transport plane.

Nominally a transport plane, it was actually a nighttime strategic bomber, a very well disguised operation.

There are no fixed seats in the cabin, but there are several slots. You can take down the long board from the wall and put it into the slot to make a seat.

After Lin Shuiwang instructed Lin Guangzhong to position his seat, the plane took off.

The plane flew from Shanghai to Guangzhou, then refueled and transferred in Guangzhou, before heading south over the South China Sea and flying directly to Sarawak.

The plane flew over the vast South China Sea, where beautiful islands dotted the azure waters.

The first thing we saw was the Sansha Islands.

The crescent-shaped island base combined with the azure sea reminded Fang Wen of the Tai Chi symbol.

Then, there are the Xisha and Zhongsha Islands.

Next is NSQD.

It was a vast area consisting of a series of shoals, reefs, rocks, and small islands.

They eventually arrived in Sarawak.

(The red dots represent the entire NSQD area; this is all our territory.)
The plane circled over Sarawak, searching for a landing spot.

Fang Wen was surprised to see the huge pattern below.

A white square character.

That was a pattern displayed by a person holding up a white cloth.

Next to the pattern is a small airport.

Although it's not large, the runway is quite wide, enough to accommodate an F.220.

Fang Wen turned on his radio and made a call.

"Taishan Air Transport aircraft requests to land at Sarawak Airport. Please respond."

The other party responded after three calls.

"Received, you may land. Son-in-law, come down."

The first half of the sentence is in English, so it should be from ground control tower personnel. The second half is obviously from the father-in-law.

Fang Wen gave an awkward laugh and adjusted the plane's position, landing smoothly at the airport.

The plane remained steady, and the sound of musical instruments could be heard from the side of the runway.

It was a brightly dressed band playing music to welcome them.

The clothes looked a bit strange, combining British style with local characteristics.

Fang Wen and his entourage received a warm welcome upon disembarking.

People lined up in two rows, forming a welcoming gesture.

This scene left Fang Wen, Lin Shuiwang, and Lin Guangzhong feeling bewildered.

Until a blond, blue-eyed man in formal attire walked towards them.

Fang Wen's father-in-law was also with him, along with a group of other people.

Mr. Kuang introduced him, "This is Charles Viner de Winter Brooke, the King of Sarawak." Fang Wen smiled and looked at him, "Hello."

The King of Sarawak replied happily, "I have always wanted to build an airport. I heard that you have a large airline. Could you open a route here?"

I see. Fang Wen has encountered this situation before; these kings were very enthusiastic about opening up sea routes.

But opening air routes isn't so easy. Fang Wen smiled and explained, "I also really hope to open air routes. The more routes I have, the stronger my company will be. But this kind of thing has to be profitable first. Where do you want to establish air routes from and to?"

“Let’s talk as we walk.” The King of Sarawak led Fang Wen and turned toward the palace in the distance. “Below our country lies Dutch territory, and they have always coveted Sarawak. I want to establish a shipping route with Kuala Lumpur in Malacca province. This will give me a faster way to unite with our allies.”

Malacca Province was actually the name given to the region of Malaysia and Singapore north of the Strait of Malacca during that period.

It was a British colony and Sarawak was a colonial power.

The islands south of the Strait of Malacca and the land south of Sarawak were controlled by the Dutch.

Therefore, the two sides argued for a long time and were somewhat hostile to each other.

That's why the King of Sarawak had the idea of ​​establishing shipping routes.

He certainly had done it before, but Britain had too many overseas colonies and simply didn't have time to attend to his enclave.

Fang Wen did not express his opinion. This was a business deal, and he was unwilling to invest until there was sufficient value in it.

Besides, Sarawak has absolutely nothing to do with him. If the Japanese move south in the future, this shipping route will be rendered useless.

His silence was obvious to Mr. Kuang, who immediately understood.

He then spoke up for the King of Sarawak, saying, "Fang Wen, this is a good thing. The two places are 1200 kilometers apart, which is just the right distance for a Boeing 247. This is a route between the capitals of the two countries. Wealthy people in both places will definitely choose to travel by plane. You will definitely not lose money by opening this route."

As he spoke, he also gave a wink, and Fang Wen understood that his father-in-law was giving him a hint.

He hesitated slightly before saying, "Can I look into it and then make a decision?"

The King of Sarawak showed delight and readily agreed.

Afterwards, Fang Wen and his two companions were invited to the palace for a dinner that combined local and British styles.

This meal was filled with the flavor of curry, and turmeric powder once again took over Fang Wen's stomach.

After dinner, Fang Wen took his leave, saying, "Your Majesty, I haven't seen my father-in-law for half a year. Today is a good opportunity to have a long talk with him."

After obtaining the king's permission, Fang Wen and Kuang's father left the palace.

As soon as he left the palace, Fang Wen breathed a sigh of relief: "Father-in-law, I really can't get used to curry. Let's find something else we can eat."

Mr. Kwong laughed heartily: "I knew you were just making an excuse to sneak out. Come on, I'll take you to eat some local Chinese food."

The two arrived at a Chinese-populated area, where Mr. Kwong ordered food.

Boiled shrimp, glutinous rice with salted pork, and kolo noodles.

The food was all good and suited Fang Wen's taste perfectly.

Especially golok pasta.

After finishing his meal, Fang Wen commented, "This is similar to cold noodles and hot dry noodles in China."

“Yes, this originated from China. This place was once a kingdom established by Chinese people,” Mr. Kuang replied.

Fang Wen became interested.

"Father-in-law, please tell me."

Mr. Kuang was in high spirits today and launched into a long speech.

This area may have been part of the Brunei Kingdom a long time ago.

Below is the Lanfang Republic, a peculiar kingdom comprised of Chinese companies.

Later, internal conflicts arose within the Heshun Company of the Lanfang Republic, and Liu Shanbang led a group of people north and occupied a piece of land.

Meanwhile, James Brooke used the £30,000 he inherited from his father to buy a ship and traveled to the Singapore area in Southeast Asia. Taking advantage of the indigenous rebellion in Brunei, he borrowed land from British soldiers and settled there.

Later, James Brooke and Liu Shanbang secretly joined forces to cause trouble in Brunei, gradually taking over Brunei's territory, namely the Sarawak region.

Of course, it's easier said than done; the process was very long, taking 100 years. Liu Shanbang's power had long since disappeared, while Sarawak had become a white chiefdom, which has been passed down to this day.

The current king is the nephew of the former king, who succeeded in taking over because the former king had no descendants.

Fang Wen was deeply moved after hearing this history.

This was merely a perk of the Age of Exploration; with the backing of the British government, speculators could also obtain tremendous opportunities.

Meanwhile, the Qing Dynasty at the same time was closing itself off from the world.

Perhaps these Chinese regimes in Southeast Asia were unwilling to have any connection with the Qing Dynasty, which led to the disappearance of the Lanfang Republic and Liu Shanbang from history.

Clearing his mind, he discussed serious matters with his father-in-law.

Why do you want me to agree to the Sarawak King's request to establish a new shipping route?

Mr. Kuang chuckled leisurely, “Didn’t you want oil? There’s plenty of oil here.”

Oil is something Fang Wen has always wanted. After returning, he plans to build a refinery, sourced from seaborne oil from the Persian Gulf and oil fields in Myanmar.

However, the oil purchases on both sides are unstable. The oil purchases must be made by those few major international oil companies first before Fang Wen's refinery can make purchases.

Judging from my father-in-law's words, could it be that there is oil here?
Fang Wen suddenly perked up and poured wine for his father-in-law: "Father-in-law, don't just say half of what you mean."

After drinking the wine poured by his son-in-law, Mr. Kuang, his face flushed, said, "Shell of the Netherlands secretly sent people to explore Sarawak, and they discovered oil fields in the coastal area. They are currently establishing an oil field development company in the Miri area. That local tyrant is still stuck in the old days, thinking that Britain and the Netherlands are competing with each other, but he doesn't realize that what use is land now? Oil is what's truly valuable."

Fang Wen agreed with his father-in-law's statement; wasn't Shell a landmark company jointly owned by Britain and the Netherlands?

He ultimately did not agree to his father-in-law's suggestion to build an air route there, as there was more than one way to obtain oil produced by Shell.

No matter how shrewd my father-in-law was, he couldn't escape the constraints of his time. How could he have imagined that the Japanese would occupy this place for oil in the future?

The more you invest now, the more you will lose in the future.

After rejecting his father-in-law's suggestion, Fang Wen quickly changed the subject to avoid embarrassing him.

"Father-in-law, how is the quinine?"

A slightly unhappy father glared at Fang Wen, feeling very uncomfortable that his son-in-law didn't appreciate the good business he had put so much effort into.

But since they were family, he put it down and started talking about quinine.

"The Dutch treat quinine as a unique business and plan to ship most of it to Europe for sale. They think their control measures are very strict, but they are no match for my little finger."

At this point, Mr. Kuang couldn't help but feel proud again; his second career seemed to be going quite well.

According to Mr. Kuang, he used a single trick to disrupt the Dutch defenses.

During the production of quinine.

To make cinchona powder, you have to dry the bark of the cinchona tree and grind it into powder.

The process was not complicated, and the Dutch were watching the whole thing, so they couldn't do anything wrong.

Unable to find a solution in this regard, Mr. Kuang resorted to a more direct and effective method.

Kwong's father used his friends in Southeast Asia to spread the word that he would buy it at 1.5 times the market price.

This news has piqued the interest of both the Dutch and the locals.

They conspired to extract real quinine and then replaced it with ordinary tree bark.

Fang Wen was astonished. "So you bought up all the quinine this year?"

Mr. Kuang said proudly, "Yes, if the Netherlands doesn't investigate, I'll buy out the quinine in the same way for the next two years. As long as I have the supply, I can control the global demand and make enough money to last a lifetime."

Fang Wen realized for the first time how formidable his father-in-law was.

Although he didn't know the future, he keenly sensed the changing winds through his conversation with Fang Wen.

If he really monopolized quinine for three years, no, even just one year of quinine production would be quite considerable.

When a real outbreak occurs, these are the things that will save lives.

Fang Wen had no intention of stopping his father-in-law. As long as China had a sufficient supply of quinine, that was fine. In other places, wasn't it a capitalist jungle? Then they had to abide by the rules.

(End of this chapter)