Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 234 233 The Japanese army's three-dimensional encirclement, Fang Wen's tactical attack, his own methods have backfired.
A Japanese air squadron formed a pincer movement over the Bohai Sea.

This was a premeditated act; it seems they had planned it all along. Even if they lost the aerial duel, they wouldn't let Fang Wen go back.

As long as Fang Wen dies over the Bohai Sea, the subsequent public propaganda will portray it as a victory for them.

That's why they used 12 Type 95 fighter jets to ensure absolute safety.

A formation of 12 fighter jets, pre-arranged, surrounded Fang Wen from all sides.

While in mechanical sensing mode, Fang Wen quickly gathered information about the enemy fighter formation.

Eight Type 8 fighter jets formed an outer encirclement, four above and four below, forming a cubic cage.

There were also four Type 95 helicopters that attacked Fang Wen from within this cage, attempting to strangle him.

This tactical formation was clearly designed specifically to target Fang Wen, blocking off all areas of the airspace above, below, in front, behind, left, and right.

Fang Wen sneered.

He had already gained some understanding of the Type 95 fighter jet from the recent close combat.

This aircraft, as always, followed the Japanese design philosophy of pursuing speed.

Just like the Type 3 naval fighter he encountered in Shanghai, it was lightweight and had weak defenses in exchange for high-speed flight.

But this thing is, after all, a biplane, and a thin-skinned biplane at that, so it has a lot of problems when it moves up and down or curves upwards.

It's a joke that these 12 fighter jets actually wanted to use a pre-formed, three-dimensional cage to deal with us.

Let's see what these Japanese pilots are capable of.

Fang Wen immediately controlled the aircraft to rise, thereby dodging the incoming horizontal bullets.

The four Type 95 fighter jets then immediately began to climb.

They knew that the biplanes couldn't climb as high as the Shrike. The four Type 4 fighters defending the outer perimeter had already begun aiming, and would start crossfire as soon as the Shrike reached a horizontal angle.

But they hadn't anticipated the Shrike's maneuverability.

After being modified by Fang Wen, the Shrike can perform tactical maneuvers more skillfully than before.

Fang Wen used a feint in mid-air this time.

The Shrike rose to a certain height, then suddenly rolled sideways.

The aircraft spun and rolled in the air, using the lateral roll to adjust its direction downwards, and then swooped down in a U-shape.

This enabled the spatial displacement and fuselage turning.

(Fang Wen's flight maneuver is similar to the half-roll military maneuver invented during World War II, which was suitable for the era of machine guns.)
This series of flight maneuvers successfully evaded the pursuit of four Type 95 aircraft and even swapped positions with them.

Fang Wen has now arrived below the aerial cage, with eight fighter jets overhead, flying in the opposite direction.

His current danger has become the four outer fighter jets below.

Perhaps there's no need to forcibly break through the lower space. The key to this aerial three-dimensional cage is the four chasing aircraft inside. Now that we've gotten rid of them, we can simply accelerate in the opposite direction to escape.

Immediately, Fang Wen accelerated the flight, and the Shrike suddenly increased its speed to 400 kilometers per hour, like an arrow piercing through the air cage.

This scene was witnessed by the spectators at sea below.

Cheers erupted from Chinese, British, Americans, and Russians, but no Japanese.

This was a huge disgrace, even more humiliating than losing an aerial duel.

Twelve of the latest fighter jets, and a seemingly inescapable tactical encirclement, were somehow managed to break free.

The feint was so realistic, and the continuous rolls and loops were a classic example of military flight maneuvers.

The spectators included not only ordinary people but also military personnel from various countries, who drew the scene on paper so that their own pilots could learn from it.

However, without mastering the technique, it would be very difficult to learn this move.

At this moment, the situation in the sky suddenly changed again.

The entire air squadron, a secret plan to encircle and suppress them, failed.

And it failed in front of so many people.

This is a disgrace to the air squadron, something these usually proud pilots least want to see.

Unable to bear returning with this humiliation, they chose to accelerate their pursuit.

Twelve aircraft, completely disregarding fuel consumption, followed the Shrike at top speed toward the coastline.

Fang Wen's flight was heading towards Shandong, which was not within the scope of the Tanggu Agreement. Furthermore, there was a large number of Nationalist troops stationed in the area. If Japanese aircraft entered the territory, it would be considered a breach of the agreement.

Faced with this situation, the local authorities dared not make a decision and immediately reported it to Nanjing.

The Nanjing authorities replied: "Wait and see how things develop; do not act rashly."

Therefore, the garrison remained unchanged, gazing upwards at the sky.

Seeing the planes flying overhead, the garrison commander was filled with anger. He kicked the stool away and shouted loudly.

"Brothers, set up the machine guns and point them at the sky. If the Japanese dare to mess around, shoot them down."

In the sky, Fang Wen led 12 enemy planes in circles.

This is a bit troublesome. There are too many enemy planes. If we want to deal with them, not only is it dangerous, but we also have to reveal all our cards.

Fang Wen was unwilling to reveal all his cards before the official start of the battle; even a feint and a spin made him feel like he had lost out.

It's important to understand that while the Japanese might not be able to learn these aerial maneuvers, they can develop countermeasures against them, and they must not use them indiscriminately.

But if these enemy planes don't retreat, we won't be able to land in Jinan.

He was thinking, why not take him to Nanjing so that the President could experience firsthand what it's like to be bullied by the Japanese?

At this moment, two Japanese fighter planes suddenly spun off and flew towards Jinan.

What are they going to do?
Fang Wen's heart tightened immediately.

This is clearly a Japanese plane using Jinan as a threat, trying to keep them here.

His mind raced, and he suddenly understood.

It's about fuel consumption.

The Type 95 fighter jet is said to have a maximum range of 1100 kilometers, but that can only be achieved at normal cruising speed.

The Japanese aircraft has been entangled with me for some time now, operating at high load, which will result in high fuel consumption.

If they continue to pursue them, they will be unable to return, so they want to fight this battle.

But this behavior is despicable; it uses innocent people as a threat.

Fang Wen was instantly enraged and immediately turned the plane around.

Two Type 95 fighter jets swooped down.

They brazenly fired at the streets outside the city.

Fortunately, there were no pedestrians on the road, and the dust kicked up by the two rows of machine gun bullets rose high into the air.

"General, shall we fire?" the adjutant asked loudly. The soldiers on the city wall stood in two rows, with the front row serving as gun mounts and the back row aiming at the air from behind.

After a moment of hesitation, the general regained his composure and became cowardly.

He just couldn't bring himself to say that command.

After finishing their strafing, the two Type 95 helicopters flew over the city wall, and their arrogant shouts could still be faintly heard.

The general clenched his fists, ready to strike.

Before he could finish speaking, the adjutant exclaimed, "The Shrike is back! What's it going to do?"

Everyone looked up.

In the sky, Fang Wen once again escaped the enemy aircraft's pursuit by performing a large spin.

His target was two Japanese planes that were strafing at low altitude over Jinan.

The other party was courting death; Fang Wen had already mentally issued a death sentence.

The Shrike, swooping down, intercepted two enemy planes, making it one against two.

The enemy opened fire immediately, and bullets flew through the air.

They had no requirements for accuracy; they only wanted to cut off Fang Wen's path with a hail of bullets and then form an encirclement with the 10 planes behind him.

In his mechanically-sensory state, Fang Wen controlled the Shrike to leap into the air, dodging the bullets by exploiting spatial differences. At the same time, the aircraft began to roll.

This wasn't a feint; it was Fang Wen's own invention: angled shooting.

During the roll, the aircraft adjusted its nose to face the two enemy planes at a 25-degree angle.

The bullets fired while rolling and spinning were aimed at the enemy aircraft at an angle that ordinary fighter jets could not achieve.

The spinning bullets became death spirals, strangling the two planes.

A dense hail of bullets spun around the Type 95's fuselage, creating rings of bullet holes and instantly detonating the aircraft's fuel tanks.

In an instant, the two planes exploded in mid-air, bursting into countless sparks and fragments that scattered across the ground.

This scene stunned the spectators in Jinan.

This also made the Japanese warplanes want to retreat.

The Japanese squadron leader signaled to his team members using hand gestures.

[Low fuel, returning to base.]

Immediately afterwards, the 10 Type 95 fighter jets turned and flew towards Tianjin.

Watching the Japanese planes leave, Fang Wen did not land in Jinan.

The plan to rescue Yue Jinping failed.

What a load of rubbish! The Bushido spirit has ended up like this.

Fang Wen had long anticipated the Japanese people's fickle nature.

Since this approach is not feasible, he can only resort to their own methods against them.

Therefore, the backup plan should also be activated.

Immediately afterwards, Fang Wen piloted the black Shrike southward and landed at Shanghai Airport.

At Shanghai Airport, the staff of Taishan Airlines were busy from the moment Fang Wen landed and disembarked.

Flights were suspended, and staff stood guard around the area.

Inside the hangar, Fang Wen's inner circle held an emergency meeting.

Pan Jiafeng said excitedly, "Master, I'm so excited just listening to the radio about your battles in the sky. You must teach me those techniques in the future!"

"What time is it? You're still thinking about this?" Shao Sichen reprimanded Pan Jiafeng before analyzing the current situation. "The Japanese have lost three fighter planes. Even if it's an aerial battle, the Japanese won't give up easily. General Manager, you need to be careful from now on."

Fang Wen nodded: "I plan to move the Shanghai headquarters to Wuhan, leaving a branch here shouldn't be a big problem. It's just that I don't want to give up halfway through Yue Jinping's matter."

Everyone remained silent, since the general manager's wife, Kuang Mingzhu, was also present.

Kuang Mingzhu spoke up: "Yue Jinping has helped the general manager many times, and we are also friends. Please feel free to share any good solutions you may have."

Hearing his wife's statement, Sun Debiao spoke up.

"I think that since the Japanese arrested Yue Jinping and wanted to use her to lure the general manager, we should do the same and arrest an important Japanese person in return."

This is a good suggestion; it's about giving them a taste of their own medicine.

Fang Wen thought it was feasible. Things had developed to this point, and he had to finish it, no matter what means he used.

But who should they arrest?

Fang Wen issued the order.

"Notify Wu Yingzong and have him find a target for the operation."

"Taishan Airlines' Shanghai headquarters can be moved to Wuhan."

"All senior management has moved to Wuhan, and this place is managed by middle-level staff."

No one objected to Fang Wen's words.

They had already guessed that the headquarters would be relocated.

After the meeting adjourned, everyone got busy.

The team members who returned from Tianjin went to the city to contact Wu Yingzong.

Fang Shouxin, Manager Liu, and Sun Debiao packed all the administrative, personnel, financial, and distribution company documents into boxes and moved them into Taishan No. 1.

Kuang Mingzhu, Chuncao, and Qiuju organized the evacuation of the flight attendants and business telegraph department.

Pan Jiafeng and Shao Sishen then organized the flight apprentices to pack up and transport the items that the training center needed to move.

Within a single day, Taishan Airlines' headquarters at Shanghai Airport became an empty shell.

All relevant personnel boarded a plane and headed to Wuhan.

They had already purchased buildings in Wuhan, and the office equipment was complete. Once the documents and equipment were moved there, they could start operating immediately.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

The aerial duel in the Bohai Sea has become a huge joke.

The noble pilot was shot down in a single encounter, and the subsequent 12-squadron of fighter planes also failed to intercept him.

Furthermore, people have heard that two more fighter jets were shot down outside Jinan.

Japan vehemently denied the allegations, describing the incident as follows: On the day of the competition, the pilot's aircraft experienced a malfunction, causing the tail section to break off and crash. Twelve aircraft were subsequently dispatched for search and rescue operations in the Bohai Sea. Regarding the subsequent crashes of the two fighter jets, the explanation was the same malfunction, and a comprehensive inspection of the Type 12 fighter jets is currently underway.

Thus, the loss of three fighter jets turned into an accident.

Therefore, the Japanese side announced that the competition had not been decided and would not continue.

Subsequently, the Japanese intelligence agency located in the Japanese concession in Shanghai dispatched a large number of plainclothes agents to Shanghai Airport to investigate Fang Wen's whereabouts.

When they arrived at Shanghai Airport, they were surprised to find that the headquarters of Taishan Airlines was deserted.

However, the flight routes are still operating normally.

After making some inquiries, I learned that Taishan Airlines had moved its headquarters to Wuhan overnight.

In Wuhan, the Japanese influence is weak, so there's no need to worry about them causing trouble.

However, Fang Wen's whereabouts were not found in Wuhan either.

Where did Fang Wen go?

Shanghai, Hongkou District.

The once-grand casino has now become the office space of Anping Trading Company.

In this three-story building, the first floor is the reception area and warehouse, the second floor is the manager's office and meeting room, and the third floor is the residence of the manager of Anping Trading Company.

Wu Yingzong, who was posing as the manager of Anping Company and infiltrating Shanghai, finished his work as usual.

He didn't go out for a walk until the afternoon, when the employees had left work, and came back carrying an oil paper package.

After closing the main door, Wu Yingzong went up to the third floor.

The third floor has now become the temporary residence of the special operations team, and Fang Wen is discussing with the team members.

After Wu Yingzong entered, he took the initiative to report the situation.

"General Manager, everything is normal today. I went out for a walk and didn't find any spies."

As he spoke, he shared the pastries he had bought with his friends.

Fang Wen took a small piece and asked, "When is Zhao Wanping coming back?"

“She’s been playing mahjong with a group of rich women to gather information until 8 or 9 pm,” Wu Yingzong replied.

"Let's wait until she gets back. Who's going to cook dinner tonight?" Fang Wen asked. To maintain secrecy, the special operations team couldn't buy large quantities of restaurant food, so they had to cook for themselves.

The team members volunteered to cook, and soon prepared a meal.

This dish isn't as good as Zhao Wanping's; it's barely edible.

After dinner, Zhao Wanping returned late at night.

Unable to contain her joy, she reported: "General Manager, I've heard some good news. A distinguished guest is coming from Japan, named Nagano Osamu."

"Who is this person?" Fang Wen asked.

“I haven’t found out his exact identity yet, but he must be of high status. All the senior Japanese naval officers stationed in Shanghai went to the port to meet him,” Zhao Wanping replied.

(End of this chapter)