Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 283-282 Shanghai Intelligence Station Expands, Axe Gang Returns to the Front Lines, Salon Reminisces
Inside the Axe Gang's secret stronghold, the gang members were completely bewildered.

Everyone was somewhat bewildered by the gang leader's decision.

Wang Gang Leader's confidant spoke up again: "You can consider your future path. You don't necessarily have to listen to the gang leader and join Mr. Fang's team. You can also find your own way out."

One of the followers couldn't help but ask.

"Is the gang leader just going to abandon us like this?"

"How can we manage him? The gang leader is already a cripple, he can't even stand up. Do you still want him to worry about you?" Gang Leader Wang's confidant rebuked angrily.

"Which Mr. Fang is it?" someone else asked.

"Fang Wen of Taishan Airlines, a close friend of Chief Wang despite their age difference, is willing to take over, which is the best possible outcome. You all discuss it and give me an answer tonight. Dismissed."

The Axe Gang members immediately scattered, forming small groups to whisper among themselves and discuss their future.

Wang Gang Leader's confidant led Fang Wen to the third room on the left side of the stairwell on the second floor of this building.

He took out his key, opened the door, and let Fang Wen in, speaking to him.

"This is Chief Wang's room. I need to pack up his personal belongings and take them with me, as well as some things the chief wants to give you."

After saying that, he started to get busy, and seemed to know everything about the room.

Fang Wen didn't say anything, found a chair and sat down, observing the furnishings in the room.

This is Chief Wang's residence in his secret hideout. It is simple and rustic, with two rooms: an inner bedroom and an outer study and reception room.

Fang Wen speculated on Wang Gangzhu's intentions in living in this location from Wang Gangzhu's perspective.

The left and right sides should be guard rooms, and being on the second floor, one can be informed of any unexpected situations in time, and if necessary, one can leave through other secret passages.

Just then, Chief Wang's confidant came over with some items.

"This is what the gang leader gave you: the gang's accounts, bank account keys, and personnel roster."

Fang Wen took it and started reading.

The accounts had little surplus, barely breaking even. The main source of income was income from secret assassinations and shady dealings in Shanghai. The bank account stub showed $2000, 13,000 francs, and more than 3000 silver dollars from the money shop.

That's all there is to the Axe Gang.

According to the roster, the Axe Gang has more than 100 members. Not all of them are at the secret stronghold; there are others on the outskirts.

These people's expenses were all paid for by the Axe Gang, so that little money wouldn't last long.

Having learned about these circumstances, Fang Wen couldn't help but wonder how he should reorganize the Axe Gang after accepting its members.

Before they could get anywhere, Wang Gangzhu's confidant, who had finished his work, came over and continued talking with Fang Wen.

"The Axe Gang was founded by Chief Wang himself. In 1921, the Anhui workers at the Shanghai docks were being exploited and suffering terribly. Because they were outsiders, they were often bullied by various parties. Chief Wang gathered the Anhui workers together, had over a hundred axes made at a blacksmith's shop, stormed into the home of the dock foreman who owed them wages, and got their wages back. From then on, the name of our Axe Gang came into being in Shanghai. Unlike other forces, we were all born into poverty and have nothing to lose. If anyone offends us, we'll fight them to the death."

Fang Wen listened to the Axe Gang's past, which was quite fascinating.

What they did was truly audacious.

In the second year after the Axe Gang was established, it killed Xu Guoliang, the police chief of Songhu Police Department who commanded more than 7000 police officers, at the entrance of a bathhouse opposite the Great World.

Furthermore, he went so far as to kill those who were righteous.

He assassinated Chiang Kai-shek, shot Soong Mei-ling, bombed and killed General Shirakawa, the commander-in-chief of the invading Japanese army, and stabbed Wang Jingwei.

This made a group of people hate him to the core.

Through the description of Wang Gang's confidant, Fang Wen also learned about another clever use of the Axe Gang.

Under Wang's management, all the rickshaw pullers in Shanghai were informants for the Axe Gang. Not only rickshaw pullers, but people from all walks of life had connections with the Axe Gang, making them extremely well-informed in Shanghai.

This is exactly what Fang Wen needs.

As Shanghai is a hub for various forces in China and a center for Far East intelligence networks, having the Axe Gang's connections will make things much easier in the future.

But how many people will be willing to follow him this time?
And what if someone sets up their own faction and opposes them?

Time passed quickly. Fang Wen, who had arrived at noon, continued his conversation with Chief Wang's confidant at the secret base until the afternoon. After having dinner, it was time for the results to be announced.

He deliberately removed his disguise and appeared in the lobby on the first floor with Chief Wang's confidants.

All gang members gathered at the secret hideout.

Facing them, Fang Wen took the initiative to introduce himself: "Hello everyone, my name is Fang Wen, and I am the general manager of Taishan Airlines. I am here today at the request of Chief Wang to discuss the future of the Axe Gang with you all. Chief Wang said that he wants me to take over the Axe Gang completely. At first, I had doubts. So many of you have followed him for a long time. Will there be any problems if you follow me? Chief Wang said that the Axe Gang does things with a clear conscience, fairness and justice. As long as I act uprightly and do things in accordance with justice, you will work for me just like you did for Chief Wang."

After a pause, Fang Wen observed the expressions of the Axe Gang members.

It seems that everyone agrees with what he said, which is similar to his conversation with Chief Wang in Hong Kong.

He continued:
"I'm a single-minded person; I only think about one thing: driving the Japanese out of China. So, I need you all to deal with this one thing. Are you willing?"

The Axe Gang members never expected Fang Wen to say this.

All my doubts vanished instantly.

Although the Axe Gang had also carried out various assassinations, their hatred for the Japanese invaders was no less than that of progressive and patriotic youths.

The bombing of the Izumo and the subsequent assassination of General Yoshihide Shirakawa, the "Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Expeditionary Army," who was attending the "Victory Celebration of the Battle of Shanghai," made the Japanese people hate them no less than the Kuomintang leaders.

Therefore, everyone agrees on this point.

With this good start, Fang Wen struck while the iron was hot.

"Of course, if anyone has other ideas or wants to start something new, it's best to say it now. If anyone mentions it after today or does something that is detrimental to our resistance against Japan, don't blame me for taking action to punish them."

These words essentially confirm the takeover of the Axe Gang.

We're just waiting for the gang members' decision.

Immediately someone spoke up.

They are Zhao Wanping's parents.

These two were staunch supporters of their daughter, and the parents and relatives of other members of the special operations team also agreed without hesitation to follow Fang Wen.

Under their leadership, a large group of people agreed that Fang Wen had taken over the Axe Gang.

Only five people disagreed. The leader spoke up, saying, "Chief Wang has been kind to us brothers, but now that he's no longer in charge, we brothers don't want to live under someone else's roof anymore. We're parting ways today, and we'll meet again in the martial world someday."

After saying this, the five men slung their bundles over their shoulders and turned to leave.

Wang Gang Leader's confidant explained in a low voice: "These five are notorious bandits from north of the Yellow River. They are all quite skilled. They were recruited into the gang's action team by the gang leader. They left without any problems and don't know much about the gang's situation."

Fang Wen nodded and watched the five people leave. Then, as the new leader of the Axe Gang, he said, "We should always be wary of others. Since they have parted ways, I think we should send someone to follow them and keep an eye on them."

"I'll go," Li Tiezhu's father, Li Tianming, replied and followed him out.

Fang Wen then continued:
“From now on, everyone will follow me, and we will speak frankly. I have prepared two options: one is to become staff members of my Taishan Volunteer Army’s secret intelligence station in Shanghai, and the other is to go to South Asia to participate in the training of the Taishan Volunteer Army’s combat team. Once you have chosen, I will send someone to make the arrangements.”

The two places Fang Wen suggested sparked a lively discussion, and the hall was buzzing with excitement.

Becoming a staff member of the Taishan Volunteer Army's secret intelligence station in Shanghai was essentially just a change of name; they were still using the Axe Gang's network of connections in Shanghai. However, going to South Asia to join combat units meant becoming a soldier.

Some people wanted to remain unchanged, so they stayed in Shanghai to carry out secret work.

If anyone is willing to fight on the battlefield in the future, then go to South Asia.

They all went their separate ways, and Fang Wen also ensured that their treatment would be significantly improved compared to the past.

This was something the Axe Gang hadn't expected; changing bosses resulted in increased income.

An hour later, the discussion reached a conclusion: two-thirds of the participants stayed in Shanghai, while one-third chose to go to South Asia.

In response, Fang Wen explained: "Those going to South Asia, wait at the Shanghai airport. You will stay in the old building that Taishan Airlines used to build. A plane will come to pick you up in three days. As for those staying in Shanghai, I will arrange for the head of the Shanghai intelligence station to meet with you."

Just as he was giving instructions, Li Tianming, who had gone out to follow the five men, returned.

He looked at Fang Wen, hesitated for a moment, and then reported:
"Boss, something's up. Those five men went straight to Hongkou after leaving the house. They're probably going to defect to the Japanese."

This sparked outrage among the crowd, who clamored to get rid of these five ungrateful wretches.

Fang Wen spoke up at the right moment to stop them: "The matter of eliminating traitors will be handled by your intelligence station from now on. There's no rush now. Since they've defected to the Japanese, they must have betrayed the intelligence here, wanting the Japanese to wipe them out in one fell swoop so they can get rich. Therefore, we must relocate immediately. Do we have any other secret outposts in the French Concession?"

Wang Gang Leader's confidant replied, "Yes, shall we leave now?"

"Yes, move them immediately."

Under Fang Wen's orders, everyone in this secret outpost quickly packed their belongings and left through the exit of the dark alley.

Shortly after they left, a large group of plainclothes officers entered the French Concession, quietly entered the alleyways, and surrounded the entire secret hideout.

After confirming the identities of the five brothers who had come with them, the Japanese agents immediately broke down the door.

They stormed in, only to find the place empty. Enraged, the Japanese special operations commander gave the five defectors a physical and verbal beating.

Because of the timely relocation, the Japanese agents missed their target.

However, this hasty departure also caused heavy losses to the Axe Gang. All the items left behind at the secret stronghold were things that everyone had prepared.

For example, the medical and drug manufacturing couple's various pharmaceutical and drug-making equipment, as well as other people's belongings and equipment, were not taken away in time.

Therefore, this suddenly made the Axe Gang's finances difficult.

The new secret hideout is completely empty; it's like starting all over again.

But they didn't expect that after changing owners, money would be no problem at all; these expenses were far less than the cost of an airplane.

After promising to provide sufficient funding, Fang Wen summoned Chen Suoxin and Liu Yinshou, the head and deputy head of the Shanghai intelligence station of the Taishan Volunteer Army.

These two men will take over the Axe Gang and establish their intelligence network in Shanghai, managing it well.

After giving his explanation, Fang Wen considered the matter with the Axe Gang settled.

As for whether the outcome will be good or bad, it's hard to predict. He adheres to the principle of trusting those he employs and not employing those he doesn't trust, and tries his best to do his best.

I still have some things to take care of in Shanghai. After that, I'll have to go to the company headquarters in Wuhan.

After changing his appearance and disguise, Fang Wen left the secret hideout alone.

With a different makeup look, he was completely unrecognizable to outsiders.

He waved and got into a rickshaw to go to Mr. Liang and Mr. Lin's residence.

After a knock, Mr. Lin opened the door and, seeing the unfamiliar face of the visitor, couldn't help but ask, "Who are you?"

“Flying a plane,” Fang Wen replied.

"Ah." Mr. Lin was surprised, but then realized what was going on and stepped aside to let Fang Wen in. "You look different again. You've been gone for months. You should tell me about your experiences."

Fang Wen walked straight into the room and followed Mr. Lin into the guest room, where he removed his disguise and makeup.

Meanwhile, in the living room, the daily salon was discussing the latest developments in the current situation.

"At present, the whole country is calling for unity to jointly resist the invasion of foreign enemies. The National Government has also sent a telegram to the whole country, and the situation is very good."

"It's a pity that Generals Yang and Zhang have both been imprisoned, I heard."

"Zhang is alright, after all, he has a good relationship with Chiang, but Yang is probably in a much worse situation."

"To do this, one must have such awareness. General Yang is truly righteous."

"By the way, with the current situation so favorable, do you all think there might be a second Kuomintang-Communist cooperation?"

"It should happen. It is said that military and political leaders in various places have been calling for an end to the civil war. They do not want to be consumed by the civil war indefinitely."

"If the war were to end domestically and we united to fight the Japanese invaders, we could surely drive them out of China?"

At that moment, Fang Wen's voice broke in.

"It's hard to say. On the surface, there is peace, but in reality, everyone is still looking out for themselves, and it's difficult to unite. Moreover, our cessation of the civil war has actually put pressure on the Japanese invaders. More than four years have passed since 1932, and the Japanese invaders are well prepared. We are bound to have a war with them."

Everyone was surprised and turned to look.

"General Manager Fang, you're back."

"Long time no see, where have you been?"

Fang Wen smiled and replied, "I went to Europe and participated in a revolutionary war in Europe under the name of the International Brigades."

The bearded man applying for the job exclaimed in surprise, "You've joined the International Brigades?!"

"Yes, we joined under the name of the air force, and with the four aircraft supported by the Soviet Air Force, we had a total of seven fighter jets. We had a designation in the International Brigades and were called the Asian Air Force."

Fang Wen's words aroused great interest among the cultural figures present.

They were curious about the Spanish Revolution in Europe and the support given to Spain by internationalist fighters around the world.

Subsequently, Fang Wen became the main speaker at the salon, sharing his experiences in Europe with them.

The people of the salon were ecstatic when they heard that an international brigade, composed of a diverse group of workers, writers, painters, and others, was fighting the rebels in Madrid and repelling countless enemy attacks.

This is a different kind of bloody romance, something they dare not yet yearn for.

Some couldn't help but ask themselves, "If it were us, would we dare to take up arms and fight against the Japanese invaders?"

The bearded man put down his pipe and said with great certainty, "I will."

Several people expressed the same opinion, while others remained silent.

Fang Wen smiled without saying a word; a true warrior cannot be discerned from words alone.

Perhaps after the outbreak of the full-scale War of Resistance against Japan, some of these people would take up arms and become anti-Japanese fighters, but they might not be the ones speaking now.

After catching up with the people at the salon, he got up and left, having one last thing to do in Shanghai.

That's filmmaking, something we've missed for a long time.

More than a year has passed, so how is the movie from Star Film Company doing?
(End of this chapter)