Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 335, 333: Spanish Arms Deal – Long-Term or Short-Term Interests?

The arms deal negotiations in Paris have yielded positive results.

Fang Wen, who originally intended to use Faléman as an intermediary, shifted the entire transaction to Spain during his conversation with German arms dealer Adler.

This is a mutually beneficial approach.

Germany was already providing military supplies to Franco's forces in Spain, and Adler's military superiors in Germany could use this channel to transport weapons there without any impact.

This is much more convenient than smuggling small quantities of weapons to France and then trading them on the black market, and it allows for the sale of large quantities of weapons at once and the acquisition of huge sums of money.

Fang Wen and his team were also going to Spain to complete a penicillin drug transaction with the Popular Front, and they could take advantage of the opportunity to complete the handover of firearms and supplies while trading drugs with the Popular Front.

Fang Wen then postponed his trip to Spain that evening, waiting for Adler's message.

As night fell, the car returned to the airport. Fang Wen told William to stay in the car and wait while he went into the airport alone to find Gong Xiuneng.

Gong Xiuneng spent the entire day on the plane, guarding the black leather suitcase that Fang Wen had given him.

Upon seeing Fang Wen enter the hangar, Gong Xiuneng stood up to greet him: "Commander, has something happened?"

"The plans have changed. We'll stay in Paris tonight while I pick up my things. We'll spend the night at the office."

As he spoke, Fang Wen boarded the plane, opened the metal box in the rear cabin, and took out the gray leather suitcase.

He handed the gray leather suitcase to Gong Xiuneng and instructed him, "These two suitcases contain the funds he used to purchase anti-Japanese military supplies. You must take good care of them."

Gong Xiuneng solemnly accepted the gray suitcase, carrying a small leather suitcase in each hand, and followed Fang Wen out of the airport.

The two got into a car outside the airport and drove to the Paris office of Taishan Airlines.

When the office manager, Paul Lin, saw the general manager arrive, he quickly went to greet him.

After a warm conversation, Paul Lin arranged a suite in the pilots' dormitory, a large room with three bedrooms and a living room.

The three checked in and ate the food brought by the office staff. William took the initiative to apologize.

"Commander, it's my fault. I subconsciously treated the other person as a friend, and my words were less guarded. I forgot about my disguise. Luckily you thought it through, otherwise there would have been a problem today."

Gong Xiuneng asked in surprise, "What happened?"

Fang Wen smiled and said, "It's nothing, just a little accident."

Seeing that the regimental commander was unwilling to talk, Gong Xiuneng, as a guard, was unwilling to give up. Protecting Fang Wen was his duty, so he immediately pressed William for answers.

It was through William's account that Gong Xiuneng learned of the twists and turns of today's events.

He couldn't help but ask, "Can that Adler work out?"

Fang Wen replied, "It should work out. The German military has always had a tradition of doing arms business. The Nationalist government hired a German officer training corps and used that opportunity to purchase a lot of German equipment. Selling arms abroad is their practice, so they will definitely agree."

After hearing Fang Wen's explanation, Gong Xiuneng didn't ask any further questions. After dinner, they went back to their rooms to rest.

After a night, Fang Wen and his two companions got up early to wash up and then went to the office to dial the number Adler had left behind.

William, holding the microphone, asked, "Have you made up your minds? Can the deal proceed?"

After a brief conversation on the phone, William relayed the message to Fang Wen.

"He said that Germany had agreed, but in order to ensure the success of the deal, he would go to Spain with us."

"Was he alone, or did he bring others with him?" Fang Wen asked.

"He and a telegraph operator, who would keep in constant contact with the German side to ensure the transaction could proceed."

This arrangement is enough to demonstrate Adler's eagerness for this deal.

They wanted more than just money; they also wanted the penicillin. Even if it wasn't used on the battlefield, it was the best anti-infective drug available daily, and the demand was extremely high.

Fang Wen nodded in agreement. "Have him come to the airport at five o'clock this afternoon, and we'll depart tonight."

The whole day was spent waiting, because everyone had important business to attend to and no one had the heart to enjoy sightseeing in Paris.

They waited until 5 p.m., when dusk was falling.

Adler arrived with a young man.

To mitigate the impact of yesterday's events, he voluntarily unbuttoned his clothes to show that he was not carrying any weapons.

The young man did the same, taking off his backpack to show that there was only a military radio inside.

William thoroughly searched the two men and only allowed them to board the plane after confirming that they were indeed safe.

On the plane, Adler and Fang Wen discussed the details of the deal.

"Currently in Spain, the Popular Front has lost its last stronghold in Gijón in the north. If we want to complete the deal, we have several options: the northern region of Aragon, the outskirts of Madrid, and the mountainous area south of Valencia. We have ways to transport weapons from these places."

Fang Wen did not make a choice immediately. He was not very familiar with the situation in Spain. Only by going to Spain and contacting his former comrades and the International Brigades could he determine where to conduct the transaction.

He said calmly, "You should load the cargo onto the ship first, and we'll discuss the trading location once we reach Spain."

Adler quickly explained, "Our goods are shipped from the Mediterranean via Switzerland and Morocco, which is very convenient. But before that, I need to verify your funds."

Verification of funds is a necessary step. Adler delivered the money and goods himself. He would never have sent a telegram to the German side to ship the goods if he hadn't seen the money or goods.

Fang Wen glanced at the sky outside; it was already 6 o'clock, and the sky was getting dark.

He gestured for William to close the hatch immediately.

Then, Gong Xiuneng handed the gray box to Fang Wen, who opened it and took out what Adler wanted to see.

Bottles of penicillin powder and a stack of bearer U.S. Treasury bonds.

"Is this enough to cover the costs?" Fang Wen asked.

Adler took a deep breath; the payment was astonishing to him: "It's enough."

"That's good, let's go."

After saying that, Fang Wen went directly into the cockpit and started the aircraft.

Meanwhile, Gong Xiuneng stood behind the cockpit, his hands on his waist, ready to draw his gun at any moment for defense.

The Taoist priests who once cultivated the Tao have now abandoned martial arts and weapons, and instead use firearms, since martial arts are no longer suitable in most situations in modern warfare.

Seeing this, Adler was quite relaxed and did not resist. Instead, he found a seat with the young man and waited patiently for their journey to Spain.

The commercial airliner took off and flew south. After entering Spanish airspace, more than two hours had passed, and it was 8 p.m.

In the pitch-black night sky, Fang Wen piloted a civilian airliner without encountering any interception from the Condor Legion's fighter jets, passing through the northern region of West Baja controlled by Franco.

An hour later, the plane arrived at the Albacete International Brigades base in southern Spain.

In the darkness of the Albacete base, a row of lights illuminated the scene.

Those are runway indicator lights specially prepared for Fang Wen's landing.

Adjusting the aircraft's position, Fang Wen controlled the civilian aircraft to land steadily on the runway.

After the plane came to a stop, he and his entourage disembarked and were greeted with a welcome.

He was greeted by an officer from the International Brigade, who originally managed the supplies warehouse and was someone Fang Wen often dealt with.

"Fang, you're back again. I miss the days when you were at the airport."

"Where is the commander? I need to speak with him."

"He's still at the command post. I'll take you there." "Wait a minute. I have two friends here who need special care. Don't let them wander off."

"Ah, I understand what you mean, Lieutenant. Bring your soldiers over here."

The officer shouted to the airport guards, ordering them to send troops to keep an eye on Adler and his companion, while William stayed at the airport to keep watch.

Fang Wen then left with Gong Xiuneng and the other staff member.

They went directly to the International Brigades headquarters at the Albacete base.

The base seems rather quiet now, lacking the liveliness of last year.

Fang Wen asked in surprise, "Where did they all go?"

"They've gone north. There's probably going to be a major battle there," the clerk replied.

During the conversation, the group arrived at the command post, and Fang Wen was taken inside directly.

In the command post, Commander Milio Kleber was still discussing military intelligence with Soviet staff officers.

When he saw Fang Wen, he stopped working and warmly shook hands and hugged Fang Wen.

"Fang, it's been a long time. Thank you for the medicine. Many of our wounded soldiers are spared from amputation due to wound infection because of it. By the way, I heard that your country is currently experiencing a war of aggression. May God bless you so that you can drive out the invaders."

“It definitely will,” Fang Wen replied confidently, then handed the black briefcase to Commander Milio Kleber. “These are the medicines for this transaction, but I have a request.”

"What request do you have? If I can do it, I will definitely help." Commander Milio Kleber readily agreed, feeling that Fang Wen's Asian Air Force performance and those precious life-saving medicines were both significant contributions.

"Here's the thing, I'm in Europe this time to purchase a batch of military equipment. The supplier is German. They will deliver the goods to Spain and complete the transaction on the front lines."

Milio Kleber squinted: "You can do that? Tell me, aren't you afraid I'll tell everyone?"

"This is useless and won't affect them. You should know that," Fang Wen replied with a smile.

As a professional soldier, Milio Kleber naturally understood what Fang Wen meant. "Yes, it's really useless. So where do you plan to make the transaction? I can help you complete it."

"That's why I came to see you. Can you give me some advice?"

“Then go north. We are fighting Franco’s forces in Lleida, where many of your friends are located.”

"Okay, I'll choose that place. I need to prepare."

He met with Commander Milio Kleber to trade the medicines and asked him to help complete the transaction.

Adler also telegraphed his superiors in Germany about the situation of the transactions in the Basque region.

Things are gradually developing in a positive direction.

Subsequently, Fang Wen piloted a commercial airliner to Lleida, Aragon.

This is an ancient plain city, filled with Gothic architecture.

Fang Wen landed at a small airport outside the city and was greeted by a group of friends from the International Brigade whom he knew.

Hemingway, and other International Brigades fighters.

Fang Wen was delighted to see these comrades again, temporarily setting aside the transaction to have a meal with them and learn about their experiences over the past year.

Ten months have passed since Fang Wen left. Although Madrid and Valencia are still putting up a fight, things are not going well in the north.

After setbacks in Madrid and Valencia, Franco's forces launched an offensive from the north and gained the upper hand, bringing the fighting to the Aragon region.

Madrid, Valencia, and Aragon are the Popular Front's base areas.

Madrid is the political and cultural center, Valencia is the trading region, and Aragon is the industrial and agricultural production area.

Once Aragon fell, the Popular Front lost its supply base, and a large number of its troops, including those of the International Brigades, were sent north to block Franco's forces.

Fang Wen lamented, "We're too passive. The enemy can find different directions to attack and create opportunities, but we can only keep defending. Problems will inevitably arise."

Hemingway lamented, "You're right, but nothing can be changed. Nobody supports us except the Soviet Union and the Comintern."

Fang Wen viewed this issue from a historical perspective: "There is a Chinese proverb that says, 'To forge iron, one must be strong oneself.' If one is strong, the enemy cannot do anything about it."

This is how China will do things in the future: containment from all sides, forcing China to develop its own technologies in every aspect, then making comprehensive progress, and ultimately rising to prominence.

Such a rise is unstoppable by enemies, and they will eventually look down upon the former proud ones.

Hemingway did not understand this, and Fang Wen only touched on it briefly.

There was nothing he could do for Spain; a person's energy is limited, and he had already exhausted everything for his country.

Once he recovered emotionally, he took the initiative to find Adler and discuss the details of the transaction.

The two walked on the streets of Lleida, with Gong Xiuneng following closely behind.

After walking for a while, we arrived at an ancient city.

(Lleida Castle)
The group entered the castle.

Looking at the castle architecture, Fang Wen said, "I think we should have the potential for sustained transactions and not let short-term gains cloud our judgment. If we can cooperate in the long term, both sides will benefit more."

Adler's expression changed slightly: "We didn't plan to make a move during the transaction, please rest assured. But what do you mean by 'continuous transaction'?"

Fang Wen spoke frankly: "I am a businessman, and I have no loyalty in Europe except to my own country. I can tell you one thing: I provided that batch of medicine. It can be supplied to the Spanish Popular Front, or it can be supplied to you. Essentially, these medicines will all be used to save lives, so it makes no difference to me. If we can successfully complete this transaction, you and your boss will gain a friend, and we can do more transactions in the future, including a continuous supply of medicines and other good things."

His words gave Adler much to think about.

Immediate and long-term interests can actually coexist.

There is only one prerequisite for achieving this: ensuring the successful completion of the transaction.

In response, Adler asked, "Did you really provide the medicine in Spain?"

Fang Wen smiled and replied, "Of course, otherwise how would I have so many medicines on hand?"

Upon learning of this crucial information at this critical juncture, Adler immediately telegraphed the situation to the German side.

He then received a call back.

The drug is even more important. Currently, besides him, no other party has the capability to produce this drug on a large scale. We need to stockpile this resource. Agree to all his demands and ensure the transaction is completed.

Upon receiving this reply, Adler became even more sincere, discussing the goods transaction process with Fang Wen very seriously and promising to guarantee the safety of the transaction.

Now that things have come to this point, it all depends on whether the deal can be completed.

The day after arriving in Lleida, a hundred-strong international brigade of soldiers left the city.

This unit "encountered" a transport convoy of the Condor Legion outside the city, "defeated" the soldiers guarding the convoy, and seized a large amount of weaponry.

The supplies were transported to Lleida and stored in a designated warehouse in the city.

Adler then received 7% of the payment for the goods and the medicine.

The remaining 30% will be paid only after the military equipment has been loaded onto ships and transported.

And so, a cargo ship flying the American flag departed from the port of Algiers in North Africa and headed for the port of Barcelona.

Meanwhile, in Lleida, a city 100 kilometers away, several transport vehicles set off, fully loaded with firearms and ammunition, bound for the port of Barcelona.

The entire day was unusually quiet around Lleida City. There were no gunshots or Condor Legion planes; everything was very peaceful.

(End of this chapter)