Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 359 357 The Common People's Theory of Avoiding Disaster: Let's All Take Action
In Nanjing, Quan Yuncai purchased a villa near Confucius Temple, which is currently rented to Fang Wenzhu of Taishan Airlines.

Currently, there are many more people in the courtyard, all of whom have come at the invitation.

among these people.

Fang Wen had his own team: Fang Shouxin, Sun Debiao, Manager Liu, and Shao Sishen.

And Gong Xiuneng and Kuang Anming.

Besides them, there was another group of people: those who had fled Shanghai, including the editor-in-chief of Ming Pao, film directors, radio hosts, and prominent figures in Shanghai's business community.

These are all connections that Fang Wen has accumulated over the years. The more people he has to help with what he needs to do now, the better his chances of success will be.

At 10 a.m., Fang Wen was talking with everyone in the courtyard.

In order to make these people understand, Fang Wen took the initiative to elaborate.

He stood in front of a blackboard covered with photos and documents.

"We are all gathered here today because we are all close friends of Fang Wen. Today I will make things clear so that you can understand why I invited you here."

Fang Wen scanned the assembled crowd and said solemnly, “The Japanese invaders wreaked havoc on our Chinese soil, committing countless crimes. These photos and texts are collections of atrocities committed by the Japanese army in North China, gathered by our company. Most of them are firsthand accounts from refugees who fled the country.”

People gathered around to watch, and the content of the written description was so shocking that it aroused outrage.

After everyone had vented their emotions, Fang Wen continued, "This is only North China. As far as I know, the Japanese navy did even worse things during their attack on Shanghai. Do you know what happened in Luojing and Baoshan?"

Some people know this, and some people don't.

Those who know, please tell us that during the Japanese army's attack on Shanghai, they carried out indiscriminate attacks on local civilians, causing a large number of civilian casualties.

This time, Fang Wen didn't need to say anything.

The editor-in-chief of the newspaper exclaimed indignantly: "What does this show? It shows that the Japanese army had no mercy whatsoever during their invasion of China. Every time they occupied a region, they would kill to establish their authority. In this civilized era, the Japanese army is doing things like beasts. It is laughable that our high-ranking officials of the National Government are still negotiating, negotiating, trying to reason with the Japanese to resolve the issue. It is simply the most ridiculous thing in the world."

A Shanghai trading company owner countered, "It's not that there wasn't any fighting. Hundreds of thousands of troops were fighting the Japanese, but the disparity in strength was too great, and they were defeated."

"You. Now that officials in Nanjing are starting to flee, you're still speaking up for them."

"Why can't I say that I'm just stating the facts?"

During their argument, anger flared and they were about to come to blows.

People nearby quickly intervened to break up the fight.

Fang Wen shouted, "Quiet, I haven't finished speaking yet."

The argument immediately stopped, and the two stood on opposite sides, resentful and silent.

Fang Wen continued, "With the defeat of the main force in Shanghai, morale is currently low, as everyone can see. Japanese troops in Changshu and Suzhou have also been killing civilians in the area. Once the National Army is completely defeated, the Japanese will become even more rampant. I want to do some propaganda to let the civilians in Nanjing know their dangerous situation, so that they can at least leave the city to avoid disaster when Nanjing falls."

Everyone reacted differently when they heard about this.

"It's not easy. Don't be fooled by the fact that the high-ranking officials in Nanjing are already preparing to flee. The propaganda on the radio, in the newspapers, and on the streets is all positive. Anyone who dares to disagree at this time will definitely be stopped."

"They only care about saving face and don't care about the lives of ordinary people. When the time comes, they will all run away, leaving behind a group of unarmed civilians to face those insane Japanese soldiers. I don't even want to think about that scene."

"There is another problem. Some ordinary families live in poverty and don't even have the money to travel. Even if these people know it's dangerous, they probably won't run away."

"To be honest, I didn't think much about Liu Bei leading 100,000 people from Jingzhou to escape before, but now that I think about it, I feel that he was benevolent and righteous."

Listening to their discussion, Fang Wen felt hopeful; at least everyone was considering the matter.

He said, "The Japanese army is currently blocked in the Suzhou-Changshu area and probably has another month to prepare. If the people of Nanjing can learn about the Japanese army's brutality during this month, they will spontaneously seek refuge. For this reason, Taishan Airlines is willing to fully support the evacuation from Nanjing, including those who flee from the Suzhou Creek and Changshu area. As for your concerns about government intervention, I think that given the current situation, they probably can't afford to worry about that. How will they know if it will work if they don't try?"

Upon hearing that Fang Wen was willing to use Taishan Airlines' capacity to help civilians evacuate, everyone was moved. This was an act involving a large amount of money and expenses, and apart from gaining some empty fame, there was no return whatsoever.

Immediately, someone expressed their opinion.

“On behalf of the Shanghai newspaper and cultural circles who are stranded in Nanjing, I am willing to work with Mr. Fang on this matter.”

“We business people don’t just know how to make money. Since General Manager Fang is willing to spend so much, I’ll make a donation of one ton of gasoline.”

"Okay, I have two boats here, each capable of carrying 200 people. I'll hand them over to Mr. Fang."

Moved by everyone's help, Fang Wen continued to explain the details of the operation.

"It's best to have students help with publicity. They are proactive, there are many of them, and it's easy to organize."

Some people worry: "But students are all warm-hearted; can they really do a good job of spreading the word about fleeing the disaster?"

In response, Mr. Liang and Mr. Lin, a married couple, expressed their willingness to contact schools in Nanjing, and believed that the students were reasonable and would be willing to join the action once the issue was explained clearly.

The half-day discussion concluded with fruitful results.

Fang Wen received 3 tons of gasoline, 5 passenger ships, and 200,000 yuan in funding.

It also received support from the press and cultural circles.

The operation was divided into two parts: refugee transport and propaganda in Nanjing.

Refugee transport: Sun Debiao, Liu Zhanggui, and Shao Sishen will open the Nanjing Yangtze River water airport, which is currently closed due to the war. It will be an important route for refugees to escape Nanjing.

Furthermore, there is a small pier near the sea airport where five passenger ships will dock, which can also be used for transporting refugees.

As for publicity...

The editor-in-chief of the application contacted a local newspaper in Nanjing, wanting to publish a warning article in the newspaper.

Among them, newspapers such as *Sanmin Daobao*, *Nanjing Evening News*, *Xinmin Bao*, and *Jiuguo Ribao* expressed their willingness to publish warning articles. On the students' side, Mr. Liang and Mr. Lin, a married couple, contacted student union officers at three universities in Nanjing: National Central University, Jinling University, and Jinling Women's University.

Initially, these spirited students were indeed reluctant to participate in Fang Wen's publicity efforts.

In order to make them understand the deeper meaning of doing so, Fang Wen went to Jinling University to explain everything with facts.

The auditorium of Jinling University.

Students from three universities gathered together.

Also present were some teachers from three universities.

And the administration of Nanjing University: clergy of the Wesleyan Church in the United States.

Fang Wen stepped onto the stage in front of these people.

"Hello everyone, I am here today to communicate with you in three identities: a soldier, a businessman, and a citizen. I hope that through my insights, you can understand the reasons for doing so."

"Let me introduce myself. I am Fang Wen, the founder of Taishan Airlines, the commander of the Taishan Independent Regiment, and also a Chinese. As a fairly successful businessman, my experience has taken me all over the world, and I have seen many different landscapes. Relatively speaking, our motherland is indeed quite backward, but I still believe that the hardworking, intelligent, and capable Chinese people will definitely be able to lead our motherland to become strong again and restore the glory of the Han and Tang dynasties."

Applause erupted, and everyone agreed with Fang Wen's words.

After the applause subsided, Fang Wen continued:
“In my life experience, I have also witnessed wars abroad. Last year, as a member of the International Brigades, I participated in the Spanish Civil War and fought alongside international fighters from various countries against the enemy. War is cruel no matter where it takes, but with global interconnectedness and the advent of civilization, the ancient practice of massacring entire cities and harming civilians is no longer acceptable.”

After a pause, Fang Wen emphasized, “The wanton killing of civilians is an atrocity. It is a great evil according to the standards of today’s global civilized order. But now, the Japanese invaders are like barbarians from the Middle Ages, wantonly slaughtering civilians in the war. I have something I want to show you, and you can feel the anger in the words.”

Immediately afterwards, Gong Xiuneng, Kuang Anming, Mr. Liang and Mr. Lin, along with some students who were willing to participate, distributed stacks of newly printed materials.

Each passage in these documents details the identity of the narrator and the atrocities committed by the Japanese army that he experienced.

Some of these incidents occurred in North China, while others were recently collected from refugees in Nanjing and Shanghai.

Looking at these materials, some students with poor mental resilience couldn't help but vomit and cry.

Some people stood up and angrily raised their fists, shouting, "Down with Japanese imperialism! Down with the little Japanese!"

The students shouted along, but Fang Wen waved his hand to stop them.

“I have seen everyone’s patriotism. But a country is made up of millions of ordinary people. They are the most important. We cannot just shout empty slogans; we must consider more realistic things. I participated in the Battle of Shanghai and also went to the north to participate in the Battle of Taiyuan. In war, the most helpless are the unarmed civilians. They cannot protect themselves and have no ability to resist the atrocities of the invaders.”

Fang Wen stood up.

"Think about it, what will happen to the hundreds of thousands of civilians in Nanjing once it falls? If we don't spread the word about the brutality of the Japanese army now, are we just going to let them stay in the city and wait to be slaughtered by the Japanese army?"

The audience fell silent, everyone pondering Fang Wen's words.

Fang Wen explained everything using the most realistic scenario.

The first person to stand up was not a student, but a teacher.

He was emotional and spoke with great feeling.

"Students, Mr. Fang is right. We must let the civilians know about the brutality of the Japanese army and give them the opportunity to leave."

Yes, civilians also had a choice, instead of being abandoned and foolishly waiting to be slaughtered by the Japanese army.

Having come to terms with reality, the students readily agreed to participate in the promotional activities.

Even the priests of the Wesleyan Church were willing to join in.

With all preparations complete, a promotional campaign was launched in Nanjing.

First, several newspapers in Nanjing published an article at the same time.

The Japanese pirates were brutal; the people should be vigilant.

The brutality of the Japanese pirates has been a long-standing tradition, but it has only intensified in recent times, with countless atrocities committed. In the past, the Japanese raided the southeast, burning, killing, and looting without restraint, causing widespread displacement and suffering. Now, the Japanese pirates' ambitions remain undiminished, attempting to conquer the land of China by force; their wolfish ambitions are known to all.

Since the July 77th Incident, wherever the Japanese invaders went, lives were lost and rivers of blood flowed. They took pleasure in killing and pride in looting; countless compatriots were slaughtered in a horrific manner, too gruesome to behold. Even worse, some treated mass killings as a game; there were even reports of killing contests among the Japanese army. Such atrocities were unprecedented in human history, a truly dark moment. The brutality of the Japanese invaders is thus evident.

The common people are the foundation of the nation and the cornerstone of the people. Yet, faced with a brutal invading army, the civilians are unarmed, like lambs to the slaughter, their vulnerability blatantly obvious. The bravery of an army lies in its well-trained, well-equipped, and capable fighting and defending, but the civilians are different. Untrained and unarmed, how can they defend themselves against the enemy?
The Japanese pirates were brutal, leaving devastation in their wake. They intimidated people with force and subjugated them with cruelty. If ordinary people were to resist them head-on, it would be like throwing an egg against a rock, only to bring shame upon themselves. Therefore, when faced with the weakness of the army, ordinary people should know when to advance and retreat, understand the gains and losses, and not act rashly and forget the safety of their own lives and property.

At this critical juncture, the primary task for ordinary citizens is to preserve their lives and ensure the continuation of their bloodline. If placed in danger, they must act decisively and flee the perilous place, even if it means abandoning their homes and livelihoods. For life is the most precious of all things; without life, everything is meaningless. Therefore, ordinary citizens should cherish life, stay away from war, and seek a way to survive.

At the same time this article was published, students from the three schools organized themselves and took to the streets to promote it to the public.

Through newspaper and street propaganda, some civilians who did not have much knowledge about war suddenly realized the seriousness of the problem.

At this time, they received good news: there were boats and planes on the Yangtze River northwest of Nanjing that could take them away to avoid disaster.

So the first group of civilians began to travel there with their families.

However, this is not a situation that everyone wants to see.

The editorial articles that were originally planned to be published in series were suddenly banned.

A group of military and police officers set up a fence outside the seaplane airport, prohibiting passage.

Even the students who went out to promote the cause encountered obstacles.

Fang Wen understood that what he had done had already offended some face-conscious officials in the Nationalist government.

His solution was to find Quan Yuancai, because only Quan Yuancai, who was well-versed in the rules of the Nationalist government, was the one who could solve this problem.

(End of this chapter)