Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 376, Section 374: A $100 Million Investment, Taishan Aviation Reform, Pension and Healthcare
The amber cross acted as a good catalyst, steering things in a favorable direction.

He stated his requirements.

"Actually, what I want in the military industry is not complicated. As you can see, a private enterprise cannot do everything that a state does. What I want is the development of cutting-edge military technology to change the war landscape with powerful new weapons in order to drive out the invaders as soon as possible. Therefore, I will draw up a relevant list of requirements to realize my ideas."

Whitney's eyes kept glancing at the amber cross, her thoughts wandering.

He understood that Fang Wen would definitely ask for an exorbitant price if he brought out such an important treasure.

Therefore, he replied: "I understand that you have been developing in this direction. The thermobaric bombs dropped on the Japanese Marine Corps headquarters building in Shanghai, the smoke and incendiary bombs used in the Taiyuan North Blocking Battle, and the new incendiary bombs in Nanjing are all successful research and developments made by your military industrial enterprises. These weapons have indeed been of great help in the war."

"It's far from enough. What I want hasn't been achieved yet."

Fang Wen had some visions in his mind.

The technology of this era is also capable of creating some groundbreaking weapons.

However, this requires overcoming some technological barriers to enable some of the future technological manifestations to be realized.

such as:

Vacuum tubes can evolve into transistors.

That would enable the miniaturization of electronic devices, allowing many ideas to be realized first in the military, such as missiles, individual soldier equipment, large-scale primary computers, and high-efficiency radar.

Radial engines can also evolve into turbine engines, thereby achieving high-speed increases in aircraft speed, transforming from piston engines to jet engines.

In this era, only certain institutions and individuals possess the corresponding research and development technologies.

To attract these top talents, better conditions are needed.

Therefore, his goal is very straightforward.

“I want a $100 million loan, with 5% interest per year, to be paid off in ten years. In exchange, I’ll give you this treasure.”

Fang Wen's words instantly snapped Whitney, who was secretly glancing at the amber cross, back to reality.

"You're crazy, that's impossible."

He spoke with such conviction that even he was taken aback by the enormous sum demanded.

At that time, the dollar was at a constant exchange rate with gold; $1 million was equivalent to 92 tons of gold.

This analogy still doesn't fully capture the value of $1 million in 1937.

To put it another way, the purchasing power of 1 US dollar at that time was equivalent to more than 300 RMB today. In other words, 1 million US dollars at that time was equivalent to more than 300 billion RMB today.

This investment is so large that it far exceeds Whitney's maximum investment limit, and is even much higher.

Fang Wen smiled slightly, picked up the amber cross, and said calmly:
"The Holy Cross in the Trinity Church is said to be soaked in the blood of the Son, but I don't think so. At the time, in the underground treasure chamber of Lake Van, the Holy Cross was sealed behind a layer of lime. After the lime layer was broken open, everyone rushed to see it, but I was the only one who discovered that the cross was hidden among the lime fragments. Think about it, why would they hide it in this way, even more concealed than the Holy Cross in the blood? I didn't understand it at first, but later I discovered some interesting things."

He beckoned to a waiter to bring him a candlestick.

Under the glow of a lit candle, the amber-encased cross rotates, revealing a new scene at a particular angle.

It was a dried drop of blood, preserved in amber for an unknown amount of time.

But as the angle changes, it disappears from view.

"What is this?" Whitney's voice trembled slightly, but she dared not voice what she was thinking.

Fang Wen, unsure of the other party's religious beliefs, stated directly: "Armenian civilization was the first civilization in the world to embrace Christianity, and the Vaspulakhan Kingdom, where Lake Van is located, is the successor to Armenian civilization. Their religious beliefs are deeply devoted to Christ, making them the most likely to preserve relics of the Holy Son. Since the fall of the Vaspulakhan Kingdom, no true relics of the Holy Blood have appeared in the world. What I possess is the only truly existing relic."

His words seemed to possess a magical power; every single one penetrated Whitney's mind, captivating him.

When people are already very wealthy, their need for material things is no longer so strong; instead, they pursue spiritual fulfillment more.

Whitney and his family were devout Christians, and therefore had an irresistible need for this relic of the Holy Blood.

He took a deep breath and made a decision: "This sacred artifact must be sold to me. To me, it is priceless, absolutely worth a $1 million investment loan. But this is a situation I cannot decide. I'm sorry, I need to report the situation to the United States and cannot answer you for the time being."

"Understood." Fang Wen put away the amber cross, took his wife's hand and stood up: "Then tonight's banquet is over. It's getting late, let's go home."

The group then left the hotel and returned to Taishan Airlines headquarters in two cars.

After watching the Whitneys get out of the car and enter the hotel, Fang Wen drove his car back home. Kuang Mingzhu, who had been silent all along, couldn't help but ask, "Sir, what exactly is inside that amber?"

"How would I know? This thing seems to only work on Christians, it's completely useless to me. You can see for yourself." With that, Fang Wen took out an amber cross and tossed it to his wife, Kuang Mingzhu, who quickly caught it, afraid it would break if it fell to the ground.

Looking at the amber cross in her hand, Kuang Mingzhu didn't notice anything different about it. She then asked, "Isn't $1 million too much? What if they don't have it?"

Fang Wen replied with a smile, "I also offered a high price. The $1 million is negotiable. Now it depends on how he negotiates with the investment consortium in the United States."

The top-floor luxury suite at Taishan Aviation Hotel.

The Whitneys sat on the sofa talking.

"Alison, do you feel a sense of sacredness in the hotel?"

“Yes, I felt it when the amber cross appeared. It was the same feeling I had during confirmation and communion. In fact, I felt it was even stronger.”

"Me too."

Whitney was almost certain that it was definitely a sacred relic of holy blood.

In any case, the relics must be brought back to the United States.

The next day, the two immediately sent a telegram back to their home country, explaining the situation.

Initially, the family members and financial groups in China did not believe in the so-called holy blood and holy objects he mentioned.

To verify Whitney's claim, they sent another person from Asia to verify it.

The man was in the Philippines. Because there were Japanese warships at sea, he made a special detour from Sarawak, taking a Taishan Airlines seaplane service to Kolkata, and then transferring to Taishan International Airlines to reach Wuhan via Yunnan.

After the man arrived, the Whitneys immediately took him to the headquarters of Taishan Airlines to see Fang Wen.

Taishan Airlines Headquarters Building.

Fang Wen was making arrangements for the company's business operations and planning for 1938. To this end, he convened a high-level meeting.

During the meeting, Fang Wen presided over the meeting and said, "Now that our country is facing a war of aggression, our civil aviation business is severely affected. Therefore, we must think about changes and respond to the new situation. Now I will announce the departmental restructuring and personnel changes for next year's work."

Everyone turned their attention to Fang Wen, waiting.

"The General Ledger Office has been renamed the Financial Management Department, with Manager Liu in charge of the company's financial management."

Everyone applauded. No one objected to Manager Liu managing the company's accounts. Over the years, Manager Liu had worked diligently for the company, often working overtime to address accounting issues.

As the company's business continues to grow, only Manager Liu, who understands the company well, can manage its finances effectively.

Fang Wen continued.

"The Airline Distribution Business Department will be merged with the newly established Logistics Department and renamed the Airline Trade and Logistics Department, with Sun Debiao serving as its head."

Amid applause, Sun Debiao smiled broadly and said, "General Manager, I, Sun Debiao, will definitely do a good job on this important task. I guarantee you that by the first half of next year, we will have established at least 20 logistics stations in Yunnan, Guizhou and Hunan."

Fang Wen looked at Sun Debiao: "Your statement won't be easy to fulfill. After all, logistics is a new model, and many employees are newly recruited. Do you have a plan for personnel training and management, as well as developing the business of each logistics department?"

Sun Debiao replied casually, "A little, but not much. But I know the general manager definitely knows, so you can give me some direction and I'll figure it out myself."

Everyone couldn't help but laugh at this answer.

Fang Wen knew that this was Sun Debiao's true nature, so he wasn't angry. Instead, he explained his understanding of the logistics system.

"Write this down. The logistics I need is to gather products from various regions, circulate them in the southwest and northwest of China, exchange resources, and then distribute them in one place to support the war effort. Therefore, you have a lot to do. Each provincial capital should build a logistics park that integrates warehousing and material transfer. The logistics stations in various regions will collect information on local products, submit it to the head office for aggregation, and then fulfill the headquarters' requirements for logistics procurement, transfer, and warehousing."

Sun Debiao meticulously copied every word Fang Wen said onto paper, intending to use it as a guide in his future work.

He wasn't entirely without experience; he had managed the logistics business of Taishan Airlines for years, and his subordinates were skilled at communicating with merchants from all over the country, making them the best candidates for logistics department management.

Fang Wen continued:

"The original land route planning department and seaplane route planning department have been merged and renamed the shipping department, with Shao Sishen serving as the head."

The audience gave them another round of enthusiastic applause.

Shao Sichen was somewhat surprised. He stood up and said, "General Manager, I have been working in training for many years. I am afraid I will not be able to do a good job in this management position. You have suddenly promoted me to this position."

Fang Wen replied with a smile, "This job is perfect for you. Don't be too modest. Half of the entire airline's staff came from your training center, and you were also involved in the construction and improvement of the company's route operations. Now that Pan Jiafeng has gone to the military, you have to take over his work. Thank you for your hard work."

Shao Sichen nodded: "Okay, I'll go back and hand over the work."

That concludes the work adjustment arrangements. Fang Wen will now proceed to the next item.

"Over the years, the company has developed rapidly, but now it has reached a bottleneck. In my words, the company has passed its infancy and adolescence and is now an adult. To maintain its strong momentum, some changes are needed. I believe that the people who work at Taishan Airlines should have a secure retirement. Therefore, starting next year, Taishan Airlines will increase two expenditures: the enterprise annuity system and the employee medical insurance system."

Everyone was bewildered and didn't understand what Fang Wen was saying.

In this era, no organization in China had pension insurance, let alone corporate annuities, and employee medical insurance was unheard of.

Fang Wen explained: "The enterprise annuity is established by Taishan Airlines and jointly funded by the company and its employees according to the agreed proportion. In principle, the company contributes 7% and the employees contribute 3%. This money will be deposited into each employee's personal account and will be fully accumulated. When an employee reaches the age of 55, he or she can retire from the company and receive a fixed monthly pension for his or her retirement expenses."

Everyone was even more surprised.

Fang Wen continued, "In addition to the corporate annuity, the company will also establish an employee medical insurance system to improve the living conditions of employees. In the future, the company will establish a medical insurance system so that everyone can get medical treatment when they are sick without worrying about not being able to afford it."

These two changes, one addressing future retirement needs and the other resolving current health issues, can be seen as improving Taishan Airlines' internal welfare system.

According to Fang Wen, this is something that must be done. Everyone works hard for the company, and the reward should not only be a salary, but also more.

His futuristic thinking seems perfectly normal to him, but it appears quite different to others.

Manager Liu, Sun Debiao, Fang Shouxin, and even Shao Sishen never expected such a system to exist.

The meeting then concluded, and everyone left the conference room, taking the opportunity to spread the word about the benefits offered by the two major companies: elderly care and healthcare.

A sense of joy permeated the entire headquarters building; everyone was happy about this new benefit.

Furthermore, it showed a greater level of respect for Fang Wen.

Along the way, I received a constant stream of greetings and gifts.

Back in his office, Chuncao and Qiuju vied to pour him tea, which Fang Wen found a little uncomfortable.

"Alright, alright. Is something wrong, you two?"

Chuncao asked, "Young master, are Qiuju and I considered employees of the company?"

“Yes, anyone who receives a salary from the company is considered an employee,” Fang Wen replied.

Chuncao was overjoyed and said, "That means Qiuju and I can retire after we turn 55, have a monthly pension, and get medical expenses reimbursed by the company if we get sick?"

"Yes. This policy applies to all employees, so you two must be included as well."

Chuncao and Qiuju cheered, then bowed deeply to Fang Wen and left.

A series of changes left Fang Wen somewhat bewildered and amused.

He felt a pang of emotion, realizing that the welfare benefits that would be universal in the future had become a favor in this era. He had only made some very simple improvements to the system, yet he had received so much gratitude in return.

However, this is also a good thing. It seems that the introduction of pension and medical systems has increased the cohesion between employees and Taishan Airlines.

This change is very good for him.

As Fang Wen sipped the tea brewed with spring grass and autumn chrysanthemum, he smiled.

There was a knock on the door, and Chuncao's voice came from outside: "General Manager, Whitney and the others are here."

"Let them in."

The door opened, and the Whitneys and another foreigner walked in. Without Fang Wen's instruction, Chuncao and Qiuju prepared tea for the three of them.

Whitney then introduced, "This is Oliver. He's here on behalf of the Rockefeller Foundation to get information."

(End of this chapter)