Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 392 390 Treasure Hunt in the Great Snowy Mountain, First-Generation Individual Soldier Communication Equipment, Mountain Savage Attack

In western Sichuan, there are several large snow-capped mountains, such as Dawa Gengza, Mount Siguniang, and Mount Gongga.

Two years ago, during the Long March, the Red Army visited all of these snow-capped mountains.

However, the farthest and highest of them all is Mount Gongga.

The main peak there is about 7500 meters above sea level, making it the highest peak in Sichuan. Even the surrounding secondary peaks are around 6000 meters above sea level.

It's too high; it exceeds the altitude limit for seaplanes.

This is why the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has become a no-fly zone; Asia-Europe flights can only fly safely by bypassing the plateau on both the top and bottom sides.

This time, however, Fang Wen is going to explore the secret treasures of the ancient Shu Kingdom. Even if he doesn't fly over the peak, he still needs to get closer to observe.

Fang Wen then informed Liang and Lin.

"Mr. Liang, Mr. Lin, I will be approaching Mount Gongga soon. Please take photos when you have the opportunity. This aerial photography will be a very rare opportunity."

The two excitedly agreed and began preparations.

Because it was a civilian waterplane, and filming had to be done through the windows and open cabin doors, Gong Xiu secured the two people with safety ropes.

The plane flew west, crossed the Dadu River, and arrived at a snow-covered area.

Fang Wen said, "This is Hailuogou. The snow on the mountain never melts and forms glaciers. After spring arrives, the trees at the foot of the mountain grow lush and green. But you can't see it now. You have to wait until March or April."

Liang and Lin leaned over the cabin door to take pictures of what was below, while Gong Xiuneng carefully watched over them from behind.

(Aerial view of the foot of Hailuogou Glacier)

The plane then flew over the valley and gradually gained altitude.

A steep slope appeared ahead, and a strong wind blew, causing the ice and snow on the slope to loosen and roll down the mountainside with a clatter.

"An avalanche!" Mr. Liang exclaimed, seizing the precious opportunity to take photos.

As the rolling ice and snow accumulated potential energy, they grew larger and larger, gradually forming a spectacular waterfall-like scene.

The shot of this scene lasted only a little over a minute before the plane circled the mountain peaks and flew towards the distant Gongga Snow Mountain.

It was already afternoon, the sun was setting, and the evening glow reflected on the sea of ​​clouds, presenting a beautiful golden scene to Fang Wen and his companions.

(Sunset glow over Gongga Snow Mountain)
At this moment, everyone was captivated by the beauty of nature.

It's not just beautiful, it also carries a sense of sacredness.

Fang Wen quickly used his mechanical senses to investigate.

It really does have the same energy feedback as the bronze cauldron.

Strangely, it wasn't on the main peak of Gongga Snow Mountain, but on another mountain peak.

Fang Wen memorized the location and waited for Liang and Lin to finish taking aerial photos before flying southeast to Zigong and Luzhou. Finally, he completed the aerial photography flight over the entire Sichuan Basin in Chongqing and returned home.

After the aerial photography flight ended, Fang Wen took Liang and Lin back to Guanghan Qingbaijiang Airport, and then returned to Jiang'an.

In Jiang'an, Fang Wen unfolded a map and marked Guanghan and Gongga Snow Mountain.

Thoughts in my mind.

The battle twenty years ago seemed to have a hidden story. The real bronze serpent staff was not in the hands of the five major families, but mysteriously returned to the snowy mountain where it was discovered.

It seems that another force is involved, and this force is quite cunning, managing to switch the items right under the noses of the five major families.

Fang Wen has now located the treasure, but getting his hands on it won't be so easy.

After all, he had no foothold in Sichuan, making it difficult for him to deal with those mysterious forces.

Fang Wen thought of the five major families, who had been searching for the treasures of the ancient Shu Kingdom.

That mysterious force is probably guarding the treasures of the ancient Shu Kingdom. It seems I need to have a good talk with the leaders of the five major families.

Perfect timing, the logistics project requires collaboration with five companies, we can use this as a pretext to proceed.

Two days later, Gou, Gou, Mu, Jin, and Gong met with Taishan Aviation Logistics Department in Chengdu to discuss cooperation matters.

The negotiations were going well, and as they were about to end, Sun Debiao gave each of the five representatives who had come to discuss the matter a letter, instructing them to take the letter back and deliver it to their respective clan leaders.

After these people brought the letter back to their families, the clan leaders who had read it all rushed to the Jiang'an Water Airport in Chengdu to meet with Fang Wen.

The five clan leaders gathered at Jiang'an Water Airport. They all received the same letter, containing only one simple sentence: "I know where the ancient Shu Kingdom's treasure is."

That's enough. The five families have been searching for the treasure for countless years, and they would go to great lengths for even the slightest clue, let alone with such certainty in the letter.

Of the five, the Gong family patriarch had met Fang Wen before, and he was the first to question him: "Manager Fang, you must take responsibility for your words. Our five families have always been serious about this matter."

Fang Wen smiled and said, "Of course. I do know some secrets of the ancient Shu Kingdom, but I can't just give them to you for free. We need to discuss it further."

The five clan leaders exchanged glances, and the Jin clan leader asked, "How do we plan to proceed?"

"Let me satisfy some of my curiosity first. Are you five families really descendants of the ancient Shu Kingdom?" Fang Wen asked with a smile.

The five families would never take the issue of inheriting orthodoxy lightly.

The Gong clan patriarch replied, "The fact that no one outside the ancient Shu Kingdom knows about it does not mean that the lineage has been broken. Each of the five clans has its own garrison. The Gong clan guards Piyi, the Jin clan guards Chengdu, the Gou clan guards Hanzhong, the Gou clan guards Nanzhong, and the Mu clan guards Qingjiang. The oath has been made for two thousand years and has never been broken."

The other clan leaders echoed in unison: "The oath has been made for two thousand years, and has never been broken."

Gongjia Shou's Piyi, according to Fang Wen's research with scholars in Chengdu, is present-day Guanghan, the former capital of the ancient Shu Kingdom.

Moreover, the Sanxingdui cultural relics were discovered there in the future, and a large number of artifacts from a civilization thousands of years ago were unearthed.

From their words, it was clear that these five families had once formed an alliance, each guarding their own territory and passing on their traditions in an orderly manner.

Then he asked, "I am very interested in the culture of the ancient Shu Kingdom. Legend has it that the ancient Shu Kingdom worshipped a sacred tree. What exactly is this sacred tree?"

The five families hesitated, reluctant to tell Fang Wen.

But for the sake of the treasure, they agreed.

The Gong family patriarch said, "If we tell you about the divine tree, you'll have to reveal the location of the treasure."

Even if the other party doesn't mention the divine tree, Fang Wen will still reveal the location of the treasure. Once the items are obtained, he has plenty of ways to get his hands on the treasure.

Therefore, he reached out and gave the Gong family patriarch a high five as a pledge: "Yes."

With this promise in hand, the Gong family patriarch slowly began to explain.

"The ancient Shu Kingdom has a long history, established during the Shang Dynasty and destroyed during the Qin Dynasty. But even earlier, people lived in the Sichuan region. At that time, a great flood raged across the land, and the floodwaters were unable to recede. It was only after Yu the Great controlled the floods that the people were saved. But before the flood control, the people of Sichuan migrated to higher ground to take refuge. There, they relied on the protection of an ancient sacred tree to escape the flood, which is why the ancient Shu Kingdom later developed the belief in the sacred tree."

"The sacred tree is in a high place?" Fang Wen muttered to himself. He suddenly thought of Gong Jingwen's diary, where he had only written five words about his experience on the way to the Great Snow Mountain: "[Saw the sacred tree, bid farewell.]"

Could it be that the sacred tree worshipped by the ancient Shu people is located on the other side of the Great Snow Mountain?

With this conjecture in mind, Fang Wen was very eager to see what the divine tree looked like.

He said, "I can take you to the location of the treasure, but on one condition: after the treasure is retrieved, I must also have a share."

The five clan leaders immediately became anxious.

Before they could speak, Fang Wen continued, "Ancient treasures aren't necessarily valuable. I just want to take some meaningful souvenirs so I don't leave empty-handed. Besides, with my help, your thousand-year-old dream can be realized in your generation. Isn't that great?"

That makes sense. The significance of the treasure outweighs its practical value. Although the treasure has allowed the five families to survive to this day, it has also hindered their development.

If they can complete it in their generation, it will be an honor for the five clan leaders.

Moreover, the cooperation between Taishan Airlines and the five companies brings more direct benefits, and all five companies are optimistic about this cooperation.

After discussing for a while, the clan leaders gave their reply: "You can take one-sixth of the items, but we must all five families have inspected them before you can take them. Those heirloom ritual objects cannot be given to you."

Fang Wen nodded in agreement.

However, he did not directly reveal the location of the treasure, but instead asked the five families to prepare their manpower and set off on a chosen day.

The treasure hunt in western Sichuan is about to begin. In order to complete it as soon as possible and to ensure the safety of the treasure hunt, we are taking steps.

Fang Wen still made some preparations. He specially flew out of Sichuan to Fuping to bring back a gunboat, which, in addition to the aircrew, also carried 10 ground operations personnel.

In addition, a newly completed individual communication device was also obtained from the Taishan Research Institute.

He then piloted the gunboat back to Sichuan.

Upon arrival in Chengdu, we immediately notified the five families to gather at Jiang'an Airport.

At the same time, Fang Wen also mobilized three logistics aircraft from the logistics department to assist in the operation.

the next day.

Five treasure hunters from five different families also arrived, 10 people from each family, for a total of 50 people.

Fang Wen led the soldiers of the Independent Regiment to greet them.

The two are completely different in comparison.

The five families, dressed in thick cotton-padded clothes, each with a long gun slung across their shoulders, stood loosely in five rows, completely lacking in discipline.

The soldiers of the Independent Regiment behind Fang Wen marched in perfect unison, wearing steel helmets, standard military uniforms, Thompson submachine guns, 98K Mauser sniper rifles with 4x scopes, ammunition pouches, fragmentation grenades, and pistols—they were armed to the teeth.

Seeing these soldiers, the people from the five families no longer dared to underestimate them and immediately stood up straight.

Fang Wen said, "I will send you there by plane, but the exact location will require some walking, and there is a possibility of attack. Therefore, you must strictly follow my instructions and not act recklessly. Can you do that?"

The leaders of the five teams quickly agreed.

Fang Wen then arranged for them to board three civilian waterplanes, while he himself led the soldiers of the Independent Regiment onto the gunboat.

Gunship aircraft took off first, followed by civilian seaplanes; the four aircraft flew southwest.

Forty minutes later, the plane arrived at the Dadu River.

There is no seaplane base for Taishan Airlines on the Dadu River, and Fang Wen does not intend to land on the turbulent Dadu River.

He chose to land on the more stable Mosi River.

It is a glacial stream that originates from the Hailuogou Glacier and eventually flows into the Dadu River.

Led by Fang Wen's gunboat, the flight team flew over the Dadu River and landed on the Moxi River, five kilometers away from Moxi Town.

The residents of Moxi Ancient Town had never seen an airplane before, and they all rushed to the riverbank to watch.

Fang Wen got off the plane and walked towards the crowd under Gong Xiuneng's protection.

"Who is the mayor of Moxi Town?" he asked.

“Yes, that’s me,” a tall, dark-skinned man replied.

"I'm from Taishan Aviation Logistics Department. We're planning to build a logistics station here. We contacted your county government before. Has the county notified you?" Fang Wen asked.

The town mayor replied happily, "Yes. Yesterday, the county officials rode over on horseback to deliver a message, but I didn't expect you to come today. And you even flew here."

"We plan to go up the mountain to explore first, please help us arrange a guide."

The town mayor found the inspection incomprehensible; what could be interesting to see in such a remote and impoverished place?

But he didn't say anything more. As long as the logistics station was established in Moxi Town, he didn't want to care about anything else.

Subsequently, two hunters familiar with the terrain of Hailuogou were found and became the treasure hunting team's guides.

The treasure hunt begins, with teams splitting into two groups.

Fang Wen piloted the gunboat in the air, directing its direction of travel.

The ground personnel were led by 10 soldiers from the Independent Regiment, one of whom carried a state-of-the-art semiconductor individual radio that could receive radio broadcasts on specific frequencies from gunboats. This operation was a good opportunity to test the effectiveness of this first-generation infantry communication equipment.

A ground force of 60 men, along with two guides, set off first.

They walked upstream along the Moxi River, and after traveling for 3 miles, they turned into a glacial tributary.

From there, we entered the Hailuogou wasteland.

Soldiers carrying individual semiconductor radios are sending messages in the opposite direction to Moxi.

After the radio waves reached Moxi Town, Fang Wen then piloted the gunboat into flight.

The gunship took off and arrived at the location of the treasure hunting team a moment later.

Fang Wen picked up the microphone.

"Airborne call to ground: You are now proceeding in a 295-degree northwest direction. Maintain communication. You will be notified if you need to change your direction."

His voice was transmitted down via radio waves.

The soldiers carrying individual semiconductor radios below, upon hearing the signal, took out their compasses and proceeded in the indicated direction.

The two hunters beside them scratched their heads. Even though they were the guides, they seemed to have nothing to do all of a sudden and decided to just follow along.

The treasure-hunting team proceeded in the direction Fang Wen indicated. When they encountered obstacles along the way, they should seek help from the guide.

Two guides familiar with the terrain led the group around those areas and then continued in the direction indicated by the air.

And so, in Hailuogou, which was still covered in snow, the treasure hunting team gradually approached the location of the treasure that Fang Wen had indicated.

As they approached the destination, the two hunters decided they didn't want to go any further.

The old hunter shook his head vigorously and said, "We can't go. There are savages there."

The young hunter also said, "It's dangerous there; we hunters never go there."

The more this is the case, the closer we are to the treasure.

The five families were overjoyed and were about to set off on their own.

Ten soldiers from the Independent Regiment blocked their way.

It looked like a conflict was about to break out between the two sides.

Seeing this from the air, Fang Wen quickly picked up the microphone and said, "Tell them that the treasure is in the mountain right in front of them. Let them go first, and we'll follow."

Immediately, the soldiers of the Independent Regiment made way, allowing the five families to rush towards the treasure.

Fifty excited people, carrying a thousand-year-old dream, strode across the snow.

Suddenly, strange phenomena occurred in the jungle.

Countless figures rose from the snow, brandishing long swords and slashing at the enemies around them.

The five treasure hunters were caught off guard, and several of them were killed.

Realizing what was happening, they all raised their guns and fired at the attackers.

These savages, after all, were not invincible. After suffering heavy casualties, they fled to the high mountains ahead.

The five families were furious with the savages who had launched the attack and gave chase.

At this moment, another group of savages appeared on the hillside. They drew their longbows and shot at the people below.

Faced with the arrows raining down from above, the five families dared not charge forward and could only hide behind trees to fight back.

A battle between the primitive and the gunpowder-based was underway.

Fang Wen, who witnessed all of this from the air, couldn't bring himself to do it.

He had originally thought it would be enemies equipped with modern weapons, but he hadn't expected it to be like this.

It would be too cruel to use gunboats against them.

Moreover, these people are merely descendants of the ancestors who guarded the treasure; there's no need to exterminate them.

He planned to try a different approach to drive away these savages.

(End of this chapter)