Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 420, Section 418: Operations Behind Enemy Lines, Fang Wen and the Underground Party
At midnight, in the pitch-black night sky, the Tiger 4 gunboat hovered overhead, searching for landing guidance.

With his mechanical perception eagle eye activated, Fang Wen's sensitivity to light increased dramatically. From his perspective, the ground looked like a black and white photograph, and the general outlines of things were clearly visible.

No landing signals have been detected on the winding canal so far.

It must have flown past; the buildings faintly visible below indicate that it is currently over Cangzhou City.

The location of the imperial stele on the canal mentioned in the telegram should be on the section of the canal south of Cangzhou City.

Fang Wen then turned the plane around and flew south.

A moment later, they arrived at the agreed-upon rendezvous point.

There, a triangular bonfire was burning, and two rows of torches lined both banks of the canal as landmarks, so that airplanes in the sky could use the torches to judge the width of the river.

These facts demonstrate that the underground Communist Party in Cangzhou was well-prepared.

Fang Wen said, "Prepare to land. From now on, stay vigilant at all times. Remember, this is enemy-occupied territory."

A chorus of agreement rippled through the cabin; everyone was on edge.

Under Fang Wen's control, the plane slowly descended, leaving long ripples in the canal.

The canal here is slightly narrower than the one in Texas, but it can still accommodate gunboats and aircraft landings. More importantly, the location is good, with no ships moored in the canal.

After gliding for a while, the gunboat decelerated and came to a stop in the middle of the canal.

Gong Xiuneng opened the observation port of the gunboat and shone a flashlight outwards.

On the riverbank, there were faint figures moving about, and sounds could be heard.

"Comrade, we are underground members of the Cangxian Communist Party. Come ashore."

"Commander, is it them?" Gong Xiuneng asked.

Fang Wen used his mechanical senses to observe the situation on the riverbank. There were five people in total, dressed in all sorts of different clothes: long gowns, school uniforms, short jackets, and even police uniforms.

This shows that the identities of underground party members are very complex.

There shouldn't be any danger, right? Fang Wen reached into the small bronze cauldron in his inner pocket. This strange treasure, which had given him warnings of danger multiple times, showed no signs of anything unusual.

He said, "Stay alert, get to shore first, I have a way of finding out if they have any problems."

The plane then turned right and approached the canal with the low-speed roar of its engines.

Once the aircraft's buoys touched the riverbank, Fang Wen shut down the engine, got up, and walked to the observation port.

He proclaimed: "When the smoke of war rose, China was imprisoned. Iron hooves trampled the mountains and rivers, and the people suffered endlessly. With lofty aspirations, heroes gathered to face the difficulties. Their battle robes were stained red with blood, as they vowed to defend their homeland."

This was the secret code sent to Fang Wen by the other side before their departure. As long as the people on the shore answered correctly, they would not have to worry about being captured by the Japanese army midway and being set up as a trap.

On the riverbank, someone replied: "The night was filled with the flames of war, and the drums of war urged us on. Amidst the clash of swords, the heroic souls will live on forever. Time flows like water, and the past dissipates like smoke. Let us never forget the day of national humiliation, and together build the Chinese dream."

With the match confirmed, and considering Fang Wen's mechanical perception and observation, as well as the treasure's reaction, there's basically no need to worry about any problems.

"Open the hatch," Fang Wen said.

Gong Xiuneng opened the hatch and took the first step by jumping onto the riverbank with the rope.

He carefully observed and kept watch as he tied the cable to the trees on the riverbank.

Fang Shouxin then went ashore, while the other 10 people escorted Fang Wen off the plane.

They were a little nervous.

Besides their own safety, they were also worried about Fang Wen's safety. After all, the general manager brought them to Cangzhou, and if anything happened to him, they would be held responsible.

Seeing this, Fang Wen said, "Relax. If you're like this, how are you going to find your fathers?"

His composure made the ten men from Cangzhou feel somewhat ashamed.

They are no longer the naive young people they once were; many have taken up clerical jobs and rarely even touch a gun anymore.

Compared to the dangers the general manager has faced over the years, they have had it too easy.

Fang Wen said nothing more and strode towards the five underground Communist Party members from Cangzhou who were waiting for him.

He walked over and extended his hand: "Hello, thank you for what you did. Without these, the plane wouldn't have been able to land at all."

The five people shook hands with him.

The leader said, "Underground work requires secrecy, so we won't introduce ourselves. Please tell us how you need our cooperation in Cang County."

Fang Wen nodded and beckoned Fang Shouxin over.

“We’re here to find someone, Uncle Fang. You can talk to them.”

Fang Shouxin explained his situation.

After discussing it, the other party replied, "We need time to inquire, it may take one to two days."

Fang Shouxin turned to Fang Wen and said, "Young Master, you should go back first. We'll send you a telegram once we've finished, and then you can come and pick us up."

Fang Wen did not answer, but instead asked the underground party contact: "Is there a place where we can hide the airplane?"

“It definitely can’t be hidden in the waterway. Such a big thing is too conspicuous. It would be spotted by the patrolling Japanese soldiers during the day.”

"Where else?"

"That's possible, but can your plane land on land?"

"It is an amphibious aircraft, and it can land as long as the ground is flat."

"I see. About 5 kilometers southeast of here, there is a saline-alkali land covered with reeds. Our people have carved out a hiding place in the middle of it, and the Japanese devils don't know about it."

This good news meant that Fang Wen didn't need to fly back first; he decided to stay.

Immediately, Fang Wen instructed Fang Shouxin and others to follow the underground party members into the city, while he, Gong Xiuneng, and two other underground party members discussed how to park the plane in the reeds.

The underground party member explained the situation: "We need to go over there first and talk to the people there so that we can clear a landing spot and light torches to guide the way. Then we'll come back and tell you."

Fang Wen instructed Gong Xiuneng to retrieve a Taishan walkie-talkie from the cabin and hand it over to the underground party.

"Take this with you. It can conduct voice communication within a five-kilometer range by relaying the aircraft's wireless signal."

"Real-time communication over a five-kilometer radius?" The underground party members stared in disbelief at the enhanced Taishan walkie-talkie.

It is larger than a normal walkie-talkie, about the size of a backpack, and can be carried by a single person, allowing for communication while on the move.

As for the weight, it weighs 7 kilograms.

It's affordable for the average person.

However, due to the urgency of the matter, in order to ensure that it could be used, Zhao Shanhu, who knew how to operate it, accompanied the two underground party members.

It was already 2 a.m.

Fang Shouxin and his group went to Cangxian County.

Fang Wen and Gong Xiuneng waited on the plane.

The two underground party members and Zhao Shanhu left more than an hour ago.

The radio device switched to voice mode, but only emitted a hissing electrical sound.

Gong Xiuneng was getting a little anxious. "Commander, why haven't they called back yet? It shouldn't take more than two hours to walk 5 kilometers."

“Even if they arrive, they will need to make arrangements and preparations, so don’t rush,” Fang Wen replied calmly. Nighttime takeoffs and landings are challenging for others, but for him, they are already commonplace.

After another ten minutes, the wireless device finally made a sound.

"Calling Tiger, all arrangements are complete, you may proceed with the landing."

It was Zhao Shanhu's voice. The signal was not very good because the communication distance had reached its limit.

Fang Wen picked up the microphone: "Calling Shan Hu, received. We're departing now."

He put down the microphone and told Gong Xiuneng to untie the mooring ropes and close the hatch.

The plane turned, accelerated over the river, and took off.

The five-kilometer distance was covered in the blink of an eye, but some preparations were still needed before landing.

Gong Xiuneng opened the turntables on the left and right walls of the rear cabin of the aircraft and turned them forcefully. As they turned, the mechanical device under the aircraft caused the floats to flip.

The other side of the float is equipped with wheels, allowing it to land during low-speed flight.

However, apart from Fang Wen using this landing method during the design and manufacturing process, other gunboat pilots rarely used it.

After completing the operation, Gong Xiuneng shouted, "Commander, the landing wheel has been flipped over."

Fang Wen used his mechanical senses to observe the condition of the aircraft's underside, and only after confirming that everything was in order did he begin the descent.

The aircraft engine slows down, and it glides and hovers in a low-power state.

As the aircraft descended, it also corrected its landing orientation and glided to the ground at a low speed of over 100 kilometers per hour.

1000800500200 meters above the ground

Although the speed was already very low, it still caused air currents, making the reeds below, which were more than a meter tall, sway in the direction of the air currents.

At an altitude of 100 meters, the gunboat entered the central area of ​​the reed field.

Below was a large open space with many fallen reeds, which looked like they had just been cleared.

The final few dozen meters of descent were completed within seconds, and the rollers below the float tube touched the ground.

The 80-centimeter-diameter rollers sank into the salty ground, and the entire fuselage pressed down, causing the landing gear to almost fold over.

Subsequently, the hydraulic system returned the landing gear to its original position, and the aircraft lurched forward amidst turbulence.

After a hard landing and deceleration of 200 meters, the aircraft finally came to a stop.

This landing on the saline-alkali land made Fang Wen discover a problem.

The land landing device for gunship aircraft needs to be improved; otherwise, in complex combat environments, especially when there is no suitable water for landing, the landing method of flipping the float and using rollers will not be stable.

The rollers and connecting hydraulic rods need to be made larger to better withstand the pressure from the descent.

Fang Wen successfully landed the plane using his own abilities and experience; if it had been someone else, the plane would probably have flipped over.

Bringing his thoughts back, he got up and left the driver's seat, letting Gong Xiuneng open the hatch.

Outside the cabin door, the members of the Plains Guerrilla Force stared blankly at the plane.

People were discussing it.

"Wow, it's huge! Was this plane bought from abroad?"

"I want to touch it and see. It doesn't feel like the wooden airplanes I saw in Beiping before."

"Captain Liu is here. He used to lead troops in the army, so he should know."

The man they called Captain Liu spoke up: "I've seen this kind of plane before, during the Battle of Taiyuan last year. It had many kinds of weapons, even more powerful than the Japanese tanks. When it fired, you could see rows of gun holes shooting out sparks. The bullets were incredibly powerful; they could penetrate Japanese tanks and even explode. Moreover, its defenses were excellent; even the Japanese couldn't penetrate it with their rifles."

Captain Liu's words were a welcome surprise to the guerrillas. They had seen the Japanese devils rely on their superior weaponry to fight many times, and now they were finally able to put the Japanese devils on the defensive.

At this moment, the cabin door opened, and Fang Wen and Gong Xiuneng got off the plane.

Zhao Shanhu and two underground party members who were there to meet him came over.

Captain Liu led his team toward Fang Wen.

They gave an introduction.

"This is Captain Liu of the Cangzhou branch of the Plains Guerrilla Force."

Fang Wen shook hands with Captain Liu, who tentatively asked, "Did this plane participate in the Battle of Taiyuan last year?"

Fang Wen nodded and asked, "Were you also in Taiyuan at that time?"

"Yes, I was in the 115th Division. Later, the guerrilla forces behind enemy lines needed combat commanders, so I was transferred here."

"Then we're still comrades-in-arms."

"You flatter me. Your planes are very powerful in Taiyuan. If the Kuomintang troops hadn't been so incompetent, we might have been able to turn the tide."

After the two talked for a while, the underground party member reminded them, "It's getting late, we should go to Cangxian town to meet up."

Fang Wen nodded and said goodbye to Captain Liu: "Then I'll leave the plane to you."

“No problem, cover it with reeds, and even the Japanese planes won’t be able to see it.”

As Captain Liu spoke, he led the travel team to spread the cut reeds on the plane for camouflage.

Fang Wen then left with the underground party members.

As for the military-grade Taishan walkie-talkie, it wasn't suitable to bring it into the city, so it was left with the guerrillas.

At 6 a.m., Fang Wen and his group returned to the canal and headed towards Cangzhou County along the road beside the canal.

Around 6:30, we arrived at the South Gate of Cang County.

The city walls here are dilapidated, with only a gatepost remaining for people to enter and exit.

The guards were local puppet troops, along with two Japanese soldiers.

Not many people entered the city; they stood in twos and threes outside the city gate, waiting.

Fang Wen spotted Fang Shouxin and his group in the crowd. They had changed into tattered cotton-padded jackets, and with their faces smeared with black ash, they looked exactly like poor people who had come to the city to do odd jobs because they couldn't afford to eat.

At seven o'clock, the city gates began to open.

People lined up to enter.

The people being questioned were the puppet troops, while two Japanese soldiers stood to the side, conversing in Japanese.

The team ahead of them had no problems and Fang Shouxin and his group were able to pass through the checkpoint and enter the city safely.

In the middle section, the puppet troops began to make things difficult for a father and daughter.

They pointed their bayonets at the man's tattered cotton-padded coat and sneered, "What's wrong? You think I won't recognize you just because you've smeared some ash on yourself? Third Master Peng, you've finally met your match."

Clearly, these puppet soldiers had a grudge against this man.

The man clasped his hands in a fist salute, turned his head, and bowed: "I, Peng Xinrong, have fallen on hard times. I hope my brothers will let me off the hook. Things will turn around and I will surely be blessed in the future."

The puppet troops were not appreciative and continued to make sarcastic remarks.

"Look everyone, this is our former sheriff. We brothers have suffered a lot at his hands. This is what they mean by the wheel of fortune turning."

Another puppet soldier went even further, bowing and scraping to the Japanese soldier and saying, "Sir, there's an anti-Japanese element here."

The Japanese soldiers, who had been chatting, suddenly became enraged and raised their guns to aim.

Seeing this, Uncle Peng took out a grenade, with the fuse wrapped around his finger, and had already pulled it halfway open.

"Don't move. If we can't get into the city today, let us go. Otherwise, I, Master Peng, will take the pin and we'll be done with this."

In response, the puppet troops quickly retreated and hid behind the Japanese soldiers, displaying a clear example of bullying the weak and fearing the strong.

But there was one fearless individual who grabbed Master Peng's daughter.

"Even with the ash on her face, this girl is still so pretty. Are you really willing to let your own daughter die with you? What a pity."

Master Peng sighed and looked at the woman, saying, "Yuwa, I shouldn't have brought you back because of greed. We haven't even entered the city yet, and we've already been killed by a few thugs. Don't have any thoughts of living. Just die with me. It's better than being ruined by these bastards."

The woman nodded with tears in her eyes. She had seen through the ways of the world and, after listening to her father's words, she resolved to die.

The puppet troops who were using the enemy's power to intimidate others, the brutal Japanese soldiers, the resolute father and daughter, and the bystanders who stood far away.

Fang Wen, who was mingling in the crowd, was considering whether or not to lend a helping hand.

The two underground party members beside him made a sound first, one of them whispering:

“Peng San has something very important to us. He can’t die here. We need to help him escape. Mr. Fang, you should leave first. We will come to find you after this is all over.”

In response, Fang Wen said, "I can help too."

He was preparing to use his superpowers for the first time in ground combat.

(End of this chapter)