Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 431 Café de Flore in Paris, Information Dealer and Healing

On the Seine, two cruise ships lit red smoke signals.

There were also marine police maintaining order nearby.

Pedestrians stopped to watch from the riverbank walkway.

This was not only the work of Taishan Airlines' New York branch, but also the contribution of Pan Am Airlines.

Since the Xuanming-type seaplanes sold by Taishan Airlines to Pan Am have been operating in the Pacific Ocean, they are preparing to launch new transoceanic routes in the Atlantic Ocean due to the positive response.

When they learned that Fang Wen was going to bring the Xuanming model to Paris, how could they miss this opportunity for publicity?

Therefore, the landing was scheduled on the river section near the Louvre, causing quite a stir.

People gathered on the riverside road and looked up at the sky.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the Xuanming-type object descended from the sky, crashing onto the water and creating a large splash, eliciting gasps from the women and children watching.

Drawing a long line across the water, the Xuanming-type aircraft gradually reduced its speed. After coming to a stop, the fuselage turned and docked on the riverbank.

Gong Xiuneng lowered the anchor, opened the hatch, stepped onto the buoy, and placed the telescopic pedal on the riverbank.

Fang Wen walked to the cabin door and instructed the people inside: "We'll all go out together. There will be reporters taking pictures. Just stand together and pose. I'll handle the rest."

Subsequently, Fang Wen and his group disembarked from the plane, prompting a flurry of camera flashes.

A Pan Am spokesperson approached Fang Wen with great seriousness, shook hands with him, and posed for a photo in front of the spotlight.

Then, reporters came over to interview them.

"Mr. Fang, is this really an aircraft manufactured by your Taishan Airlines?"

Fang Wen smiled and replied, "Yes. We have mature and complete aircraft manufacturing technology, comparable to any major aircraft manufacturer. In the past two years, we have produced more than 100 seaplanes of various models."

Another reporter raised his hand; he was the one Pan Am's choice.

"Excuse me, is this aircraft model specifically supplied to Pan Am?"

"Yes, it has been bought out by Pan Am and it probably won't be able to supply other airlines for the next few years."

"Can we go inside the plane and take a look?"

"can."

Fang Wen led a group of reporters into the aircraft and toured the cabin, sleeper berths, lounge, catering room, baggage compartment, and cockpit.

As for the warehouse where supplies were stored in the rear cabin, and the lower level of the aircraft, Fang Wen did not take them on a tour.

Having done all this, we can say that we have fulfilled our promise to Pan Am for publicity and promotion.

Fang Wen felt that it would be difficult for Pan Am to successfully manage this Atlantic shipping route.

After all, World War II was about to begin in Europe.

As the reporters left, the crowd gradually dispersed.

Fang Wen left 20 soldiers from the Independent Regiment on the plane and asked Paul Lin, the manager of the Paris branch, to arrange their meals.

He then walked out of the river with Gong Xiuneng, Zhao Junping, and Bai Yunfei.

It was Zhao Junping and Bai Yunfei's first time abroad, and they were amazed by the architecture of Paris, especially the Louvre.

"General Manager, this place is so beautiful," Zhao Junping exclaimed.

Fang Wen nodded: "They are quite beautiful. We used to have them too, but unfortunately, 100 years of war meant that none of the good things were properly preserved."

This is not something Fang Wen is making up for nationalistic sentiments. He often travels around China and has seen many famous historical sites, but most of them have one thing in common: they are dilapidated due to lack of maintenance.

The key issue is that China has never had a period of stable development.

Listening to Fang Wen's words, Bai Yunfei sighed, "Since the Opium War, there has never been a moment of peace. Everyone wants a piece of the pie from us. For a hundred years, our beautiful land has declined like this."

"Things will get better. We will definitely become strong and prosperous again, definitely." Fang Wen said what he hadn't said in Yan'an. "Let's go, let's go get Bai Yunfei treated first."

The four people walked forward from the avenue next to the Louvre, turned left, passed the main entrance of the Louvre, and continued forward for 1000 meters to reach the Ritz Hotel.

In the hotel lobby, someone was waiting for Fang Wen.

"Mr. Fang, we have brought the items, they are upstairs. But there is one condition: they cannot leave our sight."

Fang Wen nodded.

Then, I followed him into the elevator.

Up to this point, Bai Yunfei and the others still didn't know what to do, and they became even more curious about what would happen next.

The elevator reached the top floor, and the group got out and entered a room.

There, five burly men were guarding a sealed glass enclosure, inside which was the four-faced golden Buddha.

This shows how much the three major conglomerates valued this treasure.

Clearly, they received excellent healing benefits from the treasure during this period.

The person who brought Fang Wen over said, "Because it was used too frequently, it lost its power in less than a year. You said you could restore it, so the higher-ups immediately sent me here. But they are also very curious about how you restored it."

The implication was that they wanted to know Fang Wen's trump card.

Fang Wen didn't pay any attention to this.

He can do what others can't; he's unique.

But the process can't just be a matter of touching it with your hand and injecting faith energy; it has to feel very formal to them.

Fang Wen said with a serious expression, "Open it."

Immediately, the burly protectors worked together to move the heavy protective glass away.

Fang Wen took out a small box and opened it in front of everyone.

At the same time, he absorbed the power of the necklace's bone beads, forcibly enhancing his abilities and thus gaining the ability to control objects with his mind.

With the blessing of an unseen force, a luminous pearl floated up inside the box.

"My God!" a security guard exclaimed, making the sign of the cross on his chest.

The others also looked nervous.

Even Gong Xiuneng, a Taoist practitioner, stared at the bead in disbelief.

They didn't know why the beads were floating in the air against all reason, and they all wanted to ask Fang Wen.

While controlling the bead, Fang Wen explained, "I don't know what this bead is called, but it is attracted by the four golden Buddhas. What you see now is just like this. In a little while, it will change."

As they were talking, the bead suddenly flew out and spun around the four golden Buddhas.

It spun faster and faster, turning into circles of white shadows, and then exploded into a cloud of powder that sprinkled onto the golden Buddha.

At this point, Fang Wen said, "Alright, it can be used again. As agreed, I will use it to treat my people."

Bai Yunfei then realized: "The treatment you're talking about, is it this?"

Fang Wen nodded: "I don't know if it can be cured, but it can definitely alleviate your pain. Now, just do as I say."

He looked to the right side of the room and saw a chair, probably for the security guards to rest on, so he went over and moved it over.

"Sit still in the chair until I call you."

Bai Yunfei nodded excitedly and sat down.

Fang Wen picked up the four golden Buddha statues, aimed them at Bai Yunfei, and then infused them with energy.

With the power of faith, the four-faced golden Buddha regained its healing abilities.

An invisible force was released and injected into Bai Yunfei's body.

A few minutes later, the energy injection ended, and Fang Wen asked, "How is it now?"

Bai Yunfei opened his eyes and exclaimed in surprise, "My vision seems to have recovered. Things used to be very blurry in my right eye, but now they feel much clearer."

“What about other places? Stand up and walk around,” Fang Wen asked again.

Bai Yunfei got up, took a few steps, and then boldly ran and jumped.

He discovered that his pain had disappeared.

"Am I better?" he couldn't help but ask. "No, there is no panacea in the world. It only removes the pain for a period of time, and it will come back after the effect wears off."

"That's why they value it so much!" The already intelligent Bai Yunfei understood.

He said nothing more.

Fang Wen didn't reveal his guess until he led Fang Wen away from the Ritz Hotel.

"That thing is yours, isn't it? You must have used it to gain a lot of benefits and to control those people."

Fang Wen answered frankly, "Yes, a lot of resources and money were used to start my military industry."

"So what do you want to do now? I'll help you." Bai Yunfei, who was free from illness, felt indebted to Fang Wen and decided to help him during his trip to Paris.

Fang Wen nodded with a smile. He had brought Bai Yunfei here purely to treat his illness, but considering the other party's feelings, he cooperated and agreed.

He glanced at his watch and said, "Let's go to the Café de Flore on the other side of the river."

The group walked from the Ritz Hotel to the Seine, crossed the stone bridge over the river, and arrived at the left bank of the Seine.

Outside the Café de Flore, where they were going, there was a statue of the ancient Roman goddess Flore.

Flore is the Latin name, transliterated as 芙罗拉 (Fúluólā), the Roman goddess of flowers.

There are many cafes called Café de Flore. The name itself signifies an artistic vibe, a gathering place for local artists and a forum for the exchange of opinions.

This is especially true of the Café de Flore here.

Outside the café, chairs and parasols were set up, and people sat together drinking afternoon tea and chatting.

Fang Wen's gaze passed through the shop window and looked into the store.

On the right, a man in a suit and glasses sat alone at a table. He had a small paper flower hanging from his chest and a six-pointed star ring on his right index finger.

it's him.

Fang Wen said, "Let's go in."

The four of them then went into the coffee shop.

He went straight up to the man.

Fang Wen smiled and said: "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet."

This is a line from Shakespeare's classic play, Romeo and Juliet.

The literal translation is: "What does it matter what the name is? It will smell just as good as any other name we call it."

However, the Chinese translation is even more meaningful: "Even if a rose is not called a rose, it will still be as fragrant as ever."

This phrase was also the coded message used by the other party in the transaction.

This is perfect for this artsy café.

The other person nodded and gestured with their right hand, saying, "Please sit down."

Fang Wen and Bai Yunfei sat opposite him, while Gong Xiuneng and Zhao Junping sat at the table next to them.

The man took out his briefcase, and while taking out documents, he said, "As you requested, I've brought a compilation of the latest intelligence from France, as well as information about that company. Would you like to see it now?"

"of course."

Fang Wen took the information handed to him and first looked at the situation in France.

The first piece of information he saw was that France was hosting the World Cup this month.

It lasted 15 days, from June 4th to 19th, and today marks the end of that period.

The person who compiled this message is clearly a football fan, as they wrote it in considerable detail.

Argentina and other South American teams withdrew from the World Cup due to their dissatisfaction with Europe hosting the tournament for the third consecutive time, resulting in only 15 teams actually participating.

On the second day of the competition, the Dutch East Indies suffered a crushing 0-6 defeat to Hungary, being eliminated after playing only one match.

Italy ultimately defeated the defending champions Hungary 4-2.

Fang Wen chuckled to himself, thinking, "What a pity! If I had come earlier, I could have watched some old-fashioned World Cup matches."

He looked up at the other person: "You have to pay for this too?"

The other party laughed awkwardly, "All comprehensive intelligence is free."

Fang Wen continued reading.

The situation in France became tense after Germany annexed Austria in March of this year.

While fans were celebrating, France was also shrouded in the shadow of war.

Air raid drills are held on the streets of Paris every so often, and many underground passages are opened up to be built as air raid shelters.

Furthermore, even if Germany annexed Austria, France and Britain had no intention of intervening.

These two European military powers have been turning a blind eye and refusing to participate since the start of the Spanish Civil War.

Now they're even preparing to create a "Munich Agreement".

Fang Wen immediately perked up and began to read carefully.

The United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy met to discuss the status of the Sudetenland region in Czechoslovakia.

That area was also inhabited by ethnic Germans, and the Nazis wanted to take it over, just like they had done with Austria.

Although it hasn't been finalized yet, the news has already spread within intelligence circles.

Notably, Czechoslovakia was not mentioned, even though its territory was to be annexed, yet the decision was made by four powerful nations.

This perfectly illustrates the famous saying that a weak nation has no diplomacy.

Fang Wen sighed inwardly.

Putting aside the comprehensive intelligence data, although it is only 38 years now, it is clear from this intelligence data that Germany's rise to power is inevitable, and in another year, the war will expand into Europe.

He took out a second intelligence folder.

Another purpose of this trip to Europe was to acquire Hispano-Suiza's aircraft engine technology.

Understanding the company is very important to Fangwen.

Hispano-Suiza was formerly a well-known luxury car manufacturer in Europe.

Before World War I, European royalty and nobility favored its cars.

Then, 32 years later, the company launched its masterpiece, the J12, equipped with their own V12 engine with a maximum power of 250 horsepower, which was the undisputed top-of-the-line car at the time.

However, they subsequently began to gradually withdraw from the automotive industry and shifted their focus to the research and development of aircraft engines.

Its 12Y aero engine was used in the French MS406 and D520 fighter jets, and the Soviet Union also introduced the technology and equipped it in the La-3 and Yak series fighter jets.

It can be said to be an important aircraft power manufacturer in Europe before World War II.

A major factor in its withdrawal from the automotive industry was the Spanish Civil War.

The company's owner was a supporter of Franco, but his factory was located in an area controlled by the Popular Front, which led to a complete shutdown of the automotive industry.

However, its aircraft engine factory in France was not affected and continued to supply France and the Soviet Union.

Fang Wen was deep in thought after reviewing the materials.

Based on the information available, this company is not doing well; in fact, it could be said to be experiencing operational difficulties.

As someone in the industry, he knew very well that although the profit margin for aero engines was considerable, the volume was not large, not to mention that the Soviet Union was only buying the technology and mainly selling it to the French Air Force.

Since the Soviet Union could buy their technology, we should be able to as well.

In addition, if the company needs funds, I can also provide them, whether in exchange for shares, technical data, or talent.

He said, “I need you to find the best financial broker in Paris to help me connect with Hispano-Suiza.”

“Okay, we can go to the second district now. There are many securities brokerage firms there that can provide you with services.”

“Let’s go,” Fang Wen agreed.

The bespectacled man picked up his hat, put it on, and got up to leave.

(End of this chapter)