Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 434, 430: Mysterious Signals Over the Atlantic, Viking Ships in the Greenland Snowfields

The Xuanming-class long-haul seaplane flies over the Atlantic Ocean.

This route runs from Paris to New York, a total distance of 5800 kilometers.

This was Fang Wen's second time crossing the Atlantic Ocean, but compared to the last time, the Xuanming didn't even need much preparation to complete the crossing.

The entire process is expected to take 20 hours.

When we had flown about a third of the way, an island appeared below.

"This is a rare piece of land encountered during the long voyage across the North Atlantic," Fang Wen said.

"Zhao Junping, take out the nautical chart and use the sextant measurement method I taught you to compare your current location."

"Yes, General Manager." Sitting next to the radio, Zhao Junping quickly took out a map and a sextant from the cabinet on his right and tried to take measurements.

Fang Wen also circled the plane in the air. He did this not out of boredom, but because he thought highly of Zhao Junping and intended to nurture him.

After a while, Zhao Junping scratched the back of his head and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, the data I measured doesn't match the map, but I know this is the Azores."

Fang Wen nodded: "It's the Azores. During the Age of Exploration, Spanish ships would stop here as a stopover, making it one of the few resupply points in the North Atlantic. Back then, whether it was pirates or merchant ships, they all had to pass through here."

The others listened to Fang Wen's words and looked curiously at the archipelago below.

Gong Xiuneng couldn't help but ask, "Commander, I heard you discovered a pirate ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Could there be pirate treasure here too?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Wen shook his head. The mechanical perception had not provided any feedback, so even if there was treasure, he wouldn't be able to find it.

But Gong Xiuneng's words gave him a thought. On the vast Atlantic Ocean, Spanish merchant ships once traveled back and forth between Europe and the Americas, laden with countless treasures.

At that time, the greatest danger was not pirates, but the unpredictable Atlantic Ocean. Many ships sank in the ocean, and even in the future, it continues to attract countless treasure hunters.

Doesn't he have a chance to find a shipwreck?

He stopped circling and continued flying, but at the same time, he activated his mechanical perception ability to observe the situation in the Atlantic Ocean below.

As always, nothing was found.

After all, his abilities are not rewarded with treasures, but with strange treasures imbued with the energy of faith.

The flight continued, and an hour later, Fang Wen suddenly sensed a faint fluctuation.

Got it!

However, its location is not on the flight path, but in a more northern region.

He estimated that if he were to fly over there to investigate, he might have to add an extra arc to the flight path, increasing the distance by 1000 kilometers.

This means the total voyage will be over 7000 kilometers.

It's not an easy task, as long-duration flights increase the probability of mechanical failures in aircraft.

unless
Fang Wen remembered the spare fuel in the rear cabin. Unless they made a temporary landing at sea for a short-term repair and then refueled at sea.

After all, the Xuanming was specifically designed with a self-replenishment method at sea in the absence of a land dock.

Do you want to go?
Fang Wen touched the bone bead necklace on his chest.

The bone beads from the ancient Shu Kingdom granted him the ability to see through objects.

The six golden Buddhas of the Angkor Dynasty are believed to cure ailments.

Armenian amber crosses can bring religious illusions.

The bronze tripods of ancient Native American tribes were believed to bring good fortune and ward off evil.

In the past, it was only to absorb energy and strengthen their own superpowers, but now there is another reason.

Now that we've encountered it, how can we just ignore it? At least we should know its approximate location so we can explore it later.

He made the decision and instructed, "The flight path will be adjusted temporarily. We will fly north for a distance and then land on the sea to rest."

The soldiers of the Independent Regiment inside the cabin, Gong Xiuneng, Zhao Junping, and Bai Yunfei, didn't react much. They trusted Fang Wen's flying skills, and no one asked what he was going to do or why he changed the flight path.

The plane then veered northward.

The plane flew north for more than three hours.

They arrived at the energy feedback area that Fang Wen had sensed.

The sight below surprised him.

Vast ice fields stretch to the horizon.

A magical scene.

Not only him, but everyone else in the cabin was also looking out the window.

"Where is this?" Zhao Junping asked.

The others turned to look at Fang Wen.

“It should be Greenland, the world’s largest island,” Fang Wen replied.

"The biggest? How big can it be?" Gong Xiu had absolutely no concept of what "biggest" meant.

Fang Wen thought for a moment, and he remembered that Greenland was about 210 million square kilometers.

He then replied, "It's as big as seven North China Plains."

Goodness, now everyone finally understands what this means.

I never knew an island could be this big.

Gong Xiuneng asked, "Then whose is it?"

Fang Wen replied based on his memory of Greenland: "Initially, the island was inhabited by the Inuit. They had no national consciousness, so the island had no sovereignty at that time. Later, Vikings occupied the island and settled in the south. Now, the descendants of those Vikings, namely Norway and Denmark, have been fighting for sovereignty over the island. The Hague Court of the League of Nations ruled in favor of Denmark, so the island now belongs to Denmark."

At this point, he remembered something and then recounted it as an amusing anecdote.

"But China also has rights in this area. Thirteen years ago, the Beiyang government's representatives in Paris participated in the signing of the Svalbard Treaty. The treaty recognized Norway's 'full and complete sovereignty' over the Svalbard archipelago, but stipulated that the area 'must never be used for the purposes of war.' Citizens of the contracting parties could freely enter the archipelago and engage in legitimate production and commercial activities within the bounds of Norwegian law."

"What do you mean? Commander, please explain it simply," Gong Xiuneng pressed.

"In other words, any Chinese citizen who can prove their identity can freely enter and leave Svalbard."

As Fang Wen spoke, he pointed northeast, indicating that Svalbard was to the right of Greenland.

(Comparing the situation of Arctic islands in Europe and America to that of the United Kingdom reveals just how large Greenland is.)
Listening to Fang Wen's explanation, everyone gained some more strange geographical knowledge.

They all had the same question: why did they fly here?

But no one asked, and everyone tacitly remained silent.

Meanwhile, Fang Wen was also searching for the source of that energy feedback.

It is in the north of the island.

It was a remote and undeveloped area, except for a few Inuit people who had lived there.

Fang Wen couldn't help but wonder if this strange treasure was related to the Eskimos.

It didn't take long for the plane to fly over, and he continued flying north.

The temperature began to drop, and he turned on a switch on the right side of the control panel.

The airflow heated by the engine enters the air circulation system, keeping the cabin temperature at a normal level.

After an hour and a half flight, the plane arrived in the Arctic region, which is also the northern half of Greenland.

Fang Wen could already clearly feel the energy feedback below.

He used his mechanical sensing eagle eye to look down.

On the icy, snowy land, an ancient ship rests on the snow.

There was no one around, no houses, and everything was so eerie.

How did this ancient ship end up in the central region of Greenland?
Where did the people on the ship go?

Fang Wen did not understand.

But he was more concerned about the treasure hidden in the ship.

The snowfield below is flat, and with proper control, it is possible to land using the Xuanming-type lander.

Should we take the risk and take the things off the ship?

Fang Wen couldn't resist the temptation. After all, if he left now, he didn't know when he would be able to come back again.

Moreover, everyone on the plane except Bai Yunfei is his subordinate, so there's no need to worry about profit distribution; he can just take the goods and leave.

The key questions are whether it's possible to land on the snow and whether it's possible to take off from there.

Thinking of this, Fang Wen touched the bone beads on his necklace.

The X-ray vision ability was activated.

With the aid of his mechanical perception and eagle-eye vision, he saw through the snow to the surface.

Below was a frozen surface of ice.

The ice surface was very thick and very flat.

After landing, you can take off on the ice by simply clearing away the snow.

It seemed there were no problems with landing and takeoff in the Xuanming-type aircraft. He then made a decision and commanded, "I'm going to land. Everyone, fasten your safety harnesses and get ready. Gong Xiuneng, do you know how to adjust the landing gear?"

"I've studied it before, but I'm afraid I won't be able to do it well," Gong Xiuneng replied honestly.

"I'll teach you. Go down to the rear maintenance passage. There's an intercom down there. Use it to contact me."

"Ok."

Gong Xiuneng quickly turned around and ran to the back of the plane.

Fang Wen picked up the microphone and kept the call connected.

At the same time, he used mechanical senses to observe Gong Xiuneng's movements.

Gong Xiuneng, who had rushed to the rear cabin, opened the maintenance access cover and climbed down the vertical ladder.

After disembarking, he used an electric light to illuminate the way ahead. After traveling for a while and reaching the middle of the plane, he spotted a microphone on the bulkhead.

He picked up the microphone: "Commander, I've arrived."

A sound came through the microphone.

"There's a power switch next to the communication device. Turn it on."

After Gong Xiuneng did as instructed, the lower deck lights on the aircraft were turned on.

Fang Wen then continued to give instructions.

"Walk five meters forward, there is a box, the key is in the small metal box next to it. After opening the box, turn the dial inside to the left three times, then pull it out and continue turning it to the left until it can't turn anymore."

Gong Xiuneng put down the microphone, followed the instructions, walked to the front to open the box, and then operated it.

As he turned the turntable, the floats on the belly of the plane began to flip.

After the top of the float tube is switched to the bottom, Gong Xiuneng can pull out the turntable and continue to rotate it.

Two rows of wheels extend from the grooves in the buoy tube, completing the transition to a land landing method.

Then, Gong Xiuneng returned to the microphone: "Commander, I'm done."

Upon receiving Gong Xiuneng's reply, Fang Wen also used his mechanical senses to observe the landing gear's condition.

After confirming there were no problems, he adjusted the aircraft's position and then dove to reduce altitude.

As the altitude decreases, the Xuanming type gradually approaches the ground.

At an altitude of 300 meters, the fuselage pulls up slightly to land at a more stable angle.

Then, the wheel under the float tube touched the snow.

The thick snow instantly buried the wheels.

However, the float tube acts as a pressure-bearing surface after it comes into contact with the snow surface.

Like a giant sled cutting through the snow, the Xuanming shape glided forward.

During this process, Fang Wen stepped on an unused pedal and used it to turn the roller below the float tube.

As the wheels rub against the ice, the aircraft makes a veer motion on the snow.

It glided across the snow, leaving a semi-circular mark, as if drifting.

As the plane turned, it also stopped taxiing.

Fang Wen relaxed this time and said, "Okay. Everyone, change into warm clothes and get ready to go out."

Inside the cabin, the soldiers of the Independent Regiment put on the spare clothing from their backpacks.

However, this still couldn't guarantee warmth in the cold weather outside, since they had come out in June and their clothes weren't as thick as winter clothes.

Fang Wen then took out a blanket from inside the airplane.

By wrapping a blanket around your body, the problem of keeping warm is solved.

Immediately, Gong Xiuneng opened the hatch, and Fang Wen led the way out.

He, Gong Xiuneng, Bai Yunfei, and 15 other soldiers walked towards the wooden boat not far away, braving the cold, icy wind.

Zhao Junping and five soldiers remained inside the cabin.

With half a meter of snow, they trudged forward with difficulty, taking more than ten minutes to cover a distance of 300 meters.

Finally, the group arrived at the ancient ship.

Fang Wen picked up the Kodak camera and tried to take a picture.

However, the camera malfunctioned in such cold conditions and could not take any pictures.

He could only put away his camera and observe the ancient ship.

This shouldn't be an Eskimo's boat; in the documentaries I've seen, Eskimos have never used such large boats.

It's more like the kind of ancient longships used by the Vikings.

The Vikings of that time used this method of sailing, combining oars and sails, to roam the North Sea of ​​Europe and plunder everywhere.

Were they really Vikings?
Fang Wen prepared to go inside and take a look.

Two soldiers yanked the anchor hook and threw it onto the ship.

The anchor hook was caught on the edge of the ship's side. After pulling hard without being pulled down, two soldiers climbed up the rope of the anchor hook first.

The outer walls of the ancient ship were covered in ice and were very slippery, leaving the soldiers with no foothold.

They could only climb using the strength of their arms.

As the best soldiers in the Independent Regiment, they demonstrated remarkable strength, climbing directly onto the ship with their bare hands.

After a while, the two men poked their heads out of the boat: "Commander, we haven't found anything yet."

Then, the other soldiers climbed onto the boat one after another.

Bai Yunfei also climbed up.

That leaves Fang Wen, Gong Xiuneng, and the last three soldiers.

Fang Wen grabbed the rope, used his arms to climb upwards.

Gong Xiuneng stood guard below, afraid that Fang Wen might drop the object, so that he could catch it.

But once again he underestimated the commander's strength.

Fang Wen also displayed amazing strength, climbing onto the ship with a speed even faster than the soldiers, using only the strength of his arms.

After boarding the ship, Fang Wen surveyed the interior of the vessel.

Apart from being large, this type of ship is not structurally complex.

There are oar positions on both sides for attaching oars and propelling the boat.

In addition, the high sides of the ship can be used as protection against arrows.

The interior of the ship is a large space.

Imagine dozens of Viking warriors crouching inside a ship, then leaping onto the enemy vessel with axes and swords as they approach their target to engage in boarding combat.

But now, the ship is empty. Where have all the Viking warriors gone?

Fang Wen walked to the other side and looked outside.

He saw it.

The snow-covered terrain on the other side is a bit higher, and it seems like something is buried under the snow there.

"Send five men to check over there," he ordered.

Five soldiers used grappling hooks to grab the ship's side and climbed down.

They dug on the snow surface that Fang Wen pointed out.

As the snow was cleared, what lay beneath the snow surface was revealed.

That was a small island on the ice.

The island features dozens of lifelike ice sculptures, preserved in the state they were in before they died.

Most of them were lying on the ground.

Two others stood there, each stabbing the other with a longsword.

This scene seemed to be telling Fang Wen and the others about their final moments of madness.

All of these Vikings are dead; they must have been fighting over something.

In their struggle for ownership, the two leaders ultimately killed each other, ending their own lives.

With the deaths of everyone, the secret of this ship was sealed away on this desolate snowfield.

until today.

Fang Wen withdrew his gaze, activated his mechanical senses, and tried to uncover the secrets of these ancient Vikings.

His gaze was directed towards the bow of the ship.

(End of this chapter)