Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 435 Viking Treasure Ring, Zhou Disheng's Explosives, Overnight in the Far North Ice Plains and Takeoff
The prow of the Viking longship appeared to be empty, yet Fang Wen sensed that the energy was emanating from there.

Treasures imbued with religious significance would have been very precious to the Vikings.

There might be hidden spaces there, concealing treasures.

Fang Wen subconsciously looked again at the ice sculpture-like corpses on the ice field below the ship, and a guess came to his mind.

This place is now frozen over, but it was probably a lake long ago when the Vikings came here.

They sailed to a small island in the middle of the lake and anchored there. When they went ashore to discuss the matter, they got into an argument, which resulted in both of them being injured and dying on the island.

The boat remained moored on the shore until the lake froze over.

The treasures on that ship have probably been untouched since then.

Fang Wen walked over.

As they approached the bow of the ship, the small bronze cauldron in their pocket vibrated.

It's not very strong, but it still means there's danger.

It's possible that the mechanisms set up at the hidden treasure location are still in operation.

Fang Wen became more vigilant, stopped advancing, and instead observed carefully.

Something definitely isn't right ahead.

It feels a bit cramped.

He looked at the hull of the ship and compared the inside and outside.

A space approximately 3 meters wide was hidden.

It seems the treasure is hidden in that hidden compartment.

Because of the security measures, Fang Wen didn't plan to buy any himself or his men. He asked, "Did you bring explosives?"

"I brought it," Gong Xiuneng replied.

"Place explosives on the upper and lower sides of the front of the ship. I feel there is another space inside, so I blast it open."

"Treasure?!" Gong Xiuneng was immediately excited, and he turned around and busied himself with the soldiers.

Fang Wen watched as the soldiers took out the explosive blocks and installed them.

This explosive was not produced by the Taishan Bomb Factory, but came from the Jin-Cha-Ji base area.

It was developed by a chemical talent named Zhou Disheng. Its raw materials include rice bran powder, nitroglycerin, saltpeter, sulfur powder, and dinitronaphthalene, and its cost is much lower than that of foreign explosives and those from Kuomintang military factories.

This explosive uses nitroglycerin as a sensitive agent, has good detonation performance and high explosive power, and is not easily affected by moisture. It is easy to detonate and has a strong explosive power.

It is suitable for making explosives for demolition, landmines, and bombs.

After several tests, the Independent Regiment also acquired a batch of this explosive, which is now proving useful.

The soldiers placed the explosive charges at the four corners of the ship's hull outside the concealed space and connected them to detonators.

Gong Xiuneng shouted, "Detonate!"

The four soldiers simultaneously lit the fuses connecting the detonators.

Smoke and fire rose, and everyone quickly retreated.

A moment later, four loud explosions rang out, and white smoke billowed out.

After a while, the smoke was blown away by the wind, and Fang Wen and the others went forward to check.

A large hole was blasted open in the ship's hull, revealing the dark interior space.

Gong Xiuneng took out a flashlight and shone it inside.

"Commander, there's something reflecting light inside, it looks like gold. Shall I go in and take a look?"

"Don't move, there might be a trap inside, don't go in rashly."

Fang Wen walked over as he spoke.

He followed the beam of the flashlight and looked inside.

His better-than-average eyesight allowed him to see what was inside the hidden space.

Some boxes.

There were also scattered gold and silver ornaments on the outside of the box.

And some weapons such as swords, axes, and shields.

In the very center, there is a wooden platform covered with a large number of tree branches.

Beneath the tree branch, one can vaguely make out the shape of a human body.

It seems like it's going to be burned.

Fang Wen remembered that similar scenes appeared in some foreign films and television dramas in the future.

It seems that my judgment was somewhat wrong.

The identity of this corpse must be extraordinary; he, along with the treasure and the ship, should have been buried alive in this nameless lake.

However, due to infighting among his subordinates, he has remained in power until now.

The energy fluctuations I felt were emanating from him, and the treasure was on him.

"Bring me a stick," Fang Wen said.

The soldiers found a paddle inside the ship's hold.

Fang Wen slammed the oar into the floor of the hidden space, and the floor shook violently from the force of the impact.

Suddenly, two dark figures swept in from the left and right.

When he saw what it was, Gong Xiuneng exclaimed, "Such a huge axe, no one standing there could possibly dodge it."

Yes, two giant crescent axes hanging in the air swept across from left and right, and anyone who triggered the mechanism would be cleaved in two if they didn't dodge.

This is the Viking trap, simple and brutal.

But is this the only trap?

Fang Wen wasn't sure either. After the crescent-shaped giant axe stopped, he walked to the axe and continued to smash it against the floor in front of him.

This time, there was no response.

Gong Xiuneng volunteered to go and scout the way.

He moved with perfect coordination between his waist and stance, carefully taking each step forward, always ready to retreat.

However, he did not encounter any obstacles along the way, which led him to the wooden platform.

He glanced at the wooden platform: "Commander, there's a skeleton. Don't come any closer, let us investigate further."

Then, five more soldiers went forward, and only after confirming that there was no danger did Fang Wen come over.

Fang Wen walked up to the wooden platform and looked at the skeleton.

It wore an iron helmet, had silver armbands on its arms, and had an axe and a sword on each side.

What Fang Wen was concerned about was a ring on the finger bone of its right index finger.

He was about to take the ring off, but then stopped.

The warning from the bronze tripod kept him vigilant.

The Vikings were active during Europe's Dark Ages.

At that time, the Black Death ravaged Europe, killing tens of millions of Europeans.

Although a long time has passed, Fang Wen is unsure whether the virus has been completely eradicated.

Just to be on the safe side, he said, "Everyone must wear gloves before touching anything here."

"Is there something unclean?" Gong Xiu quickly took out gloves and put them on, and then took out talismans and gave one to each of Fang Wen and the soldiers.

His original profession was Taoist priest, and now he's finally put it to good use.

Fang Wen didn't explain, just accepted his advice, stuck the talisman on his body, and then ordered, "Move the boxes and other things out." As the others started to move, Fang Wen, wearing gloves, also reached out and picked up the skull's right hand.

So many years have passed, the flesh and blood are gone, and the finger bones have remained in their original state. They immediately fell apart when Fang Wen touched them.

Fang Wen caught the falling index finger knuckle and removed the ring from it.

He examined the ring inside the glove.

It's probably made of silver, and it turned black due to oxidation over time.

There were some strange symbols engraved on the ring, which Fang did not recognize.

Now is not the time to study it; it's time to take the treasure and prepare to leave Greenland.

He wrapped the ring in a handkerchief and put it away, then joined the soldiers in moving the treasure.

The 15 wooden crates appeared intact on the outside, but they all fell apart during the transport.

These wooden products are different from longships; ordinary wooden products that have not undergone waterproofing and anti-corrosion treatment have already weathered and decayed.

Without the crates, the soldiers went back to the plane and took the tablecloths from the airplane cafeteria to wrap the treasure items.

And so, packages of ancient items wrapped in tablecloths were slid down from the ship by ropes and then transported to the plane.

Bai Yunfei also participated in this process, as he was quite interested in this kind of serendipitous adventure.

Once all the treasures had been moved back into the plane cabin, Fang Wen announced.

"Everyone, take a break, have a meal, and then clear the snow. Try to get it done in one day so we can take off tomorrow."

Immediately, the cabin door closed, and Fang Wen started the aircraft engine, warming the cabin again.

Hot water was available, and the soldiers, having removed their blankets, prepared to prepare the airplane's convenient food in the gradually warming cabin.

Bai Yunfei asked with concern, "If we stay here overnight, the engine will run continuously. Will we have enough fuel? Also, I've heard that fuel freezes in cold environments. Will that affect takeoff?"

Fang Wen explained, "The Xuanming has two high-powered engines, which I will operate in rotation. Because it is operating under low load, the fuel consumption will be much lower. As for the fuel freezing at low temperatures, the aviation gasoline I use is the best type, which can remain liquefied at low temperatures."

These words reassured Bai Yunfei, who hesitated to speak further.

However, they couldn't find out why Fang Wen had flown the plane here.

After all, everyone has their own secrets, and not all secrets can be shared with others.

Fang Wen saw through Bai Yunfei's thoughts, and this matter needed to be explained.

He said, "I have a hobby: exploring the world and searching for unknown treasures. Would you like to hear my adventure stories?"

"Yes," Zhao Junping said happily.

Not only him, but other soldiers, including Gong Xiuneng, also came over.

Holding freshly made, steaming instant noodles, they eagerly awaited to hear Fang Wen recount his adventures.

On this icy plain, Fang Wen recounted his adventures over the years.

The underground treasures of the monasteries at Lake Van in Türkiye include a cross stained with holy blood.

The Indian pyramids on the banks of the Mississippi River in the United States contain mysterious sacrificial rituals and various Native American jewels.

There are also mysterious islands in the Pacific Ocean, and ghost ships that automatically sail out of the islands at regular intervals due to ocean currents, and then return.

Fang Wen didn't need to tell everyone everything; just a part of it was enough to captivate them.

In comparison, this Viking treasure was much simpler.

After the break, everyone took their tools and got out of the plane to start clearing the snow.

Start with the area around the plane.

The snow that had buried his calves was cleared away, revealing the rollers beneath the float tubes.

Then, a snow path was cleared from the direction the plane came from, starting from the plane.

Large amounts of snow were cleared to both sides, revealing a thick layer of ice beneath the snow surface.

By then it was already dark, so they decided to leave the remaining half for the next day and get everyone back on the plane.

With the engines running, the exhausted passengers rested in the cabins and sleeper berths, and the warm cabin environment quickly put them to sleep.

The next morning, everyone got up early, ate something, and then got back to work on the plane.

Because there was no snow, the passageway that was cleared yesterday remained as it was, and they spent another 4 hours clearing more than 100 meters of track.

Looking at the nearly 300-meter runway, Fang Wen felt it was enough for takeoff.

He let everyone board the plane.

The engines of the Xuanming-type aircraft are started.

With a roar, the plane turned, and the strong wind from the propellers blew the snow off both sides.

After the plane completed its turn, Fang Wen increased the throttle.

The rollers slipped a bit on the snow, but as the speed increased, the friction increased, and the slipping phenomenon was reduced.

The plane began to accelerate forward, and as the speed increased, Fang Wen pulled up the control stick at the 260-meter runway.

The plane lifted off and flew into the sky.

The Viking longship below grew smaller and smaller until it disappeared from sight, leaving only a vast, desolate land.

The plane flew south and, after two hours, finally flew out of Greenland.

After flying for more than three hours, Fang Wen landed the plane on the sea after returning to the flight path.

On a calm and sunny day at sea, the aircraft is undergoing temporary maintenance, and at the same time, the fuel in the hold is being transferred to the fuel tank.

With nothing to do, the soldiers and Zhao Junshi requested to take a bath in this sea area.

Fang Wen agreed to their request, but asked that everyone take care of each other in the sea.

Immediately afterwards, a group of men stripped naked and happily jumped into the sea from the wing.

After finishing the inspection, Fang Wen climbed onto the wing and watched the soldiers playing on the sea. He leaned back comfortably on the wing, basking in the sun.

There was another person standing nearby who hadn't gone into the water; it was Bai Yunfei. Fang Wen couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you going to play?"

Bai Yunfei was a little embarrassed: "I can't swim."

"What will happen to the Red Army soldiers who can't swim if they have to cross rivers during the Long March?" Fang Wen asked curiously.

Recalling the scene at that time, Bai Yunfei said with emotion, "I didn't care about anything else at the time. Bullets were flying over my head. I was only thinking about seizing a good position as soon as I got ashore. If I had fallen into the water, I would have been done for."

At this moment, Gong Xiuneng, having finished refueling, let out a long roar and leaped out of the cabin door, plunging directly into the seawater.

This caused the soldiers in the sea to burst into laughter.

While the passengers were playing happily in the water, Wen and Bai Yunfei discussed his vision for military industry above the wing.

"I came to the United States this time to obtain information on a new type of weapon."

"What kind of weapon is it?" Bai Yunfei asked.

Fang Wen gestured and said, "We can call it a man-portable rocket launcher. A trained soldier carries it on his shoulder, aims at a distant target, and then pulls the trigger to launch the rocket inside."

"Rockets?" Bai Yunfei asked, puzzled.

Fang Wen explained: "The new type of weapon that the US, Europe and the Soviet Union are developing now uses a booster to increase the range, thus achieving a firing range much farther than artillery shells. The man-portable rocket launcher is different. It is used for direct-fire attacks on targets such as tanks, armored vehicles and fixed bunkers in the field of vision. It has high explosiveness and high penetration, and can be fired by one or two soldiers."

Bai Yunfei understood and looked surprised: "You mean, infantry can easily take down a tank with it?"

"If it hits, there's a high chance of success, but the angle is also very important. Of course, if one shot doesn't work, you can fire another. It's much more effective than using explosive charges. If it were deployed on the battlefield, it would be a devastating weapon against the Japanese mechanized forces."

Fang Wen's words sparked a lot of imagination in Bai Yunfei about the new weapon, and he looked forward to its appearance in the war.

Therefore, we should discuss this matter more actively.

"How can we obtain information on that weapon?"

(End of this chapter)