Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 444, Section 440: Sending underground party members to airdrop behind enemy lines, secretly flying back to Wuhan.
The plane flew through the night sky and arrived over Jinan, on the south bank of the Yellow River, in just one hour.

Several months later, Fang Wen returned to this place, but everything had changed.

With his mechanical senses activated, he used his eagle eyes to observe the situation below.

In the western suburbs of the city, the airport that was originally the site of Taishan Airlines had been occupied and requisitioned by the Japanese army, and twenty Japanese warplanes were parked on the airport.

(Aerial view of Zhangzhuang Airport in western suburbs of Jinan)
Looking down at the Japanese warplanes, Fang Wen sighed inwardly.

Unfortunately, this time they were here to airdrop personnel who had infiltrated behind enemy lines. They couldn't alert the enemy, otherwise, Fang Wen wouldn't mind dropping a few incendiary bombs.

He shook off his thoughts and continued to observe the ground, searching for a signal to rendezvous.

According to the telegram sent from Yan'an before departure, the meeting personnel would be located in the Crescent Moon Mountain area, 10 kilometers south of the city, and would light torches to guide the way.

It was located in the mountainous area outside Jinan, but it was also in a low-lying area with a valley environment, which was suitable for airdrops. There were no Japanese troops stationed there, so it was very safe.

The problem is, in the dead of night, with only a few torches as guides, it's not easy to find.

Even with Fang Wen's eagle eye ability, which activated his mechanical perception, it took him a while to find a faint point of light in that mountainous area.

He enhanced his abilities and then saw clearly that there were five people holding torches waiting below.

Five torches forming a pentagonal formation—this must be the secret signal Fang Wen and the others had agreed upon for their rendezvous. It seems this is the place.

He said aloud:

"Prepare for the airdrop in Jinan. The jump will take place in 5 minutes. Gong Xiuneng, go check their parachute equipment. When the time comes, listen to my instructions to open the hatch."

"Yes, Commander." Gong Xiuneng strode to the back and checked the parachute equipment carried by the three people preparing to jump.

Meanwhile, Fang Wen was also circling over Crescent Moon Mountain, sensing wind direction and speed to calculate for the parachutists.

The weather is great tonight, with a light breeze. As long as the landing is done properly, there shouldn't be any significant deviation from the intended landing point.

Five minutes passed quickly, and Fang Wen landed the plane at an altitude of 1000 meters.

The roar echoed in the sky, reaching the ears of the personnel below who were there to provide assistance.

With a serious expression, he ordered, "The 1000-meter rappelling is about to begin. Gong Xiuneng, attach the safety rope and open the hatch."

Under his command, Gong Xiuneng immediately complied, removing the safety ropes from the parachutes of the three parachutists and attaching them to the lanyards at the hatch.

This is a safety precaution for 1000-meter rappelling.

After all, skydiving below 1000 meters is different from skydiving at 2000-3000 meters. The descent time is short, and the parachute opening can vary due to different reactions of different skydivers. By attaching a safety rope, the skydiver can open the parachute as soon as they jump out of the hatch, which can minimize errors and dangers.

After Gong Xiuneng secured the safety rope, he immediately opened the hatch and shouted, "Have a safe journey, take off!"

The three men jumped one after another, bursting out of the hatch. The safety ropes snapped, and the parachutes opened.

Unable to be seen in the night sky, the three men turned on their flashlights when they descended to an altitude of 500 meters in order to be spotted by ground-based liaisons.

The flashlights in the night sky alerted the ground support personnel to their location, allowing the subsequent rescue operation to proceed smoothly.

The airborne operation behind enemy lines in Jinan was completed in 3 minutes and 10 seconds.

Fang Wen observed the parachutists landing below and meeting up with their backup.

Relieved, he piloted the plane south.

Flying 270 kilometers south, it took 40 minutes to arrive in Xuzhou.

The drop zone is located in the Lüliang area, east of Xuzhou.

The Lüliang mentioned here is not the Lüliang Mountains in Shanxi Province, but a place called Lüliang Village.

During the Western Zhou Dynasty, there was a state called Lü. The area was named Lüliang because a stone beam from the Lü period was found in the local river.

This place is a remote area east of Xuzhou, connected by mountains, and was chosen by the local underground party as a rendezvous point for airdrops.

Fang Wen used his eagle-eye ability, which is based on mechanical perception, to search and found the torchlight below.

Once confirmed, Gong Xiuneng was also ordered to prepare for the jump. Five minutes later, the cabin door opened, and the remaining three people jumped out of the plane.

Three minutes later, Fang Wen confirmed that the parachutists had landed safely and without incident. He then controlled the gunboat to climb and fly towards Wuhan.

He was going to Wuhan to use his connections to discuss the transportation of goods on the newly built Burma Road with the Southwest Transportation Office under the Military Commission.

Starting from Fuping, passing through Jinan and Xuzhou, and then to Wuhan, the entire journey is 1160 kilometers.

It wouldn't be difficult for a gunship aircraft with a full external fuel tank to complete this range.

Under the cover of darkness, the gunboats flew over the Japanese war zone and the combat zone, arriving in Wuhan.

There were some changes there when Fang Wen left.

Many buildings were damaged in the bombing, and even the Taishan Water Airport was left with craters.

Meanwhile, the Taishan Civil Aviation Land-based Airport on the other side was transformed into an air defense position, with several anti-aircraft machine guns stationed there.

Without alerting the Wuhan garrison, Fang Wen gradually lowered the altitude, and at an altitude of 2000 meters, he began to reduce engine power consumption.

As the engine power gradually weakened, the gull wing that Fang Wen designed for the aircraft came into play, allowing the gunboat to enter a gliding state.

In this way, the noise generated by the aircraft is greatly reduced, and when it lands on the river, the volume it produces is only enough to affect the nearby area.

This was Fang Wen's attempt at a silent landing, both because he didn't want to alert the Wuhan garrison and to prepare for future landings behind enemy lines.

The effect seemed good; apart from the Taishan Airlines staff who came to pick him up on the river, no one noticed.

The plane door opened, and Gong Xiuneng shone a flashlight toward the receiving ship on the other side.

The other person also shone their flashlight back, circling left and right. They repeated this three times.

"Commander, we've met them." Gong Xiuneng said, turning his head.

In fact, Fang Wen had already seen the faces of the other party through mechanical perception. He recognized those people; they were indeed his own employees who had stayed in Wuhan.

He replied, "Let them come closer."

At Gong Xiuneng's flashlight signal, the ship approached, and the people on board said, "Are there any damaged berths at the airport dock? Follow us."

Then, the ship led the way, and Fang Wen piloted the plane to follow, arriving at the airport dock.

The airport dock, which had been bombed and was in ruins, did have some berths that were still usable. After Fang Wen docked, he did not disembark immediately.

He had to be responsible for his actions and could not reveal his identity casually, lest he be targeted by those in the Nationalist government who were hostile to him.

Therefore, he turned on the lights in the plane, took out a human skin mask under the light, and began to disguise himself.

This skill was something Gong Xiuneng had never seen before.

"Commander, you have this skill too!"

"This is called disguise. I learned it from Wu Yingzong's master. I've finished it. I'll do it for you."

After some practice, Fang Wen transformed into a long-faced, bearded man.

He stood up, made Gong Xiuneng sit down, and then disguised him as a slightly overweight man.

This change completely altered their image.

Only then did they open the hatch and disembark.

The Taishan Airlines personnel who came to meet them on shore didn't recognize them at all, thinking they were people sent by headquarters on official business.

One of them even asked, "What did headquarters send you here for?"

Fang Wen was immediately puzzled. This was a question that shouldn't have been asked by these staff members who stayed behind; they were just grassroots workers, why were they asking such questions?
In the darkness, most people couldn't see the man's expression, but Fang Wen saw the longing that flashed in his eyes.

The other staff members stationed nearby didn't share this sentiment. Fang Wen felt that this person might have been bribed, and it was fortunate that he had changed his appearance, otherwise, things would have really gotten into trouble.

In this situation, how should I answer him?

Should I make up an excuse to tell him? No, that would be strange, since we landed secretly at night, and he might be suspicious no matter what I say.

In this situation, it's better to make a decisive decision immediately.

He tugged at Gong Xiuneng's sleeve and whispered, "Control the person who's speaking."

Upon receiving the order, Gong Xiuneng acted without hesitation, rushing out and striking the opponent's neck with a palm strike, knocking him unconscious.

Fang Wen then walked over and said coldly, "What's his name? What has he been doing lately?"

The employees stationed there were a little flustered. They didn't know that the person in front of them was Fang Wen. They hesitated for a moment before replying.

"His name is Zhu Daning. He's been going out a lot lately, and every time he comes back, he's drunk."

"Also, he used to be a little short of money and always borrowed money from us, but he hasn't been lately."

Fang Wen nodded, instructing Gong Xiu to wake the other person and begin questioning.

Gong Xiuneng patted him twice, and he woke up. Then, Gong Xiuneng reached out and pressed down on a large tendon on the other person's body, applying a little force.

These are nerves related to pain. How could an ordinary person without special training possibly endure it? Zhu Daning immediately grimaced and cried out in pain, but Gong Xiuneng covered his mouth.

Fang Wen squatted down, stared into Zhu Daning's eyes, and asked, "Whose money did you take?"

Gong Xiu removed his hand from her mouth, and Zhu Daning took a breath but shook her head: "I didn't."

In response, Gong Xiuneng applied force to the painful tendon, causing intense pain to recur.

It hurts more than last time.

Zhu Daning couldn't take it anymore and cried out, "I said, stop! It hurts!"

At Fang Wen's signal, Gong Xiu stopped, and Zhu Daning quickly explained, "It's Boss Liu. He's very generous. Every time he invites me out, he treats me to a meal and gives me money. What he wants me to do is very simple: whenever headquarters sends someone over, I just need to find out what's going on and report back to him."

Fang Wen pondered in his heart.

Judging from their actions, it is unlikely to be the newly established Military Intelligence Bureau, the original Fuxing Society, or the military.

These organizations typically identify themselves when recruiting people, which puts pressure on them and makes them cooperate.

Could someone who refuses to reveal their identity be a spy from the Japanese side?

It seems that this is possible.

Fang Wen sneered. He guessed that the Japanese hadn't expected him to move to northern Myanmar. After all, northern Myanmar was a very remote and sparsely populated area, and it wouldn't be easy to send a spy in.

He decided to meet that person.

Fang Wen then said to the other stationed employees, "You all heard it, he said it himself. I will report this kind of traitor to headquarters, fire him, and then empty his pension account."

Gong Xiuneng felt the punishment was too lenient and sneered, "It would be easier to kill him now. I hate traitors the most."

His original intention was to provide this kind of assistance, which would have been better at intimidating Zhu Daning and making him submit.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Daning revealed a look of despair: "You might as well kill me. If I get fired, I won't get my salary or bonuses, but if I don't get my pension account either, I'd rather die."

While Taishan Airlines certainly offers better salaries and benefits than other airlines, its pension account is unique.

Because not all employees working at Mount Tai receive their full salary; a portion is retained and deposited into their retirement account.

It's roughly two-tenths of the monthly salary, and the company will also deposit twice that amount into a retirement account.

In this way, an employee who has worked for Taishan Airlines for a full year can save up to the equivalent of six months' salary in their pension account.

For someone like Zhu Daning, who, despite being a junior employee, had worked for three years, it meant losing 18 months' worth of salary.

He felt as if a large piece of his own flesh had been cut off.

No one sympathized with those former workers who stayed behind.

They all criticized:
"Serves you right. The company is saving money for your retirement, not for you to betray the company."

“This kind of scoundrel should have his retirement account emptied.”

Zhu Daning panicked completely: "I deserve it, I'm a bastard, I was bewitched, please give me a chance."

Fang Wen never actually intended to empty Zhu Daning's pension account. This action was just to scare him. After all, the pension account is a basic benefit for employees and won't disappear just because they did something wrong.

He just wanted to use this to get Zhu Daning to cooperate with him.

Then, he said coldly, "You're definitely going to be fired. Your retirement account can be refunded, but you have to do one last thing for the company: find the guy who seduced you."

Zhu Daning nodded quickly: "Okay, I will definitely find it."

This guy got it done.

Fang Wenzhuan then discussed the matter with other personnel who remained in Wuhan.

"If the plane is parked at the airport, it will be easily spotted during the day, and it will also face bombing by the Japanese. Is there any way to avoid this?"

One of the remaining personnel replied, "The maintenance taxiway at the airport is still usable. You can get ashore from there and hide in the small hangar next to the dormitory area without being discovered. As for the Japanese bombing, this place has already been bombed several times, so they gave up bombing it a long time ago."

This is good news, saving Fang Wen a lot of trouble and eliminating the need to reveal his identity in Wuhan to ask for help.

He immediately returned to the plane, turned it around, and headed towards the taxiway east of the berth.

There, Gong Xiuneng tied a thick cable to the nose of the aircraft, connected the other end to a winch, and together with the remaining employees, worked hard to turn the winch and pull the aircraft ashore from the taxiway.

Once the planes were ashore, they were driven by land-based vehicles beneath the buoys to the small hangars for parking.

That way, you won't have to worry about being discovered after daybreak.

The night passed, and dawn was just breaking.

Fang Wen and Gong Xiuneng, disguised, led Zhu Daning away from the water airport.

Knowing that being laid off by the company was unavoidable, Zhu Daning cooperated fully in order to protect his pension account.

He led the two to the place where he often met with the man.

It was a general store, not yet open for business.

Zhu Daning said bitterly, "It's here. He owns this shop. I was just buying cigarettes here, and he used nice words to take advantage of me, then he called me brother and even gave me money to spend. If I had known it would end like this, I wouldn't have taken a single penny from him."

Fang Wen looked at the closed general store and asked, "Where is everyone?"

“He should be sleeping inside. I’ll go wake him up.” After saying that, Zhu Daning walked over, pounded on the door, and shouted, “Boss Liu, it’s me, Zhu Daning.”

After knocking for a while, a door panel was removed, and a face peeked out from behind it: "Zhu Daning, what brings you here so early?"

"I need to talk to you. Open the door."

As Zhu Daning spoke, his right hand was pressed against Gong Xiuneng, who was standing there, and he was about to make a move.

The man, unsuspecting, removed the door panel and was about to let Zhu Daning in when Gong Xiuneng, who rushed in from the side, kicked him over.

As he fell to the ground, Gong Xiuneng did not stop. He immediately followed up, grabbed his arms, and lifted him up.

Snap! Mr. Liu's arms were dislocated.

The pistol he was holding in his right hand fell to the ground because his hand wouldn't obey him.

At this point, Gong Xiuneng had subdued his opponent, and Fang Wen and Zhu Daning then entered the room.

(The door panels of an old-fashioned street-facing shop)
(End of this chapter)