Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 60, Airplane Parade, Black Dragon Society Assassination, 60s Car Racing

The Shiliupu Wharf was packed with people.

Everyone was watching to see how to unload such a large plane and transport it to the airport outside the city.

All eight major families came, and the Axe Gang and police officers were also invited to maintain order.

Among the crowd, Fang Wen, dressed in a long gown and wearing a wide-brimmed hat, observed everything at the dock.

Because of the air battle in Shanghai, he had to be careful in Shanghai and could not be discovered by the Japanese.

After a while, Fang Shouxin squeezed through the crowd.

"Young master, the Eight Great Families have sent people to bring the gantry crane to the dock, and they've also hired over a hundred laborers."

Fang Wen nodded and looked into the distance.

Even during the Republic of China era, there were gantry cranes. Although they looked rudimentary, they had the same function.

They set up a gantry crane on the ship and laid wooden tracks. After the plane was lifted, dozens of laborers worked hard to push it onto the tracks.

To ensure safety during the gliding to the dock, the remaining workers pulled on the ropes attached to the plane from both sides, using the force applied at different points to keep the plane balanced.

With the cooperation of hundreds of people, the plane slowly glided along the wooden track toward the dock.

"Make way, everyone! The plane is about to be paraded through the streets for a display!" the Axe Gang members shouted, shoving the crowd back.

After clearing a wide gap, two cars led the way, dragging eight ropes to pull the plane forward.

Neil Toledo, on board the plane, controlled the aircraft's orientation, managing to turn in time when necessary.

The cars drove slowly, and the plane moved along the wide main road, attracting a large crowd of onlookers.

This is the best form of publicity, even more effective than newspapers and radio broadcasts, since these days only a small percentage of people read newspapers and listen to the radio.

Taishan Airlines' plane parade successfully attracted the attention of the entire city.

The heads of the eight major families at the dock, all smiles, led their invited guests into a nearby restaurant to celebrate the official opening of Taishan Airlines.

Fang Wen, who was following in the crowd, did not show himself until the plane flew away, and he and Fang Shouxin left in the crowd.

After leaving the dock, a rickshaw stopped in front of me, and the driver asked with a smile, "Want a ride?"

Fang Wen waved his hand, ready to continue forward.

But then they heard the coachman whisper:

"Don't go any further. There are members of the Japanese Black Dragon Society guarding that area. They're looking for you."

Fang Wen stopped in his tracks. "Who are you?"

"Who I am is not important. You are in a dangerous situation. The Japanese have set up a plan to assassinate you here."

Fang Wen was startled. Ever since he sank the Izumo, he knew that the Japanese would definitely take action against him.

Therefore, they even disguised themselves before entering the city.

Unexpectedly, the Japanese still discovered their tracks.

Did the news leak from the airport, or from the Eight Great Families?
There's no time to verify this now; the priority is to leave before the other party discovers us.

He spoke quietly to the driver.

Do you know who the Black Dragon Society members are?

The driver shook his head: "My job is to inform you; I don't know the specifics of their arrangements. You'd better not travel by water; they definitely have spies on the passenger ships."

Since the waterway was impassable, there were definitely Japanese people secretly monitoring the area at several street intersections on the land route.

Fang Wen looked around at his surroundings, pondering how to leave.

Going to find the Eight Great Families and the Axe Gang would be like walking into a trap. The police and the Axe Gang might not be able to save him, and he might even alert the Japanese to his presence.

In his thoughts, he saw the cars of the eight prominent families parked outside the restaurant, and the guards standing beside them, the leader of whom was Sun Debiao.

Suddenly I had an idea.

One's own mechanical senses can be used not only to pilot airplanes, but also to drive cars. If one can get into a car and escape this dangerous place, one will be safe.

The problem is, there are definitely Japanese spies nearby. How can we distract them so that we can have a chance to get to the car?

He spoke quietly to the driver.

"Can you do me a favor?" "I'm here to help you, just say the word."

"See those people from Bada Company over there? The tallest one is called Sun Debiao. Go over there and tell him about my situation. Ask him to find a way to attract attention. Also, leave the keys in the car."

"I understand you want to drive away."

The rickshaw driver pulled the rickshaw away and stopped outside the restaurant, pretending to wait for customers.

The guards from the eight prominent families came to drive the coachman away, but he refused to leave, and a dispute ensued.

Sun Debiao came over to check the situation.

But the driver quietly tugged at his collar and whispered, "Sun Debiao, Fang Wen is in danger. There are Japanese here who are preparing to deal with him."

Sun Debiao was immediately startled. Before he could ask any questions, the other person continued, "He wants me to inform you to attract the Japanese's attention, then leave the car keys inside to give him an opportunity to get in."

"Understood." Sun Debiao replied briefly, shoving the driver aside and shouting, "Get out of here!"

He then went back and gave his men a coded signal.

These people had accompanied their master on business trips for many years and had their own secret ways of communicating, so they immediately understood what Sun Debiao meant.

Immediately, the two guards, who were chatting peacefully, somehow offended each other and started fighting in the street.

The once quiet dock area suddenly became lively again. People all looked over.

The two were fighting fiercely, their faces were bleeding, and to an outsider it would definitely not look fake.

The other guards also helped persuade them, and before they knew it, they had left the restaurant entrance.

Sun Debiao was also trying to persuade him, but as he passed by the car, he quickly used his key to open the driver's side door and then threw it into the half-open window.

Fang Wen and Fang Shouxin quietly approached the car in the crowd.

His palms were sweating, and he wondered how many of the onlookers around him were actually Japanese agents infiltrating the area.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so we must seize it.

As he approached the car, he suddenly flung open the door and jumped in, shouting as he picked up the key to start the engine, "Uncle Fang, get in."

At that very moment, a disturbance occurred in the crowd; someone pulled out a handgun right there in the street.

Just as the other side drew their guns, Sun Debiao and his men, who had been trying to break up the fight, also drew their guns.

Gunshots rang out instantly, and two bullet holes appeared in the back seat of the car.

Fang Wen immediately entered a state of mechanical perception.

At that moment, he felt as one with the car, his perspective suddenly magnified, and the surrounding movements seemed to slow down.

It was too late to rescue Sun Debiao.

Five Japanese men pulled out guns from the crowd.

Three on the left, two on the right.

He stepped on the gas and sped off at top speed, knocking a gunman flying.

At the same time, he opened the passenger door.

Fang Shouxin immediately got into the car, and just as he got in, the car started up again.

The car veered off the street and drove into the left-hand road.

Meanwhile, the remaining four gunmen were engaged in a shootout with Sun Debiao, and were temporarily unable to attend to Fang Wen.

Even so, the danger has not yet subsided.

Fang Wen, in a state of mechanical perception, clearly determined that the car that suddenly started behind him was aimed at him.

He floored the accelerator, and the car sped off, then turned around at the next intersection.

In the era before electronic power steering, the ability of a car to steer quickly was largely dependent on the strength of the driver's arms.

Fortunately, Fang Wen has been exercising in his spare time, and his arm strength is particularly outstanding. With this one turn, he turned the steering wheel, which would be very difficult for an ordinary person to turn, all the way to the end.

The car pushed its capabilities to the limit, successfully turning left at high speed and completing an almost impossible drift maneuver. The two cars chasing behind couldn't do it at all and could only squeeze past it.

(End of this chapter)