Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 61, Safely Leaving Shanghai, Man and Vehicle as One

Escaping the pursuit of two cars does not mean the danger is over.

The car is now located in the old Shanghai county town, also known as the old city, which is the old city area built during the Qing Dynasty. There used to be city walls here, but they were later demolished and some renovations were carried out.

It is precisely because of its long history that the old and new buildings are mixed together, the streets are narrow, and there are many alleys.

Cars entering this area also have to slow down.

Fang Wen visualized the entire map of Shanghai in his mind and compared it to his own location.

To the east of the old city are the Shiliupu Wharf and the Huangpu River, which is the place I just came from.

To the north and west, large areas were the concessions.

In order, they are the French Concession, the British Concession, and the International Settlement.

The Japanese did not have any concessions in Shanghai; they occupied the International Settlement.

Entering the French Concession from here would be very dangerous, since Japanese troops were stationed nearby.

Heading south, however, leads to areas controlled by the Nationalist government, which is the safest route to leave downtown Shanghai.

The question now is, how many people did the Japanese send, and where are they hiding?

Brushing aside his thoughts, Fang Wen pulled a small Browning pistol from his pocket.

This was given to him by Yue Jinping. He replaced the Mauser pistol with the old one. It was indeed convenient to carry normally, but when it came to actually firing it, it proved to be less powerful.

"Uncle Fang, see if there's anything usable in the back seat."

"Um"

Fang Shouxin turned around, stood up, and stepped directly into the back seat.

After searching for a while, he replied, "No."

“Lift up the seat; there’s another compartment behind it. I’ve heard Sun Debiao say he likes to hide things there.”

Fang Shouxin did as instructed and indeed made a discovery.

A leather suitcase.

There was a Mauser pistol with a wooden stock inside, loaded with bullets, probably for emergencies.

"Young master, I know how to use this kind of gun. When the Japanese come, I'll shoot from behind."

Fang Wen immediately agreed.

The problem now is how to get out of here.

He slowed down, intending to ask a passerby for directions.

Little did they know that a storm was brewing in the city.

The news of what happened at Shiliupu spread quickly.

Because of the opening ceremony of Taishan Airlines and the large aircraft exhibition, many reporters took photos and conducted interviews at Shiliupu.

The gunfight, carjacking, and car chase were all captured on camera by reporters.

They soon learned the truth.

Reporters quickly reported the situation back to their news agencies, and radio stations, which provided the most timely feedback, also responded promptly.

among them,

The radio announcer from Merrington who had previously interviewed Fang Wen made a decision after some internal struggle.

"Merlington Radio broadcast an emergency news segment."

"Today, unidentified individuals attacked my pilot, Fang Wen, at the Shiliupu Wharf."

"It is understood that Fang Wen was a meritorious pilot who bombed Japanese warships during the war. He successfully damaged two warships, including the Izumo, which sank halfway in the waters near the coast."

"As for who dispatched these unidentified individuals, I think that's a question that everyone knows the answer to."

"According to my latest information, Fang Wen has successfully escaped the pursuit in a car and is currently in the old city. How can we allow these Japanese to wantonly hunt down our air heroes on Chinese soil?"

"I hope the National Police Department will send people to capture the killer as soon as possible and protect Fang Wen's safety."

"I apologize to everyone. Due to the reasons for this broadcast, I will be ending my work at Merrington Radio. But I still hope that everyone will not be a cold-blooded person. The great China will surely be revived, and we must unite."

The radio waves carried the announcer's heartfelt emotions to every SH citizen who owned a radio.

Some people remained unmoved, while others were deeply moved.

Fang Wen stopped by a roadside in the old town.

There are no road signs here, and if you keep driving forward, you have no idea where you'll end up.

He stopped the car and asked a soap seller by the roadside.

A tower of soap bars stood in the air, and a man in a suit shouted through a megaphone, "Huamei soap, cleansing thoroughly."

Fang Shouxin poked his head out and said, "Friend, can I ask for directions?"

"Where?"

"The fastest way to get out of here and to the train station in the south."

“I know, buy a bar of soap,” the man replied with a smile. Fang Shouxin was about to take out a copper coin from his pocket to buy it.

A man rushed over and said urgently.

"My boss told me to tell you to hurry up and definitely not to go to the northern concession. The Japanese army has broken through the concession police's blockade and is coming over."

As the other person was about to leave after speaking, Fang Shouxin quickly grabbed his hand.

"Hey bro, do you know how to get to the train station in the south?"

"I don't know. Let me go. Sending the message is the best we can do," the man replied, his voice trembling with tears.

"Let him go, Uncle Fang," Fang Wen said.

Fang Shouxin released his grip, letting the messenger run away, and then took out five silver dollars, shouting at the soap seller.

"I've bought all your soaps."

"Five silver dollars?" The man swept the soap into the basket, grabbed it, and ran over.

Fang Shouxin opened the door and let the man in.

"Tell me how to get there quickly!"

"I won't tell you, you have to start driving first, then I'll know how to get there."

Well, he was unaware of the dangers on the bus.

Fang Wen started the car and drove to an intersection.

The man said, "Go to the left, keep driving, and I'll tell you when to turn."

The car drove in his direction, but as it passed the intersection, Fang Wen's muscles tensed up.

In his mechanical perception state, he could see clearly.

Two cars sped towards them, one from the opposite lane and the other from behind.

"Sit tight."

The car accelerated rapidly and rushed into the intersection on the left.

At that moment, Fang Wen felt as if he were piloting a fighter jet.

But they are not exactly the same.

When a car travels on the ground, the friction between the wheels and the ground makes its movement controllable.

Unlike airplanes, which have to consider wind rent, lift, and other factors in the sky, airplanes can fly freely, which is much more difficult.

If a controllable rear-facing machine gun were added to this car, he was confident he could use it to riddle the two pursuing cars behind him with holes and turn them into scrap metal.

Unfortunately, it's not available.

We have no choice but to let Fang Shouxin take action.

He spoke as the car turned into the left lane and straightened itself.

"Uncle Fang, fire!"

Fang Shouxin did as instructed without hesitation, resting the butt of the rifle on his left shoulder, leaning his body to the side, and firing the bolt sideways at the rear window.

The upward tilt of the pistol's muzzle caused by its rapid-fire was offset by this firing posture, resulting in a hail of bullets that shattered the rear window.

Some of the bullets hit the car that was just turning, causing the car in front to lose control and crash into the roadside wall.

The car behind also instinctively stepped on the brakes due to this sudden situation.

Taking this opportunity, Fang Wen once again escaped the Japanese pursuit.

The soap salesperson in the back seat of the car was holding a small basket of soap, frozen in place.

"Big brother, I don't want the money anymore, just put me down."

“Don’t be afraid, we are good people, those behind us are Japanese,” Fang Shouxin explained, but the intimidating presence of the Mauser pistol in his hand was even greater.

"Will you really let me go when we get to the train station?" the man asked again to confirm.

"I'll definitely let you go."

Fang Shouxin's words, along with the gun, made the man stop hesitating.

After the car had been driving for a while, he pointed to the intersection ahead.

"Turn left again, then keep driving until you reach Lujiabang. After crossing the bridge, you'll find the train station."

This time, he suddenly became very organized and explained the route clearly in one go.

"Let him go," Fang Wen said.

The car slowed down and stopped. The man jumped out of the car in a panic, along with five silver dollars.

The car accelerated and drove in the direction the man had indicated.

After turning left at the first intersection, we drove south and never encountered any more Japanese pursuers, eventually reaching the train station.

(End of this chapter)