Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 648 Ultra-long-haul flight: Trading African diamonds for an airplane

After handing over the follow-up matters to Taishan International, Fang Wen flew back to New York.

After disembarking, he drove Gong Xiuneng to the Empire State Building.

Someone was already waiting for him outside the main entrance on the first floor of the building.

He was a member of the Holy Light Gospel Church, so there was no need for the hassle of registering his identity when entering the elevator.

The elevator went up and after a while arrived at the 102nd floor.

Fang Wen stepped out of the elevator, and the scene before him was completely different from what it had been a few days ago.

The public observation deck on the 102nd floor of the Empire State Building was temporarily transformed into a solemn and dignified space.

Sunlight streamed in obliquely through the domed glass, casting dappled patterns of light.

Dozens of Holy Light Gospel believers dressed in white robes lined up in two rows to welcome the guests.

"Mr. Fang, please come with me."

The person from the Holy Light Gospel Church who received Fang Wen led Fang Wen and Gong Xiuneng through this white passage.

The atmosphere created is more than just that.

In front, in the center of the viewing platform, there is a high platform made of a single piece of white marble, covered with flowers from bottom to top.

On the stage, people in white robes chanted hymns of praise.

Below the stage, a large group of believers, dressed in white robes, were praying along.

The staff brought Fang Wen here, and he joined the prayer group.

"Commander, we..."

Before Gong Xiuneng could finish speaking, Fang Wen shook his head slightly.

The two watched the ceremony silently from behind.

Clearly, Steve has successfully established a religion using the amber cross and the four golden Buddha statues, attracting many followers.

During the ceremony, he made a loud announcement.

"Today, we will pray to the mystery in the highest place in New York. The mystery represents everything. The mystery can dispel the shadow of war, bring peace, guide lost souls, and awaken sleeping relics, bringing eternal glory to the devout!"

Steve stood atop the marble platform, arms outstretched, his voice amplified through a hidden loudspeaker that reverberated throughout the observation deck.

Then, he raised the amber cross hanging on his chest and said, "Come, let us bathe in mystery together."

The believers followed the instructions and once again felt the inexplicable sense of being watched and protected by God through the amber cross.

Before joining the army, Gong Xiu was a Taoist priest. He whispered to Fang Wen, "Commander, this looks strange. These people seem to be bewitched."

At this moment, Fang Wen and Gong Xiu were standing alone at the back, so they naturally didn't worry about being overheard.

Fang Wen replied in a low voice, "It's the amber cross in Steve's hand. It's something that has been passed down for a long time, originating from the earliest Christian kingdom of Armenia. It has a bit of a feeling of divine grace."

"Commander, this is bewitching people." Gong Xiuneng disagreed. Taoism emphasizes tranquility and non-action. Even when spreading the Tao, they would not use this method to make others believe in their teachings.

"You shouldn't say things like that here."

"Understood. Commander, I have another question. What is it that you believe in? What is mystery?"

Fang Wen didn't understand this either. It seemed that the so-called 'mystery' was an unknowable yet incredibly great concept created by Steve.

But he knew that the "mystery" Steve spoke of was nothing more than the energy of the amber cross and the four-faced golden Buddha, while the "sleeping relic" was clearly the "Child of Light" of Ethiopia.

This ceremony was performed for the believers, but also for him—Steve was using the believers' piety to prove that he had enough power to support this treasure hunt.

The ceremony continued. Steve slowly descended from the platform, holding a silver chalice, and blessed the core believers in the front row one by one.

After completing the blessing ceremony, he walked up to Fang Wen and said, "Fang, come with me. There's been a new development in the clues about the 'Child of Light.' The Germans are approaching Lake Tana, and we don't have time to waste."

Fang Wen nodded, telling Gong Xiu to wait outside, while he and Steve went into the makeshift wooden hut next door.

Inside the wooden house, there were only the two of them.

Steve explained the situation: "I obtained a token left by the Amhara tribe priests to their successor. It shows the general route to the underwater stone temple and contains a crucial piece of information—opening the stone door requires the song of the 'Awakener'."

"Singing?" Fang Wen was surprised. If he were the Awakener, he wouldn't be able to sing.

Steve continued, "It could also be a metaphor; we'll only know what it means in hindsight. Right now, we have to find the underwater stone temple before the World Heritage Committee. Are you done with your work?"

"It's all set up. As soon as the flight path is confirmed, we can set off. By the way, how many people are going, and what are you bringing?"

"I have 46 people on my side, including armed personnel, and some supplies needed for the operation also need to be transported over. For this purpose, I arranged a Boeing 314."

"Boeing A314?"

Fang Wen knew about this aircraft. Last year, when he landed his Xuanming long-haul seaplane on Lake Hamilton, south of Hot Springs, there was a Boeing 314 undergoing a test flight on the lake.

He also visited it.

This large, long-haul seaplane, developed by Boeing, was originally intended for transoceanic flights.

Pan Am later chose the Taishan Xuanming long-haul seaplane as its aircraft for Pacific and Atlantic shipping, and the Boeing 314 was no longer mass-produced.

Unexpectedly, Steve actually brought the prototype over.

With the Boeing 314's carrying capacity, 46 people plus some supplies is not a large number.

Yes, there are some issues with piloting the aircraft and long-haul transoceanic flights.

He asked, "Who was the pilot of Boeing 314?"

"I found professional test pilots from Boeing; the two of them had previously test-flown this aircraft."

"Alright, I need to talk to them both."

"Okay, I'll call them over."

Steve turned and walked out of the cabin, telling his confidant outside to go and call for help.

A moment later, the confidant led in two men dressed in dark blue flight suits.

“This is Mr. Fang Wen, the captain of this operation and a veteran transoceanic pilot,” Steve introduced. “Fang, these two are the test pilots of the Boeing 314, Jefferson and Durales. They completed the maiden flight of this prototype last year.”

“We’ve met before,” Fang Wen said with a smile, extending his hand. “In the hot spring town.”

The two shook hands with Fang Wen.

Jefferson said, "Yes, sir, thank you for helping us with our accommodation back then."

Because we had known each other before, subsequent communication became much easier.

Durales pulled a stack of blueprints from his briefcase and spread them on the small table in the center of the cabin: "Our planned route is New York → Azores → Monrovia in West Africa → Asmara in northern Ethiopia, a total of about 8600 nautical miles, divided into three segments, with refueling stops at each segment, taking three days in total. This is the latest inspection report for the aircraft; the White GR-2600 engine underwent a full overhaul last month and is in good condition."

Jefferson added, "But there's a big problem. We've never flown this route before and don't know the weather conditions along the way. According to what we've heard from people in the shipping industry, if we were to fly this route now, we'd probably be affected by the monsoon."

Fang Wen nodded; he had experienced the Atlantic monsoon firsthand.

Therefore, Taishan International's shipping department was specifically tasked with collecting monsoon data over a long period.

January is indeed the period when the North Atlantic monsoon is most frequent.

But he was confident he could lead the Boeing 314 across the Atlantic.

“I’m quite familiar with the situation in Monsoon. I’ll act as the navigator, and you’ll follow behind.”

The two Boeing pilots were delighted, as they were worried that Fang Wen might not dare to fly this route either.

The discussion then turned to the situation of several transit points.

The Azores are a Portuguese overseas colony. Portugal's current situation in Europe is somewhat unique because it possesses the largest tungsten resources in Europe. They supply tungsten to Britain, France, and Germany while maintaining neutrality.

Therefore, although this place is close to the Mediterranean Sea outlet, it is still very safe.

The next leg of the voyage will not take the Mediterranean route, but will instead transit through port cities in West Africa. This is also due to security concerns, as Germany is currently a powerful nation, and the treasure-hunting team does not want to be detained in the Mediterranean and allow the German World Heritage Association to get involved.

January 23, 6 a.m., just as dawn was breaking.

With everything ready, Fang Wen's seaplane took off first, followed by the Boeing 314 located at the eastern end of Rikers Island.

(Boeing 314)
The two planes flew one after the other, maintaining a distance.

Fang Wen, who was leading the way, turned on the radio and tuned to the communication channel with the Boeing 314: "Jefferson, maintain an altitude of 3000 meters, stay close to my flight path, and communicate every half hour. Also, in case of an emergency, I will notify you immediately, so please keep your radio equipment running smoothly."

"Roger that." Inside the cockpit of the Boeing 314, Jefferson gripped the control stick tightly, his eyes fixed on the white contrail left by the Xuanming-class aircraft ahead.

Co-pilot Durales leaned over to check the instrument panel: "Wind direction: west southwest, speed 360 km/h." Then he made the sign of the cross: "May God bless us to fly safely across the Atlantic."

“Definitely. Fang has flown across the Atlantic many times; he’s an expert in transoceanic flights. Nothing will happen to him,” Jefferson replied. The two pilots, being insiders, knew something about Fang Wen, and therefore had even more confidence in him.

Inside the rear cabin of this large 'clip boat' type seaplane.

All 46 passengers were meditating and praying; the higher the altitude, the more they longed to connect with the mystical.

Even Steve, who created this 'mysterious' religious theory, was no exception.

Time just passed by little by little.

The two planes maintained a constant speed while flying over the Atlantic Ocean.

The sea storm that the two Boeing test pilots feared did not materialize.

Twelve hours later, it was already 6 p.m. and the sky was beginning to darken.

A small black dot of an island appeared not far ahead.

Fang Wen picked up the microphone: "Attention rear aircraft, we have arrived at the Azores and are preparing to land. Please turn on your navigation lights."

An excited response came through the radio from the Boeing pilot: "Have we arrived? It went so smoothly!"

The two planes turned on their navigation lights and flew one after the other, soon arriving over the Azores.

Two planes landed on the sea outside the pier.

Subsequently, the islanders brought over the necessary supplies by boat.

There's no need to refuel here; it's mainly for supplies. Both planes have their own fuel and can refuel during layovers.

Before long, the sun set and it got dark.

The lights inside the two seaplanes came on, indicating they were preparing to spend the night there.

At this moment, a call request prompt was transmitted from the radio device.

Fang Wen turned on the wireless device.

"Fang, come over here. We've prepared plenty of food. I'll have someone come pick you up in a rubber boat."

It's Steve's voice.

Fang Wen replied, "No need. We can handle it ourselves."

"Alright then, have a good night."

After the communication ended, Fang Wen turned off the radio and went to the kitchenette in the rear cabin to prepare dinner with Gong Xiuneng.

They are all ready-made airline meals, similar to the military rations served at Mount Tai.

It tasted quite good to Fang Wen.

After dinner, Fang Wen went to rest in the small bedroom on the plane.

Gong Xiuneng then checked whether the aircraft doors were closed, and then waited in the outer room.

As the night passed, the sun rose in the east and peeked out.

The two planes have already taxied and taken off.

According to the plan, we must arrive in Monrovia, a port city in West Africa, before nightfall tonight.

The plane flew southwest.

Six hours later, Fang Wen saw the African continent ahead.

This is the westernmost corner of Africa, with abundant water resources, making it a place rich in natural resources.

He picked up the microphone: "Attention, this leg of the journey is already halfway through. We are expected to arrive at our next transit point, Monrovia, in 5 hours."

After alerting the Boeing 314 behind him, Fang Wen continued piloting the aircraft.

Five and a half hours later, the plane crossed the land below and arrived in Monrovia.

It's getting dark again.

A ship sailed out of the city port below, and someone on board was shining a carbide lamp into the air.

This is to provide landing guidance for Fang Wen and his team.

Immediately afterwards, two seaplanes with their navigation lights on landed on the sea outside the port.

The plane was stable, and the ship lowered its small boat and sailed over.

This time, Steve sent a message to Fang Wen.

“Fang, the local mayor wants to invite us to his dinner party. In order for us to leave on time tomorrow, I think you should come with me.”

Fang Wen knew he still had to attend these social engagements.

He looked at Gong Xiuneng and said, "Xiuneng, you shouldn't go. The plane needs someone to watch it."

Gong Xiuneng, who usually obeyed his orders, did not agree this time.

"No, Commander, my duty is to protect you, not this plane. I must stay with you."

Seeing Gong Xiu's attitude, Fang Wen could understand.

"Alright then, we'll lock all the entrances when we leave."

The two then locked the cabin door, boarded the small boat that had come to pick them up, and headed towards the ship.

The party was held on the ship.

A large group of Black people dressed in suits and tuxedos, along with a few white people, were chatting in small groups on the boat.

Steve explained to Fang Wen, "Monrovia is the capital of the Republic of Liberia, one of the few countries in Africa that has maintained its independence and sovereignty and does not belong to any colonial power."

Fang Wen was surprised; in this era, it was rare to find African countries that were not colonized.

He asked, "I think this location is excellent, suitable for offshore shipping and trade, so why isn't it controlled by European countries?"

"It was indeed controlled in the past, and many of the slaves sold to the United States were loaded onto ships here. But later it gained independence, and its founders were black slaves from our United States and their descendants, and they received our support."

Steve meant that this place had close ties with the United States, which is why it received American support and became independent very early.

Fang Wen smiled and replied, "I see. You need to have a foothold in Africa."

"Right, that is it."

As the two were talking, the main guest of the banquet arrived.

"Greetings, gentlemen. I am J. Samuelnis, the administrative commissioner of Monrovia. Since you are leaving tomorrow, I can only host this dinner for you tonight."

Steve engaged in a lively conversation with him, while Fang Wen merely listened without offering any comment.

After a while, the local bigwig turned to Fang Wen and said, "I heard that you are very famous in Asia and run an airline and manufacture your own airplanes."

Fang Wen nodded: "Yes."

J. Samuelnis continued, "Our country has a well-developed water system, and we've long considered purchasing a batch of seaplanes to bolster our domestic transportation system. I wonder if you could sell us a batch of seaplanes?"

African countries are buying airplanes!
Fang Wen's first thought was about the payment issue. After all, the economy of the entire African continent is very underdeveloped. Once the planes are sold to them, will they have enough money to pay for them?

Fang Wen wouldn't be willing to pay if he didn't have the money.

He replied tactfully, "My country is currently at war, and the aircraft production line has been fully converted to military use, so I'm afraid we can't provide you with civilian waterplanes."

“Old ones are fine too, we’ll buy them with diamonds.”

The commissioner's words made Fang Wen change his mind.

If it's about selling used aircraft, then it's not impossible.

Due to the impact of the war, a large number of domestic seaplane routes were suspended, and the civilian seaplane capacity in Taishan was already saturated.

Although civilian seaplanes are converted into gunboats every month, it is still impossible to utilize all seaplanes.

In the future, Taishan Military Industry will produce new types of aircraft for war, and those civilian amphibious aircraft will probably be even less useful.

After all, the supply of aviation fuel is limited, and in the future, fuel will definitely be used for new aircraft.

In that case, the first batch of seaplanes at Mount Tai would have been rendered useless.

It's possible to exchange it for diamonds, but it depends on whether it's worthwhile.

Fang Wen smiled.

(End of this chapter)