Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 650 The Ethiopian Restoration Council, An Unexpected Arms Trade
Harry's behavior clearly suggests he's hiding something.

Fang Wen stared at Harry's face; the subtle expressions on his face indicated that he wasn't unaware of the guide's situation, but rather unwilling to speak about it.

He also noticed the outline of a pistol that had been squeezed out of Harry's pocket as he leaned against the table when he took the map out.

What would a company employee be doing carrying a handgun?

Fang Wen calmly inquired, "During the military police search, did they take anything unusual? Like a note with the guide's name on it, or a letter in Amharic?"

Harry's Adam's apple bobbed, and his gaze suddenly drifted to the old photographs hanging on the wall.

The photo appears to have been left by the house's owner; it's unclear why the American businessman didn't remove it.

He glanced at it quickly before replying to Fang Wen: "The military police only took the trade ledgers. Jackson didn't leave anything related to the guides. He's always been cautious."

Unexpectedly, even such a subtle movement was still noticed by Fang Wen.

Fang Wen walked to the photo frame hanging on the wall and observed it.

It was a faded group photo, showing several Black people in Western-style military uniforms standing in front of a domed building. A tiny Ethiopian flag was embroidered in the corner of the photo.
Judging from their demeanor and clothing, the five young people in the photo must come from families with considerable social standing.

Fang Wen said, "These people must have had very bright futures before the invasion of Ethiopia. If it weren't for the Italian invasion, they might be ministers and generals now. Don't you agree, Harry?"

“Oh, I don’t know who the person in the photo is,” Harry replied.

Fang Wen stared at the photo, then looked at Harry: "But why do I feel like you look a lot like one of them?"

Harry looked uncomfortable and was about to say something.

At that moment, a commotion arose outside.

A black man rushed in and whispered something in Ali's ear.

Gong Xiuneng also whispered to Fang Wen, "The Italian soldiers are coming."

Fang Wen nodded and looked at Harry: "I have a feeling they might have come for you."

He guessed right. The black employees behind Harry, contrary to their previous panic and helplessness, rushed into the back room and took out guns.

Seeing this, Steve quickly retreated behind his bodyguards, while Gong Xiuneng stood in front of Fang Wen and drew his pistol.

Harry also pulled out a pistol and said to Fang Wen, "This has nothing to do with you."

After saying that, he and several heavily armed black men rushed out.

Gunfire continued outside.

Steve then realized: "There's something wrong with this Harry."

“There is a problem, but it’s not our problem,” Fang Wen replied.

Once the gunfire had subsided, Gong Xiuneng was the first to go out and check. A moment later, he returned and said, "Commander, everything's alright."

Fang Wen then walked out of the room with Steve.

A black man lay dead at the gate; he was the one who had rushed out with Harry earlier.

The Italian soldiers who remained were directing local police officers to remove the bodies.

A sergeant came over and spoke in Italian.

Steve spoke with him and then explained the situation to Fang Wen.

“He said it had nothing to do with us, that they were arresting anti-government organizations.”

Fang Wen understood what the so-called anti-government organization was.

A few years ago, Italy invaded Ethiopia and incorporated it into Italy's North African colonies.

The anti-government organization is actually composed of Ethiopians.

"Let's go, let's leave here first," Fang Wen said.

The group left the scene of the gunfight and walked down the street.

The streets have returned to normal, and the hawking sounds are still heard.

Steve said, "It's alright, if we can't find Jackson, I can find an Italian."

"Don't look for Italians; they'll tell the Germans whereabouts," Fang Wen rejected the plan.

"What should we do then? Should we just talk to the locals directly?" Steve wondered.

“No need. As long as we find Harry, maybe he will help us,” Fang Wen replied.

"How can we find him? He's already escaped."

"Not necessarily. He's the local bigwig here. As long as we send out a message, he'll definitely know."

As he spoke, Fang Wen walked to the roadside and talked to the shopkeepers, trying to find someone he could communicate with.

He tried to communicate with the locals in English and French, alternating between the two languages. There weren't many people who spoke English, but there were some who understood French.

A carpet seller replied in French with a local accent, "Sir, I speak French. What do you need?"

Fang Wen said directly, "I'll give you $10, and you'll be my translator for a day."

The businessman shook his head: "I want lira."

Steve took out his wallet, took out the banknotes, and handed them to the merchant.

The merchant was overjoyed to receive the money and handed the shop over to someone else to look after, while he acted as a temporary translator for Fang Wen and his companions.

Fang Wen was talking to him.

"I'm looking for someone named Harry. Do you have a way with that? If you do, I'll give you double the reward."

"Harry? There are many people named Harry here."

"He's a special case; you should have seen him and his men passing by just now."

The merchant panicked and pulled out the money, saying, "I can't do it, I don't want the money."

"Don't worry, we're not Italian. He knows who we are. Just let him know that we want to see him."

The businessman remained hesitant.

Steve took out the banknotes.

Two portions aren't enough, so I'll give you three.

Faced with such a huge reward, the businessman was still tempted.

"Alright, you guys wait here, don't follow me."

After saying that, the merchant jogged away, afraid that Fang Wen and the others would follow, and disappeared into the crowd.

Fang Wen and his group waited where they were.

After a while, the merchant returned, followed by a strong and burly black man.

“This is someone from Alibaba. Give me the reward, and you will follow him.”

"No, you have to go too. You can only get the reward if you see Ali," Fang Wen said coldly.

Seeing this, the merchant had no choice but to go along.

The group left the main street and entered an alley.

The alleyways of African cities are like the shantytowns of Northeast China, filled with low, mud houses, chaotic and unplanned.

After walking a few hundred meters, the black man in front stopped.

Suddenly, a large group of black people carrying cold weapons appeared from all sides.

It seemed the businessman wasn't following Fang Wen's instructions and was instead plotting a robbery. Upon seeing this, Steve quickly drew his pistol and retreated behind his bodyguard.

Gong Xiuneng asked Fang Wen expectantly, "Commander, I haven't practiced my hand-to-hand combat in a long time. I don't even need a gun to deal with these people."

Fang Wen nodded and shouted to the other side in French, "I have a suggestion: let each side send one warrior to duel. If you win, you take the money from us; if we win, you leave."

The burly black man who had led Fang Wen and his group earlier showed a disdainful expression after the merchant translated. He took off his shirt, revealing a muscular physique, while the surrounding black men howled excitedly.

Gong Xiuneng grinned and handed the Mauser pistol from his waist to Fang Wen.

He also took off his coat, leaving him in only a jacket.

“Come on.” Gong Xiuneng spread his feet apart, assumed a horse stance, extended one palm forward, and pulled the other back to his waist, staring intently at the burly black man opposite him.

The burly man roared and charged forward like a rhinoceros out of control, his large, fan-shaped hand aimed straight for Gong Xiuneng's chest.

The surrounding Black people erupted in deafening cheers, as if they could already see Gong Xiuneng being knocked to the ground.

Just as the burly man's hand was about to touch Gong Xiuneng's clothes, Gong Xiuneng suddenly turned to the side, grabbed the burly man's wrist with his right hand like lightning, and pressed it down. At the same time, his left leg swept across and kicked the burly man's knee with precision.

The burly man, struck while his phone was off, immediately lost control of his body, his knees buckled, and he knelt on the ground.

Before the burly man could react, Gong Xiuneng grabbed his shoulder with his left hand and twisted his right hand upwards, twisting the man's arm behind his back and pinning him to the ground, unable to move.

The cheers around them vanished instantly, and the excitement on the faces of the Black people turned into astonishment. They never expected that this seemingly unremarkable Asian man would have such amazing skills.

"Are you convinced now?" Gong Xiuneng asked coldly.

The burly man, of course, did not want to admit defeat and struggled fiercely.

That brute force almost caused Gong Xiuneng to lose control.

Gong Xiu has his own methods for dealing with this type of powerful opponent.

He braced his foot against the other man's waist, grabbed his left arm with both hands, and twisted and pulled.

The burly black man dislocated his left arm!

His left arm hung limply, and the burly man screamed in pain.

Gong Xiuneng simply dislocated his right arm as well.

The burly, black man, now without both hands, lay on the ground in agony, howling in pain but daring not to move for fear of touching the painful areas of his arms.

In Africa, such a scene would be almost like a witch doctor performing a spell.

The Black people were stunned.

Seeing this, the merchant immediately shouted in the local language, seemingly asking these people to take action.

Some people feared Gong Xiuneng's 'witchcraft,' while others, tempted by profit, picked up machetes and wooden sticks.

Seeing this, Fang Wen and his men prepared to open fire.

Just then, a deep voice suddenly came from deep within the alley.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a tall black man emerge from the shadows. He was wearing a black robe, had sharp eyes, and exuded an imposing aura.

When the Black people around him saw him, they all stopped in their tracks, bowed their heads respectfully, and didn't dare to breathe loudly.

"Ali!" The merchant who had been there earlier turned pale upon seeing the newcomer, and his legs began to tremble uncontrollably.

Ali ignored the businessman and walked straight up to Fang Wen, looking him up and down before glancing at Gong Xiuneng beside him: "I told you I don't know anything about the guide, so you don't need to come looking for me anymore."

“Perhaps we can talk about this, not just about the guides, but also about your situation,” Fang Wen said in a low voice.

Ali looked at Fang Wen and nodded, "Okay, come with me."

Fang Wen and Gong Xiu followed behind him, and Steve hesitated for a moment before also following with his bodyguards.

Ten minutes later, Ali led Fang Wen and the others deep into this chaotic residential area.

A naked black child ran around in the mud, while a black woman dressed in a traditional cloth called "Shamma" did various tasks.

Ali led Fang Wen and the others into what appeared to be an ordinary house in the area.

As soon as they entered, more than a dozen guns were pointed at Fang Wen and his men.

After Ali spoke up, the guns were put down, but the black men holding the guns still watched Fang Wen and his group warily.

Then, Ali sat down on the ground and said, "There's no comfortable environment here, but it's safe. You can say whatever you want to talk about here."

Fang Wen nodded and sat down opposite Ali. Steve sat down next to Fang Wen, while Gong Xiuneng and his bodyguard stood behind them.

After they were seated, Fang Wen said, "I guess you must be connected to the person in that photo, which means you must have had a high social status. Based on the Italians' actions towards you, I can basically conclude that you are a member of the Ethiopian Restoration Movement."

Ali nodded: "My brother is in the photo. He was a major in the Ethiopian Royal Guard. In 1936, when the Italians entered Addis Ababa, he led his soldiers to defend the palace to the death. In the end, they never even found his body."

He raised his hand and unbuttoned his collar, revealing a hideous scar on his collarbone: "This is from when I was fighting with the guerrillas in the Tigray Mountains that year, when I was slashed by the Italians' bayonets. You Americans were colonizers too, you wouldn't understand the feeling of being invaded."

Fang Wen shook his head: "I am not American. My country is also facing a war of aggression. I am fighting for my country, just like you."

These words surprised Ali, and his attitude softened somewhat.

Fang Wen then continued, "Let me introduce myself. I come from China. I am a pilot, own an airline, and also have my own army and military factories. As I said before, if you are willing, we have many areas where we can cooperate."

Fang Wen's offer greatly piqued Alibaba's interest.

"You're from the East? I see, you're Fang Wen, the general manager of Taishan Airlines. Only this person possesses all of what you mentioned."

"Yes, I am Fang Wen."

After this introduction, Alibaba also proactively explained its own identity.

"I am now a member of the Ethiopian Restoration Council. I came here under orders from the Emperor to lie low and prepare for the future war of restoration."

At this point, he looked at Steve, his expression turning cold: "This American is not suitable to participate in our next conversation. I think he and his men should wait outside."

Fang Wen looked at Steve and said, "You can go out now. I'll take care of the guide."

Steve nodded, got up, and left the room with his bodyguard.

After he left, Ali's attitude immediately softened: "Mr. Fang, what do you mean by cooperation?"

In response, Fang Wen said, "Italy is currently allied with Germany, and a major war is breaking out in Europe, affecting the whole of Europe and even North Africa in the future. This is an opportunity for your war of national restoration. I can sell you weapons, ammunition, and military aircraft."

Ali was overjoyed: "Great! Because of the Italian blockade, we lack weapons and ammunition. Your sale of weapons and aircraft will be very beneficial to our fight against the Italians."

Next, he asked Fang Wen for more details about the arms deal.

Fang Wen had not originally considered arms deals with Ethiopia.

The idea only came to me today because of the treasure hunt.

In practice, it is not difficult to implement, since Taishan Airlines has its own ships and transport planes, and it only needs to transport them from Yangon to the Red Sea port.

Therefore, Fang Wen easily answered Ali's question.

Fang Wen then made his own request.

"If I sell you weapons and planes, you have to do me a favor in return."

“I understand, you need a guide. Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll be your guide.”

Fang Wen thought Ali's suggestion was good.

Although the tribes of Lake Tana are isolated from the outside world, they must have had dealings with the Ethiopian royal family. Ali, who has ties to the royal family, will be much more useful as a guide than an ordinary guide.

He smiled and extended his hand: "Then it's settled."

(End of this chapter)