Republic of China: Ace Pilot

After Gong Xiuneng finished explaining the benefits, Fang Wen paid attention to the soldiers' reactions.

As soon as Gong Xiuneng finished speaking, the soldiers in Chengnan Park could no longer contain themselves and began to discuss among themselves.

The phrases "meat every day" and "30 silver dollars" were repeatedly uttered by the soldiers. Compared to other conditions, these two were too straightforward and attractive.

But the soldiers didn't blindly believe it.

Having spent a long time in the Kuomintang army, they were used to making empty promises, so such concrete promises made people hesitant to believe them.

Fang Wen stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze slowly sweeping across the crowd, taking in the expression on every face.

He knew that this treatment hit the soldiers where it hurt the most and accurately exposed the deep-rooted problems within the Kuomintang army.

The decline of the Kuomintang army was never due to a lack of capable soldiers, but rather to the exploitation at every level and the demoralization of its troops.

Just as the private said, the nominal military pay was several hundred yuan, but after being deducted by the officers and misappropriated by the quartermaster, less than 30% was actually received. When the yuan was depreciating wildly, a single cabbage could consume most of the military pay. The soldiers could not even maintain their basic needs, let alone fight to the death.
In some military units, allowances for non-staple foods and straw sandals have become tools for officers at all levels to line their own pockets. Worn-out uniforms, incomplete equipment, and poor-quality food are the norm, not to mention retirement benefits.

Countless soldiers fought until they were wounded and maimed, only to be abandoned by the army and left to wander the streets.

What's even more deadly is the proliferation of factions. The treatment of the Central Army and local armies, and the treatment of the elite and non-elite troops, is vastly different. Supplies are given priority to the core troops. Units like the Fourth Army, which originated from the Guangdong Army, and the Seventy-Third Army, which are mixed units, often have to hold the front line with a shortage of food and ammunition. The soldiers see no hope, and joining the army is just about making a living. How can there be any cohesion?

In contrast, the Communist troops at this time, though even more lacking in supplies, without the lure of silver dollars or generous rations, united the people through their unwavering faith. They advocated equality between officers and soldiers, with officers eating and living alongside them, and there was no practice of withholding military pay; every resource was distributed fairly. More importantly, they made the soldiers understand why they were fighting.

It wasn't for any particular person or faction, but to drive out the invaders and to allow the people to live a peaceful life.

This belief became the source of strength for the Communist army to persevere in desperate situations and win against all odds, and it was also what the Kuomintang army lacked most.

Fang Wen was well aware of this. He knew that he could recruit soldiers with silver dollars and food, but if he wanted to build an elite force that could fight to the death in the Burmese jungle, good treatment alone was not enough. In this chaotic world, the first step was to fill the soldiers' stomachs and keep their minds calm.

The commotion in the crowd gradually subsided, and the soldiers' eyes all turned to Fang Wen, their eyes filled with anticipation and certainty.

A young soldier with a childlike face boldly shouted, "Sir! Is what you're saying true? Can we really eat meat and receive silver dollars every day?"

Fang Wen stepped forward, walked to the basket, bent down and picked up a handful of silver dollars. The silver dollars gleamed heavily in the sunlight. He raised his arm high, his voice firm and powerful: "I, Fang Wen, assure you that everything I say today is true! I will give you half a month's salary as a resettlement allowance on the spot, and after you enlist, it will be paid in full every month without delay. As for food, you will be able to eat braised pork on your very first day at the army!"

The soldiers cheered immediately.

Half a month's military pay is 15 silver dollars. For 1000 soldiers, it would take 15000 silver dollars, which is a huge expense.

Staff Officer Li and several orderly standing nearby were stunned.

Staff Officer Li couldn't help but speak up to persuade him: "Mr. Fang, are you really going to give out money? Aren't you afraid that these soldiers will take the money and desert halfway through?"

His voice silenced the soldiers, and they all looked at Fang Wen.

Fang Wen smiled and said, "If I only give them one month's salary, of course I'll be at a huge loss. But if I give them the full amount of 30 silver dollars every month, who do you think is losing out? I think the soldiers here can figure this out."

Immediately, a soldier couldn't help but shout, "Yeah, if we got 30 silver dollars a month in military pay, only a fool would run away!"

“That’s right. Now line up and don’t make a sound. Start registering from the left. Those who register and agree to join the new army will immediately receive 15 silver dollars.”

After speaking, Fang Wen sat on a stone next to the basket of silver dollars and registered them one by one, while Gong Xiuneng distributed the silver dollars beside him.

One silver dollar after another was handed to the soldier, the crisp clinking sound becoming the most touching promise. The soldier, who had been harboring doubts, completely let down his guard, and a long-lost smile appeared on his face.

The veterans exchanged glances and nodded in agreement. They had fought their way from Shanghai to Changsha and were used to the treachery and intrigue within the military. Such tangible benefits were worth trying, even if it meant going to Myanmar.

Time passed slowly, and the basket of silver dollars was quickly distributed, but most of the soldiers had not yet registered or received theirs.

"Are we out of money?" The remaining soldiers regretted not standing in the left flank.

At this moment, a group of people entered the park, some by car, some on foot, and some with strollers.

Staff Officer Li was about to go over and stop these people when Fang Wen stood up.

"I called them all."

He walked towards the group of people and clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.

"Fang Wen, General Manager of Taishan Airlines, would like to express his gratitude to the business owners for their generosity."

It turns out that these people were all merchants from Changsha.

Although the Changsha fire destroyed most of the city two years ago, commercial circulation was still necessary. These are the businessmen who have rebuilt their businesses in the past two years, and they are also people with accumulated wealth.

In the eyes of the merchants, Taishan Airlines was a top-tier company, so when Fang Wen asked them to lend him silver dollars, many of them agreed.

It was all for the sake of gaining Fang Wen's favor.

Among these merchants, the first to step forward was a middle-aged man wearing a silk mandarin jacket and a melon-shaped hat. Behind him were two assistants pushing a cart loaded with wooden boxes. The cart wheels creaked as they rolled over the gravel road.

He strode up to Fang Wen, clasped his hands in a respectful bow, and said in a loud voice, "General Manager Fang, I've long admired your name! I'm Qian Maocai, the manager of Yuxiang Money Shop, here to show my support! This box contains five thousand silver dollars, a small token of my money shop's appreciation!"

Fang Wen wouldn't take those polite business remarks seriously.

He replied with a smile, "No, I only lend money. I will issue an IOU for the amount of silver dollars. The money will be delivered to you by special plane soon. You can also treat it as a deposit and withdraw it at any of Taishan Airlines' offices, branches, or headquarters."

Qian Maocai smiled and said, "General Manager Fang is very generous."

Then, a dark-skinned man wearing a coarse cloth shirt came out. Behind him, three men each carried two heavy money pouches on their shoulders, which they put on the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

"Mr. Fang, I am Zhou Deshan from Demaolong Grain Store. I don't have that many silver dollars, so I've scraped together three thousand!"

Fang Wen wrote two IOUs for the two business owners, pressed his fingerprint on them with red ink, and handed them over.

Then an elderly man in a long gown with a goatee was helped forward by a shop assistant, carrying a large medicine box in his hand.

"I am Lao Chongguang, the manager of Lao Jiuzhitang. The Wenxi Fire destroyed our old shop, leaving us with very little money. But what Mr. Fang did is a model for us merchants; we always respond to requests. Lao Jiuzhitang is contributing two thousand silver dollars, and this medicine box contains one hundred patches of wound medicine and fifty catties of hemostatic powder, which we are willing to donate to the new army for treatment!"

This time, Fang Wen did not refuse and accepted the medicine box to express his gratitude.

The merchants eagerly voiced their opinions.

"Chu Shengxiang Hardware Store, two thousand yuan!"

"Jiuruzhai! Donate one thousand silver dollars and two hundred catties of preserved meat and pastries to the soldiers of the new army."

"Ma Fusheng! Donate five hundred dollars!"

"Xiesheng Pharmacy! Donate 800 yuan, plus ten bottles of sulfonamides!"

The sounds rose and fell in the South City Park as silver coins were poured out of carts and sacks, piling up into a small mountain.

The soldiers were dumbfounded. From the merchants' attitude, they realized that Fang Wen was no ordinary person. The doubts they had previously held in their hearts completely vanished.

A day later, all the resettlement allowances had been distributed.

The soldiers had joined the new army. They returned their weapons to their original units and, with simple luggage and 15 silver dollars, went with Fang Wen to the sea airport.

How are so many soldiers going to be sent to Myanmar?

Fang Wen was pondering.

Using the company's transport plane to pick up people in Changsha was impractical, as this was a front-line war zone where Japanese planes would frequently come to bomb.

You could go to Xiangtan. Xiangtan serves as a rear supply hub for Changsha, and it also has a former seaplane airport established by Taishan Airlines' Xiangjiang branch line, which is perfect for landing aircraft.

It is relatively safer.

Ultimately, Fang Wen decided to have the soldiers take a boat upstream along the Xiang River to Xiangtan.

The boats that the soldiers travel on can be rented from those merchants.

After all, these businesses all had merchant ships that transported goods to Changsha via the Xiangjiang River.

To this end, Fang Wen specifically visited several businesses and finalized the boat rental agreement.

He then temporarily divided the 1000 soldiers into 10 groups, and selected two group leaders, one leader and one deputy leader, for each group to be responsible for maintaining order and organization during the journey.

With these arrangements made, the soldiers boarded the merchant ship and sailed upstream along the Xiang River.

After 1000 soldiers boarded the ship and set off, Fang Wen also boarded the plane, which took off and ascended into the air by gliding on the water.

Soon, Fang Wen spotted the fleet of ships carrying soldiers on the river.

The soldiers on the ship recognized the seaplane piloted by Fang Wen and waved excitedly at the sky.

The plane circled the fleet twice before flying over Xiangtan and landing at the floating airport.

Meanwhile, Taishan Airlines' Myanmar flight transport team also dispatched twenty seaplanes to fly to Xiangtan.

These aircraft do not require Fang Wen to personally lead them; they have fixed flight routes, all based on the waterborne feeder flights previously established by Taishan Airlines' domestic branch.

Starting from the northern Myanmar base: Lancang River Jinghong Water Airport, Kunming Lake Water Airport, Guiyang Qianling Lake Logistics Water Airport, Yuanjiang Chenxi Water Airport.

Upon arriving at Chenxi Water Airport, they stopped there temporarily as instructed by Fang Wen, awaiting his guidance.

Half an hour later, Fang Wen piloted the plane over Chenxi.

He picked up the microphone and spoke to the seaplane below.

"The transport fleet can take off now. Fly in order of their numbers, don't make a mess of it."

Upon receiving the notification, 20 seaplanes took to the skies in an orderly fashion, following closely behind the plane piloted by Fang Wen, heading towards Xiangtan.

Thanks to Fang Wen's special abilities and radar detection devices, the transport planes did not encounter Japanese aircraft and landed safely at the Xiangtan Water Airport.

The soldiers at the airport dock were overjoyed to see so many planes landing; it turned out their commander was indeed a very wealthy man!

They stood in ten teams according to the pre-arranged groups.

Fang Wen walked to the front of the line and said loudly, "Each plane can carry 50 people, and the load capacity is not a problem at all. It's just a bit crowded, so please bear with us. It will take about 6 hours to reach Myanmar."

In just 6 hours, they were able to fly from Hunan, a region in central China, to the country. For the first time, the soldiers experienced the speed and efficiency of an airplane.

Then, the soldiers stepped onto the boarding board one by one and boarded the plane. After 50 people were loaded, the cabin became crowded, but there were still people who could sit down and some who had to stand.

After the soldiers boarded the plane, Fang Wen piloted it again to scout for any Japanese warplanes that might attack. Only after confirming that it was safe did he allow the seaplane to take off.

Twenty seaplanes flew to Chenxi under his command.

For the rest of the journey, Fang Wen no longer needed to lead the way. Over Chenxi, Fang Wen parted ways with the transport fleet and flew to Changsha again.

In Changsha, he returned some of the silver dollars brought by the transport fleet to the merchants.

After finishing that, he took off again, this time flying directly to Guilin.

After an hour and a half flight, Fang Wen piloted the plane to the airspace above Guilin.

Here, the verdant mountains are reflected in the clear blue waters, a beautiful landscape where the smoke of war seems to have faded somewhat.

Fang Wen piloted the plane to land at the Guilin Taohuajiang Water Airport.

As he disembarked from the plane, soldiers came to greet him.

"Brother Fang! How have you been?"

Commander Wei of the 31st Army, dressed in military uniform, strode onto the dock, followed by several Guangxi Army generals, all with smiles on their faces.

During the Battle of Guinan, Fang Wen and Commander Wei became acquainted and developed a good relationship.

Judging from his current appearance, it seems he has been promoted.

Fang Wen shook hands with him and asked, "Should I call you Commander Wei now, or..."

An officer standing next to him said, "Commander Wei is now the deputy commander of the Fourth War Zone."

"Congratulations!" Fang Wen said with a smile.

"If it weren't for that battle we fought together, I wouldn't be in this position," Commander Wei said, gripping Fang Wen's hand tightly.

Fang Wen exchanged a few pleasantries with him before getting down to business.

"I've come to your area to recruit soldiers, and I hope Vice Commander Wei can help me with this."

Commander Wei patted Fang Wen on the shoulder, his tone earnest, "You're going to Burma to guard the Burma Road, a weighty responsibility. How could the people of Guilin not cooperate? When I heard you were recruiting in Changsha, I had already prepared a roster, just waiting for you to arrive." He then changed the subject, a hint of pride flashing in his eyes, "When it comes to fighting, the Guangxi Wolf Warriors are second to none! If you want to build an elite force that excels in jungle warfare, they're the right choice!"

The newly appointed commander of the 31st Army of the Guangxi Army, He, added: "Mr. Fang, most of our Guangxi Army soldiers come from the mountainous areas of northern Guangxi. They have been training in the mountains and forests since childhood. Although they are not tall, they are all as agile as monkeys, and their endurance far exceeds that of ordinary soldiers. Climbing mountains and crossing valleys, and stealthy tracking are all skills passed down from their ancestors. They are perfectly suited to deal with jungle warfare in Myanmar."

Fang Wen's heart skipped a beat; this was exactly the kind of soldier he needed—Myanmar was mostly mountainous and jungle-rich, and compared to the plains and city garrison soldiers recruited in Changsha, the jungle adaptability of the wolf soldiers' descendants was undoubtedly a natural advantage. "Then Commander Lau Wei and Commander He, take me to see them."

The group drove to the Guilin Army training camp in the northern suburbs of Guilin. As soon as they entered the camp, they heard deafening shouts of battle.

On the parade ground, hundreds of soldiers were training in groups, all dressed in short-sleeved uniforms and straw sandals, their movements swift and agile. Some were climbing the artificial rock face, easily scaling the more than ten-meter-high rock with their bare hands; others were engaged in close combat, their moves simple yet fierce, unlike the standard drills of ordinary armies; and yet another group of soldiers were carrying ammunition boxes, running countless laps around the parade ground, their breathing still steady and showing no signs of slowing down.

"These are the descendants of our carefully selected wolf soldiers, mostly young men between seventeen or eighteen and their early twenties. They are either elite warriors from the former chieftain families or hunters from the mountains. They are not only skilled in combat and accurate with their marks, but they also have a fearless spirit in their bones." Commander Wei pointed to the troops, his tone full of pride. "These were the soldiers who fought in Guinan last year. You saw their fighting situation back then."

Fang Wen nodded; he had indeed seen it, fighting like their lives depended on it.

But the Wolf Warriors weren't the only fearless warriors; the Sichuan Army, Hunan Army, Shanxi Army, and others also had them.

He also wanted soldiers who were of high quality.

Fang Wen gestured for Gong Xiuneng to take out gloves with wires from his backpack. After putting on the gloves, his mechanical perception ability quietly unfolded.

His gaze swept over each soldier, sensing that although their bones were not particularly thick, they were exceptionally tough, their muscles were taut, and their explosive power and endurance far exceeded that of ordinary people. Even after undergoing high-intensity training, their physical functions remained in excellent condition.

Fang Wen nodded in agreement; this was precisely the quality most needed in jungle warfare.

It seems Commander Wei truly remembered Fang Wen's favor and genuinely helped him.

“They’re the ones.” Fang Wen turned to Wei Yunsong and said firmly, “I want them all.”

Wei Yunsong laughed heartily: "I knew you'd be satisfied! I've gathered a thousand men for you, all handpicked from the best. To be honest, I'm reluctant to part with these good soldiers, but with such good conditions, it's actually a good thing to have them follow you. Now, say a few words to them."

Looking at the group of soldiers with burning eyes, Fang Wen saw that they were veterans recruited from Changsha and elite wolf soldiers selected from Guilin. One was tough and the other was flexible; one was good at attacking fortified positions and the other at fighting in the jungle. This team was already taking the shape of an elite force.

He stood at the very front of the ranks, his voice resounding: "Brothers, after joining the new army, the jungles of South Asia will be our battlefield! Follow me, and you'll have food to eat, guns to use, pay to receive, and the chance to kill Japanese devils! Once we defeat the Japanese, I'll take you home!" (End of Chapter)