Republic of China: Ace Pilot

As soon as Fang Wen finished speaking, the soldiers on the parade ground responded in unison, their shouts causing the leaves on the surrounding trees to tremble.

The young people of Guidi were straightforward and efficient, and Fang Wen didn't procrastinate either. He immediately began registering and recording information. The soldiers lined up in neat rows, reporting their names, hometowns, and backgrounds. In just two hours, the information of all one thousand people was recorded.

Then, each person was given a resettlement allowance of 15 silver dollars.

The soldier who received 15 silver dollars clutched the heavy stack of silver dollars in his hand, but became very nervous.

Guangxi has always been a remote area, and the local people's income is much lower than in other places. However, because it has not yet suffered a large-scale attack by the Japanese army, prices are relatively stable. For ordinary people, 15 silver dollars can be used to buy 150 catties of meat or 300 catties of rice.

This is truly a resettlement allowance. As long as it reaches the family and they use it sparingly, it will be enough for the whole family to live on for a year.

A young soldier, blushing, approached Fang Wen and said awkwardly, "Sir, could I ask you for a favor? My home is deep in the mountains of northern Guangxi, and I'm afraid I'll lose this money if I carry it with me. Could you please deliver it to my home for me? My parents are old and have never seen so much silver dollars before. They'll be very happy."

Upon hearing this, the soldiers in the ranks echoed, "Sir, I also want to send the money home!" "My mother is sick and we haven't had the money to treat her. This money can help her get treatment!" Most of the thousand soldiers were from the mountains, with families either far away in their villages or who had been with the army for years and had no chance to visit their families. Now, holding the resettlement allowance, their first thought was of their loved ones back home.

Seeing this, Commander Wei stepped forward to help: "Brother Fang, how about I have someone deliver it for you? I know the Guibei area well. Sending military police there will guarantee that everything will be safe."

"Thank you, but I have a better idea." Fang Wen did not agree, not because he was worried that Commander Wei would embezzle the money, but because he believed that letting the soldiers see the money being handed over to their families would have a better effect and would also bring him and the soldiers closer together.

His gaze swept over the earnest faces, and he said loudly, "The money is for the brothers' resettlement. I won't feel at ease until it's handed over to their families in person. I'll stay in Guilin for three days so you can send the money to your families and also have a chance to see them before you leave. In addition, Taishan Airlines will also set up an office in Guilin. In the future, if you have any letters home or want to send your military pay home, you can do so through the office."

Fang Wen's words brought tears to the soldiers' eyes, and some of the younger ones even broke down in tears.

Throughout history, human relationships have always been the same: if you treat others well, they will reciprocate.

In the Nationalist army of that era, not only were military salaries paid in full, but even letters home were difficult to deliver in a timely manner. Now, Fang Wen not only provided them with enough silver dollars, but also made a special effort to allow them time to fulfill their filial duties. This consideration is more touching than any promise.

A soldier who was originally a hunter knelt down with a thud and kowtowed to Fang Wen: "Sir, I, Wei Erzhu, will only ever respect you! From now on, wherever you point, I will fight. Even if I die in Burma, I will never utter a word of complaint!"

Fang Wen rushed over to help him up and said sternly to the soldiers, "A man's knees are worth gold. Kneeling to one's parents is filial piety, and kneeling to gods is faith. I can't stand that. As long as you all obey my orders, that's enough."

A thousand young men shouted in unison, "We are willing to serve you!"

Seeing this scene, Commander Wei was moved: "In ancient times, there was Lord Mengchang who spent a lot of money to support his men, and Lü Buwei who spent a thousand pieces of gold to buy their bones. This scene is quite similar to what we are seeing today."

He shouted, "You all heard that. You can go back, but a man must have a sense of honor. You can't just leave and never return. Don't make me send troops to bring you back."

Over the next three days, soldiers came and went from the temporary military camp of the Guilin New Army. The soldiers returned home in batches.

These silver dollars truly solved many soldiers' family problems, paid off their debts, and bought them new clothes and food.

Afterwards, they put aside their worries and returned to the military camp with peace of mind, and surprisingly, not one of them failed to return.

On the morning of the fourth day, a thousand Guangxi soldiers boarded a seaplane belonging to Taishan Airlines and flew with Fang Wen to northern Myanmar.

The 1,000 soldiers recruited in Changsha and the 1,000 soldiers from Guangxi who came here were put into a newly built barracks in the southwest of the base.

Next to the new army soldiers was the Special Operations Brigade of the Independent Regiment, which was training.

Although the 2000 new soldiers had some basic skills, they needed to integrate and adapt to Fang Wen's combat requirements.

Fang Wen immediately transferred key officers from the Taishan Independent Regiment to begin intensive training.

On the base's parade ground, slogans for basic drills rose and fell, helping soldiers familiarize themselves with formation discipline.

The officers also provided hands-on instruction on disassembling and firing the modified Taishan rifle.

Soldiers with outstanding abilities will be selected for training in skills such as Thompson submachine gun, grenade launcher, individual rocket launcher, 20mm autocannon, 7.92mm squad automatic weapon, and driving Taishan military vehicle.

The self-made squad radio equipment in Taishan is something that all soldiers must master and use. Only by mastering its use can communication between the rank-and-file soldiers be maintained even if a combat communications officer is killed.

Then came jungle warfare training.

How to orient oneself in the jungle, build concealed fortifications, and find food, water, and fire in the wild.

In this respect, the soldiers from Guangxi performed significantly better than those from Changsha.

However, the gap wasn't large, which instead fueled the soldiers' competitive spirit, and everyone grew rapidly through constant rivalry.

Beyond the training, what surprised the soldiers even more was the food and equipment at the base.

In addition to the diverse menu provided by the base canteen, there was also a large amount of field rations for three meals a day.

During field training and jungle drills, each soldier receives a fixed amount of compressed military rations every day, as well as a variety of canned foods to choose from, such as braised pork, stewed pork, and spiced pork.

The soldiers enjoyed trying different flavors of compressed rations and canned meat combinations.

Canned meat products rich in fat, as well as highly filling compressed military rations, can replenish the energy consumed by soldiers during strenuous exercise.

Just looking at the food, the new soldiers felt it was much better than the units they had been in before.

In terms of personal equipment, everyone received a full set of standard military uniforms, rubber waterproof military boots, helmets, jungle camouflage raincoats, as well as essential items such as first aid kits and compasses.

Among them, the rubber waterproof military boots, jungle camouflage raincoat, and compass are all specially equipped for jungle warfare.

In addition, there is another training program that is retained: skydiving.

If the soldiers cannot master this skill, then the rapid reaction combat method that Fang Wen created for this unit will be useless.

Half a month later, when the soldiers were able to skillfully complete subjects such as jungle infiltration and coordinated operations, Fang Wen stood in front of the training team and announced loudly: "From today onwards, we will begin parachute training. Don't be afraid of it. As long as you do as I say, you will definitely be able to train well."

He led 2000 soldiers to the rocket test range north of the base, and walked behind the target practice hill, where there was ready-made sand and 40 parachute towers.

The soldiers were agitated as they looked at the 30-meter-high parachute tower.

They are quite capable on land or in water, but jumping from a great height is a first for them.

The 30-meter-high parachute tower stands on the sand, its body wrapped with thick hemp rope, and a canvas parachute hanging from the top. It seems to sway slightly in the wind, making many soldiers feel uneasy.

The soldiers whispered among themselves: "Jumping from that height, what if the parachute doesn't open? We're doomed!" "If our legs give way and we fall onto the sand, we'll probably break our bones!"

At that moment, soldiers from both Changsha and Guangxi were panicked.

Seeing this, Fang Wen turned to the officers of the Independent Regiment's Special Operations Brigade behind him and instructed them: "Now the Special Operations Brigade will demonstrate first. You must listen carefully and remember the key points of the movements." Forty Special Operations members immediately stepped forward, each leading fifty soldiers to conduct on-site instruction.

They first explained the essentials of skydiving, the structure of the parachute, and precautions to take.

After the explanation, the special forces soldiers quickly put on their parachutes and climbed up the wooden ladder of the parachute tower, reaching the top platform in no time.

"Watch out!" A shout came from the top of the tower. Immediately afterwards, the special forces soldiers leaned forward and jumped off the platform. Their canvas parachutes opened instantly, like white flowers, and slowly floated towards the sand.

Seeing how easily the parachutist completed the jump, the soldiers' eyes filled with admiration.

Fang Wen assembled the troops and, holding a megaphone, loudly explained: "The parachute safety devices are all attached to the parachute tower. As long as you jump bravely, the parachute will automatically open, and the same applies to high-altitude parachuting. Of course, there is a very small chance that the parachute will not open. In a normal high-altitude parachute jump, you can open the parachute yourself. But in this situation, even if the parachute fails to open, you will land on the soft sand below. You won't die, but you'll probably need to stay in the hospital for a while, which means you won't have to train or fight."

A soft laugh came from among the soldiers; Fang Wen's words calmed everyone's tense mood.

Fang Wen continued, "I only require you to do three things: jump without hesitation, hold the parachute lines firmly in mid-air, and perform a proper dissipation maneuver upon landing." He pointed to the top of the tower, "Now, special forces soldiers will be assigned to guard each tower, each taking on one new recruit and teaching them step by step. Who wants to go first?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a loud reply rang out from the crowd: "I'll go!"

Wei Erzhu stepped forward, clenching his fists. His dark face was full of fierceness, and his competitive spirit resurfaced.

He followed the special forces soldiers to the top of the tower, and when he stood on the edge of the platform, his legs still trembled uncontrollably.

The sand beneath my feet looks smaller.

The wind howled in my ears.

"Don't be afraid, lean forward and jump according to my command!" a special forces member reminded him.

Wei Erzhu took a deep breath, recalling his experiences over the past few days and the silver dollars his family had received, and then suddenly leaped out.

The parachute opened smoothly, and Wei Erzhu instinctively gripped the parachute lines, adjusting his direction according to the commands of the special forces soldiers.

Although he didn't fully absorb the impact upon landing and landed heavily on the sand, he was not injured.

He propped himself up on his knees, wiped the sand off his face, and grinned, "Damn! It wasn't scary at all, it was just too fast. I want to jump again!"

With Wei Erzhu leading the way, the soldiers' courage increased considerably.

Old Zhang from Changsha also joined the queue. As a veteran of many battles, he was not as reckless as Wei Erzhu. He carefully observed the structure of the tower while climbing and repeatedly recited the key points of the movement before jumping.

He then jumped out of the parachute tower, opened his parachute, and landed to absorb the impact—all of which he executed flawlessly.

There are bound to be some minor setbacks during training.

After a young soldier jumped, the safety engaged, but the parachute only opened halfway, preventing it from fully deploying.

Fortunately, the special forces soldiers reacted quickly and pulled the secondary safety rope, which allowed the parachute to open normally.

Fang Wen strode over to check on the soldier's condition. Seeing that he was only slightly frightened, he turned to everyone and said, "That's why we need to practice teamwork. Whether in the air or on the ground, you are all each other's support. In subsequent training, you must work in pairs and make sure to look after each other."

In the days that followed, the sandy area beneath the parachute tower became the liveliest spot. The soldiers, initially timid and hesitant, gradually became skilled and courageous, with some even competing to see who could land more steadily and who could adjust their direction faster.

Fang Wen oversaw the training every day, personally demonstrating the movements from time to time. When he saw soldiers showing fear and hesitating, he would counsel them: "The entire unit is a collective. Once the operation begins, everyone has to parachute from the plane. If you can't do it, it will affect others. I hope you can put aside your fear and try boldly. If you really can't do it, you can choose to retire, but that would be considered a non-normal retirement and you wouldn't be eligible for benefits."

Those soldiers who were able to join the army and fight had guts. After overcoming their fear of heights, they gradually adapted through repeated parachute training.

A week later, most of the soldiers were able to complete the parachute tower training proficiently.

Fang Wen led them to Yangon, where the soldiers assembled at the Yangon seaport.

"Next, we will conduct live skydiving training. Jumping from an airplane will be at a higher altitude and in stronger winds, but you already have a foundation. As long as you stay calm, you will definitely succeed. Now, begin boarding."

Under Fang Wen's command, the soldiers boarded the plane in an orderly manner. Although the atmosphere inside the cabin was still tense, no one backed down.

The first batch of five seaplanes took off and flew to the designated sea area.

When the plane reached the designated altitude, the cabin door opened, and a cold wind rushed in.

Wei Erzhu was the first to walk to the cabin door, turned around and smiled at Squad Leader Zhang behind him, and then leaped into the blue sky.

Immediately afterwards, soldiers followed one after another, white parachutes blooming in the sky and landing on the sea.

The successful airdrop gave them enough confidence to begin subsequent airdrop training in plains and jungles.

end of July.

Guangzhou Bay, northeast of the Leizhou Peninsula.

The ships of the Japanese Second Fleet were anchored in the area of ​​Tongming Port, Naozhou Island, and Xiying Port.

The flagship was the heavy cruiser Ashigara.

Inside the command center of the JS Ashigara, Second Fleet Commander Yoshida was reviewing a military intelligence report sent by the Navy Department.

The contents of the military intelligence report elicited a strange expression from Yoshida.

He put down the report and paced back and forth in the room.

Now, he has become a naval admiral in charge of the fleet and is a key figure being groomed by his faction.

With such a high status and promising future, why would I want to be a pawn for that mysterious Easterner?
He was hesitating.

But then he thought of the money he had received over the years. If it weren't for that money, he wouldn't have been able to maintain good relations with all parties and get to where he is today.

If even the slightest hint of trouble leaks out, and an investigation into their financial affairs is conducted, they're finished.

With that in mind, he decided to maintain the status quo.

He then returned to his residence, took out a radio transmitter from his suitcase, and sent out the latest military intelligence report at the agreed time. (End of Chapter)