Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Once the gold was inspected, the soldiers of the Ministry of Finance's special forces immediately sprang into action.

Dressed in matching dark green uniforms and carrying standard pistols at their waists, they moved with practiced efficiency, carrying the gold bars from the cargo hold one by one into specially made oak crates.

Each wooden crate was equipped with double locks and sealed with the Ministry of Finance's seal. During the transport, two soldiers worked together, and the entire process was supervised.

Brigadier General Turner and Leonard's officers stood at the cargo hold door, their eyes fixed on every step of the process.

The 80 tons of gold have been handed over, and they dare not be negligent in the slightest. If even one or two gold bars are missing, they will be held responsible.

Just as the gold was being hoisted off cargo ships and sent to the vaults of Los Angeles banks, the roar of car engines could be heard outside the port.

Thirty large military trucks slowly drove into the dock. The cargo boxes of each truck were covered with tarpaulins, and the U.S. Army insignia were printed on the truck bodies. The wheels made a heavy sound as they rolled over the speed bumps.

This is the first batch of military supplies to arrive, mainly firearms and ammunition to be distributed to the colonial army. They come from multiple manufacturers, including Browning Company and Springfield Armory, and represent the most basic and largest category in this arms deal.

Lieutenant Colonel Le Maire immediately perked up and led more than ten French soldiers, along with Fang Wen, Brigadier General Turner, and representatives of the arms dealers, to the dedicated warehouse at the dock.

This warehouse is a designated area in the Port of Los Angeles specifically for military supplies. It is guarded by U.S. soldiers, with a three-meter-high wall and barbed wire and guard posts at the entrance, which is sufficient to ensure the safety of the supplies.

The warehouse gate was locked with a large padlock, and the key was handed over to Lieutenant Colonel Le Maire on site. The warehouse was guarded by French troops.

He used the key to unlock the large lock, while the French soldiers behind him struggled to push open the warehouse door.

The interior space was very large, but completely empty.

Military trucks were parked in a row on the open ground outside the warehouse.

The convoy officer reported to Brigadier General Turner: "General, the supplies have arrived. Shall we begin unloading?"

Brigadier General Turner looked at Lieutenant Colonel Lemaître: "Shall we begin now?"

After the other side agreed, Brigadier General Turner ordered the soldiers to proceed.

U.S. Army soldiers lifted the canvas curtain at the back of the truck bed, revealing neatly stacked weapons and ammunition inside.

After they unloaded the supplies, they would be inspected by Lieutenant Colonel Le Maire and French soldiers.

The M1917 Enfield rifles were packed in wooden gun cases, 10 rifles per case, with the model, quantity and manufacturer marked on the cases;

Browning M1919A4 and M2HB heavy machine guns were fixed on metal brackets and neatly arranged on both sides of the truck bed, requiring three soldiers to lift them off.

Boxes of rifle bullets, machine gun bullets, submachine gun pistol bullets, and American grenades were displayed, with prominent "dangerous goods" signs printed on them.

The inventory work continued, with Lieutenant Colonel Le Maire leading French soldiers to check each box and item against the list.

U.S. military ordnance officers assisted by providing professional testing tools to check the integrity of firearms and the condition of ammunition packaging, preventing problems such as moisture or damage.

Brigadier General Turner, who was standing aside waiting for the inspection results, said, "Mr. Fang, this is only the first batch of weapons. It will take 850 trucks to transport all of them."

"Is it just guns and ammunition?" Fang Wen asked.

"Yes, so I admire Lieutenant Colonel Le Maire's serious attitude, but I doubt whether he can complete the acceptance of so many weapons."

"I also have my doubts. General, please wait a moment while I speak with him."

"Please wait a moment. I would like to invite you and Lieutenant Colonel Lemerre to the banquet tonight. You won't refuse, will you?"

"of course not."

"Alright, you can tell Lieutenant Colonel Lemerre while you're at it."

Fang Wen walked toward Lieutenant Colonel Le Maire.

“If you do it this way, I’m afraid we won’t be able to complete the inspection on time. The supplies in these 30 military vehicles today are only one-thirtieth of the firearms and ammunition.”

Lieutenant Colonel Le Maire, who had just inspected a truckload of munitions, also realized the inefficiency of his approach.

"so what should I do?"

"Perhaps you could use a random sampling method. Randomly sample a portion of the weapons from each military vehicle. If any of the sampled weapons have a problem, it means the entire vehicle has a problem. At that point, we can re-inspect and negotiate with the arms dealer for replacements."

Lieutenant Colonel Le Maire thought for a moment, "That works too. The reputation of American weapons quality is quite good. I'll change it to random sampling."

Fang Wen added, "There's a banquet tonight, and the brigadier general has invited us to attend."

“I will go,” Lieutenant Colonel Le Maire said, and then went back to attend to the inspection.

As the sun set, the inventory work was finally nearing its end.

After several hours of careful verification and spot checks, Lieutenant Colonel Lemerre took the list and walked up to Brigadier General Fang Wen and Brigadier General Turner: "Mr. Fang, Your Excellency Brigadier General, the first batch of army firearms and ammunition has been counted. The quantity is correct, the quality is up to standard, and it is completely consistent with the list. It can be officially put into storage."

He then took out the inventory ledger and had Fang Wen, Brigadier General Turner, and the arms dealer's representative sign it to confirm that everything was correct. After confirming that everything was correct, the soldiers moved all the weapons and ammunition into the warehouse one by one, closed the warehouse door, and affixed the seal. The US military, special forces, and French soldiers guarded the warehouse together to ensure that the supplies were safe.

Brigadier General Turner laughed, “Starting tomorrow, more munitions will be delivered, a total of 850 vehicles. After the firearms, weapons, and ammunition, we’ll be waiting for planes, tanks, and fuel. You’ll be very busy. Tonight is a good time to relax. Let’s go to Los Angeles.”

Fang Wen and Lieutenant Colonel Le Maire then instructed their men to maintain a good guard post before following Brigadier General Turner into the car and heading to Los Angeles.

The banquet was held at the Biltmore Hotel, and the attendees were people who had worked together during the day to complete arms trade transactions, including government officials, military officers, and representatives of arms manufacturers.

Indiana and others were also present. In accordance with the contract, Fang Wen took out a check and paid them part of the commission on the spot.

Overjoyed with the check in hand, the group dispersed to get drinks and celebrate.

Only Indiana remained by Fang Wen's side.

He tossed the check in his hand and exclaimed, "Fang, my life has changed ever since I met you."

"Really? I think we're just helping each other out," Fang Wen said with a smile. "Yes, helping each other out. I hope you'll ask me for help in the future; I'm really looking forward to it," Indiana promised Fang Wen.

Okay. I hope you're doing better too.

Fang Wen took two glasses of wine from a plate carried by a passing waiter and handed one to Indiana.

The two clinked glasses, their words unspoken.

Fang Wen then walked toward Lieutenant Colonel Le Maire.

Lieutenant Colonel Le Maire was also discussing issues related to the implementation of military trade.

An official explained to him: "We have arranged the subsequent transportation of supplies. The planes will depart from Curtiss's production base and be transported by rail to the Port of Los Angeles; the tanks will be shipped from the tank factory in Detroit and are expected to arrive within five days; the fuel will depart from the Texas refinery, be transported by tanker truck to a dedicated fuel depot at the Port of Los Angeles, and then transferred to tankers."

When he saw Fang Wen approaching, he asked, "Mr. Fang, where are your company's cargo ships and oil tankers?"

Fang Wen responded: "I have also made preparations. Taishan International's ships will arrive at the Port of Los Angeles tomorrow to be specifically responsible for transporting this batch of supplies."

Afterwards, Fang Wen strolled around the banquet with a wine glass in hand, chatting happily with representatives from various arms companies.

The next morning, the sound of ship horns rang out in the Port of Los Angeles, and five ships bearing the logo of Taishan International sailed into the port berths one after another and moored neatly together.

Leading the way is the Taishan International, a cargo ship that has completed the transfer of gold and, after simple maintenance and resupply, is ready to set sail again at any time;
Next to it is a specially modified oil tanker. The tanker's hull has been specially reinforced and sealed, and it is specifically used to transport aviation gasoline, tank diesel and machine lubricating oil to avoid safety hazards such as leakage.
The remaining three are all large cargo ships.

The Hetu had a special deck with an additional layer of iron plate welded on it to accommodate aircraft.

Unfortunately, the United States prohibited the conversion of the aircraft carrier, otherwise Fang Wen would have been willing to spend more money to convert this cargo ship into the same type of aircraft carrier as the Fengxiang that he sank.

Of course, after sailing back to Asia, it will not return to the United States. Fang Wen plans to build a shipyard in South Asia to complete the conversion of the Hetu aircraft carrier.

The other two cargo ships did not undergo such extensive modifications; their decks were simply reinforced and equipped with specialized cranes and securing devices to transport P-40C fighter jets and M2A4 light tanks.

After the cargo ship docked, the crew immediately got to work, inspecting the hold, adjusting the cranes, and preparing to secure the ropes in preparation for the subsequent loading of supplies.

Meanwhile, the Patriotic Aviation Team, established by Taishan Aviation Group in the United States, also arrived at the Port of Los Angeles one after another.

This air squadron consists of more than 20 Chinese-American pilots, retired U.S. military pilots, and more than 10 mechanics.

Their aircraft, also P-40C fighter jets, were shipped from Curtiss through the same channels, a total of 10 of them.

It will be transported back to Asia along with the military aircraft purchased by France.

The pilots and mechanics of the Patriotic Air Force toured the port area. Since it was not yet time to depart, they were all arranged to check into a hotel in Los Angeles to wait for their departure.

After calming the pilots down, Fang Wen returned to the Biltmore Hotel to attend the arms dealers' private dinner that evening.

That evening, the Biltmore Hotel was brightly lit, with the lobby filled with flowers and champagne. Military, political and business figures, and Hollywood stars in formal attire strolled around, chatting and laughing, showcasing the luxury and liveliness of the West Coast's top social scene.

Fang Wen, dressed in a sharp black suit, arrived at the private banquet on time with Gong Xiuneng.

The private dinner was held in the hotel’s luxurious ballroom. Major shareholders and general managers of several top American arms manufacturers, including Curtiss, Browning, and the Detroit Tank Factory, were all present. Brigadier General Turner was also invited, along with several senior officials from the U.S. Department of Defense.

Upon seeing Fang Wen enter, everyone turned their attention to him.

After all, Fang Wen had just facilitated a $9000 million arms deal and could easily sink a Japanese submarine in the Pacific. Such a young and capable Chinese man was someone they had to take seriously.

Brigadier General Turner stepped forward first, smiling as he shook hands with Fang Wen: "Mr. Fang, you've finally arrived. Many of my friends have been waiting to meet you, this dark horse."

With a smile, Fang Wen, introduced by Brigadier General Turner, shook hands and exchanged pleasantries with the senior executives of the American military-industrial companies present.

When the general manager of Curtiss Corporation was introduced, Fang Wen stopped and said sincerely, "Mr. General Manager, thank you very much for Curtiss Corporation's support this time. Our Taishan Military Industry is also committed to producing high-speed fighter jets, and we hope to have closer cooperation in the future."

The general manager of Curtiss Corporation was all smiles. Who could refuse a rising star in the arms trade worth 9000 million?

"Mr. Fang, it is our honor to cooperate with such a powerful partner as you. As far as I know, the high-speed first-generation aircraft produced by your Taishan Military Industry has already surpassed our P-40 in speed. The only constraint on you is production capacity. I am fortunate to be in the United States, where we have not been affected by the war and have had the opportunity for stable development. If the environment were changed to your side, I think Curtiss Corporation would definitely not be able to achieve the same results as you."

"Thank you for the compliment, but we still have a long way to go," Fang Wen replied with a smile, feeling pleased inside. Praise from a colleague is the most motivating thing for him.

At the same time, he was also searching his future memories for information about the Curtiss Corporation.

His powerful mental strength pieced together the fragments from the depths of his memory.

Curtiss was the largest fighter aircraft manufacturer in the United States during the early stages of World War II, becoming a war giant with its P-40 Warhawk and C-46 transport aircraft.

During World War II, it produced more than 2.8 military aircraft and was a core supplier to the U.S. military, making a fortune.

However, it declined rapidly after the war and completely withdrew from aircraft manufacturing.

The main reason for its decline was its disastrous failure in transitioning to the jet age.

After the war, the U.S. military shifted entirely to jet fighters, and Curtiss's jet aircraft projects failed in all bids, failing to secure a single order for a main fighter aircraft.

Aircraft manufacturing companies without orders naturally experience a complete decline in business: the development of civil airliners and helicopters all failed, internal strife within management and blind diversification led to core aviation technologies being left behind by Lockheed, North American Aviation, and Boeing.

The final outcome was the complete cessation of aircraft manufacturing in the 1950s. The aviation division was split up, and the main body was transformed into an engine and parts supplier. It never returned to the ranks of first-tier aircraft manufacturers and was completely suppressed by its old rival Lockheed.

Could such a large aircraft manufacturing group become a source of nourishment for Taishan Airlines?
Fang Wen was uncertain, after all, Curtiss was currently at its peak, while Taishan Military Industry's aircraft division was still very small.

After concluding his conversation with the general manager of Curtis, Fang Wen visited the senior executives of other arms dealers one by one. Compared to the representatives he had talked to before, these were the people who could make the final decision on cooperation and trade.

Once the transaction is completed, he will receive 17% of the transaction amount, and after deducting a small portion of costs, he will have at least a 15% net profit.

With that much money, you could easily buy weapons and equipment.

Of course, Fang Wen also owns a military factory, and what he really wants to buy is the technology and equipment. (End of Chapter)