Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 75, Section 74: Special Reward: Angkor Buddha Statue, Farewell to Comrade Shao Sishen
The plane left the Kingdom of Thailand and flew over the Lao plateau under the bright sun.

The child, held tightly in his mother's arms, finally fell asleep, while the woman, exhausted from the emotional ups and downs of the journey, nodded off from time to time, seemingly dozing off.

Fang Wen also felt a little tired, so he took out a bottle of Shanhaiguan salt soda and took a couple of sips.

It's a common understanding among flight pilots these days that you shouldn't drink too much water on an airplane.

When the plane crossed the mountain range at the border, there were still more than 200 kilometers to go, which was less than an hour's journey.

Fang Wen was making plans in his mind.

He needed to find out exactly what went wrong on this voyage.

If it can't be resolved, he'd rather refuse the next trip.

An hour later, the plane landed at the French military airfield.

After the plane landed, Kuang Anming ran over, excitedly waving his hat.

"sister."

The woman looked at him and waved happily, "Third brother."

The child jumped up and down, shouting, "Uncle, flying in an airplane is so much fun!"

Fang Wen said, "Go down and stretch your legs. There are still several hours of flight ahead. Move your legs and get your blood circulating."

The woman then climbed down the boarding stairs, and Fang Wen followed, carrying the child down with him.

As soon as she got off, the woman began to describe the thrilling moment of takeoff.

"Third brother, you don't know, the Liu family made a move. They wanted to kidnap me and Xiaoyun to threaten Father. They used guns and even killed people."

Kuang Anming looked completely bewildered.

Seeing this, Fang Wen realized that looking for him was useless and that he had to go back to Guangzhou.

He didn't say anything, but picked up the fuel hose and started refueling the auxiliary fuel tank.

After a half-hour rest and refueling, the plane took off again and, after a four-hour flight, finally returned to the skies over Guangzhou at sunset.

The plane circled once and landed at Dashatou Airport.

Only at this moment did the woman regain her composure, carrying her son in one arm as she descended the boarding stairs alone.

The servants waiting beside the plane quickly came over, took the sleeping child, and coaxed him away.

Then, with a serious expression, she said, "Mr. Fang, I know you have many questions. Can we talk about it for the sake of the next voyage?"

Mr. Kwong, who was standing to the side, said, "This is my second sister, Kwong Ming-chu. Mr. Fang, let's come down and talk."

Fang Wen then got off the plane and walked with the two to a secluded spot on the side of the plane.

“Things have changed. You initially said that the airport pick-up arrangements were all made, but how do you explain what happened at Suthep Airport?”

“This was an accident. We misjudged the situation. Some people had their eyes on our family, but since they couldn’t take over our business, they tried to target our family members,” Kuang Mingzhu explained.

“If that’s the case, I will not fly to Suthep Airport again; it’s too dangerous,” Fang Wen said directly.

Mr. Kuang was immediately alarmed: "Mr. Fang, you can't just give up halfway."

"There's no way around it. We were lucky to take off this time because we discovered the situation in advance. Going there again would be suicide." Fang Wen refused again.

Seeing Fang Wen's resolute attitude, Kuang Mingzhu made a decision.

“I heard Mr. Fang is short of money lately, I have a suggestion.” She paused, then looked at Mr. Kuang, “Brother, give him that Buddha statue.”

Mr. Kuang looked pained, but still agreed.

The three then went to the auxiliary fuel tank and took out all the cargo from it.

There are ledgers, receipts, IOUs, and gold and silver items inside.

The most unique of them is the Buddha statue.

In Thailand, the entire population is Buddhist, and the Buddha statues made there are exquisite and made with precious materials; this Buddha statue is a prime example.

“Mr. Fang, if you agree to fly it one more time, this golden Buddha statue is yours.”

Fang Wen did not reach out to catch it. Since he had transmigrated and possessed supernatural abilities, he respected faith regardless of whether he believed in it or not.

He examined the golden Buddha, its gleaming exterior and unique design featuring four faces, each with a different expression.

Kuang Mingzhu explained, “This is a Buddha statue from the Sukhothai period. Before that, the Kingdom of Thailand was part of the Angkor Dynasty, and the four-faced Buddha statue was brought from India by the Khmer people. It has been passed down continuously and has been gilded and repaired to maintain its current condition. Our family only recently acquired it, and its value is definitely not small. In the eyes of Thai people, it is even more valuable. If you agree to fly it again, we will add this Buddha statue to the original price.”

After hearing what Kuang Mingzhu said, Fang Wen was somewhat tempted.

The golden Buddha was indeed beautiful, and he couldn't resist taking it and examining it in his hands.

The moment he touched the golden Buddha, he sensed something strange.

For some reason, the mechanical senses somehow connected with the golden Buddha.

But this time, I obtained a very faint trace of energy from the golden Buddha, like a trickle of water. It wasn't a continuous absorption, so I couldn't feel it.

The absorption of this strange energy seems to help my mechanical perception!
Fang Wen was very clear about his position. Everything he currently possessed was related to mechanical perception, and he was determined to obtain any method that could enhance this ability.

However, we cannot put ourselves in danger for the sake of the golden Buddha.

He put down the golden Buddha statue and said solemnly:
"Flying to Suthep Airport is absolutely out of the question. But if you can find another landing spot, I can consider flying it again. Also, this time it must be kept strictly confidential, and we can't let the news leak out again."

The Kuang siblings were overjoyed and quickly sent the news to the Thai region via telegram.

More than an hour later, the other party sent a telegram.

It is said that although there is no suitable airport north of Thailand, there is a temple ruin where the stone pavement is still well preserved and should be usable for landing.

Fang Wen shook his head: "Ancient hard stone roads won't work. The gaps in the road surface might cause bumps, and the hydraulic landing gear can't withstand that kind of recoil. It's best to use a smooth, hard earth road surface; that would be much better."

The suggestion was immediately sent.

A telegram arrived half an hour later.

The other party said that a hard earthen road surface could solve the problem, but the issue was how to determine the location.

This is a big problem. A temporary airport in the woods is not easy to find in the sky. Even Fang Wen spent a lot of time looking for Suthep Airport last time.

Moreover, the geographical coordinates provided by the other party are merely markings on a map, without any significant ground observations to corroborate them.

This makes it even more difficult.

Fang Wen hesitated, unsure if he could succeed.

When the Kuang siblings saw Fang Wen's appearance, they were secretly anxious, but they didn't say much.

Upon receiving the message from his subordinate, Mr. Kwong immediately smiled and said, "Mr. Fang, do you still remember Shao Sichen?"

"Shao Sishen! He's still alive?" Fang Wen exclaimed in surprise and delight.

On the day of the bombing of the Izumo, Shao Sishen's plane from the Guangdong Air Force was hit, and Fang Wen watched as Shao Sishen's plane crashed into the sea.

Later, he even flew to the sea to investigate and asked the Axe Gang for help, but to no avail. He had assumed Shao Sicheng had died in battle, but now he heard his name again.

Immediately, Fang Wen put aside all his thoughts and asked eagerly:

"Where is he?"

“He heard you were in Guangzhou and sent someone to contact us so he could meet you.”

Fang Wen, whose mind was solely focused on seeing his comrade one last time, said without hesitation, "Let's go, take me to see him."

The Kuang siblings were naturally happy to have this opportunity to deepen their communication with Fang Wen, and the three of them left the airport and took a car to a nearby restaurant.

The car stopped outside the restaurant, and Fang Wen jumped out of the car and ran upstairs in a few quick steps.

He looked around after going upstairs.

What about people?

Someone in the distance waved to him.

Looking at the other person, Fang Wen felt a pang of sorrow for some reason.

The once dashing and debonair Shao Sichen now has a long scar on the right side of his face and uses a cane.

Fang Wen strode over and grabbed Shao Sishen's shoulders with both hands.

"It's so good that you're alive."

Shao Sichen turned his head, sighed, and replied with emotion, "Yes, it's good to be alive."

Helping Shao Sichen to sit down, Fang Wen said with concern, "After you fell into the sea that day, I went to look for you and even asked the Axe Gang to find fishermen to search for you, but we couldn't find you anywhere."

Shao Sishen recalled what happened that day.

"After the plane crashed into the sea, the fuel tank exploded, and I had to jump into the sea. Later, the plane sank, and I was floating on the sea holding onto a plank. I was drifting south with the current, and was eventually rescued by a passing fishing boat and taken ashore. Later, they notified the air force, and people from Guangzhou picked me up. After some treatment, I ended up like this, and I will never be able to fly a plane again."

He really can't fly a plane. Shao Sichen's injuries aren't just on his face. His right leg is lame, and his right hand has lost half of its mobility, making it difficult for him to move. How can he continue to fly a plane?

Looking at his former comrades, Fang Wen recalled the memories of fighting together. That night, Shao Sichen was the pilot, and he was the machine gunner and bombardier. They not only damaged a Type 3 fighter plane, but also forced back two attacking Type 3 fighter planes. At the same time, they destroyed the Japanese ammunition depot and gave the Japanese ground troops a heavy blow by diving and strafing.

But now, he is disfigured, lacks the mobility of a normal person, and has lost his bright future.

Fang Wen couldn't help but ask, "So what are you planning to do in the future?"

Shao Sishen looked up, lost in thought, and after a long while replied, "I still want to fly."

This is a person obsessed with flying, but unfortunately he has lost his means.

"Is it still with the air force?" Fang Wen continued to ask.

Shao Sishen shook his head, but remained silent.

Clearly, he could no longer stay in the air force.

This reminded Fang Wen of one of his plans.

Taishan Airlines cannot rely on just one pilot; it must continue to train more pilots in the future.

However, the teaching staff in this field are in high demand. Even graduates from Nanyuan Aviation University are already working in various aviation-related positions and would not come to work for Taishan Aviation.

He asked tentatively.

"Why don't you come to Taishan Airlines? We need an aircraft pilot training specialist. Although we are a private airline, the environment and benefits are pretty good. I am also the general manager, so you don't have to worry about being bullied."

"I'm not afraid of being bullied, as long as someone wants me." Shao Sichen smiled for the first time in a long time.

Fang Wen was very happy to be able to meet his former comrades again, which not only solved their problems but also helped Taishan Airlines find an experienced coach.

He and Shao Sichen shared drinks and chatted happily, while the Kuang siblings joined in the conversation.

After some conversation, Fang Wen learned that Shao Sicheng was originally from an overseas Chinese family. His family had a good relationship with the Kuang family and often interacted with them. This time, the Kuang family came to Guangzhou to rent the Dashatou Airport runway, and they also contacted Shao Sicheng.

Later, during their conversation, Shao Sishen learned that the person who came to Guangzhou was a former comrade-in-arms, which led to this whole incident.

Then, they talked about the secret voyage to Thailand.

Shao Sichen said, "Fang Wen, we've worked together before. How about you drive this time and I'll be the navigator?"

His proposal appealed to Fang Wen.

During that collaboration, Fang Wen could feel Shao Sishen's excellent driving skills and his strong sense of direction, which allowed him to react promptly in their cooperation.

Can we take him on this flight?

Fang Wen immediately stopped drinking and solemnly asked the Kuang siblings to bring over the map.

He and Shao Sichen found a clean table in the restaurant, spread out the map, and began to discuss it.

"The first half of this flight should be fine. The key is after the transfer at the French airfield. Look here, that's their new landing point."

Shao Sishen leaned on his cane and bent down to examine the area.

"This place is very remote. There are no geographical landmarks to refer to, not even villages or towns. It's easy to get lost here."

"Yes, that's what I was thinking too. I need a clear reference point to determine my location from the woodland environment."

"I can use a compass to determine the direction and give you reminders in conjunction with a map, which can narrow down the location of the destination and make it easier to find."

"Have you studied flight navigation?"

"I studied it specifically when I was abroad."

Fang Wen's conversation with Shao Sishen gave him some ideas.

I was doing the work of two people by constantly searching for directions in the flight center, so if Shao Sichen could help, it would reduce my workload.

The problem is, if Shao Sichen boards the plane, how will the person he brings back sit?

Should we use the same method that Fang Shouxin and Shunzi used last time, to hang up a stool and let people sit on it?

He raised the issue tactfully.

Mr. Kuang hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Kuang Mingzhu smiled and said, "I'm going to pick up my dad this time. He's very shrewd and short, less than 1.6 meters tall and weighing around 110 pounds. Will he fit in the seat?"

So small? Fang Wen pictured the image of Kuang's elderly father in his mind. He was much shorter than Shunzi and could definitely squeeze into the back seat.

Now that the flight plan was finalized, Fang Wen felt that the danger was not great. At most, if they couldn't find their destination, they would have to return to the French transit airport. For the sake of the Buddha statue with mysterious power, Fang Wen agreed.

After a day of rest in Guangzhou, the Qingyun took off from Dashatou Airport early in the morning.

Having abandoned his crutches, Shao Sishen climbed into the back seat with his own efforts. With a trembling right hand, he unfolded a map, while holding a compass in his left. He would occasionally turn his head to look at the sun and then observe the ground, reporting real-time navigation data to Fang Wen.

The two worked together just as well as they had on the day they bombed the Japanese army; their coordination was excellent.

(End of this chapter)