Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 85, Section 84: A Shocking Plan Takes Shape; Japanese Spies Arrested at the Meeting Venue
Teachers and students from Tsinghua University took out a cylindrical object about 1 meter long from the car.

They turned a crank on one side, just like a hand-cranked telegraph machine, to generate electricity manually.

After the electricity was generated, the professor lifted the cylinder and explained.

"This is the portable metal detector you mentioned. It weighs 35 kilograms and an adult can easily pick it up. The switch is on the handle. Once pressed, it can perform a five-minute detection. After that, the power is depleted and it needs to generate electricity again."

"Check me out," Fang Wen said.

The other party aimed the cylinder at Fang Wen and swept it from top to bottom, making a buzzing sound when it reached his waist.

Fang Wen took out a Browning pistol from the pocket of his waist.

Successful.

With these devices, we can prevent the Japanese from smuggling weapons into the venue by bypassing the security gates, which will definitely give them a surprise.

Immediately, Fang Wen took a small leather suitcase from the cockpit of the plane and handed it to the other party.

"This is the payment for the goods. It's a pleasure doing business with you."

The professor took the suitcase, but looked at the Shrike.

"This plane is very advanced, isn't it?"

“Yes, it’s top-notch right now,” Fang Wen replied, then suddenly had a thought: “Professor, do you think we can build this kind of aircraft?”

The professor froze, then shook his head: "That's basically impossible. It requires too many things. Our industrial base is too weak. Every single part, even the screws, is standardized. With domestic conditions, it's impossible. Unless..."

Fang Wen hadn't held out much hope to begin with, but he didn't expect the professor to say something like, "Unless..."

He couldn't help but ask urgently, "Unless what?"

“Unless you have wealth that rivals that of a nation, America is a country of merchants. With money, you can buy anything, even a complete aircraft production line, including workers. As long as you have the money, they can ship it over,” the professor replied with a smile, taking it all as a joke.

Fang Wen, however, did not think so. Perhaps he was capable of doing it?

He didn't say much, but instead placed the hand-cranked metal detectors into the lower compartment of the auxiliary fuel tank, then bid farewell to the teachers and students of Tsinghua University and left.

As the plane took off, Fang Wen piloted it while his mind wandered back to what had happened earlier.

The professor's statement is not comprehensive. Although the United States values ​​commerce, it's not a place where money can buy everything.

But without money, you can't do anything.

What's the fastest way to make money?

Developing real industries?

No, that's too slow.

Doing trade?
That would require domestic consumers to be able to afford it, or there to be specialty products that can be sold abroad and generate huge profits.

But now, with the domestic economy in recession, people's livelihoods in difficulty, and a huge gap between the rich and the poor, where will the consumption come from?

The tung oil trade, and even later tungsten ore and pig bristles, were all primary products with very low added value; profits were mainly made through volume.

As a business grows, it becomes increasingly complex, involving more and more networks of relationships.

Abroad, there were also many problems. The United States raised tariffs to protect itself, German nationalism came to power, and the economies of various countries were in a slump, which also laid the fuse for World War II.

Even within Japan, serious economic problems have emerged.

The subsequent World War II was nothing more than a plundering campaign to alleviate domestic pressure.

Only the United States, confined to one side of the world, has been able to revive its economy by leveraging its strong industrial capabilities and securing a large number of orders.

Therefore, industry and trade could not solve China's problems in this era.

Fang Wen suddenly felt that his cognition was being obscured by something invisible.

This is a chaotic world. Why should good people have to follow the rules, while bad people can act recklessly?

If you're short of money, then go rob someone, rob the Japanese.

He recalled the wealth transfer operation that led to the eight major families flying to Northeast China.

Over there, the Japanese plundered the wealth of Northeast China to use as provisions for the war.

They even wanted to establish Manchukuo and turn it into a rear base for their invasion of China.

Why can't I take back the spoils of those unjust wars?

There was also the wealth in the Young Marshal's Mansion in Shenyang. The newspapers reported on it extensively some time ago, saying that the Japanese had inventoried the Young Marshal's wealth and it could fill an entire train. They wanted to send it into the interior of China to return it to the Young Marshal, but the Young Marshal refused it righteously.

Since the young marshal doesn't want it, we can't let the Japanese have it. We might as well set up a scheme to take it back.

After this audacious idea came to him, Fang Wen was incredibly excited.

He has an advantage that others don't: air transport. If he plans properly on the ground, he is 90% confident that he can successfully transfer the wealth.

Thinking about these things, Fang Wen increased his speed, entered a state of mechanical perception, and roamed the sky.

Three hours later.

As the plane landed at Shanghai Airport, Fang Wen's initial excitement had faded.

It's not time yet; let's get through this difficult time first.

Therefore, Fang Wen, having regained his composure, came down the boarding stairs and called over Shunzi and Sun Debiao, who each led five security guards.

He took out the items he had brought from Beiping from the auxiliary fuel tank compartment and demonstrated how to use them in front of Shunzi and Sun Debiao.

This thing is very easy to use: just hand-crank the generator, lift it up to scan people for detection, and then continue hand-cranking the generator. Shunzi and Sun Debiao quickly learned how to use it and each took two units to practice with the security guards.

Time passed, and three days went by.

An ocean-going cargo ship has entered the East China Sea area.

The cargo ship flying the Stars and Stripes was not blocked by the Japanese naval fleet, which relieved Fang Wen, who was flying high in the sky.

The cargo ship did not sail to the port on the Yangtze River side of Shanghai, which was a concession-controlled area and very close to the Japanese garrison. The planes could not be transported back to the airport after being unloaded.

The Shiliupu Wharf in the Huangpu River won't work either; the last time proved that the Japanese had considerable hidden strength in Shanghai.

Therefore, this time we chose Zhapu Port in Hangzhou Bay again.

The cargo ship passed through the Zhoushan Islands and entered Hangzhou Bay. Guided by a small boat, it docked at Zhapu Port.

Subsequently, the two Boeing 247s were carefully loaded onto the dock by port workers and then towed to the airport by truck.

To ensure a smooth journey, a group of workers were hired to continuously pave the road ahead, preventing potholes from causing the wheels to get stuck.

The journey attracted the attention of nearby residents, and the dozens of kilometers of road were filled with excitement.

A day later, the two Boeing 247s were finally transported back to the airport, and the celebration was about to begin.

Inside the already prepared venue, Shunzi and Sun Debiao's security team were guarding both inside and outside. There was only one entrance and exit to the entire venue, and it was impossible to enter without their help.

Outside, Fang Wen and Yue Jinping met.

Yue Jinping asked with concern:

“Our people are all in place. If anyone tries to escape from the venue, they won’t get past us. But what about inside? If the Japanese really come, they’ll probably be some skilled fighters. I’m afraid you won’t be able to handle them.”

Fang Wen smiled and said, "What if we discovered their tracks in advance and took them down one by one?"

Yue Jinping was surprised: "You have such methods?"

Fang Wen neither confirmed nor denied the matter, offering no further explanation.

The two then separated; one went into a nearby house to hide, while the other went into the meeting room to preside over the meeting.

At 9 a.m., guests from all walks of life in Shanghai, as well as tung oil merchants, arrived to take their seats.

They called out to their friends and acquaintances along the way, and when they arrived at the entrance, they took out specially made invitations from Taishan Airlines.

There was a security gate at the entrance, which everyone knew about, and the guests cooperated well by going through the security check before entering.

Everyone agrees that prioritizing safety is the right thing to do.

Upon entering the venue, Taishan Airlines surprised everyone by setting up a buffet-style reception area with long white tables laden with fruit and food.

There are plates right next to you; you can take the plate and use it to pick up whatever you want to eat.

This was a rare dining style, and the guests eagerly tried it.

Some weren't hungry, so they stood or sat on the other side, chatting in small groups. Some guests didn't eat, but almost all of them drank water.

The water in the venue was not self-service, but rather provided by waiters pushing small carts covered with white cloth around the venue.

The trolley attendants would come back and forth every five minutes, and sometimes the trolley would make a brief humming sound along the way.

At this point, the waiter would pause for a moment to confirm.

that's it.

Those who thought they had evaded security checks and somehow managed to smuggle weapons into the venue were discovered by the second wave of metal detectors.

There are six of these people in total, located in different places.

Judging from their positions, they should each have a specific role; some might be responsible for creating chaos, while others might be responsible for firing shots, all working together to complete this operation.

But now that they've been exposed, there's nothing more for them to do.

The waiters brought over the spiked drinks, and three of the six people drank them without any suspicion. The moment their bodies went limp, people immediately surrounded them, put them in a cart, and drove them away.

The other three were clearly more professional; not only did they not drink the beverages, but they also noticed the anomaly of their missing companion while observing their surroundings.

The three reacted immediately.

They all walked outside.

One person was stopped by Shunzi and his security personnel. Before he could make a move, he was pinned to the ground by two strong security guards and unable to move.

Seeing that the situation was not good, the other two took off running and engaged in a gunfight with the security guards led by Sun Debiao.

Sun Debiao's side came prepared and shot one person dead. Another person ran to the exit but was hit by a bullet from outside.

Did Yue Jinping's people make the move?

Fang Wen was very surprised. Why not leave them alive?

Perhaps not, because then more gunshots rang out.

After a while, Yue Jinping came to find Fang Wen in person.

“They had men lying in ambush nearby, who ran into our people. After firing, they left some behind, and the rest ran away. Now everything should be fine, you can hold a celebration banquet.”

Fang Wen nodded, turned around and walked into the meeting room.

The brief chaos in the venue caused some commotion.

Manager Sun quickly stepped onto the stage: "Ladies and gentlemen, it's nothing serious. The Japanese tried to cause trouble here, but they've already been dealt with. These little fry shouldn't be a cause for your fear, right?"

A burst of laughter erupted from below, which eased the atmosphere.

Those who can be here are all well-traveled people with status and respectability. At their age, they have experienced the abdication of the Qing Dynasty, the revolution of the Republic of China, and the warlord era. These years have been filled with fighting every day. It is true that some people are afraid of fighting, but most of the guests are used to this kind of small scene.

Just like the January 28 Incident, many people here still danced and sang as usual.

The atmosphere quickly returned to normal. When Fang Wen came back, everyone started eating the buffet and chatting together again.

Fang Wen took the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this celebration and handover ceremony for the cooperation between tung oil and airplanes is now officially underway."

Upon hearing Fang Wen's words, everyone stopped what they were doing and came over.

Fang Wen continued, "The two Boeing 247s were acquired in exchange for tung oil. Now, please welcome Mr. Neil, President of Boeing Trading Company, to the stage. Also, please come up to the stage, tung oil suppliers who participated in this tung oil-for-aircraft transaction. With all parties as witnesses, we will complete the handover ceremony and issue the aircraft owner's title certificate."

Neil, beaming with health, strode onto the stage, followed by a group of tung oil merchants.

With Fang Wen's introduction, Neil shook hands with a group of tung oil merchants.

Next, staff from Taishan Airlines came up with a book clip.

There are five documents in the folder.

The "Aircraft Ownership Transfer Agreement" and the "Aircraft Owner Joint Authorization Lease Agreement" are each in duplicate.

The "Aircraft Co-ownership Agreement" is a co-ownership agreement among tung oil merchants, and there is only one copy.

Neil signed a total of forty-two aircraft ownership transfer agreements, thus completing his task.

Fang Wen, representing Taishan Airlines, signed forty-two "Aircraft Owner Joint Authorization Lease Agreements".

Finally, the staff member held up the book and placed the contract in front of the tung oil merchants.

They had actually read these contracts long ago, but at this moment, many people still carefully reviewed them and only signed them after confirming that they were correct.

After the contract was signed, Neil took away his 42 property transfer agreements, and Taishan Airlines also took away 42 "Aircraft Owner Joint Authorization Lease Agreements".
The remaining three agreements were carefully kept by the tung oil merchants as proof of the transaction.

This is not the end yet.

Fang Wen took out a small booklet and showed it to me: "Next is the property ownership certificate. I happen to have one here, which belongs to my fourth brother-in-law. He also participated in this tung oil-for-airplane transaction, but because of the long distance, he couldn't make it, so he asked me to lead the way. Other aircraft owners also have one, which serves as proof of their ownership of the aircraft."

The notebook in his hand had a leather case made of calfskin by a leather craftsman, with a few words embossed on it using a gold foil technique.

Aircraft Ownership Certificate

Inside, you'll find the property certificate, the owner's name, the date of acquisition, whether it's jointly owned, and the percentage of ownership.

It looks quite professional, even more upscale than official government documents.

Then, under the watchful eyes of the guests, these valuable little notebooks were distributed to their respective directors.

The handover ceremony was now complete, and all that remained was the celebration.

The guests gathered around the tung oil merchants, looking at the aircraft ownership certificates, some with expressions of envy.

It's truly enviable; this is something that has never happened before, it's unique.

The planes truly belong to these people; that's what gives them prestige. They also receive a substantial monthly rental income; that's what brings them profit.

With Taishan Airlines acting as guarantor, many people approved of the deal.

It is foreseeable that more people will participate in the next tung oil-for-airplane trade.

At this point, the celebration reached its climax, with popular singers invited from the bustling metropolis of Shanghai taking the stage.

She wore a cheongsam, swayed her slender waist, and sang the most popular song of the moment.

"Night-blooming jasmine, I sing for you."

The dancers behind them danced to the songs and music, bringing the celebration to a climax.

In the cleared central area below the stage, guests spontaneously broke into ballroom dancing.
After one song, another one begins.

Fang Wen took some food from the buffet table and watched them.

Yue Jinping walked in, and also stood beside her, taking food from a plate.

“They danced well, would you like to dance?” Yue Jinping invited.

"Not interested," Fang Wen replied.

Compared to the future, this kind of life is nothing special.

Having lived through the era of information overload, Fang Wen was suddenly somewhat disappointed by the decadent lifestyle of this era.

So this is what the decadent Shanghai of the 1930s was like: singing, dancing, cuddling women, and showing off one's status. How vulgar.

It's a shame I once longed for the bustling metropolis of Shanghai.

The incredibly thrilling plan resurfaced in his mind.

If we were to give that project a name, what would it be?

That was an extraordinary fortune; let's call it the 'Wealthy Legion'.

Fang Wen was very satisfied with the name, and he couldn't help but smile.

Yue Jinping, who was standing nearby, saw this and asked in surprise, "What are you laughing at?"

"Me." Fang Wen, who originally wanted to reveal the plan, changed his mind at the last minute. The extremely treacherous secret agents behind Yue Jinping were not to be trifled with.

He replied with a laugh, "I find it quite funny to watch those people dance, their butts wiggling like that."

"Really?" Yue Jinping looked over and then covered her mouth and chuckled.

(End of this chapter)