Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 87, Section 86: Fang Wen's small team is officially established; the Axe Gang leader visits.

Following Sun Debiao's instructions, Fang Wen opened the booklet.

He frowned immediately.

It says.

His original name was Sun Dewu. Five years ago, he was the third-in-command of a bandit gang. Because he coveted the money in Juyuancheng Money Exchange, he was given the alias Sun Debiao to infiltrate the gang.

He stayed there for five years. Although he never found an opportunity to take action, the daring and hardworking Sun Debiao became the person the master family valued.

Later, he went to Beiping with his master, originally planning to kidnap his master with his accomplices in exchange for money that would ensure he would never have to worry about food or clothing for the rest of his life.

Unexpectedly, the Japanese occupied Northeast China, and he lost contact with all his brothers.

Therefore, what was written on this pledge of allegiance was even more serious than what Manager Liu had written. Once the members of the Eight Great Families found out, they would definitely tie a large stone to it and throw it into the Huangpu River to settle the matter.

Fang Wen remained calm, took out a windproof kerosene lighter, and lit the two booklets.

After it was burned clean, he said, "Alright, I trust you two. From now on, we're 'one of us'."

What the two wanted was the word "one of their own," and they were overjoyed to finally be on Fang Wen's side.

The others watched the two of them, seemingly lost in thought.

Pan Jiafeng stated directly, "The general manager is my mentor, and I would never betray him."

Fang Shouxin said, "Young Master knows my story. I've been with the Fang family for twenty years, all because of my trust in you. Besides, without you, Young Master, how could my fellow disciples' children live a good life? My son would never amount to anything. So, Young Master, you can rest assured about my son and me."

Shunzi scratched his head: "I won't say it, but I'll always stand on the young master's side."

Only Shao Sichen and Howard remain.

Shao Sichen poured himself a glass of wine and downed it in one gulp.

“I’m disabled. Without a general manager, I might be a useless person for the rest of my life. But I can teach students now and fulfill my dream of flying. As long as I can, I’ll stay here for the rest of my life. I think this can also be considered a form of trust.”

Howard opened his mouth to speak, but Fang Wen waved his hand to stop him: "I know what you want to say."

At this point, all seven core members of Taishan Airlines had expressed their views to Fang Wen.

Fang Wen then revealed the purpose of the dinner.

"I want to go to Northeast China again."

"What?" Sun Debiao's eyes widened, and he blurted out, "Isn't it about taking over Taishan Airlines?"

This statement, though blunt, reflects the shared sentiment of all seven individuals.

In this world, everyone is driven by self-interest, and taking over Taishan Airlines is the perfect fit for this small group.

However, they still couldn't keep up with the unconventional thinking and boldness of the time traveler, Fang Wen.

Under the watchful eyes of the seven people, Fang Wen smiled and said:
“I have a plan, and the target is the wealth stored in the Young Marshal’s Mansion in Northeast China. Didn’t the Young Marshal say in the newspapers some time ago that he didn’t want that wealth? I thought, if the Young Marshal doesn’t want it, we can’t let the Japanese benefit from it. Why don’t we take it?”

Fang Wen said that this matter was big news that spread throughout China.

Everyone present, except Howard, knew this.

Sun Debiao immediately became gossipy: "How much wealth does the Young Marshal's mansion have?"

Manager Liu knew a lot about this gossip: "I've heard people say that it would take three trains to fit them all."

The atmosphere suddenly became heavy; it wasn't just three carriages, but three trains!

Manager Sun continued, "During the September 18 Incident, an accountant from the Border Industry Bank came from the north. He said there might be more than ten million silver dollars, 47,000 to 48,000 taels of gold deposited there, as well as a number of antiques and paintings."

Everyone was shocked by the Zhang family's wealth.

This is what it means to be richer than a country.

Seeing this, Fang Wen continued to explain his plan.

"The Japanese are still pretending, saying they won't touch this wealth, and that everything is being kept in the Young Marshal's Mansion. But that might change in the long run. My plan is to organize a group of people to retrieve the treasure and transport it away in a Boeing 247. With the modified Boeing 247's carrying capacity, it can carry 2.5 tons of cargo. Everyone involved will get a share of the valuables brought back, and everyone can live a worry-free life."

After speaking, Fang Wen looked around.

asked.

"Raise your hands to vote. Those who are willing, please raise your hands."

Sun Debiao was the first to raise his hand, but with his other hand he gripped the chopsticks. If anyone disagreed, he would go along with the host's wishes and act decisively.

Howard raised his hand, Manager Liu raised his hand, Fang Shouxin and Shunzi raised their hands.

Pan Jiafeng hesitated and asked, "Master, should we divide all this money among ourselves?"

"Of course not. What do you all think about keeping half of it to deal with the Japanese?"

Immediately, Pan Jiafeng and Shao Sishen also raised their hands in agreement.

At this point, the small group reached a consensus and began to discuss the matter.

"The Japanese will definitely guard the Young Marshal's Mansion closely. How can we sneak in?"

"We still need to recruit people. They need to have special skills, be familiar with the terrain, and have connections with the Japanese."

"We definitely need a map of the Marshal's Mansion, and we also need to plan when the guards patrolling inside will be rotated and how our people will infiltrate."

"How about we dig a tunnel and go through from below?"

The discussion became increasingly chaotic and failed to achieve the effect Fang Wen had hoped for.

He immediately spoke up to stop them.

“We shouldn’t be the ones to formulate the action plan. Professional matters should be handled by professionals. Your job is to supervise the entire process to prevent any unexpected events. For example, for this operation, we first need to find someone in the underworld who is an expert in this kind of thing to see how he designed it.”

Fang Wen's words calmed everyone down. This kind of thing was indeed not their forte. If they wanted to succeed, it would be best to find someone who could actually do the job.

The Taishan Airlines group gathering ended, but no one changed as a result.

But during their free time, everyone started to get busy.

Apart from Fang Wen, the other seven took turns going to Shanghai and the surrounding areas to inquire about the situation.

Searching for the legendary King of Thieves.

How could an outsider possibly find out about such a thing? Even Sun Debiao, a bandit from Northeast China, wouldn't have any connections.

Finally, Fang Wen remembered Zhao Jiu of the Green Gang and Chief Wang of the Axe Gang.

Zhao Jiu is someone Fang Wen still owes him a life-saving favor, and given his attitude towards the Japanese, perhaps it's worth talking to.

Wang Yaqiao of the Axe Gang was a staunch opponent of the Japanese, and he would definitely agree to this plan.

He then dispatched Fang Shouxin to the city to search for the two.

In Zhabei District, the number of Japanese people increased due to the armistice agreement.

On the street, you can often see drunken Japanese ronin wearing wooden clogs, some of whom are carrying women from the Toyodo (Japanese-style houses) and embracing each other.

On a street corner, three young men in short jackets watched coldly and talked in hushed tones.

"Ninth Brother, these Japanese have lost all sense of shame since they arrived."

"They're treating this place like their own territory, causing a ruckus."

"Keep your voice down. These people are from the Black Dragon Society. If they hear us, we're in trouble."

After Zhao Jiu finished speaking, he was about to leave with his two henchmen. Making a living in Zhabei was becoming increasingly difficult, and one of his partners had recently been caught. He had considered leaving and finding another place to make a living.

However, the Green Gang has strict rules, and any actions that cross the line will be severely punished according to the gang's rules.

Zhao Jiu wasn't afraid of the Japanese, but he was afraid of the gang rules.

He glared at the drunken ronin in the distance, spat, and led his henchmen into an alley.

While they couldn't deal with the Japanese openly, they had plenty of ways to deal with them covertly.

As long as the Japanese ronin come, it's just a matter of two whacks on the head, dragging them into an alley and cleaning them up. They can make a few days' worth of fun money.

Although this would attract the Japanese's pursuit, Zhao Jiu was not afraid; nothing bothered him more than being broke.

The ronin staggered over.

Just as Zhao Jiu was about to make a move, his underlings ran in from outside.

He had no choice but to stop, glaring angrily at his underling who had ruined his source of income.

"Ninth Brother, someone is looking for you. He says he's from Taishan Airlines."

Upon hearing the name Taishan Airlines, Zhao Jiu immediately thought of that person.

Now that guy is living a more and more prosperous life. I heard that two more planes are about to take off. Someone above told him that if anyone tries to harm him, he should report it to his superiors immediately.

This shows that he has someone protecting him, which makes Zhao Jiu envious.

But he never thought of using his life-saving grace to get something in return, after all, that was the only thing he could be proud of.

But this time, the other party took the initiative to contact him, perhaps because they needed his help, and Zhao Jiu was willing to help.

He then threw away the stick and left with his underling.

Arriving at a small teahouse in a corner of Zhabei, Fang Shouxin, dressed in casual clothes, was waiting there.

Zhao Jiu came in and said in a low voice, "I know you. You called him Young Master."

"Yes, the young master asked me to come and talk to you."

"If you need anything, feel free to contact me. I'm leaving now."

"Wait, young master said he also needs to find someone else. Do you know where to find Chief Wang of the Axe Gang?"

"Chief Wang offended the Japanese, and they've been trying to kill him for a while now. As a result, the Axe Gang has lost several of its best men, so he's gone into hiding. But I know where I can pass a message to him. Come with me."

Immediately afterwards, Zhao Jiu led Fang Shouxin away from Zhabei District and headed to the French Concession.

He didn't need any identification to go to the French Concession; he just found an unguarded alleyway and walked through.

After walking for a while, Zhao Jiu arrived at the outside of a Western-style house, where some men in black were guarding it. Zhao Jiu said a few words to them, and then someone went in to report.

After the other party came out, Zhao Jiu returned and told Fang Shouxin: "It's done. Chief Wang is elusive and can't be seen here, but he sent someone to say that he's going to visit General Manager Fang's house tonight."

"Then let's leave the city first."

Fang Shouxin and Zhao Jiu then left the city and headed to the airport.

When they arrived at the airport, they took them directly to Fang Wen's residence, but the person in question was not there.

Fang Shouxin explained, "Today is the first day of the new route. The young master was worried and flew with his apprentice. He won't be back until around 5 p.m.

Zhao Jiu didn't mind at all, and casually found a stool, leaned against the wall, and sat down to bask in the sun.

Time passed little by little, from noon to afternoon.

As the sun was setting, a plane roared in and landed at the airport.

The plane was stable, and the ten passengers happily disembarked.

After they left, the two airmail couriers began moving airmail and cargo in the cargo yard. Although it was the first day of flights, the air logistics business was booming, and almost all the cargo capacity was used up.

Unloading a ton of goods and counting them before putting them into storage can't be done in a short time.

Fang Wen instructed Pan Jiafeng: "You wait here. Remember to close the door after the cargo hold is emptied. I have something to do at home."

Pan Jiafeng nodded, didn't ask anything, and remained on the plane.

Fang Wen got off the plane, went straight out of the airport, and returned home.

As soon as I entered, I saw Zhao Jiu sitting against the corner of the wall.

"Mr. Zhao, it's been a long time. Uncle Fang, how could you let your guest sit outside?"

Fang Shouxin remained silent.

Zhao Jiu quickly stood up, scratched the back of his head, and said somewhat awkwardly, "I want to sit outside. Don't call me 'sir,' it sounds strange."

"Then let's call him Brother Zhao," Fang Wen replied with a smile.

Suddenly, a person appeared at the door, wearing a trench coat and a hat, with the collar turned up and the hat tilted forward, obscuring their face.

"How lively! General Manager Fang, I've come as promised."

He is Chief Wang of the Axe Gang.

Fang Wen subconsciously turned to look at the door, and after confirming that no one was there, he quickly said, "Chief Wang, come in quickly. The Japanese have been looking for you lately, so you'd better be careful."

"Yes, there might be Japanese people watching you here. After all, the Japanese still hold a grudge about sinking the Izumo."

Chief Wang responded loudly and followed Fang Wen into the house, with Zhao Jiu following behind.

The three of them sat down in the main room, and Fang Wen spoke up:

"The reason I invited you two here is because of a plan. I won't beat around the bush; the plan is as follows..."

After a brief description, the two became increasingly surprised.

Zhao Jiu's eyes widened. "This is incredibly audacious. If they can really bring these things back right under the noses of the Japanese, it will be a story that the whole world will tell."

Chief Wang laughed and said, "Zhao Jiu, you've listened to too many storytelling performances. But this is a good matter, I'm interested."

"If you're interested, that's good," Fang Wen said, sharing his thoughts.

“We at Taishan Airlines can guarantee capacity, but we can’t implement it. We need someone knowledgeable to oversee everything. Chief Wang has repeatedly planned assassinations of Japanese people and is a capable person in this regard. I would like to invite you to take charge. Brother Zhao Jiu is loyal and righteous and has connections in the underworld. I would also like to invite you to join us.”

After a moment of contemplation, Chief Wang asked, "What should we do with this wealth after we bring it back?"

"Half will be used for the war against Japan, and the other half will be distributed among the brothers who participated. If anyone dies as a result, the money will also go to their families," Fang Wen replied.

"Really?" Chief Wang looked directly at Fang Wen: "I can do without this money, but not my brothers and friends. If they get involved, you have to guarantee that they will actually get a share of the profits afterward."

"I can guarantee that." They looked at each other and calmly replied.

Seeing Fang Wen's calm and collected gaze, Chief Wang smiled and said, "I trust you. Taishan Airlines is such a stable business, it's enough to make you rich for life. You don't need to cause trouble. Now we can talk about the specifics."

This time, Chief Wang took the lead and presented his ideas.

“Many people have fled from beyond the Great Wall, including many skilled martial artists. They each have their own methods and connections, and I know how to find them. These people can be used, but only for peripheral reconnaissance, bribing, and obstruction. They must never be allowed to participate in the Young Marshal's Mansion's operations.”

"Why?" Zhao Jiu asked, puzzled.

Fang Wen explained, "Chief Wang is worried that those people will get greedy. If they think about taking a sum of money and running away, it will definitely cause chaos, and nothing will be accomplished."

Chief Wang nodded: "That makes sense. Those who truly participate in the Young Marshal's Mansion's operations must be people from inside the Great Wall. They have no roots outside the Great Wall and won't stay there, so they are naturally willing to cooperate with the operation, load the wealth onto planes, and bring it back for a share of the profits."

(End of this chapter)