Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 115, Section 114: Traveling on the largest airplane of the Republic of China era: Junkers G.38, London's Chinatown
Fang Wen revealed the treasure hunt plan to the officers, and the seven officers readily accepted.

But now is not the time to implement the plan; it will have to wait until after we have finished visiting the UK.

But this was enough to pique the officers' interest; they were more interested in acquiring a treasure that could make them rich than in the arms deal.

Therefore, during the subsequent transaction, the relationship between the two sides underwent subtle changes.

At 3 p.m., Lin Shuiwang waited anxiously in the guesthouse with his suitcase, occasionally getting up to look out the window.

Two soldiers from the National Defense Army stood outside the door. He had tried, but they forbade him from leaving. There were also soldiers guarding the back of the guesthouse.

Lin Shuiwang wasn't too worried about his own situation; he was more concerned about Fang Wen's current condition.

Where did Fang Wen, who doesn't understand German, go? What will happen to him?
He didn't even dare to think about it.

Just as he was worrying for the nth time, Lena exclaimed with delight, "The car is back!"

Lin Shuiwang immediately opened the door to greet him.

A Mercedes-Benz 170 was parked outside, and an officer got out of the car.

He leaned down and said goodbye to Fang Wen in the driver's seat in a friendly tone in English: "Go back and rest first. We'll talk about the deal tomorrow morning. We'll come over."

After speaking, the officer got into the military vehicle behind him, and the soldiers in front of and behind the door also lifted their guard and jumped into the back seat of the vehicle and left.

Watching the two military vehicles drive away, Lin Shuiwang asked anxiously, "They didn't give you any trouble, did they?"

"No, after the transaction is completed tomorrow, we'll go directly to England," Fang Wen replied with a smile.

Next, he parked the Mercedes 170 in the garage.

Prepare to retrieve the hidden banknotes.

Take two stacks of banknotes from the shelf in the garage, three stacks from the empty oil drum on the ground, and one stack under the car seat.

A total of £55000 worth of British pounds and US dollars were withdrawn.

Fang Wen wrapped the money in newspapers from the garage and returned to the family hotel.

He went straight upstairs, and Lin Shuiwang followed.

In his room, Fang Wen closed the door, unfolded the money in the newspaper, took out pounds worth 10 marks and put them aside, then took out some US dollars and handed them to Lin Shuiwang: "Take this money and go down to give it to Lena. She and her daughter have a hard life. You can't just take advantage of them."

Lin Shuiwang took the money, scratched the back of his head and chuckled awkwardly without saying a word; he genuinely felt embarrassed.

"Aren't you going yet?" Fang Wen looked up at Lin Shuiwang.

"Oh." Lin Shuiwang put down the suitcase, turned around and went downstairs.

A gasp came from downstairs from Lena.

Fang Wen continued, wrapping the 10 marks in banknotes with a cloth he found in the room.

Then open the suitcase and put the remaining money and the documents inside together.

At this moment, Lin Shuiwang returned and voiced his doubts.

"Mr. Fang, aren't you worried that those soldiers might have bad intentions during the transaction?"

"Don't worry, they won't do anything reckless. I've given them a more attractive offer," Fang Wen replied confidently. Compared to the treasure and tens of thousands of marks, those officers wouldn't do anything foolish.

2 month 5 day.

My nearly month-long trip to Berlin is coming to an end.

Fang Wen and Lin Shuiwang got up early, packed their bags, and waited on the first floor.

The march continued in the streets outside.

But now it's a different group of people.

They shouted Nazi slogans, and fueled by the emotions, more and more people began to join them.

As the number of people increased, even vehicles were unable to pass.

The seven officers simply parked their car on the side of the road, jogged across the street, and pushed open the door of the family-run hotel.

They naturally found seats and sat down.

The English-speaking officer spoke up to communicate with Fang Wen.

“We all know Lena’s husband. Someone told us about him as soon as you drove up in his Mercedes 170.”

So that's how it is. Fang Wen couldn't help but feel a little ashamed of his lack of professionalism.

They continued their conversation.

"I've brought the other half of the documents. You don't need to give us the cash right now. It's a bit unsafe lately. How about we complete the final transaction when we get to the airport?"

As he spoke, the officer handed another leather suitcase to Fang Wen, who then passed it to Lin Shuiwang before standing up.

"Then let's go."

The group then left the guesthouse, crossed the street, boarded a military vehicle, and drove towards the airport.

Upon arriving at the airport, when it came time to buy a plane ticket to London, England, Fang Wen took out the money and asked Lin Shuiwang to do it, but an officer took the money and did it for him instead.

Once the plane tickets were purchased, Fang Wen opened his suitcase, took out pounds worth 100,000 marks, and completed the transaction.

As the officers left, they handed Fang Wen a small notebook.

Lin Shuiwang watched the whole thing with surprise, wondering why these people were suddenly so cooperative and concerned about Fang Wen's safety.

He couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Fang, is this the big cake you mentioned yesterday?"

Fang Wen nodded and looked at Lin Shuiwang: "After things are over in England, I'll take you to share the cake."

Fang Wen didn't tell Lin Shuiwang about the treasure right now, as he planned to focus on dealing with the penicillin issue in England before doing this.

Lin Shuiwang didn't ask any questions. The two of them took their tickets and entered the airport waiting room. After waiting for a while, the airport staff announced that the flight from Berlin to London was ready for boarding.

Fang Wen stood up, carrying a canvas bag in his left hand and a suitcase in his right, and Lin Shuiwang followed suit.

The two lined up with the other passengers and filed out of the waiting room.

As soon as I stepped out of the waiting area, I saw a passenger plane parked at the airport.

Fang Wen, the general manager of the airline, is also very interested in passenger planes.

He walked along, examining the plane as he went.

This is a rare, giant commercial airliner.

It was even about the same size as the F.220 behemoth bomber that Fang Wen bought.

Germany really puts a lot of effort into aircraft; such a large plane is actually used in civil aviation.

Fang Wen suddenly thought of Germany's defeated nations' treaty. Yes, since they couldn't be used for military purposes, they simply used them for civilian purposes.

Fang Wen was very interested in such a huge aircraft and carefully inspected the interior after boarding.

It even has transverse seats, allowing passengers to sit on the wings and watch the flight from the same perspective as the pilot.

There are even sleeper berths at the rear of the plane.

This design is so futuristic.

Fang Wen couldn't help but admire the designer's ingenious ideas.

Even by modern standards, such an aircraft would be considered a luxury, yet it was already built in 1933.

After the plane took off, Fang Wen sat in the seat on the wing and activated his mechanical senses to learn about the aircraft.

After some investigation, the situation of the aircraft became clear.

This aircraft is also very luxurious.

Four 750-horsepower engines.

It can carry 37 passengers and a large amount of cargo.

The total weight of the aircraft after takeoff is approximately 24000 kilograms.

Wingspan: 44.0 meters

Length: 23.2 meters

Height: 7.2 meters

The speed is not fast: the maximum speed is probably around 280 kilometers per hour, and the cruising speed is around 250 kilometers per hour. The flight altitude can reach 6000 meters.

Flight distance?

Fang Wen estimates that the range can reach 3000 kilometers when unloaded and 1000 kilometers when fully loaded.

Despite its speed limitations, this aircraft is undoubtedly the world's largest aircraft at present.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it an aerial train.

Fang Wen asked as the flight attendant approached.

"Hello, what model of aircraft is this, and which company manufactures it?"

The flight attendant smiled and responded in English: "It's a Junkers G.38, made by Junkers, and owned by Lufthansa."

"Is it for sale?" Fang Wen's interest was piqued again. Having just bought the F.220, he had become interested in the Junkers G.38.

"I'm sorry, the Junkers G.38 is a proprietary German aircraft and will not be sold to foreign companies," the flight attendant replied proudly.

It seems I can't buy it.

Fang Wen felt a little regretful, but then he thought that such a large aircraft, as a daily passenger transport operation, was no better than a Boeing 247, and might even suffer losses due to huge fuel consumption and the inability to reach full capacity.

In other words, it can be converted into a heavy bomber during wartime.

But now that I have an F.220, I no longer need it.

It was nothing more than greed stemming from a love of airplanes.

With this in mind, Fang Wen felt relieved and stopped having any thoughts about the Junkers G.38.

He leaned back in his chair, propped his legs up on the window frame in front of him, and leisurely looked at the sky in front of him, gradually falling asleep in the soft sunlight.

After a four-hour flight, Junkers G.38 landed at London Airport.

Lin Shuiwang woke Fang Wen up.

"Sir, we are about to disembark."

Fang Wen regained consciousness, got up, grabbed his luggage, and followed the other passengers off the plane with Lin Shuiwang.

After their passports were checked and stamped by airport customs, the two arrived on British soil.

In London, it was Lin Shuiwang's home turf, and he was happy to offer advice to Fang Wen.

“Mr. Fang, let’s go to Limehouse. My home is there, and there are many fellow villagers who can help us.”

"Really? I'll do as you say. So how do we get there?" Fang Wen agreed.

“We’re at Croydon Airport now. We’ll take the subway, then transfer to a taxi. Sir, come with me.”

Lin Shuiwang has lived in London for many years and can be considered a local.

He led Fang Wen into the subway station, bought subway tickets, and boarded a subway train heading to central London.

The subway was crowded, but not too crowded.

After exiting the subway, Lin Shuiwang feigned a sigh and said, "Mr. Fang, when do you think China will become like this?"

"Yes, it will become even better than here," Fang Wen affirmed.

"Really?" Lin Shuiwang couldn't believe it, but hearing Fang Wen say it made him a little hopeful.

The two switched to a London taxi outside the subway station.

This is an Austin 12/4 taxi, produced by Austin Motors two years ago. It's all black and has become a new trend in London.

The taxi traveled east along the Thames River and arrived at Rotherheed.

There is an underwater tunnel there, completed in 1843, connecting Rotherheed on the south bank and Wapping on the north bank.

The car entered the tunnel and traveled for ten minutes before reaching the other side of the river.

Lin Shuiwang asked the taxi to stop, paid the fare, and got out.

He pointed in one direction.

"The street closest to the river is Limehouse, which is in the Warping Borough, part of the London Borough of Hamlet Tower. When we Chinese first came to London from overseas, we found a place to gather by the Thames River, and that's where it is."

According to Lin Shuiwang, the residents here were laborers and sailors from Fujian and Guangdong. Many of them later brought people from their hometowns over time, which eventually formed a Chinese community, or Chinatown in this era.

After they finished talking, the two went into Limehouse.

There were really Chinese people everywhere there.

From clothing to shop decorations, everything exudes an oriental flavor.

Lin Shuiwang was very popular here, and many people greeted him along the way.

As he responded, he led Fang Wen to a shop facing the street.

“This is my shop. I rent it to a fellow villager to open a restaurant, and I can also eat at his shop. The second floor is rented to his family to live in, and the third and fourth floors are mine.”

After saying that, Lin Shuiwang walked into the shop and shouted loudly, "Tu Zai, I'm back! What's good to eat today?"

The man he called Tu Zai was a short, stout middle-aged man with a naturally smiling face, perfect for running a business.

Tu Zai chuckled: "The British asked me to make fried fish for them. I made a bit too much. How about we just have fried fish?"

“No way, Tu Zai. See this guy? He’s a pilot from China, a big boss of an airline, and a combat hero who sank a Japanese warship. You’re making him eat fried fish? Wouldn’t that be too embarrassing for our Lemhouse?”

Lin Shuiwang's words were very sharp, which made Tu Zai feel ashamed. He thought for a moment.

"I've got it. How about I make mixed fish in soy sauce?"

The dish had a very ordinary name, but Lin Shuiwang looked happy: "This is it. Make sure it's done well. I'll take the guests upstairs and settle them in, then come down and get the wine I left with you."

Then, he led Fang Wen through the back of the restaurant and up the stairs at the back.

Upon reaching the third floor, Lin Shuiwang knocked on the iron door: "Grandma, open the door."

An elderly woman came out, opened the door shakily, and kept muttering in Hokkien, which Fang Wen couldn't understand.

Lin Shuiwang helped his mother into the house, then turned to Fang Wen and said, "The third floor has a living room and a room, and the fourth floor has two rooms. My mother and I will each have one. If you feel uncomfortable, you can stay on the third floor, where no one will bother you."

Fang Wen nodded and followed Lin Shuiwang into the house to check the bedroom.

The bedroom was decorated with the character for "happiness" and the bed was covered with a cloth.

Lin Shuiwang pulled the cloth off and explained, "My mother always wanted me to get married, so she asked a friend to bring a woman from our hometown to be her wife to put her mind at ease. Who knew that the woman was so clever and could speak English? She got together with a foreigner while I was away working on a ship."

"You still think about her, don't you?" Fang Wen sensed something from Lin Shuiwang's continued arrangement of the wedding room.

"That's all." I was reluctant to part with these things; they were quite expensive when I bought them. "Mr. Fang, don't worry about these things. Just stay here; it'll be fine."

Fang Wen nodded without saying anything and put down his luggage.

Lin Shuiwang went out, closing the door behind him and saying, "I'll call you when the food is ready."

Half an hour later, Lin Shuiwang came over, and Fang Wen, who had changed into a different outfit, went downstairs with Lin Shuiwang.

Tu Zai, his wife, Fang Wen, Lin Shuiwang, and Lin Shuiwang's mother—a total of five people—sat together.

On the table was a large pot of stew, which was what Tu Zai called mixed fish in soy sauce.

There were also some stir-fried vegetables and Western sausages.

Before we started eating, Lin Shuiwang introduced this dish to Fang Wen: "Let me tell you about this dish. We Minnan people live by the sea and eat the sea. We love to eat fish, and we have all kinds of ways to cook fish. But there is one dish that every family makes: mixed fish in soy sauce. I can't say how it tastes. You'll know once you try it."

Fang Wen nodded and picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks.

This bite of fish, dipped in soup, also has some shredded ginger.

He ate it; because it had been deep-fried and then stewed, even the bones were soft and tender.

The fish, mixed with soy sauce, elevates the freshness of the coastal region to another level. Ginger and cooking wine are used to remove any fishy smell, while fried garlic and scallions add aroma.

Actually, it tastes pretty good.

Fang Wen nodded: "It's delicious."

Having finally gotten to eat Chinese food, Fang Wen had a great appetite and ate several bowls of rice.

After dinner, he discussed the operation in London with Lin Shuiwang.

(End of this chapter)