Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 126 125mm Cannon Factory and the Plug-in, Shunzi's Tinware Factory

The collaborative research and development project on penicillin drugs is progressing smoothly.

Some professors in the Department of Biology at Tsinghua University agreed to participate in the project.

Manager Liu then produced another contract template.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Collaborative Research and Development Agreement
Party A: Taishan Airlines (hereinafter referred to as Party A)
Appointee: Professor, Department of Biology, Tsinghua University (hereinafter referred to as Party B)
Party A, desiring to develop penicillin to revitalize the nation and ensure the health and well-being of its people, hereby appoints Party B to oversee the work of the dedicated penicillin research laboratory. The terms agreed upon by both parties are as follows:
I. Party A shall pay Party B a one-time settlement allowance of one thousand silver dollars and arrange for an airplane to pick up Party B and their family members and transport them to Wuhan for settlement.

II. Party B's monthly salary is set at 300 silver dollars, plus an allowance of 200 silver dollars.

Third, Party A will provide appropriate rewards for the interim results of Party B's research. Upon completion of the research and development results, the team will be rewarded with 10,000 silver dollars.

IV. The technical rights to penicillin belong to Party A. The strains cultivated by Party B and other laboratory personnel shall not be taken out of the laboratory.

5. Experiment logs must be archived and stored. Their contents are confidential and must not be disclosed. If any confidential information is leaked, Party B shall compensate Party A with five times the amount of the project investment.

VI. If Party B or its laboratory personnel are suspected of colluding with the enemy and leaking penicillin information to Japan or other foreign powers, Party A will pursue their liability in addition to compensating for the losses.

VII. This contract is made in duplicate, with each party holding one copy, and shall take effect from the date of signing.

Representative of Party A (Signature): __
Party B (Signature): __
Republic of China, ____ year, ____ month, ____ day

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After reading the contract, two professors agreed to participate. They would not only bring their families to Wuhan, but also their capable students.

However, the Wuhan route has not yet been opened, and there is no laboratory or place to house the experimental staff and their families.

Manager Liu made an appointment with the two professors to meet again in half a month, and then returned to Shanghai.

And at the same time.

In the south, east of Changsha, lies Liuyang County.

After getting off the plane in Nanchang, Fang Shouxin took various means of transportation, passing through Fengxin, Yifeng and Wanzai counties before entering Liuyang.

Liuyang is a large city with many workshops that make fireworks and firecrackers. After investigating, Fang Shouxin reported to Shanghai via telegram.

"There are hundreds of workshops in the county town with thousands of workers. There are also people in the countryside who make fireworks and firecrackers. It is said that there are 200,000 to 300,000 people in the countryside who make firecrackers, hence the saying 'nine out of ten households make firecrackers'."

"Liuyang fireworks are sold to various places and even overseas, so there are large fireworks dealers who set up sales and transportation points in various places."

"However, the place where cannon shops gather is not Liuyang, but Shangli, where there are many cannon shops such as Yuanjiben, Yuanji, Yuanjirui, and Taishunxiang, which sell, purchase and distribute cannons."

After sending the telegram, Fang Shouxin headed south to Shangli County, which was dozens of miles away.

There, Fang Shouxin visited several gunpowder shops, seeking skilled gunpowder filling workers, and demanding that they follow the rules and prioritize safety.

The sales network of several fireworks stores covers the area south of the Yangtze River, and they also have many connections with various fireworks and firecracker workshops, which allows them to recruit suitable workers.

Fang Shouxin made another promise.

"All workers will be provided with room and board and will be paid 20 silver dollars per month. In case of an accident, medical treatment will be provided first, and those who are injured or die will be compensated with 30 to 50 months' wages."

"You can take a three-day break once a month. You can also accumulate your holidays and fly home to visit your family once every three months."

These requirements and benefits are incredibly generous.

Even the managers of several arson shops didn't believe there were such good conditions, and they dared not help recruit people, fearing they might encounter a swindler.

Fang Shouxin hadn't expected this problem to arise even after offering such favorable terms.

To prove himself, he could only invite a few companies to send people to Nanchang to inspect Taishan Airport.

Shangli is not too far from Nanchang, and Fang Shouxin promised to provide food and lodging along the way and treat them well, so the several cannon shops agreed to send people to take a look.

After those people arrived, they confirmed that Fang Shouxin was the administrative director of Taishan Airlines, and that this matter was also done by Taishan Airlines through investment in building the factory.

He then returned and explained the situation to his family, which put their minds at ease.

After receiving payment from Taishan Airlines, several artillery companies began recruiting workers.

Because the conditions were so good, many people in Liuyang and Shangli, two famous fireworks and firecracker towns, were vying for the position.

Some people even started to have ulterior motives, trying to bribe the recruiters with silver coins in order to get the good job that cost 20 silver dollars.

Therefore, Fang Shouxin refused to accept any payment, only considering ability.

His statement piqued the interest of skilled fireworks and firecracker workers, who flocked to apply for jobs.

After a recruitment process, Fang Shouxin gathered 60 skilled workers, paid each of them 10 silver dollars as a settlement allowance, and took them to Nanchang.

These workers, carrying their bags, stood in a group inside the airport, looking at the new things happening before them.

Full of anticipation and uncertainty about the future.

One of the bolder ones asked, "Manager Fang, where are we going?"

"Take a plane back to Shanghai first. Even if you don't work now, you won't be shortchanged on your wages," Fang Shouxin replied.

After waiting for a while, a whooshing sound came from the sky, and a huge plane descended from the sky. It was much bigger than a Boeing 247, which frightened the workers so much that they retreated one after another.

"Don't panic, this is here to pick us up. It's a heavy transport plane from Taishan Airlines," Fang Shouxin said with no small amount of pride.

He led the workers onto the plane, beginning the first flight for these 60 people in their lives.

The cabin behind was bustling with noise, mostly filled with expressions of wonder and surprise.

In the cockpit, Fang Wen sat in the driver's seat and Pan Jiafeng sat in the co-pilot's seat.

"Go and close the cabin door," Fang Wen instructed.

Pan Jiafeng stood up, went inside and closed the cabin door, and said to the workers, "This is a transport plane, there are no seats. Everyone find a place to sit down. There will be some turbulence when we take off, and you might fall if you stand."

The workers nodded and sat down.

Pan Jiafeng returned: "Master, we can take off now."

Fang Wen turned on the instrument switch, activated the radio equipment, and communicated with the ground control tower.

"Taishan-1 requests takeoff. Please respond." Taishan-1 is the new name for the F.220, and the aircraft lives up to its name, as heavy as Mount Tai.

The ground control tower replied: "The runway has been inspected and there are no obstacles. The general manager can proceed with the takeoff."

Fang Wen smiled and said, "According to the rules, Taishan No. 1 should be able to take off."

"Yes, General Manager, Taishan No. 1 is ready for takeoff."

Fang Wen started the engines, and the four 750-horsepower engines ran on both sides of the aircraft, causing a vibration in the fuselage.

To ensure that Taishan-1 could see the aircraft, staff on the runway waved flags from a great distance.

This is the runway safety officer on site. It's not enough for just the control tower to say something; the safety officer is the second guarantee for takeoff.

Fang Wen waved to the safety officer, turned the plane around, accelerated on the runway, and flew into the sky.

High in the air, Pan Jiafeng relaxed and got up to check the situation in the rear cabin.

Upon returning, he asked, "Master, what should be done with these people?"

Fang Wen picked up his teacup and drank the warm tea, but did not answer.

The Taishan No. 1 landed at Shanghai Airport, and 60 workers were temporarily housed in accommodations outside the airport.

Where to open the factory is a question.

Fang Wen was also troubled by this. After getting off the plane and returning home, he washed his face, but the matter was still on his mind.

Before they knew it, it was afternoon, and Shunzi and Huo Duanyang returned.

The two reported the situation to Fang Wen.

Huo Duanyang spoke first: "I visited many classmates, seniors and juniors, and they were very interested in the conditions set by the general manager."

"You didn't give me the specifics, did you?" Fang Wen asked.

“No. We just told them that they were involved in chemistry-related work, and the monthly salary of 100 silver dollars was very attractive to them,” Huo Duanyang replied.

Fang Wen instructed: "The most critical catalytic step in the entire preparation of naphtha can only be performed by you, and the key catalyst can only be formulated by you. Only the two of us know the formula, so absolutely do not tell anyone else."

Huo Duanyang nodded: "I understand."

Fang Wen looked at Shunzi: "Shunzi, go outside for a bit. I need to speak with Huo Duanyang alone for a few minutes."

"Yes, young master." Shunzi turned and left, closing the door behind him.

After Shunzi left, Fang Wen said with a serious expression, "There are two things in this world that have always been major calamities for mankind: water and fire. Your napalm bombs have strong adhesion and can burn continuously, posing a threat that is even more dangerous than bombs. Last time, our 300 kilograms of napalm bombs destroyed a third of the Japanese army camp in Shenyang, causing huge casualties. This kind of weapon has not yet appeared in the world. It is our unique weapon and also a huge hidden danger."

Fang Wen paused, staring at Huo Duanyang: "If the Japanese take it, they can make the same napalm bombs and drop them on our heads, causing countless civilian casualties. This is even more threatening than bombs, do you understand?"

Huo Duanyang understood, but he had never thought about it so thoroughly before.

The images flashed through his mind, sending chills down his spine.

He knew all too well the consequences of his own inventions.

A single heavy bomb can destroy at most one building, and sometimes that's not even enough.

When napalm bombs explode, they spray out countless small sparks that are difficult to extinguish and continue to burn.

If such napalm bombs were dropped into the city, they could even burn down a large number of wooden buildings.

China is full of wooden buildings, such as those ancient buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties, and even those built during the Republic of China period are mostly brick-and-wood structures. If a fire breaks out, it could be disastrous.

Huo Duanyang felt a heaviness he had never felt before, realizing that he absolutely could not reveal the crucial secret. He nodded solemnly.

"General Manager, I will go back and think carefully about how to do the best to maintain confidentiality."

“Go back. I’m just worried that you don’t realize how important this is.”

Then, Huo Duanyang left with heavy steps.

Watching his retreating figure, Fang Wen sighed.

Several major fires occurred during the War of Resistance against Japan, each causing enormous losses, which is enough to prove how threatening napalm bombs were.

The most powerful weapons in warfare must be used wisely, otherwise they will harm both the enemy and oneself.

Just then, Shunzi came in from outside, grinning as he began his report.

"Young Master, I've been to several places this time and have gotten to the bottom of things."

"What have you figured out?" Fang Wen asked.

"Pewterware, although not as profitable as copper or ironware, is easy to make and has abundant raw materials, making it very cheap. Take tin mines for example, there are mines in Gejiu, Yunnan, Guangxi, Chaozhou, and Hunan. I thought that since this stuff needs to be kept secret, it would be better to produce it myself than to order it from someone else. So I was thinking about what to do about this."

Fang Wen was surprised; Shunzi's growth was astonishing, and he had actually started to use his brain.

He asked, "Have you found a solution?"

“Found it.” Shunzi proudly recounted her experience.

He visited several places in the Jiangnan region that produced tinware, and finally chose Zhenjiang.

Zhenjiang is located on the south bank of the Yangtze River, with well-developed water transportation and is also a trading center.

There are many hardware shops in the area, as well as small individual merchants who carry their wares on shoulder poles. The main types of merchants are blacksmiths, coppersmiths, and tinsmiths.

After Shunzi arrived, he originally intended to place an order with a tinware workshop.

It turned out that the workshops' output was far below the required level.

It turns out that these workshops and tinsmiths who traveled around were either master-apprentice pairs or father-son pairs, and their skills were not passed on to outsiders. Moreover, since everything was handmade, they could not produce too much.

Shunzi would try to find out who his mentor was among this group of people.

The most senior member of the family took the lead, bringing together a line of tinsmiths, and managed to persuade him through incentives.

If these 20-plus tinsmiths worked together, they could produce the output that Fang Wen wanted.

After listening to Shunzi's words, Fang Wen said approvingly, "Then I'll put you in charge of this tinware factory. Can you deliver 4000 bomb-specific tin pots to me within half a month?"

Shunzi was stunned; Fang Wen had given him a huge choice.

If you agree, you can have your own business.

If they disagree, he can continue to take the flight apprentice exam and fulfill his father's dream of becoming a pilot.

He hesitated between the two options.

Finally, he looked at Fang Wen and said, "Young Master, I want to manage the tinware factory, but you have to talk to my father first. I'm terrified of his temper."

"It's alright, I'll talk to him later. Now let's talk about the tinware factory. If you're managing the tinware factory, you can't just let them do whatever they want. You have to break down the process, with different tinsmiths specializing in a particular process. That's called assembly line operation, understand?"

"I don't understand." Shunzi shook his head honestly.

Fang Wen continued to explain: "They are all skilled workers and can complete the entire production of pewterware independently, but that kind of work is too slow. For example, pewterware production includes steps such as modeling, mold making, casting, demolding, trimming, welding, and polishing. Letting them each be responsible for different steps will greatly improve efficiency."

"I'll remember, young master." Shunzi carefully memorized Fang Wen's words. Although he wasn't good at studying, he was a pragmatist. Since the young master said so, he would put it into practice.

“Alright then, go to General Manager Liu’s account and get some money, according to the standards your father used to recruit workers last time, and go to Zhenjiang again to bring the people over,” Fang Wen instructed.

"My dad's side?"

"I'm coming right now. Don't worry, he won't beat you up."

Shunzi immediately smiled and did as Fang Wen instructed.

Fang Wenze went out and found Fang Shouxin resting at home.

"Uncle Fang, Shunzi just came back, and I sent him out to do some work again."

"Alright, this kid needs some training." Fang Shouxin nodded.

“I’m planning to make him the manager of the tinware factory, but he’s worried you won’t agree, so he asked me to talk to you about it.”

Fang Shouxin did not disagree; on the contrary, he was very happy.

But I'm still worried.

"Young Master, is Shunzi alright?"

"The tinware factory hires experienced workers, so it's not too difficult. Don't worry."

Fang Shouxin said happily, "That's good. Thank you, young master, for giving Shunzi the opportunity to stand up for himself. I originally wanted him to take the flight apprentice exam because I was worried that the kid would have no future."

Fang Wen was happy that the misunderstanding between the father and son had been cleared up.

Remembering that he hadn't finished his business, he immediately said to Fang Shouxin, "Uncle Fang, go to the city tomorrow and call Neil over. I want to talk to him about hiring foreign pilots."

The purpose of hiring a foreign pilot was to bring the Shrike back. In Shanghai, the only person who could fly the P26 series aircraft was Neil.

(End of this chapter)