Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 129, Section 128: Trip to Western Hunan - A Banquet in the County Town to Build an Airport

Wu Ziyue had a deep understanding of the bandits in western Hunan.

"The Xiangxi region is mountainous with little arable land and many karst caves, yet it is also a place where Han and Miao people live together, and it has been outside the law since ancient times. Bandits have existed for a long time. However, their composition is very complex. There are members of secret societies who gather to become bandits under the guise of spreading their religion; there are those who resist taxes and levies; there are local gentry who secretly raise bandits; and there are those who are united by kinship from various villages. Many of them are not professional bandits. Today they may be farming in the mountains, and tomorrow they may be dragged up the mountain by relatives and friends to become bandits."

In Wu Ziyue's description, bandits are merely a social form that confronts power, coexisting with other groups in the local society, and can be transformed at any time.

Of course, that's not all.

The real professional bandits are the bandit leaders and their underlings.

These people are ruthless and infamous. Those below them are afraid to betray them, and those around them are terrified and allow themselves to be exploited.

They were the most dangerous of the bandits in western Hunan.

After listening to Wu Ziyue's explanation, Fang Wen roughly understood the situation of the bandits in western Hunan.

In reality, none of them are particularly strong individually; they mainly rely on ruthless methods to maintain their notoriety and dominate the local area.

At least that's the case for now.

Fang Wen had an idea.

The biggest problem here is poverty. If there were money, who would do these things?

He couldn't help but think of Fuyang.

Back then, Fuyang was also teeming with bandits, and even after the campaign to suppress them, they were not completely eradicated.

However, after the opening of the Shanghai-Fuyang flight, it stimulated the local economy. People made money, so naturally there were fewer people who colluded with bandits, and they would even actively cooperate with the arrests.

We can't say we can just copy that method here.

As the ship sailed on the river, it would occasionally encounter rafts coming down from upstream, as well as boats carrying tung oil and other supplies out of the mountains.

Fang Wen drove while checking the terrain map he had made.

This is a topographic map of western Hunan that I made from memory, using the contour line mapping method.

Contour mapping is a common method for representing the elevation changes of terrain on a map.

Using line segments at different heights to represent the complex terrain of the same area is also a common technique in military maps.

The contour map Fang Wen created wasn't very precise; it was made entirely from data obtained through mechanical perception while on the plane.

Such a map is difficult for others to understand, but he can use it to understand the terrain of his location.

Finding a wide-open, flat area to build an airport in this vast mountainous region is not easy.

He remembered a place he had seen from high above, a plain hidden deep in the mountains.

Where is that place?
The ship sailed upstream and docked at a pier called Wangcun.

Fang Wen decided not to travel by water.

He asked Wu Ziyue, "Is there a county town after we land here?"

"Yes, it's called Yongshun County. You're planning to build the airport here?"

Fang Wen nodded: "I saw a plain from the plane, right above the county town, with a small river next to it. It's a typical alluvial plain. Although it's not big, it's just right."

"Does such a place exist?" Wu Ziyue asked his companion, unsure. He then replied, "Yes, it does. They call it Wanping Town, and the river there is called Shanmu River."

This name is very descriptive.

Fang Wen was overjoyed; he had finally found the place.

The question now is whether it's safe for the small steamer to stop here? After all, it was bought for 1000 silver dollars.

Wu Ziyue easily solved this problem. He had a tung oil merchant in Wangcun who did business with him. He asked his family to look after the oil for him, and all he had to do was pay a small amount of silver dollars. Since they were long-term business partners, the merchant was happy to help.

After arranging the small steamer, the group of five went up the stone steps.

Wangcun Town is a town built against the mountain. A main road slopes upwards, and when you reach the top of the mountain, you reach the end of the town.

To get to Yongshun County from here, you can only take an oxcart or horse-drawn cart, and there is a long stretch of mountain road to travel there.

Seeing that it was still early, Fang Wen rented two mule carts and set off immediately.

The mule cart moved slowly along the road, and along the way, Wu Ziyue's companions talked with the mule driver.

The local dialect they speak is not difficult to understand; it is somewhat similar to Sichuan dialect and both belong to the variant of Southwestern Mandarin.

Fang Wen understood what they were saying, and since he had nothing else to do, he simply listened to their idle chatter.

These people talk about everything: how pretty that girl is, what new things have come up in the county town, and what's good to eat.

Later, Fang Wen simply joined the chat as well.

Is Yongshun County big?

“It’s huge, there are tens of thousands of people,” the coachman replied.

"Is it far from Yongshun to Wanping?" Fang Wen got to the point.

"It's not far. You have to go from Lingxi to Wanfu and then to Xinzai, but the road is difficult to travel."

Is there a shorter route?

"That's all."

It seems that the plain is not easy to reach.

Fang Wen estimated that if they wanted to repair the airport, they would probably have to repair the roads as well.

After walking more than 30 kilometers of mountain roads for 3 hours, we finally arrived in Yongshun County.

Wu Ziyue said in a low voice:

"Should we visit the local county government?"

Fang Wen thought for a moment, then shook his head:

"Let's go to Wanping first. I want to see if it's a suitable place."

"Is there enough time? I'm afraid we won't make it before dark. If we encounter bandits after dark, that would be troublesome."

Wu Ziyue had considered everything carefully, so Fang Wen decided not to take the risk and instead stay in the county town for one night.

Since I've decided to stay in the county town, visiting the local county government is a must.

Fang Wen and Wu Ziyue arrived at the government office in Yongshun County.

The place is small, and there are only a few people working there.

Most of them are elderly. That makes sense; those who are sent here to work must be people who have no hope of promotion and can retire comfortably.

Wu Ziyue recognized the people here and went directly to the county magistrate's office.

The county magistrate had dealt with him before and knew that he was a major tung oil merchant who made a significant contribution to the county's economy, so he immediately stood up and greeted him with a smile.

"Mr. Wu, what brings you to my place?"

“I came with a friend. He wants to check out this place and see if he can build an airport,” Wu Ziyue replied.

The other party was stunned: "Mr. Wu, you must be joking. We live in a poor, remote area with hardly any cars, let alone an airplane."

"I'm not kidding. My friend has the ability to build an airport here. Do you know Taishan Airlines?"

The county head nodded: "I know, a businessman from out of town in our county once flew on Taishan Airlines, and he told me about it several times after he came back."

"Is it okay for Taishan Airlines to build an airport here?"

"If it were Taishan Airlines, we would invite them even if it meant using an eight-person sedan chair."

“That’s right. My friend works for Taishan Airlines. He’s here on behalf of the company to conduct an inspection.”

Wu Ziyue still kept his distance and didn't reveal that Fang Wen was the general manager of Taishan Airlines. After all, there were too many bandits here, and if he revealed his identity, the bandits from all around would probably come over.

If he doesn't say, and if Sun Debiao doesn't say, then nobody here knows who Fang Wen is.

After all, information was scarce in those days, and Fang Wen wasn't someone everyone had seen like Yuan Shikai, so there was no need to worry about his identity.

The county magistrate remained skeptical. However, Wu Ziyue had a good reputation, so he couldn't easily refute him.

I could only give a vague reply: "Sir, you're from Taishan Airlines. What's your surname?"

Fang Wen smiled and replied, "My surname is Wen. I am new to this place. I would like to invite the county magistrate and the local dignitaries to dinner so that we can get to know each other. Is that alright?"

There was no problem with having a meal, and the county magistrate immediately agreed, even offering to personally invite prominent figures from the county to attend.

As for the location, we'll choose the best restaurant in the city.

At 6 p.m., the city's largest restaurant was bustling with customers.

They were all familiar faces: the police chief, the county magistrate, officials in charge of education and agriculture, as well as local wealthy and influential people.

They welcome all comers.

This greatly changed the county magistrate's opinion of Mr. Wen.

He stood up and announced it to the public.

"Ladies and gentlemen, today we are honored to have Mr. Wu, the owner of Wu's Tung Oil Shop, as our distinguished guest. His surname is Wen, and he has been sent by the renowned Taishan Airlines to inspect the construction of an airport in our area."

The introduction sparked whispers among the attendees.

Some people's first thought was: "Won't they put up an airport tax? If they collect that tax, I can forget about ever seeing the airport built in my lifetime."

His words drew laughter.

Everyone considered building an airport a joke.

Another person chimed in: "Building a road is more practical than building an airport. If taxes are really levied, I won't pay a single cent."

The two men's words embarrassed the county magistrate, who looked at Fang Wen.

Fang Wen stood up.

"I won't have to pay a single penny. If I choose this place, Taishan Airlines will build roads and an airport here for free. Do you know Fuyang?"

Most people shook their heads.

A well-to-do man chimed in, "I know, Taishan Airlines has a route there, I even took it once to go home to visit my family."

Fang Wen nodded: "Fuyang used to be rife with bandits, and people were afraid of being robbed if they went out of the city. But after our Taishan Airlines established the Shanghai-Fuyang route, passengers from the Central Plains would fly there to stop and travel to nearby areas. As a result, Fuyang's economy took off."

After hearing Fang Wen's words, some of the people present were tempted.

They all asked the portly man if it was really true.

The man responded, "That's true. I stayed in my hometown for a short time and witnessed Fuyang go from having no trade routes to having booming businesses. But that's the Central Plains region, which is different from our area."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Yes, the Central Plains have well-developed transportation and abundant resources, unlike this poor and desolate place.

Fang Wen shook his head: "I don't think so. Once an airport is built here, it will be a treasure trove of good fortune. De Biao, bring me the map."

Sun Debiao responded by taking out a map and unfolding it.

Fang Wen waved and drew a circle towards western Hunan.

"This is our western Hunan, a place with many mountains and treacherous roads, and poor waterways. But its geographical location is at the junction of four provinces: Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, and Guizhou. If we can open up transportation routes here, it will facilitate travel between the four provinces. Waterways and land routes are impassable, but air transport is possible. If an airport is built, it will connect the four provinces."

The key to everything is to reason things out. Once you explain things clearly, no one will have any objections.

As Fang Wen said, western Hunan is located at the junction of four provinces: Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan and Guizhou. If airplanes could take off and land there, the impoverished mountains and rivers could be revitalized immediately.

The county magistrate realized that if he succeeded, it would be the most brilliant moment of his political career.

Other government officials shared similar thoughts.

For the local gentry, it was also incredibly tempting, as if mountains of gold and silver were rushing towards them.

Even Wu Ziyue looked at his brother-in-law with admiration.

This brother-in-law is truly talented. With just a few words, he has captivated everyone. Not only them, but even I am smitten.

The meal thus became lively.

Those at Fang Wen's table vied to get close to him, while those at the next table regretted sitting in the wrong place and also got up to offer him a toast.

Facing so many people, Fang Wen said, "I'm sorry, I've had a long journey and am not feeling well, so I can't drink alcohol. I need to go back and rest."

He stood up, and everyone made way.

At this moment, Fang Wen stopped and turned around, saying, "Oh right, I forgot something. When the company sent me here, they said that Xiangxi is poor, and we can't just think about building an airport; we also need to consider our neighbors. The company is prepared to donate 2000 silver dollars to help the poor elderly and children, but there must be a ceremony, and I ask you all to supervise where this donation goes and use it where it is needed."

2000 dollars!
Everyone was surprised that such a large sum of money was being used for charity; only Taishan Airlines could actually do that.

Immediately, everyone praised it loudly and expressed their willingness to do regulatory work.

Fang Wen smiled and bowed, then left with Wu Ziyue and Sun Debiao.

Back at the hotel, Wu Ziyue ran into Fang Wen's room and gave him a thumbs up: "Your combo was amazing. I bet they'll come knocking on our door tomorrow."

Sun Debiao also came in to report: "General Manager, they have increased the number of soldiers guarding the outside of the hotel."

This attitude speaks volumes.

Because soldiers were guarding the area, I slept peacefully through the night.

The next day, the hotel staff warmly brought breakfast and asked about our well-being.

Subsequently, the county magistrate led a large group of people over to discuss the donation of 2000 silver dollars.

Fang Wen demanded that the donation be made publicly and publicized throughout the county, in the name of Taishan Airlines.

"That's for sure," the county head said, patting his chest in agreement.

Subsequently, a large banner was hung on the street to inform the people of the whole county that Taishan Airlines would be stationed in the county and would donate 2000 silver dollars to charity.

The people of the county didn't know about Taishan Airlines, but they did know about 2000 silver dollars.

That's why the whole county knows the name Taishan Airlines.

Subsequently, the public donation meeting began, and Sun Debiao took a leather suitcase full of silver dollars to the stage and solemnly handed it to the county magistrate.

Other local gentry also took the stage at the same time to express their willingness to jointly supervise the use of this sum of money.

This donation completely earned their trust. When Fang Wen was about to go to Wanping, the county was worried that he might encounter bandits, so they specially arranged for ten police officers to accompany him.

That wasn't enough. Fang Wen smiled and asked the county magistrate, "Could you lend me that car?"

The car he was referring to was the county government's only official vehicle, and it was extremely valuable.

The county magistrate shook his head: "You can't ride in it, it's very bumpy. This car only travels within the city. I've arranged another mode of transportation for you, which will definitely be more comfortable than riding in the car."

"What kind of transportation?" Fang Wen asked in surprise. He couldn't think of anything other than submarines and airships.

The county magistrate smiled but said nothing.

1933 3 Month 25 Day.

Fang Wen and his entourage, accompanied by soldiers, went to Wanping.

Accompanying them was a local gentry member from Wanping, who was said to be very influential in the area.

He boarded the vehicle specially arranged by the county magistrate.

Carrying the sedan chair.

A seat is threaded through two thick bamboo poles, with a cushion placed on it. When a person sits on it, it's like sitting on a shock absorber, bouncing up and down.

This is now the most comfortable mode of transportation on mountain roads.

There were three sedan chair bearers: Fang Wen, Wu Ziyue, and the local gentry, while the others stood guard around them as they walked quickly toward Wanping.

The straight-line distance from the county seat to Wanping is 24 kilometers, but the entire route is mountainous and the mountain road is winding, so the distance could be twice as long.

Therefore, it took the group an entire morning to reach Wanping Town.

(End of this chapter)