Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 194, Section 193: Shunzi's Wedding; Shu Zhitao, an underground worker on the Red Army-Taishan Air Line.

After its completion and continuous improvement, Xiangxi Airport now has three zones: A, B, and C.

Area A is the future cargo loading and unloading and warehouse area, which is the area opened to the public by Xiangxi Airport, which is nominally an air transport transit point.

Used for air freight logistics transshipment and distribution in Southwest China.

Area B is the flight area, which includes the runway, control tower, fuel depot, hangar, maintenance area, and so on.

Area C is the company's own industrial park, which includes a bomb factory, a security team barracks, and a newly established cigarette packaging plant.

Of the three zones, only Zone A is open to the public, and this wedding will be held in Zone A.

Very lively.

As the first member of Fang Wen's group to find a partner, Shunzi was visited by Liu Zhanggui, Sun Debiao, Pan Jiafeng, Shao Sishen, Howard, and Huo Duanyang.

Also accompanying them were members of the Shanghai Airport Security Team, who were all Fang Shouxin's nephews and Shunzi's fellow apprentices.

And everyone at Xiangxi Airport.

The entire airport's Zone A was filled with laughter and cheerful conversation as everyone worked together to set up sheds for eating and cooking, build stoves, and place large pots to prepare ingredients.

With everything prepared, everyone ate a simple meal together before the wedding. Fang Wen stood up and said:
"Shunzi got married, and we are all happy for him. We hope that, inspired by his joy, others will also work hard to resolve their own marriage issues as soon as possible."

Everyone laughed. The youngest, Pan Jiafeng, said he would wait, while the oldest, Sun Debiao, looked on with envy.

Fang Wen continued, "According to local customs, we need to send a wedding procession to bring the bride back. The ones carrying the betrothal gifts will be Shunzi's fellow apprentices of the same generation. There are a few other positions that haven't been assigned yet; I'll mention them, and you can choose for yourselves."

After a pause, Fang Wen took out a piece of paper and read aloud: "The first one is the escort officer: responsible for coordinating the entire wedding procession and negotiating with the bride's family."

Manager Liu replied, "I'll take care of the gift escort."

Within Fang Wen's inner circle, Manager Liu and Fang Shouxin were both reserved and cautious, but Fang Shouxin couldn't do it because it was his own son's wedding, so he was the most suitable person, and no one was competing with him.

Fang Wen continued, "I heard that there's a custom of 'blocking the door with wine' when people get married in Miao villages. It's quite difficult to handle. We need to find someone who can hold their liquor so they don't get drunk at the village gate and embarrass Taishan Airlines."

"I'll do it." "Me too."

Sun Debiao and Shao Sishen bravely undertook this arduous task.

Fang Wen put away the paper. "Everything is arranged. Let's go."

Immediately, the group stood up, leaving only Fang Shouxin, as the parent, to stay at the airport.

Shunzi and Manager Liu, the courier, were in front.

Pan Jiafeng and Huo Duanyang followed, carrying lanterns and baskets on their backs.

Behind them was a large group of people, including a bridal sedan chair and musicians.

The group left the airport to go to the village to welcome the bride.

The journey was lively and filled with laughter and conversation.

After walking for a while, Manager Liu came to the back of the group and talked with Fang Wen.

"General Manager, I have something I'd like to discuss with you."

Fang Wen slowed down: "Speak."

After hesitating for a moment, Manager Liu said, "I think that although Taishan Airlines seems to be safe and sound in China, it is actually facing many crises."

"Why do you say that?" Fang Wen asked.

"The bombing was alright; the Japanese couldn't find any evidence at night and couldn't pin it on us. But there are some issues I have to address regarding the Taishan brand cigarettes. If we don't cover it up, they will inevitably find out that we are doing business with the Red Army."

Manager Liu is the chief accountant of Taishan Airlines. All the company's activities generate cash flow, and ultimately, none of them can escape his accounting audit.

However, he was still a staunch supporter of Fang Wen's inner circle, and upon discovering the problem, he immediately reported it to Fang Wen.

Fang Wen also wanted to know if there were any flaws in what he had done, so he listened attentively.

Manager Liu continued, "Our company's Taishan brand cigarettes have no source of production. They have neither customs registration for foreign cigarettes nor tobacco purchase invoices, nor documentation for the processing stage, and they have no actual origin. Now that the sales of Taishan brand cigarettes are constantly rising, it will inevitably attract the attention of competitors. A little investigation will reveal the problem."

Fang Wen fell into deep thought.

What Manager Liu said is indeed worth noting. It's okay if the quantity is small, but the larger the business, the harder it is to cover up the problems.

Where does all that tobacco come from?
If it's smuggling goods out of the base at low prices for sale, these aren't problems at all. But for legitimate business activities, this is a huge loophole.

He suddenly thought of a unique business term for the future: "export to domestic sales".

Although it wasn't the same thing, it gave him a new idea.

"If you're worried about the place of origin, we can just export and then sell domestically."

Manager Liu asked blankly, "General Manager, what does 'export-to-domestic sales' mean?"

Fang Wen explained: "Suppose we transport all the cigarettes to Yangon, set up a tobacco company there, sell some overseas and some back in China, and then the place of origin becomes British Burma."

"If we do that, it will become a British imported cigarette?" Manager Liu suddenly realized.

He couldn't help but exclaim, "General Manager, how can you be so shrewd? Our Taishan Airlines is such a large company in China, yet all its planes are leased. Even if there's an accident, it won't be a major blow. Plus, with the tobacco issue resolved, making money in China is easy and the risks are minimal."

Fang Wen thought to himself, this is not shrewdness, but simply applying what he has learned from some business cases he will see in the future.

Now that Manager Liu knows about his trade with the Red Army, Fang Wen is ready to have a heart-to-heart talk with him.

"Old Liu, what's your opinion on the Red Army?"

"From the bottom of my heart, I support them. After all, I also came from a poor background. Without the opportunity of becoming a general manager, I would never have been able to turn my life around. It would be best if the Red Army could break the rules of this world."

Manager Liu's answer was very frank, which relieved Fang Wen.

This is a very important core element of Taishan Airlines. Only by following the same path can it have a smooth future.

Therefore, Fang Wen was willing to discuss future plans with Manager Liu.

He will explain his overseas industrial layout in detail.

After hearing this, Manager Liu was greatly surprised: "Such a big business, can it really be done?"

“It’s all about human effort,” Fang Wen explained. “The Asia-Europe international air route is the core of the next few years. We want to use this to establish an Asia-Europe air commercial corridor, not just for transporting people, but more importantly, for transporting goods. I’ve already started the casino company in the US, and the profits have been divided. As long as it can go public, things will be much easier later. Now you know that the US will be sending back a financial report every month. Since you’re capable, why don’t you help me keep an eye on things?”

Manager Liu readily agreed. He was pleased to have gained Fang Wen's further trust, and this was the path he was on to follow to the end.

Time flew by as they chatted along the way, and the wedding procession arrived at a hilltop three miles outside the Miao village.

Manager Liu quickly ran to the front of the line, took on the responsibility of escorting the gifts, and made arrangements.

As the music began, Pan Jiafeng and Huo Duanyang took out large bundles of firecrackers from their baskets, spread them out on the ground, and prepared to light them.

Howard and William also joined in the fun, each grabbing a ceremonial cannon to set it off.

Amidst the sounds of musical instruments, firecrackers crackled and popped, followed by two bursts of fireworks shooting into the sky, instantly igniting the festive atmosphere.

The wedding procession descended the mountain in a grand procession, then climbed another mountain, and arrived outside the Miao village.

Outside the Miao village, it was just as lively, with Miao girls and women wearing silver ornaments blocking the entrance.

They chanted the ancient gate-blocking song, raising the ox horns in their hands.

"What are they singing?" Everyone was very curious.

Shunzi, who understands some Miao language, explained: "They are singing: If you want to enter the village, you have to drink the ox horn wine, otherwise you can't get in."

"It's just drinking. Shao Sishen, let's go." Sun Debiao walked over with Shao Sishen in a nonchalant manner.

They thought there would be wine glasses or bowls, but there weren't. Each person received a buffalo horn, and finishing the contents meant they passed the test. Goodness, these buffalo horns were quite large.

Fortunately, both Sun Debiao and Shao Sishen had a good tolerance for alcohol. Sun Debiao held the ox horn, tilted his head back, and drank it down. Shao Sishen actually bent down and opened his mouth, letting them pour the liquor into his mouth. This was quite popular with the Miao women, and several ox horns were pointed at his mouth.

After the ceremony, the wedding procession entered the village.

We'll be staying here for a while. When a girl gets married, she cries, and her aunts and uncles cry with her.

Although it involves crying, it is done while singing, and is called "crying at the wedding." It is a special wedding ceremony in which the daughter expresses her feelings.

After crying, the bride, Long Yumei, wearing a red headscarf, knelt down with Shunzi to bid farewell to her parents and grandparents.

After the wedding banquet at the bride's family home, you can go out.

Originally, in Miao weddings, the groom carried the bride home on his back. Here, the custom has been changed to that of the North, where a large bridal sedan chair is used to pick her up.

For this purpose, local sedan chair carriers from western Hunan were specially invited, as they are the only ones who can walk swiftly on mountain roads.

Manager Liu, who was in charge of escorting the bride, was busy with everything. After the bride got into the sedan chair, all kinds of dowry had to be packed up. Some were carried in baskets, and some were carried by two people. Although they were not expensive, the gifts had to be substantial.

After all that was done, the music started again, accompanied by firecrackers and the sound of women crying, and the wedding procession returned home.

This time, however, the returning group included several women who were seeing them off.

Shu Zhitao was one of them.

Shu Zhitao followed in the wedding procession, but his mind was in deep thought.

I've been in contact with Fang Shouxin and Shunzi, but are these two really the ones in charge of the entire trade?

It shouldn't be. There's someone behind them who doesn't want to show their face and has sent this father and son to take the lead.

Could he be that general manager?
Or perhaps it's Manager Liu, who's in charge of finances?

Could it be Sun Debiao from the airline distribution company?

Shu Zhitao sized up the senior executives of Taishan Airlines in the wedding procession.

Everyone else was there except for Fang Shouxin.

He sensed a similar spirit among these people to that of the Red Army. What was it that made them so united?
Unconsciously, Shu Zhitao's gaze fell on Fang Wen's back.

The wedding procession traversed mountains and valleys, finally arriving back at Xiangxi Airport in the afternoon.

Everyone immediately forgot their fatigue and became even more lively.

Firecrackers produced by the bomb factory went off continuously, and fireworks shot into the night sky.

A sumptuous spread of dishes filled every table.

According to the customs of Cangzhou, a wedding ceremony is required.

The wedding ceremony was held in the newly erected ceremonial tent.

Besides Fang Shouxin, several of his fellow apprentices also served as witnesses at the wedding.

Shunzi led the Miao bride, adorned with silver ornaments, to pay respects to her uncles and elders, and then kowtowed deeply to Fang Shouxin.

After kowtowing and exchanging vows, the wedding ceremony was considered complete, and the banquet began.

It was a noisy night, but very enjoyable.

Meanwhile, Shu Zhitao also secretly approached Fang Shouxin.

Fang Shouxin glanced at Fang Wen in the distance, stood up and said in a low voice, "Come with me, let's talk in a quiet place."

He and Shu Zhitao left first, and Fang Wen followed right behind.

Both sides entered the same room, but it was a front and back room. Fang Shouxin and Shu Zhitao were in the front room, and Fang Wen was in the back room.

Inside the room, Fang Shouxin poured Shu Zhitao a cup of tea and asked him a question.

"Thank you for attending my son's wedding. You must have other business to attend to, right?"

Shu Zhitao nodded: "Mr. Fang, the Taishan brand cigarettes have greatly helped the economic income of our base area. Currently, the businesses in the base area have finally started to operate under the impetus of this funding."

Fang Shouxin feigned surprise: "Are you having a hard time?"

"Yes, our bases in various places are all subject to economic blockade."

Shu Zhitao described the situation in the base area, explaining that during the several encirclement campaigns, there were not only military attacks but also a 'trade war' of economic blockade.

These economic blockades directly caused the collapse of the base's fragile economic environment.

Many local agricultural and handicraft products cannot be transported out, and various daily necessities from outside are also difficult to bring in. Many of them are smuggled in to circumvent the blockade, but that requires more funds to purchase them, and it is difficult to sustain without a source of income.

Therefore, money is also very important during wartime.

At this point, Shu Zhitao asked, "Our Third Red Army has obtained a stable source of income through the cigarette trade. Cigarettes are also a product that is easy to produce and transport, making them very suitable for the development of other base areas. I would like to ask if it is possible to establish more cigarette sales contacts?"

Fang Shouxin couldn't make a decision about this.

But Fang Wen, in the room behind him, can make the decision.

This secret room was prepared for this situation.

Fang Shouxin raised and lowered his heel, triggering the telegraph mechanism beneath his feet.

This wired Morse code was transmitted to the room behind.

[General Manager, how should we respond to him?]

Fang Wen thought for a moment.

Given the distribution network of Taishan Airlines, the volume of cigarette trade was certainly not enough for the Third Red Army, but it could be handled by all the other base areas combined.

However, since the decision has been made to shift from export to domestic sales, a receiving point is needed.

Taishan Airlines cannot and does not have the capability to pick up goods from various bases.

If the other party transports it, it's best to transport it to Xiangxi Airport, which is very discreet and won't be discovered by others. Then, it can be packaged on-site and transported to Yangon, and then re-exported back to China.

He sent the message to Fang Shouxin in Morse code.

Fang Shouxin felt a faint electric pulse vibration under his feet. He smiled and said, "It is possible to collect it, but I don't have the ability to collect it from your base. They have to send it to Xiangxi Airport."

"Send it here?" Shu Zhitao pondered.

Fang Shouxin took out a map and analyzed, "Look, we are currently on the You River. We can reach these places by water via the You River, the Yuan River, and then the Yangtze River. If you are transporting tobacco and cigarettes, you are not afraid of being checked along the way. The main problem is that it is more troublesome to transport the goods out of the base."

Shu Zhitao nodded: "I will go back and report the situation. Also, please rest assured that the higher-ups care about your support, and the confidentiality will continue. We will absolutely not reveal our relationship with you."

He stood up, gave a solemn military salute, and then left.

Shu Zhitao returned overnight and reported the situation. In response, several base areas held a telegram discussion on the matter.

In their radio communications, they felt it was a good idea, but it had to be kept secret, and a dedicated person had to oversee its operation.

He was responsible for receiving the cigarettes and tobacco leaves transported from various base areas, then transporting them by waterway to Wangcun on the You River, and from Wangcun to Yongshun to Xiangxi Airport.

The best candidate for this position is Shu Zhitao.

Under orders from his superiors, Shu Zhitao took off his military uniform and became an underground worker.

(End of this chapter)