Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 284, Movie 283: Wuhan Headquarters Meeting, Work Report and Arrangements
"Farewell, everyone. We look forward to meeting again sometime."

Fang Wen got up to say goodbye.

People in the salon stood up to see him off.

Mr. Liang saw Fang Wen to the door and said in a low voice, "You're going to change your appearance, aren't you? The room next door hasn't been rented out yet, and I have the landlord's key."

He opened the door to the room opposite, and Fang Wen went in alone. When he came out, he was a stranger.

"Take care." Mr. Liang and Mr. Lin watched Fang Wen go downstairs.

Fang Wen walked out of the residential building and looked around. He saw Chen Suoxin and his Axe Gang members in plainclothes guarding the area.

There was no conflict because of the change in leadership.

It seemed that the Axe Gang members were quite disciplined under Chen Suoxin's command, which reassured Fang Wen.

He strolled down the street and stopped by the roadside. Chen Suoxin, disguised as a passerby, was reading a newspaper next to him while whispering reports about the situation.

"General Manager, there's nothing going on here, but you're going to the film company, which is very close to the Japanese-controlled area. I'm worried about the danger. Perhaps I could make the arrangements?"

"What are your plans?" Fang Wen asked.

"I've already sent Liu Yinshou over. If you agree, he will invite the director and screenwriter in charge of that movie to a nearby teahouse as the investment representative of Taishan Aviation. You can just go directly to the teahouse. Our people will be on guard outside the teahouse and will alert you immediately if anything happens."

This arrangement is good, and Fang Wen agreed.

He took a rickshaw to the street where Star Movie Company was located.

Twenty minutes later, we arrived there.

It's been over a year since I last came here, and it's still the same.

He saw Liu Yinshou by the roadside, with a teahouse behind him. Following Liu's directions, Fang Wen went straight over and entered the teahouse.

After a while, a member of the Axe Gang walked into the teahouse and lingered at Fang Wen's table for a moment.

"The people have been contacted, and they said they'll be here soon." With that, the man left the teahouse.

So far, the arrangements at the Taishan Volunteer Army's Shanghai intelligence station have been handled very well, saving Fang Wen a lot of trouble. He then ordered a pot of tea and waited.

Not long after, the director and screenwriter arrived as scheduled.

I've never met the director, Fang Wen. He's in his forties, middle-aged.

The screenwriter was someone Fang Wen knew, Huanzhu Louzhu, who had specifically requested him to produce the script.

The two went upstairs, looked down, and headed towards Fang Wen's table.

"Hello, are you the investment representative for Taishan Aviation?" the director asked.

"I am Zhao, and I have been entrusted by Taishan Airlines to inquire about the investment progress. Please have a seat," Fang Wen replied. Over the past year, Taishan Airlines has invested a considerable amount of money, so it was normal for him to come and check on the situation.

The two sat down, and the director spoke first: "My surname is Zhang. I have participated in the filming of the Burning of the Red Lotus Temple series of films. I was fortunate enough to take on this film and have been doing my best to film it. However, your side requires that we film the effect of King Kong. We have spent a lot of time just making the models, and the post-production editing has also taken a long time. We have only filmed half of it so far."

Fang Wen couldn't quite understand the explanation, since current filming techniques and future computer-generated special effects are completely different concepts.

He looked at Huanzhu Louzhu: "Do you have anything to say?"

Huanzhu Louzhu said, "Director Zhang put a lot of effort into it. Many shots were reshot because he was not satisfied with them. The effect he produced is definitely comparable to the popular foreign film King Kong. It's just that the movie is too long, more than four hours long. It's too tiring to watch it all at once."

The film, which took more than four hours to shoot, was meticulously edited; no wonder it took more than a year to complete.

Fang Wen suggested: "How about this, you divide the movie into several parts, each with a runtime of one and a half to two hours. Releasing it to the market in batches will allow you to adjust the later parts of the film based on market conditions."

Director Zhang nodded: "I will edit the first part as soon as possible and hand it over to the film company for screening."

"Give us a copy of the master disc; Taishan Airlines will handle the overseas distribution. By the way, I happen to have some free time today; could I visit the location where you filmed?"

Fang Wen's request was naturally no problem.

The three got up and headed to the studio of Star Film Company.

The photography studio is in a relatively remote location, outside the French Concession, and is housed in a local's house, which is both cheap and spacious.

There, Director Zhang demonstrated the filming process to Fang Wen, as well as many interesting filming techniques.

In this day and age, to create a magical film effect, you have to put effort into props and filming.

For example, if the camera stops and then resumes shooting, the objects in the previous shot are adjusted after the stop, and those objects and people are removed in the next shot, it's as if the objects and people have simply disappeared.

There are also advanced versions of this shooting technique, such as masking and multiple exposure.

It means to photograph different things again on a piece of film that has already been shot.

This can result in multiple images appearing simultaneously.

This works very well in fantasy movies, especially during magic demonstrations.

There is also landscape painting technology.

The production team's artists painted the images on a transparent glass plate, which was then superimposed on the lens and combined with the filming footage to create a realistic fictional scene.

And the miniature modeling technology used in King Kong.

The production team hired artisans to create a batch of miniature models of houses, mountains, rivers, and other terrain features. These models were then combined with real-world scenes or backgrounds using photographic techniques to create a grand visual effect.

After seeing these filming techniques, Fang Wen went to the editing room and watched the original director's cut.

As a film from this era, Fang Wen felt it was no worse than foreign films.

He then made an agreement with the director to edit the film and hand it over to Taishan Airlines in January for simultaneous domestic and international release.

With the matter of Star Film Company concluded, Fang Wen also left Shanghai.

He piloted a Boeing 247 fuel plane directly to Wuhan Airport.

After landing at Wuhan Airport, Fang Wen went straight to the headquarters of Taishan Airlines.

The guard at the gate blocked his way.

"Halt! This is company property. Outsiders are not allowed to enter."

They were stopped at their own doorstep.

Fang Wen was quite surprised. He glanced at the guard, but didn't recognize him.

Yes, the original security team has long been expanded, and those people have gone to various airports to become security system managers. Of course, they won't continue to guard the gates now.

Fang Wen smiled and said, "I work for this company. How can I prove it to you?"

"The identification documents—all the headquarters employees have their own identification documents; I can tell the difference between real and fake at a glance," the guard replied.

The matter of employee identification was instructed by Fang Wen before he went to Europe, but now it has prevented him from returning to the company.

"Can I get in without identification?"

"No, I'm here. Even if it were the King of Heaven himself, you wouldn't be allowed in without identification." The guard refused without hesitation.

Fang Wen felt a little embarrassed and looked around, trying to find someone he knew to prove that he was himself.

Just then, an acquaintance walked by in the company compound.

It is spring grass.

Fang Wen hurriedly shouted, "Cao'er, come here and tell the guard that I can't get in."

The familiar voice made Chuncao stop and turn around.

Upon seeing Fang Wen at the gate, she ran over in delight. "Young Master, you're finally back!"

"Yes, but we can't get in. Can you think of a way?"

Chuncao glanced at the upright and incorruptible guard and shook her head helplessly: "I can't get him to do anything either. The gatekeepers that Miss found are all inflexible. Wait for me, and I'll let Miss handle it."

After she finished speaking, she turned around and ran back.

After a while, a large group of people came down from the headquarters building and walked straight to the main entrance.

With smiles on their faces, they said in unison, "Good morning, General Manager. Welcome back."

Now, even the most clueless guard understood the situation.

He scratched the back of his head, opened the iron gate, and stood up straight. "Welcome home, General Manager."

This is good for going home. Fang Wen treats Taishan Airlines as his home. He looked at the guard with satisfaction and encouraged him, "Good job. The company needs people like you who strictly perform their duties."

After saying that, Fang Wen walked into the company, where a large group of people greeted him warmly.

While dealing with his subordinates, Fang Wen glanced at Kuang Mingzhu standing in the distance and said, "Alright, alright, thank you all for your concern. I'll talk about the European situation later. My wife is still waiting over there, so please don't interfere with our family reunion."

Everyone laughed and made way.

Fang Wen strode towards his wife and hugged her tightly.

This embrace conveyed a thousand unspoken words.

Kuang Mingzhu, who was originally a strong woman, softened up immediately, snuggling up to Fang Wei and walking out of the company chatting and laughing.

He left the company with his wife; what happened next is self-evident.

Whether it's dry wood igniting a raging fire or adding fuel to the fire, it will ignite instantly.

The longing of many days has turned into action and melted into one.

After the pleasure, they fell asleep in each other's arms, only to wake up the next morning.

At home, Fang Wen couldn't help but become a little lazy, and he didn't even want to get out of bed when the sun rose.

His wife got up first, prepared to get everything ready, and then started nagging by the bedside.

"Get up, the hot water is ready. You should at least take a shower when you get back. I can smell how bad you smell."

Fang Wen opened his eyes. During the war in Europe, he had indeed taken fewer showers, and he did smell a bit.

But after returning to Yangon, I resumed my normal routine and started taking showers regularly.

This is just the wife's imagination. When a traveler returns home, he should wash himself to remove dirt and grime, hoping for a good omen.

His wife's nagging kept him awake. He got up, washed up, and changed into the complete set of underwear and outerwear that his wife had carefully prepared.

After doing all that, the two ate breakfast at the dining table in the living room.

Eat and chat at the same time.

"After you come back this time, you won't go out again, will you?"

"Probably not. There are a lot of things to deal with back home. The training will stop here. They are capable of fighting, but ultimately they will have to rely on themselves."

While eating the fragrant scallion pancake and taking a sip of porridge, Fang Wen continued.

"Tell Li Tiezhu to return to China. There's a task for him. Star Company's movie is about to be released, and he'll be in charge of its overseas screenings."

Kuang Mingzhu filled Fang Wen's bowl with about half a bowl of porridge and asked, "Li Tiezhu has never made this before, will he be able to do it?"

Fang Wen replied, "He doesn't do it alone. The heads of the branches in various overseas locations will cooperate. As long as the screening in one place is settled, he can secure the others."

"Understood. I'll have someone notify him to come back when I get back to the company."

"There are other things. Chief Wang was assassinated in China and is now paralyzed on one side. He is going to the United States and will hand over the management of the Axe Gang to me. A group of people are going to Yangon. I will notify the Yangon side to receive them. You arrange for a plane to go to Shanghai to pick them up and take them to Yangon."

"Something happened to Chief Wang?!" Kuang Mingzhu exclaimed in surprise, never expecting that the renowned Chief Wang would end up like this. She looked at Fang Wen with concern.

Fang Wen understood his wife's worries and comforted her with a smile, "I'm fine. Apart from flying, I've been very careful in everything else and haven't offended anyone. Why are you worried about me? Apart from the Japanese, no one will target me."

With his reassurance, Kuang Mingzhu's mood improved. She took out a notebook, wrote down the two things, and then said, "Tell me what else is wrong."

After finishing his last bite, Fang Wen said, "There's also my family situation. I want them to go abroad or come to Wuhan. But you know the situation at home: my father is stubborn, my eldest brother is arrogant, my second brother is headstrong, and only my fourth and sixth sisters don't need any trouble. What do you suggest we do to get them to come here, or go to Yangon?"

This is a bit troublesome.

Despite Fang Wen's reputation as a pragmatist who is organized and trusted by his subordinates, he may appear capable and efficient in the outside world.

But at home, he was always the fifth son, or the third young master in name.

This identity means he doesn't have much say at home, making it difficult for him to persuade his father and brothers to leave the family business.

But not doing so is definitely not an option. With the approach of a full-scale war, Shanghai and even the Jiaxing area will be in great danger.

Kuang Mingzhu had no choice but to accept this. As a daughter-in-law and sister-in-law, she had to be polite and respectful in everything she did in Jiaxing. She couldn't say anything about this place just because she was capable.

The couple was at a loss about what to do.

Suddenly, Kuang Mingzhu thought of someone.

"Hasn't Fang Shouxin worked for your family for twenty years? He should know your family's situation best. Go ask him."

Fang Wen nodded, "Perfect timing, I need to go back to the company for a meeting, let's go together."

The couple then got up and went to the company.

When I went out, the sun was already high in the sky, which is an old saying, meaning around eight or nine o'clock.

This time, when I entered the company gate, the guards didn't stop me. Instead, they stood up straight and greeted me loudly, "Good morning, General Manager! Good morning, General Manager's wife!"

Fang Wen stopped: "During working hours, call me Deputy General Manager."

Kuang Mingzhu laughed and said, "No, I like this nickname. You can call me that whenever you see us together."

Fang Wen didn't say anything more about this. His wife's submissive and womanly demeanor after his return was quite interesting.

The two went upstairs, sent someone to summon the company's senior management, and began a meeting.

Those who participated in the meeting included Fang Wen, Kuang Mingzhu, Liu Zhanggui (the general accountant), Sun Debiao (the manager of the air distribution branch), Fang Shouxin (who had been transferred back to headquarters to continue to be in charge of administrative management after helping his son handle the management of Xiangxi Airport), Shao Sishen (the training center), and Pan Jiafeng (the flight management department).

They were all people from Fang Wen's inner circle.

Even Chuncao and Qiuju, who were in charge of taking meeting minutes, were our own people.

Fang Wen, who chaired the meeting, said, "I'm not very familiar with the company's development since I returned from this trip abroad, so I need everyone to explain."

Fang Wen returned yesterday, so everyone prepared accordingly.

Manager Liu went first. "Domestic development is rapid. We've already launched seaplane services on the five major river systems, and are planning to expand to other systems. Currently, the Yellow River and Hai River are under our full management. The Huai River, Yangtze River, and areas south of the Yangtze River are operated through joint ventures. We are responsible for management and operation, and we share profits with our partners. They handle all ground-based issues to ensure that no problems arise that could affect operations. After this period of operation, we've achieved good business results, and the seaplane services in various regions have generated considerable revenue."

Fang Wen was stunned. In order to expand the scale of the domestic aircraft market, he had supplied nearly one hundred Shuiyun-1 seaplanes to the country at low prices.

But the income was something I hadn't expected.

He couldn't help but ask, "Are there really that many people taking seaplanes?"

“There are many, and because seaplanes are inexpensive and their fares are only one-third of those of land-based commercial airlines, many people can afford them. We expect to break even soon and start making a profit before long,” Manager Liu replied.

The meeting got off to a good start, and Fang Wen was even more excited about other aspects of the company.

(End of this chapter)