Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 33, Military Intelligence Analysis, Capturing Japanese Spies

After completing the air raid, the plane flew back to Nanjing Airport.

At the airport, four fighter jets have already returned to base.

Two of them were in bad condition; one was hit in the belly, just inches from the fuel tank; the other was hit in the tail and was in no better shape.

The mechanics are carrying out emergency repairs.

Shao Sichen, who had just gotten off the plane, found his teammates to ask about the situation, and then returned to talk to Fang Wen in a low voice.

"Just as we predicted, they were also ambushed and had to retreat. So we were the only plane on the battlefield carrying out the air strike mission."

Speaking of this, Shao Sicheng couldn't help but feel a little proud. As the only member of the air force to complete an air raid mission, he felt a great sense of honor.

Fang Wen felt something was off.

"Even if they were lying in ambush, the number of planes is wrong. Where did the rest of the enemy planes go?"

Shao Sishen was stunned.

"Yes, today is the Japanese general offensive, so it's impossible for other planes not to be deployed."

He asked his teammates, who all said they didn't know.

Until the captain arrived.

"Gather together and give a briefing on today's battle situation. Fang Wen, you'll be joining as well."

Everyone sat down on the grass beside the track.

The captain took out a military map and pointed at it.

"Today, the Japanese army launched a general offensive on the ground and fought fiercely with the 19th Army."

"Our air raid missions, except for those completed by Shao Sichen's group, all failed due to Japanese warplanes blocking them."

"Besides us, Japanese aircraft were also deployed over the Suzhou and Hangzhou area, organizing other air squadrons there to support Shanghai."

"The enemy has already learned the whereabouts of our air squadrons. We have been ordered to refrain from attacking for the time being and cooperate with the people sent by the higher-ups to investigate."

So that's how it is. The Japanese naval air force did not fail to deploy its entire force, but rather dispersed to intercept them one by one.

No wonder no enemy planes were spotted over Shanghai at the time.

Fang Wen was relieved.

In the afternoon, investigators arrived in a military vehicle.

There were two men and one woman in the car, and the woman turned out to be Yue Jinping.

And she was actually in charge of this investigation.

Yue Jinping took out her identification and introduced herself.

"I am Yue Jinping, the head of the special investigation team of Fuxing Society, and I am in charge of this investigation."

The captain of the Guangdong aviation team actually knew her: "Why didn't you fly the planes properly? Why did your dad let you go to this kind of department?"

Yue Jinping did not answer this question. Instead, she asked in a serious tone, "Captain Liu, have you noticed anything unusual recently?"

"Don't ask me about this. We are a guest army and we don't know anything about the situation here except for the battle. You'd better ask the airport defense forces."

"Understood." Yue Jinping closed the notebook and instructed the two officers behind her, "Go and investigate at the military camp. I need to talk to someone."

After the two officers left, Yue Jinping walked straight towards Fang Wen.

Fang Wen had noticed Yue Jinping's arrival long ago. When he saw her coming over, he put down the repair tools in his hand and walked to the other side of the airport runway.

The two walked and talked.

"I heard you've been quite the celebrity lately; newspapers and radio stations in Shanghai are all talking about your achievements."

Fang Wen said helplessly, "It was their propaganda that wanted to create a national hero, and after much deliberation, they finally chose me."

"That's for sure. Apart from you, everyone else who participated in the Huangpu River bombing was from the Guangdong Air Force. If they hadn't chosen you, they wouldn't have done this kind of propaganda. I'm reminding you to be careful and not be fooled by those superficial praises. You might be betrayed without even knowing it."

"Thanks for the reminder." Fang Wen stopped and looked at the barbed wire fence outside the airport: "The security here is very tight, with shifts at night. It shouldn't be someone inside the airport who leaked the information."

Yue Jinping nodded and asked, "Then what direction do you think I should investigate from?"

Fang Wen thought for a moment.

Although he had no real experience as a secret agent, he had watched a lot of spy movies. After putting himself in the other person's shoes and thinking it over, he came up with his own insights.

"In fact, if they simply lay in wait in the houses near the airport and recorded the daily flight schedules, they could figure out the general situation inside the airport in less than two days. With this intelligence, it would not be difficult for the Japanese intelligence analysts to make a judgment."

Yue Jinping seemed to be deep in thought.

After a while, two officers came over to report on the investigation, and Fang Wen tactfully walked away.

After listening to the officer's report, Yue Jinping went directly to the military camp. She led a group of soldiers away from the airport and began an investigation in the vicinity of the airport.

Fang Wen's heart skipped a beat. He wanted to see if they could really catch the Japanese spy, so he went over and asked if he could join them.

Yue Jinping hesitated for a moment: "You stay by my side and don't participate in the operation. If there are really Japanese infiltrators, it will be very dangerous."

Fang Wen nodded, ran into the dormitory, took out the Mauser pistol he had left for himself, and put it in the gun case.

When he returned, Yue Jinping saw the gun case hanging on his waist and couldn't help but smile.

"Air hero, this gun isn't suitable for you."

Honestly, the Mauser C96 pistol isn't very attractive, and you have to put it in a gun case and hang it on your waist to carry it.

But this thing was powerful and could fire in bursts, which Fang Wen thought was quite suitable for his mediocre marksmanship, so he didn't agree to exchange it with Yue Jinping's Browning pistol.

A group of soldiers, armed to the teeth, emerged from the airport, followed by Fang Wen, Yue Jinping, and two officers.

An investigation has begun.

Areas facing away from the airport runway are not conducive to observation and are therefore ruled out first.

To the left of the airport is a field, an open area with no houses.

On the right are some scattered houses, which are also the most likely to be affected.

The soldiers guarded the possible escape routes, and an officer knocked on the door to inquire.

An old man opened the door to the first room.

He panicked a little when he saw the soldiers.

"Sir, what are you doing?"

The officer asked coldly, "Is this house yours?"

"Yes."

How many people are in your family? What kind of work do you usually do?

"They are farmers. The family of five cultivates six acres of land. During the off-season, they also sell seasonal fruits and vegetables in the city."

The old man answered honestly, daring not to hide anything.

Yue Jinping spoke to Fang Wen in a low voice.

“His accent is a very strong Nanjing dialect, so we can rule him out.”

“Since he’s a local, he must be familiar with the area. Why don’t you ask him about the residents nearby?” Fang Wen suggested. This is a basic tactic in spy movies: mobilizing the public to conduct an investigation.

Yue Jinping looked at Fang Wen in surprise, walked to the door herself, and said softly.

"Grandpa, don't be afraid. We're here to catch bad guys. We have a question for you: are there any out-of-towners renting rooms nearby?"

The old man visibly relaxed, and his speech became much smoother.

"There was a large mansion on the west side. The whole family had moved to the city, and it was usually empty. Some time ago, a few people from out of town came and rented the house from the landlord at a high price. These people usually stay in the room and don't cook for themselves. Every day, one of them will go to the neighborhood to buy enough food for several people and bring it back."

After hearing the old man's words, everyone had the same feeling that the people in that house must be Japanese spies.

To prevent them from escaping during the subsequent capture, Yue Jinping sent two soldiers back to call for reinforcements.

After some time, another batch of soldiers from the airport garrison arrived, bringing the total to two hundred men. There was no way they could escape now.

Immediately, the courtyard was surrounded. A soldier in civilian clothes knocked on the door, while a squad of soldiers set up ladders to attack from the courtyard wall.

The moment the door opened, five soldiers rushed out from their hiding places and forcibly pinned down the person who opened the door.

In desperation, this person even loudly warned the people in the room in Japanese.

(End of this chapter)