Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 412, Section 410: A Crisis Without Gunfire, A New Source of Aircraft Engines
In the afternoon, the waiting guests arrived.

A white plane appeared in the sky, circled twice, and then landed on the runway of Nanchang Airport.

Fang Wen led a team to greet them, and at the same time, he became very interested in the plane.

This should be a Soviet-made bomber, probably transported to China along with that batch of Il-16s.

The plane came to a stop on the runway, and airport staff pushed the boarding stairs over. The two cabins opened, and two people got out of each one.

One was Captain Gao, and the other had typical Slavic features with high cheekbones.

Fang Wen shook hands with Captain Gao and listened to Captain Gao's introduction.

"This is Ivan Petrovich Ivanov. Their names are all so long, we usually just call him Ivan."

Fang Wen smiled and nodded. Based on his understanding of foreign names, he thought the name had a distinctly Russian flavor.

"Ivan" is the given name, "Petrovich" is the patronymic meaning "son of Peter," and "Ivanov" is the surname.

He then extended his hand to Ivan.

The man shook hands with Fang Wen and said in English, "I've heard of you before. I was also in Spain in 36, flying planes and fighting there."

Fang Wen feigned surprise: "Really? I'm from the International Brigade Air Force, you should be in the Republican Air Force."

Ivan nodded: "I was at an air force base near Valencia at the time, and I saw your Asian Air Force escorting me on several combat flights. Especially that time, you defeated the Condor Legion's fighters with fewer troops, it was very impressive."

This is, of course, just a casual way of speaking.

Fang Wen recalled that no friendly fighter jets appeared nearby during the battle, which he guessed Ivan heard about afterward.

He smiled and said, "I didn't participate in the later battles because of things back home, especially the Battle of Valencia. I heard that the fighting was very fierce."

“Yes, the losses were huge. I was later ordered to return to China. Domestic aircraft manufacturing experts even specifically questioned us pilots who returned to China to learn about the situation of the Il-16 in the Spanish theater.” Ivan paused here, “Your modifications to the Il-16 also greatly interested those aircraft experts, and they later installed 20mm cannons on the aircraft. With cannons, the aircraft’s air combat power was greatly increased.”

Fang Wen nodded. The addition of machine guns to the Il-16 would have happened soon, even without his modifications.

War is the fastest catalyst for technology; anything useful in war will be implemented quickly.

At this point, we should have taken the two guests out for dinner and continued our conversation over drinks.

Fang Wen was very interested in the Soviet bomber in front of him and thought he would take this opportunity to learn about the structure of Soviet bombers.

He looked at the plane. "Is this a bomber made in your Soviet Union? It looks pretty good."

Ivan was pleased to receive Fang Wen's praise and immediately introduced himself.

"This is the SB-2M-103 medium fast bomber developed by our Tupolev Design Bureau. It has a certain armor protection capability and can take off and land in various environments."

"Was the engine also developed by you?" Fang Wen asked.

"It's an upgraded version of the Spanish Hispano-Suiza 12Y aircraft engine, with 950 horsepower."

Ivan's introduction caught Fang Wen's eye.

He had been looking for a more efficient engine, since Pratt & Whitney's 900-horsepower 1840 was in high demand and was being purchased in large quantities in the United States. Even though he had tried many methods, he could only get a very small supply.

There's nothing we can do about it; Pratt & Whitney engines are already being supplied to military aircraft in the United States, and it's impossible to take them away from the US military.

Now, Ivan's words have opened up a new world for him.

It turns out that Europe also has high-performance engines, and I've missed out on them.

He immediately lost interest in learning more about Soviet bombers and instead invited the two of them out for a meal.

The group left in an airport shuttle bus and drove into Nanchang city.

(Street scene in Nanchang during the Republic of China era)
The city of Nanchang, which had not yet been affected by the war, was bustling with activity.

The shops on both sides were still open, and pedestrians strolled along the street.

There were also people who had fled from the east, with their families and large and small bags, which was obvious at a glance.

The shuttle bus traveled along Xiangshan Road, which runs north-south through the city, and two technicians guided the passengers to their destination.

"I heard that this road was only repaired the year before last, and it's called Xiangshan South Road. The restaurant we're going to is Fumanxiang. People at the airport said that its dishes have the most local flavor. And there's a very famous place near the restaurant called Tengwang Pavilion."

The people in the car were immediately pleasantly surprised; some of them were hearing for the first time that Tengwang Pavilion was in Nanchang.

Isabella, sitting next to Fang Wen, asked, "What is 'tengwangge'?"

Although she knew some Chinese, she couldn't understand ancient terms like "Tengwang Pavilion" at all.

Fang Wen explained to Isabella, "The Tengwang Pavilion was built more than 1200 years ago by Tengwang, the younger brother of Emperor Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty, to entertain guests. Over the past thousand years, it has been damaged by war many times, and the original Tengwang Pavilion can no longer be seen now."

He said this because he had flown over Nanchang many times and had already seen the dilapidated building through mechanical perception.

"Can't you see it?" Isabella asked regretfully.

The shuttle bus continued northward.

I passed by a very stylish mansion, which occupied a large area.

The local driver from Nanchang spoke up to explain.

"This is the mansion of Zhang Xun, who wanted to restore the emperor. It is now the headquarters of the New Fourth Army, but some time ago, they went to Anhui with the troops to fight the Japanese."

Fang Wen looked at the houses by the roadside, which were deserted except for a few people in military uniforms.

The New Fourth Army was established last year. Its headquarters was previously in Hankou, but it moved here only two months ago, and then went to the front lines to fight.

Twenty minutes later, the shuttle bus turned left onto Zhongshan Road, crossed a bridge, and arrived at the famous Tengwang Pavilion.

The sight there greatly disappointed everyone in the car, and they had no interest in appreciating it at all.

The shuttle bus drove directly past the dilapidated Tengwang Pavilion, turned into an alley, and stopped.

The tallest building there is Fumanxiang.

The group got out of the car and went upstairs. They were greeted by the restaurant manager and entered a large private room on the second floor.

The manager, all smiles, asked, "What would you like to eat?"

Everyone remained silent and looked at Fang Wen.

Fang Wen asked, "What's your signature dish?"

The manager rattled off the restaurant's dishes with practiced ease: "Scallop and magnolia petal stewed abalone and shark fin, eight-treasure duck with osmanthus and glutinous rice, Lushan cloud and mist tea-scented pigeon, Ganjiang silver fish with egg drop soup, and clay pot stewed eel."

These five dishes, some elegant and some rustic, use ingredients that range from expensive to inexpensive, but to become signature dishes, they must each have their own unique characteristics.

Fang Wen nodded: "I want all of these. You can add more to make it a full house. Also, bring some Shaoxing rice wine."

We ordered yellow wine because we considered the alcohol tolerance of most people, since not everyone can handle strong liquor.

The manager responded, "Don't worry, esteemed guest, I guarantee you'll be satisfied with the dishes I've prepared. The only problem is that we're out of Shaoxing rice wine. Lately, so many people have come from the coast and want to drink Shaoxing rice wine. Our stock is limited; it sold out a month ago, and we can't get any more. How about you try some of our Fu Man Xiang rice wine?"

The Hakka people in Jiangxi province like to brew rice wine with glutinous rice. Over time, the whole province has developed a tradition of brewing rice wine, which is what the manager referred to as "water wine".

Fang Wen had never drunk it before, but he knew that this kind of wine had a low alcohol content, so it was suitable and he agreed.

The manager went downstairs to make the arrangements.

Inside the private room, everyone chatted idly, one after another.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Captain Gao, Fang Wenze started talking to Ivan about the engine.

After some conversation, he gained a new understanding of the engine. The Hispano-Suiza brand was originally founded by Spanish businessman Damián Mateu and Swiss engineer Marc Birkigt.

They started manufacturing cars before World War I.

Their luxury cars are also very popular among European royalty.

Later, the Spanish Civil War severely impacted the company's business, so they moved most of their operations to France.

And they began to gradually develop aircraft engines, shifting their focus from the automotive sector to the aircraft sector.

The 12Y aircraft engine is one of their products.

This engine was selected by both the Devatina company and the Soviet Tupolev Design Bureau as the power plant for their designed aircraft.

The D.520 fighter jet from Devatina and the Soviet SB-2M bomber both used this engine.

Upon hearing this, Fang Wen couldn't help but sigh.

Unexpectedly, Emil de Vatina had kept something in reserve, not even introducing such a good engine to me.

That's normal, though. With Fang Wen entering the aircraft manufacturing industry, the other party has become a competitor, so there's no need for them to reveal his trade secrets.

Fang Wen had a bold plan in mind.

Europe is about to descend into chaos as well.

Compared to the United States, which remained unaffected throughout the war, Europe had an easier time obtaining the resources it wanted.

Could he take advantage of the outbreak of World War II in Europe to acquire Hispano-Suiza's aircraft engine technology?

In that case, we won't have to worry about being dependent on Pratt & Whitney for power equipment anymore.

Even if the supply to the general public is not interrupted, having a new technological reserve is still a good option.

At this moment, the restaurant waiters brought in plates of dishes.

There were also several jugs of homemade rice wine soaking in warm water.

The two engineers were polite and offered to pour drinks for Fang Wen and the others.

Fang Wen picked up his wine glass, stood up, and all the crew members also stood up. Captain Gao and Ivan, who were guests, also stood up.

Looking at everyone, Fang Wen said, "The two-day bombing operation has come to a successful conclusion. This operation not only tested the effectiveness of the Hengshan-1 bomber, but also fulfilled the set air support mission, giving the Japanese devils a heavy blow. We are celebrating here, let's all drink to this."

After saying that, Fang Wen raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

The rice wine is sweet and smooth, with no astringent taste like that of high-proof liquor.

Everyone, even those who don't drink alcohol, can down it in one gulp.

Some people are not satisfied.

Ivan put down his glass and spoke to Fang Wen in English: "Why are you celebrating with drinks?"

He has come to regard rice wine as a local beverage.

Fang Wen smiled and said, "This kind of wine can also get you drunk, especially after drinking a certain amount. As long as you feel a breeze, even people with a high alcohol tolerance will get drunk."

"Really? Then I'll give it a try." Ivan immediately grabbed a bowl, poured some water, and downed three bowls in a row, just like drinking a beverage.

It went down so easily, I didn't feel anything at all.

But she was already feeling a little dizzy.

Ivan, slightly intoxicated, suddenly let loose.

"Commander Fang, I've come here today because I want your aerial bomb technology. Could I visit your production base?"

Fang Wen nodded: "Okay, we'll return tomorrow, you can come along too."

"Okay, let's drink!"

Ivan, whose face was already flushed, raised the bowl in his hand and drank another bowl.

He hadn't even eaten any food, yet he had already downed four bowls of wine. No wonder this is a nation that loves alcohol.

However, if you drink it like this, the rice wine that enters your stomach will begin to ferment a second time.

As a gust of river wind blew by, he suddenly became drowsy and fell fast asleep in his chair.

Captain Gao exclaimed in surprise, "No way! He was the biggest drinker among those Soviet pilots at Zhoujiakou Airport, how could he be drunk like this?"

Fang Wen laughed and said, "The rice wine here has a long-lasting effect; I'll have to sleep until at least tomorrow to wake up."

Captain Gao shook his head: "Then you'll have to take care of him when he's sent back. When he comes back, send me a telegram and I'll come to Nanchang Airport to pick him up."

“Okay, after he finishes his inspection, I’ll send someone to escort him back to Nanchang,” Fang Wen replied.

Captain Gao hesitated for a moment, then said, "Commander Fang, your aerial bombs are indeed quite good. I applied to the higher-ups to purchase a batch, but they said they need to verify them first. They want you to supply a batch for trial use."

This is good news! Aircraft equipped with new types of bombs can inflict even greater damage on the Japanese army. Fang Wen happily agreed.

“Sure, our inventory is already depleted. Once we get rid of it, I’ll arrange production and supply you as soon as possible.”

Captain Gao coughed, hesitated for a moment, but decided to have a heart-to-heart talk with Fang Wen, who had saved his life.

"The better you perform, the more people will want to get your hands on you. If it were just about flying skills and business, it wouldn't be a big deal, but what you're doing now is enough to make some people take action."

Fang Wen felt a pang of anxiety. He was focusing his efforts on the military industry in order to drive out the Japanese invaders as soon as possible.

And that is why the profits revealed have exceeded those of civil aviation companies.

Can't we even allow ourselves to develop properly?
He remained calm and asked, "Who wants to harm me?"

Captain Gao sighed: "I don't know either, but people are already spreading this rumor, it's definitely not unfounded."

Fang Wen fell into deep thought upon hearing this.

With its own gunboats, Taishan Pine tanks, semiconductor technology, and various aerial bombs, it had reached a point where no one could underestimate it.

But these technologies were in the hands of a businessman.

All sides are starting to have their eyes on this.

There must have been some hidden forces within Japan involved in this.

Then I can't possibly hand over these technologies to others.

If these military technologies were transferred to the Japanese army through the hands of some double agents, they would be sinners in history.

Just imagine the damage that the Japanese invaders would cause to China if they were to fully develop these military technologies, given their current productivity.

Fang Wen immediately understood what he had to do.

Even if it offends certain people in the high ranks of the Nationalist government, he will never give up any of the interests of Taishan Military Industry.

These are things that can only be controlled by oneself.

His gaze also fell upon Ivan, who was fast asleep, leaning back.

As such, the original plan to exchange technology with the Soviet Union was abandoned.

The Soviet Union could purchase military equipment, but the technology would absolutely not be transferred.

(End of this chapter)