Hong Kong Island: From a small stall to a global supplier

The Y-5, the first transport aircraft domestically manufactured in China in 58, was based on the Soviet An-2, designed in the 40s. It is a biplane light multi-purpose transport aircraft with a wingspan of 18.176 meters, a length of 12.688 meters, a height of 5.35 meters, an empty weight of 3367 kilograms, a maximum payload of 1500 kilograms, a maximum level flight speed of 256 kilometers per hour, a cruising speed of 160 kilometers per hour, a service ceiling of 4500 meters, and a range of 845 kilometers.

Of course, there are better transport aircraft in China, such as the Y-6 and Y-7, but they are far less practical than the Y-5, at least for Wang Yaotang.

The Y-5 only requires a 150-meter runway for takeoff, and under extreme conditions, the takeoff distance can be as low as 105 meters, with a landing runway distance of approximately 170 meters. Moreover, it doesn't need a dedicated runway; gravel roads and grass are both fine, making it virtually unbeatable in terms of practicality!
Moreover, a cruising speed of 160 kilometers per hour is very convenient for manual aerial observation and airdrops. With certain modifications, it can also be used as a bomber... it just carries a smaller amount of bombs.

I'd wanted to buy it before, but I didn't feel the need for it right now, so I wasn't in a hurry. I never expected to need it so urgently. It really is a bargaining chip, Wang Yaotang remarked as he got off the yacht.

Chen Huiguo was still in charge of receiving us. We had spoken on the phone beforehand, and he was quite pleased about selling the Y-5. Due to various reasons such as politics and international reputation, although the Y-5 has been widely used domestically, proving it to be a very mature transport aircraft, it hasn't made a significant impact on the international market, though it hasn't made any waves at all.

They gave away over 70 aircraft for free from start to finish, but nobody bought them.

The technology is indeed outdated; after all, it's Russian technology from the 40s, which sounds incredibly backward.

Upon meeting and exchanging pleasantries, Chen Huiguo didn't ask Wang Yaotang what he intended to do with the Y-5 transport aircraft. There were many things that would be better left unsaid, so he simply treated it as the purpose of establishing a shipping company.

The Y-5's technology is indeed relatively outdated, and it is civilian equipment, so the price cannot be calculated as military equipment. The selling price is 75, which is only 37 US dollars according to the official exchange rate. It's a small amount of money, so Wang Yaotang directly ordered 5 of them.

"I came to see Brother Chen this time because I wanted to pick up the goods immediately. I wonder..." Wang Yaotang put down his teacup and asked with a smile.

"Immediately?" Chen Huiguo frowned.

"Yes, it would be best to take it away today."

"This..." Chen Huiguo didn't ask why there was such a rush. After a moment's thought, he said, "Even if Hongxing Machinery Factory has the goods in stock, they are in Hebei. It's impossible to deliver them in a short time."

“Then I’ll take a used one. There are some in Guangzhou, right? I’ll offer the price of a brand new one.” After thinking for a moment, Wang Yaotang once again resorted to the money-raising tactic, “Hmm, 50% more.”

"You, you..." Chen Huiguo exclaimed a few times, suppressing the smile on his lips, and finally shook his head helplessly, "Then I'll help ask around."

If warships can be sold, then selling a mere civilian transport aircraft is a simple matter.

"It's not about the money!"

“I know, it was Brother Chen who helped me.” Wang Yaotang smiled and raised his eyebrows, then continued, “By the way, this Y5 is still an airplane, it’s not something you can just fly casually. Brother Chen, could you help me find some pilots, ground crew, and maintenance personnel?”

"You're pushing your luck, aren't you? Pilots are all precious gems!"

“Brother Chen, you know me. We’ll go through the labor dispatch process, and I’ll settle accounts directly with the original company. The monthly salary is $2000.” Wang Yaotang waved the check again. “I’m not the kind of person who borrows and doesn’t pay back. I’ll arrange for a group of people to learn how to fly this kind of plane. It shouldn’t be too difficult. Once they’ve learned, I’ll send them back.”

"You, you..." Chen Huiguo was truly helpless now. He was certain that the original unit of the Y-5 had no way of refusing such a tempting offer. The planes had already been sold, and it was unknown when the new planes would be bought back. The flight crew would definitely be idle, so it would be better to send them out to earn US dollars for the unit.

Furthermore, what is the situation in various units in China now? In the late 70s, Sino-US relations normalized, the country's focus shifted to economic construction, the military was reduced by 150 million, and tens of millions of educated youth who returned to the cities needed to be assigned jobs. It was considered that there were only three or five radishes in a position, and the same was true for pilots.

Chen Huiguo wasn't afraid that Wang Yaotang hadn't repaid the loan; he was afraid that once Wang Yaotang left, he would become unruly and wouldn't want to come back to earn just over 100 RMB after earning a monthly salary of $2000. But he couldn't say that.

Moreover, even if the original employer knows that this situation is highly likely to occur, they will still agree to the overseas assignment. This way, the employer can earn US dollars, and if the employee doesn't come back, they can free up a position. It couldn't be better.

Of course, the best option would be to remain on temporary assignment at the same organization indefinitely...

Wang Yaotang didn't say anything, he just chuckled.

What defines a great power? This is a great power. Even a small amount of its resources can fall into the hands of an individual and become a king or hegemon.

"Let's leave this one for now. There's no rush to deliver the other four. I'll go back and think about whether we need to make some modifications, since the Y-5 is a great platform." Wang Yaotang smiled and changed the subject, "For example, modifying it into a short-haul passenger plane with parachute capability, or... cough cough, or agricultural aircraft."

"You said it was bombed!" Chen Huiguo exclaimed, his eyes wide.

"I didn't, I'm not, you're talking nonsense!" Wang Yaotang denied it outright. "I was talking about agricultural aircraft that drop pesticides from the air, so it needs to be modified to drop the pesticides. The nozzle is definitely not a bomb dispenser. Of course, since the aircraft flies at a relatively high speed, it definitely needs a set of ammunition and a set of aiming equipment to accurately drop pesticides."

"How can spraying pesticides not be considered aiming!"

Chen Huiguo: Really? I don't believe it!
"Oh, right, it can also be used as a fire-fighting aircraft. In an emergency, it can drop fire extinguishing agents from the air to put out fires. In order to accurately hit the fire, it must have observation and aiming equipment!" Wang Yaotang clapped his hands.

Chen Huiguo: I don't believe a damn ghost like you!
Of course, as long as there is a reasonable explanation, there is no problem. What does it have to do with the seller if a customer buys a kitchen knife, goes home and kills someone instead of cooking?

After waiting in Guangzhou for a day, Chen Huiguo smoothly took care of everything. The next morning, the "Xingye" arrived at the dock and the planes were directly loaded onto the ship. Four pilots and six ground maintenance personnel also came along.

The most expensive part of owning an airplane is not the airplane itself, but the crew. The annual salaries of these 10 people, plus the cost of maintenance and upkeep, are enough to buy a new airplane.

Of course, Wang Yaotang didn't care about this amount of money; he could afford it.

Standing on the dock watching the Y-5 being hoisted onto the deck of the 'Xingye' aircraft carrier, Wang Yaotang frowned. "Several small aircraft can be parked on this deck."

in case……

It's just a hypothetical situation...

If we were to modify a larger bulk carrier, with a deck length of only 170 meters, wouldn't that be possible...?

Wang Yaotang hurriedly wiped away his drool. There was no need, absolutely no need. If this really happened, it would cause panic in some countries…

Suppressing this thought, Wang Yaotang quietly watched the Xingye set sail. Half an hour later, he bid farewell to Chen Huiguo, called the 10 pilots he had found, boarded the yacht, and returned to Hong Kong Island.

They will fly directly from Hong Kong to Chiang Mai, where someone will pick them up.

At the same time, Sun Weihao arrived in Chiang Mai. His boss ordered him to buy a manor in the suburbs, requiring that the surrounding area be sparsely populated, without tall buildings, and that a runway over 250 meters long and three hangars be built in the middle of the manor.

It's normal for a super-rich person to buy a private jet. The only thing Sun Weihao couldn't understand was whether a 250-meter runway was too short. In his mind, private jet runways needed to be around 1500 meters long.

Of course, this was not something he could question.

……

Chiang Mai Airport.

As expected of the 'group' with the most overseas branches, Chen Yuanchao and his entourage saw people waiting to pick them up as soon as they exited the airport.

After meeting and exchanging pleasantries, the local branch of the Chinese dictionaries was curious about why a newcomer they didn't recognize had come from Hong Kong. However, since they were from different regions and different dictionaries, there were some things they couldn't ask.

The group got into the car, first went to the hotel to drop off their luggage, then went to a restaurant for drinks, a bathhouse to relax, and a nightclub to party. The food and drinks were fine, but the fact that there were Thai girls accompanying them at the bathhouse made Chen Yuanchao very uneasy. If he hadn't known he had a mission, he would have definitely turned around and run away.

A man in his forties came, and the young woman looked to be of a young age. He... his upbringing did not allow him to do such a thing!
“Brother Chen, this is Siam.” The leader of the De group, nicknamed Balloon, grabbed the stiff Chen Yuanchao and said in a low voice, “We’re drug addicts now, living for a living, so of course we’re going to let loose and have some fun. You look like a normal person, which makes people suspect that you’re an Interpol agent or an American undercover agent.”

"This is Chiang Mai, and it's fine here when there are no outsiders. But if you're still like this in Kengtung, we definitely won't be able to get out of here alive!"

"Brother Chen, please have mercy and let me off the hook!" Balloon said with a mournful face.

When Wang Yaotang came to his door, he had no chance to refuse.

In Hong Kong's underworld, everyone knows that Wang Yaotang means what he says; if he says he'll kill your whole family, he will!
Chen Yuanchao ultimately stepped into the bathhouse with a heart full of patriotism...

After resting for a day in Chiang Mai, the group changed vehicles and headed north, traveling along the highway from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai, and then from Chiang Rai to Chiang Saen.

“There are currently three routes for transporting goods along the Thai-Myanmar border: Tachileik-Chiang Sain, Kengtung-Mae Hong Son, and Mansingtey-Chiang Rai. We are using the Tachileik-Chiang Sain route.”

On the bus, listening to Balloon's explanation, Chen Yuanchao traced his finger across the map.

Tachileik is located in eastern Shan State, Myanmar, across the Mekong River from Chiang Saen, Thailand. It is one of the largest land border crossings between Thailand and Myanmar. Drug traffickers transport the Twin Lions Earth from the Shan State mountains to Tachileik by truck and mule, and then smuggle it across the Mekong River at night at unofficial crossings. The goods are hidden in cargo ships or fishing boats, or even disguised inside bulk commodities such as teak.

Where is the Shan State Revolutionary Army's stronghold on the border?

"We're heading to a grove of trees near Kengtung. That's where we're going."

"Why do you always have to go into Myanmar? Aren't they responsible for delivering your goods?"

“No.” Balloon shook his head. “Many people think that the drug business is easy to do, but it’s not. It may seem that Khun Sa, Zhang Qifu and Luo Xinghan are super drug lords and that they are the ones who sell the drugs, but that’s not the case.”

"Take the Shan State Revolutionary Army for example. It appears to be the force of Lo Hsing Han, but there are actually seven or eight different forces within it. They are all chieftain families of some tribes in Shan State. They just use the same name to fight against the Burmese government."

“Buyers in Shan State come from all over the world, including East Asia, India, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, South America, and the United States. They all have to go to different chieftains to purchase goods, and then hire escort teams to escort them all the way to the border. If no one is with them along the way, someone will definitely tamper with the goods.”

“It’s even more impossible to pick up goods directly at the border. Wouldn’t that mean the channels would be controlled by the Shan people below? How would the Chinese chieftains then control the tribes?”

"I don't understand why all these chieftains are Chinese?" Chen Yuanchao asked curiously.

"Of course, it can only be Chinese. Without Chinese to lead them, they would become like primitive African tribes. Even if you give them dollars, they can't spend them. They'd be like waste paper. Besides, without Chinese, they wouldn't be able to find buyers even if they grew poppies. This is not only because Southeast Asian buyers are all Chinese, but also because buyers from other states are only willing to trade with Chinese. How can a bunch of primitive monkeys communicate?" Balloon said with a proud look on his face.

Chen Yuanchao nodded. Sure enough, people in capitalist countries live in dire straits!
If this were in the country, they would have been shot dead long ago.

"Don't look at me like that." Balloon frowned slightly, somewhat annoyed, and said, "Business is about supply and demand. They buy, we sell. Did I tell them to inhale? Did I? No! They wanted to inhale it themselves! I didn't force them! It's not our fault at all! If you want to blame them, did I force them? I didn't force them at all..."

"Do you know who the biggest consumer group in Hong Kong is? You think it's the Hong Kong people? Wrong, it's the damn foreigners. All 9000-plus British troops stationed in Hong Kong smoke, and most of those foreigners smoke. They are the ones with the most money to spend."

"Huh? The British army?" Chen Yuanchao's face was filled with shock. No, the army? They're smoking this?

"Is it strange? You're just ignorant." Balloon sneered. "Shan State has been growing opium for over 100 years. Do you think it's all sold to Southeast Asians? No, the vast majority is sold to Europe and America. During World War II, all countries issued opium to their frontline soldiers as a military benefit. They didn't give it to any troops except for important ones. The British and Germans were fighting on the front lines, but most of the opium the Germans smoked came from opium sold to them by the British!"

"Not all of them will die on the battlefield. Do you think they can quit after the war ends? You're kidding. They'll only use more and more. After they retire, they'll bring their families to use it too. It's just that now they have to pay for it themselves. The military no longer gives it to them as a benefit."

Chen Yuanchao was dumbfounded. No, the army!

Capitalism is fucking evil! Giving this stuff to people who are protecting their country is just harming them.
How can such an army possibly have any loyalty?

How could such an army possibly have any fighting capacity?

No wonder they were so well-equipped but were driven out of North Korea in one fell swoop. Capitalism is indeed a paper tiger!

Of course, no matter how the balloon was explained, Chen Yuanchao's perception of it would not improve at all. When he got back, he would still suggest that the boss get rid of these cancerous plants.

In this world, everything depends on...

We chatted about the various situations of drug traffickers along the way, and before we knew it, we arrived at the border town of Chiang Saen. It was a small town that was both dilapidated and bustling, with a lot of vehicles coming and going. The people there were dressed in very shabby clothes, and most of them had fierce expressions on their faces. Many people sat in the shade of trees or under tents on the street, drinking tea and looking at the passers-by. We could also see many women who couldn't afford clothes standing by the roadside with numb and empty eyes.

The only impression Chen Yuanchao had of the entire city was that it was deformed.

Balloon and his group were familiar with the area, so they went straight to a familiar hotel and rented a room. Then, they took Chen Yuanchao to contact the people in Shan State and confirmed the time, personnel, and meeting information. The next morning, before dawn, they secretly crossed the river and entered the eastern mountainous region of Shan State.

Contrary to expectations of towering mountains and dense forests, the passing drug traffickers' convoys, with their vehicles and mules, carved out a winding mountain road. As guests, they were treated well, and after a bumpy five-hour ride on a tractor carrying corn, they finally arrived at a Shan State Revolutionary Army outpost.

It was a valley hidden in the mountains, with dozens of stilt houses built of bamboo and wood. The roofs of the stilt houses were made of bamboo strips and thatch, and they were hidden among the bamboo forest and trees. It would be very difficult to find them without someone to guide you.

At the entrance to the stronghold, there were wooden walls and towers. Chen Yuanchao could see the heavy machine guns on the towers as soon as he looked up.

Chen Yuanchao did not attract much attention from the Shan State Revolutionary Army. These people were not as vigilant as they were portrayed in the movies, since planting and selling crops were legal in Myanmar at that time.

Why be so wary of legitimate businesses?

Balloon and his group brought $100 million in cash. The Shan State side treated them very warmly, providing fresh meat and fruit, and beautiful women to accompany them. Except for the lack of air conditioning, it was like a local tourist attraction.

Chen Yuanchao privately asked out of curiosity why they would grow opium if they could grow fruit. Qiongqi scoffed, and if he wasn't afraid of Wang Yaotang, he would have given him a good scolding.

"Your idea is similar to those of those UN officials. Growing fruit? Ha, who are they going to sell it to? Does Thailand need to import fruit from Myanmar? They can't even sell their own fruit. Are they just going to let people starve to death by growing fruit?"

"Banning drugs and prohibiting the cultivation of poppies is fine, but first you can't let the locals starve to death, right? Don't be naive, it's impossible!"

Chen Yuanchao shook his head in silence. Nothing was impossible. His hometown was in Shaoguan. During the "Learn from Dazhai in Agriculture" movement in the 60s, terraced fields were built, which completely solved the problem of food supply.

The Hani people are one of the main ethnic groups in Shan State. The Hani rice terraces in Yunnan Province have a history of more than a thousand years, and the area of ​​terraced fields has reached more than 80 mu in later generations.

So it's not that they can't support themselves, it's just that the leader is incompetent!
They surrendered to Chiang Kai-shek without a second thought, and immediately became fearless warriors after surrendering. They were all the same people, just with a different leader!
We still have to fight. We need to kill all these bastards who only force ordinary people to grow poppies. Only when no one dares to continue relying on poppies to maintain their power can the people here live a good life!

Go back and fight!

Bring your men and attack immediately! (End of Chapter)