Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Fang Wen wanted to bring members of the New Fourth Army's air regiment along during the aerial photography trip because he wanted someone to witness it.

The squadron leader immediately nodded in agreement: "Don't worry, Mr. Fang, I'll go with you tomorrow."

Fang Wen nodded, feeling somewhat relieved.

That night, Fang Wen and his accompanying crew were settled in the barracks at the Junshanhu base. Nothing was said that night, and everyone was preparing for the high-altitude reconnaissance the next day.

The next morning, as the east began to lighten, a thin layer of morning mist still shrouded the surface of Junshan Lake, carrying the chill of the lake area.

Fang Wen led the crew to the lakeside dock.

The squadron leader, Shao Sishen, was already waiting at the dock.

The group boarded the plane. Fang Wen sat in the cockpit, Shao Sichen sat in the co-pilot's seat, and the flight squadron leader sat in the middle of the cabin, his eyes fixed on the outside of the window.

Fang Wen said to Shao Sishen, "When we get to the airspace over southern Anhui, you will fly the drone, and I will operate the aerial photography equipment."

“Okay, no problem,” Shao Sichen replied.

Fang Wen then started the engine, the roar breaking the tranquility of the morning mist. The gunboat slowly drove away from the dock, accelerated across the lake, and then steadily took off.

The target area is the Maolin Town area in Jing County, southern Anhui Province.

The plane needed to pass through Jingdezhen, which was frequently attacked by Japanese air raids and had anti-aircraft fire from the National Army. To avoid being mistaken for Japanese warplanes by the National Army below, Fang Wen piloted the plane to make a slight detour.

The plane then flew over Qimen County and eventually arrived over Maolin Town in Jing County.

Fang Wen looked at Shao Sichen: "You take the pilot's position and maintain this altitude for circling flight. I will notify you if we need to change the flight strategy."

“Okay.” Shao Sichen took over.

Fang Wen left the cockpit and walked to the middle of the aircraft. He bent down, turned on the K-17 camera, put his head in front of the observer, and slowly adjusted the focus by holding the joystick with his right hand.

The commander of the New Fourth Army's air regiment watched with a curious expression.

As Fang Wen operated the device, the originally blurry ground gradually became clear in the observer.

Amidst the rolling mountains, a network of concealed trenches crisscrossed the landscape, with densely packed tents scattered among them. Soldiers in Nationalist Army uniforms were being deployed in an orderly fashion, and several military trucks were traversing the mountain paths. Artillery pieces could even be seen set up, their muzzles pointing directly east.

Clearly, the Kuomintang army had already made advance preparations in this area.

"Click, click—" Fang Wen turned the joystick and precisely pressed the shutter, capturing every key defensive deployment: the troop assembly point on the east side of Maolin, the blockade line on the outskirts of Jingxian County, the hidden artillery positions in the mountains, and the Nationalist soldiers patrolling back and forth... The film rolled rapidly, and each photo was irrefutable evidence of the Kuomintang army's preparations to besiege the New Fourth Army.

After filming a scene, he would loudly announce to Shao Sichen, "Change course, fly southeast, the scene here has been filmed."

Shao Sishen flew according to his orders to photograph the next hidden position of the Kuomintang army.

The entire process, which took about an hour, involved filming the area around Maolin Town.

Fang Wen also understood the Kuomintang army's intentions from high above. The area was surrounded by mountains, and only Maolin Town was accessible to large forces.

The Kuomintang army, as long as it controls the passage area, can cut off the New Fourth Army's route and then use its superior numbers to encircle the New Fourth Army.

The premise is that the New Fourth Army must take this route.

His heart tightened, and he asked urgently, "Has your military made any major troop movements? If so, please let me know."

The flight commander next to him stammered, "I don't know."

The Kuomintang army has laid a tight net in Maolin. They must have received advance notice before doing so. Could it be that the New Fourth Army has already set off?
As I recall, the New Fourth Army set off from the direction of Yunling. Could they be on their way now?

Fang Wen immediately got up, walked quickly to the cockpit, sat down in the pilot's seat, and took over the piloting of the aircraft.

At the same time, he activated his supernatural ability to observe the situation below while flying.

Half an hour later, he spotted a military unit.

To the southwest of Yunling Town in the northwest, several thousand troops are on the march.

Fang Wen's supernatural abilities expanded, allowing him to clearly see the uniforms of the troops below and the numbers sewn on them.

It was the New Fourth Army.

Oh no, the New Fourth Army has already set off.

Judging from the marching route, they were heading towards Maolin.

However, they have not yet crossed the Qingge River.

The Qingge River was a suitable landing spot, so Fang Wen made a quick decision, piloting the plane to the airspace above the Qingge River, finding a calm and level section of the river, and landing there.

The plane landed on the river, creating a large wave. It taxied for a while before coming to a stop, then turned around and headed towards the riverbank.

Before the plane had fully landed, Gong Xiuneng opened the cabin door, stood on the buoy, and when it got closer, he jumped ashore with the rope and tied it to a willow tree on the riverbank.

Afterwards, Fang Wen, with a serious expression, explained the situation to the flight squadron leader inside the plane.

“I just conducted aerial reconnaissance and discovered a large-scale gathering of Kuomintang troops in the Maolin area, where they are constructing fortifications and deploying heavy firepower. You said you didn't know the military headquarters' movements, but I just saw a unit heading this way, and they are marching directly towards Maolin,”

Upon hearing this, the flight squadron commander was shocked: "You mean our main force is heading into the Kuomintang's ambush?"

“Yes, that’s it,” Fang Wen affirmed.

"Then we must notify the military to halt our advance," the flight regiment commander said urgently.

"I landed here for this," Fang Wen said, stepping out of the plane and jumping ashore using a buoy.

The others followed suit and went ashore. On the shore, Fang Wen continued:

“According to my aerial reconnaissance just now, this unit is coming from this direction and is expected to arrive in an hour. But I’m not sure if they will definitely cross the river through this section. In order to ensure that we can encounter them, I think I should send someone ahead to inform them.”

As he said this, he looked at Gong Xiuneng and pointed in a direction: "Run that way, and when you see the main force, go over there and explain the situation."

Gong Xiuneng nodded: "I'll go right away."

Gong Xiu accepted the order and immediately sprinted in the direction Fang Wen had indicated.

The morning dew soaked his clothes, and tree branches scratched his cheeks, but he was oblivious, his mind filled with only one thought: faster, faster.

Having walked mountain paths with his master in the Qinling Taoist temple since childhood, he possessed great stamina and ran all the way without showing any signs of fatigue.

Less than half an hour later, the sound of orderly footsteps came from the woods ahead, and Gong Xiuneng quickly looked over.

It was the vanguard of the New Fourth Army, and he was about to call out to them.

Several figures dressed in New Fourth Army uniforms suddenly appeared from behind him, rifles pointed at his chest: "Stop! Don't move!"

Gong Xiuneng raised his hands, panting heavily, his voice hoarse but urgent: "Don't shoot! We're on the same side! I'm from Taishan Airlines, I have urgent military information, I need to see your officer!"

Several soldiers exchanged a glance, quickly stepped forward to subdue him, carefully searched his body to make sure he was not carrying any weapons, and then escorted him back to the ranks.

A disciplined advance force is marching along the path.

Gong Xiuneng was led to an officer carrying a Mauser pistol. Before the officer could speak, he impatiently shouted, "Sir! There's an ambush in Maolin! The Kuomintang has laid a tight trap there, just waiting for you to get there!"

The officer frowned, his sharp eyes scrutinizing him, his tone tinged with suspicion: "You say there's an ambush, but do you have any evidence? And who are you?"

Gong Xiuneng quickly reached into his inner pocket, pulled out an ID stamped with the official seal of Taishan Airlines, and took out an exquisitely crafted Taishan Airlines badge engraved with an airplane pattern. He handed it over with both hands: "Sir, this is my ID and badge. General Manager Fang Wen, the commander of the New Fourth Army's flight regiment, and I just finished aerial photography in this airspace and saw the Kuomintang's defenses with our own eyes! Our plane is still parked on the banks of the Qingge River!"

The officer took the identification and badge, checked them repeatedly, and then looked at Gong Xiuneng's anxious and sweaty face. His doubts gradually dissipated.

Knowing the gravity of the matter, he dared not delay and immediately turned to the messenger beside him, ordering: "Report to the military headquarters immediately, saying that the advance troops have intercepted urgent intelligence that there are heavy Kuomintang troops lying in ambush in the direction of Maolin. The informant is Fang Wen, the general manager of Taishan Airlines, and his seaplane is currently parked on the Qingge River ahead."

The messenger turned and ran to the back of the column.

Before long, a troop of cavalry came galloping up from behind.

The leading officer said to Gong Xiuneng, "Get on your horse and lead the way."

Gong Xiu grabbed the hand of a mounted warrior and mounted his horse.

The cavalry then sped off toward the Qingge River.

At this moment, on the banks of the Qingge River, Fang Wen had returned to the plane and was urgently developing the aerial photographs in the small darkroom inside the aircraft.

In the darkroom, the red developing solution emitted tiny wisps of steam. Fang Wen carefully placed the film into the solution, his eyes fixed on the gradually clearing image on the film, his expression solemn.

Outside, the flight squadron commander paced back and forth anxiously, glancing occasionally at the path along the riverbank, hoping that Gong Xiuneng would bring back news soon.

"Clatter clatter clatter—" A series of rapid hoofbeats came from afar. Fang Wen glanced at the photo in front of him, which was almost fully developed, and carefully walked out of the darkroom.

A troop of cavalry galloped in, led by the New Fourth Army staff officer who had brought Gong Xiuneng back.

The staff officer jumped off his horse and strode up to Fang Wen. His gaze first swept over the seaplane parked on the river, then he looked at the commander of the New Fourth Army's air regiment beside him and asked urgently, "Are you Mr. Fang Wen? Your men said you took photos of the Kuomintang army's deployment?"

Fang Wen nodded and gestured for them to come closer: "Please follow me, staff officer. The photos are being developed and will be clear soon. The situation is very serious. The Kuomintang army's deployment is extremely tight. If you enter the encirclement, the consequences will be unimaginable."

The group entered the plane, and Fang Wen went into the darkroom alone. After a while, he took out the aerial photographs he had prepared.

He showed the documents to the staff officer one by one and explained: "Staff officer, look, this is the troop assembly point on the east side of Maolin. There is probably a division deployed here, responsible for frontal blocking and blocking your way through Maolin; there is also a division here, cutting off the passage to break out to the southeast; and look here, the hidden artillery positions in the mountains, all the gun muzzles are aimed at Maolin town."

Fang Wen paused, his tone growing increasingly grave: "I feel that the Kuomintang has probably amassed a total of eight divisions, about 80,000 troops, and deployed heavy forces at all the passes around Maolin, forming a tight 'pocket formation.' They have guarded Maolin, the only passage for large troops, intending to wait for your main force to enter before using their numerical superiority to encircle and annihilate them."

The squadron commander quickly added, "What General Fang said is true. I watched him take pictures the whole time from the plane. I saw the deployment situation in those photos very clearly. It's not an exaggeration!"

The staff officer held the photos, examining them carefully one by one. His expression grew increasingly serious, and his fingers turned slightly white from the pressure.

He knew the significance of these photos; each one was irrefutable evidence that the Kuomintang was preparing to besiege the New Fourth Army.

Without much thought, he immediately took out a Taishan walkie-talkie from his backpack, quickly tuned the channel, and dialed the military headquarters several kilometers away.

After the communication was established, the staff officer reported in a deep voice into the walkie-talkie: "Report to the military headquarters! I have now met Mr. Fang Wen and the flight regiment commander on the banks of the Qingge River. They have brought aerial photographs of the Kuomintang army's deployment in the Maolin area. The situation is true. The Kuomintang has heavily fortified their position. The Maolin direction is a dead end! I request that the military headquarters immediately halt the advance and temporarily suspend the march toward Maolin!"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a steady voice that ordered the staff officer to take Fang Wen to the military headquarters immediately.

After hanging up the phone, the staff officer put away the mobile phone, looked at Fang Wen, and said earnestly, "Mr. Fang Wen, the army commander asks you to come with me to the army headquarters immediately to explain the situation in person. Please also bring these photos with you."

"Okay!" Fang Wen nodded without hesitation, immediately sorted out all the developed aerial photos, put them into a waterproof bag, followed the staff officer out of the plane, and sat on a soldier's warhorse.

The regimental commander mounted another warhorse, and the group rode off in the direction the main force of the New Fourth Army was heading.

Before long, they arrived at the center of the main force of the New Fourth Army.

Here, several officers in military uniforms are gathered together examining a map, with the army commander at the head.

Seeing the staff officer bring Fang Wen and others over, the army commander looked up and his gaze fell on Fang Wen: "You are Fang Wen from Taishan Airlines? I heard you brought important intelligence?"

Fang Wen stepped forward and handed over a waterproof bag containing aerial photographs: "This morning, I led the flight regiment commander and crew on aerial reconnaissance of the area from Junshan Lake to southern Anhui. When we flew over the Maolin Town area southwest of Jing County, we discovered a large-scale troop buildup below. This area is not a forward position bordering the Japanese army, so such a large troop buildup is very suspicious. I used the newly installed aerial photography equipment to photograph the situation below. After taking the photos, I felt more and more uneasy. I then conducted aerial reconnaissance of the surrounding area and found that you were marching, and the direction of your march was exactly towards Maolin Town. I then had a guess that so many Kuomintang troops were gathered there to ambush you."

After listening to Fang Wen's words, the army commander took the waterproof bag, opened it, and carefully examined the photos inside. Several officers around him also gathered around, their expressions gradually becoming solemn. (End of Chapter)