Republic of China: Ace Pilot

The joint air and ground strike operation at Haiphong Port was a great success, and the news reached Hanoi.

The Japanese landing plan was completely disrupted, more than half of their supplies were destroyed, and their troops suffered heavy casualties. Their originally arrogant offensive was forcibly contained, which was undoubtedly a great and inspiring victory for the French.

To celebrate this victory, the Governor's Office held a grand celebration banquet, inviting all the Free French officers who participated in the operation, the Taishan National Salvation Air Force led by Fang Wen, and the core members of the Independent Regiment's gunboat squadron.

As evening fell, the Governor's Palace in Hanoi was brightly lit. The banquet hall was covered with luxurious carpets, and crystal chandeliers reflected dazzling light. The tables were laden with French cuisine, red wine, and desserts, and the air was filled with the aroma of champagne and food.

The Free French officers, dressed in crisp uniforms, gathered in twos and threes, raising their glasses in celebration, chatting and laughing, their faces full of the joy and pride of victory, occasionally letting out hearty laughter, their words filled with boasting of this victory and their aspirations for defeating the Japanese army in the future.

Lieutenant Colonel Le Maire, dressed in his brand-new uniform and adorned with medals, was surrounded by a group of officers, receiving their congratulations.

"Gentlemen, this victory is inseparable from Mr. Fang Wen's precise command, the heroic fighting of the Air Force, and even more so from the perseverance of every one of our soldiers!" He raised his glass, his voice booming, "As long as we are united as one, we will surely drive the Japanese out of Indochina and rebuild our homeland!"

The surrounding officers echoed their sentiments, raising their glasses in response. Cheers and clinking glasses mingled together, bringing the banquet to a climax.

Colonial pilots recounted the awe-inspiring scenes of the air raids, army officers returning from the front boasted of their valiant performances in the ground offensive, and others joked about the Japanese army's disarrayed retreat. The entire banquet hall was immersed in a festive atmosphere.

In stark contrast, there were the Taishan personnel on the other side.

Fang Wen, dressed in a simple training uniform without any medals, sat quietly at the dining table, holding a glass of warm water, calmly observing everything before him.

The pilots from Mount Tai, including Zhou Hengli and Lin Yinzong, who was specially invited after shooting down a fighter jet, also kept a low profile and did not participate in the French celebration. They simply exchanged details of the daytime air battle in hushed tones. Although their faces showed the joy of victory, they always maintained the Eastern modesty and restraint.

Several young pilots looked at the French reveling in the distance, their faces showing some confusion. Some of them whispered among themselves:
"Look at them, they only won a diversionary battle, is it really necessary to celebrate like this? We fought the Japanese in China and won even bigger victories than this, but we didn't make such a big fuss about it."

"That's right. The main force of the Japanese army is still here, and there are still tough battles to fight. Isn't it too much of a complacency for them to celebrate like this?"

Their voices weren't loud, but they still reached Fang Wen's ears.

Fang Wen watched the reveling French people, a faint smile appearing on his lips, and got up to walk over to his pilot.

“You don’t understand, this is not underestimating the enemy, but a characteristic of the French nation.”

The surrounding Chinese personnel all looked over, their eyes full of doubt, waiting for Fang Wen to continue explaining.

Pan Jiafeng asked, "General Manager, tell me, what kind of people are the French? We really don't understand how they can be so carefree when the war is still going on."

Fang Wen picked up his wine glass, took a small sip, and said in a calm tone, "Since ancient times, the French people have never been the type to be patient and restrained. As far back as the Middle Ages, they have a penchant for grand celebrations and magnificent ceremonies. Even in times of war, they would celebrate to the fullest as long as they achieved even the slightest victory. This is not arrogance or underestimation of the enemy, but rather their way of coping with suffering."

He paused, then continued, “They like to sing praises of heroes and boost morale. They believe that suffering needs to be faced squarely, but victory needs to be remembered even more. A grand celebration is not only a celebration of victory, but also an expectation for the future, which can rekindle the fighting spirit of weary soldiers and help them continue to move forward.”

After finishing his pleasantries, Fang Wen changed the subject: "Furthermore, the fact that mainland France was occupied and surrendered by Germany within a month last year is a huge humiliation for the French people who once defeated Germany. The Free French government represents the will of the French people in this regard, and the army commanders here are all Free French. They need a victory led by themselves to regain their lost self-esteem. Their celebration is more of an emotional release, a catharsis after long suppression, and also a way to boost their morale and tell themselves that they have the ability to defeat the Japanese army and the ability to take back their own land."

After a pause, Fang Wen looked at the pilots and continued, "We Chinese people value not being arrogant in victory or discouraged in defeat. Even after a great victory, we remain clear-headed and prepare for the next battle. There is no right or wrong in this; it's just that the two nations have different ways of dealing with the world. We don't need to understand or imitate them. As long as we do our own thing, stay true to our original aspirations, and win every battle that needs to be fought, that's enough."

After listening to Fang Wen's explanation, the doubts on the faces of the young pilots gradually disappeared, and they all nodded to show their understanding.

Lin Yinzong said softly, "I see. I thought they were underestimating their opponent, but I didn't expect there to be such a reason behind it."

Zhou Hengli also remarked, "The general manager is right. Every ethnic group has its own characteristics. As long as we do our job well, we will not let this victory down."

At this moment, Lieutenant Colonel Le Maire, accompanied by several senior French officers, approached with wine glasses, his face beaming: "Mr. Fang Wen, thank you so much! Without your command, there would have been no victory. You are our hero!" He handed his glass to Fang Wen, "I toast to you, hoping that we can continue to work together to defeat the Japanese army and overcome difficulties together!"

Fang Wen stood up, took the wine glass, nodded slightly, and said in a steady tone, "Lieutenant Colonel Le Maire is too kind. This is a victory for both of us. In the future, we will continue to cooperate to defend this land and repel the Japanese army."

After saying this, he lightly clinked glasses with Lieutenant Colonel Lemerre, without exchanging many pleasantries, maintaining his low profile. After finishing his drink, he returned to his seat and continued to calmly observe the revelry before him.

Inside the banquet hall, the cheers of the French continued, champagne bubbles rose, and laughter echoed throughout.

With Fang Wen's explanation, the Chinese team finally understood the meaning behind the celebration and no longer had any doubts. Some of the more restless pilots even joined in the festivities.

In stark contrast to the jubilation at the Governor-General's Palace in Hanoi, the atmosphere in the conference room of the Japanese military headquarters was oppressive and suffocating.

On either side of the long conference table sat high-ranking Japanese officers, each with a gloomy expression. On the table lay detailed battle reports of the battle of Haiphong Harbor, with densely packed casualty figures and lists of destroyed equipment, like needles pricking one's eyes.

"Damn it!" A Japanese lieutenant general slammed his fist on the table, his voice filled with rage. "Our defensive deployment was flawless. The air defense positions, troop deployment, and supply storage were all executed to the highest standards. How could we have suffered such heavy losses?!"

His gaze swept over everyone present, and he said bitterly, "Seventy percent of our anti-aircraft firepower has been destroyed, and our tanks, ammunition depots, and transport ships have been precisely targeted. It's as if the enemy has eyes; they know everything about our port area. Why is this happening?!"

The meeting room was completely silent; no one dared to speak.

After a long silence, a military staff officer stood up and said, "General, we have repeatedly studied the battle process. The enemy air force's air raids were extremely accurate, and their tactical deployment was meticulous. First, they concentrated their firepower to destroy the air defense positions, and then they attacked the key targets from different directions. It's clear that they have detailed intelligence on our port area's deployment." "Intelligence?" The lieutenant general frowned. "Our deployment is extremely secretive. Apart from the officers and soldiers stationed on-site, only a few people in the military headquarters know about it. How could they have obtained the intelligence? Could it be aerial reconnaissance?"

The air force technical officer standing nearby immediately shook his head, his tone resolute: "General, it's impossible. With the current level of technology, neither the French nor the Chinese air force has the capability to accurately detect the deployments inside the port area. At most, aerial reconnaissance can only see the general troop concentrations, but it cannot accurately know where the anti-aircraft gun positions are, where the ammunition depots are, or even where tanks are temporarily assembled in the woods."

With the possibility of aerial reconnaissance ruled out, everyone's attention focused on the "traitor."

A major general said, "Since it wasn't a technical means, then someone must have leaked the intelligence. I believe there must be French spies hiding inside Haiphong harbor. They leaked the detailed deployment of the port area, giving the other side an opportunity to take advantage of the situation."

These words were immediately echoed by the crowd.

The Japanese devils have always been adept at this kind of operation. They have planted countless spies in China, and when there is no other explanation, "spies" becomes the most reasonable answer.

The lieutenant general's expression softened slightly, and he ordered in a deep voice: "Immediately conduct a comprehensive investigation of all officers, soldiers, and logistics personnel stationed at Haiphong Port. Investigate them one by one and find the hidden spies! Anyone suspected must be detained and interrogated without exception!"

"Hi!" everyone responded in unison, their pens flying across their notebooks, the oppressive atmosphere growing even stronger.

The topic then shifted to the failure of the Zero fighter.

Another lieutenant general said gravely, “There is one more thing that must be investigated. Over Haiphong harbor, five Zero fighters engaged one P-40, and three were shot down. The remaining two were too afraid to fight and fled. This is a disgrace to the Air Force! Could it be that our new Zero fighter has a fatal flaw?”

The air force technical officer quickly stood up and bowed to explain: "General, there is absolutely no problem with the performance of the Zero fighter. In the entire Asian theater, the Zero has absolute air superiority. Even the P-40 is no match for the Zero. This defeat is not a problem with the fighter itself, but with the enemy pilot: China's ace pilot, Fang Wen."

"Fang Wen!" Upon hearing this name, the atmosphere in the conference room instantly became even more tense, and several senior executives showed signs of headache.

This name, like a thorn, was deeply embedded in the hearts of the Japanese army.

They had organized numerous assassination attempts, dispatching a large number of elite agents in an attempt to eliminate this major threat, but each attempt ended in failure, resulting in the loss of a large number of personnel, yet they couldn't even harm a single hair on Fang Wen's head.

"It's Fang Wen again!" the lieutenant general gritted his teeth. "He has shot down many of our planes and sabotaged our military operations on numerous occasions. We must find a way to get rid of him!"

He looked at the Chief of the General Staff: "Didn't your Special Higher Police specifically plan an operation against him? How's it progressing?"

"I'll have him come over and explain this to everyone," the Chief of the General Staff said.

After a while.

A man in a black suit with a sinister expression walked into the conference room and bowed: "General, this is Sato, the head of the Special Higher Police Section, who has been ordered to come."

"Sato, is there any progress in the assassination attempt against Fang Wen?" The lieutenant general asked coldly, his eyes fixed on him.

Sato raised his head, his tone resolute: "General, rest assured, I have a meticulous plan. We have already reinstated elite undercover agents in Yangon and northern Myanmar bases to closely monitor Fang Wen's movements. In addition, I have discovered that the acquisition of Myanmar's oil by Taishan Group has been finalized, and a public press conference will be held soon. As the owner of Taishan Airlines, Fang Wen will certainly attend in person."

He paused, then continued, "We've already placed people in newspapers in British Burma, disguised as reporters, carrying specially made camera pistols, to assassinate him at the press conference. If the assassination at the press conference fails, we'll immediately activate our undercover agents in Yangon and northern Burma to launch a second attack on Fang Wen during his return journey or at his base. This time, we've laid a trap for him, and we're certain we can kill him!"

Hearing this, the expressions on the faces of the Japanese high command finally softened somewhat. The lieutenant general nodded, his tone stern: "I don't care what method you use, you must succeed! If you fail again, you will resign and someone else will take over the job."

"Yes, sir! I will certainly not fail in my mission!" Sato Ichiro bowed and replied, a sinister glint in his eyes, before leaving the conference room.

Meanwhile, the senior executives in the conference room remained frowning. They all knew that Fang Wen was no ordinary person, and whether the assassination would succeed was still uncertain.

Meanwhile, the victory celebration banquet at the Governor-General's Office in Hanoi was gradually coming to an end.

The French revelry continued, though their faces were now more flushed with intoxication, and their speech became increasingly slurred.

Fang Wen looked at the commotion before him, his expression remaining calm, but a hint of barely perceptible vigilance appeared deep in his eyes.

The small bronze cauldron inside the pocket emitted a faint vibration.

He had never encountered this situation before and didn't quite understand what it meant.

However, based on past experience, this should also be considered a sign of danger.

Gong Xiu noticed Fang Wen's unusual behavior and asked softly, "Commander, what's wrong?"

The faint vibration disappeared when Gong Xiuneng asked him a question.

Fang Wen replied, "It's nothing. I just feel that this victory came too easily, and the Japanese won't let it go. They've suffered such a huge loss, they'll definitely try to retaliate. We must be vigilant and prepare accordingly." (End of Chapter)