Courtyard House: Home Alone

Seeing the expectation and worry in his master's eyes, Lin Yifan had already made up his mind. He took a deep breath and slowly spoke, his voice firm and clear: "Sir, 'Ghost' asked me to tell you that these planes are not part of a transaction."

Upon hearing this, the gentleman paused slightly, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes: "Not a transaction? Then it is..."

Lin Yifan met his gaze and said, word by word, "'Ghost' said that these planes were donated to the Red Party by him—no, by the 'Ghost' organization—to help our army acquire its own air power as soon as possible and drive the Japanese devils out of China!"

"A donation without compensation?" The man suddenly stood up from his seat, his eyes filled with disbelief and shock; he could hardly believe his ears.

Manager Zhou seemed to have heard some commotion outside the hall. He took a slight step, then forcibly stopped.

Inside the hall, the gentleman's breathing became somewhat rapid. He stared intently at Lin Yifan, as if trying to discern the truth from his expression: "Young friend, you...you say that again? This is no small sum—over three hundred airplanes, donated just like that?"

Lin Yifan met the man's excited gaze and nodded emphatically: "Yes, sir. 'Ghost' said that in times of national crisis, every citizen has a responsibility."

He didn't need any reward; he only hoped that these planes could be truly put to use and contribute to the cause of resisting Japan.

He added that along with the aircraft, a batch of aerial bombs, cannon shells, aviation gasoline, and engine parts were also donated. Additionally, a shipment of weapons, ammunition, and food supplies was also donated, including a batch of heavy artillery and ammunition.

These aircraft are just the beginning; he will find ways to provide more support if conditions permit.

The gentleman's body trembled slightly. He slowly sat down, his hand holding the teacup unsteady, and a few drops of scalding tea splashed out, but he was completely unaware.

He watched the steam rising from the cup, his eyes gradually welling up with tears.

After a long silence, he finally raised his head, his voice slightly hoarse but full of strength: "Good! What a 'ghost'! What a group of patriots! This friendship will be remembered by our Red Party! This kindness will be remembered by all the people of China!"

He stood up, solemnly bowed deeply to Lin Yifan, and also as if facing the direction of "Ghost": "Please convey to 'Ghost' that we accept his generosity and righteousness! We will certainly not let him down, and we will use these planes and weapons to strike the invaders hard and avenge our fallen compatriots!"

Lin Yifan also stood up and solemnly returned the greeting: "I will definitely convey your words, sir. 'Ghost' also believes that under your leadership and that of the Red Party, these planes will certainly be able to play their greatest role."

The man's emotions gradually calmed down, but the light in his eyes grew even more intense. He sat down again, looking intently at Lin Yifan: "Young friend Lin, 'Ghost' trusts us so much, we can't let him down."

We've accepted the planes, but our Red Party never takes a single needle or thread from the masses for nothing. The maintenance, upkeep, and fuel costs of these planes represent a considerable expense.

Although we are poor, we will do everything we can to ensure these basic needs are met.

In addition, regarding pilots, we have been secretly selecting and training some soldiers with a basic level of education, but we are struggling to find training aircraft and systematic training.

"If 'Ghost' can provide assistance in this regard, that would be wonderful." Lin Yifan was delighted; the gentleman had indeed considered everything thoroughly.

He quickly replied, "Don't worry, sir, 'Ghost' has already taken these things into consideration. Regarding pilot training, this first batch of aircraft includes twelve primary trainer planes."

As for the experienced "instructors," we can only ask the "Japanese for help." They will try to capture a group of Japanese pilots, but the subsequent ideological work will have to be done by yourselves.

As for fuel and spare parts, he would try his best to replenish them through special channels. However, "the Ghost also made a small request, which is that each of the three leaders of your Red Party, including yourself, should write three calligraphy pieces."

"Oh? Three calligraphy pieces?"

Upon hearing this, the gentleman was taken aback at first, then chuckled, a hint of interest in his eyes. "This 'ghost' is quite a refined person."

We people spend our days either in meetings or studying the war situation, so our handwriting isn't exactly excellent. However, since it was "Ghost's" request, we naturally have to repay this "debt of pen and ink."

"Let alone three, even thirty, as long as these planes can soar in the skies of the War of Resistance against Japan as soon as possible, we will not hesitate to do it."

At this point, the gentleman's gaze deepened. "But what should we write? 'Expel the Japanese invaders, reclaim our land'? Or..."

He pondered for a moment, then looked at Lin Yifan, "Young friend Lin, does 'Ghost' have any special instructions?"

"Sir, 'Ghost' doesn't have any special requirements. As for the content, you can decide for yourselves. His only requirement is: any calligraphy from you will be fine."

Lin Yifan quickly added, "By the way, sir, I also greatly admire the calligraphy of your deputy commander-in-chief and hope to obtain two pieces."

Upon hearing this, the man laughed heartily: "Haha, this 'ghost' knows our preferences so well."

"Alright, although Lao Peng is usually easygoing, his calligraphy is quite elegant. Two more pieces of his calligraphy are fine, I'll accept on his behalf!"

A huge weight was lifted from Lin Yifan's heart, and a relaxed smile appeared on his face: "In that case, thank you very much, sir. 'Ghost' will be very happy if he finds out."

The man waved his hand, his gaze hardening again: "A few words are nothing to worry about. The most important thing right now is the handover of the aircraft."

Where exactly are these aircraft located? How will they be transported to the base? How should pilot training be conducted? These are all urgent issues that need to be addressed.

This was indeed the most crucial and difficult part of the entire plan. With over three hundred aircraft, along with so much ammunition, fuel, and supplies, the sheer size and obvious target made it virtually impossible to transport them to the base undetected.

Especially now that the Japanese and puppet troops have a tight blockade and are checking every major transportation route, any slight disturbance could lead to annihilation.

Lin Yifan pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "Sir, 'Ghost' has a preliminary idea regarding the time and place of the handover, but we need your cooperation and confirmation."

In terms of timing, he hoped to complete the first handover as soon as possible, preferably within a month, to avoid any unforeseen complications.

As for the location, they suggested the Taihang Mountains, where the terrain is complex and relatively hidden, and that area should be your base, making it convenient for subsequent relocation and deployment.

You can find a place to build a temporary airport, including hangars, warehouses, etc., to facilitate the storage of supplies.

Considering your relatively weak armed forces, the first batch of supplies we are giving you includes light and heavy weapons sufficient to equip 100,000 people, including 105mm howitzers, 75mm mountain guns, 75mm field guns, and light and heavy machine guns.

There are also a large quantity of shells and bullets; the exact number depends on your capacity to accept them.