Chapter 126: 125, Cannon Village And Powder Workers, Shunzi’s Tinware Factory
The cooperative research and development project for penicillin medicine is progressing smoothly.
Tsinghua University’s biology department has some professors who agree to participate in the project.
Shopkeeper Liu took out another contract template.
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Cooperative Research and Development Contract
Contract maker: Taishan Airline Company（ hereinafter referred to as Party A）
Hired party: Tsinghua University biology department professor▁▁（ hereinafter referred to as Party B）
Now, because Party A wishes to develop penicillin to revitalize the national fortune and protect civilian safety, Party B is specially hired to preside over the work of the special laboratory for penicillin development. The terms agreed upon by both parties are as follows:
1. Party A will pay Party B a one-time settlement fee of one thousand silver dollars and arrange an airplane to pick up and drop off Party B and family members to Wuhan, and take responsibility for the settlement.
2. Party B’s monthly salary is set at three hundred silver dollars, plus an allowance of two hundred silver dollars.
3. Party A will give appropriate rewards for the phased results of Party B’s research. Upon completion of the research and development results, the team will be rewarded ten thousand silver dollars.
4. The technology rights to penicillin belong to Party A. The strains cultivated by Party B and other laboratory personnel must not be taken out of the laboratory.
5. Experiment logs must be archived and stored, and their contents are confidential and must not be leaked. If there is any act of leaking secrets, Party B must compensate Party A with five times the project investment amount.
6. If Party B or laboratory personnel are suspected of colluding with the enemy and leaking penicillin information to Japan and other powers, in addition to compensation for losses, Party A will pursue their responsibility.
7. This contract is made in two copies, with each of Party A and Party B holding one copy, and it takes effect from the date of signing.
Party A representative（ signature）:__
Party B（ signature）:__
Republic of China____ year____ month____ day
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After reading the contract, two professors agreed to participate. They would not only bring their family members to Wuhan but also their capable students.
But the Wuhan flight path has not yet opened, and there is no laboratory or place to arrange for experimental personnel and family members to live.
Shopkeeper Liu made an appointment with the two professors to meet again in half a month, then returned to Shanghai.
And at the same time.
Southern China, east of Changsha, Liuyang County.
After getting off the plane in Nanchang, Fang Shouxin took various means of transportation, passing through Fengxin, Yifeng, and Wanzai counties to enter Liuyang territory.
Liuyang is very large, with many workshops making fireworks. After investigating, Fang Shouxin reported to Shanghai via telegram.
“The county town has hundreds of workshops, thousands of workers, and civilians also make fireworks. It is said that two or three hundred thousand rural people make firecrackers, hence the saying ‘nine out of ten households make firecrackers.'”
“Liuyang fireworks are sold externally everywhere, even with orders overseas, so there are large fireworks businesses that set up sales and transportation points in various places.”
“However, the place where fireworks businesses gather is not Liuyang, but Shangli, where there are many businesses such as Yuanji Ben, Yuanji, Yuanji Rui, Taishunxiang, etc., handling sales, acquisition, and distribution.”
After sending the telegram, Fang Shouxin headed south to Shangli County dozens of miles away.
There, Fang Shouxin visited several fireworks businesses, seeking skilled gunpowder filling workers who follow rules and prioritize safety.
The sales networks of several fireworks businesses cover south of the Yangtze River and have many connections with various fireworks workshops, so they can recruit suitable workers.
Fang Shouxin promised again.
“All workers get room and board provided, twenty silver dollars per month. In case of accidents, treat first; for injuries or death, compensate thirty to fifty months’ wages.”
“There can be one rotation off per month, three days off. Holidays can also be accumulated, and every three months, they can take a plane home to visit family.”
These requirements and welfare were unprecedented.
Even the managers of several fireworks businesses didn’t believe there were such good conditions, so they didn’t dare to help recruit, fearing they would encounter a swindler.
Fang Shouxin didn’t expect that offering good conditions would cause this problem.
To prove himself, he could only invite representatives from several businesses to go to Nanchang to inspect Taishan Airlines Airport.
Shangli is not too far from Nanchang, and with Fang Shouxin’s promise to cover room and board and treat them well along the way, the businesses agreed to send people to check.
After those people went, they confirmed that Fang Shouxin was Taishan Airlines’ administrative director, and this matter was Taishan Airlines investment building a factory.
Upon returning, they reported to the patriarchs, and then they felt assured.
After receiving Taishan Airlines’ reward, several fireworks businesses began recruitment.
Because the conditions were unbelievably good, it led to many people in the fireworks hometowns of Liuyang and Shangli competing for these positions.
Some even started to have crooked ideas, trying to stuff silver dollars to bribe recruiters to get this job with twenty silver dollars.
For this, Fang Shouxin accepted not a single cent, only looking at ability.
With this stance, the capable fireworks workers became interested and came for interviews one after another.
After a round of recruitment, Fang Shouxin recruited 60 skilled workers, paid each a settlement fee of ten silver dollars, and took them to Nanchang.
These workers, carrying bundles, stood in a group at the airport, looking at the novel things before them.
Full of expectation and confusion about the future.
A bold one asked: “Director Fang, where are we going?”
“First take the plane back to Shanghai. Even if there’s no work now, your wages won’t be short.” Fang Shouxin replied.
After waiting a while, a whooshing sound came from the sky, and a huge airplane descended from the sky. Its momentum was much greater than a Boeing 247, scaring the workers into retreating repeatedly.
“Don’t panic, this is here to pick us up. Our Taishan Airlines heavy transport aircraft.” Fang Shouxin said proudly.
He led the workers onto the airplane, beginning the first flight journey in these 60 people’s lives.
The rear compartment was lively and noisy, full of exclamations of novelty and surprise.
In the front cockpit, Fang Wen sat in the main pilot seat, Pan Jiafeng in the co-pilot seat.
“Go close the hatch.” Fang Wen instructed.
Pan Jiafeng got up, closed the hatch, and said to the workers: “This is a transport aircraft with no seats. Everyone find a place to sit. There will be some bumps during takeoff; standing might cause you to fall.”
The workers nodded one after another and sat down.
Pan Jiafeng returned: “Master, ready for takeoff.”
Fang Wen turned on the instrument switches, activated the radio equipment, and communicated with the ground control tower.
“Taishan One requests takeoff, please respond if heard.” Taishan One was the new name for the f.220, fitting its name—heavy as Taishan Mountain.
The ground control tower replied: “Runway checked, no obstacles. General Manager, you may take off.”
Fang Wen laughed: “Follow the rules, it should be Taishan One may take off.”
“Yes, General Manager. Taishan One may take off.”
Fang Wen started the engines. Four 750-horsepower engines on both sides of the airplane operated, causing a vibration in the fuselage.
To let Taishan One see, staff on the runway waved flags from a distance.
These were on-site runway safety personnel; it couldn’t just be the control tower’s word—safety personnel were the second guarantee for takeoff.
Fang Wen waved to the safety personnel, turned the nose, accelerated on the runway, and flew into the sky.
At high altitude, Pan Jiafeng relaxed, got up, and went to the rear compartment to check the situation.
After returning, he asked: “Master, how to arrange these people?”
Fang Wen picked up the tea cup and drank warm tea, but didn’t answer.
Taishan One landed at Shanghai Airport, and the 60 workers were temporarily settled in residences outside the airport.
Where to build the factory was a problem.
Fang Wen was also worried about this.
He got off the plane, went home and washed his face, but his mind was still full of this matter.
Unknowingly, it was afternoon, and Shunzi and Huo Duanyang had both returned.
The two reported the situation to Fang Wen.
Huo Duanyang spoke first: “I visited many classmates, seniors and juniors. They are very interested in the conditions set by the general manager.”
“You didn’t say the specific situation, right?” Fang Wen asked.
“No. I just told them it’s chemistry-related work, and the monthly wage of 100 silver dollars is very attractive to them.” Huo Duanyang replied.
Fang Wen instructed: “The most critical catalysis step in the entire napalm preparation can only be done by you, and the key catalyst can only be prepared by you. The formula is known only to us two—absolutely don’t tell others.”
Huo Duanyang nodded: “I understand.”
Fang Wen looked at Shunzi: “Shunzi, go out for a bit. I need to talk to Huo Duanyang alone.”
“Alright, Young Master.” Shunzi turned and went out, closing the door.
After Shunzi left, Fang Wen said seriously: “In this world, there are two things that have been humanity’s great calamities since ancient times. Water and fire are ruthless. Your napalm bomb has strong adhesion, can burn continuously, and the threat it causes is more dangerous than bombs. Last time, our 300 kilograms of napalm bomb destroyed one-third of the Japanese army barracks in Shenyang City, causing huge casualties. This weapon hasn’t appeared anywhere in the world yet; it’s our unique weapon, but also a huge hidden danger.”
Fang Wen paused, staring at Huo Duanyang: “If the Japanese get it and make the same napalm bombs to drop on our heads, it would cause countless civilian casualties—this threat is even greater than bombs. Do you understand?”
Huo Duanyang understood, but hadn’t thought about it so thoroughly before.
Those scenes appeared in his mind, making him shudder.
He knew better than anyone what consequences his invention could cause.
A heavy bomb could at most destroy one building, sometimes not even that.
But after a napalm bomb explodes, it splatters countless small fire points that are hard to extinguish and continue burning.
If dropped inside a city, such napalm bombs could even burn down a large number of wooden buildings.
China is full of wooden buildings everywhere, like Ming and Qing ancient architecture, and even Republic of China constructions are mostly brick-wood mixed structures. Once a big fire starts, it would be disastrous.
Huo Duanyang felt an unprecedented heaviness and realized he absolutely could not leak the key secret. He nodded solemnly.
“General Manager, I will go back and think seriously about how to make confidentiality work the best.”
“Go back. I was just worried you hadn’t realized the importance of this.”
Then, Huo Duanyang left with heavy steps.
Watching his back, Fang Wen sighed.
During the War of Resistance, several major fires that later generations remember occurred, each causing huge losses, enough to prove how great the threat of napalm bombs is.
As the saying goes, a soldier’s sharp weapon must be used well, or it harms others and oneself.
As he was thinking, Shunzi came in from outside, grinning as he began his report.
“Young Master, I ran to several places this time and figured everything out.”
“What did you figure out?” Fang Wen asked.
“Tinware, though not as profitable as copper or ironware, is easy to make with abundant cheap raw materials. As for tin ore production areas, Gejiu, Yunnan, Guangxi, Chaozhou, Hunan all have them. I thought since this needs to be secret, instead of ordering from others, better to produce ourselves, so I pondered how to handle this.”
Fang Wen was surprised; Shunzi’s growth was remarkable—he even knew to use his brain.
He asked: “Did you find a way?”
“Yes.” Shunzi proudly recounted his experience.
He went to several places in the Southern Yangtze River Region producing tinware and finally chose Zhenjiang.
Zhenjiang is on the south bank of the Yangtze River, with developed water transport and also a trading place.
There are many hardware shops locally, and individual small merchants doing peddling work, mainly blacksmiths, coppersmiths, and tin craftsmen.
After Shunzi went there, he originally wanted to find a tinware workshop to place an order.
But found that those workshops’ output couldn’t meet the requirements at all.
It turned out that these workshops and freelance tin craftsmen were either masters with apprentices or father passing to son; skills weren’t passed outside, and all were handmade, so naturally couldn’t produce much.
Shunzi thought it through and found the lineage from these people.
He got the senior-most elder to lead, gathering a lineage of tin craftsmen, and persuaded them through interest incentives.
This lineage of over 20 tin craftsmen, if they divided labor and cooperated, could achieve the output Fang Wen wanted.
After hearing Shunzi’s words, Fang Wen praised: “Then for this tinware factory, I’ll put you in charge. Can you deliver 4000 bomb-specific tin pots within half a month?”
Shunzi was stunned; Fang Wen had given him a huge choice.
If he agreed, he could have his own undertaking.
If not, continue training as a flight apprentice to fulfill his father’s pilot dream.
He hesitated between the two choices.
Finally, he looked at Fang Wen: “Young Master, I want to manage the tinware factory, but you need to talk to my dad. I’m scared when his temper flares up.”
“No problem, I’ll talk to him later. Now let’s talk about the tinware factory. If you manage it, you can’t let them do it casually; break down the process, with different tin craftsmen specializing in one process step. This is called assembly line operation, understand?”
“Don’t understand.” Shunzi shook his head honestly.
Fang Wen continued explaining: “They are all skilled workers and can complete the entire tinware production independently, but that work efficiency is too slow. For example, tinware includes steps like modeling, mold making, casting, demolding, trimming, fire welding, polishing, etc. Let them each handle different steps, and efficiency will improve a lot.”
“I remember, Young Master.” Shunzi memorized Fang Wen’s words carefully. Though not good at studying, he was a practitioner; since the Young Master said it, he would make it happen.
“Alright then, go to Manager Liu to get a sum of money, follow your dad’s previous recruitment standard, go to Zhenjiang again, and bring the people over.” Fang Wen arranged.
“What about my dad?”
“I’ll go right now, don’t worry, he won’t beat you.”
Shunzi immediately smiled and did as Fang Wen instructed.
Fang Wen then went out to find Fang Shouxin resting at home.
“Uncle Fang, Shunzi came back earlier, and I sent him out on another task.”
“Good, this kid needs tempering.” Fang Shouxin nodded.
“I’m planning to make him factory director of the tinware factory. He’s afraid you won’t agree, so he asked me to talk to you.”
Fang Shouxin didn’t disagree; on the contrary, he was very happy.
But still uneasy.
“Young Master, can Shunzi handle it?”
“The tinware factory recruits all skilled workers; it’s not too difficult. Don’t worry.”
Fang Shouxin happily said: “That’s good, thank you Young Master for giving Shunzi this opportunity to step forward. I originally had him train as a flight apprentice because I worried he’d have no future.”
Having resolved the misunderstanding between father and son, Fang Wen was also happy.
He remembered his own matters weren’t done, so he said to Fang Shouxin: “Uncle Fang, tomorrow go to the city and call Neil over. I want to talk to him about hiring foreign pilots.”
Hiring foreign pilots was to fly back the Shrike Hao; in Shanghai, the only way to find someone to fly the p26 series was through Neil.
