Chapter 95: 94, Gold In Hand, How To Handle The Aftermath
Treasure Hunting Group, after passing Shi Family Village, continued heading southwest. It was late October, temperatures had dropped below 10 degrees Celsius, and with the chill of the forest area, some members of the Treasure Hunting Group put on fur coats.
The fur coats sewn from animal hides were very warm, making the southern members of the Treasure Hunting Group feel no cold at all.
Sun Debiao walked at the very front. This weather was not yet time for him to wear a fur coat. He strode forward quickly, single-mindedly thinking of reaching the logging camp as soon as possible.
One hour later, the team entered the mountains.
Advancing on the log transport path in the dense forest.
Three hours later, they arrived at a valley.
There were many round logs piled up, with a very wide open area in the middle.
Sun Debiao pointed to the road in front of the logging camp and said:
“This is it, see? When going downhill, horses are used to drag the logs, and over time it became a wide road. This section is flat, about 400 meters long, perfect for airplane landing.”
“Are there people inside?” Gang Leader Wang asked.
“I’ve inquired. After the Japanese came, most loggers ran away, leaving only some to guard the place.”
“Brothers, let’s go in. Remember to keep an eye on the people inside. Before the airplane lands, not one can leave the logging camp.”
The group entered the logging camp, spreading out in all directions, seemingly wandering but actually scouting the situation inside the logging camp.
The logging camp was completely quiet, with only the largest wooden house lit up.
Sun Debiao went to knock on the door: “Open up, borrowing your place for the night.”
The door opened. An elderly person glanced at Sun Debiao, then scanned outside.
He said:
“I don’t care who you are, I won’t ask, but staying the night costs money.”
“No problem. Food and drinks are prepared, we’ll settle it all with you.”
The elderly person followed the rules. All kinds of people could appear in the forest. Even the usual logging workers might have committed murder cases. As long as he minded his own business, he could live safely.
This time was the same. After Sun Debiao explained to him, the 19 Treasure Hunting Group members settled here.
They said to have the elderly person prepare food and drinks, but in reality, the food and water they brought were not touched by the Treasure Hunting Group at all. Instead, they ate their own reserved rations.
Gang Leader Wang, Shopkeeper Liu, and Sun Debiao sat around the stove, talking with the elderly person.
“We want to borrow this land to do something.” Gang Leader Wang said calmly.
The elderly person glanced at the full house of people. “Go ahead, I have no objection.”
“No debt owed. This is for you.” Shopkeeper Liu handed a stack of silver dollars to the elderly person.
With the money, the elderly person completely relaxed and cooperated: “Just say it.”
“We’re planning to level that flat road outside the logging camp. Do you have tools?”
The elderly person was stunned.
“You’re giving me money and helping repair the road?”
“Yes, can it be done?”
“Of course.”
He couldn’t believe there was such a good thing. It would be strange not to agree.
The Treasure Hunting Group settled in the logging camp in the dense forest.
The next day, they began repairing the road.
Filling and leveling the road surface, using mules and horses to drag large round logs over it.
Then cutting down trees on both sides, leaving a 15-meter-wide open area.
A total of over 400 meters of road surface to level, a not insignificant project for the Treasure Hunting Group.
But tunnels had been dug, 2 tons of gold transported out—what was this bit of labor?
While everyone worked hard, Sun Debiao went down the mountain.
He was responsible for scouting the outside situation to report back in time, so the Treasure Hunting Group wouldn’t be unprepared if something happened.
For three consecutive days, Sun Debiao returned on time each night to report.
The Japanese surprisingly hadn’t discovered the gold was fake yet.
The more this was so, the more tense the Treasure Hunting Group became. Fake was fake after all; it definitely couldn’t escape careful inspection.
Maybe tomorrow the Japanese would discover it?
Under this stimulating emotion, everyone’s work intensity spontaneously increased. After another three days, it was finally completed.
Immediately, that evening at 8 p.m., Shopkeeper Liu sent a telegram to the south.
Shanghai Airport.
Fang Wen had flown the Jinan to Shanghai flight with three outstanding flight apprentices.
After the passengers disembarked, the three flight apprentices immediately took out their notebooks, asking about issues from the day’s flight observation.
After Fang Wen patiently answered, the three flight apprentices bowed deeply.
“General Manager, thank you for the guidance.”
“You three performed well. Fly a few more trips, and you can pilot the Boeing 80.”
Fang Wen smiled and gave his evaluation.
The three aviation apprentices happily left to eat at the canteen.
Fang Wen also disembarked, preparing to go home.
Watching the three apprentices’ backs, he felt emotional in his heart.
Taishan Airlines’ flight apprentice graduation process had formed a procedure. After theoretical and physical strength training, flight apprentices underwent 50 hours of trainer aircraft actual flight training. Outstanding ones could enter the flight observation phase, followed by Boeing 80 actual flight training assessment.
If they passed the Boeing 80 actual flight training assessment, they could officially go on duty, piloting the Boeing 80.
The previous batch of flight apprentices could then become permanent, becoming Boeing 247 pilots.
As for flight apprentices who didn’t pass the trainer aircraft actual flight training assessment.
They only had one last chance. If they failed the trainer aircraft actual flight training three times, they would be cleared out.
Therefore, Taishan Airlines’ first batch of flight apprentice class might ultimately have no more than 10 flight apprentices graduate.
The remaining half of the flight apprentices weren’t incapable of flying; Taishan Airlines sought excellence and kept only the best.
The half that didn’t pass, with the knowledge they learned, could go to other aviation schools for further study and still become qualified pilots.
After feeling emotional, Fang Wen went home as usual, changed into plainclothes, ate at the canteen, then strolled on the streets outside the airport.
Time soon reached 7 p.m. He returned home, closed the door securely, and took out the hand-cranked telegraph machine.
One hour later, right on time, a sound came through the headphones.
The encrypted telegram was translated into plain text.
【Runway is repaired, 400 meters long, 15 meters wide, hard soil surface leveled.】
Fang Wen nodded. This runway condition was fine. The Boeing 247 used wide landing gear tires, allowing takeoff and landing on informal runways. Combined with his piloting ability, there would basically be no problem.
He sent a reply telegram.
Inside the logging camp, all Treasure Hunting Group members waited eagerly for the reply.
After Shopkeeper Liu translated the telegram message, he excitedly raised the paper in his hand.
“Tomorrow night, 12 o’clock.”
Everyone cheered. Finally, the final moment had arrived.
Gang Leader Wang shouted loudly to stop: “Everyone go rest, get in good spirits, action tomorrow.”
Everyone immediately quieted down, went to their respective beds, with whispers rising and falling.
Gang Leader Wang, Shopkeeper Liu, and Sun Debiao whispered by the stove.
“How’s the Japanese side?”
“A group of black-clothed people appeared in the city. They enter residential buildings at will to search. I heard the house we originally rented has been broken into.”
“Then they likely discovered the problem. Good thing it ends tomorrow.”
Gang Leader Wang suddenly asked: “After transporting the gold, what do we do?”
Shopkeeper Liu replied: “Didn’t the General Manager say? He’ll pick us up on the second trip.”
Gang Leader Wang voiced his worry: “But round trip takes over 4 hours. Only one trip per night. What if the Japanese enter the mountains the next day?”
Sun Debiao was full of confidence in the patriarch: “No problem. In this world, only our General Manager has the ability for night flying. If the Japanese enter the mountains, we go. Contact with Shopkeeper Liu’s telegraph machine, change places, and the General Manager can still pick us up home.”
Yes.
At this moment, Gang Leader Wang was a bit envious of this small group, possessing flight resources better than the National Government. Without this air transport route, the whole action would be in vain.
One night passed. North and south sides had nothing more to do, just wait for nightfall.
To maintain the airplane’s night flight state, the Shanghai to Jinan flight began temporary maintenance.
That day, the airplane underwent comprehensive maintenance to ensure no issues.
At 7 p.m., Fang Wen piloted the Boeing 247 from Shanghai Airport, arriving at Jinan Airport two hours later.
Refueled at Jinan Airport, the airplane took off again, flying over Bohai Bay and Liaodong Peninsula to Shenyang.
The airplane circled high above Shenyang City. Fang Wen adjusted position, flying toward the southeast of Shenyang City.
That was a vast forest area, hard to find the logging camp even in daytime.
But at night, the temporary runway lit by two rows of torches was the clearest guide.
Taking a deep breath, Fang Wen searched for the best landing angle while circling.
It had to match accurately, or missing it, the aircraft wing could crash into nearby big trees.
In mechanical perception state, Fang Wen became a giant owl of the night, circling high above, finally finding the best landing angle and diving down.
The airplane skimmed over the treetops, airflow making the treetops surge.
Passing through the forest, the Boeing 247 reached above the logging camp, whistling toward the road at the logging camp entrance.
The logging camp’s gate-guarding elderly person was scared badly by the huge black shadow passing overhead, shouting loudly.
“Grandpa Huang Er protect me, don’t let this monster bird eat me.”
He really took the airplane for a bird and invoked his family birth immortal for protection.
The Treasure Hunting Group people didn’t explain, just took the elderly person inside the house and locked him up, then drove the mule and horse carriage outward.
They hurriedly moved things to the airplane side, with Sun Debiao receiving at the boarding gate.
When the gold wooden boxes were almost loaded, the situation became a bit strange.
Someone shouted in the night.
“Gold taken away, will you come back to pick us up?”
This one sentence voiced everyone’s thoughts.
The Treasure Hunting Group people all walked toward the boarding gate.
Seeing this, Sun Debiao quickly closed the hatch and jumped off the airplane himself.
He said loudly: “Shopkeeper Sun and I haven’t left. What are you afraid of? The patriarch coming and going is just one night. Don’t you believe this much?”
Immediately, everyone hesitated.
Fang Wen watched from the airplane, opened the hatch again, and called out: “Everyone, rest assured. I, Fang Wen, am Taishan Airlines General Manager, a public figure. If I really plotted for the gold, you can find me. Airplane payload 2.5 tons, gold is 2 tons. Can’t take all of you remaining. Do you want me to take half back and leave half waiting?”
Hearing only half could go back, everyone immediately didn’t want that.
If going back, all go together. If half go back, what if that half pressures General Manager Fang not to return for the rest?
Everyone felt it was better to trust Taishan Airlines General Manager than other Treasure Hunting Group members.
After all, these were all jianghu figures from all over; everyone knew each other’s backgrounds.
Black eating black—these people were more likely to do it, after all, fewer people meant more share.
Thus, no one dwelled on not accompanying the gold back, but dispersed and regained cheerfulness.
Fang Wen breathed a sigh of relief, closed the hatch, and piloted the airplane to takeoff.
Airplane flying high in the sky, but Fang Wen was thinking how to handle this batch of gold.
64,000 gold bars, half to be used for Treasure Hunting Group profit sharing.
But not divided per head.
Fang Wen’s represented Taishan Airlines takes the biggest share, 40%.
Gang Leader Wang’s Axe Gang, him plus 7 action group members, 30%.
Liu Family Three Brothers who dug the tunnel, 10%
Tou Men’s five plus their master, 20%.
That is, Fang Wen’s small team gets 12,800 gold bars, Gang Leader Wang’s side 9,600 gold bars, Liu Family Three Brothers 3,200, Tou Men 6,400.
Fang Wen was shocked by this astonishing quantity.
Truly a huge fortune for worry-free second half of life.
But dividing it just like this, probably even the remaining half gold hard to keep, eyed daily by these jianghu people, and possibly leaking news.
The only way to control the situation might be installment payments.
This way, all people kept hanging for wealth not fully in hand yet, everyone would jointly keep secret.
Their own money not fully obtained, naturally no greed for the remaining half.
So where to put this batch of gold after bringing back?
Hand to bank for safekeeping?
Fang Wen first rejected this idea. Such huge wealth would absolutely have accidents. So many future bank incidents were lessons.
Can’t put at Taishan Airlines either, too obvious.
Must have a safe and reliable hiding place to solve follow-up problems.
He suddenly thought, years later War of Resistance erupts, Northern China falls, eastern coastline also quickly lost.
These places not suitable for hiding treasure.
Only those provinces persisting to War of Resistance end are best hiding spots.
Right, didn’t Fourth Sister say, in Western Hunan area, many caves, those caves inaccessible, many branches, legends many bandits use to hide treasure.
No, no. Fang Wen shook his head; this matter too complicated.
More complex matters mean higher chance of mishaps; after all, can’t ensure every link confidential.
What Fang Wen needed to do now: find someone who can safely keep secret for him, meticulous mind, rigorous in action, such a person to execute hiding gold, to guarantee safety.
For some reason, Fang Wen thought of one person.
Airplane landed in Jinan, refueled and transited, immediately took off returning to Shanghai Airport.
Time already past 4 a.m.
Drove airplane into hangar, woke Howard in the airport dormitory building to guard, Fang Wen quickly ran out of the airport.
He came to the house next to his residence, the residence rented for Shao Sishen.
Knocked on the door. After a while, sleepy-eyed Shao Sishen opened.
He stretched lazily with one hand, yawning: “General Manager, so early, what’s up?”
“Gold is back. Get dressed and come with me.”
Just this sentence sobered Shao Sishen. He immediately put on outerwear and followed Fang Wen back to the airport.
In the hangar, he looked at the pried-open wooden boxes; the shiny gold bars made his throat move.
Anyone seeing so much gold couldn’t stay calm.
Fang Wen said calmly: “Tomorrow night I need to pick them up. Before that, this gold must be hidden well. Do you have a way?”
Shao Sishen shook his head: “No wall is airtight in the world. You can’t hide this much gold. Better deposit in bank.”
“I don’t trust those foreign banks.” Fang Wen shook his head.
Shao Sishen looked at Fang Wen with a strange expression.
“Or find someone you can trust?”
Fang Wen nodded: “That’s what I thought too. It’s you.”
“No, I can’t, but someone can. For that, you must make a sacrifice.”
“Sacrifice what?”
“Marry her as wife.”
Shao Sishen’s words left Fang Wen baffled.
“Explain clearly. Time is tight.”
“I know time is tight, that’s why this plan. She might be the only one who can help you solve it.”
“Who exactly? No beating around the bush.”
“Kuang Mingzhu. She’s actually very pretty, just eats well, appears plump. She’s only 20, already managing Kuang Family industry, has a group under her commanding to do things. Marry her, even without Kuang Family dowry, can handle the gold matter, and gain a wise helpmate.”
Fang Wen couldn’t help recalling that beauty with a bit of baby fat.
Height about 1.75, by future aesthetics even better looking, called healthy sexy.
But would this work? Fang Wen felt unreliable; he hadn’t talked much with her.
“Don’t joke. Talking serious business. We’ve barely spoken.”
“You barely spoke, but there’s something called love at first sight. Let me put it this way: after I came to Shanghai, she specially sent letters and gifts to me. At first I thought it was good relations between families, played together as kids, showing concern. Turns out not. Her later letters, half trying ways to ask about you. Say, doesn’t that count as liking you? No need to think. Urgent matter, go to Guangzhou for blind date today, fly there, bring the gold too.”
This chapter missing one Kuang Mingzhu beauty picture, requesting picture.
