Chapter 90: 89, Airborne Into Shenyang, Stealing The Sky And Changing The Sun Scheme
Midnight 12 o’clock.
Taishan Airlines Jinan Airport was quiet all around.
The patrolling security team member reported: “General Manager, we took the dogs and circled outside, no abnormalities found.”
The security team’s dogs were all those village dogs good for guarding homes and courtyards, with the strongest territorial awareness. They were usually tied up and only recognized security team members, barking madly at anyone else. With the dogs’ keen sense of smell detecting no problems, it basically ruled out anyone surveilling outside the airport.
Fang Wen checked his watch and spoke up.
“Check the time.”
19 treasure hunting group members took out their pocket watches to check.
For this action, to ensure all departments cooperated on time without issues, everyone was issued an Elgin gold pocket watch worth 15 silver dollars for timing.
After everyone checked the time, Fang Wen boarded first, and the others followed, carrying their parachute packs and other supplies.
The cabin had only 10 seats, plus positions for flight attendants could seat 12; the rest opened the cargo door and sat on the floor inside.
Fang Wen waited in the pilot seat.
A few minutes later, security personnel lit the torches on both sides of the runway.
The torchlight became the only guide for nighttime takeoff.
Fang Wen started the airplane, which steadily accelerated and flew into the sky.
In high-altitude flight, he entered mechanical perception state, fully focused on finding the nighttime heading.
This was an aviation positioning method only he could use.
In human-machine unity state, transforming into an iron bird in flight, using night sky constellations, airplane compass equipment, and the map in his mind as the positioning core.
With the dual assistance of the North Star and the compass, the sky heading was confirmed, and the airplane adjusted its fuselage to fly northeast.
After 40 minutes of flight, about 200 kilometers range, it reached the Yellow River estuary.
There, visible from high altitude in daylight, was a huge bay called Laizhou Bay.
But at night, only scattered lights on the ground could be seen.
The lights were from Guangrao County Town, an ancient city established since the Han Dynasty.
Using Guangrao County Town as secondary positioning, Fang Wen confirmed the flight path was correct again.
The airplane passed over Guangrao County Town and flew from Laizhou Bay into the airspace over Bohai Sea.
This segment was about 400 kilometers.
It would pass over Liaodong Peninsula en route.
Besides Dalian possibly serving as a ground reference object, there was nothing else.
But this flight was no longer like the first time flying northeast at night.
Back then, Fang Wen was not familiar with mechanical perception ability, but now, after long-term training plus the mysterious energy boost from the Four-faced Buddha, he no longer needed a night navigator for assistance and could complete the flight alone.
The airplane flew steadily in a straight line toward the predetermined target.
Night was the best cover; in this era, no one could challenge Fang Wen in the air at night.
More than two hours of flight passed.
Fang Wen spoke to remind: “Pay attention, about to reach the airborne area. All personnel, start preparing.”
The people in the cabin stood up one after another, checking their equipment again.
They put on their parachute backpacks, tied other supplies to their waists, and lined up in two columns to wait.
Gang Leader Wang commanded in a deep voice: “Cargo hold people jump first, cabin people follow. Remember, after landing, collect the parachute and take it away. Don’t let the Japanese discover it. Then use the password to contact partners and gather. Everyone must follow the plan, no entering the city without authorization.”
Everyone nodded, waiting solemnly.
But Fang Wen did not immediately give the parachuting order; he needed to confirm the airborne location.
The airborne area was southwest of Shenyang City, where there was a place called Pearl Lake. It was relatively remote, with dense forest for cover, perfect for airborne drop.
He first circled over Shenyang City to reconfirm direction, then flew the airplane southwest.
A few minutes later, position confirmed, Fang Wen gave the order.
“Begin parachuting.”
Gang Leader Wang immediately opened the boarding gate.
The first team member leaped out of the airplane, followed by one after another jumping out.
Last was Gang Leader Wang. He said loudly: “Fang Wen, we will definitely succeed.”
With that, he turned and jumped down.
Fang Wen quickly turned back to the boarding gate, closed the cabin door, and returned to the pilot seat.
After circling in air twice, it was farewell to the treasure hunting group members, and the airplane began return to base.
For him, return to base was very easy; he was somewhat worried if the treasure hunting group could land safely.
In the pitch-black night sky, 19 black shadows opened parachute flowers and drifted down.
They had no worry of being discovered but faced various problems in the landing process.
The first team member landed safely. He quickly removed his backpack and collected the parachute.
This training had been done multiple times. Although the parachute was hard to stuff back into the pack, it could be bundled into a mass and taken away.
A few minutes later, carrying a large bundle of parachute, he searched around, occasionally making magpie calls.
Soon a response came; he found the first partner.
The two proceeded together, continuing the search.
Two hours passed.
Most team members found their teammates; they went in groups of twos or threes toward the planned location.
Finally, they gathered at the small river channel on the east side of Pearl Lake.
Gang Leader Wang counted numbers and said deeply: “One is still missing. Didn’t you find him?”
Everyone shook their heads.
“We must find him. If alive, see the person; if dead, see the corpse.”
Gang Leader Wang issued a death order: the missing one must be found; they couldn’t start with such a big loophole.
After an hour of searching, the team members returned.
It could basically be determined that the missing team member did not land on the east bank of Pearl Lake; likely fell into the lake or the opposite shore.
But with Pearl Lake so large and at night, it was truly hard to find for the moment.
For this, everyone gathered the parachute backpacks together, placed them on the shoreline, and lit them.
Trying to attract the team member with the firelight while destroying the parachutes.
Firelight rose; everyone carefully hid and stayed alert.
The remoteness here and the late night did not attract any Japanese.
Just as the parachutes were about to burn out, familiar magpie calls appeared; the treasure hunting group members joyfully followed the sound to search.
The sound was confirmed from the lake surface.
Four team members familiar with water went into the water to check.
They brought back the missing team member.
It turned out this one fell into the water. To bring the parachute ashore, he had been swimming on the lake surface. Without the firelight attracting him, he would have had to abandon the parachute and go ashore alone.
The last team member rejoined, leaving the treasure hunting group without worries. They then disposed of the last parachutes, and the group headed toward Shenyang City in the northeast direction.
The first thing they had to do was find a foothold, then plan from there.
Shopkeeper Liu and Sun Debiao were locals; this time, they led the way.
The group followed the small river by Pearl Lake and walked over ten li before reaching the local town.
There, Sun Debiao and Shopkeeper Liu went in first; the rest waited at the town entrance.
After a while, the two returned, bringing two horse-drawn carriages and some worn but clean cotton-padded jackets.
The group changed into the ragged cotton-padded jackets, put their luggage on the carriages, and instantly transformed into local traveling merchants.
Next, it was Shopkeeper Liu’s domain.
He led the two horse-drawn carriages into Shenyang City.
Japanese soldiers guarded the city gate, body-searching entrants.
Regarding this.
How would the action group’s weapons get in?
Also, the hand-cranked telegraph machine brought by Shopkeeper Liu could not be discovered by the Japanese soldiers.
Just as Gang Leader Wang prepared to have the action group bury the weapons on the spot, Sun Debiao had an idea.
“Put all the guns in one bundle; I have a way.”
He had them collect the weapons, bundle them in a bundle, then went around to the city wall side. He entered the city first alone.
After a while, the guy actually climbed to a dilapidated section of the city wall.
That spot was unusable due to years of disrepair, so naturally no Japanese soldiers guarded it, giving Sun Debiao the opportunity.
He dropped a rope from the city wall.
Then, the bundle with several pistols and the hand-cranked telegraph machine were hung on the rope and pulled up the city wall, resolving the entry hidden danger.
The subsequent city entry had no issues; after being searched by Japanese soldiers, the group entered the city.
Acquaintances in the city looked at Shopkeeper Liu in surprise, greeting him and asking about recent situations.
Shopkeeper Liu explained at the opportunity:
“It’s been tough. Originally planned to go inside the Passes but couldn’t leave. Got seriously ill on the road. Luckily the new owner provided food, so I could come back alive.”
His recounted refugee experience was vivid, drawing sympathy from fellow colleagues in the city, who all comforted him.
With this, Shopkeeper Liu reintegrated into Shenyang City’s business circle and arranged for the treasure hunting group members to rent a courtyard in the city as a foothold.
5 a.m., Boeing 247 landed at the airport.
Fang Wen, getting off the airplane, felt no fatigue and immediately went to the airport office.
There, he turned on the telegraph machine, tuned to the specific frequency, and waited.
Time passed bit by bit; the radio’s specific frequency remained silent.
Fang Wen thought, perhaps they hadn’t settled yet; maybe listen again at the agreed evening time.
Then, he lay on the bed in the office and slept soundly.
He slept until sunset.
Starving, he grabbed something to eat at the airport canteen, waited until the agreed 8 p.m., then immediately returned to the office and turned on the telegraph machine.
Still that frequency; right at 8 p.m., electric current sound suddenly appeared.
Fang Wen immediately took pen to record.
After recording the complete Morse code, he translated it using his designed password.
Translated Hanyu Pinyin: 【jin cheng, luo jiao, ping an.】
【Entered the city, settled, safe】
Fang Wen smiled; the half-suspended heart in his chest finally settled.
He took out the hand-cranked telegraph machine and sent a reply.
【8 p.m., daily】
After confirming daily 8 p.m. contact, Fang Wen could regularly receive Shopkeeper Liu’s reports and stay updated on the situation there.
Airplane temporary maintenance ended; Shanghai to Jinan flights resumed.
Fang Wen outwardly alternated flights with apprentice Pan Jiafeng, but at night regularly received telegrams from Shenyang.
Everything went smoothly, with new progress daily.
Gang Leader Wang disguised as a business firm operating in Shenyang.
Shopkeeper Liu and others were all from this business firm.
They operated pawn and consignment, this no-capital business, renting a shop on the street near Young Marshal’s Mansion.
Using this banner, they carried out follow-up work.
After preliminary scouting.
Young Marshal’s Mansion had over a hundred garrison, three shifts a day, 8 hours each.
Plus timed patrol teams nearby, machine guns on the city wall, and nearby barracks; defenses were tight.
With such vigilance, to get the treasure out, the key was finding the vulnerabilities.
Heaven rewards the diligent; Shopkeeper Liu played a huge role.
Through existing connections, he learned new intelligence.
Young Marshal’s Mansion held vast wealth of various kinds, needing classification and valuation.
These tasks the Japanese couldn’t do themselves; they wanted to hire professionals skilled in gold and silver jewelry, antiques, etc., for inventory.
Such people—antique shops, pawnshops, and money house clerks and shopkeepers—were most suitable.
For this, the Japanese planned to recruit a batch from them to work.
Shopkeeper Liu was an industry expert in this; recommended by colleagues, he successfully joined.
As Shopkeeper Liu entered Young Marshal’s Mansion for inventory work, he gained more intelligence inside.
Including which warehouse in Young Marshal’s Mansion stored treasure, sentry post locations, patrol routes, etc.
Shopkeeper Liu memorized this information, drew it into a map at home, becoming the most important material for studying the treasure theft plan.
After study, the treasure-stealing team designed a plan.
October 19, 5 p.m.
Fang Wen got off work on time and left the office.
Passing the chief accountant room, he specially glanced in; Fang Shouxin, temporarily replacing Shopkeeper Liu, was still buried in his abacus.
Fang Shouxin was not as capable as Shopkeeper Liu in financial management, but could manage short-term.
“Uncle Fang, shall I bring you dinner?” he asked.
“No need, Young Master. Shunzi will be back soon; you go ahead.” Fang Shouxin replied.
Fang Wen nodded, went downstairs and left.
Out of the company, he ate dinner at the company canteen, circled the airport as usual, then went home.
Time reached 8 p.m.
Closing the door, he took out the hand-cranked telegraph machine, plugged in the earpiece, and listened to the fixed frequency telegram.
The encrypted telegram arrived on time.
This one was longer; Fang Wen recorded and translated it.
【Plan changed, stealing the sky and changing the sun, target is Warehouse C2, swap real gold with fake gold, tunnel out.】
【Fake gold via Master Liu’s channels, go directly to him for solution, then airdrop by airplane.】
Looking at the encrypted telegram, Fang Wen immediately understood.
From previous encrypted telegrams, he knew Warehouse C2 stored gold—one tael gold bars, about 64,000, by Republic of China standard 16 taels per jin, two jin per kilogram, about two tons of gold inside.
The treasure hunting group’s plan was to dig a tunnel underground to Warehouse C2 and swap real gold bars for fake ones.
Even if all taken, the Japanese wouldn’t notice for a while.
But to achieve this, needed fake gold equal weight and same color to pass off as real.
This counterfeiting technique was Master Liu’s unique skill from the former Qing Dynasty Bandit King; he could be asked to make fake gold bars.
Immediately, Fang Wen packed the telegraph machine and went out to find Shunzi.
He returned to the company and saw Shunzi coming downstairs with an empty food box.
“Shunzi, car key for you. Drive to the city. Go to the brothel Master Liu often visits, bring him over. Say there’s urgent business.”
Shunzi took the car key and ran off nimbly: “Young Master, don’t worry. I’ll bring Master Liu back soon.”
