Chapter 68: 68, Recruiting Bodyguards, Trip To Hebei
After meeting with Zhao Jiu, Fang Wen realized that even though he possessed a supernatural ability, the entire world did not revolve around him.
Without Zhao Jiu’s early warning, he would probably have been done for.
Preparing for danger in times of peace, with more dangers possibly ahead, he began considering how to create a safer environment for himself.
The best option would be to recruit a group of people who obeyed his orders and could protect his safety at any time.
These people could be arranged as airline company security personnel, protecting him both during work and on days off.
But what kind of people should he select?
Because of Zhao Jiu’s matter, Fang Wen thought of Shanghai’s gangs.
He had Fang Shouxin inquire about it, thereby learning about the situation of Shanghai’s gangs.
Two days later, Fang Wen piloted the Boeing 80 on return to base, went home, and heard the information that Fang Shouxin had gathered.
In those days, the gang situation in Shanghai was extremely complex and chaotic.
As the most prosperous adventurer’s paradise in the Far East region, Shanghai attracted people from all over the world with various backgrounds and purposes to seek opportunities.
Here, one could easily gain wealth from the weakened Eastern giant dragon, dump industrial goods at extremely high price differences, and exchange for various resources and silver.
Against the backdrop of this complex environment, gang organizations sprang up like mushrooms after rain, with the most well-known being the Green Gang and the Red Gang.
The Green Gang was one of the largest and most renowned gangs at the time.
It had numerous members and a tight organizational structure, gaining huge interests by controlling opium dens, gambling tables, brothels, and other venues.
The Green Gang leaders such as Huang Jinrong and Zhang Xiaolin not only had widespread influence in Shanghai, but also had intricate ties with other political forces and gang organizations. They manipulated the underground order in Shanghai using their spheres of influence, even affecting the operation of society to some extent.
Although the Red Gang differed from the Green Gang, it was similarly a massive gang organization. It also had its own territories and spheres of interest in Shanghai, with both cooperation and competition against the Green Gang.
Besides the Green Gang and Red Gang, Shanghai also hosted many small-scale gang organizations, such as the Shaoxing Gang, Pudong Gang, Subei Gang, Ebei Gang, and others.
Although these gang organizations were smaller in scale, they had non-negligible influence in their respective domains. They gained interests through kidnapping, extortion, robbery, and other means, and held some status in Shanghai’s underworld.
Additionally, during the Republic of China period, Shanghai’s gangs had close ties with concession authorities, foreign rogues, and criminal elements drifting in from various places.
Often, concession authorities relied on gangs to handle problems they could not manage themselves, while foreign rogues and criminals saw Shanghai as an “adventurer’s paradise,” seeking stimulation and interests here.
After learning this information, Fang Wen instead dispelled the idea of recruiting from Shanghai’s gangs.
Although there might be patriotic individuals among them, since they could survive in gangs, they were primarily driven by interests, with no loyalty whatsoever, so how could trust be placed in them.
Seeing the young master’s hesitant expression, Fang Shouxin tentatively asked.
“Young Master, are you thinking of recruiting a group of reliable hands?”
“Mm.”
“How about my fellow disciples and their juniors? Most of them come from peasant backgrounds, probably still working in the fields now. They are honest and straightforward by nature, without any crooked thoughts. If you agree, I’ll take Shunzi and go back for a trip.”
Fang Wen’s eyes lit up—it seemed workable, but for this matter, he wanted to go in person himself.
Just in time, next week was the airplane’s routine maintenance week, with a full week without business.
He could take this opportunity to go together and see if the people Fang Shouxin mentioned were truly honest and reliable.
A week passed, and Taishan Airlines ticket office hung up a sign saying “Airplane maintenance, flights suspended for one week.”
Passengers who wanted to fly that week left disappointed.
Meanwhile at the airport, Fang Wen drove his private flying mount, the Qingyun Hao, out of the hangar.
He boarded the airplane, then Fang Shouxin and Shunzi entered the rear pilot seat.
“Uncle Fang, won’t it be cramped?” Fang Wen asked.
“It is a bit. Shunzi, get ready and don’t move around.” Fang Shouxin replied.
The rear pilot seat was not spacious, and squeezing two people in was very tight.
“Looks like we still need to use that thing.” Fang Wen had Howard below the airplane bring up a metal implement.
This implement was made of two thick iron wires, with a hook on top and a stool padded with cotton cloth below.
It was hung on the front crossbar of the rear pilot seat, and Shunzi sat on it reluctantly, hunching his body like a child.
This way, the problem of crowding for two people was solved.
Immediately after, the Qingyun Hao took off, beginning a long-haul flight of nearly five hours.
This time’s landing airport was no longer the closed Nanyuan Flight School, but Qinghe Airport north of Beiping City.
It was not far from the Old Summer Palace, right above Tsinghua University.
It was a national airport, and to dock there, advance arrangements and landing time scheduling were necessary.
After five hours of long-haul flight, the airplane finally arrived at the destination.
While circling in air, Fang Wen contacted via radio device.
“Call Qinghe Airport, this is Qingyun Hao from Shanghai, respond if you hear.”
“Qingyun Hao, you may land now. Mind your landing speed; this is a civilian airport runway.”
“Understood.”
Fang Wen adjusted the fuselage position, descended, touched down 100 meters from the runway starting point, taxied for a while, and gradually came to a steady stop.
An airport staff member waved a flag, signaling to drive the airplane over to his side.
Following the guidance, the airplane left the runway and parked in a hangar.
Coming down the boarding ladder, Fang Wen shook hands with the airport staff who came to greet him.
“Senior Du, thanks for your arrangements, otherwise I couldn’t have landed in Beiping.”
This person came from Nanyuan Aviation, and through an instructor’s introduction, they connected easily and naturally helped with this favor.
The other smiled and replied, “We’re all from Nanyuan, of course we should look out for each other.”
“That’s right. Senior, if you come to Shanghai, you must let me know.”
As Fang Wen spoke, he handed over a gift bag.
The heavy gift bag satisfied the other greatly, and his smile widened.
“How many days will you stay here?”
“At most five days. By the way, teacher, how about borrowing the car?”
“There is a car, but it’s not a good one, just drivable. Do you want it?”
“What car?”
“Come, I’ll take you to see.”
Fang Wen followed him to the back of the airport, where an old five-seat Ford convertible was parked.
This thing probably had several years of history, and it was unknown if it could even run.
Fang Wen directly got into the cockpit.
