Chapter 64: 64, Airport Security Device R&d, Beiping Tsinghua University Team
The airplane landed at Nanyuan Flight School Airport.
The place was already deserted, no longer bustling as it once was.
At the edge of the airport runway, only one person was waiting. If not for him pushing over the boarding ladder, Fang Wen would still have to figure out a way to climb down from the airplane.
Fang Wen got off the airplane and pushed the boarding ladder back. Fang Shouxin, who was sitting in the rear pilot seat, got off the airplane.
Fang Wen took the gift bag handed over by Fang Shouxin and gave it to the instructor who came to greet him.
“Instructor, thanks for your hard work.”
The other party took the gift bag, his face full of smiles.
“No trouble at all. Staying here to guard is just something unavoidable. Next time you come looking for me, I probably won’t be here anymore. By the way, Fang Wen, what are you doing here?”
“I have some business at Tsinghua University, might need to stay for two days. Is it okay to leave the airplane parked here?” Fang Wen asked.
“Of course no problem. This Potez 25 of yours is a fighter jet of the Northeast Army. Right now in Beiping, no one dares to touch anything related to them.”
That was said, but necessary precautions were still needed. Fang Wen crawled under the fuselage, opened the bottom cover, and pulled out a connecting rod.
Without this thing, no one could fly the airplane away.
He put away the connecting rod and smiled faintly: “Alright then, I’m heading to the city.”
Fang Wen bid farewell and left, exiting the empty school.
The Nanyuan Town outside had also become much quieter due to the school’s closure.
Fang Wen suddenly realized there was no means of transportation to the city.
He glanced back at the school and strolled through Nanyuan Town.
By the time he walked out of the town, he still hadn’t seen any passing buses or other means of transport.
From Nanyuan to the South Gate of Beiping’s outer city was about ten kilometers. Walking there would make it dark by the time he arrived.
Therefore, Fang Wen decided to go back to town and ask around.
“Young Master, there’s a mule cart,” Fang Shouxin reminded.
Fang Wen looked over. A tall mule was pulling a wooden board cart along a country lane.
There was only one driver on the cart, leisurely puffing on a pipe of dried tobacco.
Mule carts were a relatively common means of transportation in the suburbs of Beiping these days. Fang Wen had often seen them around Nanyuan.
He waved and called out: “Heading to Yongdingmen? I’ll rent your cart.”
The driver pulled the reins, turning the mule onto the main road, and stopped in front of Fang Wen: “Lucky coincidence, I’m just heading to Yongdingmen to pick up goods. Give me 50 coppers and I’ll take you there.”
Fang Shouxin took out a handful of copper coins and handed them to the cart driver.
The cart driver glanced at them and waved his hand:
“What kind of money is this? I don’t recognize it.”
Fang Wen immediately understood. Copper coins varied by region. Most common people at the bottom were illiterate and couldn’t read the text on the copper coins; they only recognized the kind they knew.
He then said: “Give him a silver dollar.”
Fang Shouxin put away the copper coins and replaced them with a shiny Yuan Datou silver dollar. The cart driver’s mouth split into a wide grin.
“Alright then, guest, please get on. My mule cart is the steadiest.”
“No need for steady, just get to Yongdingmen as fast as possible,” Fang Shouxin said.
Then, Fang Wen and Fang Shouxin got on the flatbed cart. The cart driver straightened the reins and raised his right-hand rope whip.
Snap!
The mule felt the sting and couldn’t understand why its owner, who usually spared it beatings, had gone mad today. But a smart mule doesn’t take immediate losses; it exerted itself and trotted northward.
The mule cart arrived at Yongdingmen. There were guards at the city gate, and horse-drawn carriages from outside the city couldn’t enter casually, so it stopped here.
Fang Wen and Fang Shouxin walked through the city gate without being checked.
But from Yongdingmen to Tsinghua University, the distance was not short.
The route passed by the Imperial Palace all the way to the Old Summer Palace area, nearly crossing the entire north-south span of Beiping City.
Along the way, they changed several means of transportation and took a whole day to arrive.
By the time they got there, night had fallen, so Fang Wen found a small inn nearby to stay overnight.
The next morning, he got up early and headed to Tsinghua School with Fang Shouxin.
Passing through the unguarded main gate, Fang Wen felt nothing, but Fang Shouxin felt a sense of solemnity.
“Young Master, I heard this place used to be a prince’s courtyard?”
“Yeah, Emperor Kangxi’s third son Yinzhi’s Xichun Garden. Later it was all Qing Dynasty royal gardens.”
Fang Shouxin fell silent, walking somewhat stiffly. People his age still carried deep reverence for the emperor in their bones.
They walked all the way to the second gate of Tsinghua University, where Fang Wen asked a passing student.
“Classmate, do you know how to get to the Physics Department?”
“Over there. I’ll take you.”
Led by this student, Fang Wen finally found the Tsinghua University Physics Department and knocked on the door of the Physics Department office.
A man in a long robe, elegant with glasses, opened the door.
“Who are you looking for?”
Fang Wen got straight to the point and stated his purpose.
“I am the General Manager of Taishan Airlines. I want to commission your department to make a kind of equipment that can detect metal in passengers’ luggage and carry-on items.”
“Taishan Airlines?” The man remembered something. “From Shanghai, right? Oh yeah, I read about it in the newspaper yesterday. You’re the air hero pilot who sank the Izumo, aren’t you? Come in, quick.”
After being invited into the office, the other party enthusiastically poured two cups of tea and called over several colleagues.
They learned of Fang Wen’s intention and were extremely surprised.
One of the professors asked: “Why did you think to come to Tsinghua University to find us?”
“Well, considering airline passenger safety and preventing Japanese sabotage, I want a method to detect metal carried by passengers. Originally I thought of using a magnet, but someone told me an electromagnet is better, something about detecting metal items by changes in magnetic field effects triggering an alarm. He also said that domestically, only the Tsinghua University Physics Department can make such a thing.” Fang Wen replied with the words he had prepared.
Several Physics Department teachers huddled together to discuss.
“The metal detector he’s talking about—I saw a report from abroad. Someone in the United States has already made one.”
“I know the principle: using the magnetic field of an electromagnetic coil. When a metal object approaches the detector’s sensing coil, it changes the magnetic field in the coil, thereby triggering the detector to sound an alarm.”
“It’s not too difficult, but it’s a rare scientific practice. We should accept his project.”
“The Electrical Engineering Department is planning to establish next semester. People from there can collaborate on the research.”
Listening to their conversation, Fang Wen smiled.
He asked: “Can you make it as soon as possible?”
“How soon?” one professor asked in return.
“One week.”
“That might be tough. We need to make the electromagnetic coil and other accessories, prepare various utensils,” the professor said with difficulty.
These weren’t actually the issue; the key was they lacked sufficient funds to procure research supplies. And in this era, industry-academia-research were still separate.
Without money, it would take time and effort; with money, shortcuts could be taken.
Research couldn’t just be heads-down drudgery; economic benefits were needed too.
He gave Fang Shouxin a look.
Fang Shouxin placed the suitcase he was carrying on the table. The suitcase was heavy, with a clunking sound.
He opened the suitcase, revealing a bag full of silver dollars.
A total of 3000, nearly 80 kilograms heavy. The delays along the way were mainly due to the two taking turns carrying it and resting to switch hands.
After displaying the shiny silver dollars, Fang Wen said: “I’ve discussed with the shareholders of Taishan Airlines, Bada Company. The matter is urgent, so we’re willing to use 3000 silver dollars in exchange for your one week of time. We hope you can produce the electromagnetic metal detector within a week.”
The purchasing power of 3000 silver dollars was enough to cover procurement of various equipment, with plenty left over.
After a brief discussion, the professors agreed.
