Chapter 136: 135, D332 Passenger Aircraft, An Unexpected Assassination
A reminder from an investor at the Shanghai Securities Exchange made Fang Wen realize that the Japanese had other plans.
The Japanese Chamber of Commerce, colluding with the Japanese Army, actually wanted to control Taishan Airlines using their tried-and-true method.
That is, pulling the rug out from under someone, as that investor said.
With this trick, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce controlled many Chinese nation enterprises, all with similar tactics.
But it was useless against Taishan Airlines.
Even if they owned all the aircraft ownership, so what.
They were just aircraft leased by Taishan Airlines.
Moreover, for the Boeing 247 aircraft, Fang Wen had always treated it as a transitional flight asset and originally planned to replace it after Boeing Company produced a better-performing aircraft.
But if the Japanese were willing to take it over early, Fang Wen wouldn’t mind switching to another good-performing aircraft ahead of schedule.
During the France trip, when Fang Wen communicated with Farman Company executives, the Farman executives whom no one admired were full of praise for a colleague.
That company was called Dewoitine Company, also a local French aircraft manufacturing company.
This was an enterprise named after an aircraft designer. The French genius aircraft designer Dewoitine had great talent in fighter jets and transport aircraft.
When Fang Wen purchased the F.220, he compared it with Boeing Company’s transport aircraft, but the Farman executives dismissed it and mentioned an airliner model that Dewoitine Company was about to launch.
That was the D-332 passenger aircraft.
Thanking the exchange investor who came specially to remind him, Fang Wen had the employees return to their posts and went home himself.
He took a notebook from the bookshelf in his bedroom.
That contained some information recorded during the European trip.
It happened to have data on the D-332 passenger aircraft bought in France.
He flipped to that page to check.
D-332 passenger aircraft
Crew members: 4 people.
Empty weight 6960 kg.
Maximum takeoff weight 11100 kg.
Cruising speed 260 km/h, level flight speed ceiling: 300 km/h.
Ceiling 5000 m,
Range 2000 km（full fuel normal）850 km（maximum payload）.
Carrying capacity: Can carry 22 passengers.
Powerplant: Three V16/17 piston engines jointly developed by Spain and Switzerland, 650 horsepower.
Compare this data with the Boeing 247.
Boeing 247 empty weight 4000 kg, maximum takeoff weight 6000 kg.
That is, payload only 2000 kg, while the D-332 passenger aircraft is 4000 kg, twice as much.
Boeing 247 range 1200 km, D-332 passenger aircraft with 22 passengers in normal flight is 2000 km.
It can achieve various domestic and international flight paths, even multi-stop branch line flights domestically.
Passenger capacity doubled, range increased by 80%.
What about the price?
Thinking of the Japanese pulling the rug out from under someone, Fang Wen decided to have someone inquire about the price.
In Europe, he still had friends.
Such as the American agent and German officer who participated in the Lake Van treasure hunting.
Indiana left him a telegraph communication frequency, saying that if there was something, he could contact via this frequency at 4 p.m.
Tehran 4 p.m. is about 11:30 a.m. in Shanghai.
Fang Wen rolled up his sleeve to check his watch; it was almost 11 a.m.
He took out the telegraph machine, hand-cranked it to charge, adjusted the frequency, drafted the Morse code content, and waited.
At exactly 11:30, he pressed the telegraph key, and radio waves flew across the sky toward the distant Mediterranean Sea.
Tehran, 4 p.m.
Telegraph operator Roberto Kerr was preparing to finish the last hour of work and then rest.
Although he had money now, he still chose to stay here living an exciting life.
As usual, he tuned the frequency, listening to radio waves on different frequencies, including a special private frequency that only he and Indiana knew.
Suddenly, Roberto Kerr heard a rhythmic radio wave sound amid the various noises.
He instinctively checked the frequency; it was the one agreed with that Eastern pilot.
Two months had passed since parting in Paris, and he didn’t know how that pilot was now.
Roberto Kerr felt like confiding and wanted to chat with the other party.
But first, he needed to know why the other party was sending the telegram.
He held the headphones in his left hand and skillfully decoded the Morse code with his right.
After writing it down, he got up and went out, shouting to the door: “Boss, come quick, Eastern Flying Eagle has news.”
Eastern Flying Eagle was the nickname he and Indiana gave Fang Wen, convenient for mentioning in public. Indiana immediately stopped his work and came to the telegraph room, closing the door.
“He sent a telegram?”
“Yes, the telegram message is here.”
Indiana looked at the telegram message; it wasn’t a big deal. Fang Wen asked him to find someone to inquire about the export quotation for an aircraft at Dewoitine Company in France.
It was a civil airliner, not yet officially on sale abroad, and he didn’t know how Fang Wen knew about it.
But it wasn’t difficult and didn’t violate rules, so he agreed without thinking.
“Send a telegram back saying I’ll get someone to do it. Also, I have something to tell him.”
Fang Wen waited and soon received a reply.
He decoded the Morse code.
【I’ll send someone to France to inquire about the price. There’s something I need to tell you.】
【Big trouble in Weimar. The “Law to Remedy the Distress of People and Reich” passed, allowing the Prime Minister and his cabinet to pass any laws without parliament’s consent.】
Fang Wen was stunned; the Nazis had seized dictatorship so quickly!
He recalled the Houses of Parliament fire he saw flying over Berlin that day, and the words he heard from the officers.
It seemed the Nazis had already framed the Weimar Communist Party through the Houses of Parliament arson.
The Weimar Communist Party was the second largest party in the Weimar parliament. Once suppressed, plus the ambiguity from Hindenburg, the leader of the largest ruling party, it was normal for such a bill to pass.
His thoughts raced, but only for a brief moment.
He continued copying the decoded message.
【Those seven, after returning, funded an assassination once. Now six have been arrested and shot, only William escaped. 10 days ago I arranged a ship to the Far East for him.】
【The cruise ship he took is Messageries Maritimes’ Albatross, departing from Marseille via Suez Canal to Shanghai.】
Telegram ended.
Fang Wen surprisedly put down the pen.
In just one month after returning, such big things happened in Europe.
And it was related to him.
Without his treasure hunting, those Weimar officers wouldn’t have become rich.
Unfortunately, with money, they didn’t know to enjoy it but returned home and spent money organizing an assassination of Little Mustache.
Was Little Mustache so easy to assassinate? He had been in power for years with numerous assassination attempts each year, yet he dodged them all, proving how tight his safety defense was.
Now, the only escapee William could only flee to the East, unable to return until World War II ended.
Fang Wen calculated the time; if coming from the Mediterranean Sea, he should be arriving soon. How to arrange this refugee?
Right, he had no relatives or support in the East, so he could be put to use.
The 100 Gan Army at Xiangxi Airport were short of military training personnel.
Perfect to send him there.
Of course, whether he was willing needed to be asked first.
Fang Wen put away the telegraph machine and went to the airport to find Zhao Shanhu, who was at the boarding area as a security guard.
“Zhao Shanhu, I have a task for you.”
Zhao Shanhu stood straight: “General Manager, just say it.”
“Go to Huishan Dock to wait for someone.”
“Yes, General Manager, I’ll go now.”
“Don’t rush, I haven’t described that person’s features yet. How would you know who? His name is William, a foreigner, on a ship from French Marseille. You”
Fang Wen stopped here, suddenly feeling it was pointless. Zhao Shanhu didn’t know foreign languages or what he looked like; no matter how detailed, he might not find William.
He found a piece of cardboard, wrote and drew on it, then handed it to Zhao Shanhu.
“These days, stay at Huishan Dock. When a ship docks, hold up this sign; he’ll come to you when he sees it.”
“Got it. I’ll head over now.”
Zhao Shanhu tucked the cardboard under his arm and boarded the shuttle bus.
Huishan Dock was Shanghai’s international passenger dock in this era; all international passenger ships in and out of Shanghai docked here.
It was right for Fang Wen to send Zhao Shanhu to Huishan Dock to wait.
During the January 28th Incident, the Japanese Navy combat troops landed at Huishan Dock to assist Hongkou Japanese Army operations.
Thus, it was actually under Japanese control now.
Zhao Shanhu was bold but not stupid.
He changed his outfit, put on a suit and hat, instantly turning from security guard into a successful person.
With this look, the Japanese probably wouldn’t notice a small fry like him.
He swaggered to Huishan Dock.
Whenever a passenger ship docked, he held up the cardboard.
The cardboard read: “William, cross, diving.”
Passing travelers looked at the cardboard, not understanding, and no one approached Zhao Shanhu.
First day, returned empty-handed.
Second day, Zhao Shanhu went early.
In the afternoon, a ship sounded its whistle and docked.
Those disembarking were all foreigners.
Zhao Shanhu immediately held up the cardboard, eyeing the passengers expectantly.
Among the passengers, there was a middle-aged man.
Haggard-looking, preoccupied.
After disembarking, he looked around blankly, very unfamiliar with this city hailed as Eastern Paris.
In the distance, Zhao Shanhu’s raised cardboard caught his eye.
The words on the cardboard gave him hope; he walked over briskly.
A burst of English, but Zhao Shanhu didn’t understand, just kept talking.
“Follow me. Follow me.”
Meaning follow him.
Few knew the secret of the True Cross; William followed Zhao Shanhu without hesitation, leaving Hongkou.
The two took a rickshaw to the Old City, then a shuttle bus back to Shanghai Airport.
Led by Zhao Shanhu, they went to the General Manager’s office at Taishan Airlines Headquarters.
“General Manager, I brought the person. Is it him?”
Zhao Shanhu said outside the office door. Fang Wen, handling company affairs, looked up and saw the familiar face.
It was William, the one among the seven Weimar officers who knew English.
Fang Wen stood, smiling as he walked over: “William, long time no see, come in and chat.”
After William entered, Zhao Shanhu closed the door: “General Manager, you talk, I’m leaving.”
Fang Wen nodded, “Shanhu, go next door to Chun Cao and Qiu Ju, have them brew some coffee.”
Chun Cao and Qiu Ju accompanied Kuang Mingzhu but couldn’t idle; they simply became company secretaries, reasonably utilizing manpower.
Zhao Shanhu replied: “Got it.”
Then, Fang Wen chatted with William.
“Indiana told me some things, said you organized an assassination. What exactly happened? Also, the cross matter. Anyway, plenty of time; why not start from after we parted.”
William nodded and recounted what happened after parting from Fang Wen and the Lake Van treasure hunting group.
That day after parting from Fang Wen, the others in the Lake Van treasure hunting group discussed how to handle the True Cross.
They took part of their profit sharing, combined with the 10% Fang Wen donated, to form funds for building the True Cross church.
This money and the True Cross were ultimately managed by William, who was responsible for the church construction.
The others took their profit sharing wealth and left separately.
At this point, Chun Cao pushed the door open, placed a cup of freshly ground hot coffee in front of William, with three sugar cubes on the tray.
“Young master, would you like something to drink?” Chun Cao asked.
After Fang Wen shook his head, Chun Cao left.
Watching William add sugar to the coffee and stir, Fang Wen asked: “So you didn’t participate in the later events?”
“I didn’t participate, but I knew all about it,” William replied: “After they arrived in Weimar, they often called me about life matters. They spent a lot of money and made many new friends, who gave a suggestion.”
Fang Wen listened as William recounted.
The six Weimar officers splurging with huge sums naturally attracted more friends.
Among these friends, one was a Nazi resistance organization member who said there was a plan to end the current farce.
That was to pay a Nazi Party member to assassinate Little Mustache.
This plan just lacked money; without enough, they couldn’t bribe that Nazi Party member.
And these six were the financiers he had targeted.
For such a thing, before having money, the six Weimar officers wouldn’t have dared think of it.
But that day, under alcohol’s numbing, they agreed.
And paid a large sum of marks on the spot.
If that guy had run off with the money, nothing would have happened.
But he really did it.
He gave one-third to a Stormtrooper as a deposit to carry out the assassination.
Then, in Berchtesgaden, 120 km southeast of Munich, the official residence area of Little Mustache and Nazi executives, the Stormtrooper who accepted the mission wore his Stormtrooper uniform into Berchtesgaden but didn’t know where Little Mustache lived.
During his search, he caught the guards’ attention and was arrested on the spot.
Weapons for the assassination were found on him, and after interrogation, he immediately revealed who hired him.
Then that person was also caught.
He claimed to be just the middleman, truly hired by the six Weimar officers.
Thus, the next morning, the six Weimar officers were arrested and all shot.
And William, due to close ties with the six Weimar officers, was implicated. To avoid Nazi capture, he entrusted the True Cross to Indiana and fled to the East.
