Chapter 183: 182, Divergent Opinions, Secret Support, Searching For The Red Third Army
Fang Wen’s small group’s work report was still continuing.
However, everyone’s attention turned to the Red Army.
Regarding the Red Army, opinions in Shanghai were very divided.
Some appreciated them, some criticized them; different standpoints and different interests led to different opinions.
But compared to the National Government, many people acknowledged that it was a pure team with ideals.
Huo Duanyang, who had truly come into contact with the Red Army, had a huge change in his impression of the Red Army.
He explained to everyone the Red Army he had seen.
“Last month, a unit of the Red Third Army entered Longshan Mountain and encountered a blockade by the local big bandit Shi Xingwu. The battle lasted only about 20 minutes, all the high grounds were completely controlled by the Red Army, and Shi Xingwu lost more than 60 soldiers and ten machine guns.”
Pausing for a moment, Huo Duanyang looked at Fang Wen and continued: “The general manager once said I had a bias against the Red Army. For this reason, I specially inquired about the situation of establishing a base area here in Western Hunan before. The poor people truly support them, the soldiers sincerely join the army and bravely fight to protect their own interests. They are indeed thinking about changing this world. What moved me most was a sentence they said: ‘Destroy the old world and establish a new China.'”
Huo Duanyang’s words made everyone involuntarily moved.
They involuntarily started discussing.
In this absurd era, the wealth gap was unimaginably large, and various injustices were everywhere.
In Nanjing, a rickshaw puller earned 4 silver dollars a month, and that was not even low-income.
In poor places, tenant farmers tilling the land had never even seen a silver dollar, their greatest hope was just to make ends meet.
Take Western Hunan there, for example: many mountains and little land, per capita planting area and yield per mu were both very low, yet land was still concentrated in the hands of a few people.
In this agricultural society, poor people without even the factors of production had to compete just to work for the landlords.
What about those who couldn’t compete? They go up the mountains to become bandits.
This was reality.
Meanwhile in Shanghai, a child from a wealthy family spending summer traveling, the silver dollars or gold consumed could let a poor family of three live well for several years.
Buying a custom suit cost 200 silver dollars; poor people wouldn’t even dare to dream of such an expense.
The discussion here became increasingly intense.
Everyone spoke out about the various injustices they had seen.
Not to mention other places, take Shanghai, this Eastern Paris, for example.
There were also many, many poor people here.
They often lived in crude shantytowns or slums with harsh living conditions. Many had to engage in heavy manual labor or low-wage jobs for a living. In addition, due to backward medical conditions and malnutrition, the health of the poor class was generally poor.
Those emaciated child laborers in the factories.
Those people begging with children along the Huangpu River.
They stretched out their hands expectantly toward the glamorous passersby, among whom there might be corrupt officials, embezzlers, good-for-nothings, and evildoers.
But these had nothing to do with them.
Class solidification meant poor people would never have a chance to turn things around.
No, it should be said they had no legitimate chance to turn things around.
Their only option was to join gangs, become thugs, pimp, thieves, swindlers, and other illegal trades.
Otherwise, it was starvation, waiting for the slow death process from malnutrition.
Is this social reality normal?!
Lin Shuiwang, who had returned from abroad, shared his observations.
“Everyone says society is bad, but I think whether it’s good or bad depends on people. If those rich people don’t treat compatriots as human beings, they’ll do anything. In Europe and the United States, no matter how much they exploit, they won’t disregard human life; there will always be a bite of food to survive, but they refuse to give it. I see that in today’s China, those in power are rotten to the core. If it continues like this, it’s not even as good as the Qing Dynasty.”
Shunzi, who had come from the bottom, felt it the most.
He looked expectantly at Fang Wen.
“General manager, do you think it’s really possible to overthrow the old world and establish a new world?”
Everyone looked at Fang Wen, as if all waiting for a statement.
How should he respond to them?
Fang Wen was pondering.
He knew the future and knew that as long as things followed their natural course, China’s rise would have the greatest chance.
Therefore, he definitely supported the Red Army.
But this attitude could not be expressed lightly.
From the Kuomintang’s performance in recent years, bombing the Japanese might be nothing, but if they found any connection to the Red Army, they would absolutely crack down ruthlessly.
He was unsure in his small circle who could be trusted forever and who might go against him in the future.
So, better not to state this attitude; if doing it, do it secretly, and at most bring along those who truly appreciated the Red Army’s way.
Who appreciated the Red Army now?
He judged.
Shunzi and Fang Shouxin agreed with the Red Army; their class attributes matched, and they were his own people.
Huo Duanyang might be in the process of changing.
Sun Debiao, Shopkeeper Liu, and Lin Shuiwang were neutral.
Pan Jiafeng and Kuang Mingzhu disliked the current social conditions but did not appreciate the Red Army’s actions.
Shao Sishen, who had not yet returned from South Asia, was likely the same as Pan Jiafeng.
As for Howard, an American, this matter had little to do with him.
Looking at it this way, in his small circle, only one-third definitely agreed with the Red Army（himself, Fang Shouxin, Fang Shun）.
After making this judgment, Fang Wen spoke: “Overthrowing the old order and establishing a new order is very difficult. I admire their grand ideals. Alright, let’s leave it at that for this matter. We’ll continue with other topics and discuss the Asia-Europe route and aircraft property certificates.”
Fang Wen expressed no attitude and shifted the topic.
He arranged the work for the future Asia-Europe route: after finding a suitable French translator, Lin Shuiwang would become the overseas manager for Taishan Airlines’ Asia-Europe route, with key tasks being to inspect the transfer airports along the route and maintain communication with various places.
This was an important position; good communication could ensure the long-term operation of the Asia-Europe route.
Lin Shuiwang himself liked this kind of work and had no objections.
As for the aircraft property certificate matter, at the end of the meeting, Shopkeeper Liu and Fang Shouxin were specifically kept to discuss it.
Shopkeeper Liu said: “General manager, there’s another change with the property certificates. The Japanese encountered competitors during the acquisition of property certificates.”
“Someone is going against them?” Fang Wen said in surprise.
“Yes.” Shopkeeper Liu recounted the recent events in Shanghai over these three months.
After Fang Wen left Shanghai, the Japanese accelerated the acquisition of aircraft property certificates.
The counter they opened at the Shanghai Securities Exchange had transaction prices 20 to 30 percent higher than the actual price of the property certificates.
This premium itself was to attract property certificate owners to sell.
But they didn’t expect that the aircraft property certificate trading they invented would have imitators.
In Shanghai, any profitable business would never be exclusive; once profit was discovered, someone would get involved.
The first imitator surprisingly also opened a counter for the same business at the Shanghai Securities Exchange.
They sent people to copy prices from the Japanese counter, then listed transactions at their own counter.
Unlike the Japanese who only bought and didn’t sell, this counter both bought and sold.
Where there was buying and selling, there was a price difference, thus generating trading profits.
Soon everyone discovered this method and rushed to participate.
But with so many people buying, what to do without enough property certificates to trade?
They actually came up with another method.
Just like stocks, they split the aircraft property certificates into shares.
One property certificate was split into ten parts, allowing more people to participate in trading and generating more price difference profits.
After hearing Shopkeeper Liu finish, Fang Wen was stunned by this bizarre operation.
He tried to analyze.
“According to what you said, they use the property certificate as credit to issue stocks, then trade privately?”
“Yes. And this isn’t just one; several more with the same business emerged one after another.” Fang Shouxin replied.
“Aren’t they afraid of fake property certificates?” As soon as Fang Wen said it, he realized he was wrong.
Initially, to ensure the authenticity of the tung oil for airplanes business, specially made aircraft property certificates that were hard to imitate were created.
Later, to make the property certificates more credible, Taishan Airlines also launched ownership transfer services.
As long as passing Taishan Airlines’ property certificate review, the owner could be changed, and the new owner would be filed to replace the original file.
This resulted in Taishan Airlines having copies of every property certificate, establishing files, and anti-counterfeiting methods including hidden marks, serial numbers, etc.
As long as bringing the property certificate to Taishan Airlines for authentication, one could tell if it was real or fake.
They relied on this method of verifying authenticity to establish a credit system, then issued stocks for speculation.
Fang Wen hadn’t thought things could be operated this way.
Now property certificate stockization had become Shanghai’s new financial game, disrupting the Japanese plan.
Just right, no good replacement for the Boeing 247 was found, no need to continue playing with the Japanese.
He announced.
“The Japanese probably won’t allow it to continue either. Halt the related plans for property certificates.”
“Good, I’ll arrange it.” After Shopkeeper Liu finished speaking, he and Fang Shouxin got up and left.
After the two had gone far, Fang Wen went out and came to Uncle Fang’s house next door.
Uncle Fang had just returned and was surprised to see Fang Wen who had followed: “Young master, do you have more business?”
“Come inside to talk.”
Fang Wen entered the room and saw Shunzi lying on the bed: “Shunzi, get up, I have something to say.”
The father and son sat opposite Fang Wen, waiting puzzled.
“What do you think of the Red Army?” Fang Wen asked directly.
Hearing it was the Red Army, Fang Shun got excited: “Young master, they are good people. I heard the Kuomintang has been persecuting them. Can you help them?”
Fang Wen didn’t respond directly but looked at Fang Shouxin: “Uncle Fang, what about you?”
Fang Shouxin hesitated: “Young master, I was born into a poor family. As a child, three people shared one pair of pants, and in the end, only I survived. This world really eats people. If it doesn’t change, it will always be like this. I know you, young master, are different from us; you haven’t experienced those things and can’t understand what hard days are like, maybe you don’t understand our thoughts. But I still have to say, the Red Army is great; they are the hope of the poor.”
Fang Wen nodded: “Tonight’s matter is known only to us three. Don’t say good things about the Red Army outside in the future.”
Fang Shun nodded dejectedly.
Fang Shouxin sighed and agreed.
But unexpectedly, Fang Wen wasn’t finished.
“We won’t talk, we’ll do it directly. Shunzi, go secretly contact people from the Red Third Army and ask what they need. Once clarified, we’ll buy it, then airdrop it to them by airplane.”
Fang Shun was instantly delighted and hugged his father: “Dad, I knew the young master is a good person. See, I wasn’t wrong.”
Fang Shouxin smiled and gave his son a tap: “What are you saying? The young master has always been a good person.”
“Yes, yes, always a good person.” Realizing he misspoke, Shunzi immediately corrected.
Looking at the father and son, Fang Wen couldn’t help but smile.
The small group meeting ended, and everything proceeded according to plan.
The aircraft property certificate matter fell through.
The Japanese plan hadn’t been completed and fell through under the emerging investment wave.
Taishan Airlines’ international flights were also in preparation.
The four-month preparation period required completing all construction and preparations for the overseas routes.
Including: training of resident personnel at each transfer airport, construction and improvement of Kabul Airport, route training flights for French pilots, follow-flight training for five flight apprentices, coordination training for twenty flight attendants.
And many miscellaneous things.
Being able to do it well in over 4 months was already quite good.
Additionally, Taishan Airlines’ own cargo trade was resumed.
This time it involved medicinal materials transport and sales; Taishan Airlines established medicinal materials warehouses in the five major airport cities, communicated with medicinal materials wholesalers, then negotiated with apothecaries in various places.
The apothecaries had seen Taishan Airlines’ performance in cigarette sales and could accept direct airline-supplied medicinal materials.
They needed some fresh medicinal materials from distant origins that required local processing, and airplane transport was the best method.
Some precious medicinal materials, which previously required apothecary shopkeepers and employees to carefully carry over long distances, could now be transported via Taishan Airlines’ insured transport, reducing a lot of risk.
Currently only these two were being piloted; finished drugs and larger quantities of traditional Chinese medicine needed to be confirmed safe and reliable before these apothecaries would cooperate more.
Besides these matters, Fang Wen was also keeping attention on Western Hunan.
Shunzi and his dad Fang Shouxin had returned to Xiangxi Airport together.
Shunzi going alone to find the Red Third Army, Fang Shouxin definitely wouldn’t feel at ease.
This was his only son.
Western Hunan Region.
On the mountain road from Yongshun to Longshan Mountain.
Fang Shouxin, Fang Shun, and five Gan Army security team members disguised as traveling merchants were on their way.
The mountain roads were rugged, bandits rampant, not easy to travel; everyone was very careful along the way.
While walking, Fang Shouxin and Fang Shun, the father and son, discussed in low voices.
“Dad, where are we going?” Shunzi asked.
The Red Army was now beset on all sides with uncertain whereabouts; the father and son wanted to find them but didn’t know where.
Fang Shouxin frowned: “The letter the general manager gave yesterday said that in June, the ‘Xiang-E-Hubei Border Bandit Suppression Headquarters’ mobilized 3 regiments of HUB Province Security Regiment, New 3rd Brigade, 48th Division 142nd Brigade, security teams from counties like Stone Gate, Lixian, Cili, etc., as well as Xiang Army New 34th Division Cadre Regiment, 3rd Brigade, etc., to launch a siege on the Xiang-E-Hubei Soviet area. In July, the Red Third Army split: one part went to Enshi, Xianfeng, Lichuan; one part stayed in Hefeng to persist in struggle; another part entered Longshan. We can only find the nearest unit guerrillaing in Longshan.”
Easier said than done.
The journey from Yongshun to Longshan was all mountainous areas with extremely harsh conditions.
Finding a unit guerrillaing in the mountains was too difficult.
The group crossed three mountain ridges and finally arrived at a terraced hilly area. During the rest, Shunzi took out binoculars to survey the surroundings; he suddenly spotted more than a dozen people fighting with others down the mountain in the northeast direction.
These dozen people were highly disciplined and extremely combat-effective; the opponent’s team of several dozen could only trail from afar.
This was clearly trying to hold them back for reinforcements to encircle.
