Chapter 230: 229 Production Capacity Expansion And Aircraft Design Upgrade, Secret Assassination Operation
Taishan Airlines’ domestic business, due to the development of seaplanes, finally exploded after stagnating for a year.
The order of 50 aircraft per year also greatly increased the pressure on Taishan Aircraft Manufacturing Plant.
The monthly production of 4 aircraft was already close to Boeing Company’s monthly output of Boeing 247. To ensure quality while also ensuring output was a very difficult task.
For this reason, after 300 high school diploma workers arrived in Yangon from domestic, Fang Wen specially held a heart-to-heart meeting with 46 university engineers in the factory.
Facing this group of Republic of China university students with rich knowledge reserves and exceptional intelligence, Fang Wen spoke out:
“The aircraft manufacturing plant is currently facing a major opportunity. If we achieve doubled production capacity, we can produce more aircraft in the future, even fighter jets. Do you have confidence?”
No one in the audience responded. Producing 4 seaplanes per month was not something that could be achieved just by talking. Everyone had confidence in producing 2, but not 4.
Fang Wen decided to use the perspective of a future person and talk about some things that would definitely happen in the future.
“It seems everyone lacks confidence, so let’s talk about something else first. Let’s chat about the history of industrial development.”
This topic was interesting, and everyone wanted to know how the general manager viewed industrial development.
A large blackboard was brought onto the stage, and Fang Wen wrote on it with a white chalk pen, then explained.
“Industrial development has currently gone through two stages, which I call Industry 1.0 and Industry 2.0. Industry 1.0 is the steam engine era. The emergence of the steam engine completely changed human production methods, achieving a shift from handmade manufacturing to mechanized production. The steam engine, as a power source, was widely used in industries such as textiles, mining, and metallurgy, greatly improving production efficiency.”
Fang Wen paused, picked up the large tea cup and took a sip of cool tea, then continued:
“Industry 1.0 produced factories, labor force transferred from rural areas to cities, promoting urbanization. It also reduced costs, increased output, and changed the human lifestyle that had lasted for thousands of years. Then came the Industry 2.0 era, which is the electrified era we are in now.”
“The popularity of electricity brought more light to the night, made long-distance communication a reality, and made communication between people easier. The emergence of the internal combustion engine drove the revolution of transportation tools, such as the appearance of cars and aircraft, greatly changing people’s travel methods. This also made global commodity circulation more convenient, while monopoly business models of centralized production occupying the global market emerged, and assembly line production became popularized.”
After Fang Wen finished describing the industrial development based on his future knowledge.
The university engineers below were either looking up in thought or holding pens to copy this content into their notebooks.
But these were all things that had already happened and existed, not the theme Fang Wen wanted to talk about.
He waited a moment, until the students finished copying, then continued:
“Sometimes I think, technology is constantly developing, and industrial forms will also change with technological development and social needs. There will be Industry 3.0 and 4.0 in the future. What I am doing now is a test for Industry 3.0.”
“I believe the future is the era of informatization. Highly concentrated information processing will produce more efficient production modes. Even machines can replace humans in computing, working, and even thinking.”
Fang Wen’s words were more sci-fi than those described in movies and novels of this era. The most advanced-thinking university students were dumbfounded.
They dared not believe such a possibility, yet did not deny it.
Immediately, someone raised their hand to ask a question.
Fang Wen gestured for them to stand up and speak.
That university engineer stood up and asked: “General Manager, how long will it take for the situation you described to be realized? 500 years? Or 1000 years?”
“100 years is enough. Technological development is not uniform speed. After key technologies are conquered, it will produce explosive development.”
Fang Wen’s answer made the 46 university students incredulous, yet they deeply engraved it in their hearts.
His words continued.
“I know you don’t believe it. 100 years is too long, just look at today. We may not achieve that, but we can achieve part of it. Think about the standardized workflow you use to build aircraft; that is what I created based on Industry 3.0. The entire aircraft manufacturing process has all become data. As long as we subdivide this data, record it according to standards, and sort it, it can be replicated in the next work. What I require you to do now is the same: teach these standardized data to your subordinates intact. Unless you find problems that need correction, do not change a single one. Let them strictly follow the processes. You are teachers, supervisors, implementers, managers, guardians of the rules. Can you do it?”
This was the key point of Fang Wen holding this meeting. He wanted all university engineers to understand the importance of standardized workflows and strictly implement them.
A chorus of agreement sounded, and Fang Wen satisfactorily dismissed the meeting.
These university engineers would each lead a work team of 5-7 people, train them, and then follow the model Fang Wen used to lead them before, bringing the newcomers to do aircraft manufacturing internships.
As for the specific effects, Fang Wen felt it should be feasible. What he required was not researchers, but imitators; the difficulty was not high.
He judged that one month later, a batch of qualified industrial workers could come on duty. After all, high school students in this era were already highly educated talents, and their learning ability was definitely not poor.
At the same time, Fang Wen handed over the management of the aircraft manufacturing factory to Huo Duanyang.
The bullet factory, chemical plant, and aircraft manufacturing plant—three special industrial departments—all in Yangon, handed over to Huo Duanyang for unified management, was the most appropriate. After all, there were too few people in Fang Wen’s hands who were trustworthy and had management experience.
Fang Wen, who handed over the management rights of the aircraft manufacturing plant, did not leave, but began designing new aircraft.
Mechanical perception ability gave him a special full view of the aircraft, which was the best for designing aircraft.
The next design was a small seaplane.
Model name: Shuiyun II, amphibious low-speed glider-type amphibious aircraft.
This was a aircraft designed for the needs of those local kings and tycoons.
Features: easy to handle, safe, high performance, and can switch to glider mode to slowly appreciate the scenery in the air.
Mainly targeting the high-end private airplane mode.
The design process was not difficult. Fang Wen made changes on the basis of Shuiyun Type 1 aircraft: engine changed to one, single propeller, fuselage and wing internal space correspondingly reduced, wings also added a mode switch, which can switch to glider wings at high altitude for low-speed circling.
And some changes were made to the float device, with more landing wheels under the floats, more suitable for landing on land.
While designing this aircraft, Fang Wen was also trying to modify his own Shrike aircraft.
The modification plan for Shrike Hao was to replace the Pratt & Whitney R-1340-27 engine with a 1000 horsepower 1710 engine.
Changing the engine required changing the internal oil pipelines, powerplant, propeller, all of them.
Since it was already being done this way, might as well change the others too.
For this, Fang Wen performed major surgery on Shrike Hao.
The aircraft skin was changed to new aluminum alloy, the frame was also corrected, and the wings were correspondingly lengthened.
Beyond the power system, another major modification was the weapon system.
Shrike Hao’s original weapon system had one 7.5 mm aircraft machine gun installed on each side of the fuselage, and bomb racks equipped under the wings and fuselage that could carry bombs.
Now, with a significant increase in power performance, the modification Fang Wen wanted to make was to change the machine guns to four-linked 7.92 mm ZB-53 heavy machine guns.
Four machine guns, respectively located on both sides of the propeller and in the middle section of the wings.
This way, the firing range was larger, hit rate higher, and power greater.
The comprehensively upgraded Shrike Hao had greatly increased power performance and was eager for a battle.
The domestic situation was also changing.
The Red Army conducted repeated mobile warfare in the Chishui area at the junction of Guizhou, Sichuan, and Yunnan, shocking domestic and international with four crossings of Chishui.
In the north, the 29th Army, which became famous in one battle during the Great Wall Campaign, clashed with Japanese puppet army, but was required by Chahar locals to release prisoners of war, ultimately reaching the 《 Datankou Agreement 》, abandoning some defense zones.
At the same time in the North China region, a series of appointments and dismissals brought pro-Japanese officials to the forefront. In the name of preventing communist autonomy, they tried to covertly occupy North China.
This situation, even the National Government, which had been constantly yielding, could not accept.
The Nanjing Government, which dared not openly offend Japan on the surface, could still handle some matters privately.
Nanjing, inside the Revival Society.
Revival Society Group Four held a collective meeting for pre-war mobilization.
After the meeting ended, each group returned to their respective office locations.
The propaganda group team leader specially called Yue Jinping to the office.
“Little Yue. I and your father are comrades, old acquaintances. When he let you join the Revival Society back then, I advised against it; this is not a good place. Now the higher-ups have given orders, and you have one last chance. Tell me if you want to go north or not. If not, I’ll help you find a way.”
Yue Jinping stood at attention: “Team leader, I am willing to go north to participate in the kill one to warn a hundred plan.”
The team leader nodded helplessly: “Alright then, our group will be led by you. This is the rendezvous point for going north; the specific target will only be known after arriving north.”
Yue Jinping received the order and left the office, then took four action personnel from Nanjing by plane to Shanghai Airport, preparing to take Taishan Airlines flight from Shanghai Airport to Jinan and then transfer to another flight.
When buying tickets at Shanghai Airport, she couldn’t help looking towards Taishan Airlines Headquarters Building, but made no contact and boarded the plane to leave.
Until more than ten days later, a pale-faced man got off the Jinan-Shanghai flight, staggering to Taishan Airlines Headquarters Building.
The security team stopped the man.
“This is the company office area; outsiders cannot enter casually. Please register.”
The man weakly replied: “Looking for your general manager, say Yue, Yue.”
“Yue what?” The security guard supported the shaky man.
“She is in trouble.” After saying that, the man fainted.
The security team immediately reported.
The company’s current general manager was not in, and the one responsible for daily management was the general manager’s wife, also the deputy general manager Kuang Mingzhu.
Kuang Mingzhu came to the infirmary, listened to the security guard describe the situation at the time, and vaguely had some speculation.
After the man who was shot in the abdomen was rescued and woke up, she knew what happened and hurriedly sent a telegram to notify the Yangon side.
Yangon Airport.
Fang Wen’s seventh test flight of the modified Shrike Hao.
The current Shrike Hao had its power increased from 600 horsepower to 1000 horsepower.
It could be said that it had become a chubby little fatty with excess nutrition.
To adapt to the various changes brought by overly strong power, Fang Wen had been conducting test flights and adjustments.
This was his unique way; other test pilots could not do it.
Through this rapid feedback of flying and modifying at the same time, some defects of the new Shrike Hao were fixed, and functional adjustments were made.
But this modification also dramatically increased the difficulty of piloting Shrike Hao; in this world, only Fang Wen could fully control it.
After completing a spinning roll maneuver in the air, Fang Wen piloted the aircraft to land.
Once the aircraft came to a steady stop, Huo Duanyang brought people over.
“General Manager, this is the team leader of the Kolkata business telegram group. He received a same-frequency encrypted telegram from domestic and came specifically to report.”
Fang Wen immediately stepped down the boarding ladder and took the encrypted telegram.
The telegram encryption method was the pinyin secret code he designed; Fang Wen directly translated it.
『Yue Jinping got into trouble in the north, her subordinate escaped back to Shanghai for help, return quickly.』
Fang Wen calmly put away the letter and whispered instructions to Huo Duanyang: “I need to return to China for a while; the matters here are entrusted to you.”
“Is it very serious?” Huo Duanyang asked with concern.
Fang Wen nodded: “It might be very troublesome; I don’t know the specific situation yet.”
After saying that, he filled the fuel tank and auxiliary fuel tank of Shrike Hao with fuel, took off, and flew towards Shanghai.
The modified Shrike Hao had cruising speed increased from 320 to 350 kilometers per hour, and top speed from 377 to 410 kilometers per hour, making it currently the only aircraft breaking 400 kilometers per hour.
But such improvement also correspondingly increased fuel consumption. For this, the 100 kg bomb rack in the aircraft belly was removed, and a second auxiliary fuel tank was added.
Two auxiliary fuel tanks and one main fuel tank increased the maximum range of the modified Shrike Hao to 3000 kilometers.
But this navigation distance required Shrike Hao to be in half-power state, that is, low-speed navigation at 300 kilometers per hour.
The distance from Yangon to Shanghai was exactly 3000 kilometers.
Fang Wen, anxious to return home, suppressed his emotions and flew at 300 kilometers per hour for 10 hours, finally arriving in Shanghai.
At Shanghai Airport, ground personnel methodically cleared the runway to welcome the general manager’s aircraft to land.
The most ferocious small aircraft, Shrike Hao, landed on the runway and then taxied into the hangar.
Fang Wen immediately got off the aircraft and talked with his welcoming wife.
“What’s going on?”
“We’ll talk while walking.” Kuang Mingzhu went to the infirmary with her husband. “Yesterday, a person got off the Jinan to Shanghai flight, came directly to the office area looking for you, saying Yue Jinping got into trouble in the north. As for the specifics, he wouldn’t say; he had to see you.”
Fang Wen and his wife arrived at the infirmary and saw through the window that the man was leaning on the bed, looking very vigilant.
Fang Wen pushed the door in and said: “I am Taishan Airlines General Manager Fang Wen. You can say whatever you have to say.”
The man took out a crumpled photograph from his bosom and compared it after unfolding.
It was a group photo of Fang Wen and Yue Jinping from before, both wearing China Airlines pilot leather jackets, looking very spirited.
After confirming, the man spoke:
“I am a member of this operation, under Yue Jinping’s management. While executing a secret action, due to news leak, we were attacked by Japanese agents.”
“What happened to Yue Jinping?” Fang Wen asked urgently.
“She was shot in the right arm, hiding in a civilian house in the city to recuperate. Currently, Japanese agents and pro-Japanese organizations on the ground are searching the city.”
Hearing that Yue Jinping was temporarily fine, Fang Wen relaxed. He calmly asked: “Why didn’t you report to the Revival Society, but came to me?”
The man hesitated, then replied: “Our 4 groups entered the city together. Except for headquarters, no one else was informed of this operation. We suspect there is a Japanese spy in headquarters, so we cannot report our whereabouts upwards. As for finding you, Group Leader Yue said you have a way to rescue them, so I came to try my luck.”
So that’s how it was.
Yue Jinping probably didn’t know about his night bombing, but she participated in the first Northeast night flight and knew his abilities.
Probably wanted to borrow his night air transport capability to get them out.
Fang Wen did not directly agree, but asked about the location where the incident occurred.
