Chapter 285: 284 Company Meeting, Activating Japanese Spy Yoshida, Telegram Delivers Imperial Japanese Navy Headquarters Report
The meeting continued.
Air Distribution Branch Company Manager Sun Debiao reported the situation: “During this period, due to the expansion of domestic flight routes, the air distribution business has also expanded to more areas via seaplane business. Currently, we are using our ample aircraft carrying capacity to sell cigarettes, medicinal materials, and other valuable commodities.”
Sun Debiao excitedly reported his business progress.
Air distribution had seen tremendous development, with the high-speed transport network rapidly popularizing high-value commodities everywhere.
Wherever Taishan Airlines aircraft could go, Sun Debiao could extend the business antennae.
He even proposed a bold suggestion: not only to handle commodity circulation and wholesale, but also to directly participate in retail business.
The general idea was that in the future, they would establish brand chain stores, and he had even come up with the store name: Taishan Shops.
Fang Wen was quite surprised by Sun Debiao’s performance.
Though he was from a bandit background, when he got serious about work, he was no worse than anyone else.
Unfortunately, the timing was off; the chain specialty store idea couldn’t be implemented now, as Japan would soon launch a full-scale war, and there wouldn’t be enough energy to maintain such business.
Fang Wen politely declined.
“This isn’t the right time yet. We lack preparations for large-scale store openings, which require managerial personnel, complex business channels, employee training, unified store decoration and layout, etc. We’ll talk about it later.”
Seeing the general manager’s stance, Sun Debiao regretfully ended his report. The idea had just come to him casually; he hadn’t thought as deeply as the general manager. Since the general manager said to hold off, they would hold off.
Next was Shao Sishen from the training center.
During this period, due to the large-scale rollout of seaplane business, Shao Sishen had expanded the training center and added many flight instructors.
Since it was training for low-speed seaplanes, the difficulty was much lower. Under large-scale recruitment and training of flight apprentices, they had selected a batch of usable pilots.
These ordinary seaplane pilots would undergo one to two months of flight instructor-led practical flights, and only after confirming they could work independently would they officially start.
Besides pilot training, each seaplane also needed one flight attendant, which required recruitment and training.
It could be said that the seaplane project’s rapid expansion domestically was also crucially due to the complete training mechanism Shao Sishen had built over the past two years.
Fang Wen affirmed this: “Sishen, your contribution to the company’s pilot talent cultivation is the greatest. Hard work.”
“This is what I should do.” Shao Sishen replied. Now, he had fully committed to Fang Wen’s path, treating the training undertaking as part of his life.
Next, Pan Jiafeng gave his report.
Since meeting Fang Wen in 1932, he had been just a 19-year-old youth.
Now he had become a steady young man, very methodical in his work, just like piloting aircraft.
He took out his manuscript and explained the situation.
“During this period, due to the general manager’s requirements for company aviation business management, the specially established Flight Management Department has been tasked with customizing daily flight paths and flight arrangements. At first, scheduling land-based routes wasn’t too difficult, as they were all planned by the general manager. Later, with the rapid expansion of seaplane routes, my duties shifted there. Because seaplanes operate in multi-stop continuous takeoff and landing mode, route planning and personnel arrangements are relatively more complex. Fortunately, we accumulated experience on Yellow River and Hai River routes, providing references for managing other waterway routes afterward. As of now, seaplane routes on the five major waterways and some minor ones have all been brought under unified management. We confirm daily route schedules and personnel flight arrangements via our own commercial telegrams. This method is running smoothly so far, with no issues.”
Pan Jiafeng finished his report.
Fang Wen looked at his disciple appreciatively. Now, Pan Jiafeng was not only a qualified pilot but also indispensable management talent for the company’s aviation business.
Life always changes according to needs: pilot, manager, and in the future, perhaps even fighter jet piloting on the battlefield.
He did not verbally praise Pan Jiafeng; the master-disciple pair understood without words.
Afterward, Taishan Airlines Headquarters Administrative Management Director Fang Shouxin reported.
“During this period, Taishan Airlines’ personnel underwent major expansion. The seaplane business department has 300 employees. Including land-based routes, our domestic branches total 753 employees. The International Airline Company side has 262. Currently, Taishan Airlines’ employee count has officially exceeded one thousand.”
He also explained the company’s current salary and financial situation together with Shopkeeper Liu.
Because Fang Wen judged that the legal tender issued by the National Government would continuously depreciate, although the company collected legal tender for ticketing, internally it still used silver dollars.
This way, employees’ salaries remained stable, unaffected by legal tender depreciation, with monthly payroll expenses of nearly 50,000 silver dollars.
This practice had also stood the test of time. From the issuance of legal tender in 1935 to now over a year later, legal tender had indeed depreciated slightly, not much but continuously.
Shopkeeper Liu also explained to everyone: “The general manager once said that the National Government issued legal tender without full reserve backing, so its value was somewhat inflated. Later, the National Government found that no one on the market cared about legal tender’s value issue, so they started printing large amounts of currency. As the money supply on the market increased, it was actually drawing blood nationwide through unsecured printing. If this continues, it will only make the domestic economy worse, and those currencies without reserve backing will become increasingly worthless, ultimately destroying China’s financial environment.”
This set of financial principles was proposed by Fang Wen and gradually proven correct.
But domestically, it wasn’t understood; currently, only Taishan Airlines internally was responding to legal tender’s continuous depreciation.
The meeting thus ended.
Fang Wen announced adjournment, then afterward kept Fang Shouxin for a private talk.
The couple continued with Fang Shouxin in the meeting room.
This time, Kuang Mingzhu spoke: “Uncle Fang, Fang Wen plans to have Mom and Dad and the brothers all relocate inland or go abroad, but we two probably can’t persuade the master and those two brothers. Do you have any good ideas?”
Fang Shouxin said in surprise: “Why relocate? Isn’t the situation great now?”
Fang Wen explained: “Our great situation is only on the surface. Although the civil war will stop, domestic factions are numerous with deep conflicts, hard to unite against the Japanese Army. But our displayed unity is a very dangerous signal to the Japanese. Now four years have passed, and they’ve prepared for four years; they probably won’t let us stay united, and it won’t be long before they launch a larger-scale war.”
This mention of a larger-scale war moved Fang Shouxin.
That meant Shanghai would likely face warfare again, and Jiaxing not far from Shanghai would also be affected.
This was why the young master wanted the master and everyone to relocate.
Fang Shouxin replied: “If that’s the case, I’ll go back. After all, I’ve served the master for 20 years; there are many things I can say conveniently.”
“Then thank you, Uncle Fang.” Fang Wen smiled and ended the talk.
With the Wuhan company meeting over, Fang Wen didn’t wander around this time but stayed in Wuhan to oversee work.
On the surface, he was managing Taishan Airlines’ overall operations, but on the other hand, he was closely monitoring Japanese movements.
For this, the Shanghai Secret Intelligence Station sent collected intelligence to Wuhan by airplane every week.
Thus, though in China’s hinterland, Fang Wen understood the current situation better than anyone.
From the intelligence, the Japanese side was already preparing pre-war public opinion.
House of Peers President Konoe published an article titled “My Political and Diplomatic Objectives” in the 《Tokyo Asahi Shimbun》.
The article openly advocated: “China’s cotton, coal, iron ore, and other natural resources are still inexhaustible and should be jointly developed with Japan providing capital and technology, and China providing labor.”
Such rhetoric treated China’s resources as their own, with extremely arrogant tone.
Subsequently, Japanese Army airplanes appeared in Qingdao, Tianjin, and other places, scattering shameless leaflets.
Even Jinan saw Japanese Army airplanes, with some leaflets landing at Jinan Airport.
This was undoubtedly a provocation against Fang Wen.
He really wanted to pilot an airplane there and shoot down the Japanese Army airplanes.
But the current situation didn’t allow it; Kuomintang-Communist Cooperation was on the agenda, and causing trouble now would affect cooperation progress.
Suppressing his inner anger, Fang Wen wanted more to know how Japan’s executives currently viewed Kuomintang-Communist Cooperation.
He decided to activate the chess piece in Japan.
Japan, Hiroshima Prefecture, Kure City.
This was Japan’s largest warship manufacturing center and largest naval domestic base.
Yoshida was also here.
During the First Division mutiny in Tokyo, he had risked rescuing the prime minister, earning some political payback.
Now, Yoshida’s father had finally gained a position in the House of Peers.
As for Yoshida himself, he had followed Nagano Shuu to Kure Naval District, rising from adjutant to staff officer on the Combined Fleet’s First Fleet battleship Kirishima.
According to what Nagano Shuu told him, the Kirishima battleship was currently undergoing modifications; being a staff officer now was just a formality. After gaining seniority, he would be assigned as deputy ship captain to learn warship management.
This was the naval officer promotion path Nagano Shuu had planned for Yoshida.
It was also the best reward for Yoshida rescuing the prime minister and earning Nagano Shuu’s trust.
Yoshida was very pleased; he had the highest military position and fastest promotion in his family.
But he also understood who had given him all this.
That mysterious Chinese big shot, who could kidnap Nagano Shuu and escape unscathed, and even bomb Tokyo.
Every time he thought about it, Yoshida’s breathing quickened and heart raced, constantly reminding himself not to forget.
Therefore, every Tuesday evening, he would definitely be home, quietly taking out the telegraph machine, tuning to the specific frequency, and receiving radio waves information.
Whether there was a telegram or not, he would do it on time without fail.
This day, it was time to receive the telegram again. Yoshida went home early, closed doors and windows, and quietly sat at home waiting.
At eight-thirty in the evening, he took the telegraph machine from the wardrobe, put on headphones, tuned the frequency, and listened.
Thinking there would be no result, suddenly radio wave sounds came through.
His heart excited, he wrote the telegram message on paper.
It was a coded telegram without clear meaning, needing translation for the real content.
Yoshida took out a novel from China, found the corresponding coded telegram text in the book, and recorded it.
After a while, the coded telegram translation was complete, and he looked at the translated telegram message.
【Collect Japanese Army intelligence on the China side, especially recent executive judgments, statements, and reports. Once found, send to me.】
Another mission.
Yoshida lit and burned the coded telegram message, then scrambled the frequency and packed away the telegraph machine.
After finishing, he pondered how to proceed.
His location was a naval heavy area with many senior naval officers; Yoshida had once followed Nagano Shuu to a small club inside the naval district.
That was the best place to obtain intelligence.
Immediately, he packed his luggage, took a gift, and headed out to visit Nagano Shuu.
After walking for a while, he arrived at Nagano Shuu’s residence.
Yoshida went straight to the door and was led by the servant to the study room.
Nagano Shuu, who was reading, glanced at Yoshida and put down the book.
“You know to come visit me; that’s more sensible than many young people.”
“This is Tosa clear sake I got through someone; I brought it to you as soon as I got it.”
“Hometown sake? So nostalgic.”
Nagano Shuu took the gift, opened it directly, and savored the aroma inside.
This wasn’t the place for drinking, so he stood up directly: “Let’s go somewhere else.”
Yoshida’s little scheme succeeded, and he followed Nagano Shuu to that senior naval officers’ gathering club.
The two arrived at the naval district edge, a residential building converted into a sake shop, lively with constant noise.
Women in kimonos led them inside and chose a quiet spot.
The two sat opposite, ordered some dishes, and poured hometown Tosa clear sake to drink together.
After two cups, Yoshida pondered how to probe.
He organized his words.
“Admiral, have you heard about things on the China side? I hear they’re uniting against us.”
Nagano Shuu nodded: “This is spreading in Naval Headquarters; everyone feels it can’t continue.”
As he spoke, several officers passed by, saw Nagano Shuu, and hurried in to pay respects.
After formalities, Nagano Shuu said: “We were just talking about the China side; what do you think?”
One officer took a document from his handbag.
“Admiral, this is the latest report I just received, on Naval Command’s views on that side.”
Nagano Shuu took it, read it, and passed it to Yoshida.
Yoshida inwardly delighted, carefully memorized the content.
Then, he repeatedly recalled to deepen the memory, excused himself due to feeling unwell, and left the club.
Back at his residence, Yoshida wrote down the intelligence on paper, then at eight-thirty the next evening, sent the telegram to China.
After finishing, he felt completely relieved.
（Kirishima battleship, commissioned in 1915, modified before the War of Resistance.）
After assigning the mission to Yoshida far away in Japan, Fang Wen thought it would take some time for feedback.
It came the next day.
Fortunately, he listened to the telegram on time and translated the coded telegram content.
【Naval Command analysis on China situation.】
【1. Judging from Chiang’s acceptance of the eight demands, even if a temporary expedient, he has at least accepted anti-Japan opinion;】
【2. Due to Chiang-Zhang compromise, struggles among National Government factions will intensify, with subtle effects on Wang’s group;】
【3. Suppress bandits (anti-Communist) war will terminate;】
【4. Future activities of Communist Army and rebels (especially General Yang’s forces) are problematic. If they cooperate, it will pose a major threat to Japan, closely tied to North China and Inner Mongolia;】
【5. United Kingdom is most active behind the scenes in resolving the incident. UK will deepen into China’s economy. China’s trend will inevitably rely on Europe and America, especially leaning pro-British.】
Looking at this analysis from Japanese Naval Command, Fang Wen fell into deep thought.
Japanese Naval Command’s judgment was very accurate, possibly due to too many secret agents inserted in China and some pro-Japanese Kuomintang executives voluntarily leaking information.
It seemed the Japanese Army had made clear judgments on China’s situation and realized the threat from a united China.
