Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 793 The Safe Transfer of Yugoslavian Talent, The King's Secret

Yangon, office of the general manager of Taishan Group.

Fang Wen looked at the coded telegram from the Athens office and a smile crept onto his lips.

The fact that the Yugoslav royal family sought assistance from Taishan Airlines for their evacuation is a good thing for them.

In this way, those talented individuals will have no chance to escape.

He told Zhao Junping, “Send a telegram to the Athens office agreeing to receive the royal family and ministers of Peter II. I will personally pilot the Xuanming large long-haul passenger plane to take them to England. Also, have the people at the office specifically state that we are closely monitoring the evacuation of Yugoslavian technical personnel and must ensure that they can arrive in Athens smoothly. Once everyone has arrived, arrange for a plane to take them to Rangoon immediately.”

Yugoslavia.

German artillery fire was approaching the city of Belgrade.

The streets were filled with the smoke of gunpowder, and ruins were everywhere.

The once prosperous capital has now become a living hell.

The resistance forces of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia were gradually collapsing under the attacks of the German army.

Some of the outer garrison troops had already surrendered, and the garrison inside the city was also divided. Some soldiers who were determined to resist and were unwilling to bow to the Axis powers secretly contacted each other and planned to withdraw from Belgrade and go to the remote mountains and forests of Yugoslavia to carry out guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines and continue to fight against the German army.

Most of the soldiers who persisted in resistance were young soldiers and junior officers. They had their country in their hearts and were unwilling to see their homeland trampled by invaders. Even though they knew that the strength was far inferior to that of the enemy, they were unwilling to give up their hope of resistance.

Their secret plan had already been discovered by the Belgrade garrison commander.

This general knew that Belgrade would be completely occupied by the German army sooner or later, and he understood the determination of these soldiers. Instead of stopping them, he secretly provided them with convenience.

On the very night the soldiers were preparing to depart, the generals received an urgent telegram from King Peter II in Greece, which clearly instructed them to immediately arrange an army to escort designated personnel in a secret evacuation south to the Greek border.

The general dared not delay and immediately summoned the soldiers who were preparing to wage guerrilla warfare, conveying the king's instructions to them: "His Majesty the King has evacuated Belgrade to seek support in Greece. Now, a difficult task is entrusted to you: escort a group of scientific researchers south to Athens, Greece. They are the hope of our country and our bargaining chip in exchanging support with foreign countries. No matter what difficulties you encounter, you must ensure their safe arrival."

Upon hearing this, the soldiers accepted the mission without hesitation.

That evening, escorted by soldiers, Pavle Savic, Vladimir Prelog, Lavoslav Ružichka, and other scientific research and engineering personnel, along with their families, quietly left their hiding place in the basement, gathered in the south of the city, and then evacuated south of Belgrade along a pre-planned secret route.

To avoid being discovered by the German army, they did not carry much luggage, only essential research materials and personal belongings.

Meanwhile, in Belgrade, the German army launched a surprise attack at night.

The remaining Belgrade defenders suffered repeated defeats under attacks from multiple directions.

Ultimately, the defending general announced the surrender.

The escort team that retreated south did not encounter any danger.

After a day and a night of non-stop travel, they finally arrived at Vardar Macedonia, the southernmost territory of Yugoslavia.

At the border, the Greek border guards had already received instructions from home and allowed them to pass without much questioning.

On the Greek border, the Taishan Group's Athens office had already arranged trucks.

Several plainclothes liaisons were waiting by the roadside. Upon seeing them arrive, they immediately went to meet them.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Greece. I am a staff member from the Athens office of Taishan Group, and I have been sent here to meet you on your way to Athens."

The staff guided everyone to the vehicle.

The truck slowly started and headed towards Athens.

Inside the train carriage, the researchers still wore expressions of exhaustion and unease. They didn't know what awaited them, nor where their country's future lay.

Looking out at the rapidly receding scenery, Lavoslav Ružčka sighed softly, "We've left our homeland, and we don't know if we'll ever have the chance to come back."

Pavle Savage patted him on the shoulder and comforted him, "There will be opportunities, as long as we are alive. Taishan Group has promised us the best conditions and the most advanced scientific research equipment. Perhaps, we can do something for the anti-fascist war in Asia."

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.

Although they were forced to leave their homeland, their belief remained undiminished. They knew that only by preserving their talents could they contribute to the reconstruction of their country someday.

Just as this group of scientific researchers were heading to Athens, at Yangon's seaport, a long-haul seaplane was slowly taking off.

This aircraft was produced by Taishan Aviation Manufacturing Plant No. 1. It was originally an order for Pan Am, but Fang Wen temporarily intercepted it in order to deal with the emergency in Yugoslavia and personally piloted it to Athens, Greece.

The Ghost-type long-haul seaplane is Taishan Airlines' top product, boasting a long range and strong carrying capacity. Combined with Fang Wen's supernatural abilities and piloting skills, it is perfectly suited for this kind of transcontinental secret transport mission.

The plane flew westward, crossing the Indochina Peninsula and the Indian Ocean, heading towards Athens, Greece. The long-haul flight was tedious and boring, with the crew taking turns on duty. Fang Wen, however, remained steadfast in the cockpit, completing the 7500-kilometer journey alone with boundless energy.

After more than 20 hours of flight time, the Phantom-type seaplane arrived over Athens early the next morning.

Fang Wen picked up the microphone, adjusted the communication frequency of the aircraft's radio equipment, and made contact with the staff of the Taishan Group's Athens office on the ground.

"Airborne call to ground, please respond."

"General Manager, this is the Athens office." A staff member's voice came through the radio. "General Manager, the Yugoslav royal family has arrived in Athens and is currently waiting in the port. We have communicated with the Greek military, and you can land your plane in the port waters. The dock is ready to receive you."

"Understood." Fang Wen turned off the communication, controlled the aircraft, and slowly descended the altitude, flying towards the waters of Athens port.

The port of Athens below was bustling with ships, but a specific area had been cleared for landings, with Greek soldiers sailing alongside and waving flags to guide the way.

Moments later, the Phantom-type seaplane landed smoothly in the port waters, gliding with inertia and kicking up a long trail of water.

Once the aircraft had slowed down, Fang Wen steered it to a turn and slowly approached the dock.

The cabin door then opened, and Fang Wen was the first to disembark, followed by several crew members.

On the dock, King Peter II of Yugoslavia, along with members of the royal family and ministers, were already waiting.

Staff from the Taishan Aviation Office stood beside them, holding Taishan walkie-talkies. During the meeting, Fang Wen shook hands with the King.

"Hello, I am Fang Wen, General Manager of Taishan Airlines," Fang Wen introduced himself in English.

The king didn't introduce himself, but his voice was urgent: "Please take us away from Greece as soon as possible. Germany has occupied my kingdom and will attack Greece next. I must leave here as soon as possible."

Fang Wen calmly reassured him, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, now that I'm here, I will definitely get you out of here safely. However, given the current situation, flying during the day is too dangerous. After all, the plane I'm piloting needs to fly 3000 kilometers without any layovers, passing through the airspace of Italy and France, which are under the control of the Axis powers. Once we are discovered, it will be very difficult for any of us to escape. We must wait until after dark, under the cover of night, before we can take off."

Peter II was somewhat disappointed upon hearing this, but he understood Fang Wen's concerns.

He nodded and said helplessly, "Okay, we'll follow Mr. Fang's arrangements. As long as we can leave safely, we're willing to wait."

After calming down the royal family members, Fang Wen didn't linger. He turned to the office staff beside him and said, "Take me to see those research talents. I want to talk to them."

"Yes, General Manager." The staff member nodded and led Fang Wen toward a hotel near the dock.

Inside the hotel, Pavle Savic, Lavoslav Ružčka, and others were anxiously awaiting news.

When Fang Wen entered, the staff at the office had already informed the technical personnel of his identity.

People came out of the room and looked at Fang Wen.

The young Asian man before me is hard to believe, given how influential his company is internationally.

"Come down, everyone. The general manager has something to say to you," a staff member from the Taishan office shouted.

Immediately, people came downstairs and stood in front of Fang Wen.

Fang Wen's gaze slowly swept over each person, and he spoke sincerely in English: "Ladies and gentlemen, I am Fang Wen from Taishan Group. First of all, I would like to thank you for your trust in Taishan and for following us to Asia. I know that you are filled with anxiety at this moment and are also worried about your motherland, but I can assure you that Taishan Group needs elites like you in the scientific and engineering fields. Together, we will build a world-leading military technology industry and make our own contribution to this anti-fascist war that will affect the entire Eurasian and African continents."

Not all of these people can understand English; some are listening to translations from their colleagues and relatives.

Fang Wen paused deliberately, and after a moment continued, "China is currently fighting a bloody war against the Japanese invaders. We are also enemies of the Axis powers, and on this point, our goals are the same. Taishan Group has advanced research equipment, generous benefits, and a free research environment. I promise that in addition to the research projects required by the group, you can also apply for your own personal research projects. Once approved, the group will not interfere with your research direction and will fully support your research work, allowing your talents to be fully utilized."

Fang Wen's words were like a reassuring pill, dispelling the anxiety in the hearts of the scientific research talents.

Lavoslav Ruzhchka stood up and said solemnly, “Mr. Fang, thank you for your frankness. Although we were forced to leave our homeland, we hope to contribute our strength to the anti-fascist war. Since you trust us so much, we are willing to go to Rangoon to work for the Taishan Group and do our part to defeat the Axis powers.”

Other researchers nodded in agreement, and another emotion arose in their hearts: trust from the East.

Seeing that everyone had reached a consensus, Fang Wen smiled with satisfaction: "Now, I will arrange for you to board the plane and go to Ankara, Turkey first, where it is relatively safe. After the follow-up arrangements are completed, you will transfer to Yangon."

Subsequently, Fang Wen arranged for staff to guide the research talents to Athens Airport and board the Taishan Airlines commercial aircraft parked there.

As everyone boarded the plane, they placed their research materials and personal belongings beside their seats, their eyes filled with anticipation for the future.

After everyone had boarded, Fang Wen instructed the civil aviation pilot to fly carefully and safely to Ankara.

Subsequently, planes took off one after another, flying eastward.

After watching the plane disappear as a black dot, Fang Wen returned to the dock.

It was already afternoon.

One of the ministers was still waiting on this side of the dock.

Upon seeing Fang Wen return, the minister immediately stepped forward and asked, "Mr. Fang, have the research personnel been arranged?"

“It’s all arranged, and the plane has already flown to Ankara,” Fang Wen replied.

"Mr. Fang, to thank you for your help, the King would like to invite you to dinner."

Fang Wen did not refuse and nodded, saying, "Okay, no problem."

He got into a car with the minister and drove to downtown Athens.

The restaurant was hidden on a quiet street, with an elegant environment and a high degree of secrecy. It was a secret gathering place for many local dignitaries and foreign diplomats in Athens.

The restaurant owner had been notified in advance and cleared the premises to ensure the safety of diners.

During the meal, Peter II repeatedly toasted Fang Wen to express his gratitude, while also repeatedly urging Fang Wen to arrange for them to leave Greece as soon as possible, fearing that something unexpected might happen.

A lady spoke up at the opportune moment: "Mr. Fang, you must take us away tonight. We really dare not stay any longer. Once the Italians discover us, we will have no chance to leave at all."

Fang Wen put down his wine glass and looked at the king: "Your Majesty, please rest assured, now that the person I asked for has left, the next step is naturally to send you to England. We will depart tonight."

Hearing Fang Wen's promise, Peter II was finally relieved and couldn't help but ask, "Can you tell me how you will fly to England?"

This is something that needs to be told to the passengers, so that they won't keep worrying. Therefore, Fang Wen began to explain.

"Flying directly from Athens to London is 2300 kilometers in a straight line. But that route would take us through Italy and Germany, and even at night, there's a certain danger. After all, radar technology has developed extremely rapidly due to the stimulus of war; what's invisible on the ground can still be detected by radar. Therefore, tonight's flight will have to take a detour. After flying over the Adriatic Sea, we'll adjust our course, fly northwest, cross the Alps, and then fly entirely within France. The Vichy government now has virtually no military force, so there's no need to worry about them detecting us."

Upon hearing Fang Wen's words, the king smiled happily.

Now that it was confirmed that they would be taking off that night, they immediately relaxed.

The king finally had the opportunity to bring up a question that interested him.

“Mr. Fang, I’ve heard your legendary stories, your adventurous career, and how you’ve encountered many amazing things. But I can assure you that you’ve never seen what I’m talking about.”

"What is it?" Fang Wen was genuinely intrigued.

“It’s in Belgrade; the German World Heritage Association is also looking for it,” the King replied. (End of Chapter)