Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 819 Purchasing Little Andaman Island, Landing on the Island and Communicating with the Nativ

The plane weaved through the clouds, and Fang Wen pushed the control stick to lower the altitude.

The mechanical perception ability swept across the continuous island cluster below.

The North Andaman Islands have many reefs along their coastline, and the islands are covered with dense rainforests. Scattered indigenous huts can be seen, which are presumably the settlements of the Greater Andaman people.

The Great Andamanians were once the most powerful tribe in the archipelago, but after a battle with the British decades ago, they now number less than 200.

The Central Andaman Islands are relatively flat, with winding paths seemingly running through the forests, and occasionally one can catch a glimpse of the Galowa people carrying bamboo spears.

The Galowa are not as aggressive as the Great Andamanians, but they will use force against outsiders who intrude into their tribal territory.

Port Blair in the southern Andaman Islands was a British military garrison and prison.

Dozens of Sikh and British soldiers were stationed there and were responsible for guarding the prisoners.

Landfall and West are small, rugged, lack flat land, and are too close to the main island, making them susceptible to external interference.

Only the southernmost island of Little Andaman stands out among the islands—it is isolated in the southern part of the archipelago, separated from the other islands by a wide expanse of sea, with no land connection whatsoever.

From the air, the entire island is covered by lush tropical rainforest, with fine white sand beaches scattered along the coastline, and coral reefs shimmering with a pale blue luster in the shallow waters, creating a tranquil and remote scene.

Fang Wen slowed down the plane and circled at low altitude to observe, but did not see any large-scale indigenous settlements. There were only a few simple thatched huts scattered on the edge of the rainforest, indicating that the population was extremely sparse.

"This is it."

Fang Wen had already made up his mind. The Little Andaman Island was independent enough, far away from the interference of other islands, and the sparse indigenous population would reduce obstacles to subsequent communication and construction. It was the perfect choice.

After identifying the target, Fang Wen controlled the aircraft to change course, slowly take off, and fly towards Yangon.

He planned to visit the Governor-General of Burma, partly to learn about the specific situation of the indigenous people of Little Andaman Island, and partly to inquire about the progress of the island purchase proposal, since everything could only be settled with the permission of the British government.

The plane landed at Yangon's sea airport, and Fang Wen drove straight to the Governor-General's residence. After being informed, he was quickly invited into the study.

With a smile on his face, the governor spoke first before Fang Wen could speak: "Mr. Fang, congratulations. The telegram from London says that the House of Lords has unanimously approved your proposal to purchase the island and authorized me to sign the transfer agreement with you."

Fang Wen was secretly delighted, but his face remained calm. He nodded and said, "Since that's the case, I might as well be frank. After observing from the air, the island I've chosen is Little Andaman Island. Is that alright?"

Upon hearing this, the governor showed no surprise: "Little Andaman Island is far from the main island and large enough to be suitable for establishing a base. However, I must clarify in advance that Little Andaman Island is different from other islands. There are no British troops stationed on the island, nor are there any colonial facilities. Our British Empire only nominally owns the island and has never carried out any development. In fact, very few officials have even set foot on the island."

He paused, then added, "The island's native inhabitants are the Ongki people. They are gentle and do not attack outsiders, but they are also extremely shy and live deep in the rainforest year-round. Therefore, after the island is transferred to you, you will have to figure out how to communicate with and establish contact with the Ongki people on the island yourself. We cannot provide any assistance."

Fang Wen had already anticipated the complex situation on the island, and upon hearing this, he didn't take it to heart, nodding calmly: "Thank you for the reminder, Governor. I was prepared for this. Our Taishan Group will handle the communication and resettlement matters ourselves."

Seeing that Fang Wen had no objection, the governor immediately had someone bring out the transfer agreement that had been prepared in advance, and pointed out the key terms of the agreement one by one, clarifying that all sovereignty over the Little Andaman Island was transferred to the Taishan Group. After Fang Wen paid the transfer fee of US$500,000 and related resettlement expenses, the agreement would take effect immediately, and Britain would no longer have any sovereignty or management rights over the island.

After carefully reviewing the agreement and confirming that it was correct, Fang Wen signed his name on it. He then had someone bring out a pre-prepared check for five hundred thousand US dollars and handed it to the governor. The governor took the check, confirmed the amount was correct, signed his name, and affixed the governor's seal.

A single agreement formally settled the ownership of Little Andaman Island. From then on, this remote and primitive island nominally became an asset of the Taishan Group and also Fang Wen's private territory.

After leaving the Governor's Mansion, Fang Wen immediately drove back to the Taishan headquarters building and urgently convened a meeting of the heads of various departments.

All department heads were present in the conference room.

Fang Wen informed everyone of the successful purchase of the island, and a low cheer immediately rose in the conference room, which he then gestured for silence.

"The successful purchase of the island is only the first step; there is still a lot of work to be done."

Fang Wen's gaze swept over the crowd.

"First, arrange an advance team, carrying necessary supplies, communication equipment, and translators, to travel by boat to Little Andaman Island to investigate the island's specific terrain, water source distribution, and the settlement of the Ongki people. Make sure to understand all the details on the island to avoid rash actions that could lead to conflict."

"The group's engineering department is responsible for preparing for the construction on the island, planning the site selection for material storage warehouses, research bases, and temporary accommodations, and preparing engineering machinery and building materials. Once the advance team sends back a message, construction will begin immediately."

"In addition, we will assign a dedicated person to communicate with the Wengqi people, learn about their customs and taboos in advance, prepare some suitable supplies for them, and gradually establish contact with them to gain their acceptance and avoid unnecessary conflicts."

The arrangements proceeded smoothly, and the heads of each department noted down their tasks and got up to begin implementation.

The next afternoon, the advance team from Taishan Group was ready to depart. This team consisted of explorers, logistics personnel, and security personnel.

We traveled aboard the Taishan semi-aircraft carrier, which was fully loaded with supplies such as fresh water, dry food, basic medical supplies, cloth, salt, and sugar. There were also specially prepared items such as pottery jars and knives, which are suitable for use by primitive tribes, as gifts.

Fang Wen also participated in the advance team's landing on the island. A light seaplane was also hoisted onto the upper deck of the semi-aircraft carrier using a lifting device as an aerial means of transport.

The cargo ship then slowly departed from Yangon port and headed towards Little Andaman Island, hundreds of kilometers away.

After sailing for several days, the ship stopped outside Port Blair, where a local translator boarded.

He claimed to have visited the Little Andaman Island multiple times and be able to communicate with the islanders.

Another day passed, and the outline of the Little Andaman Island finally appeared in the distance.

Fang Wen stood on the upper deck and picked up his binoculars to look into the distance.

The entire island is enveloped in greenery, with a winding coastline.

The waves gently lapped against the beach, where there was no trace of any man-made structures; it was a completely undeveloped, pristine paradise.

Because there is no port or dock, the ships cannot dock directly. Instead, an advance team is sent to transfer to a small speedboat and head towards a gentle white sand beach.

Ten minutes later, the boat docked.

The people on the boat disembarked and dragged the wooden boat to the beach.

They left one group to guard the boat, while the other group crossed the beach and headed into the woods.

At first, there were sparse, tall coconut trees, but the further you went in, the denser the trees became.

The dense rainforest blocked out the sun, vines intertwined, and birdsong and insect chirps rose and fell, but not a single person could be seen.

The advance team did not venture deep into the rainforest, but instead returned along the same route and set up a temporary camp on the edge of the beach.

Subsequently, a small team was sent out to explore the periphery of the rainforest, recording the surrounding terrain on paper and taking photos.

About half a day later, the team members responsible for the outer reconnaissance quietly returned to report the situation.

It is said that the traces of the Ongki people were found behind the bushes at the edge of the rainforest.

On the upper deck of a semi-aircraft carrier cargo ship, Fang Wen sat in a recliner, basking in the sun.

How can this semi-aircraft carrier complete its subsequent conversion into an aircraft carrier?

Information about shipyards in South and Southeast Asia flashed through his mind.

The Mumbai dry docks, controlled by the British Indian Navy, are India's only dry dock complex capable of converting large merchant ships and auxiliary warships. They possess large dry docks, heavy cranes, and complete military industrial workshops.

However, due to the naval battles in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, this shipyard is currently converting cargo ships and passenger ships into armed merchant ships and anti-submarine patrol vessels in large numbers, making it impossible for it to allocate production capacity to convert semi-aircraft carriers for itself.

The Kolkata shipyard can only carry out repairs and simple armament modifications on small and medium-sized merchant ships. It lacks large dry docks and heavy equipment, and therefore cannot support aircraft carrier-level modifications.

Keppel Shipyard in Singapore specializes in the repair and construction of large merchant ships. However, it lacks dry docks and heavy military equipment, and can only assist in the dismantling of superstructures. It cannot independently complete aircraft carrier conversions.

The Cilazza shipyard in Jakarta has not yet completed the construction of its 8000-ton floating dock.

Colombo's Trincomalee Naval Base lacks a large dry dock and can only perform minor modifications and temporary maintenance on ships smaller than cruisers, making it unsuitable for aircraft carrier-level projects.

In the entire South Asia region, the only place capable of converting a semi-aircraft carrier is the Sembawang Naval Base in Singapore.

There is the George VI Dry Dock: 304 meters long and 39 meters wide, it was the world's largest dry dock at that time, capable of accommodating ships of up to 3 tons.

The No. 9 floating dry dock also has a lifting capacity of 5 tons, making it the third largest floating dry dock in the world.

In addition, it is equipped with a 100-ton floating crane and a complete military industrial workshop, possessing the hardware conditions for the entire process of aircraft carrier conversion.

These things were in accordance with the British Navy's pre-war plans.

In an emergency, a 2-ton passenger ship (such as the Queen-class) can be converted into an escort carrier within 3–6 months, with a 170–180-meter flight deck, a single-level hangar, and simple arresting gear.

However, the British Far East Navy regarded the area as a treasure, and despite making numerous requests to the high command of the Far East Fleet through naval connections, no agreement was reached.

Is there no way to get the British to loosen their restrictions?

Fang Wen had a headache. Such a good dock, if it wasn't used now, it might be occupied by the Japanese in the future, and then there would be no way to renovate it.

At this moment, Gong Xiuneng climbed up to the upper deck from below with a walkie-talkie in hand.

"General Manager, there's news from the island."

Fang Wen sat up and took the walkie-talkie: "This is Fang Wen, reporting your situation."

A voice came through the walkie-talkie: "General Manager, we've met the Weng Qi people on the island. Those little guys are very timid and we can't get close for now."

Fang Wen said into the walkie-talkie, "Be gentle in your attitude, try to let the translator communicate with them, and report back immediately when there is progress."

The call ended, and what followed was a tedious waiting period.

Half an hour later, the walkie-talkie's call warning light came on.

Fang Wen picked up the phone and answered.

A voice came from inside: "General Manager, the translator has successfully communicated with them, and we are preparing to send someone to make contact."

The locals seemed easy to talk to, so Fang Wen decided to go to the island and talk to their chief.

He then took a speedboat to the island.

Ten minutes later, the speedboat ran aground in the shallow water. Fang Wen jumped off the boat and went ashore with Gong Xiuneng.

The leader of the advance team was waiting for him on the beach.

After stepping onto the beach, Fang Wen asked directly, "How many people are in their tribe? Has their chieftain arrived?"

The advance team leader replied, "The Wengqi people have no king or clan chief; everything is decided by the elders. Land is divided according to the mother's bloodline. After marriage, the couple lives in the woman's house first, and after having children, they move to the man's house."

"A matriarchal society?" Fang Wen asked.

"No, not really. The women are in charge of gathering, basket weaving, and childcare, while the men fish and make bows and arrows. Both sides have the final say. It's neither matriarchal nor patriarchal," the advance team leader replied.

Fang Wen didn't discuss his somewhat peculiar lifestyle in detail, but instead had the advance team leader take him to meet the locals.

Upon entering the jungle, Gong Xiuneng became extremely vigilant, fearing that the natives might attack Fang Wen.

After walking for ten minutes, we arrived at a simple residential area.

A small house made of wood and rattan, with about a dozen figures standing sparsely outside.

They were all unusually short, with adult men only about 1.45 meters tall and women even more petite, with deep chocolate brown skin and tight, curly hair that lay close to their scalps.

They were almost completely naked, with only a small piece of rough bark cloth wrapped around their waists, simple seashell necklaces around their necks, and sharpened bamboo spears and wooden staffs in their hands.

He looked like a primitive man.

The faces of these strange old men were full of fear of the unfamiliar, but they did not roar or attack; their eyes were just full of unease.

As Fang Wen and his group tried to approach, they all retreated.

Fang Wen quickly stopped him: "Don't go over there."

Even when Fang Wen and his group stopped and made no move to approach, they remained tense, their small bodies trembling slightly. Clearly, they had never seen outsiders before and were extremely resistant to outsiders entering their territory.

Fang Wen said to the translator in English, "Tell them that we have no ill intentions, we just want to build a factory on the island."

The translation is: "They don't understand what a factory is."

Fang Wen thought for a moment and said, "Then tell them that we are preparing to settle on the island. In exchange, we will provide them with food, jobs, and help them build new homes."

The translator shook his head: "They don't need these. You can be more direct and trade them for fish and meat; they lack these."

Is it really that simple? The freezers at the Yangon meat processing plant have a lot of beef and mutton carcasses, and that small portion is enough to meet the needs of fewer than 200 people on this small island.

Fang Wendao said, "That's no problem. Tell them they can exchange beef and mutton."

He then instructed his entourage to put down the earthenware pots, coarse cloth, and salt blocks they were carrying, and then slowly backed away.

One of the translators went to negotiate with the local indigenous people. (End of Chapter)