1905: Beer Hall Speaker

Page 146

"Because this matter involves classified information, if you agree to participate and fully commit to it, you must resign from your position in the company. The military will not interfere with or touch your shares and company profits; they are your private property."

"But from now on you will have to accept the military's appointment and become a soldier, with orders and obedience as your priority."

"Please understand that the military needs a full-time, not part-time, person. Many things involve top-secret military matters, and there are even some things that I have no right to know or access."

Feng Ruyi still didn't hesitate: "No problem, I don't care if I have to give up my shares and the company. As long as I can fly higher, faster and farther, it doesn't matter where I go."

"Perhaps you don't understand, but this is what I pursue. I'm not interested in money or power. I'm only motivated by the blue sky above me. Nobody knows what's up there or how high it is, but I want to be the first to do it."

After listening, Liu Ting immediately corrected him, saying, "Mr. Feng, if you agree, you will not be an ordinary soldier, or even an ordinary officer, but a professional technical officer at least at the colonel level, or even a commander."

We don't need you to risk your life flying; you need to train more pilots who can fly and guide the manufacture of more aircraft that meet the military's requirements.

"Generally speaking, you are in a management position, not a front-line combat position, which is a requirement of the military."

“We need someone knowledgeable to help create an air force, not a pilot whose life is in danger at any moment.”

Liu Ting now understands that Feng Ru is a typical tech fanatic, the kind of obsessive person who will stop at nothing and pay any price to achieve his goals.

Feng Ruyi still did not refuse: "I can agree to this request, but if it comes to a critical moment, you cannot stop me."

Liu Ting nodded and said, "Alright, if you insist on taking the risk, no one can stop you. To be honest, I'm a little afraid of these flying things. If they break down in the air, no one can fix them."

"Next, officers from the Ministry of National Defense's Personnel Administration will come to examine and register you. The process is not complicated; it's just a formality."

"The Ministry of National Defense will establish a military flight academy in Changsha to recruit and train students sent by the military, mainly focusing on flight skills and ground maintenance skills."

The dean will be a colonel appointed by the Ministry of National Defense; I don't know exactly who, but you'll most likely be the vice dean, specifically in charge of teaching and training.

"The rank is probably starting at major, or maybe even lieutenant colonel. This is not a position that ordinary people can have."

Feng Ru said, "I don't care about status or rank. As long as I can get things done, that's enough."

Liu Ting corrected him, "Once you become a formal soldier, you shouldn't say things like that anymore. I was also a civilian who transferred to the Ministry of National Defense. At first, I didn't care about military rank, but now I regret it."

"If you have one less star on your shoulder, you will have to be more cautious in your actions. Military rank represents the country's recognition of you, so don't take it lightly."

“Sometimes officers have it easier than civilians, especially in certain special circumstances. Officers have immunity; we are only subject to orders from the Ministry of National Defense and the Supreme Executive Council, and we are only subject to trials by military courts.”

“In some places, even the government, let alone businesses, wouldn’t dare to do these things, but our military would. As long as you can achieve results, there are plenty of people above you who will take the blame for you.”

The two walked and talked, and when they reached the end of the runway, the ground staff of Lingfei Airlines had already completed the final checks and preparations for the aircraft.

The company's top test pilot, wearing a leather cap and goggles, and dressed in a thick flight suit in the sweltering summer heat, sat down in the cockpit, drenched in sweat.

This was the 22nd test flight of this type of aircraft. Normally, one test flight is far from enough for an aircraft; many more are required before it is finally finalized.

It's normal to keep making changes while flying, eventually transforming the original model so much that no one can recognize it.

Under the guidance of ground crew, the pilot completed a check of the aircraft's operating system. After confirming that everything was in order, the pilot started the engine. Once all the procedures were completed, the aircraft began to move slowly forward.

After flying straight out for only a little over a hundred meters, the aircraft's landing gear tires left the ground, and the aircraft began to slowly lift off the ground, gaining more and more altitude and speed, until it finally became a small black dot in the sky.

Everyone on the ground was watching the plane's condition in the sky. Fortunately, the test pilot was very experienced and kept maneuvering the plane to turn, climb, and descend. He even took a huge risk and made a small-angle dive, which made everyone on the ground hold their breath.

Looking at the nimble airplane in the sky, Liu Ting remarked, "This thing is indeed much more agile and faster than an airship. No wonder the higher-ups attach so much importance to it."

"If we mounted a few machine guns on this, wouldn't it be able to mow down the people on the ground?"

Feng Ru explained, "This still needs further verification. There is still a lot of room for improvement in the current aircraft structure and power system."

"If the military needs it, we can also carry out targeted modifications or even enhancements."

Seeing that there were no other people around, Liu Ting lowered his voice and said to Feng Ru, "The Ministry of National Defense has secretly received some design sketches and some specific design requirements."

"You will come into contact with them gradually in the future. The military needs two types of aircraft. One type is extremely agile and only needs to be equipped with machine guns."

"Another type is an aircraft that doesn't need to be too flexible, but must have as much payload as possible, such as one that can take off with bombs."

"Both types of aircraft are divided into Army and Navy versions, with no special requirements for the Army version."

"However, naval models must have the shortest possible takeoff distance and cannot be too large. For example, the Wanhu 1911 we are talking about today has wings that are too long, almost ten meters long. The army can accept that, but the navy cannot."

"It's the same at the military flight academy. Both the army and navy send students to train and study, but the army goes to army classes and the navy goes to navy classes."

"The aircraft and pilots required for the two branches of the armed forces are vastly different. The Ministry of National Defense will issue you a document with specific requirements later."

"The Ministry of National Defense will only make the requests. How to conduct the training and how to teach is your responsibility. The military will provide whatever you need."

"Like now, planes are taking off on the grass. This means the conditions aren't right. The military can build you a concrete runway directly."

After listening, Feng Ru was immediately surprised by the Ministry of National Defense's idea. As a leading expert in the field, he was only thinking about flying the new product, the airplane, and flying it farther and faster.

But the military had already figured out the specific uses: the machine gun-equipped planes would either dive down to sweep people or shoot down other countries' planes in the sky.

As for larger aircraft with greater carrying capacity, they would probably be the kind that drop bombs from the sky to bomb people. He had never even considered this method, but the generals in the Ministry of National Defense who had never seen an airplane before had already decided on its purpose. It really shows that there are always people more capable than you.

"Who came up with these ideas? Can you tell me? My intuition tells me that this person is a genius, and his understanding of the aviation field far surpasses mine!" Feng Ru was eager to meet that genius; he must have even more ideas.

Lieutenant Colonel Liu Ting shook his head: "I'm sorry, this is a top secret of the Ministry of National Defense. I don't know who it is, but I know that you must not inquire about it, or the consequences will be dire."

The test flight ended quickly, and the plane landed successfully on the runway. Everyone cheered and celebrated.

Lieutenant Colonel Liu Ting silently drove away from the scene, while Feng Ru seemed preoccupied, lost in thought.

Chapter 242 Continuing the Business Trip

"Hello, this is Liu Ting!"

"I am Dai Mingde!"

"Sir, what's the matter? Why are you calling me in such a hurry?"

Where are you now, you little brat?

"In Guangzhou, we are in contact with Lingfei Airlines."

"The negotiations are almost complete, so put them aside for now. The people from the Ministry of Personnel have already gone there. Now you need to go to the Shanghai Songjiang Naval Design Bureau, because things there are more urgent."

"Huh? Wasn't it said that I could go back to Beijing for vacation this month? Why are there endless business trips?"

"You can refuse, but your name won't be on the promotion list next month!"

"Yes, sir! I will do my utmost."

"Stop talking nonsense and get going!"

Inside the Guangzhou Telephone Company's business hall, Lieutenant Colonel Liu Ting, holding the microphone, looked bitter. He had been hoping to return to Beijing for a couple of days of rest this month, but that plan fell through again.

He knew that a phone call was never good news. After hanging up, Liu Ting went to the counter to pay. It was a simple call that only lasted a minute or two.

The sales clerk wanted to charge him 1.5 yuan, and Lieutenant Colonel Liu Ting cursed incessantly, but the sales clerk was justified, saying that long-distance calls from the capital cost at least 70 cents per minute.

The telecommunications industry is developing rapidly in the Republic, and telephone companies are springing up like mushrooms after rain. Most wealthy households have installed telephones, but currently long-distance calling services are only available in the business halls of telecommunications companies, and private home telephones do not yet have this function.

Moreover, the operating costs are very high, so the fees are naturally exorbitantly expensive.

After leaving the business hall, Lieutenant Colonel Liu Ting put away his wallet and headed to the train station with his orderly, Wang Xiaoman.

Now there are direct trains from Guangzhou to Wuhan, but only to Wuchang, because the Yangtze River Bridge is not yet completed. After hailing a rickshaw, Liu Ting drove straight to the train station.

"Sir, where are we going again?" Orderly soldier Wang Xiaoman, carrying a pistol and a briefcase, asked with a curious expression.

"Going to Shanghai, it's another business trip!" Liu Ting said irritably.

"Why are we always on business trips? You're a high-ranking official, how come you don't even have an office?" Wang Xiaoman felt indignant on behalf of her superior.

"Stop talking nonsense and get to work!" Liu Ting was also in a bad mood.

As the director of the Technical Equipment Bureau, he was either on a business trip or on his way to one every day. He never sat in the Joint Logistics Department's office. Whenever it came to matters concerning new military equipment, he had to go and see for himself.

After Wang Xiaoman became his orderly, he only stayed in the recruit camp for three months, and then he was constantly running around all over the country.

After arriving at the train station, Wang Xiaoman skillfully went to buy tickets from scalpers. Because the journey was long, Lieutenant Colonel Liu Ting gritted his teeth and told him to buy two sleeper tickets. Wang Xiaoman didn't go to the ticket hall but went straight to the scalpers. His practiced approach was heartbreaking.

The economy is developing and people are moving around more frequently, but the limited infrastructure is not keeping up. The main railway artery of the Republic has only completed the Beijing-Guangzhou line, the Beijing-Shanghai line is only more than half completed, the Longhai line is still under construction in sections, and other railway lines are still under construction.

The most crucial transportation artery connecting north and south was the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway. This railway carried a transport volume far exceeding its designed capacity. Fortunately, the Republican government was willing to invest money to upgrade the railway to a double-track line; otherwise, it would be paralyzed by congestion now.

Sleeper tickets on the Beijing-Guangzhou line are the hardest to buy. There are quite a few people who have the money and need to buy sleeper tickets, and no one wants to be crammed into a sardine can with other people in an ordinary carriage.

In principle, the profit from a single sleeper ticket can be equivalent to that of several hard-seat tickets. In fact, state-owned railway companies would make even more money if they converted all their trains into sleeper berths.

Unfortunately, the central government controls the policy, and it doesn't allow railway companies to operate this way. Sleeper tickets are strictly limited to less than 10% and are very expensive.

A regular hard seat ticket costs only two cents per 100 kilometers, but a sleeper ticket costs two yuan per 100 kilometers. This is a typical example of using the money of the rich to subsidize the travel of the poor.

The central government needs to mobilize the labor force across the country as much as possible and direct it to where it is needed. State-owned railway companies are one of the main implementers of this policy.

The railway company is one of the very few enterprises in the Republic that is clearly a monopolistic elite but does not make money. The core function assigned to it by the central government is to serve the people's livelihood rather than to make a profit. The railway company does not have much performance pressure, as long as it does not lose money.

The country is now vigorously promoting the development of the automobile industry and has begun to purchase large passenger vehicles to develop highway passenger transport, which is also to alleviate the pressure on the railway.

Cars are too expensive. It's unrealistic to expect ordinary people to drive to work. Even the average middle class can hardly afford a car, let alone ordinary people.

But highways are being repaired at breakneck speed everywhere. It wouldn't do if the roads were repaired but no cars came.

The central government is now heavily subsidizing the automotive industry, especially passenger and freight vehicles, to stimulate the speed and efficiency of the flow of people and goods within the country.

"Tickets bought, sir!"

"Tickets for 11:30 AM, direct train to Wuchang, sleeper tickets, two for 25 yuan!"

"Hiss~" Liu Ting gasped after hearing this. This was almost half of his monthly salary. His monthly salary, including his rank salary and job allowance, came to a total of 67 yuan. Two sleeper tickets would cost him 35 yuan.

Fortunately, the government is more financially well-off now, and travel allowances are not as stingy as before, but you still have to pay out of your own pocket to subsidize some of the cost of a sleeper berth.

"Are the scalpers in Guangzhou really this outrageous? They even dare to rip off soldiers?" Liu Tingdu began to suspect that Wang Xiaoman was lining his own pockets.

“Sir, this is the price. The first national martial arts competition was recently held in Wuhan, and tourists and contestants from all over the country are flocking there. If I hadn’t brought my pistol with me, even scalpers probably wouldn’t have sold it!” Wang Xiaoman explained.

"Alright, hurry up and wait for the bus!"

The two took their luggage and went straight into the waiting hall. It was already 10 o'clock, and when they arrived at the waiting hall, there was already a long queue of people waiting to have their tickets checked.

Military personnel do not receive ticket discounts, but they can use a special lane to board the train directly without even needing to go through security checks, because military personnel are legally allowed to carry weapons on public transportation.

Ordinary people must go through security checks, and they must be checked before entering the waiting hall.

There was an incident on the train before where someone armed with a submachine gun infiltrated the carriage to rob it, resulting in the deaths of four passengers and serious injuries to seven others. The police shot and killed four of the robbers.

Since then, security checks have been implemented at train stations across the country, and armed police officers have been deployed on trains.

However, military personnel still enjoy exemption from inspection. Lieutenant Colonel Liu Ting and Wang Xiaoman boarded the train directly through the fast lane, while other passengers who purchased sleeper tickets or first-class seats could also board the train through the convenient lane.

The remaining large number of ordinary passengers had to queue to have their tickets checked and board the train. They were checked one by one and then let in. On the way to the platform, ordinary passengers carrying large bags and small bags of luggage were rushing to get on. If you were fast, you could get a seat. If you were slow, you couldn't even get a seat at the connecting area between the carriages.

Nowadays, train tickets don't have real-name registration or seat numbers. It's all about skill. Only those with ability can find a place for their luggage and their buttocks, while those without ability don't even have a place to sit and can only stand in the aisle as punishment.

Every train is severely overloaded these days. There's no such thing as an off-season; the only concepts are overcrowding and overload. Normally, it's packed with people, but during the Spring Festival travel rush, trains even have people hanging on their legs to keep their tickets in place.

Even wealthy people don't have a great travel experience. Although sleeper berths are expensive, the experience is terrible. After Liu Ting and Wang Xiaoman squeezed into the carriage to wait for the train, they found that they couldn't even lie down in the sleeper berth!

The sleeper car has two lower berths facing each other, but there is no place for you to lie down, only to sit. Three people have to squeeze onto one bed.

Fortunately, at the very least, you're guaranteed a place to put your butt and your luggage. If you're lucky, someone might get off midway, and you might even be able to lie down and take a nap.

As a superior, Lieutenant Colonel Liu Ting naturally sat in a good spot by the window on the lower bunk, while Wang Xiaoman sat near the national highway. In the middle and opposite seats sat four young girls, which made Liu Ting and Wang Xiaoman breathe a sigh of relief. On a long journey, it was better to be squeezed with pretty girls than with burly men picking their feet.

The flight attendants noticed the two men's military status and the weapons they were carrying, which is why they arranged for four young women to sit here.

The security situation on the train can only be described as stable, not good. Various cases still occur frequently, and the train attendants feel that they are safe around the soldiers.

The image of soldiers in the People's Republic of China may not be considered particularly good, but at least they are not considered bad people. Just by looking at their smart woolen uniforms and peaked caps, it is difficult for you to have any ill feelings towards a soldier of the National Defense Force.

After taking their seats, Lieutenant Colonel Liu Ting remained silent, looking at the documents alone, while Wang Xiaoman sat on the side of the aisle, keeping watch.

Lieutenant Colonel Liu Ting was carrying some classified documents, which were hidden deep inside his briefcase. Losing his wallet wouldn't be a big deal, but losing these documents would be a serious matter.

Liu Ting and Wang Xiaoman could only take turns sleeping, and the one who was awake at any time had to keep the briefcase.

The four young women in the compartment were so intimidated by the two serious-looking soldiers that they dared not speak. Although the interior space was spacious, the atmosphere was somber.

The image of soldiers in the National Defense Force is neither bad nor good in the eyes of the people. The soldiers of the Republic have never been the private soldiers, but rather fierce war machines. Technical officers like Lieutenant Colonel Liu Ting are considered relatively good; the front-line soldiers are the most frightening.

Liu Ting didn't care about anything and kept flipping through the information sent by the telegram, which contained details of his mission to Shanghai.

But a man is most handsome when he is most serious, especially a man in military uniform looking out the window with a serious expression.

The four young women were also attracted by Liu Ting's temperament. Liu Ting was a graduate of MIT and had a natural scholarly air about him. Coupled with his military experience, he was truly a man of both literary and martial talents.

Half an hour after the train departed, the girls' eyes were fixed on Liu Ting, scrutinizing him. In the end, Liu Ting had no choice but to put away the documents and look out the window. After all, he didn't dare to take the risk of having so many eyes watching his internal documents.

"Sir, would you like an apple?" A bold oval-faced girl took out an apple she was carrying and handed it to Liu Ting and Wang Xiaoman. She was sandwiched between the two and felt that it would be too unbearable not to do something.

Wang Xiaoman, being very outgoing, readily accepted the apples, randomly picked one, took a bite, and finding it fine, handed the other one to Liu Ting.

Liu Ting didn't refuse and accepted the apple. He also took out some compressed biscuits and chocolate milk candies from his bag and shared them with the girls.