Chapter 525: Republic of China: Starting from the First Class of Whampoa Chapter 535 The Smuggling Route

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

The wheels of the C47 Transport Aircraft scraped a wisp of white smoke on the smooth runway of Changshui Airport, then slowed down and taxied steadily.

Major Miller looked out through the cockpit porthole, and the whole person was stunned.

The smooth runway stretched endlessly; the ground crew on both sides wore neat uniforms, holding signal flags, moving precisely and efficiently.

On the apron not far away, the Youth Army's fighter planes reflected a metallic luster.

This was far stronger than the Price Levels'ba Airport controlled by the Central Government.

After the plane stopped steadily, the cabin door opened.

Lv Muzhi had already brought Xie Jinyuan to welcome him.

Major Miller stepped down the gangway feeling favored and surprised; he had not expected such a high-ranking official to be waiting here.

"Major, welcome to the Youth Army's Changshui Airport. You've had a hard journey. I am the Central Commanding General of the Youth Army, Lv Muzhi." Lv Muzhi spoke, in standard English.

Major Miller was shocked for the second time; the Lv Muzhi before him had an extraordinary bearing—this was a Confucian general!

"Lu Commander, I am Major Miller of the US Army Air Corps. I must say, your fighter planes saved my comrades' and my life."

"Over the skies of Myitkyina, without those few BF109s, we would already be wreckage."

Lv Muzhi laughed heartily and patted his shoulder.

"We are Allied Forces; why distinguish between you and me? Just like the supplies you escort, no matter where the supplies are delivered, as long as they are transported to Kunming, whether landing at Changshui Airport or Price Levels'ba Airport, it's all the same."

Upon hearing this, Major Miller felt some misgivings, wondering if he had landed at the wrong airport and whether he would be held accountable.

Lv Muzhi continued: "I have already called General Stilwell. From now on, the Youth Army will participate in the escort of all Hump Route flights."

"The Youth Army's Air Corps will be your aerial protective umbrella."

Major Miller felt much more relieved; the Japanese Army's omnipresent Type 1 Fighters were a major headache for him.

Lv Muzhi raised his hand to look at his watch: "My people have already prepared meals and the Rest Room."

"The crew members can have a full meal, then go to the Rest Room to take a shower, and finally sleep for a while."

Major Miller's eyes grew slightly moist: "General Lu, you are truly thoughtful! I dare say, all the young fellows on the Hump Route will love this place."

He led the crew members happily toward the Rest Room not far away, and his favorability toward the Youth Army was directly maxed out.

Lv Muzhi watched their departing figures, just about to order someone to unload the cargo from the plane.

Xie Jinyuan quickly walked over and whispered: "Lu Commander, Song Zhiwen has arrived."

Lv Muzhi could only temporarily suspend unloading the cargo and go deal with Song Zhiwen: "What a buzzkill, let him in. Song Zhiwen came fast enough."

Not long after, Song Zhiwen's automobile drove into the airport, and not a few high officials from the Central Government also came by automobile to back Song Zhiwen.

Song Zhiwen's complexion was stern, his tie even slightly askew; it looked like the visitor came with ill intent.

"What do you mean?!"

Song Zhiwen pointed at the transport aircraft on the runway: "These are Lend-Lease Materials from the Central Government; are you robbing them?"

The ten-plus officials behind Song Zhiwen also looked as if facing a formidable enemy, staring at Lv Muzhi without speaking.

Lv Muzhi said unhurriedly: "Minister Song, a few hours ago, over the skies of Myitkyina, these transport aircraft were intercepted by Japanese Army fighters, and it was my aviation soldiers who rescued them."

"As for why they landed at Changshui... you can go ask Major Miller, the commander of the transport aircraft formation, yourself."

Song Zhiwen, unwilling to believe, led people rushing into the Rest Room, and just bumped into Miller eating fried eggs and slicing smoked meat.

"Major Miller! Why didn't you land at Price Levels'ba according to the scheduled route?!" Song Zhiwen questioned him in English.

Miller swallowed the fried egg in his mouth, thinking this was bad trouble; trouble had come knocking.

Lv Muzhi stepped forward to comfort him: "It's nothing; just answer truthfully."

Major Miller thought for a moment and replied: "Minister Song, the Youth Army's fighter planes saved us."

"We thought this was the true destination... yes, that's right."

Major Miller shrugged: "If something goes wrong, I think you are all in it together; what difference does it make whether the goods are handed to General Lu or to you?"

Song Zhiwen was blocked and could not speak for a long time; he certainly could not say that he and Lv Muzhi were not in it together, could he?

Song Zhiwen walked back in front of Lv Muzhi and said: "Wei Yue, I know what you mean."

"Once these things are at your airport, I can't forcibly take them away, but you must reason, right? The Central Government also has a share in these supplies; how do you think they should be distributed to satisfy you?"

Lv Muzhi laughed helplessly: "The Central Government relied on some Expeditionary Force officers who retreated into India to grab everything and gain priority on the Hump Route."

"During this period when I was doing disaster relief in Henan, all the Hump Route supplies went into your pockets; why didn't you distribute some to me then?"

"Like this: unload the cargo first, let's sit down and talk; we must inspect the goods anyway, and then distribute them slowly afterward."

Lv Muzhi waved his hand, and the Youth Army soldiers who had long been on standby immediately stepped forward.

The rear cargo doors of twelve C47 Transport Aircraft slowly lowered.

According to the customs declaration, this batch of supplies was mainly aviation kerosene and automobile fuel to support the Chinese Air Force.

The soldiers rolled the oil drums down the slope.

Lv Muzhi had people set up two huge sun umbrellas beside the apron and place several rattan chairs.

"Minister Song, please; let's take a slow look."

The two sat under the umbrellas, seemingly calmly tasting tea, but their eyes were both fixed tightly on the unloaded supplies.

Song Zhiwen's thoughts raced; he knew in his heart that Lv Muzhi was not just after this batch of supplies, but wanted to discuss the distribution rights of all supplies passing through the Hump Route in the future.

After a good while, Xie Jinyuan walked over, his complexion somewhat strange.

"Lu Commander, there's a situation." Xie Jinyuan pointed at one of the aircraft and said.

Several Youth Army soldiers carried four heavy wooden crates over and set them down on the open ground in front of the plane.

Lv Muzhi put down his tea cup, brows furrowing slightly: "This trip isn't hauling fuel? Why are there wooden crates too?"

Song Zhiwen's gaze flickered: "Perhaps it's other important supplies."

Lv Muzhi let out a cold sneer: "I don't know how important they are, I only know these big wooden crates aren't on the customs declaration."

The Youth Army soldiers violently pried open the lid of the first crate.

Inside were densely packed white medicine boxes, all of them miracle drugs priced above gold on the black market.

Song Zhiwen relaxed: "You see, it's medicine, urgently needed by the army."

"As for why it's not on the customs declaration, I imagine it was an oversight?"

Lv Muzhi glanced at that crate of medicine: "Makes some sense... it's just that the quantity of medicine is too small."

"Open the second one!"

The soldiers used crowbars to pry open the second large wooden crate.

Sunlight shone directly into the crate, refracting a burst of dazzling brilliance.

Inside was not military supplies at all, but a large amount of jewelry.

Lv Muzhi stood up, pushed aside a silk bag with his hand, inside was a diamond necklace.

"Minister Song, this is also needed by the frontline officers and soldiers?"

"Or are our soldiers now supposed to charge into battle wearing pearl necklaces?"

Song Zhiwen's face instantly turned from red to white, he looked somewhat puzzled, and at the same time extremely angry.

"This... this is impossible! Wei Yue, this wouldn't be something you put in there, would it?"

Lv Muzhi ignored his explanation.

The third crate opened, a rich fragrance rushed over.

Bottles of exquisitely packaged perfume, neatly stacked, with large bundles of silk stockings stuffed in between.

There were even two boxes of extremely expensive cigars, gold lettering printed on the wrapping paper.

The Central Plains was stricken by famine, several million lives hung by a thread.

Yet on the Hump Route, Central Government officials smuggled large quantities of luxury goods.

Lv Muzhi slowly turned around, looking toward those officials accompanying Song Zhiwen.

Those bureaucrats, at this moment some had mouths agape in shock, others pale-faced, trembling all over.

Lv Muzhi picked up a necklace, shook it in front of Song Zhiwen.

"Minister Song, the front is tight, the rear eats tight!"

"It seems certain officials have extremely developed business minds, actually thinking to use the Hump Route for smuggling."

Song Zhiwen's face flushed red and white: "I truly didn't know."

"You know me, a few crates of supplies, petty profit, I, Song, still look down on it!"

Lv Muzhi smiled, tossed the necklace back into the crate: "You look down on it? I'm afraid the officials below the Central Government all think this is a big business deal, right?"

He turned his head to look at Major Miller, who stood to the side with an embarrassed expression.

"Major Miller, when did your C47 transport aircraft become a smuggling skytrain?"

Major Miller's brows locked tight, he likewise felt a wave of humiliation, and immediately summoned that plane's pilot.

That US Army pilot's gaze darted evasively.

"Speak, what's the deal with these crates?" Major Miller interrogated.

The pilot hung his head: "At takeoff in India, someone loaded them onto the plane."

"They gave me some benefits, said I just fly, once we reach Kunming naturally someone will come receive the goods."

"Who is the receiver?" Lv Muzhi pressed immediately with a follow-up question.

The pilot raised his head, glanced at that group of officials behind Song Zhiwen, then quickly lowered it again, the meaning self-evident.

These National Government officials with gleaming leather shoes all turned their heads away as if nothing had happened, avoiding eye contact.

Lv Muzhi let out a scornful laugh: "The smuggling scale is still small now, just a trial start. If this trend isn't suppressed, later this route will truly become a smuggling route."

Song Zhiwen at this moment wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

He might look down on the profit from smuggling these goods, but he also had the idea of using the Hump Route to transport personal items.

Plus this matter being publicly exposed, Song Zhiwen was extremely embarrassed: "I will investigate clearly afterwards!"

"Investigate clearly? No need to wait for later, right now." Lv Muzhi pointed at the group behind Song Zhiwen and said loudly:

"Commander Wang, you really hold the post of Kunming Air Defense Commander at leisure, able to oversee even this kind of business?"

The named Commander Wang's body shuddered, he was personally appointed by the Central Government as Kunming Air Defense Commander, responsible for coordinating Hump Route materiel transport.

The other Central Government officials avoided him like the plague, all hiding behind Commander Wang, drawing a clear line between themselves and him.

"What trading company? I... I really don't know."

Lv Muzhi no longer paid him any mind, instead directly turning to question that US Army pilot.

"Tell me, who made you smuggle these cigars and jewelry?"

The pilot hesitated a moment: "Recently on the India side a Yuanxi Trading Company was established, opened by a Xia Guo person."

"These goods were also placed on my plane by Yuanxi Trading Company, they said Kunming Air Defense Command would come receive the goods."

Major Miller flew into a rage upon hearing this, pointing at that pilot and cursing: "I am ashamed for you!"

Lv Muzhi stared at the trembling Commander Wang, said: "Yuanxi Trading Company was opened by you in India under your nephew's name, specifically for smuggling goods to Xia Guo, the transport used being the US Army transport aircraft of the Hump Route, am I wrong?"

Song Zhiwen at this point how could he not understand, this bunch had already done business up to the sky.

They actually even opened a company in India, truly audacious, extremely arrogant.

He shouted angrily at those behind him: "Bastards! Seize this Wang... seize Commander Wang for me!"

An embarrassing scene occurred.

Although Song Zhiwen held the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs and wielded certain economic power, he seemed to have no authority to act against the Kunming Air Defense Commander of the military system.

At Changshui Airport, filled with Youth Army troops, his order fell flat — not a single armed soldier stepped forward to act.

Lv Muzhi let out a laugh, breaking the awkward silence.

"Let me handle it. Men, take him away!"

Two fully armed Youth Army soldiers, submachine guns slung across their chests, strode forward, hauled Commander Wang to his feet, and dragged him off directly.

Song Zhiwen watched the Air Defense Commander being taken away — a Central Government appointee personally placed in Kunming by the old man — and in the end could only heave a dejected sigh.

"Wei Yue, the man's been taken away, so what about this batch of supplies..."

"This batch of supplies will stay at Changshui Airport for now; I'll send men to safeguard it properly." Lv Muzhi said it as a matter of course.

Song Zhiwen wouldn't let it go; he walked quickly to Lv Muzhi's side and whispered, "What exactly are you trying to do?"

Lv Muzhi's expression was calm: "This is what the old man owes me."

"Without me, his Du Yuming and the Fifth Army — if not wiped out entirely — would have suffered at least fifty percent casualties."

"This batch of fuel is far from enough; more will have to be added later."

Song Zhiwen looked into Lv Muzhi's eyes and knew this time he was thoroughly done for; Lv Muzhi would certainly seize on the smuggling incident to make an issue of it.

——————

Before long, news that Central Government officials were using the Hump Route to smuggle luxury goods appeared on General Stilwell's desk.

The US high command was furious; they had already grumbled about the Hump Route's airlift costs, and this time they were infuriated by the National Government's corruption.

At this point Lv Muzhi pledged to dispatch Youth Army fighters to escort US transport planes, and the Americans swiftly adjusted their strategy.

Under General Stilwell's strong demand and at the behest of the US high command, management authority over the Hump Route began tilting toward the Youth Army.

Large quantities of aid-to-China materiel were required to transit and be distributed preferentially through Youth Army airfields, which in effect stripped the Central Government of a large measure of control.

Simultaneously, to advance the Southeast Asia counteroffensive plan, the Americans formally provided P47D Thunderbolt fighters as Lend-Lease materiel for Lv Muzhi's use.

The first batch of fifty P47D Thunderbolt fighters and accompanying US flight instructors arrived at Lv Muzhi's airfield.

This heavy fighter possessing powerful firepower and sturdy armor became the new favorite of the Youth Army Air Force.

Lashio Airfield in Burma quickly became a forward outpost for the counteroffensive.

Here gathered the most elite air power of Xia Guo at the time — not only a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter battalion was stationed here, but also a mixed fighter battalion composed of Bf 109s and P-40s.

On the ground at Lashio, banners and flags filled the sky.

Two main Xia Guo forces were here: one was Du Yuming's Fifth Army.

The other was an army under the Youth Expeditionary Force led by Xie Jinyuan, designated the Youth Sixth Army, abbreviated as the Sixth Youth Army.

In Lashio alone, Xia Guo had deployed two armies totaling over one hundred thousand troops.

In the Myitkyina region, the old man's Sixth Army was also present.

In the direction of India, the British were also preparing for battle.

It could be said that the Japanese Army Southern Army in the Burma region faced immense pressure; in the Thailand direction there were also Zhongnan State troops, and the US Army was poised restlessly in the Pacific.

Southern Army Commander-in-Chief General Terauchi Hisaichi spent his days in Thailand in constant anxiety.

In early July, General Stilwell, accompanied by Lv Muzhi, arrived at Lashio Camp to inspect the combat readiness of the various units.

He first gave a cursory look at Du Yuming's Fifth Army, as a gesture of respect for the old man and Central authority.

Afterwards, the party proceeded to the defense zone of Xie Jinyuan's Sixth Youth Army.

Seeing the neatly parked vehicles outside the barracks and the well-trained soldiers, Stilwell nodded repeatedly, exclaiming continuously.

"Lv, you always manage to surprise me. Your soldiers are the most elite Xia Guo soldiers I've ever seen."

Lv Muzhi smiled faintly and led him to the armored troops camp for a tour.

"General Stilwell, this is the T26 light tank, which the Soviet Union aided to the Youth Army back then."

"That one is our domestically produced 38T light tank."

Stilwell halted, well pleased: "The Youth Army is generous indeed; the old man hides the Fifth Army's tanks in the rear, afraid they'll be consumed in Burma."

Lv Muzhi smiled slightly and took up the thread: "I want to win the war, so naturally I'm willing to commit equipment."

"In fact, besides these, we've also committed some newer big pieces."

Lv Muzhi signaled to Xie Jinyuan, who immediately understood and issued an order to the row of tanks ahead.

"Pull back the tarps!"

As the soldiers moved in perfect unison, the heavy military tarpaulins were lifted.

Six Sherman M4 medium tanks — tall-hulled, smoothly contoured, brimming with power — appeared before everyone.

Their stout 75mm guns pointed straight ahead; thick cast armor exuded an intimidating presence.

Stilwell walked up quickly, unable to resist reaching out to touch the thick tracks.

"Hans has committed the formidable Tiger Tank on the European battlefield — that is a truly powerful tank; at present no tank can defeat the Tiger Tank head-on."

"Fortunately our enemy is the Japanese; on the Pacific Theater, the Sherman is the Tiger of the Pacific!"