Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 816 Annihilating the Bidding Rivals: The Japanese Nuclear Project 'Project Ren'

Seeing that Fang Wen was unwilling to shake hands with the competitor, Parker stepped in to smooth things over: "Since both sides are here, let's start the bidding as soon as possible so that we can give headquarters an answer sooner."

Fang Wen nodded in agreement, raised his right hand and placed it on the belt buckle, gently pressing the hidden button on the belt buckle with his fingertips. With a soft "click", the personal device was activated.

Instantly, his supernatural power activated, and his senses were amplified. He then pretended to whisper with Gong Xiuneng, subtly touching the necklace around his neck, which activated the penetrating ability of the gemstone on the necklace.

Possessing the supernatural ability of X-ray vision, he saw through the black briefcase brought by the Japanese.

The tender document inside the container was clearly visible, with a line of English indicating the Japanese price: $20 per pound, which translates to $44000 per ton.

Fang Wen sneered inwardly. These Japanese people, disguised as Filipino businessmen, were indeed completely ignorant of the market conditions for pitchblende.

Thanks to Taishan Airlines' business intelligence network, he already knew that the latest batch of Hinklobwe pitchblende uranium ore arriving at the port of New York had a landed price of $35 per pound. After deducting ocean freight, customs duties, and confidentiality costs, the actual purchase price would be at least $25 per pound.

This was before the German submarine blockade of the Atlantic.

The Japanese initial offer didn't even cover the cost, clearly indicating their eagerness to secure the ore but lack of sufficient intelligence support.

At this moment, Parker had already taken out two blank sheets of paper and an envelope and placed them on the table: "Gentlemen, as required by headquarters, the bidding will be conducted in a sealed bid format. Write down your respective quotations and purchase quantities on the paper, put them in the envelope, and after I verify them, I will immediately send a report to headquarters for approval."

Fang Wen spoke first, his tone calm yet authoritative: "There's no need for such trouble. Sealed bidding is time-consuming. Why don't we just submit open bids, with the highest bidder winning? It's fair and efficient, and Mr. Parker can report back to headquarters much faster."

Parker looked at the Japanese: "What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Julian and the others' eyes flashed with a hint of smugness.

They believed that the price of $20 per pound was not low. After all, in their understanding, no one would be willing to pay a high price for this "dangerous ore," and they could secure the deal by raising the price slightly.

Julian, who was in the lead, immediately nodded and said in broken English, "I agree to their proposal: open bidding and fair competition."

Seeing this, Parker naturally had no objection and nodded with a smile: "Okay, then let's do it as Mr. Fang said. Both parties will submit their quotations in turn, stating the final purchase price and quantity."

Julian spoke first: "Our Manila Science and Technology Company quotes $20 per pound."

Fang Wen raised his hand: "Taishan Group, offer $25 per pound."

The office fell silent instantly upon hearing this.

Julian and the others' expressions changed drastically, their eyes filled with disbelief. $25 a pound was a full quarter higher than their quoted price.

The first round of bidding put enormous pressure on the Japanese.

They huddled together and talked in hushed tones.

Fang Wen was in a supernatural state, so he could hear the sounds clearly from this distance.

"Did he know our bottom line and then offer such a high price all at once?"

"It's impossible to know, and now is not the time to speculate. We must offer a higher price to secure the deal."

"But the maximum amount of money we carried was only $28 per pound."

"Perhaps 25 is his bottom line, and he's trying to scare us off by quoting a high price all at once."

After some discussion, the Japanese continued to offer their price.

"We'll pay $26 a pound."

Upon hearing the Japanese's bottom line, Fang Wen had no time to play along and immediately announced, "30 US dollars per pound."

This was the price he set. Given the current situation, the importance of this kind of material will be increasingly recognized by various countries, and it is inevitable that they will purchase it at a premium price higher than before.

The Japanese were stunned and stopped bidding.

Parker smiled when he saw Fang Wen quote such a high price, but he did not make a decision immediately. Instead, he said, "The bidding between the two parties is over. This is a matter of great importance. I cannot make a decision on my own. I must immediately send a report to headquarters for instructions so that headquarters can make the final decision."

After saying that, he stood up and warmly invited them to stay: "It's lunchtime now, why don't you two have lunch at the mine's canteen? As for the results, they should be sent back tomorrow."

Without a second thought, Fang Wen shook his head and refused: "No need, Mr. Parker. We have important matters to attend to. Let's return to the temporary dock and wait for your telegram."

Without waiting for Parker to persuade him to stay any longer, Fang Wen turned around and led Gong Xiuneng and the special forces members straight out of the office, quickly leaving the mining area.

After leaving the mining area and retrieving the weapons he had collected, Fang Wen did not leave immediately.

He used his supernatural abilities to penetrate the wall and continue observing the situation inside the mine office.

……

Inside the office, Julian looked around to make sure no one was watching, then pulled a thick wad of US dollars from his pocket and quietly slipped it into Parker's hand: "Mr. Parker, this is a small gift. We hope you can help us secure this batch of ore; there will be a generous reward later."

Parker squeezed the dollar bill in his hand, a greedy smile spreading across his face, but he still shook his head with feigned difficulty: "Mr. Julian, it's not that I don't want to help you, it's just that your offer is too low, it doesn't even reach the headquarters' bottom line. Mr. Fang offered $30 a pound and is willing to buy a large quantity of ore, so the headquarters will most likely choose him."

A ruthless glint flashed in Julian's eyes as he said in a low voice, "Mr. Parker, consider this money as payment for stalling for time. You're helping us delay the deal, and we need to consult with headquarters to raise more cash. We'll definitely offer a higher price and won't let you help us for nothing."

Parker weighed the banknotes in his hand and nodded in agreement: "Okay, I can help you stall for time, but you need to hurry, headquarters is pressing for it."

“Alright, we won’t eat here anymore. We need to go back and report immediately,” Julian said.

Parker immediately had Julian and the others escorted away.

Outside the mining area.

Fang Wen and his men carried bicycles into the rainforest and hid.

A few minutes later, six Japanese men disguised as representatives of a Philippine company emerged from the mining area.

They retrieved their weapons, immediately equipped themselves, formed a defensive formation back to back, and carefully guarded their surroundings.

Clearly, they were also aware that in this desolate African jungle, leaving the protection of the mining area meant they could encounter danger at any time.

"General Manager, shall we make our move? There are only a few of them now, perfect for wiping them out in one fell swoop!" Gong Xiuneng's eyes flashed with murderous intent as he asked in a low voice.

Fang Wen shook his head: "No rush. They came to Africa to buy uranium mines, there can't be only these few people, they must have accomplices. If we act now, we can only deal with the few people in front of us, we can't eliminate them completely."

After carefully scouting the area, the six Japanese men, feeling there was no danger, left via another route.

After they had walked 1000 meters away, Fang Wen left his bicycle behind and quietly followed with his men.

The group followed the Japanese silently through the dense jungle.

Julian and his men remained vigilant throughout, stopping frequently to investigate, and their pace was not fast.

No matter how vigilant they were, they couldn't detect Fang Wen and his group following a kilometer behind.

About an hour later, Julian and his companions emerged from the jungle, and the banks of the Lualaba River suddenly appeared before them.

Unexpectedly, their base was also located on the banks of the Lualaba River, only a few kilometers away from the temporary dock where Fang Wen and his group were staying.

Fang Wen signaled everyone to stop and hide at the edge of the jungle, using the tree trunks as cover to carefully observe the enemy's outpost.

Several tents were set up on the riverbank, and a dozen or so plainclothes Japanese soldiers with weapons were patrolling around them. Not far away on the river, a medium-sized steamer was moored, and soldiers were on duty on the deck. A rough count showed that there were at least 30 people on the ship, far more than the number of people on their side.

Gong Xiuneng looked at the enemy's troop strength, his expression changed slightly, and he lowered his voice: "General Manager, there are too many of them, and they also have a ship. We only have 6 people, and we probably can't win if we charge in head-on."

Fang Wen nodded: "Fighting like this definitely won't work. Let's go back and prepare."

So he led his men back the way they came, went to the hidden bicycles, and returned to the abandoned dock.

When the soldiers who stayed behind saw them return, they immediately came up to greet them and reported on the situation at the dock, which was otherwise normal.

"Everyone, gather together for a combat meeting," Fang Wendao said.

Ten special forces soldiers formed a circle, with Fang Wen in the middle saying, "Our target is at least 30 people, Japanese soldiers disguised as people who came to buy uranium ore. They also have a ship, as well as rifles, machine guns, and other weapons."

As Fang Wen spoke, he drew a map on the ground, marking the situation of the Japanese station.

After finishing the drawing, he used a twig to dot the riverboat: "We only have one-third the number of the enemy, but we have air superiority. My plan is to launch an air strike on this ship, sink it, and cut off the Japanese retreat. Then, the aircraft will coordinate with the ground troops to annihilate the Japanese armed forces stationed on the riverbank."

The soldiers looked at Fang Wen, waiting for his instructions.

Fang Wen thought for a moment and made arrangements.

He piloted the plane, Gong Xiuneng was responsible for dropping bombs, and two soldiers were needed to assist him in the bombing and aerial firepower strikes.

The remaining eight men, carrying individual weapons, quietly approached their outpost, concealed themselves, and awaited my signal. "Understood!" Gong Xiuneng and the soldiers responded loudly.

"Begin preparations," Fang Wen said.

Immediately, the special forces soldiers quickly organized their equipment, checked individual weapons such as rifles and grenades, and ensured that ammunition was fully stocked.

Gong Xiuneng, accompanied by two soldiers who would assist in the bombing, quickly boarded the Huashan 2 seaplane to inspect the onboard bombs and fire control system, and to adjust the bombing aiming device.

Subsequently, eight special forces soldiers, equipped with gear, entered the jungle and stealthily made their way towards the Japanese outpost.

An hour later, Fang Wen received a report from a soldier using a walkie-talkie via the airborne communication device.

"General Manager, we are in position."

"Stay hidden and await my orders."

After Fang Wen finished speaking, he hung up the communication and piloted the plane to take off over the water.

The plane was flying at a low altitude and speed, and would arrive at its destination in a few minutes.

Fang Wen activated his supernatural ability, locked onto a medium-sized ship on the river, and used his powerful mental energy to calculate the pre-drop of bombs.

A moment later, he had his answer.

While adjusting the aircraft's course, he ordered the rear cockpit: "Gong Xiuneng, prepare to drop bombs."

The hatch at the bottom was opened, and Gong Xiuneng grasped the grenade launcher lever. Two soldiers stood up and waited for the next round of grenade loading.

He shouted:

"Bombing preparation complete."

Fifteen seconds later, Fang Wen gave the order: "Begin bombing, one round."

Gong Xiuneng immediately pulled the bomb release lever, and the aerial bomb slid down the rail and landed on the ship below.

Less than ten seconds later, the bomb landed on the ship, exploding in a huge flash and explosion.

The crew members on the ship's deck were thrown directly by the explosion and landed in the camp on the shore, right where the Japanese had lit a campfire, with sparks flying everywhere.

The Japanese were caught off guard by the sudden attack.

But the air raids had only just begun.

The planes circled in the air and returned, flying over the ship again, and the second round of bombing began.

This time, the bullet accurately hit the ship again, still in the middle position.

The aerial bombs fell into the large hole created by the first blast and exploded inside the ship.

The explosion was not as bright as the last one, but the internal damage was stronger, and the hull split open in the middle, allowing a large amount of river water to flood in.

Two rounds of bombing destroyed the ship. Fang Wen picked up the microphone and ordered the special forces soldiers on the ground: "Prepare to launch an attack. I will first conduct an air strike on the base to disrupt the ground defenses. You will then seize the opportunity to kill the enemy."

"Received!" came the soldier's reply from the communicator.

The aircraft in the air veered off course.

Gong Xiuneng and two soldiers gripped the 12.7mm machine gun handles, their eyes fixed on the scope.

After the aircraft completed its circling firing flight, Fang Wen ordered them to fire. They pulled the triggers, and bullets flew towards the ground.

The Japanese on the ground were still in shock from the ship's explosion and sinking two minutes earlier, and now it was their turn.

They frantically dodged the streaking bullets in the air.

As the Japanese were thrown into disarray by the aerial bombardment, eight special forces soldiers, concealed at the edge of the jungle, immediately launched an attack, killing the armed personnel on the east side.

These Japanese armed men were only on guard against aerial attacks, but they were hit by bullets from behind and fell to the ground one after another.

Special forces soldiers rushed out from the shadows, formed an attack echelon not far from the corpses, and continued their attack.

Wherever they went, Japanese armed personnel were killed one by one.

The casualties caused were far greater than those caused by aircraft in the air, yet the impact of aerial attacks was far greater.

Using aerial firepower as a distraction, eight special forces soldiers launched a surprise attack from the east, cutting their way through the enemy lines. Wherever they went, the enemy was shot and fell to the ground, and the death toll continued to rise.

The battle lasted for half an hour. Most of the Japanese soldiers stationed there were wiped out, leaving only a few to resist stubbornly, but they were eventually taken care of one by one by the special forces.

Julian was shot in the abdomen by an airborne machine gun during his breakout attempt. He collapsed to the ground, struggling to commit suicide, but was quickly subdued by special forces soldiers who rushed forward and took the pistol from his hand.

After the battle, Fang Wen piloted the plane to land.

Because the ship sank, the pier was unable to dock, so the plane had to be parked outside the pier and secured to the rocks with cables.

Afterwards, Fang Wen led Gong Xiuneng off the plane and into the Japanese residence.

The camp was in complete disarray; tents were destroyed and corpses littered the ground.

Special forces soldiers are clearing the battlefield and searching for remaining supplies and weapons.

"General Manager, the battlefield has been cleared. A total of 28 Japanese soldiers were killed, one seriously wounded prisoner was captured, and 25 rifles, 3 machine guns, more than 40 grenades, as well as a large amount of cash, communication equipment and telegraph codebooks were seized."

A special operations soldier stepped forward to report.

Fang Wen nodded, his gaze falling on Julian, who had been brought before him.

Julian was bleeding profusely from his abdomen, his face was deathly pale, and his eyes were filled with resentment and unwillingness as he stared intently at Fang Wen without uttering a word.

"Stop the bleeding and bandage him," Fang Wen said in a deep voice.

The special forces soldiers immediately pinned Julian down, applied simple first aid to stop the bleeding, and then tied him to a chair.

Fang Wen walked over and gestured for the other soldiers to retreat, leaving only Gong Xiu Neng to keep watch.

He sat opposite Julian and said coldly, "Speak, what is your purpose in coming all the way to Africa to buy uranium mines, disguised as representatives of a Philippine company?"

Julian sneered, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his tone mocking: "You Chinese, do you even deserve to know the secrets of the Great Japanese Empire? Kill me or torture me, it's all up to you, but I won't tell!"

Fang Wen's eyes turned cold. Gong Xiuneng walked over and pressed on Julian's wound, applying slight pressure.

Julian convulsed in pain, cold sweat poured down his face, his face turned even paler, and screams escaped his lips.

"I don't have the patience to waste time with you. You only have two choices now: die a painful death, or I'll give you a quick end."

Julian trembled all over, the pain gradually eroding his will to resist. Rather than endure unbearable suffering before death, he decided to reveal the secret and gain a quick death.

After a moment of silence, Julian slowly spoke, his voice weak but clear: "That's right, we are soldiers of the Great Japanese Empire, here to purchase uranium mines for the Empire's nuclear program."

"As early as 1938, after German scientists discovered nuclear fission, our physicists realized its military potential. Earlier this year, Army Minister Hideki Tojo approved the Air Force Science and Technology Agency's 'Report on the Production of Uranium Bombs' and appointed Dr. Yoshio Nishina to lead a team of hundreds of scholars to launch a nuclear weapons development program, which we call the 'Nishina Project'."

Blood gushed from his mouth. Gong Xiu was able to press acupoints to relieve the pain. He was panting heavily as he continued to speak.

"In addition, the Navy also implemented its own nuclear development project, called 'Project F,' which was led by Dr. Arakatsu Fumio and carried out research with the support of Kyoto Imperial University."

Fang Wen's eyes sharpened as he pressed, "What exactly is your plan? How much uranium ore do you need?"

"Our goal is to develop a super bomb to strike our allies."

A flicker of fanaticism flashed in Julian's eyes, only to be replaced by despair.

"To manufacture an atomic bomb, at least very high purity uranium-235 is required, which needs to be extracted from hundreds of tons of high-grade uranium ore. We have searched for uranium mines in Japan and North Korea, but the grade is too low and the refining efficiency is extremely low, which cannot meet the needs of the plan at all."

“We once asked our ally Germany for help, hoping they could send us uranium ore, but Germany is currently at war with Britain in the Mediterranean and North Africa and cannot send uranium ore over,” Julian’s voice grew weaker and weaker. “We had no choice but to send people around to search for high-grade uranium ore. We learned that the Hincolobwe mining area in the Belgian Congo had the world’s highest-grade uranium ore, so we disguised ourselves as Filipino businessmen and came to buy it, hoping to transport these ores back to Japan to continue advancing the ‘Jin Project’.”

It looks like he's lost too much blood and won't last much longer.

Fang Wen quickly whispered to Gong Xiuneng, "Is there any way to help him hold on any longer?"

"Yes." Gong Xiu took out his needle kit and inserted it into Julian's head, back of the neck, and back.

As the silver needles were inserted, the man experienced a brief resurgence of energy before death. (End of Chapter)