Chapter 3: Meeting the Leader

  He Juncai sat in the dining room, carefully studying the coin in his hand, which had brought him to 80 years ago. After landing on the floating base, He Juncai opened the radio for the first time, searched for the simulated channel, and learned about the current situation and the present time through the broadcast.

  It's now June 11, 1940, exactly 80 years ago! After confirming the news, He Juncai's second thing to do was to send an order to control the floating base to rise to an altitude of 10,000 meters, which is considered safe in this era. The floating base, except for a few dozen bird-repellent devices around it, has no armament at all.

  "It's probably going to be hard to see my parents for the rest of my life." He Juncai felt a deep sense of loneliness, thinking about how his parents had taken care of him when he was young; thinking about how they had worked hard to support him after losing their jobs while he was in college, but he had spent most of his time playing video games; thinking about the weekly phone calls with his parents, who would express their love through the phone line; thinking about how he should visit home more often, but only managed to spend a short time together every year.

  "It's only after losing that you'll experience the preciousness", He Juncai deeply felt the meaning of this sentence. Shaking his head, he took out the black-hearted boss's treasured red wine, "A toast to past events!"

  After burying the past deeply in his heart, He Jun began to think about his current situation. With 80 years of leading technology in this world and knowing the direction of historical development for the next 80 years, how much power can one person have? What should he do to help his weak motherland rise again? During the Anti-Japanese War, when the KMT and CPC cooperated, contradictions still emerged, and after the victory over Japan, a civil war broke out immediately. How could he avoid brothers becoming enemies? In this situation, which side should he stand on? Until 2020, the year before his transmigration, China was not yet fully unified and was instead pinched from time to time by certain countries as a weak point.

  He Juncai thought for a moment and finally decided to help the Nationalist government win the war against Japan first, and then strive to establish a joint government later, so as to prevent the country from falling into the abyss of civil war. He Juncai searched on his personal computer and found that during the Anti-Japanese War period, Chiang Kai-shek had four residences in Chongqing, the temporary capital. It seemed difficult to find him directly, and he might not even be able to see him before being taken away by the Military Bureau.

  "It seems that I'll have to go to the airport I saw today after all. Since I helped them out today, they shouldn't take any hostile actions against me, right?" He Juncai found some of Chiang Kai-shek's diaries on his personal computer, as well as the results of a secret meeting between Japanese military personnel and agents sent by Chiang in Hong Kong in March 1940. He printed out these materials, packaged them up, and then put his mobile phone in the package as well, believing that these could serve as proof of what he had said.

  He Juncai and others did not control the floating base to descend again to an altitude of 5000 meters until after dark, then took the elevator down to the apron, arranged for the automatic tractor to refuel the B8 special plane, skillfully started the plane, and left the runway. After circling in the air for a few laps, he identified the direction and controlled the plane to fly towards the place where it fought during the day under the moonlight.

  At this time, the captain of the 4th squadron, Zheng Shaoyu, was reporting today's combat situation to Soong Mei-ling, the Secretary-General of the Aviation Committee. Today's results were quite fruitful. Last month's "May 3rd and May 4th" bombing had brought severe damage to Chongqing, and it was thought that today would also be a heavy loss. Unexpectedly, the 4th squadron suddenly exerted its divine power, shooting down and damaging many enemy planes, effectively preventing the enemy from bombing the main urban area and airport. Today, only a few areas in downtown Chongqing were bombed, with no serious casualties, and all fires have been extinguished.

  However, according to the captain of the 4th squadron, during today's first wave of bombing, a strangely painted plane shot down the enemy formation leader and a wounded bomber, and timely warned the second wave of the airport bombing. Finally, it led the 4th squadron to ambush the incoming 96 bomber formation, which ultimately led to today's great victory. Moreover, according to Zheng Shaoyu's analysis, this plane should be nearby, because after intense air combat, the plane did not land at the airport to refuel but flew away directly.

  "Friends come from afar" Song Meiling thought "This plane is so advanced, could it be that the warlord just purchased it? Must get to the bottom of this".

  "Commander! Commander!" A person wearing a flight jacket and helmet rushed in, it was Du ZuoHua who was on duty. Du ZuoHua had also participated in the daytime dogfight and had shot down an enemy plane, he was still in an excited state. "Reporting to Secretary General and Commander, that strange plane from this morning has come again!"

  "Speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrives. Let's go take a look." Soong Mei-ling and Zheng Shaoxuan hastily walked out of the command center.

  At this time, He Juncai had already turned on the landing lights and was preparing to land on the runway. Although his civilian version of the Super Jumbo Jet could land at this military airport, he still had to be careful at night, controlling the angle of the tricycle landing gear to avoid a rough touchdown on his first contact with the ground in this time and space.

  He Juncai landed beautifully on the ground, controlling the direction of the slide, and stopped right in front of a group of people who had just rushed out of the command center. Opening the cockpit cover, He Juncai recognized at first glance this Chinese First Lady who had appeared in major newspapers and lived through three centuries. At this time, the mother of the country was in her prime (43 years old), and compared to the original black-and-white photos, she was even more elegant. He Juncai jumped out of the plane and walked quickly to the front of the creator of the Chinese Air Force, bowing his head in respect.

  "Madam Chiang, this is Colonel Hsu, reporting from the China Air Task Force in Southeast Asia!"

  "Good, very good, you say you're from Nanyang to assist us? You've had a hard time." Soong Mei-ling said as she carefully sized up this young man. Medium build, slightly plump figure, sharp eyes, seems like there are some secrets to be dug out.

  "Madam Chiang, I have a request. Please dispatch someone to move the plane I brought with me immediately and arrange for personnel to guard it strictly, prohibiting anyone from approaching. The plane has secret equipment that I brought back from Southeast Asia, which allows me to detect enemy planes attacking from afar." He Juncai saw a group of pilots already gathering around his plane, evaluating and discussing it, and even a young reckless guy had started trying to climb up.

  "Captain Zheng, please arrange for the ground crew to move Mr. He's plane into the hangar immediately and have airport security guard it strictly, no mistakes allowed." Song Meiling heard that there was a secret device and her expression immediately became serious. "Mr. He, please come in, I'm sure you've traveled from afar and have many things to say," Song Meiling said elegantly, extending an invitation.

  After entering the command post, He Juncai solemnly requested a private talk. Soong Mei-ling believed him and had the guards wait outside.

  "Nice to meet you, Madam Chiang." He Juncai gazed at the "Mother of Chinese Air Force". He Juncai had great respect for Soong Mei-ling. In 1934, the National Government established the Chinese Air Force, and Soong Mei-ling was appointed as the Secretary-General of the Aviation Committee, participating in the construction of the Chinese Air Force, playing a crucial role in the subsequent War of Resistance against Japan, thus earning her the title "Mother of Chinese Air Force". However, creating an air force from scratch was not easy, without specialized personnel with aviation knowledge, everything had to be started from scratch. Fortunately, Soong Mei-ling was fluent in English, understood six languages, and had ten years of studying abroad experience in the United States, familiar with Western culture. She also had quick thinking, was good at diplomatic rhetoric, and had a broad vision. Participating in foreign diplomacy and purchasing aircraft, she had unparalleled advantages. Therefore, after her active proposal and formal appointment by the National Government, Soong Mei-ling officially took on the role of Secretary-General of the Aviation Committee. Soong Mei-ling led a team to visit various places to inspect existing mechanical equipment, personally calculated budgets, studied aviation theories, and analyzed the performance and structure of various aircraft. Even years later, she still proudly claimed: "My air force".

  "I was indeed over the South China Sea this morning, but that's a story for after 80 years." He Juncai dropped a bombshell: "Actually, I'm from China 80 years in the future."

  He Juncai opened the bag he was carrying and handed over several printed materials to Soong Mei-ling. Soong Mei-ling quickly flipped through the materials in her hand, as Chiang Kai-shek's wife, she knew that Chiang had a habit of keeping a diary and had seen some of them before. The material in her hand was indeed genuine, even the handwriting was very similar to the real thing, only it looked a bit old (because it was a photocopy). And another record of Sino-Japanese talks in Hong Kong was something she didn't know about, but judging from the style, it was highly credible.

  He Juncai showed some video clips stored on his mobile phone to Soong Mei-ling, including some precious documentary footage. "This is the technology of our time. Many secrets now are already open in our time and can be found in museums or archives. I even know the four residences of Chiang Kai-shek in Chongqing."

  He Juncai paused for a moment, and Soong Mei-ling was apparently still unable to accept and understand such a chaotic time and space.

  "Madam Chiang, I know it may be difficult for you to understand, but you should know that a famous German scientist, Mr. Einstein, once discussed the possibility of this happening. I didn't believe in these things at first either, but now I have truly experienced them myself. By the way, he has already immigrated to America."

  "I believe you!" Soong Mei-ling let out a sigh of relief and calmly said to He Junci, "The materials in your hand and the level of technology you've shown have fully explained that you don't belong to this era. I can feel that you are indeed very different from us, I can see the confidence in your eyes, just like Americans and British people." Because He Junci came from 2020, an era where China had gone through trials and tribulations and grown into a great power, unlike this era which had suffered foreign invasions, constant civil wars, and was now being bullied by a formerly inferior country that was once on the same level as them, He Junci naturally possessed a unique "aura".

  "Thank you for coming to help us," said Soong Mei-ling with a smile. "Now, let's talk about what we should do next."

  "Firstly, I hope you will dispatch troops to closely guard the plane that flew me here. That aircraft contains far too much technology not belonging to this era. I know there are many Soviet advisors in the Chinese Air Force now, and even at this airport."

  "No problem, I'll arrange for someone to transfer the plane right away."

  "Secondly, I hope to see Chairman Chiang directly. You know, there are many things that cannot be solved by science and technology." He Juncai was a bit embarrassed about this matter, after all, Chairman Chiang, the "big BOSS", had given him a lot of pressure, holding the power over life and death. However, if he didn't get Chairman Chiang's support, many of his plans couldn't be implemented, and even after the success of the war of resistance, the motherland would still suffer from civil war and long-term division.

  "I'll take care of it," Soong Mei-ling said hastily as she went out to arrange for the guards to take over the watch on plane B8, moving it to a repair hangar and covering it with canvas. She also issued orders that no one was allowed to approach or photograph the plane, and that today's air battle and tonight's strange landing were not to be spoken of. After completing these tasks, Soong Mei-ling called the attendants' room to inquire about Chiang Kai-shek's schedule and made arrangements with his secretary.

  Back at headquarters, Soong Mei-ling asked He Juncai to bring his briefcase and ride with her to the Huangshan official residence on the south bank.

  From Guangyangba to Huangshan, it takes about an hour or two by car. The road at that time was not very good, and there were no lights or buildings along the way that could be appreciated. And the car was obviously not a good conversation environment either. He Juncai closed his eyes to rest and think about how to respond when he met Chairman Chiang later.

  "Later generations evaluated Chairman Chiang as a person with extreme desire for power, which is not surprising. In this warlord-dominated situation, he was able to unify the country in name and avoid being swallowed up. Even those without a strong desire for power would be cultivated. It's chaotic times, after all, and people with strength are more likely to survive."

  However, later generations also evaluated Chiang Kai-shek as an extremely patriotic and nationalistic individual. He was willing to do anything for China, especially wanting to win the war against Japan.

  So, Owen Lattimore (an Australian), advisor to Chiang and Soong, gave Claire Chennault a strategy: "You are a military man, you can talk to him like a military man. Always tell him the truth, you will do very well. As for Madame Chiang, although she is gentle and feminine, she is as strong as steel, with great political ambitions and desires, winning the war is the most important thing to her. You only need to deal with the Chairman and his wife, others are just following their orders."

  He Juncai set his own strategy and laid it all out without reservation.

  "Screech!" The car stopped in front of an inconspicuous villa. This place was also visited by He Juncai in the future, not far from Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, and heading south from Huangjueyi would get you there. Of course, the greening is much better in this era, and the villa is very harmonious among them, unlike the desolate isolation of the future.

  Seeing this villa, He Juncai recalled the story of "the most powerful nail household in history" told by a tour guide when he visited Chiang Kai-shek's former residence in Fenghua, Zhejiang.

  Chiang Kai-shek, after becoming the President of the National Government in Nanjing, wanted to expand his old house in Fenghua, so he asked the surrounding neighbors to demolish their houses and give way to the Chiang family. The neighbors, upon learning about the expansion plan, all agreed to give up their land and were compensated by the Chiang family. However, there was a stubborn neighbor named Zhou Shunfang who refused to move. As a result, some local officials secretly pressured Zhou behind Chiang's back. At first, Zhou remained unmoved, but later he could not withstand the pressure and reluctantly agreed to move, saying: "Ruiyuan (Chiang Kai-shek's nickname) has become an emperor, and I have no choice but to move..." When Chiang Kai-shek in Nanjing learned about this incident, he scolded those local officials and specifically instructed them not to force the Zhou family to demolish their house. Therefore, when visiting Fenghua today, on the right side of the large courtyard of the Chiang's former residence facing Caixi Creek, there is still a "Zhou Shunfang Thousand-layer Cake Shop" embedded in one corner of the Chiang family compound. This is the "nail household" left behind by Zhou Shunfang back then.

  Recalling some discordant scenes of later generations, He Juncai became even more convinced of his judgment. People of the Republic of China, especially at this time, were still very Confucian.

  "Mr. He, please wait for a moment in the anteroom, I'll go and consult with the Chairman," Soong Mei-ling said apologetically as she led He Juncai into the room.

  "You're welcome." He Juncai looked around with great interest at the real living environment before 80 years after Soong Mei-ling left. To be honest, it was very simple and plain, even not as good as his own room in later generations. However, everything was harmonious, the placement of screens, tables, chairs, plants, and decorations were all very tasteful.

  "The Chairman requests your presence." Just as He Juncai was carefully examining the national painting on the screen, a guard came in and said.

  Followed by the guard, he walked in and knocked on the door. A great man was sitting on the sofa, with Soong Mei-ling standing beside him nodding at He Juncai.

  "Shihe, you personally guard the door, today I won't see anyone else, I want to have a good chat with this little friend from afar." Chiang Kai-shek said in his slightly Ningbo-accented Zhejiang dialect.

  It was only then that He Juncai realized that the one who had led the way earlier was actually Wang Shih-chieh, Chiang Kai-shek's chief of guards. It seemed that the Chairman had already been convinced.