Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 792 Recruiting Nuclear Physicists: The Yugoslav Royal Family Evacuates

The Yugoslav Air Force's attempt to bridge the huge gap in fighter jet performance with a single piece of radio equipment was commendable in its courage, but the reality was far more brutal.

The maneuverability, firepower, and protection of the BF-109 series fighters had already been proven on the European battlefield. Even if Yugoslavia's old fighters were equipped with Taishan walkie-talkies and achieved real-time voice coordination between pilots, they would find it difficult to gain an advantage in direct air combat, let alone create so-called "miracles".

But Fang Wen did not shatter this unrealistic expectation. Looking at the Yugoslavian representative in front of him, whose face was full of anxious anticipation, he had already made up his mind.

Rejecting this deal would save the trouble of production capacity allocation and avoid the risk of not being able to recover the final payment, but it would also mean missing a rare opportunity.

Although Yugoslavia was destined to lose the war, its domestic technical talent and top scholars in various fields are an indispensable asset for the future development of Taishan Group.

He believes that during times of war, human resources are more valuable than gold and minerals.

Gold can be used to purchase raw materials, and minerals can support capacity expansion, but top-notch technical talent can drive Taishan Group's scientific research level to achieve a qualitative leap.

Leading in military technology has always been the goal of Taishan Military Industry.

Furthermore, Fang Wen had already begun planning the post-war scientific research system, and the talents from Yugoslavia would become the "nutrients" for this plan.

Immediately, Fang Wen said, "I can agree to sell a batch of radio equipment to your Air Force to meet your pilots' real-time communication needs."

Milosevic's eyes lit up instantly, and he was so excited that he almost stood up from his seat. He quickly said, "Thank you so much, Mr. Fang! Rest assured, we will definitely pay for the goods on time, or settle the full amount in gold and minerals. We will never delay payment!"

Fang Wen raised his hand to signal him to calm down and continued, "But I have one condition: this transaction cannot be settled solely in gold. I need your country to provide a group of technical personnel as a supplementary condition to the transaction."

Milosevic's smile froze instantly, a hint of surprise and doubt flashing in his eyes: "Technical talent? Mr. Fang, what kind of technical talent do you need?"

“I still need to confirm the specific candidates.” Fang Wen picked up his teacup and took a sip. “Go back and wait for news. I will give you the list of the required personnel within a day. Also, I want to emphasize that we will prioritize the production capacity of this batch of wireless equipment, but the quantity is limited and cannot meet all your needs. We can only provide enough to equip the Air Force.”

Milosevic was somewhat disappointed that he could not obtain more radio equipment, but reaching a preliminary deal was already a pleasant surprise.

As for technical personnel, he believes the country will agree as long as they are not core military research personnel.

After all, in the face of the threat of German invasion, acquiring advanced communication equipment was far more urgent than retaining a few researchers.

"Okay, Mr. Fang. I'll go back and wait for your news. Whatever talent you need, I will report back to the country as soon as possible and do my best to coordinate."

Fang Wen nodded and stood up. Milosevic understood that this meant he was seeing the guest off, so he also stood up and let Zhao Junping escort him away.

After a while, Zhao Junping returned from seeing Milosevic off and couldn't help but ask, "General Manager, our production capacity is already at saturation. Will allocating more capacity to produce radio equipment affect the supply to China, the Soviet Union, and Britain? Also, what do you plan to do with the Yugoslavian technical personnel you've asked for?"

"Regarding the production capacity issue, I will have Fang Shouxin readjust the production line and use the remaining parts to produce a batch of older Taishan walkie-talkies specifically for Yugoslavia. This will not affect the supply to our major customers." A deeper meaning flashed in Fang Wen's eyes as he continued, "As for talent, that is the core of this deal. Yugoslavia is a small country, and given its location surrounded by Germany and Italy, it was destined to be occupied by the Axis powers. If these talented individuals stayed there, they would either be controlled by the German army and serve the Axis war machine, or they would be displaced and their talents would be buried. By bringing them over, we can utilize them for the Taishan Group's scientific research while also protecting their lives—a win-win situation."

Zhao Junping suddenly realized and nodded quickly: "The general manager is very thoughtful. Shall we contact the European branch now to investigate the technical personnel situation in Yugoslavia?"

"Contact them immediately." Fang Wen said, referring to the contents of the telegram sent to the European branch: "Order the European branch to immediately investigate the situation of top scientists and engineers in Yugoslavia, focusing on the fields of physics, chemistry, and aerospace engineering, especially those with international renown and outstanding research achievements. Send me the list within one day."

"Yes." After recording the contents of the telegram, Zhao Junping quickly left for the telegraph room.

The European branch is located in Geneva, Switzerland, and, taking advantage of the neutral environment there, has long been collecting intelligence and talent information on various European countries for Fang Wen.

Technicians and researchers have their own circles and communicate closely with each other. In addition, with the Taishan Group's network of contacts in Europe, it is not difficult to obtain information on scientific research talents in Yugoslavia.

While waiting for the telegram from the European branch, Fang Wen reviewed the relevant intelligence on Yugoslavia and carefully analyzed the possible candidates.

Half a day later, a secret telegram arrived from the European branch.

A detailed list of Yugoslavian scientific research talents, including each person's research field, achievements, employing institution, and family situation, was presented to Fang Wen.

Fang Wen reviewed them one by one, his gaze lingering on several names repeatedly, before finally settling on a group of candidates.

Pavle Savic, a top Serbian physicist and nuclear scientist, worked at the Curie Institute in Paris before the war, studying nuclear fission and radioactivity under Marie Curie's guidance. He had profound expertise in nuclear physics and was a key figure in Yugoslav nuclear research.

Currently, Yugoslavia lacks the conditions to conduct nuclear research, and his talent has been buried. If he could be recruited, it would greatly promote Taishan Group's exploration in the field of nuclear technology and lay the groundwork for subsequent nuclear energy utilization and nuclear weapons development.

Vladimir Prelog, a renowned chemist, was, in Fang Wen's future memory, a Nobel laureate in 75. He devoted himself to the synthesis of penicillin and the research of alkaloids, and made outstanding achievements in the field of antibiotics.

Currently, during the war, the number of wounded soldiers has surged, and penicillin, as a highly effective antibiotic, is in short supply. Although Taishan Group began to lay out penicillin production a long time ago, it lacked core technical personnel. The addition of Prelog will accelerate the large-scale production of penicillin, which can not only meet the group's own medical needs, but also generate profits through exports, while providing medical support to the front lines of the domestic war of resistance.

Another person that Fang Wen took seriously was Lavoslav Ružčka.

This person was the 1939 Nobel Prize laureate in Chemistry, a world-leading chemist who made pioneering contributions to the synthesis of terpenes, steroids, and sex hormones (testosterone, estradiol), and opened up a completely new field of hormone chemistry.

His research findings not only have great application value in the medical field, but can also be applied to multiple fields such as military industry and chemical industry. Whether it is developing new drugs or improving chemical materials, they can play an irreplaceable role.

Recruiting a current Nobel laureate to its ranks would undoubtedly be a qualitative leap in the scientific research capabilities of Taishan Group.

In addition, Fang Wen also selected a group of outstanding aerospace engineers from the list. They have long been engaged in the design, maintenance and improvement of fighter jets and are familiar with the performance of Yugoslav Air Force fighter jets. Although they do not have top-notch design achievements, they have rich practical experience and can provide assistance to the aviation manufacturing department of Taishan Group.

After finalizing the list, Fang Wen had it compiled into a booklet, which he planned to hand over to Milosevic the next day.

At the same time, he secretly issued instructions to the European branch to set up an office in Athens, Greece, to prepare for the subsequent reception of personnel.

He was well aware that the situation in Yugoslavia could deteriorate at any time, and that these technical personnel would have to be evacuated as soon as possible should the German army launch an offensive. Athens, as the capital of Greece, was close to southern Yugoslavia and was in a relatively safe state for the time being, making it an ideal location for rendezvous.

The next morning, Milosevic arrived at the Taishan Group headquarters on time.

When Fang Wen handed her the compiled list of talents, he quickly flipped through it, his expression growing increasingly serious with each page.

The people on the list are all top talents in various fields in Yugoslavia, especially Lavoslav Ružčka, who is the pride of Yugoslavia.

“Mr. Fang, these people are the most outstanding scientific research talents in our country, especially Mr. Ruzhichka, who is a Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry. The country attaches great importance to him, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to agree to let him come to Asia to work for Taishan Aviation.” Milosevic’s tone was somewhat troubled. “Moreover, according to our country’s laws, the king cannot force citizens to do such things; it can only be done on a voluntary basis.”

Fang Wen had anticipated this situation and said calmly, "I understand, and I will not ask your country to force these talents to come. All personnel must come on a voluntary basis. As long as they are willing to come to Yangon and work for Taishan Group, I can promise them the best treatment, the most advanced scientific research equipment, the safety of them and their families, and give them full autonomy in scientific research without interfering with their research direction."

After a pause, Fang Wen added, "In addition, I will set up a secret office in Athens, Greece. If the situation in Yugoslavia deteriorates, these people can enter Greece from southern Yugoslavia, then take a plane arranged by Taishan Airlines from Athens to Turkey, and then transfer to Yangon. I will arrange for someone to be in charge of receiving them and ensuring their safe evacuation."

Milosevic's concerns lessened slightly upon hearing this. Fang Wen's terms were very generous, and there was no coercion involved. Given the current crisis facing Yugoslavia, he believed many researchers would be willing to go to Asia for their own and their families' safety. He replied, "Alright, Mr. Fang, I will immediately telegraph back home to report this to the King and the government, and do my best to coordinate with these talents, striving to get them to sign letters of intent so that, even if the situation worsens, they can selectively go to Yangon to work for Taishan."

“I’ll give you three days,” Fang Wen said. “After three days, we will sign a formal transaction agreement, and I will immediately arrange production capacity to manufacture the wireless equipment. Once the equipment is produced, your country will send someone to receive it, or we can arrange a flight from Taishan Airlines to transport the equipment to your designated location.”

“No problem!” Milosevic quickly agreed, took the list of talents, and hurriedly left, eager to report the situation back home.

Two days later, Milosevic returned to the Taishan Group with a reply from home: the King and the government had agreed to Fang Wen's conditions and would do their utmost to coordinate the technical personnel on the list to go to Yangon to work for the Taishan Group on a voluntary basis; at the same time, Yugoslavia would pay a batch of gold as payment for the radio equipment.

Both parties formally signed a transaction agreement, which stipulated that:

Taishan Group provided the Yugoslav Air Force with 100 portable semiconductor walkie-talkies, enough to equip an air force combat unit;

Yugoslavia coordinated with the technical personnel on the list, signed emergency employment agreements, and paid 500 kilograms of gold as compensation for the goods and the personnel.

After the agreement was signed, Fang Wen immediately arranged for the military industrial branch to adjust its production lines to prioritize the production of this batch of wireless equipment.

Taishan Group's semiconductor walkie-talkie production technology is very mature, and its production capacity is also very efficient. It only took two days to complete the production of 100 portable walkie-talkies.

After the equipment was packed, Fang Wen arranged for a Taishan Airlines commercial airliner to transport the equipment and Milosevic to Ankara, Turkey.

This was mainly due to the increasingly tense situation in the Balkans, making direct flights to Yugoslavia too risky. Ankara, as the capital of Turkey, is in a neutral position and is an ideal transit point.

After the plane landed smoothly at Ankara Airport, Milosevic, carrying a box containing radio equipment, left the airport without incident. He then traveled by boat to Greece and from there entered Yugoslavia through the Greek border.

However, the situation deteriorated completely as soon as Milosevic returned to Yugoslavia.

Early April.

Germany, together with Italy, Hungary, and Bulgaria, formed the Axis powers and launched a full-scale attack on Yugoslavia, citing Yugoslavia's refusal to allow German troops to cross its borders and its open anti-German stance.

With its powerful armored forces and air power, the German army launched a blitzkrieg, which the Yugoslav army was unable to resist and suffered repeated defeats.

The young King Peter II naively believed the promises of Soviet advisors that as long as Yugoslavia persisted in its resistance, the Soviet Union would send troops to support them and help them defeat the Axis forces.

Therefore, he ordered the entire nation's military and civilians to rise up in resistance and defend the country to the death. However, he was unaware that the Soviet Union was at peace with Germany at the time and could not possibly interfere in Balkan affairs. The so-called "military support" was merely a pretext used by the Soviet Union to contain German forces.

Belgrade, as the capital of Yugoslavia, became a key target of the Axis coalition's offensive.

German warplanes bombed Belgrade relentlessly, while ground armored forces advanced rapidly, quickly surrounding Belgrade.

At this time, a Yugoslav Air Force squadron equipped with Taishan semiconductor walkie-talkies was ordered to take off and participate in the defense of Belgrade.

Just as Fang Wen had predicted, the Taishan walkie-talkie did indeed play a certain role.

Yugoslavian pilots were able to quickly coordinate tactics and cooperate with each other through real-time voice communication, which put a certain degree of pressure on German aircraft and even shot down several German BF-109 fighters.

However, the performance gap between the two sides' aircraft was too great. The German aircraft's maneuverability, firepower, and protection far surpassed those of the old Yugoslavian aircraft.

Furthermore, the German pilots had more combat experience, and once the two air forces entered a state of melee over Belgrade, the tactical advantage of radio equipment was reduced.

After two days of intense air combat, the Yugoslav Air Force suffered heavy losses, with most of its aircraft shot down and the remaining aircraft forced to withdraw, rendering it unable to mount any effective air resistance.

After the air defenses collapsed, Belgrade's ground defenses also quickly crumbled.

German armored forces broke through the city's defenses and entered the city. The Yugoslav army suffered heavy casualties and morale plummeted. Many soldiers chose to surrender, and the original resistance forces were completely cornered.

King Peter II finally realized that resistance was pointless and the fall of Yugoslavia was only a matter of time.

His first thought was the Soviet Union, and he wanted to go there for refuge and seek Soviet protection.

However, his proposal was met with strong opposition from the ministers.

"Your Majesty, we must not go to the Soviet Union!" a minister exclaimed emotionally. "It was the lies of the Soviet advisors that led us to mistakenly believe that the Soviet Union would send troops to our aid, which caused us to rashly break with Germany and find ourselves in this desperate situation. The Soviet Union will not sincerely help us; they only want to use us to tie down German forces. If we go to the Soviet Union, we will only become their hostages, with no freedom whatsoever!"

Another minister chimed in, “Your Majesty, Britain is the right choice for us. Britain has defeated Italy in the Mediterranean and East Africa, possesses formidable military strength, and is a sworn enemy of Germany. They will certainly accept us. As long as we can safely reach Britain, we can unite with them, continue to organize resistance, and await the opportunity for a counter-offensive.”

The ministers' words made Peter II realize his mistake.

He abandoned his plan to go to the Soviet Union and decided to lead the royal family and key ministers to evacuate Belgrade and head to Britain.

They then secretly evacuated Belgrade and flew to Greece on two small transport planes.

Although Greece was also facing the threat of German forces at this time, it had not yet been attacked and was the only transit point to Britain.

However, upon arriving in Greece, they encountered new problems.

The Italian Air Force has taken control of the airspace between Greece and the UK. Any aircraft attempting to fly from Greece to the UK will be intercepted by Italian fighter jets, making it extremely difficult to reach the UK smoothly, and potentially costing lives.

The British MI6 intelligence officer in charge of receiving them, seeing the extremely anxious members of the royal family and ministers, offered a suggestion.

At this time, most of the European continent was controlled by the Axis powers, and the only airline capable of intercontinental flights and avoiding interception by Axis fighter planes was Taishan Airlines.

The King was certainly aware of Taishan Aviation; the royal family had spent a great deal of money to purchase military equipment from Taishan.

But the king was unaware that Mount Tai could help them go to England.

In response, MI6 intelligence personnel explained to the King that Taishan Airlines was one of the few forces currently capable of safely traversing between battlefields amidst the fighting.

Previously, Taishan Airlines had assisted the British military in transport operations and participated in military cooperation in North Africa. Its background and strength were already well known to British MI6 intelligence personnel.

"Your Majesty, Fang Wen, the general manager of Taishan Group, is shrewd, but as long as the benefits are sufficient, he will still agree to help you."

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of hope flashed in Peter II's eyes.

"Contact the Taishan office in Athens immediately!" Peter II urgently instructed his ministers. "Tell them that I am Peter II, King of Yugoslavia, and request their assistance in traveling to England. We are willing to accept any cost. In addition, immediately order the scientists and engineers requested by Fang Wen to be sent to Athens, Greece, as soon as possible and handed over to the Taishan office. This will be the condition for our safe evacuation."

The ministers immediately sprang into action, contacting authorities back home to arrange the evacuation of technical personnel, while simultaneously traveling to the secret office at Mount Tarkin in Athens to discuss their journeys to Britain. (End of Chapter)