The Coralba Airport on the outskirts of the mountain city seems to be always heavily guarded. Cars come in and out, either to greet generals and dignitaries who come to Chongqing for an audience, or to bid farewell to military and political dignitaries who are sent to perform tasks across the country.
As night falls, the traffic lights at the airport suddenly light up, making it difficult for people to open their eyes. The ground crew began to be busy, making preparations for the plane to land on the bright runway. With the sound of engines coming from far and near, a military aircraft landed safely on the runway.
The two ground staff quickly pushed the gangway and aimed it at the cabin door. After a while, a man in his late forties walked out. He was of medium height, wearing a suit and leather shoes. He had two eyebrows of different shades, a pair of black eyes rolling in his eye sockets, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose. He paused briefly at the door of the plane and looked at the lights of the city below. Then he puffed out his chest and walked down the gangway calmly and rhythmically.
Young Master Chen, who was dressed in military uniform, followed closely behind. As soon as he stepped down the gangway, he saw a black car parked in front of him. A well-dressed attendant officer stepped forward and performed a standard military salute, "Director Song and General Chen, please come up." car."
With him back to Chongqing were Mrs. Chiang and Song Ziwen¡¯s younger brother, Song Ziliang, director of the Southwest Transportation Department of the Military Commission. Since he is not just a part-time employee like Mr. Chen, he also has the position of Major General Director of the 28th Replenishment Training Division of the Ministry of Military Affairs, so outsiders generally refer to him as "director".
Perhaps because of Young Master Chen's professionalism, or perhaps Young Master Chen is indeed a commendable person, Song Ziliang and he hit it off, so after reaching a consensus on the issue of Yunnan-Burma road transportation, Song Ziliang decided to go back with him to accept questioning and meet with Chiang Kai-shek. Chairman.
Only one car came to the attendant's room. Song Ziliang couldn't help but frowned. He turned around and looked at Master Chen. He pointed at Liang Yugao, Chen Shangwen and others who were getting off the plane and said, "Consultant Liu, please go find another one." A truck, we have something to give to the commissioner."
Uncle Guo's words were orders. Staff Liu did not dare to neglect and immediately nodded, "Yes, Director Song."
The two of them leaned over and got into the back seat of the car. Song Ziliang couldn't help but smile and said: "Director Chen, you made the plan. You will be the protagonist later."
Killing three and a half senior generals of the Japanese Army was not really a credit to Young Master Chen. Without thinking, he shook his head and said: "Director Song, you are the head of the Transportation Department, it is more appropriate for you to report. Besides, it¡¯s my first time to meet with a committee member, so I¡¯ll inevitably be a little nervous. If I don¡¯t express myself well, it will ruin things.¡±
As one of the most trusted people in the highest authority, Song Ziliang was not ignorant of the news that the Military Commission planned to rectify the Southwest Transportation and establish a Transportation Control Bureau. Thinking that the report later would be related to the future of the Transportation Department, his face straightened and became extremely serious. He said: "Director Chen, although you have just taken office not long ago, no one in the entire transportation department knows the Burma Highway better than you. And you have little interaction with all aspects, so your report will be more convincing than me."
The people who are waiting to meet are not only Chairman Chiang, but also Chairman of the National Government Lin Sen, Chief of General Staff He Yingqin, Minister of Military and Political Affairs Chen Cheng, Vice President of the Executive Yuan Kong Xiangxi, and brothers Chen Lifu and Chen Guofu. , almost all the high-profile bosses of the National Government were waiting for them in Huangshan, which shows how much the highest authorities attach great importance to southwest transportation.
This might be an opportunity to win the support of the higher-ups. Young Master Chen gritted his teeth and agreed: "Okay then, I will report first, and you will make up for the shortcomings."
It was already eight o'clock in the evening when we arrived at Huangshan's official residence. Young Master Chen, who was following Song Ziliang, was a little uneasy. After all, he was about to face famous figures in history. If he hadn't dealt with Wang Jingwei for nearly a year, he would really not Know if you're going to make a fool of yourself.
Chairman Chiang, who had just finished dinner, was talking in a low voice to an old man in the living room. He Yingqin, whom he had met once before, was sitting with him. He took off his glasses to clean them, feeling a little absent-minded. Next to him is a fat, short general. Without asking, he knows that he is the general who "knows politics best", Chen Cheng.
Brothers Chen Lifu, Chen Guofu and Kong Xiangxi were sitting by the door. One was wearing a black Mao suit, and the other two were in suits and ties like Song Ziliang. In the history books of the Chinese dynasty, the three of them are dispensable supporting characters. There are not even any photos. There are no special actors in TV sets and movies. So who are they? Young Master Chen is really right. No number.
"Mr. Lin, please take a seat, we are back."
Song Ziliang bowed slightly towards Chairman Chiang and Lin Sen, then stepped aside and saw everyone looking at him up and down with half-smiling smiles. Young Master Chen quickly stood at attention and saluted, "Deputy Director, Major General, Southwest Transportation Division, Military Commission Chen Jizu was ordered to come and ask for instructions from Chairman Lin, Chairman Chiang and other senior officials!¡±
"It's better to hear once than to see once. It turns out that a hero comes from a young age!" Chairman Chiang stood up and took a picture.Patting him on the arm, he said with a smile in Ningbo Mandarin: "You have been tired all the way. Are you hungry? Why don't you go eat something first and report back after eating."
"Thank you for your consideration, I will not be hungry even though I am in a humble position."
"People are like iron rice and steel. If you don't eat one meal, you will feel hungry. How can you not be hungry after sitting on a plane for a long time?"
"The committee members and senior officials have many things to deal with every day, and time is extremely precious. We must not delay national affairs because of our humble duties."
His attitude was neither humble nor arrogant, and his voice was full of confidence. He didn't look like the playboy in the rumors. Chairman Jiang nodded slightly, and then asked with interest: "Director Chen, I heard that you have something to give me? "
"Yes, seat."
As soon as Master Chen finished speaking, Song Ziliang asked the attendant officer to bring Chen Shangwen and his secretary in. The four of them were busy for about ten minutes. They drew a paper with the altitude, mileage, factories, stations, warehouses and important bridges along the line, A very large scale map of the pass was displayed in front of everyone. To Chairman Chiang's surprise, two large boxes were placed at the feet of Chen Shangwen and Secretary Wang. The boxes were filled with truck models carved from wood.
Just as everyone was looking at each other, Master Chen grabbed a slender wooden stick and pointed at the map at his feet and introduced: "Chairman Lin, Chairman Chiang, sirs, what you all see is an ordinary map. The Yunnan-Myanmar Highway transportation map is only on a slightly larger scale. As you can see, the transportation methods and means of transportation on the Yunnan-Myanmar Line are different in different sections. The source is naturally Yangon, which is not a big port. However, its throughput is much greater than that of the railway. The monthly storage of materials transported by our office is about 50,000 to 60,000 tons; the distance from Yangon to Pharong is 885.3 kilometers, mainly railway transportation, and the daily transportation volume is about 800 tons. Around 20,000 tons per month on average;
It is 217 kilometers from Larong to Zhefang. There is no railway and the round trip takes 4 days. Due to the good distance and road conditions, the vehicle turnover is fast, but the monthly transportation volume is only 5,000 tons, which is very different from the railway transportation volume; Zhefang to Kunming is 936.5 kilometers long and takes at least 13 days to go back and forth. Due to the long route and poor road conditions, the transfer of materials is even slower. "
As Chen Shangwen placed the wood representing the backlog of supplies into various warehouses along the line according to size, representing the backlog quantity, Mr. Chen concluded: "It can be seen from this that from Yangon via the Yangon-La Railway, the Lacha Highway, and the Yunnan-Burma Highway The front line is shaped like a funnel. The transportation volume in the overseas section is increasing, but the transportation volume in the domestic section is weak. There is a huge difference. If we want tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of tons of materials not to be backlogged abroad like now, we must increase transportation vehicles and personnel and improve transportation. efficiency, and completely solve the urgent problem of unbalanced transportation volume on various road sections.¡±
Everyone knows that transportation in the southwest is chaotic, but they can¡¯t explain where the chaos is. Master Chen used this method to display the entire Yunnan-Myanmar road transportation in front of him, and he could immediately understand the problem.
Chairman Jiang could not help but bend down, pointing to Yangon and Zhefang on the map where ten large wooden blocks were piled, and asked solemnly: "Then have you formulated any practical improvement measures?"
"Yes, but it requires the support of the committee and the officers."
Mr. Chen pointed to the thick red line representing the highway and said: "First of all, we must admit that there are indeed problems in the operation of this office. First, the formation is relatively hasty, the organization is not yet sound, and the management is not strict and scientific enough. When it was established, it did not have its own vehicles. The vehicles did not arrive until the materials were delivered to the country, and then unpacking and assembly began. However, there was a shortage of skilled drivers, so we had to recruit drivers from various places, and repairs were done after the vehicles were running;
Secondly, most senior officials work part-time. Such as Director Zeng when it was first established, Director Chen of the Guangdong-Hankong Railway Group, and Director Yao of the Water Transport Group. Therefore, there is a lack of long-term planning for transportation work. After the headquarters moved to Kunming, each branch office tried its best to use its transportation capacity. While striving to complete the transportation tasks, it also initially formed a situation of independence in the border area. Due to the reversal of the war, tight tasks, frequent and gradual changes in organization and personnel, rules and regulations It still needs to be improved, the personnel come from different sources, and the shortcomings are gradually emerging.
Frequent reorganizations have also caused disorder and confusion in internal functions. Taking the Coastal Defense Department as an example, it has gone through 8 reorganizations since its establishment in November of the 26th year of the Republic of China. From the initial three departments to the current 14 stocks not only failed to improve transportation efficiency, but instead focused mainly on organizational and personnel adjustments, budget preparation and business handover. The procedures between various departments and stocks were numerous, time-consuming, and brought a lot of inconvenience to transportation. . "
This is a problem of the Transportation Department and the Military Commission. Young Master Chen pointed it out to the point, making everyone realize that Song Ziliang was determined to rectify the situation internally. At the same time, a new question is raised. If the internal rectification is successful, is it still necessary to establish the Transportation Control Bureau of the Military Commission?
"It's good to retreat in order to advance," Chen Guofu showed a casual smile.
At this time, Master Chen continued: "Internal rectification is one aspect, but more importantly, how can we improve transportation under the existing conditions?"Rate? We plan to make a fuss about cars and people in the next month. In view of the backwardness of the domestic automobile industry, all vehicles come from abroad and have different brands, models, load capacities and fuel types, which are particularly difficult to use and maintain. Therefore, we plan to adopt the method of transporting two people in one vehicle and two people in the vehicle at the same time. .
The so-called two people in a car means that a car is equipped with two drivers, who can stop and stop, saving half the round trip time and doubling the transportation volume; the car and the people are transported in sections at the same time, which means that the car and the people are relatively familiar with each other. Although a little time is wasted on loading and unloading when traveling to and from road sections, it can avoid accidents such as overturning and falling off cliffs caused by unfamiliar road conditions, and can reduce the pressure on repairs and maintenance, and reduce the downtime rate to a minimum. "
I have to admit that this is indeed a way to provide transportation capacity. He Yingqin thought for a moment and couldn't help but asked softly: "Director Chen, there is no problem in transporting people in sections at the same time, but how do you plan to solve the problem of two people in one car?"
"Reporting to Sir He, I have reached a consensus on this issue with the Federation of Malayan Societies before I came here. While Chairman Yang organized Nanyang drivers and mechanics to return to work in China, he also visited Penang, Singapore and Batavia, etc. Driving schools have been set up in various places to train the road transport personnel that our department urgently needs.¡±
Not very sure that they would not praise this Haikou in front of themselves. Chairman Jiang nodded slightly and said nonchalantly: "Go on, what other measures do you have besides this? Can you improve the transport capacity?" After doubling, increase the transportation volume again?¡±
"have!"
Young Master Chen was categorical, pointing to several bridges on the map and said: "The widest part of the Yunnan-Burma Highway is more than ten meters, and the narrowest part is less than five meters. Plus the bridges along the line, one bridge is more than ten kilometers long, and the other is three to five kilometers long." It happens all the time when we are young. Director Song and I agreed that it is necessary to organize the transportation agencies running on the Burma Highway into convoys and equip them with a truck equipped with emergency repair equipment, spare parts and radios to be ready at any time. Understand its operation trends, plan its operation speed and time like railway transportation, and avoid congestion as much as possible.
At the same time, we work closely with local highway agencies to form a communication network connecting factories, stations, warehouses, and teams to ensure smooth roads and make maximum use of this road built with the sweat and blood of hundreds of thousands of Yunnan people; in addition, for The Military Industry Administration, the Munitions Administration, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, and the Navigation Commission have made some adjustments to the way of receiving and warehousing goods, from Baoshan and Xiaguan to Kunming to ensure that the road from Xiaguan to Kunming is smooth. "
This means that the Southwest Transportation Department not only has no intention of making a fuss about inspecting smuggling, but instead gives the green light to all kinds of transportation agencies. As long as you obey the dispatch, you can continue to make great fortunes in the country. Of course, the vehicle model must also comply with the regulations of the Department of Transportation. Those classic cars and charcoal cars must no longer be on the road.
There is no doubt that this is the best solution that can be thought of at present. After all, blocking is worse than opening up. If we insist on insisting on smuggling, not only will we not be able to solve the problem, but it will create more problems.
Chairman Jiang weighed it up, turned around and asked, "Mr. Lin, what do you think?"
The top priority is to transport thousands of tons of supplies backlogged abroad. Of course, Lin Sen has no objection, so he smiled and said, "Director Chen is young and promising, and he can come up with such a foolproof strategy. I have no objection. "
Kong Xiangxi also realized that it was time for him to take a stand. Thinking that his Transportation Office of the Executive Yuan and his son's transportation company would also benefit, he immediately blurted out: "I have no objection either."
To everyone's surprise, Song Ziliang, who had been deep in thought, suddenly intervened, "Commissioner, in view of the fact that after the implementation of segmented transportation, the transshipment and loading and unloading volume of various stations and warehouses in Myanmar will increase dramatically, I suggest that the 28th Supplement The officers and soldiers of the Training Division were merged into the Transportation Division, responsible for escorting, road protection, and loading and unloading outside the national border. At the same time, a China-Myanmar Transportation Headquarters was established in Baoshan. Director Chen was fully responsible for the transportation from Yangon to Kunming, and from Kunming to Guiyang and Chongqing. I will be responsible for the transportation to other places.¡±
Chairman Jiang and Chen Cheng looked at each other and said resolutely: "One and a half months, I'll give you one and a half months. If the transportation capacity can be doubled, then nothing will be a problem!"
The implication is very clear. As long as the Transportation Department can really do what it says, Master Chen's subordinates can not only be merged into the Transportation Department, but even the Transportation Control Bureau will not be established again. Song Ziliang was overjoyed and immediately vowed: "Please Don¡¯t worry, we will live up to your expectations.¡±