Chapter 2795
French Merchants
Chapter 2795 French Merchants
Tianjin Wharf.
Woo woo
The sound of a ship's horn came from the distant sea, and then spread in all directions with the undulating waves.
The area around the dock has been taken over by the Ninth Security Division. Not only is it forbidden to approach the dock, but also boats are prohibited from sailing in the surrounding waters.
The entire dock was placed under lockdown.
At the dock, Yang Xiaotao and Liang Zuoxin were chatting about helicopters.
When Liang Zuoxin heard that the helicopter had been built, he thought about contributing some assets to the security department.
Yang Xiaotao did not give a direct answer to Liang Zuoxin's request, but told him to find a few people who could fly helicopters first.
Liang Zuoxin then realized that flying a helicopter was not nearly as difficult as driving an armored vehicle.
The two chatted casually, with the factory directors and secretaries from the Tianjin TV and electronics factories, as well as local leaders, behind them.
They dared not approach and could only talk from behind.
Even so, it is an honor to be able to stand here today.
Ordinary people can't even get in.
At this moment, everyone looked up at the distant sea upon hearing the ship's horn.
Then a huge cargo ship appeared in front of them, followed by two gunboats, and a tall figure in the distance.
Liang Zuoxin picked up the binoculars and took a look, then clicked his tongue twice, "Is this the Li Guang Hao? It doesn't look that big!"
"I heard that our largest ship right now is the Weiqing. I wonder how big it is!"
Looking through his binoculars, Yang Xiaotao first saw the camel flag hanging on the cargo ship, then his line of sight extended to the Li Guang ship behind it.
If nothing unexpected happens, the person above should be Zhang Kangzhan.
I wonder if I'll have a chance to meet him this time.
Thinking this, upon hearing Liang Zuoxin's words, he immediately smiled and said, "This is already quite large."
"No matter how much more steel we get, just one Weiqing ship almost emptied the Sixth Ministry of Machinery Industry's coffers."
Liang Zuoxin nodded silently. These days, no one has it easy.
It's already quite an achievement to be able to assemble three missile cruisers.
After all, there's only one like Jiubu in China.
"It must have been tough on them!"
Liang Zuoxin sighed, but Yang Xiaotao shook his head inwardly.
If this guy knew that the Sixth Ministry of Machine Building had a construction plan related to Emperor Gaozu of Han, he probably wouldn't have made such a remark.
Withdrawing his gaze and putting down the binoculars, Yang Xiaotao's expression turned serious.
"The ship's here, time to get to work!"
Liang Zuoxin nodded and waved, and the security personnel waiting in the armored vehicle behind him immediately stepped forward to carry out their guard duties.
Meanwhile, the convoy parked on the side of the road quickly started up and began warming up their engines.
The logistics personnel who came with the convoy put on gloves and prepared for the operation after Chen Gong's repeated instructions.
Chen Gong glanced at it, then approached Yang Xiaotao and, watching the cargo ship approach, asked impatiently, "Wasn't this thing supposed to be handed over to the Sixth and Seventh Ministries of Machinery Industry?"
"How come it's become our turn to take over again?"
Chen Gong has been extremely busy lately, with the year-end inventory check underway. Under Zhao Gang's leadership, the internal audit department is unstoppable.
He dared not be careless.
In addition, the Spring Festival performance is coming up soon, and we need to prepare prizes.
We also have to receive supplies from Hong Kong, and we have to keep an eye on everything from the warehouse to the goods.
One thing after another weighed on his mind, making him very irritable.
Yang Xiaotao sighed upon hearing this, "Who knows? This is Old Chen's idea."
Upon hearing this, Chen Gong dared not say anything more, but simply tightened his coat even more.
Thinking back to the phone call he received yesterday, Yang Xiaotao said the same thing to Old Chen.
Busy, too busy!
As a result, Old Chen simply said, "No matter how busy I am, I have to go."
But when Yang Xiaotao tried to ask what he was going to do, Old Chen didn't say anything, just told him to come and he would understand when the time came.
Understand what?
Yang Xiaotao stood there in the cold wind for a long time, still not understanding anything.
Could it be that the Ninth Department is going to do it?
Wasn't it agreed that it would be given to the Sixth and Seventh Ministries of Machine Building?
Yang Xiaotao took off his hat and smoothed his somewhat long hair, thinking about finding time to get a haircut.
Shorter is still more satisfying.
The three stood in front of the dock, with groups of busy workers behind them, waiting for the cargo ship to dock.
On the cargo ship.
Old Hong sat calmly in the captain's cockpit, legs crossed.
But whenever his gaze swept over the middle-aged man talking and chatting with Faisal, he felt a sense of unease.
This was a white man who was nearly 1.9 meters tall, with short, curly brown hair and light blue eyes set in deep sockets, making his nose appear even more prominent.
I had never seen this person when I was in Japan.
Faisal only appeared beside him after boarding the cargo ship entered domestic waters and during an inspection.
According to Faisal, the man was a merchant, a ship merchant.
But he always had a feeling that this person was not simple.
He also inquired about the man's identity from Faisal, but Faisal only said that the man was a merchant.
As to where the merchant was from, Faisal was vague, sometimes saying he was from France, sometimes saying he had worked in Britain, and that he had also been to several places in the Union.
I met them on the Japanese island this time, so I took them out for a ride on the ship.
When asked what kind of business the other party was in, Faisal dodged the question, but later said directly that it was related to oil.
But his intuition told him that this person was definitely not simple.
Moreover, the more you observe it, the more familiar it feels.
That's the taste of veterans who came from the battlefields of Goryeo.
Meanwhile, not far from the bow of the ship, Faisal stood beside the middle-aged man, shorter than him, looking like an adult leading a child.
"Mr. Dawson, we've arrived!"
Faisal spoke softly, but with great respect.
The middle-aged man hummed in response, his expression calm.
But inside him, there was a turbulent and restless atmosphere.
For him personally, setting foot on this land is perhaps just a breakthrough.
But behind him, there are even greater expectations.
However, he felt that such expectations were difficult to realize.
I can't not come.
Just as the telegram I received before my departure stated.
This is a country that accounts for a quarter of the world's population, and a nation whose civilization has never ceased.
It would be unwise to antagonize such a behemoth that stands in the East!
Behind this telegram were a series of development achievements of the other side.
From the mushroom-shaped egg that shocked the world to the resounding "The East Is Red" across the sky.
There are also continuous achievements in military and technological fields.
Today, its economic development is even more rapid, and it is incredibly powerful.
Such a nation, a nation that is striding forward, should not linger outside the core of the world.
Otherwise, the core of the world will shift, potentially even affecting the establishment of a new order.
So, he came this time.
I set foot on this land as a businessman.
It's just business.
Whether the deal will go through and what the other party's attitude will be are all unknowns.
He took a deep breath, then nodded gently. "Faisal, thank you for your company!"
"I'll have to trouble you this time!"
Faisal shook his head and smiled, "It's my honor to serve you!"
Dawson smiled, then looked at Old Hong, who was sitting not far away, with his legs crossed, quietly watching out the window.
Dawson took a deep breath, then smiled at Faisal and said, "You go ahead and get busy."
Faisal glanced at the other man, then caught a glimpse of Old Hong not far away, and nodded, "Yes, sir."
After Faisal left, Dawson walked towards Old Hong. "Mind sitting here?"
Dawson's voice came through, and Old Hong looked surprised.
He had actually noticed the other person walking here, and was even more surprised when the other person said that Chinese phrase.
"Of course, no problem!"
Old Hong reacted quickly, then watched Dawson sit down.
"Hello, Mr. Hong."
You can call me Dawson!
Seeing the middle-aged man sitting down opposite him, Lao Hong also became interested.
At this point, it's definitely not a simple matter for the other party to come looking for you.
Are you surprised? Surprised that I can speak Chinese?
Dawson smiled and spoke, and Old Hong nodded, "Yes, I'm very surprised by that."
"However, I'm more surprised by your identity!"
Dawson's smile faded, but he still appeared indifferent. "You know, as a businessman, it's essential to learn another language; it helps in achieving cooperation."
"As for your identity, I need to reintroduce myself!"
Dawson sat up straight and said with a slightly serious expression, "My name is Florent Dahl Dawson!"
"He's a French businessman!"
After saying that, Dawson took out an ID card from his pocket.
Old Hong only glanced at it and didn't pay any attention to it. If this thing were useful, there wouldn't have been so many good citizen certificates back then!
Then I thought of the situation in China, where foreigners nowadays have to go through layers of screening before they can enter the country.
Moreover, after entering, they will need to move to a designated location and will be accompanied by a dedicated person.
"A French merchant? Doesn't seem like it!"
Old Hong said with a smile that he was not afraid of any trouble from the other party, especially since this was his own territory.
"Doesn't it look like it? Oh, maybe my outfit is too formal!"
Dawson chuckled softly, noticing the sharp eyes of the Chinese man opposite him, who was about the same age.
Although he didn't speak much and Faisal mentioned him a few times, through this brief encounter, it was clear that the aura he exuded was far from that of an ordinary person.
"No, no, no, I didn't mean you don't look like a businessman."
Old Hong interrupted with a laugh, then pointed to the other man's eyes, "I mean, you don't look like a French businessman!"
Dawson raised an eyebrow. "Why do you say that? If I'm not a French businessman, then where else could I be?"
Old Hong smiled knowingly, "I'm not sure exactly where, but you give me a feeling, a very familiar feeling."
"What does it feel like?"
Dawson became even more curious, but Old Hong's expression suddenly turned extremely serious.
"A feeling of being a mortal enemy on the battlefield in Goryeo."
Instantly, Dawson felt a chill run down his spine, and the smile on his face froze, only to melt away like ice in an instant.
Seeing Lao Hong nod and smile, he said, "Oh, you mean that place? Haha!"
“You’re right, I have been there, but I was always working in logistics.”
"The war is over, but I haven't even set foot on the front lines yet!"
"You find that funny, don't you!"
Old Hong chuckled and nodded, "Yes, it is indeed laughable."
"Because I'm also in logistics, I've never been to the front lines."
The two of them smiled again at this point.
After a moment, Old Hong asked again, "Why would a big businessman like you come here?"
Dawson shrugged. "Of course, it's for higher profits!"
Old Hong nodded; this fit the image of the other party as a capitalist.
"so what?"
Old Hong gestured for the other person to continue, since approaching him wouldn't be a simple greeting.
Dawson understood what Lao Hong meant, and then leaned back on the sofa, "So, naturally, we want better cooperation!"
Saying those words made Dawson feel much lighter.
"I hope you can help introduce me to your leader."
"I am very interested in your photocopier, game console, and calculator."
"You may not know this, but the price of the game consoles that leave your store doubles after transiting through Hong Kong."
"The price will double again once the goods are transported to their final destination."
“In this situation, all the profits are taken by the middlemen, while you can only offer the factory price, which is very unfair.”
"Or rather, this is not the best option for you."
"And I can provide better sales channels and offer you higher ex-factory prices!"
"Of course, what we need is all the proxy rights of the United States..."
Dawson tried his best to present himself as a businessman while observing Old Hong's expression, but the other party maintained a smiling face throughout, making it impossible to discern his true attitude.
However, as Dawson observed Lao Hong, Lao Hong became even more convinced of the other party's identity.
This is a United States citizen.
Or rather, his current identity is that of a French businessman from the United States.
He couldn't discern the other party's purpose, but at least for now, it seemed they were there to do business.
But for an American to come to China, especially smuggled in via a third-party ship, is...
If this were a pure businessman, that would be truly bizarre.
There is nothing pure in this world.
Everything has its own reason for existing and happening.
The two mentally sized each other up, then each put on a smile.
The conversation between the two ended only after the ship docked at the shore. Dawson slowly stood up and extended his right hand. "Mr. Hong, I would be extremely grateful if you could introduce me to someone!"
Old Hong also stood up and shook the other person's hand, "We are open about our business and have done a lot of business with you French people. As long as it is sincere, we will consider it."
"that would be great!"
Dawson clenched his fist tightly. "I've come with the utmost sincerity this time."
"I can feel it!"
After saying this, the two smiled and nodded, then left to disembark.
On the dock.
As Yang Xiaotao watched the figures coming down one after another, he saw Faisal and quickly went up to greet him.
"Yang, it's been a long time!"
After Faisal disembarked, he saw Yang Xiaotao and immediately went up to him, quickly taking a few steps before giving him a hug.
"Faisal, long time no see, you've gotten even stronger!"
"Haha, I really ate my fill on this trip to Japan!"
Faisal then leaned close to Yang Xiaotao's ear and whispered, "Those guys are awful. They actually sent two men over at night. It's such an insult!"
Yang Xiaotao laughed and said, "I guess they might have misunderstood."
Faisal shrugged. "So I added another ten percent to the original amount."
Yang Xiaotao raised an eyebrow. "You're so dark-skinned, they'd probably be so scared they'd kneel down and beg for mercy if they saw you!"
Faisal immediately nodded like a chicken pecking at rice, "Yes, yes, you're absolutely right. They're just a bunch of scoundrels who fear power but don't appreciate kindness. The harsher you are with them, the more respect they show me."
"It's those bastards! I'm a man!"
Faisal spoke angrily, and Yang Xiaotao burst into laughter.
This guy was naturally 'unyielding' in order to complete the mission, while the Japanese, in order to preserve their strength, naturally used all sorts of tricks.
However, they delivered two burly men that night.
He could guess what expressions the two burly men would have when they appeared in his bed at night.
Xiao Rizi's thought process is truly refreshing and unconventional.
After the two met, Yang Xiaotao went up to Lao Hong and said, "I'll give you a month's leave!"
Old Hong chuckled dismissively, "Come on, it's almost Chinese New Year and you're on holiday, are you not planning to give me a bonus?"
Chen Gong and the others behind him laughed, and then the two hugged tightly.
"Welcome home!"
"Thank you!"