novelSusiti Chapter 88 Military Supplies Profiteering
Chapter 88 Military Supplies Profiteering
In the US military camp, Connor lay back in a wicker chair, legs crossed high, and said slowly, "Chen, you should know that it's the rainy season now. Luzon is full of low hills and muddy ground. Bicycles will only slow down the march and are a complete burden."
"The rain will eventually stop."
Chen Feng smiled, having already figured out the old fox's concerns.
For this guy, the real problem was never practicality, but rather that the benefits weren't big enough to tempt him.
He calmly offered his bait: "We'll give you 20% of the bicycle factory, net profit sharing, and transparent accounting."
Connor didn't even lift his eyelids, casually swirling his coffee cup, before slowly asking after a long pause, "What's the price? What's the monthly production capacity? When can we start supplying?"
"Frank told me that the retail price of a bicycle in the United States is $45, and the shipping cost to Luzon is an additional $15, making it a total of $60 per bicycle."
Chen Feng spoke confidently and calmly as he reported the figures: "My costs are under control. The price is $30, and the monthly production is 500 vehicles. We can officially start supplying them next month."
"Oh?"
Connor sat up abruptly, instantly putting his legs down. The laziness in his eyes vanished, and his mind raced with calculations.
After a long pause, he looked up at Chen Feng, his tone ruthless: "I'm applying for full equipment for the Marine Corps under the guise of wartime emergency supplies, priced at $45, and I want 40% of the shares!"
"I'll handle things with the Army; I can get at least 3000 orders. But your production capacity needs to keep up. The first batch must be delivered by the end of the month, otherwise I can't discuss subsequent orders with those people in the War Department."
Chen Feng's lips twitched, and he cursed inwardly.
That's really shady!
This old bastard is indeed one to wait for a sure thing; he wanted to take nearly half the profits as soon as he opened his mouth, as if he would negotiate any terms as long as he wasn't forced to betray the country.
The Marine Corps currently has 2,000 personnel in Luzon, and with the Army's order for 3000 vehicles, the total is 5000 vehicles. At a price of $45 per vehicle, the total sales could reach $225,000.
The cost of a bicycle, including raw materials, labor, and space, would not exceed $15, meaning this deal could earn at least $15.
After deducting the 40% stake given to Connor, he would still have $90,000 left.
This profit is comparable to seizing gold, enough to allow the Free Army to further grow and develop!
Seeing Chen Feng staring at the table without replying, Connor assumed he thought the shareholding was too high and quickly added, "Chen, asking for 40% of the shares isn't too much. Those greedy guys in the Army War Department can't get orders without some benefits. I have to give them 20% to bribe, so I'll only actually get 20% myself. You've met Commissioner Smith; you know just how big their appetites are."
Chen Feng pretended to grit his teeth in pain, his cheeks puffing out slightly, before finally saying fiercely, "Fine! I'll expand the factory and recruit workers immediately, and deliver the first batch of goods by the end of the month. I won't delay your business at all."
"It's a pleasure to work with you!" A hint of elation flashed in Connor's eyes, and he quickly extended his hand to shake hands firmly with Chen Feng.
After leaving the US military camp, it was already much brighter, and sporadic coughs could be heard from the sentries in the distance.
Chen Feng didn't dare to wander around, after all, this was within the Independent Army's territory, and every second he stayed outside increased the risk.
He strode across the street and headed straight for the hotel where he was staying.
As soon as I reached the hotel entrance, I caught a glimpse of a familiar figure in the corner of the restaurant.
Aoki Nobuyuki was sipping wine alone, barely touching his plate. His expression betrayed a weariness he couldn't hide, but a hint of malice lurked in his eyes.
"Chen Sang, want to have a drink?" The old devil immediately put on a fake smile when he saw him, raised his hand to greet him warmly, and spoke as familiarly as if he were an old friend of many years.
Since he still owed them a loan, Chen Feng immediately put on a smile and walked over to sit down opposite them: "Mr. Aoki, you don't look too good. What's bothering you?"
Aoki Nobuyuki avoided answering, instead changing the subject and probing, "I heard that the Spanish Church and the Independence Army are both trying to win you over. What conditions have they offered? Chen is a rising star in Luzon now, and all sorts of forces want to curry favor with him."
"I'll help whoever gives Chinese people enough political status," Chen Feng said with a smile, trying to be perfunctory.
A hint of helplessness flashed in Aoki Nobuyuki's eyes as he raised his glass and said slowly, "Let's not talk about that. The mining equipment you ordered has already been shipped from Yokohama and will arrive in Luzon by the end of the month. The US military has opened a trade route for you; will the equipment be shipped to Manila Port, or Cavite?"
Neither of these places will do!
Manila is still in Spanish hands. Traveling to Cavite by land would require passing through downtown Manila, which is too risky and could easily be intercepted.
Chen Feng pulled out a map and pointed to the beach where he first met Connor: "We'll ship it here. I've named it Guiyan Beach. We've already had a small dock built overnight, big enough to unload the cargo."
Aoki Nobuyuki was very familiar with the hydrology of the Luzon coast. He looked down at the map for a moment, then pointed to the beach: "This is a shallow area, not suitable for large merchant ships. We can only use barges for transshipment. However, the equipment you ordered has been disassembled into parts and is not very bulky, so we can manage it."
"As long as it can be transferred, that's fine!" Chen Feng nodded slightly.
Before Wang Liang set off, he had instructed that Chinese immigrants be transported here.
The prisoners are now repairing the road. If another batch of native prisoners is captured tonight, it will take at most ten days to build a dirt road that can be traveled by horse-drawn carriages. It's just a matter of leveling hills and filling ditches. There's no need to cut through mountains and build bridges, so it's not very difficult.
Aoki Nobuyuki put down his wine glass, his tone carrying a hint of reminder but actually a hidden threat: "When the first batch of equipment arrives, that's when you'll pay your first interest payment. You'd better be prepared! Don't let it ruin our relationship if you can't come up with the money then."
"certainly!"
Chen Feng laughed, his tone relaxed, "If I can't pay the interest when the time comes, you can just take the iron ore to pay off the debt, and I won't say a word."
A glint of greed flashed in Aoki Nobuyuki's eyes, but he shook his head insincerely: "I have always engaged in legitimate trade and do not get involved in manufacturing. Taking iron ore is useless to me. I still hope that Mr. Chen can fulfill the contract on time, so that we can cooperate and achieve a win-win situation."
That old Japanese devil never tells a single truth!
Chen Feng chuckled inwardly, then stood up and said, "I need to go back to my room now. You can drink slowly."
Aoki Nobuyuki didn't try to stop him. He just watched his back as the fake smile on his face gradually faded, his gaze deepened, and a hint of ruthlessness appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Chen Feng had just returned to his room, and before he even sat down, there was a rapid knocking on the door.
Qian Biao hadn't returned from contacting the intelligence personnel yet, so Pang Li immediately put down his book, walked quickly to the door, and cautiously asked, "Who is it?" He only opened the door after receiving a response.
Yoho!
There are so many people here!
Zheng Mingsong, Lu Na, Liu Hengfu, and Shi Lingxi entered one after another, filling the small room to the brim.
Chen Feng's gaze paused for a moment, then he pointed to the small sofa in the reception area: "The space is small, please make do with yourselves."
After saying that, he took the initiative to sit on the edge of the bed, giving the few chairs available to the guest.
It's unclear what Shi Lingxi was thinking, but when she finally entered the room, she went straight to the bedside and sat down next to Chen Feng, their shoulders almost touching, so close that they could feel each other's body temperature.
Chen Feng sniffed, and a faint jasmine scent filled his nostrils, fresh and elegant, making him unable to resist daydreaming.
He quickly composed himself, subtly shifting his position slightly to the side to create some distance, and said in a deep voice, "The fact that you all arrived together so early in the morning clearly indicates that Aquinas's offer was not good enough."
The four exchanged glances, each with a different expression.
Zheng Mingsong remained calm, Lu Na frowned, and Liu Hengfu remained silent.
In the end, it was Shi Lingxi, being a woman, who spoke first, her voice clear and sincere: "General Chen, the conditions offered by Aquinado are indeed not the best!"
Six seats for members of parliament, five years of tax breaks, and an autonomous region for Balangai and the surrounding mountainous areas.
But I think this is the limit of what the Chinese can achieve under the current circumstances. Continuing to argue further might completely enrage the Tagalog people, and would ultimately be counterproductive.