Rise From Eight Hundred

The deposit slip that Tang Dao took out was naturally the deposit slip for the German-equipped division that Commander Wu gave to Tang Dao.

The deposit slip with the seal of Krupp Far East Branch and the value of up to 1 million US dollars made Lou Dehua messy in the wind for a long time, and then he let go of Tang Dao's hand with a bitter smile: "Colonel Tang Dao, in your Chinese language, you are really too bad. I know how bad Okabe Saburo felt when negotiating with you."

The deposit slip in Tang Dao's hand was naturally familiar to Lou Dehua. This was one of Krupp's large arms orders in the Far East. The most terrible thing is that the goods have arrived a long time ago, but no one has paid the balance to pick up the goods.

Although the "owner" suddenly appeared now, the 15% discount instantly offset the original joy.

"Haha, my friend, don't you think this is another kind of mutual help? If no one can pay the follow-up payment, the large amount of equipment that your company has worked so hard to transport from thousands of miles away can only lie in the warehouse to rot and mold. The deposit of a million US dollars may not be enough for your company's loss!" Tang Dao laughed and replied.

"No, no, if my company transports this batch of arms back to China, it will also recover funds and will not suffer losses. It will never be like what you think, Colonel Tang Dao." Lou Dehua said angrily.

This is also the last stubbornness of this businessman. Otherwise, the 15% discount he promised before would make him feel painful. The total amount of the entire order is as high as 3 million US dollars, which means he has to give up 450,000 US dollars!

What is the concept of 450,000 US dollars in this era? Comparing the value of guns and cannons may not reflect the purchasing power of hundreds of thousands of US dollars. Take the Hornet aircraft carrier launched by the American cowboys in early 1938, which cost only 31.8 million US dollars.

This almost means that Lou Dehua opened his mouth and said that the USS Hornet was gone. How could Lou Dehua not hold on? Now, let alone friends, I am afraid that even his wife would not admit it.

"Hehe, I remember that this batch of equipment has been shipped to our country for almost half a year! With the current replacement speed of your army, Mr. Lou Dehua, do you think that after your company ships it back from a long distance, there will be an army division that will not despise this kind of broken copper and rotten iron?" Tang Dao smiled lightly. "Besides, based on my understanding of the Germanic people, they are one of the most trustworthy people, much better than the greedy Greeks who only care about money."

"I am a German, of course, different from the greedy Greeks."

Seeing Tang Dao talking about this, Lou Dehua nodded in agreement.

The Hebrews, who are very good at business, have already aroused public anger in the German Empire, and are one of the reasons for the tragic liquidation in the future. Unfortunately, even Lou Dehua probably didn't expect that his first president would do such a thing and almost send the entire empire to hell.

"So! When a big customer comes to the door, the businessman is ready to run away with the goods?"

"No, no, the amount of this order is too large, which is beyond the authority of my Far East manager to dispose of it independently. If the funds are not recovered correctly, it will be difficult for me to explain to the head office.

Dear Colonel Tang Dao, if I do this, I am afraid that my dear nephew will kick me out of the family for embezzlement in a few years." Lou Dehua made a pitiful last resistance.

Tang Dao just smiled, but stopped talking.

He believed that his friend would find a way to make up for his promise.

This guy is simply a wolf with a grin! The brighter and warmer Tang Dao's smile, the more Lou Dehua's head buzzed.

After taking two puffs of his cigar to calm his thoughts, Lou Dehua finally made up his mind: "Let's do this! Because this is a long-established contract, in order to ensure the company's profits, the amount cannot be discounted, but I can help you transport it out of Tianjin to the HD area. From now on, I can't do anything and it's all up to you. All shipping costs are waived."

"Haha, deal!" Tang Dao laughed loudly.

This is the answer Tang Dao wanted most.

For Tang Dao, the most important thing is how to quietly transport this batch of weapons out of Tianjin, which is heavily guarded by the Japanese army. If it is transported by ants moving like he originally designed, I am afraid that this batch of equipment may not be transported to Taihang Mountains after the end of the war.

If possible, he is even willing to pay this businessman friend another one million US dollars for transportation.

"Huh~~~" Seeing Tang Dao's straightforward answer, Lou Dehua couldn't help wiping the cold sweat on his forehead, and finally made up for the deficit of hundreds of thousands of US dollars.

However, seeing Tang Dao's hearty smile, this shrewd businessman reacted instantly.

This is not right! It was he who had to take the risk to help transport hundreds of kilometers, so Tang Dao should thank him! Why is he acting like he got a big advantage from Tang Dao?

"However, dear Colonel Tang Dao, do you have so much cash to pay? I remember that the total amount of this order is more than 3 million US dollars, which is worth about 13 million silver dollars in your country's most hard currency!

Also, Colonel Tang Dao, don't think of asking for the deposit of 1 million US dollars for the equipment. This is the overall purchase price. If you buy it separately, the price may increase by at least 30%. No, because of the increase in transportation, warehousing and other costs of our company, the price may increase by 100%." ​​Lou Dehua, who felt that he was cheated by Tang Dao, was determined to give Tang Dao a headache.

At least, he had to give Tang Dao, who seemed to know everything, a headache.

No matter how smart the mind is, this money is not created out of thin air.

Of course, more importantly, Lou Dehua needs to make sure whether Tang Dao is qualified to pay the balance. If not, no matter how much he regards Tang Dao as a friend, this batch of goods will not be given to Tang Dao.

This is the most basic principle of a businessman, and Lou Dehua will not violate it.

Just like his nephew, no matter how tightly he clings to the thigh of the little mustache leader, Krupp's profits must be guaranteed. After all, tens of thousands of employees of the company also need to eat, right?

"Mr. Lou Dehua can rest assured about this. Pick up the goods after the payment! The amount is still based on the contract signed in the past. I will not lose a penny from you, and you will not lose a bullet from me." Tang Dao promised solemnly. "Moreover, I hope that the cooperation with your company will not stop here. I will have more weapons and equipment that need to be customized from your company in the future."

"It's better not to have a next time. Just this transportation, my company has taken a huge risk. If it is discovered by the Japanese, it will be difficult for me to explain to them. Maybe they will not do anything to me, but our company's future business in China will be more difficult, and even the existing ones will be difficult to guarantee. The possibility of me being forced to go back is higher than 90%. "Lou Dehua looked bitter.

He was indeed a little impulsive just now. In order to make up for his previous promise, he thought of using the inspection-free pass to transport the weapons and equipment ordered by Tang Dao to the coal mine controlled by HD's own company through a special train carrying coal and iron.

But he just calmed down and thought that it was easy to transport to HD, but it was indeed more than 200 kilometers away from Taihang Mountain! The Chinese did not have trains or cars, and they relied on manpower transportation alone. The Japanese were not blind or stupid. How could they not associate it with Krupp?

Tang Dao was such a smart man. He knew what he was worried about at a glance at his face. It was nothing more than being discovered by the Japanese.

But if he could get through the Krupp line, it would be almost equivalent to getting through a military supply line from the sea to Tianjin and then to HD. How could Tang Dao give up?

"I can assure you, Mr. Lou Dehua, that as long as we arrive in the HD area, our army will be responsible for secretly and safely transporting it back from there, and your company will never be implicated." Tang Dao promised with a serious and solemn face.

"But what can you guarantee, Colonel Tang Dao?" There was no sarcasm in Lou Dehua's blue eyes, but it was full of distrust.

China has been losing ground on the battlefield in North China, and the area where he is now is already the last line of defense of the Chinese army in North China. As a result, Tang Dao vowed to guarantee that he could go deep into the Japanese-controlled area and transport the equipment of a reorganized infantry division back without anyone noticing. No normal person would believe it!

"Haha, I think Mr. Lou Dehua may have some misunderstandings about my current position. Yes, Tang is now just the head of an infantry regiment, but Tang still has close friendly forces, such as the 80th Army..." Tang Dao laughed.

"80th Army..." Lou Dehua was stunned for a few seconds, as if he had been enlightened.

Lou Dehua himself is an arms dealer, but he is not a fanatical military enthusiast. On the contrary, he prefers the humanities, but this does not mean that he has not heard of the name of the 80th Army of China.

In fact, anyone who has a little understanding of China's history in the past 20 years must know the army that was the predecessor of the 80th Army.

The establishment of a people's party, the establishment of the first working people's regime, the world-renowned strategic transfer of 10,000 kilometers, and the willingness to join the former mortal enemy to fight against the powerful enemy that invaded the motherland... are all miracles achieved by this army.

However, this does not add anything to the guarantee of Tang Dao. What really makes Lou Dehua believe in the strength of Tang Dao's guarantee is the performance of the 80th Army on the battlefield in North China.

It is this peasant army that has become the biggest worry of the Japanese army on the battlefield in North China.

They may not be so tough on the main battlefield, but when the Japanese divisions gathered on a large scale and marched forward, they broke up into small pieces and entered the rear of the Japanese army, forming a harassment operation that was not fatal but extremely painful to the Japanese logistics transportation.

Imagine that the main army is fighting hard in the front, and the rear transport team is also working hard to contribute to the front battle, transporting food and ammunition. As a result, they are frequently attacked, not only suffering heavy losses in personnel, but also suffering from the hijacking of food and ammunition and not being able to be transported to the front line. Wouldn't that commander have a splitting headache?

But what is more painful is that this group of peasant soldiers never acted on a large scale, with a maximum of thousands and a minimum of dozens of people. When they met a soft persimmon, they would squeeze it. When they met a hard one, they would either retreat to the mountains or hide in the civilian villages, making the Japanese North China Front Command's hundreds of thousands of troops useless like an elephant slapping a fly.

Now the 80th Army's troops harassing the Japanese army's rear are not only in Shanxi Province, but also in Hebei Province a few months ago. There are even reports of their activities in the Pingjin control area.

If this unit fully assists, it is indeed possible to complete this seemingly impossible task.

"If that's the case, I am quite interested in the follow-up cooperation you proposed, but that will have to be after you, Colonel Tang Dao, pay all the balance. My friend, you know, I am a serious businessman." Lou Dehua was completely relaxed at this time, and he started joking instead.

"With this, it should be enough to pay Mr. Lou Dehua's balance!" Tang Dao took out another piece of paper from his arms and handed it over.

Since he had the opportunity to talk with this big arms dealer, how could Tang Dao not be fully prepared? He knew how to maintain friendship with businessmen. Sincerity and keeping promises were the foundation, but sufficient benefits were the real driving force.

The silver that the 29th Army deposited into the Bank of the Four Countries before leaving was enough to open the heart of any capitalist.

"Oh! God!" Lou Dehua saw clearly the amount of silver written on the white paper and the seals of several major Western banks, and became a fool again.

He himself didn't know why he was so shallow today, and he was always shocked by Tang Dao.

But there was nothing he could do. The huge amount of silver calculated as a wealth of tens of millions still made him dumbfounded.

This may be the magic power of ancient Eastern civilization! A mid-level and low-level officer can actually control such terrible wealth. What about those high-ranking officials and generals?

"This silver..." Lou Dehua swallowed and asked with some difficulty.

"With the permission of Commander Song of the 29th Army, I can use half of it, which is about 30 million silver dollars, worth about 7.5 million U.S. dollars!" Tang Dao answered matter-of-factly.

Lou Dehua, the Chinese general who once ruled half of North China, knew that he was indeed qualified to own such a large amount of silver, and he was extremely familiar with the seals of several major Western banks.

Besides, it makes no sense for Tang Dao to lie about this matter.

"Okay, what other weapons and equipment do you need? As long as you can pay, I guarantee that you can pick up the goods from HD in just 3 months." Seeing that he already had the money, Lou Dehua spoke much more crisply.

"The equipment I want is just a small amount of money. I will naturally give you the list later. I don't know if your company accepts Japanese yen and gold!" Tang Dao said with a smile.

"Yes, we have a trading company in Japan, which can be exchanged with Japanese yen. Gold is universally accepted, but the exchange rate may fluctuate to a certain extent. But as long as you have it, Colonel Tang, I can use the highest exchange rate within half a month." Exchange according to the ratio." Lou Dehua nodded firmly.

This can be regarded as the first big order Tang Dao helped him obtain in China during the war. After excluding various expenses, the net profit will be more than 60%. No matter what, he must serve his customers well. The losses caused by fluctuations in the exchange rate are nothing!

"Well, I have almost 10,000 ounces of gold and 2 million yen here. Since it is inconvenient for me to carry it when I enter Jin City, I will hand it over to Mr. Lou Dehua and take it back with you as part of the balance I paid in advance." Tang Dao said.

Lou Dehua's mouth twitched slightly!

At this time, the ratio of Japanese yen to U.S. dollars is about 2.5 to 1, which is worth about 800,000 U.S. dollars. Adding in one ounce of gold can be exchanged for 45 U.S. dollars, which is 450,000 U.S. dollars. The total is more than 1.2 million U.S. dollars. What? Tang Dao seems to be taken out so lightly?

Could it be that he is friends with the legendary second-generation super rich?

Of course, this was not the first time that Tang Dao had taken out money like a magic trick. The huge amount of money that kept flashing had already made Lou Dehua almost numb. This was not the point of his curiosity.

"Dear friend, aren't you afraid that I will take your money and never come back?" Lou Dehua was quite curious about how Tang Dao would answer him.

In an instant, he thought of many answers.

He has seen the tyrannical Tang Dao, and he has also seen the cunning Tang Dao.

"Friend, if a mere million dollars can make a Krupp family jealous of money, then how did the Krupp family become the number one arms dealer in the Germanic Empire from a small workshop?" Tang Dao grinned, revealing his face. A mouthful of white teeth.

Shaking the paper in his hand, "Besides, I still have nearly 8 million US dollars here, and I plan to discuss an investment with dear Mr. Lou Dehua!"

"Oh! God, come and kill this devil waving checks!" Lou Dehua covered his head with his hands. "The smell of money has made me sink completely, even if there is hell ahead!"

How could a shrewd businessman not know that this was a set for Tang Dao?

Originally it was just a normal order delivery. Tang Dao paid him to deliver the goods. From then on, even if he was considered a friend, it was just a long journey of seeing each other again. At most, he would only take the risk of offending the Japanese once.

But if they cooperate with Tang Dao for a long time, the friendship between the two will become more and more stable, but that means that they will offend the Japanese to death.

The Japanese will never tolerate the existence of a long-term channel for supplying arms to China within their territory.

Don't think this is a top secret. The fact that a large number of German-made weapons were brought to the battlefield is the biggest exposure in itself.

But the smell of money in Tang Dao's hands really made him unable to extricate himself! Damn businessman genes.

"Haha, it's not as serious as you think, dear friend. I won't be stupid enough to order a large number of German-made weapons and put them on the battlefield. I will make them myself, and neither the Germans nor the Japanese have ever seen them. Firearms." Tang Dao laughed loudly.

"Can you do this?" Lou Dehua turned to stone again.

As an arms dealer, he knows very well that weapons manufacturing is a systematic project, from design to materials to production lines and finally to testing sites. Given China's current industrial level, what can we make?

"Of course I can't do it alone, so I need your company to build a steel plant! I am responsible for investing the funds needed, and your company only needs to build the factory and purchase equipment. You see, your company has coal mines and iron ore mines. China has low enough labor costs, and your government needs a lot of steel. This is definitely a lucrative business. When you go home waving the check, your eldest nephew may also fall in love with you for it. "

"You are simply a devil!" Lou Dehua shook his head in pain and groaned.

Tang Dao This is a typical picture of the poor dagger!

This is his real purpose, to build a secret military factory in the Japanese-occupied area with the help of the Germans.

What a shitty steel plant, it's just a gorgeous coat for someone's military factory.

"If additional funds are needed, I can also persuade Commander Song to use the other half of the funds!" Tang Dao smiled brighter than the morning sun.

That would be 15 million US dollars...

The last bit of Lou Dehua's persistence was also shattered by the huge number that was quickly calculated!

What? It will offend the Japanese, so let them go to God!

Who let God not help me suppress this demon waving a check and smelling of money!

God: Blame me!