Hong Kong Island: From a small stall to a global supplier

On October 23, near the northeastern border town of Hafirbatin, Umbrella Corporation again spotted Iraqi scouts. After a firefight, the Iraqi scouts suddenly returned fire with RPGs and quickly withdrew, injuring three Umbrella personnel.

On October 25, Iraq crossed the border and launched a surprise attack on the border city of Al-Arl with 107 rockets, killing three people and injuring 15. The attack was subsequently pursued by Umbrella, resulting in the deaths of three Iraqis and the capture of a vehicle and launch equipment.

11月3日，伊拉克凌晨2点同样使用107火箭袭击海夫吉美军基地，共计发射72枚火箭弹。

On November 8, Saddam Hussein threatened to "ignite the Persian Gulf," warning that he would use chemical weapons to sabotage oil facilities and escalate the war into a "full-scale regional catastrophe."

"This is insane..." That was the only feeling Wang Yaotang had upon receiving the news.

But this was just the beginning. For a period of time afterward, Saddam Hussein launched constant harassment along the 300-kilometer border. Every day, in different locations, a small number of people carrying 107 rocket launchers would launch. Although the casualties were not many, the entire border was indeed disturbed.

After negotiating with the old king, Umbrella concentrated its forces in three cities and stopped crossing the Iraqi border. At this time, 20 Y-5 transport aircraft were also transported from the rear. They would take off immediately if attacked. The attackers would be exposed to the heat in the desert at night and would not be able to hide. They could be directly attacked with machine guns, which would be quite effective.

The US military was stationed in the cities of Khafji and Ruqi, on the border between Kuwait and Camel. Their counterattack methods were similar, using Apache attack helicopters. However, they were ambushed twice by Iraqis with SAM-7 helicopters, resulting in the loss of one helicopter.

The US military's analysis is that Saddam Hussein's actions were intended to force them to disperse their forces, hoping to repeat the "Ukrainian poor man" incident. The US military is prepared to remain unchanged and respond to any changes by increasing its barking at the United Nations, bringing members of the Kuwaiti royal family and Kuwaiti civilians to the UN to plead their case and expedite the UN's decision.

In Wang Yaotang's view, all of Saddam's efforts were of little use; at most, they might cause the Americans a little more itching, but they wouldn't bring about any substantial change.

Moreover, his actions might even bring forward the timing of the Gulf War.

In late November, the experts from the two oil companies that had been brought in settled down completely. Some of them had already started working in the oil fields, chemical plants, and Camel's own research institute, while others were waiting for the new equipment to arrive, but had also begun to lay the groundwork for subsequent research work.

Wang Yaotang couldn't worry about the border issues, so he returned to Hong Kong. On the one hand, all the companies had to do settlements and make plans for next year at the end of the year, with one meeting after another. As the backbone of the company, he naturally had to go back.

On the other hand, news came from Annam that the Russians had withdrawn their troops again.

The war in Afghanistan has been extremely costly, resulting in negative economic growth and an inability to maintain an overseas military presence. Gotti's "new thinking" of reducing global military involvement and concentrating resources on developing the domestic economy is theoretically sound.

With the collapse of the Soviet Union imminent and Russia's economic situation deteriorating, Wang Yaotang felt that the country was beginning to pave the way for further undermining.

……

Jinlan Bay, Russian base.

A yacht slowly slowed down and eventually docked at the pier.

The bespectacled man straightened his clothes and stepped off the yacht. At the dock, a Russian colonel and his men greeted him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Colonel Sergei." The bespectacled man extended his hand.

“Hello, Mr. Guan.” Sergei extended his large, hairy hand.

Four-Eyes had dealt with too many white foreigners in Hong Kong, and he'd also had some contact with Russians. His impression of them was that they were very white, had great figures, were very beautiful, and very obedient, doing whatever they were told...

But today he finally understood why Wang Yaotang called them "Russians" and why Europeans called them "gray livestock."

Sergei wasn't very tall, about 178 cm, but he had an unusually broad frame. His shoulders were almost twice the width of Four-Eyes's, and he looked like a rectangle. He was very thick, and although his hands weren't big, his fingers were very thick, and the flesh on the back of his hands was thick, like a pig's trotter.

It's very hairy and prickly...

After a brief exchange of pleasantries at the dock, the group boarded the car.

The bespectacled guy didn't speak Russian, while the Russian guy knew a few words of Northeastern Mandarin, so they still needed a translator to communicate, which inevitably created some obstacles. So they quickly got to the point.

"Why didn't Mr. Wang come?" Sergei asked.

“Mr. Wang asked me to apologize on his behalf. As you know, Iraq suddenly went crazy, and our Umbrella Corporation accepted Camel's offer of employment. We currently have more than 1000 people there. Mr. Wang was also invited to be Camel's special external military advisor. In addition, it's the end of the year, and the company is extremely busy. So, this matter has been temporarily handed over to me,” the four-eyed man said with a smile.

That's the reason; Wang Yaotang definitely wasn't afraid to come.

This is Annam. If an Annamese were to launch an attack here, whether successful or not, relations between the two sides would be completely broken.

A wise person does not stand under a crumbling wall. Whether you come or not doesn't make much difference; reckless adventures are not advisable.

As long as Wang Yaotang doesn't cause any problems, the brothers' safety can be guaranteed; otherwise, the guarantee will be less secure.

He had made up his mind that he would never set foot on American or European soil in his lifetime. Those barbarians didn't care about propriety or shame; he would be content to rule over his own little territory.

The Russians are quite generous; we ate right after getting off the bus. It was a small portion of Annamese cuisine, mostly Russian food, and of course, the most important thing: vodka!

Vodka can be understood as alcohol.

The process is not much different from that of baijiu. The main difference is that it involves multiple distillations, filtrations, and purifications to remove flavor substances such as esters and alcohols from baijiu, in pursuit of purity in its essence.

Of course, the main reason is that potatoes, sweet potatoes, and baijiu (Chinese liquor) taste terrible... they have an earthy, fishy smell.

Before coming, Wang Yaotang had mentioned the drinking. The Russians are similar to the Chinese in their approach to business; they like to discuss things over drinks. They believe that you can only get things done if you can drink. If the Russians are drunk, they'll agree to anything.

Having spent years in the business world, and with his family owning a nightclub, the bespectacled guy thought he was a pretty good drinker. But when he woke up the next day, his mind was completely blank. He only remembered getting out of the car, going inside, sitting at the table, and starting to drink, and then that was it.

I have no idea what time it is; I'm lying naked on the bed.

My stomach feels terrible, and my throat hurts; I've obviously vomited too much.

Knowing he was awake, Sergei came to see him. He didn't laugh at him. Whether he could drink or not was one thing, whether he dared to drink or not was another. At least he wasn't faking it, and he didn't act crazy or lose control when he was drunk.

One's drinking habits reflect one's character.

Trustworthy!

A day later, when they got back to business, the four-eyed guy expressed Wang Yaotang's desire to do business with the Russian Pacific Fleet and the Far East region.

“Pacific Fleet? Are you sure it’s not Cam Ranh Bay base?” Sergei asked, somewhat surprised.

This relationship wasn't something that could be established overnight; it took Wang Yaotang nearly two years to build it up.

The first step was to send small boats over to smuggle goods, mainly wine, high-end clothing, daily necessities, and electronics.

The first time, all their belongings were confiscated, but they were released. Although relations between Russia and China have deteriorated in recent years, there is still a lot of "exchange" in the Far East, especially near several ports in Heilongjiang...

I've messed around with things quite a bit.

The second time I went, my things were confiscated again, but when I went a third time, the Russians felt bad about confiscating them and gave me a lot of things in return.

The Russians here aren't having an easy time either. Although it's better than in the Far East, with plenty of food and clothing, that's about it. It can't compare to Hong Kong. Annam itself is poor, and the Far East is even poorer.

Through these back-and-forth exchanges, the relationship gradually became more familiar, and the shipments became more frequent. The relationship also gradually expanded from lower-ranking officers to middle and upper-ranking officers, establishing a good private relationship. This is why they were able to reach the colonel level, which led to the highest-level communication between the four-eyed man and the others.

It's impossible for someone to suddenly agree to a partnership with you, even if you're the richest person in the world...

That works too.

Of course, this was only because Wang Yaotang was famous enough to have destroyed an Annamite fleet, which is why the Russians placed him on an equal footing; otherwise, it wouldn't have been possible. After all, this is a military unit.

"To be precise, the entire Far East," the four-eyed man said with a smile. "Colonel Sergei is probably aware of our situation. To put it bluntly, we don't have our eyes on the business in Cam Ranh Bay."

This wasn't an exaggeration, but it made Sergei somewhat wary.

Hong Kong is a 100% Western society. If it weren't for the fact that he had done a lot of business before and that the guy with the glasses was Chinese, Sergei would have already made an arrest.

Although the situation in Russia is very bad right now, Sergei is still very proud as an ethnic Russian and a high-ranking officer.

"A big deal..." Sergei narrowed his eyes, his aura unconsciously rising. "What kind of big deal are you planning to do?"

The bespectacled guy seemed oblivious to everything and continued smiling as he said, "Bulk commodities."

“We Chinese are all over the world, and we are very familiar with the situation in Moscow. According to the data we have, 90% of the 1247 kinds of daily necessities are currently in short supply, and nearly half of them are in severe shortage. Even if you queue for a whole day in the snow, you may not be able to buy a big loaf of bread. Clothing, shoes and hats, daily necessities, and alcoholic beverages are also in severe shortage.”

This made Sergei's brow twitch. His family situation was indeed difficult, but it wouldn't affect a high-ranking officer like him. However, it showed that the other side was indeed prepared.

"We can provide a large quantity of wheat, in the tens of thousands of tons!"

"What?" Sergei was now truly taken aback.

Wheat is definitely better than potatoes, right? If we shipped it to Moscow, even if we only made $0.1 per kilogram, that would still be $100 million!

He was a colonel, and his entire net worth was less than $100 million. His family wealth might be more than that, but not by much.

"Ten thousand tons, and if possible, 10 tons wouldn't be out of the question either." The four-eyed guy raised the stakes again.

"Hiss—" The translator next to Sergei was trembling.

"What did he say?!" Sergei exclaimed anxiously.

The translator, panting heavily, repeated it. Sergei's hand trembled uncontrollably a few times, and he suddenly had an impulse to draw his gun and shoot the translator.

you know too much!
At that moment, Sergei suddenly realized the importance of learning a foreign language.

"And then there are clothes and shoes, T-shirts, jeans, and sneakers for summer, and cotton-padded coats, jackets, and hats for winter, ranging from ordinary people's clothes to all kinds of high-end luxury goods, numbering in the hundreds of thousands." The four-eyed guy dropped another bombshell.

Although Russia trades with European countries, mainly selling oil and a small amount of heavy industrial goods, it lacks foreign exchange and has limited funds to invest in such bulk agricultural and light industrial products. If it imports more, the unit price will skyrocket.

After all, these things can't be obtained by simply adding a few plus signs. Agricultural products need to be grown, industrial products require investment in factories, and even the raw materials for cotton and wool themselves need to be grown.

Right now, only the Chinese can come up with so much stuff all at once!

It's too big.

More than 4 million cotton-padded clothes are consumed in the north every year. Due to the unified purchase and sale of materials, tens of millions of surplus products are produced, and millions of defective products are produced.

"You are more familiar with the Russian market. We are only responsible for supplying the goods. Based on our experience, the profit from 100,000 cotton-padded coats is conservatively at one million US dollars. Of course, how much you can earn depends entirely on yourselves."

"Other items include biscuits, sugar, canned meat, canned fish, canned fruit, and alcohol. If someone else said they could provide these bulk supplies, you might not believe it, Colonel, but I think Wang Yaotang's name still carries some weight in East Asia. What do you think, Colonel?"

"If you do well, making tens of millions of dollars in profit a year is no problem at all!"

Sergei's face flushed red, his nostrils visibly widened, and he was breathing heavily.

He told himself that these people were giving him money for ulterior motives, and that if he agreed, he might do something that would betray the country and the people.

They are corrupting me, a staunch socialist fighter. I guarantee with my 30 years of Party membership that I will never yield!

"Good, good!" Sergei encouraged himself inwardly, but his mouth kept opening and closing uncontrollably.

It's not that I'm not firm, it's just that they've given me too much!
Four-Eyes laughed. It's impossible that the Russians below are so good at smuggling while the people above can treat money like dirt.

Since the thing is rotten, it must be rotten from top to bottom.

“That’s good. Mr. Wang Yaotang will be waiting for Colonel Sergei in Hong Kong. First, you need to determine your needs, establish sales channels, and confirm the quantity of goods. Then we can discuss the shipping issue,” the four-eyed man said with a smile.

"The price, my friend, the price hasn't been determined yet," Sergei said anxiously.

"Someone will bring over a price list in a few days."

"OK, OK!"

Sergei was so happy he was practically grinning from ear to ear. He'd never done business before and knew nothing about it; normally, it should have been the bespectacled guy who came with the price list.

At that moment, all Sergei could think about were the bright green US dollars.

As for the ruble...

Ninety years ago, the official exchange rate was 0.65 rubles to 1 US dollar, but on November 1st, just a few days ago, it suddenly dropped to 1.85 rubles to 1 US dollar, while on the black market, 1 US dollar is currently worth 25 rubles.

The Sergei family wields considerable influence in the Far East and is far more informed about the situation at the top than the common people. They are also aware of Gottu's policies, and the ruble may be on the verge of collapse...

Sergei warmly urged the bespectacled guy to stay, saying he wanted to treat this lucky charm well. Hearing this, the bespectacled guy was even more determined to leave.

He's afraid he'll drink himself to death in Jinlan Bay.

Using the pretext of procuring supplies from various countries, the bespectacled man appeased Sergei, then boarded the Y-12 and fled.

……

Hong Kong.

"Why did you decide to do business with the Russians?" A few brothers were having dinner together that evening, and Awei chatted casually. "I've never heard of the Russians having anything good. Do they even have US dollars? They probably can't spend rubles, right?"

"The Russians have so many good things!" Wang Yaotang clicked his tongue twice.

"Are you eyeing the White Tiger Oilfield? Or are you thinking of cooperating with the Russians to develop the Big Bear Oilfield?" the four-eyed guy asked.

"Ah Xiang really had a good idea," Wang Yaotang said with a smile. "Unfortunately, he was wrong!"

“If we touch the White Tiger Oilfield, the Annamese will fight tooth and nail. If things get chaotic, no one can start work. The Big Bear Oilfield is a good place to test the waters, but it’s not the main focus,” Wang Yaotang explained. “I have my eye on the Russians’ heavy industrial products.”

"Heavy industrial products?"

"Yes, for example, airplanes, tanks, missile cruisers, nuclear submarines, and aircraft carriers!"

"Pfft!" The group spat out their drinks in unison.

Seriously?! They're going this far! (End of Chapter)