What the hell is a private enterprise?

Chapter 201 Training Course

Piracy may sound cool, but it's definitely one of the toughest professions out there.

Going to sea is a painful experience. A bunch of men often don't shower for months and are crammed together. They lack fresh food and water, and their entertainment consists of fighting or gambling.

Once targeted by the regular army, pirates with only a few small sampans are no match for armed boats.

In reality, the real big pirate gangs were usually privateers or armed merchant ships during the Victorian era. They made a fortune by running long-distance ocean transport, but they didn't mind making extra money occasionally.

In modern times, so-called pirates are nothing more than a few speedboats that attempt to board cargo ships near important shipping lanes.

These real pirates at most have an AK or RPG; Tang Wen doesn't want Wang Hu to be a target.

We need at least a few cruisers and submarines. Besides, pirates are too low-class; let's call them the "free forces" instead!

The South Pacific is dotted with tens of thousands of small islands, many of which are uninhabited and have no development value. They are also sparsely populated and are very suitable as development sites.

Moreover, its proximity to Southeast Asia makes it easier to recruit people.

However, it will probably take more than two months for the Pirate King to take office, and Tang Wen's attention is still on his imaginative Christmas Express plan.

After Yan Jian mentioned it, the matter was quickly passed on to the Strategic Research Office. Old Zhang called to repeatedly confirm its authenticity, but in the end, he didn't stop it. He just hoped that Tang Wen could give a heads-up before taking action.

Furthermore, Lao Zhang also offered the following suggestions:

If casualties can be controlled, the location of the face can be changed from Sydney to South America.

After all, quite a few elites did indeed flee there after the empire's demise.

Moreover, it's farther from the Western Pacific, which can better divert international attention, making Tang Wen exclaim that he was an expert.

The Sperm Whale 1's voyage was far from boring; it traversed a very busy route with numerous merchant ships and warships passing by.

Merchant ships were somewhat better off, but warships required Tang Yi to frequently monitor the public naval activities of various countries and then try his best to direct the Sperm Whale 1 to avoid dangerous areas.

Thanks to the well-known naval battles in Europe, the records of sunken locations are very comprehensive, and there are many warships that can actually be salvaged.

……

Goose City, Flying Tiger Auto Trading Company.

Tang Wen was sitting in a Buick and could see a large group of people from afar.

The underlings who had once managed this place for Wang Hu stood respectfully at the gate with all their men, and bowed in unison when Tang Wen alighted from his carriage.

"Hello, Boss Tang!"

"..."

Tang Wen recognized the leader as someone who looked familiar, someone who seemed to be called Ah Sheng. He had seen him before when he brought his car in for maintenance.

I don't know what Wang Hu said, but these people look at me with great awe.

"Everyone's gone. Anyone who didn't know better would think we were running a club!"

The crowd quickly dispersed, leaving only Ah Sheng and a few close associates behind.

"Boss Tang..."

"Wait, call the boss!"

Tang Wen got goosebumps when he heard this title; anyone who didn't know better would think he was a family hero.

He ignored the respectful yet fearful looks in their eyes and went straight to the point:

"Ah Sheng, what businesses does the auto trading company currently have, and how many employees are currently unemployed?"

Ah Sheng answered honestly:
"There are currently three repair shops and a large warehouse at the dock. There are over forty cars in stock, but half of them are wholesale with proper documentation and payment has not yet been settled. The other half came by waterway."

The company has several hundred men, but most of them are capable workers. The rest are hired by the branch to fight... there are probably forty or fifty of them. However, they also have their own underlings, so the total number is definitely several hundred.

After Ah Sheng's introduction, Tang Wen gained some understanding of the car trading company. The business operations there still had a bandit-like atmosphere, and regional divisions were very strict; without some influence, it was impossible to survive.

Each factory, community, and school has its own interest group. Sometimes it's not that Wang Hu wants to show off his power, but that he needs someone to bolster his image.

The same applies to the auto repair business. Auto trading companies account for nearly half of the business in the city, and most of them are honest technicians, but there are also quite a few people who specialize in solving problems.

Moreover, being remembered by Ah Sheng meant he was considered a "big brother" in the lower rungs of society, and he was followed by a small gang of several or a dozen students and unemployed people.

There are probably three or four hundred unemployed people at the two levels under the car trading company who are not involved in normal operations.

This is also why Gao Yuliang was unwilling to make any big moves that would cause turmoil. These people do not have stable jobs, are very energetic, and will definitely be restless once they see an opportunity.

Tang Wen took over the car trading company, but he had no intention of continuing to employ unemployed people.

Seeing the coldness in his eyes, Ah Sheng quickly said:
"Boss, you don't know this, but if we want to do business in other districts, we can't get started without someone protecting us."

Newly opened shops get vandalized the very next day, some even get painted over or burned down. You have to have your brothers hold the fort.

Moreover, there's bound to be discontent among these brothers after they were dismissed. There are always a few fools who might cause trouble, what if…”

"I never said we would lay them off directly."

Tang Wen glanced at him sideways, then narrowed his eyes:

"Remove those with serious criminal records, and keep all the rest. Send them to the Greater Bay Area for training as seamen, and bring them to me within seven days."

Energetic? It just so happens that the seas are going to be turbulent in the future, so let them pour their enthusiasm onto the monkeys.

Moreover, Tangwen has a huge manpower shortage, and it is not easy to recruit people. It would be better to train them themselves.

Ah Sheng was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but feel overjoyed.

Although being a seaman is tough, it is indeed a respectable career path. He was among the first to go ashore and put on a suit, and he knew very well that there was no future in joining a gang.

Becoming a seaman offers at least a stable salary, and it's also a way to learn a skill.

"Yes, I'll thank the boss on their behalf!"

Ah Sheng was genuinely grateful, and the other underlings were all convinced of his worth.

Those involved in gangs aren't stupid. Fighting and killing without medical insurance means Tang Wen's job arrangements are much better than Wang Hu's.

However, Ah Sheng immediately thought of something and said worriedly:
"What if someone causes us trouble..."

"Have you caused trouble for the fishing company before?"

The group quickly realized what was happening and breathed a sigh of relief.

Gaijin Fishery has several hundred registered seafarers, and several hundred more if you include those from Dawan Village, all of whom are able-bodied laborers.

Even for an ordinary fishing company, a dozen or so strong fishermen are not to be trifled with.

Gangsters only ever bully the weak and fear the strong; they would never dare to mess with someone as tough as this.

From this perspective, Tang Wen has money, people, and strong connections; he's practically a huge backer.

Ah Sheng immediately felt that Tang Wen driving a Buick was too low-key, so he quickly tried to curry favor by bringing out the 740 that Wang Hu had gotten, which was second only to the Mercedes-Benz W140 in status.

Of course, the latter is not unavailable, but they were all pre-ordered and are not currently in stock.

Tang Wen did not refuse, but his main focus was on thinking about opening a training class for delinquent teenagers.

Instructors are easy to find; just recruit a few system commanders and some retired sailors to train with, and you can quickly get some pretty good sailors.

There is no shortage of teaching aids; the Twin Moon alone can carry the training of three hundred students, or the cruiser Algeria, which is about to begin construction.

This high-speed treaty cruiser, weighing over 10,000 tons, is well-equipped. If used as a training ship, it could support the lives of over 700 people.

(End of this chapter)