Gravedigger of the Empire

"You, you can get your hands on a howitzer?" Lin Shoucheng's face changed. He really didn't expect that a lieutenant in the defense force would have such great power.

"Perhaps! That depends on how much money you're prepared to offer." Kahn looked at the other person with a faint smile on his face.

We're all in the same boat now, with a whole host of problems waiting to be solved.

In 1921, China was plagued by warlordism and frequent warfare, with Japan watching closely from the sidelines. The arms trade was a very easy way to cause trouble.

Europe is currently imposing an arms embargo on China, with strict restrictions on automatic weapons, which is why Mauser pistols have become popular there.

Germany is also suffering, as the Treaty of Versailles is destroying its war potential, and countless arsenals are waiting to be demolished and go bankrupt.

The massive unemployment of skilled workers will soon be destroyed by a global financial crisis.

"I don't have enough funds on hand." Lin Shoucheng regained his senses; he didn't want to be ripped off.

Although he urgently needed weapons, to be honest, he wasn't exactly a super-rich tycoon with unlimited funds.

How much more can funds raised through donations and fundraising go?

"Let's talk about something practical. What do you want? How much? What price?" Kahn said, pulling a blank sheet of paper from the files beside him.

He pushed the blank paper and pen towards Lin Shoucheng, tapping his fingers on the paper: "Write it down, leave the rest to me..."

Before Lin Shoucheng could speak, he seemed to remember something and immediately asked, "By the way! Do you have a way to get rid of these things?"

"I have some connections... I've done this a few times before..." Lin Shoucheng was unwilling to elaborate on his background.

"Whatever! Write down your address for me." Kahn looked down at the blank sheet of paper. "Forget it, don't write anything about the weapon, just write down an address."

Lin Shoucheng lowered his head and wrote down a hotel address on the paper.

Kahn glanced down at him and said, "Wait for my news."

……

"You mean, that Chinese guy wants to buy a batch of weapons?" Joe looked at Kahn and put the beef on his fork into his mouth.

He's been living the high life lately. His mistress has gotten a lot of money and is much more obedient now, while his wife seems to be working on his promotion.

Who knows, the next time we meet, he might be Lieutenant Colonel Qiao.

"Yes." Kahn nodded.

"You have plenty of weapons," Maddie said, chewing on his beef, his voice filled with pleasure.

Kahn's little shop is very unique, and the Leslie couple's cooking skills are indeed excellent; their beef is exceptionally delicious.

Gathering in this little shop is very relaxing because you don't have to worry about being overheard by anyone with ulterior motives.

Everyone here is a fellow countryman, and the food is delicious. Joe and Maddie both love it here.

Maddi was very willing to sell arms to China because, in his view, it was better for the arms to be smuggled to Asia than to stay and benefit the Germans.

The French are inherently unwilling to see Germany strong, just as the British are inherently unwilling to see France strong.

"I have no objection, as long as they can afford it." Joe didn't object to the idea.

"Can we find a boat? Something big," Kahn asked Joe.

Major Joe thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "British steamships, I can ask them for you."

Kahn nodded, then looked at Maddie beside him: "Tell me, if we ensure the arms go to Asia, is it possible that your superiors might tacitly approve... certain...?"

"I'll give it a try, maybe... he'll understand us." Maddie couldn't help but laugh first.

"Tens of thousands of Mauser rifles, two thousand five hundred Mauser combat pistols, fifty submachine guns, twenty Maxim heavy machine guns, two million eight hundred thousand rounds of ammunition... The Chinese want quite a lot." Joe put down his fork and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"I still need to go out and find some more for this order." Kahn smiled insincerely, as if he was helpless in order to make money.

In fact, of these weapons, only rifles, pistols, and bullets were what Lin Shoucheng wanted.

Machine guns and submachine guns were added by Kahn himself.

The newly renovated restaurant looks pretty good; all the chairs and tables have been replaced with new ones, and the kitchen has been equipped with more pots and pans.

Löw became a manager here and had a seemingly legitimate "business".

With this identity, he and his wife would not attract attention living nearby.

However, this small shop is not profitable at the moment; Kahn is essentially losing money to run it.

"Since they have money, we definitely have to make money from them, right?" Kahn said in a businesslike tone, making it sound perfectly reasonable.

"You've practically emptied a warehouse, on paper?" Joe voiced his concerns.

"There's nothing to be nervous about," Kahn said confidently. "The weapons are all on the books; they did exist, but we've already destroyed them."

"The destruction process was documented by Vic, and everything went smoothly." He spoke matter-of-factly, as if it had all actually happened: "The destroyed steel was then exported to the Chinese."

However, they didn't destroy the items, so the three of them could make a profit from the money Vic earned from destroying the weapons.

Of course, Lin Shoucheng will definitely give the three of them a reward as well.

The defense forces saved on the cost of dismantling equipment, and everyone benefited from that.

In short, it ended up being about making dumplings again.

In a situation where no one loses out, everyone is happy.

"We should have a drink to celebrate in this situation," Maddie said with a regretful click of his tongue.

The beef here is very good, and the soup is also delicious, but unfortunately, they don't have any alcohol on the table.

The wine served in the restaurant was only for ordinary people and was not considered high-class at all.

Joe was reluctant to touch it, and Maddie would never drink this kind of liquor.

Kahn didn't have any spare money at the moment, so he didn't bring back any good wine to entice the crowd.

Therefore, he could only use a laugh to cover up his slight embarrassment: "But I don't have any good wine here right now."

Maddie waved his hand magnanimously: "It's alright! We can have it next time."

He was quite aware of his role as a guest: he hadn't spent a penny on food and drinks here, so it would be impolite to be picky.

"For Maddie's sake, there will definitely be one next time!" Kahn pointed at Maddie, shaking his head as he made his promise.

"Hahahaha!" Joe laughed heartily, for his wallet and for his gradually brightening future.

In the alley behind the gate, Löw leaned against the wall, looking at the burly man standing in front of him: "Have you ever killed anyone?"

"I don't know how many I've killed," the burly man replied in a hoarse voice. "As long as you give me money, I'll do whatever you say."