Seeing the serious expression on Mr. Lieutenant Colonel's face, Fang Lang knew that his opportunity had come.
"Okay, then I will tell you a place where you can hire ships that dare to go to Brazil. Now you should be able to transfer three ships of about 5,000 tons, but I estimate that the freight may be very expensive. After all, the routes are full of Germans now. Human submarines." Fang Lang was of course talking about the three freighters he had just purchased from Commodore Jackson.
Originally, he planned to use these three ships to go back to Brazil to pull goods and sell them. Now it is of course the best to not have to ship empty ships to Brazil. Originally, Fang Lang could have sent the ship to New York to directly purchase goods and ship them to Italy, but New York Port is now used for transshipment of military supplies, and it is difficult for civilian ships to find berths.
The most important reason is that Fang Lang's uncle Yang Zong runs a small private workshop-style cigarette factory in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and the business has not been very good.
At this time, Fang Lang wanted to invest in his uncle's cigarette factory, expand its business scale, and use this rare opportunity to develop the cigarette factory. As an important tobacco production area, Brazil has very low purchasing and labor costs, so the cost of purchasing cigarettes in Brazil is lower than in New York. Fang Lang has no reason not to take care of his own business.
Here I would like to introduce Fang Lang’s mother’s natal family by the way. Grandpa’s father is Fang Lang’s grandfather, a remnant of the Taiping Rebellion who came to Brazil with Fang Lang’s grandfather. His ancestral home is Hunan, but his grandfather got married late and has a daughter Yang Xiuer and a son Yang Zong. Obviously Yang Xiuer is Fang Lang's mother.
In the early years, the old man bought land and became a landlord like his great-grandfather. When he was young, Grandpa Fang Lang didn’t want to be tied to the land, so he started doing business, buying tobacco in the Chinese growing areas and selling it. Later, I don’t know who listened to the trick, and bought a small A cigarette factory was opened with cigarette equipment, but the cigarettes produced by the cigarette factory had no characteristics, so they were all half dead. When it was handed over to my uncle, he wanted to sell the cigarette factory many times, but because no one took over, and the people working in the factory were all old people in the factory, it would not be easy to interrupt everyone's livelihood, so it became To get rid of the current useless state.
My uncle Yang Zong married a Portuguese wife and gave birth to two sons, but neither of them wanted to take over his uncle's cigarette factory. The eldest son Yang Gan is currently working as a clerk in the Sao Paulo City Government. He wants to pursue an official career and is unwilling to return home to a half-dead cigarette factory. The younger son Yang Kun is still studying in university. In Fang Lang’s impression, Yang Kun also He had no interest in the family cigarette factory, but wanted to be a teacher.
So Fang Lang considered going back to buy the factory or invest in a share, and let his uncle continue to manage it. Don't let his grandfather's family business disappear into obscurity. When it gets bigger, he will see if his two cousins have any ideas to help manage it.
Lieutenant Colonel Graham was very excited when he heard that Fang Lang said there was a ship that could run the route to Brazil and he said quickly: "Money is a small issue, we pay in US dollars. Let's go, let's go to the other party's company to chat now!"
It's a pity that Fang Lang hasn't said hello to Mr. Coburn in advance, and he hasn't got the boat yet, so he definitely can't take him there directly now. He can only evade: "Sir, don't be anxious. Just now Attilio... Colonel Parisi asked me to go to the U.S. Navy to handle the ship handover formalities, so I have to go and receive the ship first. So be it! I will reserve a table at the Cantina restaurant tonight and invite him to come with you and have a meal. Can we chat?”
Lieutenant Colonel Graham heard that Fang Lang still had a mission, but he had no choice but to do so. After all, the military orders were overwhelming. At the same time, he was relieved when Fang Lang said that he would invite him to dinner at the famous Cantina restaurant in Naples tonight, and said quickly: "Of course it's no problem. Don't worry, this is a business-related entertainment. You don't need to treat the guests. It will directly serve as our logistics." Just pay the department’s entertainment expenses. I’ll arrange for my adjutant to book a seat right away. We’ll see you in the evening!”
Fang Lang also didn't expect that in Brazil at this time, there was also talk of catering and entertainment expenses. Of course he wouldn't mind being able to eat and drink at the Brazilian government's public expense.
"Okay, sir, we'll see you in the evening!" After saying that, Fang Lang stopped staying and took the time to escape. Even if the room was much warmer than outside, he was unwilling to stay in this smelly room.
After leaving Lieutenant Colonel Graham's office, Fang Lang did not go directly to Commodore Jackson to take over the ship. Instead, he went to the Global Trading office building first and brought Mr. Coburn and the three Italian captains he had recruited. and the first mates. Only then did he enter the U.S. Navy barracks again and find Commodore Jackson.
After introducing Commodore Jackson to Mr. Coburn, they went to the ship's berth together. At this time, four large transport ships are moored at the berth. Judging from the construction style of the ships, three of them should have been manufactured by German shipyards and one by an Italian shipyard.
Obviously, the ships of the German shipyard are newer than the ships of the Italian shipyard, and the transport ship of the German shipyard has a designed carrying capacity of 5,500 tons, while the Italian ship is exactly 5,000 tons. All four ships are powered by steam turbines, and their maximum speed is about fifteen knots. Although it is lower than the Victory Ship's maximum speed of eighteen knots, it is also higher than the eleven knots of an ordinary freewheel.
The ships are all fully captured Axis ships with no damage. After Commodore Jackson sent people to inspect and confirm, the condition of the ships is very good. The U.S. military has just performed in-depth maintenance on the ships. They are fully fueled and ready to sail at any time. Set off.
Fang Lang directly handed over three German-made ships to Cockburn, and he received Italian-made ships for the Brazilian Navy. A better boat must be reserved for oneself. Fang Lang made a very clear distinction between public and private matters. There is nothing bad about this Italian-made ship, except that its load capacity is slightly smaller and its age is slightly older. This does not affect its normal use.
After explaining to Mr. Coburn how to deal with Lieutenant Colonel Graham at night, Fang Lang returned to the Brazilian Naval Base with the ship's information, reported the handover situation to Colonel Attilio Parisi, and asked Mr. Colonel Arrange to enter the entry into service information and officially assign the ship to the Brazilian Navy's order of battle. Of course, there are many tedious procedures that Fang Lang does not need to worry about.
It only requires Brazilian Navy personnel to seize the time tonight to inspect and accept the ship, and Fang Lang can become the official captain of the Brazilian Navy tomorrow.
The time soon came to 6:30 in the evening, and Fang Lang came to the Cantina restaurant early. In fact, according to Italian living habits, dinner is usually very late and will not start before eight o'clock. However, this time because Fang Lang was playing the role of a middleman, he had to arrive at the restaurant early. After all, Lieutenant Colonel Graham, as a Brazilian, did not know that Italian dinner was a real dinner.
Sure enough, when Fang Lang arrived at the restaurant, Lieutenant Colonel Graham's car had already parked at the entrance of the restaurant, and Lieutenant Colonel Graham, who was wearing casual clothes, squeezed his fat body out of the passenger seat of the Willys Jeep. After he jumped out of the jeep with difficulty, Fang Lang believed that if the jeep could talk, a national curse would be shouted out.
Fang Lang stepped forward to meet Lieutenant Colonel Graham and said, "Sir, Italian dinner usually doesn't start until eight o'clock in the evening, so we came a little early, even though I told the other party that dinner would start at seven o'clock. , However, Italians are not punctual people." Although it is not good to speak ill of Italians behind his father-in-law's back, he must show that he is just a middleman.
Otherwise, I don’t know what my company will think when Lieutenant Colonel Graham finds out. After all, the current Brazilian government is a dictatorship. Fang Lang has long thought that all investments in Brazil will not directly establish companies in Brazil in his own name, but rather invest in Brazil in the name of European and American companies. Be safe and avoid unnecessary covetousness.
When Lagham heard that he was Italian, he couldn't help but frown: "Italians are unreliable now. Are you sure this Italian can have three ships that can go to Brazil?"
"Sir, please don't worry. I have learned about this company. The full name of this company is Global Trading Co., Ltd. Italian Branch. It is actually the Italian branch of an American company. That's why in such a war period, it is not regarded as an enemy. Fang's capital will be confiscated. If you are worried, we will arrange our own soldiers on each ship to follow the ship, and there will be no problem." Fang Lang saw that Lieutenant Colonel Graham was worried about the Italians, and hurriedly Moving out of the company’s American context.
