"Money talks!"
This phrase is an absolute truth, whether in China or abroad.
What can £500 buy?
A round-trip ticket to the United States. Of course, to board this flight, you'll need to wear the airline's uniform, which essentially means impersonating a flight attendant.
As Kent drove towards the shipyard, he glanced at Li Yi'an in the rearview mirror and said straightforwardly, "Mr. Li, I don't know why you're going to New York, but you should know that we will only stay in New York for 5 days. After 5 days, whether you come back or not, we will return to London. As for the next time, I cannot guarantee that you will have another chance to board the plane."
"Please rest assured, Captain Kent. I will definitely not waste everyone's time."
Soon, the car parked in the parking lot next to Tower Bridge in London, and a large four-engine Imperial C-type seaplane was moored on the banks of the Thames.
"Do you see it? That's the Imperial C-type seaplane."
Captain Kent turned his gaze to the plane and said, "Before the war, it was the main passenger plane connecting the British Empire with its overseas colonies. There were flights from Britain to Egypt, India, East Africa, South Africa, Malaysia, and Australia every week... Now, there is only one flight to New York per week."
As he spoke, he walked towards the shipyard, and when he approached the dock, the guards only glanced at them and then let them through.
Obviously, Kent had already arranged everything.
From the indifferent looks of those guards, it was clear that Kent and his team had done this sort of thing many times before.
Even after Li Yi'an boarded the plane, he did not attract the attention of the crew. On the plane, he was like an invisible man, sitting in a seat in front of a pile of mailbags.
About twenty minutes later, with the cabin door closed, the engines above the wings roared to life, and the huge seaplane slowly headed towards the middle of the Thames. Then, it began to accelerate, and the spray kicked up by the plane's taxiing kept hitting the portholes. Suddenly, the plane began to climb.
For Li Yi'an, who was flying on a seaplane for the first time, he was naturally very curious, but soon his curiosity turned into boredom.
"Get some sleep first."
Mechanic Richard tossed a sleeping bag to Li Yi'an and said, "We still have another 26 hours of flying ahead of us."
26 hours!
That's how long it takes to fly from London to New York. Of course, it's not a direct flight to New York; there's a stopover in Greenland for refueling, and then it's off to New York.
During the next period of time, the plane flew over the Atlantic Ocean, and occasionally, you could even see columns of smoke rising from the sea, which were smoke pillars generated when merchant ships sunk by German submarines burned at sea.
The smoke pillars reminded Li Yi'an that the Nazi Wolfpacks were no legend.
...
Including a stopover in Greenland, it took about 27 hours for the plane to finally land in New York Harbor.
After the plane landed at the dock, before the cabin door was opened, all the crew members seemed a bit impatient. They all wanted to rush into New York City immediately and exchange the watches, cameras, and other items in their suitcases for the supplies they needed.
Although New York in 1943 was not as prosperous as it would be in the future, it was still the most prosperous metropolis of that era. The existence of skyscrapers like the Empire State Building towering over Manhattan gave Li Yi'an a sense of temporal and spatial dislocation. Walking on the crowded streets, looking at the crowds and the tall buildings on both sides, Li Yi'an felt a sense of disconnection as if he had traveled through time and space.
As a Chinese person, when you come to New York, if you're unfamiliar with the place, the only place you can go is Chinatown. The reason Li Yi'an went to Chinatown first was to find a way to buy cigarettes. When Li Yi'an entered Chinatown, he immediately noticed that many people were wearing uniforms similar in style and color to his.
At this moment, a Chinese man wearing an open-collar shirt took the initiative to greet him.
"Hello, sir, are you here in Chinatown for the first time?"
Hearing the Cantonese-speaking Mandarin, Li Yi'an was taken aback. Before he could react, Zhu Yihai realized that this person couldn't speak Cantonese, so he switched to Mandarin.
"You're right, sir. Is this your first time in Chinatown?"
Seeing that the other party obviously looked like it was their first time in Chinatown, he immediately realized the opportunity.
Listening to the Mandarin with a Cantonese accent, Li Yi'an felt a sense of familiarity in his heart.
"Yes, this is my first time here."
Although everyone was compatriots, it's always better to be cautious when going out. While this era may not be as dangerous as the Burma Road, it's better to be safe than sorry. So Li Yi'an seemed very cautious.
"Sir, you don't have to worry that I will harm you. Now, almost half of the people in Chinatown rely on sailors like you to make a living. How could we possibly ruin our own rice bowl? Rest assured, in Chinatown, no one will cheat you. I see you seem to be here for the first time," Zhu Yihai explained.
Hearing this, Li Yian curiously asked, "So, roughly half of the people in Chinatown rely on sailors for a living? How so?"
"Well, sir, if you look at the sailors in Chinatown, aren't they your colleagues? Currently, the best trade in Chinatown is to buy watches, cameras, and fur from sailors like you," explained Zhu Yihai.
With the explanation from Zhu Yihai, Li Yian understood that there were tens of thousands of Chinese sailors in the Allied merchant fleet. After arriving in England, they would exchange cigarettes and other supplies for watches, cameras, jewelry, and even fur coats, which they would then bring to New York to sell in Chinatown for cash and goods.
Understanding this, Li Yian smiled and nodded, "Indeed."
"I did bring some things over. I'm not sure what their value is," Li Yian admitted.
"It depends on what you've brought. I'll help you find the most suitable shops. As for my commission, don't worry about it. Regardless of which shop I take you to, the shop owner will give me a commission," Zhu Yihai assured him.
Zhu Yihai's explanation was detailed and sincere, emphasizing the importance of honesty in business, especially when dealing with someone for the first time. Zhu Yihai hoped that Li Yian's next voyage would be safe, as it would likely lead to future business with him.
Observing the man in front of him, who appeared to be in his thirties, Li Yian noticed that although he was clean and tidy, the worn collar indicated that he wasn't in the best situation.
After a moment of thought, Li Yian asked, "What if I need a lot of cigarettes? Like Lucky Strike or Camel. Can you get them?"
"Based on what you're saying," Zhu Yihai responded, "you're here in Chinatown for exactly that reason. How many cigarettes do you need? 20 cartons? 50 cartons? You see, cigarettes in the U.S. are now subject to quotas. Each person is only allowed a few packs per week, so they're not cheap."
"How much extra would the price be?" Li Yian inquired.
"At least a 50% markup," Zhu Yihai explained, "sometimes even 60-70%. The price varies, but if you're buying a lot, you can negotiate a lower price."
"I do need quite a few," Li Yian confirmed. "More than everyone else combined. If you can help me find a reliable seller who can guarantee a supply, we can agree on the commission."