In the warehouse, there were rows of silver and black cars parked side by side.
A total of sixty cars were presented before Li Yian.
The emblems on the front of these cars displayed blue skies and white clouds, as well as four rings with three interlocking rings inside, clearly indicating that these were German-made cars.
"You see, this is the BMW 326," John pointed to the car and said proudly. "Just as you said, they are all high-end cars, the best!"
"These are indeed high-end cars," John said straightforwardly. "60 Mercedes-Benz, BMWs, and Audis for 20,000 pounds. Before the war, you could only buy ten of them at most."
This was the opportunity brought about by the war!
Li Yian casually remarked.
"Without me, they would just be a pile of scrap metal. Deal."
As his words fell, a light screen appeared before him.
"[Exchanging 60 cars worth $5432, including 15 BMW 326 cars valued at £1700 each, Mercedes-Benz... Rewarding 115,500 experience points.]
The system reward had arrived!
At the same time, text appeared on the screen again.
"[Congratulations, the user's experience level has successfully been upgraded to LV.2. We hope the user will continue to work hard.]
Promotion!
Excited about his promotion, Li Yian wondered what changes would follow.
He didn't care much about what would happen next; he just wanted to complete the transaction as soon as possible. After the deal was done, as he watched boxes of cigarettes and bags of coffee being loaded onto the cars, John curiously asked,
"Can I know how you brought these goods here?"
"Well, I met a big shot, a military guy. As long as we continue to cooperate, there will be a steady stream of goods coming here. So, as long as you're ready with the funds... Well, I should say cars, that big shot will arrange for Navy transport ships to bring the cigarettes over in batches." Dealing with these members of the Razor Gang, Li Yian had to be careful. Revealing to them that he had support from a big shot was to let them know he had someone backing him, someone who could use transport ships to smuggle goods!
Such a person was definitely not someone ordinary folks could afford to mess with. Saying this would make the other party cautious, at least he shouldn't have to worry about being cheated.
...
The truck's cargo compartment was filled with cigarettes. Tommy, who had a cigarette in his mouth, looked at the cigarettes. For him, this was just a small deal. Even coffee beans, which were scarce in the market, were not worth mentioning.
Yet, he still came. Putting down the coffee beans in his mouth, Tommy asked,
"Did you get all these by exchanging cars?"
"Yes, and he also told us to be prepared because next time he will bring even more goods."
John said straightforwardly,
"He said he knows a big shot who can arrange ships and load those cars onto them to transport them to the United States."
"Transporting them to the United States by ship? That's something ordinary people can't do..."
Taking a puff of smoke, Tommy said,
"John, does this mean he really has a big shot behind him?"
"It should be. Ordinary people wouldn't be able to supply so many goods at once."
"Indeed. If they can be transported to the United States, those car dealers would have sold off the cars piled up in their warehouses to the United States long ago. Even used cars are in high demand in the United States!"
"I know."
After thinking for a moment, Tommy said,
"Tell him we need 200,000 pounds of coffee beans. If he can bring them over, we'll continue to cooperate with him!"
Then, as if he remembered something, Tommy added,
"Let's withdraw our people from outside the warehouse."
...
"Chengjie, you have been serving in the Foreign Ministry for a long time. Do you happen to have acquaintances in Cuba?"
In a high-end restaurant near Grovner Square, enjoying steak, Li Guoren's expression became somewhat strange when he heard this. He looked at Li Yian and said,
"Truth be told, the ambassador Li Dijun is my cousin."
In fact, his ability to work at the Foreign Ministry and be assigned to the UK was also due to the help of that cousin.
"Really coincidental!"
Li Yian couldn't believe it. In fact, after learning that Cuba was the main source of contraband cigarettes for the Mafia, he had set his sights on Cuba.
Or, to say, on the United States, because compared to the UK, the US market was broader, and Americans were richer. As long as he seized the opportunity in the next two years, it would be enough for him to accumulate capital.
And Cuba was his first step into the American market.
"It's indeed a coincidence. If there's anything Zhiyuan needs help with in Cuba, just say it. I'm very close to Uncle San."
"That would be much appreciated."
Feeling in high spirits, Li Yian ordered another bottle of whiskey. The restaurant recommended by Li Guoren, which specialized in entertaining diplomats from various countries, was a bit pricey, but it had an array of rare wines, whiskey, and steak that were rarely seen outside.
During the meal, Li Yian didn't hide the fact that he had set up a company in the United States. Li Guoren, surprised at first, fully agreed,
"Oh, nowadays, if you want to make money, you have to do business with Americans... Look."
Pointing to the people in the restaurant, Li Guoren said,
"Look at the people in this restaurant, almost all Americans. Some of them hold the power to allocate and lease materials, while others are military officers planning to bomb Germany. Nowadays, there are more and more American troops in Britain, but you know who the real powerful ones are?"
Li Guoren's rhetorical question made Li Yian curious.
"Who?"
"Those... those who come over from Washington."
Li Guoren pointed with his chin and said,
"Do you know what they came here for?"
"I have no idea."
"They came to dismantle the British Empire."
"Dismantle the British Empire?"
"Yes, does Zhiyuan know that two years ago, the United States and the United Kingdom signed the Atlantic Charter?"
"I've heard something about it."
"In fact, this Atlantic Charter was a trap set by the Americans for the British. The Charter states that all peoples have the right to form their own governments according to their own wishes. This was the landmine the Americans buried. The Americans explicitly demanded that after defeating Germany, the British should give up their overseas colonies. They even included India— which is Britain's colony—in the signatories. In fact, the Americans made it clear to the British that if they wanted American aid, they had to give up their colonies."
Looking at Li Guoren, who was talking eloquently, Li Yian couldn't help but look at him differently. After all, even he, a history idiot, knew how the United States used World War II to dismantle British world hegemony, forcing Britain to give up its colonies, and laying the groundwork for its post-war layout. There's a saying that goes something like "Britain won the war but lost the world".
"... And the main reason the United States did this was to position themselves to intervene in the affairs of the former British colonies after the war, including gaining access to their markets. And this entails immense benefits, considering that currently British overseas colonies span over 30 million square kilometers."
Looking at his cousin in front of him, Li Guoren said.
"It's not just about India; if Britain can abandon India, let alone other colonies. If Britain abandons its colonies, then the French and the Dutch certainly won't be able to hold onto theirs. Zhiyuan, your family has long been in the South Seas. This could be an opportunity for your family!"