Money makes the world go round!
This sentence is absolutely a wise saying, both in China and abroad.
What can you buy with 500 pounds?
A round-trip ticket to the United States. Of course, to take this flight, you have to wear the uniform of the airline. In fact, you just pretend to be a crew member.
On the way to the spaceship dock, Kent, who was driving the car, glanced at Li Yian in the rearview mirror and said directly.
"Mr. Li, I don't know why you are going to New York, but you have to 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 can't guarantee that you will have the opportunity to board the plane again next time."
"Please rest assured, Captain Kent, I will never delay everyone's time."
Soon, the car stopped in the parking lot next to the Tower Bridge of London, and a large four-engine Empire C seaplane was parked on the banks of the Thames.
"See? This is the Empire C seaplane."
Major Kent cast his eyes on 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 dock. When he approached the dock, the guards on duty just glanced at them and let them go.
Obviously, Kent had already arranged everything.
From the guards' indifferent look, it can be seen that Kent and his men must not have done this for the first time.
Even after George got on the plane, he did not attract the attention of the crew members. On the plane, he was like an invisible man, sitting in the seat in front of a pile of mailbags.
After about twenty minutes, with the closing of the cabin door, the engine above the wing roared and turned, and the huge seaplane slowly drove to the center of the Thames, and then began to accelerate. The waves stirred up by the plane as it glided kept hitting the portholes, and suddenly, the plane began to climb.
George was naturally very curious about the seaplane he was riding for the first time, but soon his curiosity turned into boredom.
"Let's sleep for a while."
Mechanic Richard threw a sleeping bag to George and said.
"We have to fly for another 26 hours."
26 hours!
This is the time it takes to fly from London to New York. Of course, it is not a direct flight to New York. It needs to transfer and refuel in Greenland during the flight, and then fly to New York.
In the following time, the plane has been flying over the Atlantic Ocean. Occasionally, you can even see the smoke rising from the sea. It is the smoke produced by the merchant ship sunk by the German submarine burning on the sea.
Including the stopover in Greenland, it took almost 27 hours for the plane to finally land in New York Harbor.
After the plane landed at the port, before the cabin door was opened, all the crew members seemed a little impatient. They all wanted to rush into New York City immediately and exchange the watches and cameras in their suitcases for the necessary supplies.
Although New York in 1943 was not as prosperous as later generations, it was already the most prosperous metropolis of this era. The existence of skyscrapers even gave people a sense of time and space illusion. After all, skyscrapers such as the Empire State Building stood in Manhattan. Walking on the crowded streets, looking at the people around him and the high-rise buildings on both sides, George had a sense of alienation from time and space.
When he arrived in New York, he was unfamiliar with the place and the only place he could go was Chinatown. The reason why George went to Chinatown first was to find a channel to buy cigarettes. When George entered Chinatown, he immediately found that many people were wearing uniforms of similar style and color to his.
At this time, a Chinese man in an open-collar shirt took the initiative to come forward and say hello.
George was stunned. Before he could react, Zhu Yihai saw that the man could not speak Cantonese, so he changed his words and spoke Mandarin.
"Hello, sir, is this your first time in Chinatown?"
Seeing that the other party was obviously in Chinatown for the first time. He immediately realized the opportunity.
Listening to the Cantonese accent in Mandarin, George felt a sense of familiarity.
"Yes, it's my first time here."
Although we are all compatriots, we are always careful when we go out. Although there is no northern Myanmar these days, it is better to be careful. So George seemed very cautious.
Looking at the other party's obviously vigilant attitude, Zhu Yihai hurriedly explained.
"Sir, don't worry that I will hurt you. Now a small half of the people in Chinatown rely on sailors like you to make a living. How could we ruin our own jobs? Don't worry, in Chinatown, no one will cheat you. I see that you seem to be here for the first time. I wonder if there is anything I can help you with."
Hearing the other party say this, George asked curiously.
"A small number of people in Chinatown make a living as seamen? Why?"
"Sir, look at the seamen in Chinatown, aren't they all your peers? Right now, the best business in Chinatown is to buy watches, cameras, and furs from you..."
After the other party's explanation, George learned that there were tens of thousands of Chinese seamen in the merchant fleets of the Allies. After arriving in Britain, they would exchange cigarettes and other supplies for watches, cameras, jewelry, and even fur coats, and then take them to New York to sell in Chinatown in exchange for cash and supplies.
After his explanation, George understood it perfectly.
"So, if I'm right, you must be here to trade supplies."
"Indeed,"
George nodded and smiled:
"I did bring some things here, I don't know what they are worth."
"It depends on what you bring. I will help you find the most suitable store. As for my commission, don't worry, no matter which store I take you to, the owner will give me a commission in the end."
Zhu Yihai explained in detail and of course very frankly. The most important thing in doing business is frankness, especially for people who are dealing with it for the first time. If Mazu blesses his ship and nothing happens, then he will definitely come to me next time. With regular customers, the business can continue.
I looked at the man in front of me. He looked about 30 years old. Although he was dressed neatly, the worn collar showed that he was not in a good condition at the moment.
After thinking for a while, George asked:
"What if I need a lot of cigarettes? Can I get Lucky and Camel?"
"Look at what you said,"
As soon as the other party opened his mouth, Zhu Yihai knew that the deal was secure.
"You came to Chinatown for this, how many cigarettes do you need? 20 cartons? Or 50 cartons? You know, cigarettes in the United States are also rationed now, and each person only has a quota of a few packs per week, so the price is not cheap."
"How much should the price be increased?"
"At least 50%."
Zhu Yihai explained.
"Sometimes it may be increased by 60% or 70%. The price is based on the market, but if you need more goods, it will definitely be cheaper..."
"I really need a lot."
George said.
"More than all of them combined. If you can help me find a reliable seller who can guarantee supply, the commission will be easy to negotiate."