Thinking of this, Leader Zhou made up his mind:
"Comrade Xiaolin, how about it? Now you have a direct understanding of the strength of our Moutai Distillery. Tell us which Moutai brands you have your eye on and how much you want. We can discuss it."
Lin Sanqi thought, only children have to make choices.
"Leader Zhou, I'm asking for a lot of money. My personal idea is to buy all the Moutai you have in stock and clear out the inventory. The specific amount in US dollars or how many bottles of penicillin you want can be calculated today to see if I can take it all."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the warehouse was shocked and you could hear a pin drop.
Of course Lin Sanqi wanted all of it. Even the 1960 "Golden Wheel" domestic Moutai produced last year would be worth 920,000 yuan per bottle at an auction decades later.
Last year in 1960, Moutai Distillery produced a total of 1.8 million bottles. With such a huge number, I am afraid that the inventory will definitely not be small in a few decades.
God knows how those capitalists drove up the prices. As a "new capitalist", Lin Sanqi was really impressed by these old guys when he had nothing to do.
Let me put it this way, all Moutai liquors, no matter what year, are treasures as long as you have the ability to travel back a few decades.
Of course, the price is not calculated in this way. Lin Sanqi cleared out the inventory of Moutai Distillery today. He has tens of thousands of tons of aged Moutai in his hands. If he releases them, the Moutai market will collapse immediately.
He is not stupid and he is not short of money, so he may not cash out.
But when these decades-old Moutai bottles are given as gifts, will they be the best gifts? Will they touch people's hearts?
Which level of cadres can withstand such temptation?
If you give money directly, some intellectuals with proud character may not even look at it, but if you give aged Moutai as a gift, it’s a different story.
Look at the former deans of Huadu Medical University. They knew it was wrong to accept Moutai, but they couldn’t get over the psychological barrier and finally accepted it.
If you accept my wine, are we friends? If we are friends, then I will ask you for help with some small things in the future. Will you also give your all?
Then, after you solved one problem after another for Lingnantang Company, you found that high-aged Moutai liquor had been delivered again, bottle by bottle, box by box, and they asked you if you would help them in the future?
Thinking of this, Lin Sanqi became happier and greedier.
Leader Zhou and Director Yuan were equally delighted when they heard Lin Sanqi say he wanted them all.
Don’t say that aged Moutai is the soul of their Moutai Distillery and is not for sale. This kind of nonsense can only fool outsiders.
These aged Moutai were all produced by the private distilleries of the Lai, Wang and Hua families. What special feelings do the people of Moutai have after liberation?
As for the Moutai produced after liberation, it is just a commodity in the eyes of workers. What is so precious about it?
You should know that the Moutai in 1961 was far from the "national liquor" it later became. If you were to calculate its rank, it was at most one of the top ten famous liquors in the country. Fenjiu, Luzhou Laojiao and Xifeng were all at the same level.
Even in GZ province, there is another Dongjiu that is also listed among the top ten famous liquors.
But who knows about Dongjiu except old drunkards? Decades later, without capital speculation, Dongjiu has no "financial value" and Lin Sanqi would not be accepted even if it was given for free.
So even though Leader Zhou and Director Yuan were ecstatic in their hearts, after looking at each other, the two old foxes immediately reached a tacit understanding.
These stocks of aged Moutai belong to my brothers, sisters, loved ones and friends. You want me to sell them?
You have to pay more!
Director Yuan said with some embarrassment:
"President Xiaolin, the Moutai liquor in our warehouse is the result of decades of hard work and accumulation. It embodies the hard work of generations of Moutai people. We are selling it like this. We are really, really..."
After hearing this, Leader Zhou showed a dissatisfied expression:
"Old Yuan, I have to criticize you for this. The country is in such a difficult situation, foreign exchange is so precious, and people are dying from a lack of medicine or a minor illness. Which of these things is not more important than Maotai?
Now that Dean Lin has made this request, no matter how hard or difficult it is, no matter how reluctant we are, we must grit our teeth and contribute our beloved things. For the sake of the country and the people, what's wrong with us suffering a little injustice? "
Director Yuan is still performing hard:
"But, Mr. Zhou, our Moutai is too precious. If we sell it all, what will happen if the central leadership wants Moutai in the future? What about those foreign leaders who come to visit and want to drink Moutai?
Our retired workers came back to ask me, "Director Yuan, where did our wine go?" How should I answer? I would become the eternal sinner of Moutai Distillery. I really can't bear to sell it..."
Lin Sanqi's mouth twitched. He wondered if their performance was a bit too exaggerated. "Do you want to go to the Central Academy of Drama in Dongmianhua Hutong, next door to my house, for further studies?"
However, many local leaders who were unaware of the truth were deeply moved and sighed.
Minister Li had already walked away at this time and was following a staff member to visit the wine stored in the wine cellar. He picked up a bottle from time to time to comment on it, as if he didn't care about other things.
Only Dean Shen quietly touched Lin Sanqi's back with his fist, reminding him that this was a "trap" and he should not be sold out.
Lin Sanqi coughed lightly, indicating that he had received it, and then said with a smile:
"Leader Zhou, Director Yuan, and Director Li~~~"
Lin Sanqi deliberately shouted loudly, telling the old lady, "Don't hide anymore. I'm going to negotiate terms now."
"Leaders, this is what I think. The country is indeed in a difficult situation, and you in Guizhou are in an even more difficult situation. It is my duty to help you. This is my personal understanding. Besides, we are not businessmen, so there is no need to bargain.
So, I will pay 6 million US dollars, plus an additional 100,000 bottles of penicillin to Guizhou, in exchange for all the inventory of your Moutai factory, including the inventory before and after liberation, up to 1960, without leaving a single bottle.
"Whether I'm making a profit or you're losing money on this deal, I don't care. This is my condition. If you agree, I'll do the deal right away. If you don't, I'll just buy $100,000 worth of Moutai and go home."
With a "click", the Moutai liquor in Director Yuan's hand fell to the ground, and he was stunned.
Lin Sanqi was so distressed that his teeth were broken:
"Oh my goodness, Director Yuan, how could you break my Moutai? This is Green Beauty."
"Green Beauty" is the nickname for the Jinlun brand of export-oriented Moutai liquor produced in 1957. A bottle fetches at least 970,000 RMB at auction. Not to mention the liquor itself, this white porcelain bottle alone could fetch tens of thousands of RMB!"
Director Yuan’s mind had already crashed at this time: My Moutai, your Moutai, whose Moutai is it?
At the critical moment, it was the leader who showed courage. After a brief pause, Leader Zhou immediately waved to the secretary in the distance:
"Xiao Wu, draft the transfer documents immediately. Comrade Lin Sanqi is trading all of Moutai's inventory for $6 million plus 10 bottles of penicillin. Minister Li, is the central government okay with clearing out the Moutai inventory?"
Minister Li nodded. "My superiors instructed me to give Comrade Lin Sanqi as much as he wants, without any restrictions."
Leader Zhou turned around and stared at Lin Sanqi intently, saying, "Comrade Lin Sankai, a gentleman's word is as good as gold. You can't go back on your word!"
Lin Sanqi patted his chest:
"Don't worry, leader. The $6 million is in the People's Bank of China account and has never been in my hands. So you can rest assured about this money. The other 100,000 bottles of penicillin are also easy to deal with.
"After you deliver the Moutai liquor to me at the Wusong Wharf in Shanghai, we will exchange the money for the goods. It will be fair and just. Minister Li will be a witness on behalf of the Central Committee."
"good!!!"
Leader Zhou laughed heartily upon hearing this:
"President Lin is a straightforward person, so let's make it a deal. The Moutai Distillery has its own dedicated dock, and we guarantee that all the stored liquor will be delivered to Shanghai within two weeks. Don't worry, I, Zhou, guarantee with my Party character that not a single bottle will be missing, and everything will be packed up."
Leader Zhou must be happy. As I said before, without decades of capital speculation, Moutai would at most be just a first-class domestic liquor, not even a top-tier one.
So if all the Moutai produced in several wine cellars were added together and used for export, it is estimated that the value would not reach 2 million US dollars.
Now Lin Sanqi has given 6 million US dollars, plus 100,000 bottles of penicillin. This is definitely a super premium. When the central and local governments split the money, Guizhou can definitely have a good year this year.
Liu Shengli, the director of the Digital Hospital, is a soldier. Soldiers are straightforward, and he particularly admired Lin Sanqi's generosity:
"Well done, Xiaolin, you're definitely making a contribution to the country. It's just a shame. I came to the Moutai Distillery with you, hoping to get drunk and have enough, but you sold everything out. There's nothing left to drink!"
Several department heads also expressed regret.
Lin Sanqi also laughed out loud after hearing this, feeling quite happy:
"Everyone, don't worry. We've got plenty of wine and meat. So, Director Yuan, can you please go get us a couple of oxen and slaughter them right away? Also, how old is this jar of Moutai? Oh, it says '53 written on it in lime powder. So, let's open it and drink it all!"
“Okay~~~”
When a group of old drunkards heard that they could eat meat and drink unlimited Maotai, they thought, is there anything more refreshing than this?
That night, Guizhou dispatched 30 200-ton cargo ships to the Renhuai Moutai Distillery Wharf and began transportation operations overnight. Over the next few days, all 6,000 tons of Moutai Distillery's inventory of liquor were packed and transported to the Hejiang Wharf on the Yangtze River.
Then at Hejiang Wharf, they changed to three large cargo ships and sailed downstream, and were shipped to Shanghai City via the Yangtze River.
Lin Sanqi did not leave with the health system team by train, but instead followed the cargo ship down the Yangtze River.
On the one hand, it is to "escort the ship" as the client's father, and on the other hand, it is to appreciate the magnificent scenery of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, which will no longer be seen in a few decades.
In order to ensure the safety of Moutai liquor along the way and prevent any accidents, Lin Sanqi also specially presented the letter of introduction from the Central Military Commission and asked the Zunyi Armed Forces to send 50 soldiers with guns to help escort the entire journey.
Of course, after arriving in Shanghai, Lin Sanqi gave each soldier 100 yuan in labor fees.
What Lin Sanqi didn't know was that when he cleared out the wine cellars of the Maotai Distillery, according to historical progress, the wine cellar that stored the Maotai before liberation would be guarded by the armed police decades later, and ordinary people would never see it.
Even this national treasure-level Moutai, before it became famous, was all sold to a smuggler.
By the time Lin Sanqi "transported" all the Moutai back to the capital, it was already July and the weather was very hot and humid.
Even the soft sleeper train cars these days don’t have air conditioning, and all the traffic relies on the electric fans above the head. The iron car is like an oven, which directly roasts the Lin Sanqi into a sweet potato.
When Lin Sanqi returned to Dongmianhua Hutong, he found that his parents, Pan Ye, and two nephews and nieces were all there.
Lin Sanqi put down the wine jar in his hand, hugged his nephew and niece who ran over first and kissed them each, especially Lin Zhenzhen. Although his second brother and sister-in-law were not that good, his eldest niece was still cute.
As soon as Pan Ye heard that her husband had returned, she rushed out of the house. It was impossible for her not to miss him after being separated for a month since they were newlyweds.
"Sanqi, why did you come back just now?"
Lin Sanqi hugged his little wife and kissed her on the face:
"I have no choice. I have to run around to make money to support my family. But fortunately, this trip was very fruitful and I came back with a lot of rewards."
Pan Ye had a good point, which was that he didn't ask too many questions about a man's career, so he happily reminded him:
"I have called my parents to live in my house."
At this time, Jin Caifeng also heard the voice of her youngest son and ran out quickly. When she saw her son and daughter-in-law hugging each other, she smiled knowingly and returned to the house.
Lin Kucan was taking a nap and opened his eyes when he heard the sound: "I seem to hear Qizi's voice."
"Well, Qizi is back and seems quite happy. I guess that batch of Moutai must have brought him a lot of benefits."
"Alas, this guy emptied out the entire Moutai Distillery and spent $6 million without blinking. He's really like the old wave pushing the old wave out. We, the old wave, are going to die on the beach."
After Dean Shen returned to the capital, he told Dr. Lin about Lin Sanqi's heroic deeds in Guizhou, so the old couple also knew about Maotai.
At this moment, the door opened and Lin Sanqi rushed in:
"Dad, Mom, I'm back. Wow, the air conditioner is still cooler after all."
In Dongmianhua Hutong, in Lin Sanqi's house, a high-power electric wire was specially pulled in with special approval from the higher authorities.
Lin Sanqi installed air conditioners in the bedroom, living room, study, guest room and dining room in one go.
This air conditioner was purchased from Hong Kong. It is a desktop unit. It is very convenient to install on the windowsill and has a good cooling effect. In short, it is more than enough to cool a small room.
At the same time, Lin Sanqi also bought several refrigerators, washing machines, and even a color TV imported from the United States, although he could only watch news programs from one TV station every day.
But at least we entered a modern society in 1961.
The Lin family's house is a private one, offering excellent privacy. They can install these appliances without fear of being seen. Of course, who knows whether these appliances will become "evidence" of Lin Sanqi's guilt many years from now...
Pan Ye was a filial daughter-in-law. She used the excuse that living alone at home was too lonely and unsafe, so she brought her parents-in-law from the Gege Mansion.
Lin Kucan was not an ignorant man. He knew the benefits of air conditioning long before the liberation. Besides, he was not the kind of person who would endure hardship without any effort. Since his son's house had air conditioning, he happily enjoyed it.
Jin Caifeng looked at her youngest son with a bit of heartache:
"Look at you, you've been traveling around the south for a month and you're all black. Maotai is just liquor, so why would you transport it yourself?"
Lin Sanqi thought that he had to escort the goods. He should not have the intention to harm others, but he must be on guard against others. If someone stole a few tons of Moutai on the way, the loss would be hundreds of millions.
"Mom, I have a great use for this batch of Moutai, I must see it with my own eyes. The two jars of wine in my hand are 50 years old. Dad, Mom, let's taste the flavor of this top-grade liquor together tonight."
Lin Ku Shen was quite curious, so he opened the bottle cap and smelled it:
"It's really good wine, but unfortunately I'm not used to drinking white wine. Next time you have a chance, please bring me some rice wine."
Lin Sanqi nodded quickly: "Okay, I'll take care of the red rice wine."
At this time, Pan Ye came in with a basin of cold well water. While washing his face, Lin Sanqi asked:
"Dad, let me ask you a question. I got a lot of good wine from Maotai Distillery this time. The pre-liberation bottles are still good, but the post-liberation bottles, including the outer packaging, are still quite new. I want to make them look old. Do you know how to do it?"
In 1961, the packaging of Moutai liquor was brand new. If this kind of liquor was kept in modern society, people would mistake it for fake liquor, so it had to be made to look old to match the natural aging appearance of the year.
"Maotai liquor is being aged? That's a new concept. I've heard of fake antiques being aged before, but this is the first time I've heard of Moutai being aged. The aging method isn't difficult. We have a talented person at our Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. We'd definitely be wise to ask him to do it."
Lin Kucan spoke lightly, but Lin Sanqi became very curious:
"There's a forger in our hospital? Who is it? Why haven't I heard of it?"
After all, Lin Sanqi had been the deputy director of a traditional Chinese medicine hospital for a period of time, so he had some understanding of the employees under him. However, he had no impression of them at this moment.
Lin Kucan smiled and said:
"This isn't something to be ashamed of, so of course no one will publicize it. Besides, counterfeiting antiques and cultural relics happened before the Liberation. Decades have passed, and everyone has long forgotten about it. This man is Tang An from the pharmacy, Old Man Tang."
"Tang An? The skinny old man with small eyes who always smiles at everyone he sees?"
Lin Kucan nodded slightly:
"Yes, that's him. Let me tell you, Tang An is no ordinary man. He was originally an apprentice in a pharmacy, and his specialty was calligraphy and painting. He was quite famous during the Republic of China for forging seal carvings, calligraphy and paintings by famous artists of all dynasties.
His master was Pan Feisheng, a literary master of his generation, and one of his fellow apprentices was even more remarkable: Tan Jing, the forger of antiques during the Republic of China. Their forgery skills were so impressive that they could easily be mistaken for the real thing.
If nothing unexpected happens, many of the antiques and curios now treasured in museums or private collections are forged by these three masters and apprentices. Many of the items that passed through their hands were swapped, and the real ones ended up in their hands.
Both brothers, Tang An and Tan Jing, were smart. Seeing that they were about to be liberated, they realized that they could no longer make a living by counterfeiting antiques.
So before liberation, Tan Jingyuan went to Hong Kong to seek refuge, while Tang An returned to the pharmacy to work as a pharmacist.
After liberation, Tang An naturally went to work at a traditional Chinese medicine hospital. I only learned about his forgery by chance. Tan Jing is a fellow Dongguang native of ours, and our ancestors all came from the Thirteen Hongs in Guangzhou. It was through this connection that I learned about Tang An's past.
Lin Sanqi was too lazy to know the past of these forgers.
But Lin Sanqi knew that those who could forge antiques so that they were indistinguishable from the real ones were actually masters themselves, and their skills were absolutely top-notch, which the regular army could never match.
Just like the tomb robber Yao Yuzhong decades later.
He doesn't use any high technology or tools like the Luoyang shovel to check tombs. He relies entirely on his eyes, observing the sky and looking at feng shui to find out where the tombs are.
He could accurately determine the size of a tomb and the location of the main coffin just by measuring with his feet, without any error, so his success rate in tomb robbing was quite high, and he was known as the "ancestor" of the industry.
Unfortunately, Yao Yuzhong was eventually captured and executed, but Tang An retired early and saved his life after the change of dynasty. (End of this chapter)
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