Chapter 145 Aircraft Carrier Auction (Completed)...
Without seeing an aircraft carrier in person, it is difficult to imagine its grandeur and magnificence.
It was a man-made steel island.
While on deck, the group had to dodge seagull attacks and were too busy to pay attention to anything else. It wasn't until they entered the ship that He Changyi was finally able to see the aircraft carrier with his own eyes.
But apart from the area illuminated by the flashlight beam, she didn't actually see anything.
All around was darkness, the air was stagnant, and the damp, salty smell was mixed with the rusty odor unique to steel.
"I'm sorry, there's no electricity on the ship. I can only show you around the upper decks. There are 3,600 cabins here. If we get lost, none of us will be able to find our way out!"
The deputy factory director who led the tour was a technical expert who had participated in the construction of the aircraft carrier. He knew the Udnev very well and led the group through the darkness with great familiarity.
The group seemed to be walking through an underground labyrinth; apart from the sounds of footsteps and voices, there was only deathly silence, a quiet that was unsettling.
The deputy factory director repeatedly told everyone to stick close to him and not to fall behind.
He threatened, “Our Udnev is a very dangerous ship. Several lives were lost during its construction, some from falling from great heights, others from starving to death after accidentally entering the hold. If you go the wrong way and can’t get back to the deck, you might not be found until you become skeletons.”
Upon hearing the deputy factory director's words, everyone silently huddled closer together, like a group of penguins seeking warmth.
He Changyi asked, "Why is there no electricity? Did the shipyard workers also work with flashlights back then?"
The deputy factory manager readily replied, "Of course there's electricity, but the cables have all been cut!"
He pointed casually, and the beam of the flashlight shone on the remnants of a severed cable.
"The cables and equipment above the seventh rank have all been removed. Now, only the main engine and boiler below the seventh rank remain on this ship."
He Changyi raised an eyebrow: "Then I hope the main unit is still available, otherwise I'll have to reconsider my offer."
The deputy factory manager immediately said, "Don't worry! The main engine is below the seventh rank. Unless the entire ship is dismantled, no one can take the main engine away!"
He Changyi asked astutely, "So we won't be able to see the mainframe today?"
The deputy factory director shrugged: "As you know, this is a large ship without power and not yet completed. Even I wouldn't dare go below the seventh rank. But I can assure you that none of the four main engines on board will be missing."
He Changyi neither agreed nor disagreed, but secretly noted it down, planning to check the positions below the seventh rank when conditions allowed.
The group took a short walk inside the aircraft carrier, and when they returned to the deck, they had a feeling that it was like a day had passed.
The seagulls still attacked head-on, and the flight deck was covered in bird droppings, but this time, walking on the aircraft carrier made one feel exceptionally small.
However, no one dared to look up and sigh, not only because of the terrorist seagulls, but also because of the American satellite overhead. It is said that there is a satellite that is used to monitor the Udnev, and everyone who boards the ship will have a free satellite photo taken of them.
After completing their on-site inspection of the Udnev, He Changyi's side suddenly intensified their firepower, determined to seize this prize.
That's a real steel behemoth, made with special steel that's unique to the market. Most steel mills in China can't even produce the exact same steel!
Xu Shaobo was also getting anxious. He had boasted that he would buy an aircraft carrier, and even before he had the carrier, he had been borrowing money under the guise of the carrier. The creditors had only refrained from pressing for repayment because of the Udnev. If he didn't buy the carrier, where would he find the money to pay off his debts?
Xu Shaobo has always been a man who borrows new money to pay off old debts. His main idea is that as long as he borrows enough bricks, no one will be able to tell that he is robbing Peter to pay Paul.
In this chaotic yet opportunity-filled era, he actually managed to rise to the top, becoming a wealthy businessman in Hong Kong. However, putting on a show when going out is one thing, but actually having real money to show for it is another.
You know, when the creditor came to his door last time, if Xu Shaobo hadn't used the purchase of the aircraft carrier as a shield, that shady creditor would have targeted his entire family. Not to mention that he had patted his chest and guaranteed General Qin that if he didn't end up buying the aircraft carrier and offended both the legitimate and criminal worlds, how would he go back?
Therefore, no matter what, Xu Shaobo must buy the Udnev!
The struggle between He Changyi and Xu Shaobo intensified, eventually even attracting the attention of the local mayor.
The mayor made the decision: whoever offered the highest price would get the property.
But to his surprise, He Changyi and Xu Shaobo, despite their rivalry, fell silent when it came to the highest bidder. Neither was willing to raise the price first, and instead they both yelled at the shipyard, saying that they were the ones who initially offered to sell the aircraft carrier for 20 million US dollars. They were already being generous by not lowering the price, and now they were raising it at the last minute. If that was the case, then let the shipyard wait for the next sucker!
Xu Shaobo needed to be a bit cunning. He publicly declared that he absolutely disagreed, but secretly went to discuss with the shipyard leaders that raising the price was not out of the question, but the payment ratio had to be changed. For example, after signing the contract, two million US dollars would be paid first, and the remaining balance could be paid slowly.
The shipyard leaders weren't stupid; they immediately disagreed. After all, they wanted the money in their pockets, and how long would it take to pay them slowly?
In the midst of the stalemate, the mayor made another decision: whoever could pay the full amount in the shortest time would get the property.
Twenty million US dollars is no small sum; even billionaires with hundreds of millions of dollars in assets may not be able to withdraw that much money from their cash flow.
He Changyi readily agreed that he could pay in full within a month, while Xu Shaobo hesitated for a moment before tentatively agreeing that he could also pay in full within a month.
The shipyard was facing a difficult decision. Meanwhile, Xu Shaobo's flamboyant behavior attracted considerable attention from foreign countries, especially those hostile to China. Naturally, they could not allow China to buy the aircraft carrier and sent diplomatic notes to the Ukrainian government, questioning the purchase of the aircraft carrier by Chinese businessmen and pressuring for a public auction.
Ukraine is indifferent; as long as they can get rid of the huge burden of the aircraft carrier, they're willing to let anyone buy it, as long as they pay.
However, for He Changyi and Xu Shaobo, this was not a bolt from the blue, but a completely unexpected disaster.
The two men, disregarding their internal strife, each exerted pressure on the shipyard through different channels, with their core demand consisting of only four words: "tailor-made!"
The shipyard responded quickly and impartially, setting bidding requirements based on the companies that He and Xu used to purchase the aircraft carrier. These requirements covered everything from buyer qualifications and usage plans to international creditworthiness, ensuring that no other company could produce a complete set of documents in a short period of time.
However, the shipyard imposed a stringent requirement—bidders participating in the auction were required to provide a deposit of $50 million to ensure they had the financial capacity to pay.
Fifty million US dollars is not a small amount of money, but fortunately it only needs to be used for a short period of time and will not have a significant impact on the cash flow.
He Changyi returned to Oros and personally brought in a $50 million deposit and a $20 million purchase price for the ship; Xu Shaobo also returned to Hong Kong Island, and when he came to Uzbekistan again, he was accompanied by a middle-aged man.
"Ms. He, hello, I am Zhou Chunjun."
The newcomer had a square face that exuded authority even without anger, and spoke and acted with a dignified and formal demeanor, completely different from Xu Shaobo, who was a maverick.
He Changyi smiled and extended her hand to shake his: "You must be the savior Mr. Xu invited. It seems he really has no other choice. He might as well leave now and save face."
Xu Shaobo said unhappily, "Miss He, don't talk nonsense in front of President Zhou. He's not like you. President Zhou is a state cadre and the general manager of Hong Kong Gold Securities, managing hundreds of billions. With President Zhou around, it's not certain who will lose!"
He Changyi immediately said, "Is that even a question? It's definitely not me. You cobbled together the money to participate in the auction, while I used all my own funds. We can't be compared at all."
She changed the subject and said, "Mr. Xu, I heard that someone came to your house last week to collect a debt, which scared your family. I think you should think about how to repay the money first. It's not a good thing to keep borrowing money."
Zhou Chunjun reacted very quickly, his expression changed slightly, and he immediately went to look at Xu Shaobo.
Xu Shaobo's expression was extremely ugly. He snorted coldly, "Don't think you can sow discord with just a few words. Without evidence, President Zhou won't believe you!"
He angrily said to Zhou Chunjun, "President Zhou, don't believe her. She's just up to no good and wants to take the aircraft carrier back to buy scrap metal! I told you, if it weren't for her interference, I would have bought the aircraft carrier back long ago!"
He Changyi shrugged innocently: "Whether you believe it or not is up to you. I'm just stating the facts."
In response to Zhou Chunjun's probing gaze last week, she said meaningfully, "You're all talk and no action, but it's a pity that your sincere heart can't always be kept in the dark."
Having said that, without waiting for Xu Shaobo's rebuttal, He Changyi turned and left decisively.
The auction is about to begin, and she has a lot to do.
"President Zhou..."
Xu Shaobo opened his mouth to speak, but Zhou Chunjun stopped him.
"Let's not talk about that for now, buying the aircraft carrier is the most important thing." He looked at Xu Shaobo and said meaningfully, "As long as we get the aircraft carrier, everything will be fine; if we don't get it, you should return the 20 million yuan you borrowed from Hong Kong Gold Company."
Xu Shaobo said awkwardly, "Of course I can buy it, of course..."
After turning around, Xu Shaobo gritted his teeth and cursed inwardly: If it weren't for He Changyi's relentless pressure, and if the shipyard hadn't demanded a 10% deposit on the auction price, he wouldn't have had to borrow money from Hong Kong Gold Company. Although he did manage to borrow the money, he now had a jailer watching over his spending.
He originally planned to use this large sum of money to buy a villa in Hong Kong Island, but now, damn it, he's really going to use it to buy an aircraft carrier.
However, as long as he can buy the aircraft carrier, he can even use it as collateral when he borrows money again. Moreover, Zhou Chunjun is only interested in buying the aircraft carrier for the country, so as long as we have his weakness, we won't have to worry about getting money out of his pocket.
When the creditors come knocking, Zhou Chunjun will have to pay them back even if he has to hold his nose!
Xu Shaobo became increasingly smug, his previous unhappiness vanished, and he chatted enthusiastically with people at the auction as if he were on his home turf.
Zhou Chunjun gradually fell behind, whispered a few instructions to his assistant, and only stepped forward after being repeatedly called by Xu Shaobo.
"Let me introduce you. This is the general manager of Hong Kong Gold Securities, who manages billions in assets. We're working together..."
The auction was held at Christie's in the Ukrainian capital. There were many participants, but due to the strict bidding requirements and very short preparation time, only three to five people actually met the requirements. Asian faces accounted for the majority of them, with the exception of He and Xu, the other two were from Japan and South Korea.
The representatives from the United States and Australia wore arrogant expressions. They didn't really want to bid for the aircraft carrier. After all, one looked down on the unfinished legacy of its dead rival, and the other had a powerful backer, so the aircraft carrier was just for show.
Japan and South Korea are much more nervous. On the one hand, they do have a need for aircraft carriers, but on the other hand, they are unhappy that China has aircraft carriers. Even if they can't buy them themselves, they can still raise the price by stirring up trouble.
However, Zhong Guo did not send anyone to participate in the auction on the surface. Xu Shaobo used a company called Haojiang Company to register, while He Changyi used a company called Eros Company.
—After all, she is the white glove of her white glove.
When Alexei appeared at the auction, those in the know immediately understood.
As expected, it was this newly emerging underworld force. If it was him who wanted to buy it, it wouldn't be surprising. Buying an aircraft carrier to dismantle for scrap metal is obviously a much easier business compared to human trafficking.
Alexei walked over without looking to either side, sat down directly next to He Changyi, turned his head to look at her, and said in a low voice, "You seem to be getting more and more creative. I didn't know that an aircraft carrier could be made of scrap steel. I just found out that I was going to buy a 10,000-ton aircraft carrier."
He Changyi said cheerfully, "Thank you for the compliment. After all, my motto in life is that nothing is impossible. On another note, I also find it incredible that you would be surprised by an unfinished aircraft carrier when all your active-duty comrades are involved in arms dealing."
Alexei stared at her for a while, then said slowly, "I wouldn't be surprised if the United States puts you on its wanted list someday."
He Changyi patted his arm reassuringly: "Don't worry, if that day ever comes, your name will definitely be listed alongside mine."
Alexei readily agreed, "That sounds good."
The two whispered intimately, their faces close together. The others couldn't even read each other's lips and could only scratch their heads and prick up their ears, wishing they had dog ears to eavesdrop on a few words in the noisy venue.
However, they didn't suffer for long.
The auction for the aircraft carrier Udnev has officially begun.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Xu Shaobo's behavior seems outrageous, but I can only say that reality is far more outrageous than fiction. Perhaps this is what they mean by "the brave enjoy the world first" (orz).
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com