Chapter 147 The Duck That's Already in Hand (First Update)...
A Chinese businessman has won the bid for the aircraft carrier Udnev!
As soon as the news broke, major media outlets around the world rushed to report it, publicizing that China was going to build an aircraft carrier, and the red wave was trying to make a comeback.
Facing reporters from different countries, Xu Shaobo accepted interviews with a smug smile, claiming that the purchase of the aircraft carrier was a personal matter and had nothing to do with the country. He also stated that the carrier would be used for non-military purposes and converted into a large-scale maritime entertainment facility that includes hotels, dance halls, and casinos.
At this time, Macau had not yet officially returned to China and maintained a state of ambiguity with the mainland, and on the surface, it indeed had no connection with China.
However, such high-sounding rhetoric can only fool bookworms who nitpick over words. In the eyes of most people, this is a political act, especially since Xu Shaobo invited people from the embassy to the celebration banquet on the day the auction ended, and he himself has repeatedly claimed in private that he was buying an aircraft carrier for the country.
Therefore, shortly after taking the picture of the aircraft carrier, Xu Shaobo encountered a series of troubles.
First, unidentified individuals secretly monitored and followed Xu Shaobo. Even though he was often drunk, he noticed the group of ill-intentioned guys behind him.
Xu Shaobo was so frightened that he sobered up on the spot. Even with bodyguards, he could not feel at ease. However, when he called the police in the city, the Ukrainian police told him that those people were just reporters and did not take any action.
"Don't be nervous, it's nothing serious. They just want to create some news. You're the richest person in town now! Twenty million dollars for a wrecked ship, wow, you're really rich..."
The Ukrainian policemen's gazes towards Xu Shaobo grew increasingly hostile, as if they were weighing pork in their hands, considering how to squeeze some money out of this foreigner. In this respect, they shared a lot in common with their cousins, the Oros.
Xu Shaobo had to empty his wallet and take several photos with the police officers, arm in arm to prove their friendly neighborly relationship, before he could walk out of the police station unscathed.
Xu Shaobo was still in shock when an unidentified person boarded a helicopter and landed directly on the aircraft carrier's deck. After being discovered by the workers guarding the carrier, he lied and claimed that he was just curious and visiting. Ignoring the workers' attempts to stop him, he forcibly boarded the helicopter and escaped before the shipyard guards arrived.
To prevent a similar situation from happening again before the handover, the shipyard has strengthened security and assigned personnel to guard the aircraft carrier 24 hours a day.
Xu Shaobo was also quite frightened. He sought help from the embassy, protested to the shipyard and the local government, and even temporarily hired several more bodyguards.
But compared to the difficulties that follow, these are merely appetizers.
Several major challenges lie in towing the Udnev aircraft carrier back to China.
First, a formal purchase contract must be signed with the shipyard, and a purchase price of US$20 million must be paid. Second, a high-powered tugboat must be hired. There are not many tugboats in the world that can tow an aircraft carrier, and even fewer that are willing to accept private commissions and have available slots. Finally, permission must be obtained from the port authority so that the aircraft carrier can leave Uzbekistan smoothly and pass through the Tusman Strait.
Paying the money was not a problem. When handling the auction procedures, Xu Shaobo had already paid a deposit of two million US dollars, and only needed to pay another eighteen million US dollars.
Xu Shaobo certainly couldn't come up with that much money all at once. His repeated trips to Ukraine to cultivate relationships had already drained a lot of his savings, and he couldn't even afford the two million dollar deposit.
If it weren't for Zhou Chunjun's willingness to help because of the aircraft carrier, Xu Shaobo wouldn't even have been qualified to participate in the auction.
Adhering to the principle of not troubling two clients at once, Xu Shaobo approached Zhou Chunjun again, asking to borrow another 100 million yuan.
"One hundred million yuan?"
Zhou Chunjun frowned and asked, "When you came to borrow money from me last time, didn't you say it was just a temporary cash shortage? What, you haven't paid back the money from last time, and now you want to borrow even more money?"
Xu Shaobo said with a bitter face, "President Zhou, I have no choice. Business in Hong Kong is tough, and I really can't collect the debts. Ukraine has given me an ultimatum, saying that if I don't pay, they will void the auction and re-auction it. You saw it last time, Japan and South Korea are eyeing it like tigers! And that woman surnamed He, she's determined to dismantle the aircraft carrier into scrap metal!"
"President Zhou, we can't wait any longer! Delay could lead to unforeseen problems!"
Zhou Chunjun thought for a while with a sullen face before saying, "If that's the case, why don't you borrow the money all at once, instead of splitting it into two installments? Aren't you playing the salami slicing game?"
Xu Shaobo was speechless for a moment, but quickly came up with an excuse: "I didn't expect them to not pay back the money, and I certainly didn't expect the Usak shipyard to go back on their word, saying that if they didn't pay, the auction would be considered a failure, and they would even keep the two million US dollars already paid..."
Zhou Chunjun remained silent, his mind rapidly calculating the pros and cons.
He and Xu Shaobo were complete strangers, having only met through an intermediary. He learned that Xu would be participating in the Uzbek aircraft carrier auction, not for personal gain but for the country. Xu Shaobo was secretly representing the country to purchase the aircraft carrier, but was now facing a shortage of funds and wanted to borrow 20 million RMB from Hong Kong Gold Company, promising to repay the loan once the aircraft carrier was purchased.
Zhou Chunjun was skeptical about the matter, but Xu Shaobo immediately produced photos of himself with the aircraft carrier and shipyard leaders, as well as auction documents provided by the shipyard. He also invited Zhou Chunjun to go to Uzbekistan with him to attend the auction.
After witnessing Xu Shaobo bid for the aircraft carrier, Zhou Chunjun finally agreed to lend him money. However, not long after the auction ended, Xu Shaobo came to borrow money again, this time the amount soared to 100 million yuan.
To lend or not to lend?
Zhou Chunjun scrutinized Xu Shaobo. The man possessed the ruggedness and straightforwardness of a northern man, but also the shrewdness and cunning characteristic of a businessman. He spoke in a mix of truth and falsehood, making him quite cunning and difficult to deal with.
In his heart, Zhou Chunjun did not want to lend 100 million yuan to Xu Shaobo; this person was being too demanding.
If he had said from the beginning that he wanted to borrow 20 million US dollars to buy an aircraft carrier, it could be considered that he was honest; but he only borrowed 20 million yuan the first time, and then asked for another 100 million yuan after receiving it. Who knows how much money he will want to borrow next time?
But if they don't lend it, are they just going to watch Zhong Guo miss out on this aircraft carrier? That's something Zhou Chunjun absolutely cannot accept.
Seeing Zhou Chunjun's fluctuating expression, Xu Shaobo tentatively asked, "President Zhou, please tell me your concerns. We'll work together to find a solution. I'm willing to go bankrupt if it means we can buy the aircraft carrier back!"
Zhou Chunjun said, "I don't need you to go bankrupt."
Xu Shaobo had just breathed a sigh of relief when Zhou Chunjun said, "But 100 million yuan is not a small amount. Add to that the 20 million yuan you haven't repaid before, how can you prove your ability to repay the debt? What can you offer as collateral?"
Xu Shaobo said with a bitter face, "All my money has been invested in the aircraft carrier project, and the land and buildings I bought have already been mortgaged to the bank... If you trust me, I can find some friends in the military to act as guarantors."
Zhou Chunjun said, "No, you also have an aircraft carrier."
Xu Shaobo was taken aback, then immediately said, "But the aircraft carrier hasn't been bought yet, so it can't be used as collateral..."
Zhou Chunjun interrupted him: "That's not difficult. Take out that Haojiang company that was used to auction off the aircraft carrier, do a debt-to-equity swap, and divide the shares according to the proportion of investment."
Xu Shaobo looked displeased and after a long pause, he said, "Debt-to-equity swap is fine, but 100 million yuan isn't enough. We need to increase it to 200 million. Hiring tugboats, smoothing things over with the port authority... everything will cost money, and I also want a 51% stake. I spearheaded the purchase of the aircraft carrier, and I was the one contacting the Ukrainian side. Now foreign spies are all after me. They can't turn me into a foot soldier just because I borrow money!"
He paused, glanced at Zhou Chunjun, and lowered his voice, saying, "Besides, I went through so much trouble and risked my life, I should at least be allowed to earn something..."
Zhou Chunjun readily agreed. In business, it's normal to want to make money. As long as the Udnev can be towed back to China, everything is negotiable.
Therefore, Zhou Chunjun designated a Hong Kong company to invest in Haojiang Entertainment Company under Xu Shaobo's name, with the two parties holding 49% and 51% of the shares respectively. After the aircraft carrier arrives in China and the country acquires it, the two parties will divide the acquisition payment according to their shareholding ratio.
After transferring the funds to Haojiang Entertainment Company, Xu Shaobo immediately set off for Uzbekistan. Soon after, news came back that the Udnev had set sail and would soon leave the Black Sea, pass through the Tusman Strait, and head towards China.
Zhou Chunjun was overjoyed and hung a world map in his office, marking the aircraft carrier's real-time coordinates on the map based on the information sent back by Xu Shaobo.
As time went by, with a constant stream of news, the news about the Udnev aircraft carrier was gradually overshadowed.
This was exactly what Zhou Chunjun hoped for; if things escalated too much, the resistance the aircraft carrier would face returning home would be even greater. In today's turbulent world, with the international order crumbling, it was best to keep quiet and make a fortune, avoiding attracting the attention of those with ill intentions.
However, things never go as planned.
Hong Kong Island is small, and any news can spread like wildfire, like a typhoon sweeping across the entire island in an instant.
When Zhou Chunjun heard the rumors that Xu Shaobo had spent a huge sum of money to buy a luxury mansion in Deep Water Bay and gave each guest a 1-pound pure gold commemorative plaque at the company's celebration, he also boasted to his creditors that he could afford to buy an aircraft carrier for 20 million US dollars, so how could he be short of this little bit of money?
A bad premonition welled up in Zhou Chunjun's heart, and the aircraft carrier's coordinates remained stationary in front of the Turkmen Strait, with no action taken for a long time.
He called Xu Shaobo, who complained bitterly: "Turkmenistan is too greedy! Our aircraft carrier has to pay a huge sum of money to pass through their straits. I'm trying to pull some strings to see if we can pay less. Sigh, Mr. Zhou, it's perfect that you're calling. I didn't know how to bring it up. Shouldn't you be the ones to pay this money...?"
Zhou Chunjun said angrily, "You have money to buy luxury houses and give away gold bars, but don't you have money to tow the aircraft carrier back?"
Xu Shaobo said confidently, "Buying an aircraft carrier is a matter for the country, while buying a house is a matter for me personally. How can you compare them? President Zhou, it's all for the country, so don't speak so harshly."
Zhou Chunjun said decisively, "Don't mention the country. A contract is a contract. There's no reason to raise prices anywhere! You've taken a total of 220 million. Give me all the accounts related to the aircraft carrier, and let's check them!"
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone before Xu Shaobo spoke up unhappily: "President Zhou, this is not very nice of you. 'If you doubt someone, don't use them; if you use someone, don't doubt them.' Aren't you questioning my character?"
Zhou Chunjun shouted, "The innocent are innocent! If you are innocent, why are you afraid of being investigated? Besides, reconciling accounts is a normal business practice. As a shareholder of the company, I have the right to know how the funds are used!"
Xu Shaobo remained silent for a while, and when he spoke again, his tone was much weaker: "Then let me sort out the accounts first... There's one more thing I need to make clear first. I spent a lot of money to establish connections with the Uzbeks. What if this money doesn't go into the accounts?"
Zhou Chunjun grew increasingly uneasy, and simply said, "Report everything first."
Xu Shaobo dawdled, and only after Zhou Chunjun urged him repeatedly did he hand over the accounts and receipts.
However, to everyone's surprise, the consulting fees, advisory fees, and business entertainment expenses in the accounts amounted to a staggering 200 million yuan.
In other words, apart from the initial two million US dollars deposit, Xu Shaobo has not paid the shipyard for so long, nor has he completed the tugboat and port clearance procedures, let alone the navigation procedures in the Strait of Tuzman!
Zhou Chunjun was furious. What consulting services and business entertainment expenses? It was obvious that Xu Shaobo was just finding ways to pocket money for himself.
But now is not the time to investigate Xu Shaobo's misappropriation of funds; the aircraft carrier is the top priority. Zhou Chunjun immediately ordered Haojiang Entertainment Company to convene a shareholders' meeting, remove Xu Shaobo from his position as general manager, acquire his 51% stake, and pay the remaining purchase price to the shipyard in the company's name as soon as possible.
However, Zhou Chunjun soon learned even worse news—due to the failure to receive payment, the Ussak shipyard declared the auction results invalid and sold the aircraft carrier to a foreign company.
a bolt from the blue!
Zhou Chunjun could not accept this outcome and immediately flew to Uzbekistan to see if there was any possibility of a turnaround. However, the shipyard's attitude was very firm.
"This isn't just a matter of payment. Your company submitted false documents before the auction. Not only do you not have any actual business operations in Macau, but you also don't have a gambling license. You're just a shell company!"
The shipyard representative told Zhou Chunjun, "I'm sorry, but you can't take the Udnev away; it already has a new owner."
There's no turning back now.
Zhou Chunjun walked out of the shipyard dejectedly. Looking into the distance, he could still see the unfinished aircraft carrier moored in the port, like a rusty iron mountain.
Is Zhong Guo really going to miss out on the Udnev? If he misses this chance, will he have another one?
Zhou Chunjun suddenly remembered something and quickly asked his secretary, "Do you still have Miss He's business card with you?"
The secretary was taken aback: "...Miss He? Which Miss He?"
Zhou Chunjun said urgently, "It's Miss He Changyi!"
The secretary suddenly realized that he was very impressed with this beautiful and wealthy businesswoman. He flipped through his business card holder and actually found the thin, minimalist-designed piece of paper.
Zhou Chunjun snatched the business card and dialed the number on it.
"Hello, is this Miss He?"
Following the auction, the Udnev once again made headlines in major media outlets, this time only to announce that the auction was cancelled, and China had completely lost the aircraft carrier.
The news elicited mixed reactions from various countries, with most expressing joy. After all, with the collapse of the alliance, China became the biggest target of socialism, and they all hoped to divide China up like they had divided up the Qing Dynasty. Since its founding and the reform and opening up, the country, which was originally as poor and weak as a chicken bone, has now become more plump and tempting, and everyone wants to take a big bite out of it.
A wealthy but weak nation is most in their interest. Ideally, it should be militarily weak, like Japan. They would pamper and fatten it up in peacetime, and then harvest it when they need money. It would be more resilient than leeks and would even offer tribute. It couldn't be more perfect.
Zhong Guo finally managed to buy a decommissioned aircraft carrier, but his joy was short-lived; his hard-won prize slipped away. Although the shipyard's explanation seemed legitimate, it was clear to everyone that this was a robbery targeting Zhong Guo.
The company that originally won the bid for the aircraft carrier, Haojiang Company, held a press conference to protest this breach of contract and law, declaring that it would pursue the shipyard's responsibility. The company's new general manager also gave an exclusive interview to foreign media such as CBB and NNC, condemning the shipyard's lack of contractual spirit and stating that it would file a lawsuit in the local court to take preservation measures on the Udnev, and that no one could take the aircraft carrier away before the verdict was announced.
Not to be outdone, the shipyard immediately presented evidence of Haojiang Company's delayed payments and provision of false materials, and claimed that it would also sue the company, demanding compensation for the losses caused to the shipyard.
The two sides were locked in fierce fighting, attracting widespread media coverage from both China and abroad. Just then, the foreign company that had purchased the aircraft carrier quietly dispatched two high-powered tugboats, which towed the Udnev away from the port overnight.
By the time the people from the Haojiang Company learned of the news, the aircraft carrier had already disappeared.
"I told you, this ship will eventually be mine."
On the aircraft carrier deck, a woman in work boots shielded her eyes from the light, gazing at the busy shipping lanes in the distance, and further still, the faintly visible Tusman Strait pass.
The black-haired man beside him smirked and said, "He Changyi, you're even crazier than the most fanatical gambler."
"But I won."
He Changyi put down his hand and turned to walk towards the cabin below deck.
"Let's go, let's see what kind of canned food we're having for lunch today..."
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Author's Note: Here's the first chapter; the second chapter is currently being written.
By the way, some additions and adjustments have been made to the first few chapters, but this will not affect the reading experience.
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