After hearing Fang Lang's words, General Leta looked at the inland patrol boat that had already started not far away, and said calmly:
“It is said that the performance of the Army in the operation to eliminate the rebels of the Eddie brothers made Defense Minister Marshal Moraes and President Dutra very dissatisfied, and they rejected the military expenditure application submitted by the Army.
Perhaps the Secretary of the Navy saw this opportunity. I heard that the Secretary of the Navy told the Secretary of Defense that this type of landing operation is the Navy's specialty. It can be seen from the performance of your Marines in the landing operation in the Fernando de Noronha Islands that your Marines are a powerful team.
Therefore, he asked the Minister of Defense for war on behalf of the Navy Department. "
Fang Lang was stunned when he heard this. Although he also wanted to fight and eliminate Eddie's brothers, he didn't want to do it now! After all, the inland patrol boats had not been delivered yet, and his Marine Corps' jungle tactics training had not been completed.
Although we will definitely win if we launch an attack on the Eddie brothers' anti-government armed forces at this time, we may also suffer huge casualties!
"Has the Ministry of Defense agreed?"
"Of course we won't agree. How could the Army Department allow such a thing to happen? Don't they have any dignity?
The Army Minister has signed a military order in front of the Defense Minister. In the first month after the rainy season ends, the Army will be able to end the fighting and completely wipe out the Edi brothers’ anti-government forces.”
...
...
For some reason, Fang Lang felt that General Leta seemed to be gloating when he said this.
However, at this time, Fang Lang did not care about General Leta's psychology. Instead, he breathed a sigh of relief. However, at the same time, he could not help but keep this matter in mind.
He had been thinking about finding a reason to participate in the campaign to encircle and suppress the anti-government armed forces of the Eddie brothers, but he did not expect that the Minister of the Navy was more anxious than him.
However, Fang Lang did not mind the Navy Minister's approach. After all, in his position, he had to seek benefits for the entire Navy. Now the arrogant Army had capsized in the gutter. If the Navy's Marines could easily eliminate the enemy, the Army would definitely look very ugly.
This may be the truest thought in the heart of the Navy Minister. After all, in World War II, apart from Fang Lang's real combat exploits during the escort process, the Navy basically had no other outstanding achievements.
However, the army performed well on the European battlefield. This was also the reason why the army was so powerful in the country after the war, and military spending gave priority to the army.
Fortunately, the landing operation in the Fernando de Noronha Islands gave the Navy a good show, which improved the Navy's status in the Ministry of National Defense to a certain extent.
It was this situation that allowed Lieutenant General Frederick Crook, who served as Secretary of the Navy, to find a way to enhance the status of the Navy, that is, to constantly demonstrate its strength. Now the failure of the Army in suppressing the rebellion has obviously given Lieutenant General Crook new hope.
After thinking this through, Fang Lang smiled and touched his chin.
"It seems that if the army fails to achieve success this time, this job may be transferred to me.
If that's the case, I'll have to prepare early."
After hearing Fang Lang's words, General Leta said with a smile on his face:
"Oh! So General Fang is not optimistic about the Army Department's actions this time?"
Fang Lang certainly wouldn't say something that would obviously offend people, so he smiled and waved his hand, saying:
"General, you're joking. What I mean is that I need to prepare for a rainy day. Regardless of whether the army can completely eliminate the anti-government forces of the Eddie brothers, I must be ready to be ordered to join the battle at any time."
General Leta obviously did not really believe Fang Lang's explanation, but he also understood that it was normal for others to be unwilling to express their opinions on such matters. After all, if the words reached the ears of the army, there might be very bad consequences.
He smiled and patted Fang Lang's arm and said:
"Haven't you been preparing for this for a long time? These two patrol boats are what you prepared for the battle in the Amazon River Basin!"
Hearing this, Fang Lang coughed twice to cover up his embarrassment and said:
"I am indeed preparing this for the battle in the Amazon River Basin, but the people who will participate in the battle may not necessarily be from our navy! These patrol boats can also be prepared for the Army Department!
I took the initiative to produce these two patrol boats for business purposes!"
Seeing that Fang Lang was unwilling to admit it, General Leta did not force him. He just smiled and pointed at Fang Lang with his index finger and said:
"You are a slippery kid."
Then his expression changed again, and he said seriously:
“However, you did a good job in this matter. Our Amazon River Guard does need to have these two types of equipment.
Next we can talk about the specific purchase quantity.”
Fang Lang was stunned when he heard this. This turn was a bit too fast! The inspection has not yet ended, but the purchase intention has been made clear here. However, this is also the main purpose of Fang Lang coming here in person today.
Seeing that the intention has been reached, he will not participate too much. After all, his current official identity is a soldier, and it is not appropriate for him to come forward and discuss the specific negotiations of the purchase with the military.
So, he smiled and shook his head:
“Haha… I came here today just to see if the patrol boat I designed can meet actual combat requirements.
As for the issue of military procurement, you still need to communicate with the general manager of the shipyard, Mr. Ousmane Aragon. However, please rest assured that we will still follow the old rules. I will explain it clearly to Mr. Ousmane Aragon. "
Seeing that Fang Lang's last sentence was a signal to him, General Leta remained calm on the surface, but the slightly upturned expression on the corners of his mouth did not escape Fang Lang's eyes.
Obviously, he was very satisfied with the old rules that Fang Lang mentioned.
"It now seems that the two patrol boats designed by you are definitely urgently needed by our National Guard. I believe they will be able to withstand the test of actual combat.
I hope you can continue to work hard and come up with a design for a new destroyer as soon as possible. I will report to the Minister of Defense to see if we can directly entrust you to design and build a new destroyer for the Navy from the military level.
Of course, it would be even better if you could convince the Secretary of the Navy, General Crook, to submit the application personally."
It seems that General Leta has really made up his mind to let Fangyuan Group Shipyard independently manufacture the next model of a new destroyer. Fang Lang is of course very happy about this.
So, he said without hesitation:
"No problem. I will push the Navy Department to propose an independent shipbuilding plan as soon as possible."
Hearing this, General Leta smiled and stretched out his right hand. Fang Lang smiled and stretched out his right hand as well. The two hands were tightly clasped together. A huge arms procurement order had been reached through a private conversation.
Things became much simpler afterwards. The logistics officials who came with General Leta and others for the inspection were given clear arrangements by Mr. Ousmane Aragon, the general manager of the shipyard.
After the inspection, everyone praised Fangyuan Group's two patrol boats and gave them very high evaluations.
The two sides soon reached an agreement, and the Logistics Department of the Brazilian Defense Forces purchased ten "Amazon-class" inland patrol boats with a displacement of 500 tons from Fangyuan Shipyard.
And fifty "Exocet" class high-speed patrol boats with a displacement of 7 tons.
This was also the first warship order received by Fangyuan Shipyard from the military. Soon after, under the promotion of all parties, the Ministry of National Defense commissioned Fangyuan Shipyard to begin designing its own destroyer based on the US military's "Fletcher-class" destroyer.
After receiving this order, the Fangyuan Group Shipyard officially began to transform from a civilian shipyard to a dual-use military and civilian shipyard.
…
Early in the morning, at a construction site in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Chi Yousheng from Guizhou, China, was standing in the open space outside the shed smoking.
Chi Yousheng, 32 years old this year, is short, dark-skinned, and a thin man from the mountains in the south. Unlike most of his Chinese compatriots who are content with the status quo, he is not satisfied with the work on the construction site.
As early as when he was 16 years old, Chi Yousheng was drafted into the Guangxi army to serve as a soldier and receive pay. Apart from serving in the army and fighting, he has not learned any skills.
Nearly 16 years of military career made him accustomed to the life of licking blood on the edge of the knife. Originally thinking that the war was won and he didn't want to continue to hang his head on the belt to make a living, he secretly became a deserter, thinking of returning to his hometown to accompany his parents, and by the way, marrying a wife to live a stable life.
But when I returned to my hometown, I found that it had been destroyed in the war and my old house had been burned to the ground. After making inquiries from many sources, I learned that my parents had already died in the war.
Chi Yousheng lost his direction for a moment and didn't know where to go. He went home to farm and had no land to farm. He wanted to find a job in the city, but he met military police who were chasing deserters everywhere.
Fortunately, he was smart enough to escape, but now he has no home, no job, and is being hunted by the military and police. He has nowhere to go and heard that many people are going to Brazil to make a living.
He joined in without knowing why. When he finally arrived in Brazil, he was assigned to a construction site.
Because, without any skills, I can only start from the most basic job, doing some heavy physical labor. I have to get up before dawn every day, and after work I have to participate in cultural training organized by the company.
Although he could learn a lot of knowledge and his life was very fulfilling, this kind of work was not what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.
I originally wanted to learn a new skill in the training class and find an opportunity to change careers in the future.
But a piece of news two days ago made him start to feel uneasy. He no longer had the heart to stay at the construction site and study while working.
"Yousheng, have you thought it over? If you don't go, we will leave."
A tall and strong young man standing at the corner of the shed not far away shouted loudly, waking Chi Yousheng from his deep thoughts. Turning his head to look at the tall and strong young man, Chi Yousheng gritted his teeth, threw the cigarette butt hard on the ground, and crushed it with his foot.
He looked up in the direction of his dormitory, with a hint of reluctance in his eyes, but he finally took a deep breath, turned around and responded to the tall and strong young man:
"I'll go with you!"
Hearing this, the tall and strong young man laughed and said:
"Haha... Yousheng, I knew you were not content with being ordinary. Let's go!"
Hearing the words of the tall and strong young man, Chi Yousheng walked towards him and forced a smile and said:
"Maybe!"
Then, as if he remembered something, he said to the other party:
"Shitou, are you sure they really said there is no age limit?"
The tall and strong man called Stone nodded, took two quick steps, put his arm around Chi Yousheng's shoulders, and pulled him and himself out of the construction site.
"Don't worry! I've found out everything. All adult men between the ages of 18 and 40 can participate. Those with military experience are given priority. You have one more military experience than us! Your chances of being selected are greater than ours."
Chi Yousheng was still a little hesitant when he heard this:
"Is it true that the salary after being selected is fifty dollars a month?"
Looking at Chi Yousheng who was still a little hesitant, Shitou smiled and patted him on the shoulder and said:
“Haha…Brother Yousheng, this is posted on the notice, but we still have to pass the test after we get there, others don’t necessarily want us!
So, it’s a little too early for you to think about this now.”
Hearing this, Chi Yousheng wiped his hands on his trouser legs a little embarrassedly, and said directly to the stone:
"Then let's talk to the captain and go take a look now."
The so-called team leader is actually the foreman who is responsible for managing the workers on the construction site. After hearing about Chi Yousheng's idea, team leader Gu Fu looked at Chi Yousheng with some surprise.
In his impression, Chi Yousheng is an honest man who obeys orders very well. As for his past experience in his hometown, he also has a general understanding of it. He did not expect that he would want to apply for such a dangerous job.
"Yousheng, have you really thought about it?"
Since they are all Chinese, Gu Fu felt that he still needed to persuade the other party.
"Captain Gu, I want to give it a try. After all, the salary there is much higher."
Chi Yousheng had already made up his mind, so he no longer hesitated and directly applied for vacation from the team leader of the construction site.
Seeing that the other party had indeed made a decision, Captain Gu Fu nodded and said:
"Since you have made up your mind, I will not say anything more. You must remember in this foreign country that no matter where you go, do not embarrass us Chinese, nor Mr. Fang.
Either don’t do it, or do it to the best of your ability.
If you encounter a problem that you cannot solve, please seek help from our Chinese organizations as soon as possible. If there are Chinese compatriots who need help, please do not stand idly by. "
Chi Yousheng also didn't expect that Captain Gu Fu had no intention of stopping him. Instead, he told him so many things. Obviously, he sincerely hoped for the best for him, which made his cold heart feel a little warm.
He smiled and nodded:
"I understand, Captain Gu. I will not bring shame to the Chinese, nor will I bring shame to Mr. Fang."
After bidding farewell to his team leader at the construction site, Chi Yousheng met up with Shitou at the entrance of the construction site. Together with another short and stocky-looking young man, they took a shaky bus to a confession location near the São Paulo Police Station.
At this moment, there were already three long queues in front of the recruitment point, and policemen in uniform were maintaining order on the roadside. After some study, Chi Yousheng saw a sign with black letters on a white background at the door outside the recruitment point, which read "God's Whip Military Contracting Company Recruitment Office" in Chinese and Portuguese.
Chi Yousheng didn't know what the name of this company meant, but based on what Shi Tou and others had found out, it seemed that the people recruited here were all soldiers, but they were not soldiers fighting for any country.
He would fight for whoever paid him. In his opinion, this was similar to his previous job in his hometown. After all, he was also a soldier and got paid in his hometown. As for why he was fighting, he didn't know.
Anyway, someone is paying us, so we can just beat whoever the boss tells us to beat.
He originally thought that he was tired of the life of risking his life and would never pick up a gun again. But after a period of time, he lived a dull life as an ordinary construction worker and felt that he was more suited to the life of risking his life.
Especially when he heard that if he worked in this company, as long as he could pass the test and become a formal employee of the company, he could receive a monthly salary of fifty dollars, and when there were combat missions, he could also receive combat allowances.
He no longer had the heart to continue working as a laborer on the construction site.
The guy named Shi Tou at the construction site is also a very lively young man. He has long been tired of the boring daily life at the construction site and has long wanted to go out and see the bigger world.
When he learned that the employees of this company might be sent on missions in any country around the world, he became interested. As for serving in the army and fighting in war, which involves life-threatening situations, that was not even within his consideration.
In his own words, "If I am not afraid of poverty, why should I be afraid of death?"
Looking at the dense crowd of applicants, Chi Yousheng was very worried whether he could get the job. After all, his age made him very nervous.
There were very few Chinese people like the three of them in the entire team. Most of them were local Brazilian soldiers, both black and white, and the majority were locals with brown skin.
Seeing them coming, a black guy in front of them turned around and looked at them in surprise and asked:
"Hey! Man, which military unit did you guys retire from?"
As a young man who likes to travel around, Shitou has already learned Portuguese. After hearing the black guy's question, he said nonchalantly:
"I'm not a retired soldier, but this Brother Chi is a veteran who has been in the army for sixteen years."
The black guy never expected that this unremarkable, skinny middle-aged man would actually be a veteran who had served for 16 years. According to their military rank in Brazil, this veteran should be at least a sergeant, so he saluted Chi Yousheng quickly and said:
"Hello, Mr. Sergeant Major!"
This reaction made Chi Yousheng a little confused. He had been a soldier for most of his life, and this was the first time someone saluted him and called him "Sergeant Major".
However, his military instinct still made him stand at attention and salute.
The other people around were very surprised to hear that there was a veteran with 16 years of military service here, and their eyes would involuntarily glance over here, which made Chi Yousheng feel very uncomfortable.
Shitou, on the other hand, was quite "people-pleasing" and began to actively communicate with people around him. Having lived in Brazil for more than a year, Shitou was no longer the timid person he was when he first arrived.
Because of Fang Lang, the number of Chinese in São Paulo increased dramatically. In addition, after Hong Yitang set up shop in São Paulo, it had several frictions with local gangs.
The Chinese brothers of Hong Yi Tang were so brave and aggressive that they caused a lot of trouble for the local gangs. In addition, the chief of the Sao Paulo police was one of their own, which made the people of Hong Yi Tang even more unscrupulous.
As a result, the image of Chinese in Sao Paulo began to become tougher. After a period of subtle influence, the presence of Chinese in Sao Paulo became stronger and stronger.
The local residents did not dare to make enemies with the Chinese easily, which made the Chinese people's life in São Paulo gradually become like fish in water.
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