Chapter 270: Scrap Metal is Valuable
Two weeks later, when Xiao Peng returned to the working sea area, he found that there was an extra ship there.
In addition to the "Dragon Boat" that returned after completing the supply, there was also a barge.
"What's going on with this barge?" Xiao Peng asked first after boarding the Mediterranean Support No. 2.
"Boss! You're back!"
"You've returned just in time. The steel beams have been cut, and we're just waiting to start salvaging them!"
The few people waiting for Xiao Peng on the deck asked.
Xiao Peng pointed to a barge on the side and asked, "I'm asking what's going on with this cargo barge!"
The so-called "barges" are also divided into two types, one is cargo barge and the other is passenger barge. Most barges are unpowered and need to be towed by tugboats. If a barge has power, it is called a "powered barge". The one here is an unpowered barge.
Biagio ran over cheerfully, "Xiao, this is what I brought. You only want silver ingots from the salvage, right? As for the copper ingots, tin ingots, and scrap steel, you definitely don't need them. I want everything else! I don't want these things for nothing. I'll give you one million!"
Xiao Peng whistled: "Brother, your business is really good, but why didn't you say hello to me?"
Biagio was stunned: "Would you refuse such a lucrative business?"
Xiao Peng pointed at the bottom of the sea and said, "Copper is now worth 7,000 yuan per ton, and tin is worth 15,000 yuan per ton. Can you take them all away with your 1 million yuan?"
Biagio spread his hands and said, "You won't salvage everything, will you? Your main target is silver. Besides, scrap copper and tin won't fetch that much."
"But we won't throw away the copper and tin ingots. I've spent so much money, so of course I'll make as much as possible. I won't even throw away the steel that we fished out. What if someone needs low-base steel?" Xiao Peng said.
After the nuclear explosion in 1945, the content of nuclear pollution in the atmosphere increased. There is a process in steelmaking called "impurity oxidation" that requires air oxidation. Because the large-scale nuclear tests after World War II caused the concentration of radioactive elements floating in the air to be much higher than before World War II, the steel produced will also have strong background radiation.
This type of steel has no impact on our daily lives, but it can cause considerable trouble for instruments like Geiger counters, C-ray machines, CT machines, and some scientific research projects, so low-background steel with low radiation content is needed to make these devices.
The steel used in shipwrecks before 1945, untouched by nuclear explosions, is all low-background steel. While converting this steel into usable low-background steel requires several steps, it's still much cheaper than creating it by electrolyzing ultrapure water to generate oxygen. Therefore, the scrap steel Xiao Peng salvaged, while not particularly valuable, is a highly sought-after commodity.
Xiao Peng looked at the barge that Biagio had brought and said, "Such a large barge? It would weigh hundreds of tons when fully loaded! No matter what you fish up, you're planning on making a killing!"
Biagio said, "Mr. Xiao, selling the other metal ingots you salvage will be troublesome and take up a lot of your time and energy. I'm just helping you share the pressure. Besides, with this barge, you can do the sorting work better, right?"
Xiao Peng thought for a moment and snapped his fingers: "You make sense! Biagio, you have a good sense for business."
Biagio laughed after hearing this: "So you agree?"
Xiao Peng shook his head: "The money is not right! It's too low!"
"Ah?" Biagio was stunned.
Xiao Peng smiled and said, "Two million! Everything I don't want is yours."
"Two million?" Biagio was shocked. "That's impossible! It's too high! This barge costs thirty thousand a day, and we'll need a tugboat to transport it. That's all money!"
Xiao Peng spread his hands and said, "The barge fee has nothing to do with me. That's your problem. In fact, if you can't afford it, I'll talk to the barge captain right away. If I offer him 40,000 a day, he'll definitely be willing to work for me, right? Then I'll take the things back and process them slowly. Making a few million more won't be a problem."
Biagio was dumbfounded: "Mr. Xiao, isn't it a bad idea for you to do this?"
Xiao Peng shook his head and said, "What's wrong with that? Let me teach you a Chinese saying: 'All the people in the world come here for profit, and all the people in the world go here for profit.' Why am I not enjoying myself on shore and going to sea to suffer? Isn't it all to make money? Isn't it the same for you? I'm teaching you a lesson this time. You brought the barge here without consulting me. Now all the initiative is in my hands. Even if I ask for three million, I'm afraid you'll have to take a gamble! If you don't agree, then I won't cooperate. You will be responsible for the cost of the barge yourself."
Biagio opened his mouth and was speechless.
Xiao Peng patted Biagio on the shoulder and said, "Dude, you're right. You're helping me share the pressure. I really don't like these copper ingots, tin ingots, and scrap steel, but that doesn't mean they're worthless. If you add the cost of hiring a barge and tugboat to the two million, you can easily make over a million. People should be content!"
Biagio thought for a while and nodded: "Okay, in that case, let's sign the agreement."
Xiao Peng hummed, "You go draft the agreement. Moro, where's Walter?"
Morrow blinked on the side: "Walter is taking a shower over there, Boss, I want to report to you on the progress of the salvage."
Xiao Peng waved his hand: "Don't worry about anything else, let Walter come over quickly! A friend is looking for him!"
"Walter's friend?" Moreau asked puzzledly.
Only then did he see two girls standing on the deck of the red-headed boat, looking around, their eyes full of curiosity.
"Boss, who is this?" Moro asked curiously.
Xiao Peng said, "One of these girls is called Selina, and the other is called Olga. I met them in the Ruins. When I returned to La Ciotat, they were waiting for us there. They insisted on thanking us for helping them. So I brought them here."
"La Ciotat?" Moro blinked. "Boss, where have you been all this time?"
Xiao Peng spread his hands and said, "I'm going home to rest for a few days. Okay, give me the walkie-talkie!"
Moro handed the intercom to Xiao Peng, who picked it up and said, "Lao Wang, are you on the crane? Lower the basket and let the two friends up. Walter, come to the back deck, a friend wants to see you."
He put down the intercom and tilted his head to ask, "Have Kabaye and the other two arrived?"
Moro nodded: "They are here and are now on the Dragon Boat."
"What are they doing on the Dragon Boat? They're from Titan Company and specialize in large ship salvage! Send them three over!" Xiao Peng finished his instructions and asked Moro, "How's the salvage progress?"
Moro's face was filled with gloom. "I've been wanting to tell you about this since a while ago... All the preparations are done, and we can salvage it anytime now!"
"Then why are you still talking nonsense? It's getting late today, so we can start fishing tomorrow!"
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