Chapter 119 Transaction
What is the concept of 30,000 pounds in this era? If you are in business, it is enough to build a medium-sized yarn factory, and if you buy ordnance, it is enough to buy a battalion's latest tube retreat 75mm artillery, or about 6,000 new rifles.
But in the face of the huge money suddenly taken out by Sato Jiro, Zhao Dongyun frowned slightly and secretly guessed Sato Jiro's intention!
Do you want to bribe yourself? Want to send troops?
Although Jiro Sato came to Liaoxi for secret diplomacy, he was a soldier who did not like to talk to those diplomats. He couldn't talk about business for a long time. After taking out this check, he did not let Zhao Dongyun guess for a long time, but quickly said: "I heard that the Fuyuan Machine Factory under the name of Zhao has produced production in recent years. It has greatly increased, and our army has consumed a lot of combat ammunition recently, so China has entrusted me to order a batch of ammunition!"
Sato Jiro's words were simple, but Zhao Dongyun still frowned after hearing it!
Joke, no matter how low Japan's domestic ordnance production is, it is not enough to import ordnance from China. Although Japan's military industry still has shortcomings, it is also limited to heavy weapons such as new artillery. In the production of light weapons and expendable ammunition, Japan's own output cannot Compared with other powers, it is not a big problem to supply Japanese troops to fight in the northeast.
And now that the war has just begun, Japan has fought very smoothly. Although there is a lot of ammunition consumption, it has little impact on them.
Historically, the logistics supply of the Japanese army was poor. On the one hand, the war lasted for a long time and the battle was too fierce, resulting in a surge in the consumption of ammunition. At the same time, the Japanese army completely relied on sea transportation to supply hundreds of thousands of troops for combat, which led to a shortage of logistics supplies of Japanese front-line troops.
That is to say, it is the same as the problem faced by the Russian military's supply shortage, which is due to the problem of transportation capacity, not capacity.
What's more, Japan has not yet faced the problem of logistics shortage. At this time, Jiro Sato said that Japan's ammunition is tight and wants to buy weapons and ammunition from Fuyuan Machinery Factory?
Are you kidding? You should know that Beiyang also purchased arms from Japan on a large scale last year. Although this Fuyuan machine factory has been established, its output has surpassed Hubei Gun Factory to become the first in China, but it is small compared with the output of Japanese military enterprises, which is not worth it at all. ti.
Even if there is a shortage of ammunition, I will go to Germany, the United States and even the United Kingdom to buy it. Why won't I come to Fuyuan Machinery Factory?
However, this seemingly impossible thing has indeed happened now!
As a secret person sent to Liaoxi by the Japanese military, it is impossible for Sato Jiro to talk nonsense, let alone casually taking out a check of 30,000 pounds in front of Zhao Dongyun.
While saying that, Jiro Sato also put the check on the table: "If Fuyuan Machinery Factory can supply a large amount of ordnance to our army, there will be larger orders in the future, and this is just a deposit!"
Many ideas flashed in Zhao Dongyun's mind, and there were all kinds of messy ideas. For example, did the outbreak of the small universe of the Russian navy cut off the Japanese sea supply line, resulting in difficulties in the logistical supply of the Japanese army fighting in the northeast?
Or were those arsenals in Japan blown up by Russian spies? Or did an earthquake or something destroy all their military industry?
Or is it that I simply bribed myself and turned a blind eye to their activities in Liaoxi and other regions?
Or did Japan discover the arms trade with the Russians. In order to cut off the arms supply of the Russians, they wanted to buy all the weapons in their hands first?
When many ideas flashed by, Zhao Dongyun also returned to his normal look. This time, he did not directly take the 30,000 pounds check. Although the money looked dazzling, it was not so easy to take.
"Oh, if your army needs to buy ordnance, you can go directly to Tianjin. How did you find me?" Although the factory of Fuyuan Machinery Factory is located in Tangshan, the company's headquarters is in the British Concession with Tianjin. If I want to buy ordnance, I will naturally have to go to Tianjin.
zuo teng ci lang still smiled: "If I go to Tianjin to place an order directly, how can you make money?"
As soon as he heard this, Zhao Dongyun said, "Oh, Mr. Sato, is this?"
Jiro Sato continued to smile: "General Zhao, if possible, we hope to buy 5,000 shells from you every month!"
As soon as he heard this number, Zhao Dongyun's face suddenly changed. Sato Jiro said more, less than 5,000 rounds, and this number is exactly the number of cannonballs provided by Zhao Dongyun to the Russians every month!
Shit, the Japanese really know about their military trade with the Russians, and now they come directly to the door!
When Zhao Dongyun looked at Sato Jiro again, a lot of thoughts flashed in his heart!
The military trade between himself and the Russians can be said to be extremely secretive, and even many high-level generals in the third town know that only they were involved in the whole process. Zhao Dongping, Lv Shuanggun and Shiyang of the Ordnance Department may have participated in this matter, but they only participated in one of them. For example, the people responsible for escorting shells from Tangshan to Jinzhou, the officers and subordinate soldiers who lead the team only know that these ammunitions were purchased by the third town and the Jinzhou patrol battalion, and they are not clear about the specific ordnance.
After arriving in Jinzhou, these ordnance will enter the ordnance warehouse in the third town, and then Zhao Dongping will propose a part of it and transport them to Lv Shuanggun and Shiyang near Panshan. Finally, the two troops will be responsible for transporting them to the periphery of Fengtian and will be accepted by the Russian army.
Although there are not many people involved in this process, there is such a large amount of ammunition circulating between Tangshan-Jinzhou-Fengtian every month. It is normal for outsiders to notice it. If you dig further, it is not difficult to find Zhao Dongyun.
If Japan himself discovered this and made it directly public, then Zhao Dongyun has nothing to deny directly. Anyway, both Japan and Russia have won over the Chinese forces represented by Zhao Dongyun in Liaoxi, and neither side is willing to get China in the war, so there is little chance of making a big trouble. In Zhao Dongyun's original speculation, whether the Russians found out that they provided logistical support to Japan's spies or Japan found their trade with the Russians, he directly denied it.
But he didn't expect that he didn't make any diplomatic protest after he found this matter, but directly found his side, and it was 30,000 pounds!
Is this taking it or not?
If you don't take it, it will almost convey a clear signal to Japan, that is, Zhao Dongyun holds an anti-Japanese position. In the future, if Japan and Russia wins, after Japan takes over Russia's occupation of the South Manchurian Railway and the Liaodong Peninsula and other interests, Zhao Dongyun wants to stay in the northeast. I guess I will stike him every day.
If you take it, it means the end of the military trade with the Russians, and the Russian army will not receive a supply of shells from itself, which adds to the already extremely bad logistical supply to the Russian army. At that time, the expectation that the Russian army can hold back Japan for a longer time will be defeated.
Looking at Zhao Dongyun's silence, Sato Jiro continued: "General Zhao, don't worry, our army will give the best price for this batch of ordnance!"
The potential meaning of this is that they will give a higher price than the Russians!
After saying that, Sato Jiro took a sip of tea. He was confident that he could reach an agreement with Zhao Dongyun to purchase ordnance, thus cutting off an important source of ammunition supply for the Russian army.
A few months after Jiro Sato came to Liaoning, he soon found that Zhao Dongyun had a close relationship with the Russians and was not a firm Japanese supporter as advocated by the outside population.
But he also found that most of the series of actions after Zhao Dongyun arrived in Jinzhou revolved around two things. The first was to expand the army and the second was to make money. The continuous anti-bandit campaign from last winter to this spring was basically a third town officer who knew that it was launched for money.
Considering that the ordnance provided by Zhao Dongyun to the Russians is expensive, almost 50% more than the price in the international market, which makes Japan believe that Zhao Dongyun took a huge risk to carry out military trade with the Russians for money.
In addition, Zhao Dongyun also cooperated very well with Japan to take action in Liaoxi, so he sent Sato Jiro to try to buy Zhao Dongyun directly by throwing money.
Anyway, Zhao Dongyun's arms business is to make money, so it's the same for them to buy it at a higher price, which can also avoid other unpredictable diplomatic disturbances.
But he didn't expect that there were deeper political reasons for the arms trade between Zhao Dongyun and the Russians!
Zhao Dongyun was silent for a long time before saying, "If your army is indeed nervous about ordnance, then it is not impossible for me to sell part of the ammunition for your army to fight, but at this price!"
Sato Jiro also showed his true color after hearing this, and then raised three fingers: "No matter how much the original price is, we will increase the price by 30%!"
Zhao Dongyun nodded. He is still relatively satisfied with the price. Although there is no mention of Zhao Dongyun's trade with the Russians in their words, many things do not need to be said directly. Everyone knows it well. This original price is not the usual factory price, not even the international market price, but specifically refers to Zhao Dongyun's quotation to the Russians. If you want to grab this batch of ammunition from the Russians, you have to make Zhao Dongyun willing not to cause other diplomatic disturbances, and it is impossible not to increase the price.
The price of shells sold by Zhao Dongyun to the Russians is almost 1.5 times the ordinary price. Now if I raise the price, Zhao Dongyun will almost earn a shell by selling a shell!
Although the content of this meeting was simple and did not last long, there were many things involved. Finally, Sato Jiro looked at Zhao Dongyun's 30,000 pound HSBC check and walked out of Zhao Dongyun's headquarters contentedly.
He won't know that Zhao Dongyun called Zhao Dongping over as soon as he left!