YM778.TV Chapter 266 Huai Yang Mansion
Chapter 266 Huai Yang Mansion
"A carbon fiber material production line?" Zhang Xueyang gave his first reaction, upon listening to what Chen Fan had on his mind.
Chen Fan started to toss around ideas again, saying that carbon fiber acts as an enhancing material, so it was seldom used alone, and also that it was usually mixed with other materials, according to specific scales.
Hence, if they wanted to build anything that had the need of carbon fiber, they could just buy it all from the production factory, which specialized in producing carbon fiber, instead of acquiring an entire set of carbon fiber products from an outer source, because it could end up costing more than thirty million dollars annually!
He told Chen Fan his thoughts about the plan, but Chen Fan turned him down with a tone like a bear. "Relax.... Are you worried that I won’t be able to return your money? If we could get in touch with a supplier that offers a higher price for the carbon fiber, we’ll take that offer instead of the lower ones. Once you have obtained the price offered, report it to me, then I’ll transfer the payment to you."
"Wait, why me?" The words stuck in Zhang Xueyang’s mouth, as he tried to speak. Even he knew that It was unreasonable to spend the money this kind of way, even if one was rich.
After hanging up the phone, Chen Fan continued driving to the town, where he made an order for 50 HTC1608 dual-axis linkage CNC(Computer Numerical Control) machines, a few metal thermal processors, and a surface grinding machine. All of the machines were made by the top Shenyang machine production factory.
These tools could be used to make the various parts of the crossbows, and some of them could be used to build guns, too. Of course, manufacturing modern guns nowadays was complex.
These CNC machines would not be enough. Other machines would also be required, including twisting machines, pickling machines, chrome plating machines and even polishing equipment. The process of making a gun barrel was troublesome enough, so imagine manufacturing an entire gun!
The ultimate plan to manufacture guns would be further discussed in the future, however. As for right now, they could start with the semi-automatic weapon, which has a lower technological requirement.
Thus, they would put away worries about the advanced finishing process, focusing instead on whether the guns they would build could shoot bullets! Sustainability, precision, and stability were the factors that Argyll’s army would consider. On the other hand, even if Argyll’s army were given inferior weapons, which were made by earth workshops, they would still be considered as "divine weapons" to them!
Before these trading ideas came into his head, Chen Fan had got nothing to do but enjoy his life. But now, he was too busy for that! He wished he could take the time machine away from Doraemon and use it for himself, then create more time to make his plans happen!
Chen Fan took a glance at the time on his watch, realizing that he needed to go to Tian Hai City tomorrow, since the day after tomorrow was the day when Argyll would be bringing a shipload of gold and palladium to trade with him. What made things even worse was that there were still issues regarding the construction of the factory, the recruitment of employees, and other annoying things to be settled at the moment!
Chen Fan and Zhang Xueyang started heading towards Tian Hai City in the Maybach at 8 o’clock in the morning. Upon entering Tian Hai City, the car went into the New Wu Ning of Pu Tuo District, which was the base camp of the Hua Dong district and Tian Hai Military Supply Department.
Although they had arrived in Tian Hai City at 10:30 am, they took two hours to get to the Huai Yang Mansion, which was the restaurant where they were to have a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Supply and Oil Department. It was located two miles away from the Military Supply Department, as the meeting was being treated by the Deputy Minister as official, since he would be paying for the meal with public funds.
People described the Huai Yang Mansion as a square peg in a round hole, as it was aesthetically incompatible with its surroundings. With the building’s heavy but antique looking eaves, and the small bridges and running creeks on its lawn, having a meal here felt decadent. Rosewood tables and chairs were placed under well-manicured willows. A total of eight willow trees, forming a circle, were scattered around an artificial pond.
A few wooden chairs, a square table, and a pot of the finest green tea sat on top the table. Sitting near the pond was a middle-aged man, wearing a navy blue outdoor windproof jacket. He had a good figure and looked like a typical businessman, as he was gentle and polite. But, through his eyebrows, he exuded a rigid aura.
Standing behind him was a young man, who was about twenty-five years old, with an upright waist and an extremely stiff expression. He looked like a soldier.
"Zhou, please go to the door and see if Zhang Xueyang has arrived," said Tao Qing, while waving his hand to signal the young man standing behind him.
Indeed, at the door were the Deputy Minister, the Colonel, and also the Disciplinary Inspection Committee Deputy Secretary of the Materials and Oils Department of the Tian Hai Military District.
The Deputy Minister was quite close to the father of Zhang Xueyang. Every year during the ancestry worships or at relatives’ and friends’ gatherings, he would definitely join them. Regarding the palladium trades by his son, Zhang Xueyang, Tao Qing straight away accepted the deal without any doubts.
By selling the metal to this military joint service personnel, the amount received would not be shabby. Although Zhang Xueyang wasn’t sure about the profit he would get in the conversation by phone, at least Tao Qing would think that at least seven or eight hundred pounds were ready!
Seven to eight hundred pounds....That’s seventy to eighty million dollars!
Due to the lack of palladium in the country, the Minister of the Military Joint Logistics Department, Major General Gu Peiguang, would definitely offer a bunch of compliments regarding it. Furthermore, this could also help in accessing alternatives in the business, and thereby getting rid of any excessive trouble, which would smooth out the business process.
With a profit portion of seventy to eighty million, Tao Qing would definitely be quick to respond to the deal. One started to wonder if the booking was even made early yesterday in this little-known restaurant...
"Yes, Sir!" Zhou, who was in a black suit, saluted, then walked towards the garden with a glance. Knowing they were to enjoy a meal in such a luxurious restaurant, our hero, Chen Fan, and Zhang Xueyang, had changed their clothes to blend in.
After Zhou had only gone two steps forward, he got called back by Tao Qing, who had waved his hand. Zhou turned around and looked at Tao Qing, only then realizing the few young men, who were walking out from the antique door.
Due to the distance, the appearance of those young men were unclear. However, most of the people who came there to eat were middle-aged and successful. They seemed to match the bill, so Zhou was trying to walk towards them to say hello, as he thought Zhang Xueyang had arrived.
There were a total of three young men, each dressed luxuriously, their eyes shining with confidence and pride. Even their boots were making the tapping sounds on the cobblestone path, which could normally only be made on an exquisite marble floor. Tao Qing smiled and stood up, preparing to meet the nephew of his relatives!
"Sir, I don’t think it is them...." whispered Zhou, after looking at them with wide eyes for five seconds at least.
Those who were qualified enough to dine with the General, were usually people with outstanding intelligences and eyesights. By looking at these young men, dressed in luxurious clothing, Zhou instantly realized that not one of them was Zhang Xueyang.
"Ouh...." Tao Qing mumbled, while returning to his chair. He then continued to enjoy the birds in the pond, while Zhou walked on towards the gate.
"Hey, Fu, Hong Kong was not a fun place to visit. I brought my lady there for a shopping trip last week, but that place ended up providing only three days of straight rain and two days of typhoons! The wind was strong enough to blow people away!"
The guy named Fu laughed, and replied in pure Mandarin. "Did you go to the entertainment club that I told you about?"
"Duh, of course I did!" said the guy to his left. He spoke with a frivolous and lazy tone, as he turned around. "Heh, there were two black girls with big buttocks and chests there, too! The girl who did a hula dance even stunned my lady!"
He had deliberately stressed the words "hula dance," as one with any social experience would definitely understand their true meaning! Tao Qing’s expression was wrinkled as he heard their conversation. The difference in their family backgrounds, as well as his time served in the conservative and reserved military, made him feel disgusted with the loose behavior of the three young men.
"Hello Uncle Tao...."
A familiar voice entered his ears, interrupting his thoughts. Tao Qing was stunned for a moment, then stood up and smiled at Zhang Xueyang. "Did you come here by riding a snail?"
"Not much better than a snail!" Zhang Xueyang smirked, then touched his head while pointing to Chen Fan. "This is the person that I’ve told you about before. This is Chen Fan, the one who does overseas trading. Even us rich folks in Zhong Yun are far behind him!"
"Heh...Heh...this young man seems quite capable at doing business!" Tao Qing took out a pack of cigarettes, sizing Chen Fan up silently.
"Hello, Uncle Tao..." Chen Fan sat down with a sense of restraint. He said the words the same way a MC talked in ceremonies.
He was a bit nervous, which was what generally happened when anyone addressed Tao Qing, as he was the General of his party. Also, due to the great generation gaps between him and Chen Fan, it was normal for the younger Chen Fan to feel a bit intimidated.
"Zhou, go and tell the waiter to serve the food."
Perhaps he was trying to prevent others from interrupting them, but, after giving orders to Zhou, Tao Qing spoke with a sense of uncertainty, "That friend of yours, the one standing behind you.....He used to serve in the army for a while, am I right?"
That "friend" he spoke of was the guy who stood behind Chen Fan, Wang Bing, who had a slovenly look about him. Regardless, an old soldier could easily recognize his own kind.
For example, an old soldier would place their hand in a knife shape, instead of the casual and comfortable look we always see when they are standing still or walking. This was not because they were alert all the time, and able to take out the knife and act accordingly to the emergency, but was more because they had been trained for such a long time to have put these actions into their subconscious minds. As such, things like their standing positions, marching steps, and every way they carried themselves, were uniquely obvious, if one looked closely.
"After two years of serving as an obligatory military service, I’ve spent more money to stay in for another three years!" said Wang Bing, while shrugging his shoulders.
Tao Qing lit a cigarette. Wang Bing was trying to tell them some of his signature quotes, but, he swallowed them back before the words even reached his throat.
Tao Qing scolded himself in his heart, for spending half a day to only talk nonsense with young idiots. Dealing with businessmen too frequently had made him overly-sensitive towards the art of the deal, much less small talk of any sort. He then straight away moved on to the main topic.
Of course, this topic was regarding how much palladium Chen Fan could bring to the deal. For the price, he planned to follow the market’s current rate.
Chapter 268 Let’s Talk Outside
"Chen, May I ask how you obtained the palladium that you own? From what I know, 90% of the world’s current palladium production is controlled by the world’s largest mining company, De Beers. Besides an acquisition of two hundred million USD by the three British-American mining giants some years ago, I understand that it rarely supplies any mineral ore to private purchasers," Tao Qing hesitated for a while, before spilling his doubts.
What some called the "Mineral War" had been increasingly intense. During that time, the government had almost ceased all mineral trade activity with South Africa. Both parties could not come to an agreement on issues regarding rare earth and minerals, and neither of them were willing to compromise. As such, Tao Chen had all the reasons in the world to doubt anyone, who knocked on his door and offered a large amount minerals, especially at times like this!
However, his doubts did not mean lead him to immediately tie Chen Fan up and interrogate him about the source of these minerals roughly! Such things would only happen in medieval times or sadistic novels!
Instead, Tao Qing merely wanted to ensure that his sources were solid and safe. In other words, he needed assurance that he could rely on this supply of mineral for the long-term.
Knowing this, Chen Fan had come prepared. He proudly declared that he had come in contact with a mineral oligarch from Tanzania, due to his frequent trips to Africa for delivering petroleum.
Currently, this oligarch was preparing to involve himself in the military arms production business. However, the local technology was still lagging far behind the rest, so there was no suitable machinery to support his production, thus making it extremely costly to use Euro-American products.
In light of this issue, Chen Fan offered to help him purchase the machinery, and even granted him a generous loan! As a sign of gratitude, he promised a great amount of metal Palladium to Chen Fan, selling it to him at a much lower price than the usual market rate.
Tao Qing was more than delighted to hear this news from Chen Fan. Although Tanzania itself did not produce Palladium, the relationship between Tanzania and South Africa was as close as brothers would be!
Not only were they heavily invested in by South African businessmen, but many South African businessmen also held majority shares of its national airport. As such, if a local mining business wished to get its hand on some South African Palladium, it would be as easy as China getting some local specialties from Pakistan!
Tao Qing did not even bother to ask for any further details, but grinned from ear to ear as he ordered Zhou to open a bottle and fill up everyone’s wine glasses! As one working in a position of leadership in the military, he often came across special offers of rare items. The two bottles of Mao Tai that Zhou took out from under the table were one of those special offerings.
If there was any awkwardness in the air from before, it had now been completely wiped clean away, especially as the aromatic wine flowed smoothly down their throats. Tao Qing took two sips of wine, then said to Chen Fan, " Brother Chen, as for strategic materials like these minerals, you can just go ahead and get as much as you can. I will arrange for my men from the material reservation department at the dock to collect it from you when it arrives. And, the best part is, you will receive the payment within that same day!"
"Oh yes, before I forget," Tao Qing added, trying his best to sound casual, "could you give me an estimate of the quantity, so that the material reservation department can make the necessary preparations?"
Chen Fan did not answer him immediately, but remained silent for a long while, toying with his wine glass.
"What about five hundred kilos?" Tao Qing kept flicking the cigarette, nervously sitting at the edge of his chair, as if awaiting a verdict from a judge.
"Well....well..." Chen Fan scratched his head. "I believe we can raise our trade unit to tons."
"Tons!?" Tao Qing stared back, looking confused. "I don’t understand."
Zhou, the guard who stood at the side, was the first one to come to an enlightened realization of the meaning of Chen Fan’s words. He started to tremble, then said, "Chair...Chairman..."
Wham!
A chair fell on the ground loudly, interrupting Xiao Chou. Tao Qing sprung up from his seat violently, shouting, "You are saying that you have a ton?"
His excited voice startled the people around the table. Everyone stared at Tao Qing as if he was a lunatic.
"Is it...Is it true? A ton?" Tao Qing’s senses were overwhelmed with joy. He couldn’t even be bothered by the eyes staring at him, as he grabbed Chen Fan by his shoulders and shook him violently.
"Yes...yes!" Chen Fan felt worse than a spy blowing his cover, hoping he wouldn’t get himself killed for divulging this information.
"Chen, are you certain that you can get your hands on a ton of Palladium?" Tao Qing took a deep breath, telling himself to keep calm.
After Chen Fan nodded, Tao Qing trembled a little more, then said, "Did you know? If a ton of Palladium were sold to the military material reserve, it would mean that, for the next two months, the naval troops would not have to struggle to fight for that little amount of Palladium that is available in the market for civil commercial technology. Parts manufacturers within Tian Hai city could also rid themselves of the worry regarding the lack of palladium!"
"I am just an ordinary opportunistic business person, and even if it were not for the good of the Palladium market within our country, I would still do the same for my own profit! Rest your mind, as I will put in all I have to ensure that this amount be delivered!" Chen Fan exhaled heavily, his focus returning to the dining table.
Tao Qing could not be bothered with any more formalities at this point. He decided that he would exchange his money for Chan Fan’s efforts, mutually benefiting the both of them.
"Alright then!" Tao Qing gave Chen Fan a good pat on his back, then raised his voice to get the attention of the pretty waitresses around. "Get us a few more large wine glasses!"
"Peasants," one of the diners around them muttered in disdain.
"Ah Jie, peasants don’t dine here!" Fu Lu Long chuckled." You see that young man sitting over there? His Hermes jacket costs more than your rent payment!" The person speaking right now was one of the few that had walked passed Tao Qing just a while ago.
"Si Shu, aren’t you just an old fart? Do you even know anything about that young chap right there?" Ah Jie asked curiously.
"Why would I need to? After all, who cares about rascals?"
"Hold on!" Fu Lu Long suddenly put down his chopsticks, starting to study Chen Fan.
The face slowly matched up to a certain memory in his head, and the more he looked at Chen Fan, the more he felt a surge of anger rising within him.
"I know that kid!" Fu Lu Long slammed the table angrily. "Last time I saw him, he had slipped away from a Zhong Yun airport, and then I saw him again in the hotel! Nothing good happens when I meet him! I can’t believe I’m bumping into him here again!"
"This kid crossed you?" Si Shu stood up abruptly, asking. He reached into his pocket and felt for his mobile phone, without even waiting for an answer. "I will handle this for you!"
"Hold your horses," Fu Lu Long said, as he grabbed Si Shu by his arm. He made a signal to him, while eyeing Wang Bin, who stood behind them. "That bodyguard behind him looks pretty tough!"
"Here in Tian Hai, what fear could that guy bring? It would be a meaningless struggle for him, even if he was the Hulk!" Si Shu said harshly, as he licked the alcohol from the corner of his mouth.
On Fu Lu Long’s side, one could almost smell the explosion that was about to happen. While on Chen Fan’s side, the air was filled only with cigarette smoke and the stench of alcohol. Tao Qing, who had just discovered his own golden goose, was getting himself drunk, yet still raising his glass and cheering everyone on, asking for more drinks.
As opposed to Tao Qing, who just had laid his heart open and bare, Chen Fan and Zhang Xueyang happened to be a little more slick and secretive. After their third glass of spirits, they started to play tricks on their own glasses. As such, their half-filled glasses did not seem to ever reduce their amounts, even after they took several sips.
"Chairman, we still have another meeting later this afternoon, so how about we slow down on the drinks?" Zhou glanced at his watch, concerned.
"Hmm..." Tao Qing burped mumbled, then burped loudly. "I got this. This isn’t going to delay our meeting. Come, Xiao Chen, Xueyang, we have to continue drinking!"
Wanting to end this meal, Zhang Xueyang became like a naggy old woman, as he tried to persuade Tao Qing to put down his wine glass. While he did this, he also was trying to signal Zhou, in order to remind him how important the meeting would be.
"I am so glad today! Xiao Chen, you must be my lucky star!" Tao Qing stood up, babbling. He was still grabbing Chen Fan by his arm as he spoke.
At that moment, Si Shu walked over, his arms crossed at his waist. He came in arrogantly.
"Who are you?" Zhou stepped up, his face serious and challenging.
"I am Si Shu!" Si Shu extended his right arm, smiling from ear to ear. "I have a little something to discuss with you all. Shall we take this outside or settle it right here?"
Chen Fan, Wang Bin, Zhang Xueyang, Zhou and the rest’s faces became more and more green as the moments passed. Everyone wanted to tear this annoying nuisance into pieces.
"Kiddo, did your parents not teach you how to talk politely?" Zhang Xueyang’s blood was boiling, as he was trying to resist the urge to roll up his sleeves and punch this guy!
"Alright, let’s take this outside, shall we?" Chen Fan let out a small chuckle, despite his anger, then escorted this nuisance out of the door with the others.
The angry few were caught by surprise, as then they came face to face with a gang of big muscular men at the doorstep, who were waiting for and staring down at them. Chen Fan took a quick glance, seeing that the gang consisted of roughly five or six men.
Although they were dressed in decent attire and did not hold any weapons, Chen Fan still sensed an aura of intense danger about them. Such a menacing vibe didn’t exist around normal civilians!
Chapter 269 You Can’t Run from Me!
The men aligned themselves into a fan formation, as they saw Si Shu approaching them with a gunny sack. They rolled up their sleeves, as if they were ready to pull something out from their waists at anytime.
"Kiddo, why don’t you tell us what your problem is. I don’t really fancy sending people to the emergency room for no reason." Chen Fan gave Si Shu a serious pat on his shoulder. Si Shu outnumbered them in muscle, but Chen Fan’s current tone sounded like a parent educating a naughty child.
"Haha, that’s sounds like a great suggestion. I will remember to call 911 for you guys later!" Si Shu swept Chen Fan’s hand off of his shoulder, then signaled for him to look at the person behind his back.
"Remember me?" Fu Lu Long emerged between two of the big men, a smirk on his face. "Who would have thought that we would meet again. What a coincidence!"
"Who are you?" Chen Fan gave Fu Lu Long a confused stare.
"Haha... We met once in the Zhong Yun airport. I believe you must have some sort of recollection?"
"Oh, it’s you!" Chen Fan finally remembered. He chuckled as he looked around. "Can’t you have more confidence in yourself? All of these clowns you have following you around, all so you can feel safe?"
"Da*n you!" One of the bald men stormed up angrily, pulling out a grey dagger that was engraved with chrysanthemum flowers from his belt. "I could dig this into your lungs right now, and you will be struggling to breathe for the rest of your life!"
They were fearless, even when pulling out weapons under the bright daylight, and in such a busy town street! These types of people were always either out of their minds or fearless scoundrels! The way they stared, as well as their well-practiced gestures, seemed to indicate that they were the latter.
Two giggling girls with pink bags passed by, cheerfully chattering away. The moment they saw the gang of men, it was as if they had been cursed with fearful spirits by an evil wizard. They stared blankly in terror, then idled for five seconds before hastily screaming and running away.
Chen Fan frowned a little, hardly believing that he had somehow gotten himself associated with these fools.
"What a courageous kid, eh?" Tao Qing flipped his neck to both sides, his hand gesture signaling Wang Bin to hold his horses. His breath reeked of alcohol, as he blabbered, "I got good lungs, just waiting for you to stab. You’re going to regret it, if you don’t do it today!"
"Old man, you seem to have gotten yourself some cheap imitation booze on the table just now! You talk like you have a pool of methanol up in your skull!" Si Shu grinned, as he insulted Tao Qing.
Tao Qing’s eyes widened, his face flushing red with anger.
Now, what were the lyrics in the military tune that they always sung?
We all must abide the three main disciplinary rules!
We always keep the eight awarenesses in your head!
Firstly, we will speak with manners!
Respect the people, and do not be arrogant!
Of course, Tao Qing would never be bothered to care about such honorable traditions as the three main discipline rules and the eight awarenesses. It was really too bad that this wonderful day had turned so sour, thanks to these rascals! It just got his blood boiling by thinking about it. On top of that, these rascals had even come after Chen Fan!
"Alright alright. Uncle Tao, please don’t get all flustered." Zhang Xue Yang said. It was unclear whether he was trying to cool down the tension or was hatching some sort of sneaky plan. "Hey, let’s take this discussion to the alley, shall we? I am pretty sure we can talk this all out there."
Everyone seem to agree with his suggestion. Wang Bin sped up his steps, rushing to the alley, as if some beautiful lady was waiting for him there.
Naturally, this gang of angry looking muscle men would not be heading to an alley to preach the virtue of love and peace.
So, when two old men, who were enjoying their chinese chess game in the alley, spotted them approaching, they hurried into the shop nearby. A young lady, riding an electronic bike, who was on her way out of the shops, then found herself having to go through the narrow alley, which was now congested by the group of big men. She gulped and swallowed hard. "Excuse me, please make way," she politely requested, leaning her body as close to the wall as she could, anxiously allowing them to pass beside her.
"AH!"
As one of those rascals gave her butt a hard pinch, she let out a yelp. The jerk only chuckled loudly after that.
Soon, his laughter came to an abrupt stop, as a few of the five men, who he had thought of as being mere softie marshmallows before, let out sinister laughs that sent chills down his spine. Although they kept silent, their facial expressions shouted, "You are so dead!"
"Kill them!" Si Shu suddenly said, breaking the silence. He then lit a cigarette, looked up to the sky, then leaned back against the peeling red brick wall.
He then moved his gaze from the sky to eye level. Immediately, his cigarette fell to the ground from his gaping mouth. A shiny black pistol had suddenly appeared in his sight. The man holding the pistol was Zhou, who had remained silent all this while!
"Oh! A 92 Pistol!" Si Shu had had some experience in a militarized civilian shooting range, thanks to his contacts. So, his eyes were wide open in shock, as he recognized that such a weapon meant serious business!
This kind of pistol was from the first batch of stationary forces from the year 1997. Very few were manufactured of its kind.
"You...You think you can scare us with a pistol, huh?" a big man said weakly, as he hid himself behind Si Shu.
He wasn’t foolish enough to believe that the pistol was fake, but he also didn’t believe that the other person would actually fire a bullet. Of course, this was under the assumption that all of them could cooperate...
Six of these big muscular jokers lost their bearings, standing idly like logs of wood. It’s one thing to be brave and put up a fight, but it is another matter entirely to seek out death!
"This gun isn’t for show, kiddos!" Tao Qing snorted. "Be patient! We will take you somewhere fun, I promise! And, it will be something you’ll never forget!"
"Do you know who my father is?" Sweat started to drip down Si Shu’s forehead.
Tao Qing couldn’t be bothered with this fool. He pulled out a cell phone from his pocket, instructing his subordinates to make their ways there.
"Kiddo, is that fear that I smell coming from you?" Wang Bin walked forward and straightened Si Shu’s collar teasingly. "Don’t be scared! We ain’t the bad guys."
Si Shu, A Jie, and even Fu Lu Long regretted everything badly now. They were cursing themselves for finding trouble with the wrong guys.
What if this costs our lives?
They could see now that, if they were to be taken away by them, they would have to suffer badly, if they even made it out alive!
"God, where are the police when we need them?" Si Shu even started to miss the police officers now!
Time was ticking, but the pistol did not move an inch, as it was kept pointing straight at them. Zhou moved its angle a little, bringing it closer to himself, then covering the pistol with his jacket.
Beepboo! Beepboo! Beepboo!
A police siren screamed in the distance, its echo falling like a training weight amid the group of people. It was then followed by an ear-piercing screech of a halting tire and a loud bang of a closing car door.
"Did someone call the police?" Tao Qing looked around. Zhou calmly placed his pistol back into his jacket.
The men were still trembling from being held at gunpoint, and were left feeling uneasy about the whole experience. Si Shu and his gang were relieved. They had wanted to call the police early on, and now that they have arrived, it meant that they could finally escape this situation.
"Shoot! Who called the cops?" The bald man was almost crying. Getting caught by the police could be a hundred times worse than being taken away by these guys! His involvement in robbery and physical assaults alone would buy him at least ten years behind bars!
Three sedans with ’POLICE’ slapped on the car doors stopped in front of the alley. All of a sudden, pedestrians became blood thirsty sharks, swarming around the group of men, while chattering and pointing fingers.
"Police, finally!" The old man, who had been playing chess just now, dashed out of the crowd, pointing towards the alley as he spoke, as if to collect some kind of badge of honor. "In there! In there! These people went in there, and I have not seen them come out yet. This is a dead end, so they are surely still inside!"
"You said that you saw them carrying daggers. Can you confirm that?" A uniformed lady cop, who was wearing a badge on her shoulder, walked up to him. No one could miss her beautiful face under that round-tipped police hat.
"I’m positive, ma’am. They were holding a foot-long dagger." The old man swallowed hardly, afraid his own eyes might betray his filthy thoughts about the pretty cop and get himself in trouble. He lowered his gaze, but was immediately caught off guard by the curves of her beautiful legs that even the uniform couldn’t hide.
"Captain Zhang, please wait in the vehicle. I will go in and bring those guys out," a square-faced officer volunteered. He pulled out a pistol from his strap as he spoke, waiting to receive the order from her.
"Haha, I wonder what are the possibilities that you might be a fugitive?" Wang Bin brutally teased the bald man, who gradually sank into his own anxiety.
"So, what if I am?" The bald man tried his best to control his fear, but the bullets of sweat on his forehead kept falling down his face.
"Run! What are you waiting for?" His companions were ready to escape.
"Run?" Wang Bin stared fiercely ahead of him. "It is every citizen’s responsibility to maintain the security of the society. None of you are getting away!"
But, the fact was...Chen Fan wanted to run, too!
Chapter 270 Designing the Production Base
The case of Chen Fan’s assault on a police officer had yet to be settled, and moreover, this was not within the area of Zhongyun. Hence, it was likely that his identity would be a major issue, should he be brought to the police station.
"It’s OK!" Tao Qing gave him a "don’t worry" look.
Zhang Xueyang has already told Tao Qing about Chen Fan’s situation. By looking at the hesitation reflected in Chen Fan’s face, Tao Qing clearly understood the thing he was worrying about.
"Excuse me, Mr. Si!" The bald guy clasped his fist in front of him.
The bald guy had already leapt up the red brick wall, as agile as a wild cat, before Si Shu had time to react. The bald guy looked happy.
On the other side of the wall, there was a huge parking lot, filled with luxury vehicles. By hopping off the wall, he could steal one of them and escape from the police quite easily.
Planning to save as much energy as possible, the bald guy locked his sights on a black Mercedes Maybach Pullman. Its curved hood would fully absorb the landing force of his feet!
Decided that this was a good plan, the bald guy made his leap. However, before he even completely left the wall, his neckline suddenly tightened up, causing him to fall backwards.
This sudden pulling force was Wang Bing, who had grabbed him. The bald man felt as if he were being pulled by a bull! His body was pulled into a bow shape, left hanging on the wall horizontally.
As soon as Wang Bing leapt to grab the bald guy’s neckline, the bald guy’s pals had rushed towards him. A huge shadow suddenly appeared. Its raised feet hung over the people, then it slammed to the ground.
Bang! Bang!
One of the bald guy’s partners got knocked down. Zhou then waved his fist with the speed of lightning, showing off his martial arts skills in front of Si Shu and his people.
"Freeze!" A dignified warning suddenly rang out. Chen Fan leaned forward and saw five police officers in dark blue uniforms coming from out of nowhere. Three of the officers were holding telescopic sticks, and the other two had pistols, which they were pointing in their direction!
"Police officers! You guys came!" said Si Shu, who was terrified by the violent fighting scene.
He ran towards the police officers, looking like a lost child who had just been found by his family. He then pointed to Chen Fan and his pals, trying to flip the truth upside down.
"They...They are the criminals! They threatened us with guns, just because we had a quarrel in the restaurant! You have to put them in jail!" he said.
Fu Lu Long passed them a gold-foiled name card with a slightly pale face. The title of "Hong Kong and Taiwan cross-country investor" written on the card quickly convinced the police to lower their guns down and start to take this case seriously.
The rest of the followers lay on the ground trembling, their cold sweats dropping down from their foreheads and their twitching adam’s apples reflecting their fears. Tao Qing spread his hands out, telling them to calm down, as he slowly took out a red notebook from this pocket.
A golden People’s Liberation Army badge then caught everyone’s attention. Five of the police officers immediately dropped their weapons, politely taking the notebook to check its authenticity.
There are two kinds of military identity cards. One has a dark green cover and is a soldier’s card, while the other one has a red cover and is a military officer’s card! .
Those who owned a red notebook were at least at the position of platoon leader or higher. With such a position, the police officers had to treat him well!
"Sorry for bringing trouble to you guys!" Tao Qing started the conversation with courteous words, then went on to explain the incident, adding some spice to it. Moreover, he even pointed out the few people that he claimed could probably be wanted fugitives.
The few of them realized that they could not escape from these experienced officers. Therefore, they immediately pulled out six blades from their backs.
Shrushh.
The five police officers took out the handcuffs from behind their backs in response. One of them instantly got smashed in the chest by the police officer with the telescopic stick.
"You, you, and you! Identity cards, please!"
"Officers! It was just a misunderstanding!" Fu Lu Long and Si Shu quickly took out their identity cards, as they realized how serious this incident really was. However, their identity cards were not as useful as Tao Qing’s red notebook had been. Fu Lu Long’s passport didn’t rate any reverence, or even a smiling face, from the officer.
Chen Fan was asked to show the relevant documents as well, but Tao Qing whispered to them with a soft cough, "These people were my colleagues. Their nature of work is special, and therefore, their identity information is classified."
Chen Fan suddenly drew a blank in his head. He quickly straightened his body to show a cool and calm look, as soon as he understood what Tao Qing’s idea was to escape from this problem.
The five police officers did not raise any doubt towards them, as they could feel the shrewdness within Chen Fan and Wang Bing. These two men were obviously not normal citizens.
"Understood, understood.." The police officers did not ask any more questions. After all, they all worked for the government. Therefore, there was no reason to identify the background of their own kind. Furthermore, it was not their responsibility to check their background, as that task was supposed to be the shore patrol’s job.
"Zhou, please accompany the officers to the police station to make a statement." Tao Qing patted his shoulder. "We still have stuff to deal with here."
"Take care!" The police officers smiled, then said goodbye. It was an unexpected act for them to send their guy to make a statement in the police station, as all of the military guys they had dealt with in the past were arrogant, which tended to irk them!
Chen Fan took a relieved breath, calming himself down such a terrifying experience. He walked towards the entrance of the ally, whistling. As he was taking out his car key and bidding farewell to Tao Qing, he was suddenly stunned and stopped.
Three police officers had surrounded the harbor in a fan-shape. The first thing that came into his mind was that they were searching for criminals that had escaped from the net.
As it turned out, it was actually nothing to be worried about. The officers in the harbor had already reported to them about the situation using their walkie-talkies. Therefore, the three police officers did not make any moves when Chen Fan and his friends were walking out. Instead, they simply nodded and smiled to them.
Zhang Bingbing looked at Chen Fan in disbelief. Although they had run into each other only once in the past, Zhang Bingbing could still recognize him easily.
Her cheeks immediately flushed red! Zhang Bingbing was excited. However, Chen Fan felt a sudden awkwardness, and he did not know what to do about it. What happened the night that they first met was like a movie, replaying in his mind.
Is this what they call destiny?
"Are you crazy?" Zhang Xueyang shook him a few times to bring him back from his daydream. "We have to go now. Do you want them to take you to the police station?"
"Alright ...alright!" Chen Fan slightly turned his head, pretending he hadn’t seen anything...or anyone. But, deep in his mind, he felt conflicted.
An officer wearing glasses walked towards Zhang Xueyang and gave her a nudge. He asked, "Are you alright, Miss Zhang? Those men over there were not even handsome at all, but you lost your soul looking at them, like a fan who just saw her Hollywood idol!"
"What did you learn from the investigation and interrogation training class?" said his partner, while rolling his eyes. "Have you not seen the young man in the middle? His face showed an unnatural look, which reflected that there was a huge fluctuation. And, by looking at her expression, you could have easily figured out what she was thinking, right?"
Miss Zhang looked calm. However, she was angry deep inside. Yet, there was nothing that she could do.
Back at the parking lot, Chen Fan declined the invitation from Tao Qing. He then ordered Wang Bing to bring him the car. Once it arrived, he went straight home. Zhang Xueyang did not go with him, but went to Tao Qing’s house for a visit with some gifts instead.
"Wang Bing! I’ll give you a mission." Chen Fan said, as the vehicle turned on to the freeway.
"What kind of mission, boss?"
"Go to Cangzhou in the Hebei Province. There, you will find a factory named Aobo, which produces sports equipment. Order 10,000 of the bows with the greatest tension. If they ask about what you will use them for, tell them that they are to be exported to Tanzania."
"Crossbows?" Wang Bing scratched his head. "Boss, what are you going to do with so many crossbows? Those things could be bought anywhere overseas, so we couldn’t earn much if we exported them!"
"I’m going to deliver them to a tribe in Africa, giving the natives some weapons, so that they can take over the government."
"Boss, the natives nowadays are using AK47s already. You will be badly beaten, if you only have crossbows!"
"This is an order! With all of the wisdom that I have, do you think that you could possibly know better than me?" Chen Fan took two bottles from the cold storage on his right and threw Wang Bing one of them. "Start doing it as soon as you send me back."
Seconds, then minutes trickled away. The speed of the Maybach was greatly limited by the crowded traffic. It had taken two hours just to reach the freeway. Chen Fan let out a huge sigh, as he looked outside the window. This was the same route that he had used to ride with Zhang Bingbing last time.
It was already five o’clock in the evening by the time they reached Zhongyun. Chen Fan asked Wang Bing to drive him to the town, then had him drop him off at an architectural design company.
After leaving Wang Bing, Chen Fan walked into this company, which was called Xiyun Construction Design and Planning Company, and asked them to make a design for his factory base in the Seychelles. After all, when one was building one’s own factory, a complete design plan was a must.
Being such a small country, with very limited resources, the Seychelles couldn’t fulfill Chen Fan’s expectations. Therefore, he had decided to have the design by this firm, and then only hire the local people in the Seychelles to proceed with the construction.
"Building a factory in an overseas country? You would need to send a specialized technician to do the measurements of the land itself. We can only proceed in designing the factory if we first have the geological information and adequate images!" said the receptionist, after hearing Chen Fan’s plan. He then smiled, as he passed Chen Fan a freshly served hot tea.
"Alright. In that case, I’ll get my people to send the proper information to you. I will need you to include a complete set of living facilities in the design mockup. Most importantly, I want my building to be the most sturdy in all of the Seychelles!" Chen Fan did not want them to go to his island, as he was trying to build a private base for himself alone. The less people know about this endeavor, the better!
Chapter 271 Construction with a Ridiculous Budget
"Hello. You would need to provide us with the total available surface area of the land and the outline of the local soil composition. However, I do suggest that you hire someone to do a mapping figure of the land, using a ratio of 1 to 1,000. You will then need to make an inquiry with the local Geological Bureau, to evaluate the meteorological data that is specific to the land," explained the receptionist.
"Woah....Wait!" said Chen Fan, who suffered from information overload upon listening to the words the receptionist had just said. "All I need to know is the type of measurements that are required in a form format, and I need them to be translated in both Chinese and English!"
"Alright, Sir!" The receptionist replied, as he smiled and walked to the computer. He then opened the document and skillfully edited the content.
After waiting for half an hour on the sofa, Chen Fan finally received the document that he needed, with an electronic file inserted into a USB attached to it. Chen Fan soon realized the disadvantage of his never having learned English.
Even if he wanted to make a call to the Seychelles Resource Management Bureau, he would not be able to communicate with them in Chinese. Therefore, Chen Fan ran all the way to the port and found a small-scale commercial foreign language translation company to handle this issue, paying a few hundred bucks for an hour of translation services.
The Seychelles were four hours behind Beijing. The Chief of the Resource Management Bureau, Bernardine, had just arrived to work when Chen Fan contacted him.
After receiving the call from such a great financier, Bernardine quickly responded to Chen Fan’s request. Upon having a clear understanding of what Chen Fan wanted, he patted his chest, then promised to complete the task within two hours.
Early the next morning, while there was still a scent of dew in the air, Chen Fan was already on the street walking toward the Urban Design company, while sniffing the fresh air.
"I’ve brought the map! Now, you need to find someone to start the design," said Chen Fan to the receptionist, while waving the USB in his hand. "Wow! That was fast..." The receptionist took a long time to reply to him. "I’ll get the architect to come now."
A few moments after the receptionist left, a set of heavy footsteps were heard, followed by a forty-year-old gentleman with whiskers, who appeared in front of Chen Fan. He was wearing a green camouflage uniform and military boots.
Just by looking at the man, who was dressed like a guerilla fighter, people would believe that he was an experienced leader of a veteran hiking team. He should be leading a group of young men to go rock climbing in the forest, instead of designing buildings!
"Greetings, Mr. Chen Fan!" said the man, smiling. "I am the Chief designer here. You can call me Mr. Chai. May I ask what kind of factory base you are planning to build here? Feel free to tell me about your ideas. I’ll reflect them on paper as best as I can then."
"Heh....I thought you had brought the army, or the armed police! Mr. Chai, your outfit today is extremely stylish!" chuckled Chen Fan.
"Upon graduating from the Beijing Institute of Civil Engineering and Architecture in 1994, I was chosen to become a construction soldier in the army, during the recruitment drive of the engineering troop. After switching courses, I went from working in the North to the South, which was what inspired to use this kind of architectural style," said Mr. Chai in a witty tone, as he took out his glasses case from his pocket and sat in front of a computer.
Chen Fan began explaining his ideas. "According to my expectations, I would like to have three sides of golden vase lotus surface, all of which are very pleasing to the eye, fully functional, and solid. For the small power plants, sewage purification tanks, water filtration sites, and wide underground activity areas, feel free to include them in the design as well. In addition, I will need a wall that people can walk on."
Mr Chai, who Chen Fan decided to secretly call "Big Beardy," was about to collapse upon listening to what Chen Fan had just requested. This guy seemed to be the kind of people who spent without knowing the price of items, even if they were very expensive! If he were to do exactly what Chen Fan had just said, the costs would reach above fifty million US dollars, and that would only cover building the wall around the factory, not to mention a guardhouse, or building a wall as a barrier between them and Israel!"
Thinking about all of these things, Big Beardy showed a sense of fear in his eyes. Seeing this, Chen Fan spoke with a cool tone. "Just do what you think is the best. Please just make sure to pick concrete that adheres to the exact specifications. Also, be sure to pick reinforced steel."
Big Beardy quickly realized that he had been wrong. Chen Fan wasn’t trying to build a guardhouse or a border barrier. What he meant to do was to build a water conservancy project, like the one at Xiao Lang Di.
"No! Mr. Chen Fan, is this design proposal yours or your father’s? Or is it...." Big Beardy wiped his sweat and spoke sincerely. "The standards mentioned in the proposal are much higher than the general military facilities’! Such high standards are absolutely unnecessary!" What he really wanted to say was, "Little boy, if I were to do exactly as your proposal entails, your father would definitely peel your skin off, should he find out!""What exactly are you worried about? It’s not like you are the one who’s paying for it." Chen Fan was annoyed by Big Beardy’s scolding words.
"Heh... It is indeed as you said," Big Beardy smiled and said. "Don’t worry, I am used to designing military buildings. I promise to build a strong and solid factory base for you."
So, Big Beardy agreed after all, because who would go against money?! Even if Chen Fan wanted to use titanium alloy as the shell, Big Beardy determined that he would do it right away, as he only in charge of designing, not building, the factory.
"Now, that’s more like it!" Chen Fan smiled, satisfied of his coercion powers. "Oh ya, I’ve also mentioned in the paper that the terrain marked is surrounded by mountains. If I wanted to build an activity space, with the surface area of two football fields in the mountains, what do you think?"
"It might be a waste of money," Big Beardy confirmed, while looking him in the eye. "After all, there are factors to consider before drilling a cave. We would have to look at the structure of the rocks. Basalt and Granite are the most difficult rocks to excavate, while Glutenite is easy. According to the data, the composition of the rocks is Andesite, which is similar to the rock structure of the Mount Andes."
Big Beardy continued his assessment. "Assuming that you want to slot out the large area as mentioned, we would have to split it into a few spaces, with a rock in the middle, which would act as a pillar. Then we could start the drilling work. It takes five years for one rock-drilling truck to do the job, three years for two trucks, and so on."
He then summarized his opinion for Chen Fan, pronouncing that, "The technical difficulty is not the real issue. The key is that the rental cost of the rock-drilling truck is so expensive, costing 1.5 million US dollars annually! So, you couldn’t possibly make it work for any less than 100 million dollars!"
"I was just asking!" Chen Fan laughed and said. "Go ahead and complete the design as soon as possible."