Chapter 11 Chinatown (Second update, please collect and recommend)
Money can make all the difference!
This sentence is definitely a wise saying whether it is Chinese or foreign.
What can you buy with £500?
A round-trip ticket to the United States. Of course, to take this flight, you have to wear the airline uniform. In fact, you are just pretending to be a flight attendant.
On the way to the spaceship dock, Kent, who was driving a car, glanced at Li Yian in the rearview mirror and said directly.
"Mr. Li, I don't know why you are going to New York, but you have to know that we will only stay in New York for 5 days. After 5 days, whether you come back or not, we have to return to London. As for the next time , I can’t guarantee that you will have a chance to board the plane again next time.”
“Don’t worry, Captain Kent, I will never waste your time.”
Soon, car. Parked in the parking lot next to Tower Bridge, a large four-engine Empire C seaplane was parked on the bank of the Thames.
"See? This is the Imperial Type C seaplane."
Major Kent turned his attention to the aircraft and said.
“Before the war, it was the main passenger aircraft of the British Empire connecting the mainland and overseas colonies. There are flights from Britain to Egypt, India, East Africa, South Africa, Malaysia and Australia every week... Now, There is only one flight to New York, once a week."
As he spoke, he raised his legs and walked towards the ship dock. When they approached the dock, the guard on duty just looked at them and then let them go. .
Obviously, Kent has already taken care of everything.
From the way the guards turned a blind eye, it could be seen that this was definitely not the first time Kent and the others had done such a thing.
Even after Li Yian got on the plane, he did not attract the attention of the crew members. On the plane, he was like an invisible man, sitting on the seat in front of a pile of mail packages.
Almost twenty minutes later, as the cabin door closed, the engines above the wings roared and started to rotate. The huge seaplane slowly sailed to the middle of the Thames River, and then began to accelerate, and the plane taxied The waves aroused continued to hit the portholes, and suddenly, the plane began to climb.
Li Yi'an was naturally very curious about taking a seaplane for the first time, but his curiosity soon turned into boredom.
“Let’s sleep for a while first.”
Mechanic Richard threw a sleeping bag to Li Yian and said.
"We have to fly for another 26 hours."
26 hours!
This is the time it takes to fly from London to New York. Of course, it is not a direct flight to New York. During the period, you need to stop in Greenland to refuel, and then fly to New York.
In the following time, the plane kept flying over the Atlantic Ocean. Occasionally, you could even see the smoke columns rising from the sea, which were produced when merchant ships sunk by German submarines burned on the sea. Pillars of smoke.
The smoke column reminded Li Yi'an that the Nazi wolf pack was not a legend.
...
Including a stop in Greenland, it took almost 27 hours before the plane finally landed in New York Harbor.
After the plane landed and docked, before the cabin door opened, all the crew members seemed a little impatient. They all wanted to rush into New York City immediately and use the watches and watches they packed in their suitcases. Cameras in exchange for needed supplies.
Although New York in 1943 was not as prosperous as later generations, it was already the most prosperous metropolis of this era. The existence of skyscrapers even gave an illusion of time and space. After all, such as the Empire Skyscrapers such as the Mansion Tower stand in Manhattan. Walking on the crowded streets, looking at the flow of people around him and the high-rise buildings on both sides, Li Yi'an felt a sense of alienation, like traveling through time and space.
As a Chinese, when I arrived in New York, I was unfamiliar with the place, and the only place I could visit was Chinatown. The reason why Li Yian went to Chinatown first was to find a channel to buy cigarettes. When Li Yi'an entered Chinatown, he immediately noticed that there were many people wearing uniforms similar to his style and color.
At this time, a Chinese man wearing an open-collared shirt took the initiative to say hello.
"Lei Hao, please come first."
Li Yian was stunned by the Cantonese he heard. Before he could react, Zhu Yihai saw that this man could not speak Cantonese, so he changed his words. Speaking of Mandarin.
“Hello, sir, is it your first time in Chinatown?”
Seeing that the other person obviously seemed to be in Chinatown for the first time. He immediately recognized the opportunity.
Listening to Mandarin with a Cantonese accent, Li Yian felt a sense of intimacy in his heart. "That's right, it's my first time here."
Although we are all compatriots, we always have to be careful when going out. Although there is no northern Myanmar in these days, there is no need to be careful. Big mistake. So Li Yian seemed very cautious.
Looking at the other party's obviously vigilant attitude, Zhu Yihai quickly explained.
"Sir, you don't have to worry that I will harm you. A small number of people in Chinatown now rely on crew members like you for their livelihood. How can we destroy our own jobs? Don't worry, in In Chinatown, no one will lie to you. I see you are here for the first time, and I don’t know if there is anything I can do to help you.”
Hearing what the other party said, Li Yian asked curiously.
"Half of the people in Chinatown rely on seafarers for their livelihood? How do you say that?"
"Sir, look at the seamen in Chinatown, aren't they all your peers? The best business in Chinatown right now is Buy watches, cameras, and furs from you..."
Under the other party's explanation, Li Yian learned that there were tens of thousands of Chinese sailors in the merchant fleets of allied countries. After they arrived in the UK, They would trade cigarettes and other supplies for watches, cameras, jewelry and even fur coats, and then take them to New York and sell them to Chinatown in exchange for cash and supplies.
As soon as he explained it like this, Li Yian understood it wonderfully.
"So, if the prediction is correct, sir must be here to trade supplies."
"Indeed,"
Li Yian nodded and smiled:
"I I did bring some things over, but I don’t know how much they cost.”
“It depends on what you brought. I will help you find the most suitable store. As for my commission, Don’t worry, you don’t have to worry about this. No matter which shop I take you to, the owner will give me a commission in the end.”
Zhu Yihai explained in detail, and of course he was also very candid. The most important thing in doing business is to be candid, especially when dealing with people for the first time. If Mazu protects his ship from accidents, then he will definitely come to see him next time, and he has a regular customer. Business can continue.
I looked at the man in front of me. He looked about thirty years old. Although his clothes were clean and tidy, the frayed collar showed that his current condition was not very good.
After thinking about it, Li Yian asked:
"What if I need a lot of cigarettes? Lucky Strike and camels, can I get them?"
"Look what you said "
As soon as the other party opened his mouth, Zhu Yihai knew that the business was secure.
“Isn’t this why you came to Chinatown? How many cigarettes do you need? 20 cartons? Or 50 cartons? You know, cigarettes in the United States are also subject to a quota system, and each person only has a few packs per week. quota, so the price is not cheap.”
“How much will the price increase?”
“At least 50% will be added.”
Zhu Yihai explained.
"Sometimes you may have to add 60% to 70%. This price depends on the market, but if you want a lot of goods, you can definitely get it cheaper..."
"I really want a lot."
Li Yian said.
“More than all of them put together. If you can help me find a reliable seller who can guarantee supply, the commission will be easy to negotiate.”
New book issue, please Guys, continue to support! Please recommend, collect, and read! Thank you! ! ! A book club group has been established: 739209015. Everyone is welcome to join and discuss the plot together.
(End of this chapter)