Chapter 70 Gold Mine (Second update, please collect)
Where is the really cheap technology?
Of course, in the hands of the defeated countries, salvaging technology in the UK is a bit like picking up leaks. It relies entirely on luck and can only look for technologies that others have ignored.
But the defeated country is different. The defeated country is like the treasure house of the Eighteen Thieves. As long as there are funds and channels, not only can many cutting-edge technologies be introduced, but also cutting-edge talents can be introduced.
Not to mention Germany, Italy, which had just been defeated, was like a treasure boy. One of them attracted Li Yi'an's attention. What attracted him was a piece of news in the newspaper.
"In order to alleviate the government's financial dilemma, the Italian government will sell various official assets including merchant ships..."
Looking at this news, Li Yian thought of a statement he had seen before. In July 1943, what happened in Italy Coup, Mussolini was arrested and detained. Badoglio, the former Chief of Staff of the Italian Army, organized a new government.
Two months later, Badoglio's government announced unconditional surrender, and then the German army occupied Rome. Badoglio took the royal family and cabinet ministers in five cars and escaped from Rome in the dark, rushing to the Adriatic coast, and then boarded two Allied speedboats to escape to the south.
Although the Badoglio government subsequently formally withdrew from the "Axis" alliance and declared war on Germany. Moreover, the governments of Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union also issued declarations recognizing Italy as a common fighting party. However, because the Allied high command did not fully trust Badoglio, the Badoglio government was not treated better than the Mussolini government.
In addition, the Badoglio military government did not receive support from the people. The Allies used various means to destabilize the Badoglio government in order to replace it with a prime minister that satisfied them, and economic means was one of them. Although the Badoglio government that retreated to the south had a king and a prime minister, there was nothing but a king and a prime minister. Apart from the name of legal government, it can be said that it has nothing.
In this case, Badoglio's government could only be sustained by receiving financial assistance from the allies, but the allies had no intention of funding Badoglio at all, except for giving him a few million dollars when he first arrived in the south. , no more money was provided, and in the end it was the financial difficulties that led to the collapse of the Badoglio government.
From beginning to end, the United States and Britain did not say a word, they just refused to pay. In order to maintain the operation of the government, Badoglio ordered the sale of government assets including merchant ships, but under the alliance Despite the military intervention, no buyer made an offer.
"Merchant ship...this is a merchant ship!"
Looking at the news in the newspaper, Li Yian suddenly became interested in these ships, for no other reason than that he needed merchant ships.
Whether it is to immigrate to North Borneo in the future or to transport machinery and equipment and various materials needed for post-war reconstruction, merchant ships are needed.
Except for the Italian merchant ships in front of him, no country would sell merchant ships to him immediately after the war. Even if there was a post-war material sale, it would have to wait until 46 years.
"By then, the cucumber dishes will be cold... Italy, Italy..."
Li Yian said while tapping the newspaper lightly with his finger.
“It seems I can’t go to Italy!”
However, how to get to Italy is a problem.
Why are there no buyers?
In addition to the Allied intervention, there is a very important reason, which is that it is wartime and transportation is inconvenient.
However, as long as you have money, there is nothing you cannot do. It doesn’t even require money, just a take-off permission-Coham’s air refueling company owns two aircraft, and as long as there is a take-off permission, it can take off, and this is not difficult, after all, for six aircraft that have been requisitioned As far as Cobham is concerned, the military needs to return the favor.
So, after Coham came forward, it only took half a day to obtain a flight permit-a temporary permit to fly to Spain.
Although the plane is an old-fashioned one before the war, it can definitely fly to Spain, and then take a flight from Spain to Italy - scheduled flights between Italy and Spain did not stop because of the war. After all, Spain is half of the Axis powers. .
At the end of 1943, Li Yian finally got on a plane to Brindisi, Italy. However, at this time, he was not a representative of Zhenhua Company, just an ordinary passenger.
The engine of the old JU-52 aircraft made a coughing sound. Although it was old, the aircraft flew very smoothly. Li Yian looked at the information in his hand from time to time. These information were about the aircraft landing in Sicily. Official information obtained later.
64 merchant ships totaling 287,000 tons, these are merchant ships held by the Italian government. These ships have not been confiscated by the Allies - at least in name, Italy is now an ally, and the allies cannot confiscate their assets. Well, although the United Kingdom, the United States and the Soviet Union were both engaged in the deception of their allies, at least on the surface, they still had to put on a great and upright appearance.
At this time Alfonso sat next to him again and said.
"Sir, we will arrive in Brindisi in about three hours."
"Well,"
nodded, Li Yian did not speak, Alfonso was the Spanish he acquired The first thing the company manager did after arriving in Spain was to acquire a Spanish company, and then go to Italy in the name of the Spanish company to purchase Allied merchant ships.
Why go to so much trouble? To put it bluntly, it is to avoid causing dissatisfaction with the Allies. After all, Li Yian still has to do business with the Allies. So a company from a neutral country is needed as a disguise.
“After you wait for the place, you can just bid directly.”
After that, Li Yian closed his eyes and silently calculated the price at which to buy those merchant ships.
Even in the midst of war, capital is still wielding its sickle. As long as there is an opportunity, it will harvest wealth everywhere. If it were not for the war blocking the route, Italy would definitely be pouring in now. A large number of capital merchants.
Just like in Britain - hundreds of agents of American syndicates are waving dollar bills in Britain, buying everything that interests them. What's the end result? The British won the war but lost everything.
Even now, among the other passengers on this plane bound for Brindisi, there may not be vultures from the United States. How they got to Spain is unknown, but anyone with a sensitive sense of smell would have tried to bite off a few pieces of flesh from the Italian corpse.
Opening his eyes again, looking at the guys in neat suits and speaking fluent English in the cabin, Li Yian raised the corners of his lips and thought to himself.
"It seems that things are not as simple as I thought!"
(End of this chapter)