MTLNOVEL Chapter 115: Good News
Sometimes, things go so smoothly it's almost unbelievable.
All the way, a faint smile played on Pierre's lips. Ding En, sitting in the passenger seat, asked,
"Boss, where are we going? Back to Tunis, or…?"
"To Savoia-Marchetti Aircraft Company."
With that, Pierre closed his eyes. The city where this company was located had just been liberated. Savoia-Marchetti was Italy's largest seaplane manufacturer, and since the 1920s, it had shifted to producing land-based aircraft. During the war, it produced various types of bombers and transport planes. Among them, the SM.79 bomber was widely used in the war, and the Germans once used the company's SM.75GA long-range transport aircraft to carry a large number of diplomatic and operational documents between Germany, Italy, and Japan. The plane took off from the easternmost German-occupied airfield in Crimea, landed first at Baotou airfield under Japanese control, and then flew on to Tokyo the next day. Afterwards, the aircraft returned from Japan and finally landed at Rome airport.
During World War II, the SM.75GA long-range transport was undoubtedly the best-performing large long-range aircraft. Even in the decade after the war, its performance could still be described as outstanding.
In terms of research and development capabilities and experience with large long-range aircraft, this company's technical strength was by no means inferior to Boeing or Douglas—it was at least on par. During the war, it produced nearly two thousand bombers and transport planes. Precisely because of this, it was a favorite target for Allied bombers, and repeated bombings destroyed most of its production equipment. This was also the reason the company declined after the war. After all, the Italian Air Force made extensive use of American-supplied aircraft postwar, and civil aviation was equally sluggish. As a result, the company had neither the funds to upgrade its equipment nor to continue R&D and keep up with global trends.
However, at present, this company is undoubtedly a first-class aviation manufacturing enterprise. Perhaps bombing can destroy factories and facilities, but it cannot destroy technology. Its technological capabilities are still at the forefront of the world.
For a company with such strong technical strength, Pierre had long been yearning for it. After all, aircraft engines always need matching airplanes, and in the future, Borneo would certainly need to manufacture large aircraft.
Not just large aircraft, but also large ships. Italian ship engineers are also extremely talented, and a group of them could be hired as well!
But whether it's about recruiting talent or acquiring technology, it all takes money… Lately, money has been flowing out like water!
There's no helping it—postwar Italy is littered with gold, but to pick it up, you need some capital.
Fortunately, someone has come to deliver money!
Just a few days later, Pierre received a telegram from his uncle.
The content of the telegram was simple: the second batch of 6,000 tons of tungsten ore would be shipped to Tunisia along with 5,000 ordnance sorting personnel. Despite some domestic debate about sending people to Europe, they had ultimately decided to dispatch a group, and also allowed the company to hire laborers locally. The only condition was that employees' wages had to be sent home through the Bank of China's designated office. Truly, money moves people's hearts.
The telegram also inquired whether more tungsten ore was needed.
Upon receiving the telegram, Pierre couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile, especially when he saw the question about how much to deliver in the next batch. He had someone reply with a straightforward message:
"The more, the better!"
Isn't that the truth—the more, the better!
The Germans need tens of thousands of tons of tungsten ore each year. If he could seize this final window of opportunity, he might just make over a hundred million dollars.
A hundred million dollars in gold!
That's over a hundred million grams of gold.
In an instant, Pierre found it hard to stay calm.
That's hundreds of tons of gold!
It must be said, humans are all rather vulgar—no one can resist the allure of that yellow metal.
That's how businessmen are: as long as there's money, anything can be sold.
Of course, Pierre felt absolutely no psychological burden about selling out the British and Americans. If he didn't sell them out, who would he sell?
After learning that tungsten ore was so expensive, he paid special attention to the prices of rare metals in London. He discovered that molybdenum was also extremely valuable, so he immediately set his sights on it. Upon learning that, besides the United States, Chile also produced large quantities of molybdenum ore, he sent people to Chile to purchase it while simultaneously starting a molybdenum ore business with Berlin.
Unexpectedly, Germany's demand for molybdenum ore was even greater than for tungsten, because the Knaben molybdenum mine in Norway, occupied by the Germans, had been bombed by the Allies the previous year, cutting off their supply. Without molybdenum in their tank armor, the protective performance was greatly reduced, directly affecting the combat power of German armored forces.
When Berlin learned that Pierre could deliver molybdenum ore, they became even more eager, even offering to buy at a premium. At a time when the fate of the nation was at stake, money was truly meaningless.
Money was the least of their concerns.
Even life was the least of their concerns!
After receiving Berlin's reply, Pierre responded directly, asking them to provide a list of needed materials—of course, the most important thing was the price.
"As for this stuff, well, it all depends on the price."
In his hotel in Naples, Pierre swirled the wine in his glass, enjoying the view of the Mediterranean as he spoke to Berlin.
"As long as the price is right, everything can be negotiated."
"What about oil?"
Berlin's question earned a roll of the eyes.
"That stuff takes up too much space and isn't easy to transport."
There's only so much space; at most, he could carry about a thousand tons of gasoline. Gasoline—even at a premium, it's only a few dozen dollars per ton. How much extra could he really make?
"I knew you'd say that. But are you sure you can get the tungsten ore to Switzerland?"
Faced with Berlin's question, Pierre answered without any pretense.
"The Allies have already landed in southern France, and my task force has also entered France…"
He raised his glass, took a sip, and smiled.
"I have my own convoy. Although the border area between France and Switzerland is still under German control, the German defeat is only a matter of time."
Once again, Berlin was left frustrated—there was nothing they could do; that was just the reality.
"And by then, I'm afraid the price will go up. You know, the bigger the waves, the more expensive the fish!"
Looking at the smiling man in front of him, Berlin could only sigh helplessly.
"You really are a profiteer."
"Thank you for the compliment."
With that, Pierre stood up and said to Berlin,
"I'll be in France often for a while. If it's convenient, you should come to France or Switzerland too. Here's some good news: recently, my task force has collected quite a few weapons in France—all left behind by you guys."
You…
At that moment, Berlin almost lost his composure. What kind of good news is that, damn it?