frightfiction Chapter 931 Uncle Jin, who always thinks about his family.
Chapter 931 Uncle Jin, who always thinks about his family.
"Why are you drinking medicine like it's a beverage?"
"medicine?"
"Medicine? No, no, no! Jin, your understanding needs updating!"
Anderson leaned closer mysteriously and lowered his voice, "This isn't medicine! It's pure bliss! It's sweet and doesn't need any sugar. Drinking it makes you feel warm all over, ten times more comfortable than coffee!"
He patted Uncle Jin on the shoulder and said, "Jin, aren't you being a bit too kind to those monkeys in South Vietnam by giving them this stuff?"
Then, as if by magic, Anderson pulled a few sheets of paper from a folder under his arm and slammed them on the table.
Uncle Jin initially thought it was some latest intelligence summary from the war zone, but upon closer inspection, he almost couldn't hold his tongue...
That was actually a market research report done by Anderson himself!
The title boldly proclaims: "A survey on the feasibility and market acceptance of Banlangen granules as a new hot beverage alternative for the base."
The report details how he gave Banlangen granules to people of different departments and ranks at the base for "tasting," from pilots to engine room crew, from civilian secretaries to marines.
The conclusions are overwhelmingly consistent: this stuff tastes better than coffee! Reasons include, but are not limited to: it's naturally sweet, so no extra sugar is needed; it's easy to prepare; and it leaves you feeling warm and comfortable after drinking it…
As Uncle Jin looked at the report, he internally ranted: You bunch of carnivores who are used to drinking hamburgers, cola, and cold milk all year round, your stomachs have long been adapted to ice water. If you suddenly drink a cup of hot sugar water, how can it not warm up!
What does this have to do with the medicinal effects of Isatis root itself?
"What are you doing with this thing?" Uncle Jin asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course, it's about doing business!" Anderson proudly raised his head, his face full of smugness.
"As you know, there's been a lot of trouble in the cigar country lately, causing a sharp drop in coffee imports. We're almost out of coffee in the base, and prices have skyrocketed!"
He pointed to the Banlangen syrup in his hand, "This stuff is great! It's cheap, doesn't need sugar, and warms you up. It's a perfect coffee substitute! I'm not sitting here as the logistics manager for nothing!"
"King, my brother!"
Anderson eagerly put his arm around Uncle Kim's shoulder. "Get me another batch, no, the more the better! I've already come up with a brilliant marketing slogan—'The warmth of the East, the fuel of victory'! We can sell it to all our bases in the entire Western Pacific!"
You fucking...you're not a squid type, are you?!
This person's business skills are practically maxed out!
Uncle Jin resisted the urge to roll his eyes and decided to steer the conversation back on track.
"Anderson, we can discuss your 'business plans' later. What I'm more concerned about right now is, any news about the 'Early Tide'? Was the mission successful?"
Anderson waved his hand dismissively: "Don't worry, Kim! You know the rules of the communications silence period. According to the plan, there are still seven days until the first scheduled contact. Those little devils, although their technical skills aren't great, are very obedient in carrying out the established plan. There won't be any problems!"
Uncle Jin secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
It seems that the intelligence obtained from the interrogation of the captured submarine captain at home was accurate; the Hayashio's communication cycle was indeed about 15 days.
This means that the window of opportunity gained by the "Huang Shiren Plan" is real, and the chances of success have increased even further!
“But it’s strange,” Anderson stroked his chin. “According to the course, they should have reached the designated area long ago, but there’s been no news at all. Could something have happened to them?”
"What kind of accident could happen?" Uncle Jin casually changed the subject.
"Although Japan's submarine technology is only average, it is still capable of reconnaissance missions."
Anderson nodded, clearly agreeing with this statement, and the topic circled back to Banlangen: "Forget about them! Jin, could you get some more of this stuff over there? The more the better!"
"Jin, the source of goods! The key is the source of goods! You must have a channel, right? We'll split the profits 30/70! No, you get 40% and I get 60%!..."
NO!
Uncle Jin flatly refused, adopting a negotiating stance, "Distribution channels are king! I'll take five, you take three!"
"Uh... okay... wait, something's not right," Anderson counted on his fingers, looking completely bewildered, "5 + 3 equals 9? What about the remaining 20%?"
"Heh, aren't you going to grease the palms of that four-star general?"
Anderson was taken aback at first, then suddenly realized what he meant and was so excited he almost wanted to hug Uncle Kim: "King! You're so thoughtful! It's settled then!"
Uncle Jin suppressed his complaints about the marketing slogan "Eastern warmth, fuel for victory" and decided to find out more about it first.
He tapped the market research report and cut to the chase: "Anderson, stop making empty promises. Tell me honestly, how much inventory are you actually holding onto right now?"
Upon hearing this, Anderson's face flashed with a hint of smugness, and he mysteriously held up one finger.
Uncle Jin looked at it, somewhat speechless, and asked, "A shipping container? 20 FT?"
Uncle Jin's estimate did not come from nowhere.
Container shipping was in a period of rapid standardization in the early 1960s.
As early as 1961, the International Maritime Organization (IMCO) had established 20-foot and 40-foot containers as international standards. By 1963, the Europe-North America East Coast route had been largely containerized, and major ports such as Rotterdam were building dedicated container terminals.
A standard 20-foot container (TEU) is approximately 6.1 meters long, 2.44 meters wide, and 2.59 meters high, with a volume of approximately 33 cubic meters.
In Uncle Jin's opinion, Anderson, as the logistics supervisor, was already incredibly audacious to tamper with a 20-foot container of "special goods" on his own.
"Hey, it seems like an internal CIA report mentioned that containerization is the future trend of shipping, and trunk lines on three continents are all switching to containerization. If China can really master the LD converter technology and produce qualified steel, maybe we can also get a share of this wave and make some containers for export to earn foreign exchange?"
Uncle Jin rubbed his chin, his mind already wandering to how to leverage information asymmetry and future trends to earn foreign exchange for his family.
Unexpectedly, Anderson chuckled awkwardly and said in a low voice, "King, the scale is too small... It's not one cabinet, it's a whole ship... Maybe... five or six cabinets."
Uncle Jin was truly speechless this time. He looked at Anderson and after a long while, he finally managed to utter, "...You little rascal, you really dare to embezzle!" But then he thought about it again. Anderson was greedy and had access to the Seventh Fleet's logistics channels. This kind of protection could be used to cover up the secret channels that might be established in the future to transport funds and supplies to the country.
With shared interests at stake, this line of business is actually safer. Moreover, using Banlangen granules as cover is far safer than the air fryer line!
After all, the aid plan for South Vietnam clearly stated that supplies such as Banlangen granules were provided by that great Eastern power.
Just do it when you think of it!
The highly capable Uncle Jin quickly composed himself, adopted the demeanor of a shrewd businessman, and cleverly used the "excuse" provided by Anderson:
"Anderson, the business is worth doing. But the most crucial thing about this Banlangen granules is preventing moisture during long-distance sea transport! Once it gets damp and clumps up, it's all over."
It must be transported using the highest standard containers, ensuring it is sealed and dry. Don't tell me the cargo you seized on that ship was transported in bulk cargo?
Upon hearing this, Anderson's previous smugness instantly turned into a frown. He scratched his head vigorously and said irritably, "Otherwise what? It's not that easy to get so many ready-made containers these days!"
Damn it, just like you said, the part near the hold got damp and clumped together, a significant loss! Otherwise, why would I be in such a rush to find a new source of cargo!
Uncle Jin understood immediately; it was just as he had been waiting for. This was exactly what he was going to say.
He leaned forward slightly, his voice low, like Pan wandering in the darkness: "In other words, if... I mean if, I have a stable channel to get brand new containers that meet the standards, do you have a way to 'digest' them? Whether it's to transport your 'Eastern Warmth' or to sell the empty containers directly."
Anderson's small eyes widened instantly, as if he had seen a mountain of gold that was even more dazzling than Isatis root.
He excitedly grabbed Uncle Jin's arm: "Jin! My good brother! You really have connections?! The shipping industry is going crazy for these metal boxes right now!"
Rotterdam, Hamburg, Singapore... which port isn't scrambling for containers? As long as you can handle it, I can take as many as you want!
Selling boxes?
That's way more profitable than selling Isatis root!
Anderson's excitement was not unfounded.
This moment marks the beginning of a wave of container standardization sweeping across the global shipping industry.
A standard 20-foot steel container cost around $1500 to $2000 to manufacture at the time, but its potential value and transportation benefits far exceeded its cost due to the revolutionary improvement in transportation efficiency it brought.
If stable production and export channels can be established, this is undoubtedly a golden channel that can earn huge amounts of foreign exchange for the country at this time, with an annual foreign exchange earning potential of tens of millions of US dollars!
No amount of money is ever enough!
Just when Uncle Jin thought that a certain idiot in China was a lucky star...
The person being praised is busy doing bad things!