Kapitel 74: Chapter 14 Diesel
Although buying such a cargo ship launched in 1903, capable of carrying up to 20 tons of cargo, for 15,000 Turkish pounds seemed very cost-effective, Zhang Hainuo had to spend extra money to buy coal because the former ship owner, now the captain and sailor, Elga, had sold the last bit of coal on the ship to buy alcohol! This inevitably made Zhang Hainuo and his crew suspect whether this guy was indeed the strong captain mentioned by Alsalan, who dared to navigate under the noses of the British.
Despite the doubts, Zhang Hainuo still handed the money to Elga to prepare enough coal for a 500-nautical-mile journey before departure. Simon and Blatz stayed on the ship for maintenance, while he and Otto went with Alsalan to the official oil depot in the port. Under normal circumstances, the fuel supply at a port might be a government monopoly or privately operated, but after the outbreak of war, these war-related supplies, even if not nationalized, would be supervised and managed by government-appointed commissioners.
Alsalan told Zhang Hainuo that Antalya, the "great port" in southern Turkey, had three coal warehouses and one oil warehouse. Most Turkish ships used coal-fired boilers. In addition to paying the coal price by weight, purchasing coal from the authorities also required giving a certain amount of customs clearance fee to the officials there, which was a kickback. As for the amount of this kickback, it varied from person to person. Those with good relations with officials could pay less each time, while those with average relationships might have to pay three to four times the coal price as customs clearance fee.
As for oil, Alsalan said gasoline, diesel, and heavy oil were all available in Antalya port. During the Ottoman Empire period, regions rich in oil such as Iraq and Syria were under Turkish rule, only to be occupied by the British and French in the later stages of World War I. Nevertheless, there were still many oil fields within Turkey, and with the "help" of foreign capital, Turkey's oil extraction had begun to take shape by the outbreak of World War I, with many refineries newly built with German and Austrian capital during the war. Although Germany's defeat in the war greatly reduced its capital in Turkey, Turkish oil fields and refineries remained active. Except for a small portion used for the country's less developed industries, the rest were exported to various ports.
Alsalan also mentioned that before the war, the usual customers for refueling in Antalya were foreign ships and warships, and the cost calculation was more complicated: if it was a warship, Turkish officials would sell at the usual price, but if it was a merchant ship, the price might be one hundred fifty to two hundred percent higher, and there would also be a certain restriction on the quantity supplied. However, after the outbreak of war, due to the blockade of the port by mines, only submarines from Germany and Austria-Hungary would occasionally come. Because of the alliance relationship with these countries, such fuel supplies were all free!
On this point, Zhang Hainuo had also heard some from Hesen. When U21 was operating in nearby waters, it had refueled here, but his submarine did not directly enter the port. Instead, they sent someone to row ashore at a place far from the port, and then let Turkish officials send boats to deliver barrels of diesel. As allies, the Turks not only provided services but also sent Hesen and his crew some live chickens and sheep, but the smell lingered in U21 for quite some time.
Nowadays, Zhang Hainuo came to the official oil depot as an ordinary merchant, and some unwritten rules in the business world became very useful. He first inquired with Alsalan about the preferences of the head of the oil depot, and before going to the depot, he also made a trip to Solak's jewelry store. This time, Solak enthusiastically recommended some local favorite jewelry to him. When it came time to pay, this shrewd jeweler generously gave him the selected ring for free and packaged it in a beautifully crafted small box.
Afterward, through Alsalan, Zhang Hainuo hired two horse-drawn carts to load the goods. In no time, they arrived at the oil depot, less than two hundred meters from the port.
Unlike specialized large reinforced concrete or underground oil depots, the oil depot in Antalya port looked no different from ordinary Turkish houses from the outside, except for a large sign hanging in front of the gate, which read "Restricted area for oil depot, strictly no open flames" in Turkish and German.
Although the ground in front of the oil depot gate was clean, this cleanliness only accentuated the desolation here.
Before Zhang Hainuo's cart even stopped, three Turkish men came out from inside the gate. Two of them were carrying long rifles, obviously guards, while the other, of medium build and around forty years old, wore a traditional Turkish sheepskin hat and had a somewhat funny little beard on his chin, in Zhang Hainuo's opinion.
Alsalan, agile as ever, jumped off the cart and ran to the middle-aged man in front, respectfully took off his hat, and spoke a long speech in a low voice. The man's eyes kept glancing over at Zhang Hainuo's side, with little curiosity in his gaze. Zhang Hainuo guessed that this guy must have known in advance that some Germans had come to the port. Although the alliance system had collapsed, as fellow defeated countries, they had no reason to have a bad relationship with Germans. Betray to the British and French? Hmph, sorry, the British and French were busy occupying the oil fields in Iraq and Syria, and their influence had not yet extended to this relatively barren Anatolian Peninsula!
Soon after, Alsalan finished the introduction, and the man said something loudly towards them. Zhang Hainuo thought it sounded like German at first, but found it very difficult to understand. Seeing Alsalan standing there without saying a word, he got off the cart and calmly walked up to the official, smiling.
"I am Hans Schweiß, a German businessman! Pleasure to meet you, a small token of my appreciation, please accept it!"
The Turkish official might not have understood Zhang Hainuo's words, but he calmly accepted the two Turkish gold coins hidden in Zhang Hainuo's hand during the handshake. After weighing them slightly, he pocketed them with a sudden relaxation on his face.
"Please come in and talk!"
This time, Zhang Hainuo finally understood his awkward German. He asked Otto to wait outside and followed the official with Alsalan into the office.
When the heavy iron door opened, a strong smell of diesel greeted them. For Zhang Hainuo at this moment, this was even more desirable than the smell of food.
Instead of heading straight to the warehouse filled with oil drums as imagined, the Turkish official turned and led Zhang Hainuo and Alsalan into an office on the side, then motioned for privacy. During the deeper discussion, the official tactfully avoided speaking his difficult German and had Alsalan act as the interpreter.
"Mr. Arak asks what kind of oil you need and what it will be used for?"
"Diesel, I need high-quality diesel. Our ship is leaking oil and is currently anchored about 50 nautical miles south of the island of Sulu!"
These were the excuses Zhang Hainuo had prepared long ago. The island of Sulu was a small island in southern Turkey, less than 50 nautical miles south of Antalya. This distance was not too far for Zhang Hainuo to "reach", nor was it close enough for this Turkish official to personally inspect.
"Can you tell me the name of your ship, departure port, and destination port?" Although the Turkish official had accepted a small gift, he didn't forget to ask these important questions.
"The Sakrachi, a German-built freighter. It has been docked at Göbze (a Turkish port not far from Istanbul) for four years and only set sail again with a new cargo a week ago. The ship is loaded with various textiles, and of course, I also trade in jewelry!"
Zhang Hainuo timely took out another smaller but more exquisitely decorated wooden box from his body and pushed it in front of the official.
The official opened the box with a glance, said few words, and adeptly pocketed the box, then spoke in Turkish again.
"Since Mr. Schwein sees me as a good friend, I will be straightforward! According to the regulations, diesel currently sells for at least 1500 pounds per barrel externally for 150 kilograms per barrel. How about this, I'll give Mr. Schwein a local shipowner's price, 1200 pounds per barrel! What do you think?"
Zhang Hainuo gave the official a bright smile, "If Mr. Arak can guarantee that I will get the best diesel every time I come, I am willing to pay 1500 pounds! As for how much Mr. Arak gives to the higher-ups, I will never ask!"
The Turkish official looked Zhang Hainuo up and down again, with a hint of vigilance in his eyes, but after careful consideration, he suddenly changed his focus and proposed 1800 pounds per barrel.
"Agreed!" Zhang Hainuo didn't mind casting out this big bait. After all, the diesel needed for two submarines to sail at sea couldn't be satisfied with just a few barrels. But if he bought too many barrels at once, the small cargo ship couldn't hold them, and the large cargo ship leaving the port would be too dangerous. It was inevitable to ship in batches.
It was better to establish a reliable relationship here than to purchase in small quantities at different ports.
After a moment of silence, the Turkish official with the little beard burst into laughter.
"Mr. Schwein, you are indeed a clever businessman! I like making friends with businessmen like you. In the future, as long as you come, the best diesel will be prioritized for supply!"
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein