章 311: Chapter 311: The Acquisition Carnival Begins
Huo Qingdong had previously dispatched hundreds of men to the Okinawa Islands to gather supplies. Now, it was time to ship them out.
As they neared a small island in Okinawa, they encountered a patrol ship.
"Beep~!"
The patrol ship sounded its whistle in greeting to the cargo ship flying the American flag.
"Dududu~!"
The cargo ship responded in kind. They expected to pass without incident, but the patrol ship suddenly veered and followed the cargo ship until they reached the island where Huo Qingdong and his team had stockpiled supplies.
"What's going on?" Huo Qingdong wondered.
Once docked, the other ship's crew called out for Huo Qingdong to come aboard. Puzzled, he boarded the patrol ship, recognizing the captain from their last encounter.
The captain greeted him with a smile and invited him into his quarters, where he poured Huo Qingdong a cup of coffee. "Allow me to introduce myself," the captain said, "My name is Ivan."
"What can I do for you, Captain Ivan?" Huo Qingdong asked.
"You're gathering supplies, correct? We're looking to do business with you. Are you interested?" Ivan asked.
"What kind of business?" Huo Qingdong inquired, surprised.
"We have a batch of cargo ships we're willing to sell to you at a very low price. Are you interested?" Captain Ivan replied.
"What kind of cargo ships?"
"Japanese cargo ships, large and small, all confiscated by us. During the attack on Okinawa, the Japanese used these ships to transport supplies. After the war, we seized them. There are about 20 or 30 ships. Some are still usable; others are scrapped and piled up in the ship graveyard," Ivan explained.
Huo Qingdong was astonished.
"Won't selling these supplies cause problems? What does your boss think?" Huo Qingdong asked.
Ivan chuckled and then lowered his voice, "After our last encounter, I reported back to my commander. When he learned about the seized Japanese ships, he said they'd only rust if left unattended. So, we decided it was better to sell them as scrap."
He continued, "These ships aren't part of the military inventory. They're considered post-war seizures, so no one cares about them. We can just say a typhoon blew them into the sea, and no one will question it."
Huo Qingdong's mind raced. Ivan was right. No one would care about those Japanese ships, and a typhoon was a plausible excuse. With the Americans in charge, the Japanese wouldn't dare ask for the ships back. A simple explanation could satisfy any inquiries.
"What kind of ships are they?" Huo Qingdong asked.
"I can't say for sure. I'll take you to see them," Captain Ivan offered.
Huo Qingdong agreed, instructing his crew to continue loading their supplies while he accompanied Ivan to the ship graveyard.
Two hours later, the patrol ship arrived at a remote bay in Okinawa, far from any inhabited areas. It was a ship graveyard where the U.S. military had piled up these cargo ships.
The bay was full of ships. Many of the hulls were rusty, clearly having sat idle for a long time. The ships varied in type and size, from small vessels around 1,000 tons to larger ones of seven to eight thousand tons, including both cargo ships and troop carriers.
"What price are you asking?" Huo Qingdong asked cautiously.
"Five dollars per ton," Ivan replied.
Huo Qingdong's heart raced. The price of scrap iron was $30 per ton. Even if the ships were completely scrapped, he could still make a profit by selling the iron.
"Colonel Ivan, you know our Hardy Company handles logistics for the military. We don't usually conduct private transactions. I'll need to consult my boss," Huo Qingdong said diplomatically.
Ivan shrugged, "No problem. I'll wait for your response."
As they parted ways, Ivan added, "Whether or not we make a deal, this must stay between us."
Huo Qingdong nodded, "I understand."
The patrol ship returned Huo Qingdong to his loading site, and after the cargo was loaded, he headed straight back to Hong Kong.
He handed over the scrap metal to his subordinates and immediately sought out Victor to relay the details of the American patrol ship's offer.
After hearing the proposal, Victor was uncertain whether they could proceed, given that both the American military and the Japanese were involved. He promptly called Hardy.
Hardy listened carefully and then smiled.
"Why not? Buy all the ships at $5 per ton. It's a good way to establish a relationship with the U.S. troops stationed on the island."
"Bring them back, repair those that can be fixed, and sell the scrap metal from the rest. We can't lose."
"I understand, Mr. Hardy," Victor replied.
Huo Qingdong, who was present during the conversation, admired Hardy's decisiveness. There seemed to be no business the boss wouldn't do.
After thinking it over, Huo Qingdong suggested to Victor, "Mr. Victor, once we purchase these ships, I plan to keep a few for our trading company. Do you think that's appropriate?"
Victor smiled, "You can decide that. As long as the boss approves the purchase, the rest is up to you."
Without delay, Huo Qingdong returned to Okinawa. As fate would have it, he encountered Captain Ivan's patrol ship again. This made Huo Qingdong wonder if Ivan had been waiting for him.
He signaled the patrol ship, which then followed his freighter to the port.
Once aboard, Captain Ivan asked, "Did your boss agree?"
"Yes, he did. But our boss hopes the price can be lowered," Huo Qingdong replied, playing the part of a shrewd negotiator.
Ivan shrugged, "How about $4 per ton?"
"Deal, $4 per ton," Huo Qingdong agreed, pleasantly surprised by how easily Ivan had conceded.
Ivan was equally pleased. Selling this scrap would earn a tidy sum for the officers at their base.
Ivan took Huo Qingdong back to the ship graveyard, where they carefully counted the ships. There were 31 in total, mostly small-tonnage vessels, with a combined weight of 106,000 tons.
The total cost came to $424,000.
With the deal done, Ivan said, "I'll have my men see how many ships can be started. If they can be moved, we'll help you get them back."
The American soldiers were quite accommodating.
"That's great. I was wondering how I'd transport them," Huo Qingdong said.
Upon inspection, they found that most of the ships were still operational. Luck was on their side.
Over the next few days, small fleets of one to three ships each began arriving in Hong Kong, all docking at Hardy Group's pier.
Global Shipping's ship repair company conducted thorough overhauls on these ships. Those that could be salvaged were repaired, while the rest were dismantled and sold as scrap metal.
In the end, 23 ships were successfully repaired. The original names and numbers on these ships were erased, repainted, and renumbered—completely rebranded.
Huo Qingdong selected four ships to keep for the trading company: two 1,600-ton vessels and two 3,900-ton vessels. These were relatively new and of suitable tonnage. As for the remaining ships, he wasn't sure how to proceed.
Now that the ships were no longer considered scrap, their value had increased many times over. A 1,000-ton troop carrier, bought from the U.S. Army for just $4,000, could now be sold for over $100,000.
Huo Qingdong sought Victor's advice, and Victor suggested, "See if anyone in Hong Kong is interested. If not, offer them to the northern side at a lower price."
Huo Qingdong discreetly spread the word that he had ships for sale, and within a few days, a potential buyer appeared.
The buyer introduced himself as Bao Yugang, who had recently arrived in Hong Kong after working on the mainland. With some savings and no clear direction, he was intrigued by the idea of entering the shipping business.
Bao Yugang had only $700,000, enough to buy two ships at most. After discussing his options with Huo Qingdong, the latter offered a suggestion.
"You could buy one ship, establish a shipping company, and then lease a few more ships from Hardy Shipping. The shipping business is booming right now. Once you start making money, you can buy more ships."
Bao Yugang liked the idea and spent $400,000 to purchase a 5,600-ton freighter. After setting up his own shipping company, he rented four more ships from Hardy Shipping and embarked on his new venture.
Bao Yugang and Huo Qingdong became friends.
In the end, Huo Qingdong sold eight ships and kept eleven. He discreetly offered the remaining ships to the North, who immediately expressed interest.
Huo Qingdong assembled a crew and sent the ships north, eventually delivering them to Lianyungang.
The northern buyers were thrilled. "Honestly, our entire cargo fleet only has a capacity of 100,000 tons. You've just doubled that."
With the North-South peace talks at a standstill, and the North preparing for the Battle of the Yangtze River, these ships were invaluable.
The final price was $3.6 million.
However, the North claimed they had no money. They were eager to take the ships but hesitant to pay. Victor, aware of the situation, took charge of the payment, leaving Huo Qingdong to focus on delivery.
After loading half a cargo ship with Traditional medicinal materials, they sailed back to Hong Kong.
Once back, they offloaded the ships, repaired them, and put them to use.
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