Chapter 7, Attracting Investment

Fang Lang's response eased Captain Cross's mind. When he saw the young man suddenly wanting to have a private chat with him just as they were about to dock, he thought the boy was up to something illegal. In the end, it turned out he just wanted to smuggle some goods. I, as an American soldier, am capable of transporting drugs using military aircraft, yet you are trying to sneak in some personal items with such mystery, which was quite startling.

Captain Cross is an exception, as he is Black. In American society, even if you are more capable than a white person, you cannot enjoy the same treatment as them. Therefore, he also started as a basic sailor and ultimately, through his own efforts and the opportunity presented by the shortage of captains during World War II, he had the chance to become a rare Black captain

Fang Lang certainly did not return empty-handed; on his wrist was a Patek Philippe first-generation perpetual calendar watch. Just this watch alone, in Fang Lang's impression, was limited to four pieces worldwide, with auction prices reaching over 70 million. This was a gift that Carlo insisted on giving to Fang Lang.

The use of navigational equipment on the ship is also very proficient; sextants, compasses, radio compasses, and astronomical clocks are all readily utilized, with the measured courses and coordinates being highly accurate

"Captain, on the streets of Italy, apart from discovering pizzerias, all I see are pasta shops. I really don't know what to bring to America," he said, shrugging his shoulders and looking at Captain Cross with a helpless expression.

"Captain, I am still young and have not yet discerned the differences between Italian girls and American girls. I believe I need your personal demonstration and guidance."

It is evident that among men, the topic of women is always the most captivating. Without needing Fang Lang to respond, the surrounding crew members began discussing the differences between Italian beauties and American beauties, creating an incredibly lively atmosphere, which allowed Fang Lang to quickly integrate into the team

In fact, Fang Lang was also unfamiliar with certain equipment, such as the anti-aircraft machine guns and anti-submarine guns on the ship. Whenever there was an opportunity, Fang Lang would go over to maintain these firearms and artillery with the soldiers, as this was, after all, a man's romance. It is uncertain whether it was due to the large scale of the escort fleet or because the Germans knew that this was an empty ship returning to America, which held no attack value. Thus, after fifteen days of sailing, Fang Lang surprisingly did not encounter any attacks from the German Navy's submarine forces and safely arrived at New York, the largest port city on the East Coast of the United States.

Just before the ship was about to dock, Fang Lang found Captain Cross and said with a serious expression, "Captain, I wonder if we could have a private conversation"

Of course, no problem, you can bring as much as you want, but what do you mean by saying you want to make a fortune together with us

Fang Lang's performance greatly surprised all the sailors on the ship; he seemed capable of fulfilling any role on board, as if he had extensive work experience in every position. This left Captain Cross and Chief Mate Tu Shu very pleased, feeling that they had finally found someone of their kind

I have a financial opportunity in hand. I am currently investing one hundred dollars to procure goods, which will be transported to Italy for processing. I guarantee you a threefold profit. I wonder if you are interested. Fang Lang would not disclose the actual profits to them; the fewer people who know about such lucrative business, the better.

"Fang, are you serious?" Keluosi said earnestly

In fact, Fang Lang had been observing Captain Cross and his crew on the ship for nearly half a month. After this period of interaction, Fang Lang felt that Captain Cross and his companions were trustworthy. After careful consideration, in order to maximize benefits and increase the quantity of his single purchase, he ultimately decided to involve all the crew members in his plan, although he would not disclose everything in detail.

During this period, the New York port was essentially filled to capacity with the Liberty ships and Victory ships coming and going from Europe, leaving no available berths for other merchant vessels. As a result, the port was predominantly occupied by American soldiers. Currently, due to the wartime conditions, the loading and unloading operations are conducted in three shifts to maximize efficiency, with the equipment operating continuously while the workers take breaks, resulting in a very high level of efficiency

Is it considered a violation of military discipline to bring some personal belongings on board?

Upon hearing Fang Lang mention a profit of three times, Keluosi's eyes widened, but not every business offers such high profits

However, with regard to the illustrated book, there will certainly be some black market traders who find these crew members to purchase cigarettes. However, traders are always looking to make a profit and will not allow these soldiers to earn too much. Therefore, Fang Lang's promise of triple the profit will definitely encourage all the crew members to participate.

Hearing that Fang Lang could bring everyone a small fortune, he felt a stir in his heart and smiled as he said: "Fang, we certainly won't refuse anything that can lead to wealth. I wonder if you could elaborate on what exactly it entails. Anything that violates military discipline is out of the question, but other matters are fine."

Time passed swiftly just like that, and there was no conversation throughout the night. Early the next morning, before the sky was fully bright, the Charles Joss Victory began its voyage, and Fang Lang also started his life of long-distance sailing once again after his rebirth

When Fang Lang returned to the Charles Joss, Captain Cross looked at him in surprise and asked, "Hey! Fang, why did you come back empty-handed?"

Although he did not know what Captain Cross was thinking, Fang Lang was certain that he had misunderstood something, but he did not pay much attention to it

Haha... Fang, haven't you noticed the beautiful women who are the local specialties on the streets of Italy?" Captain Cross began to joke with Fang Lang in a manner typical of men.

This made Kross very fond of Fang Lang. Although sailing alongside the escort fleet left little opportunity for independent route selection, during their discussions, Fang Lang demonstrated a wealth of knowledge about navigation. His understanding of geography, including seasons, climate, ocean currents, and weather, contained many aspects that even Kross had never heard of

Captain Cross initially suspected that the young Fang Lang was boasting when he claimed he could handle the duties of a large ocean-going vessel. However, after the first officer took Fang Lang to familiarize him with the location and usage of the ship's equipment.

Of course, you don't need to worry about anything. Invest in me, I will handle the procurement, you assist with the transportation, and I will take care of the sales, guaranteeing a threefold profit. If it falls short, I will cover the difference. If this goes smoothly, in the future, you will help me with procurement and deliver to the destination, and I will pay you at three times the price. What do you think?" Fang Lang said, looking directly into Cross's eyes with a serious expression.

Fang Lang's sailing skills have received unanimous recognition from the crew, and he was directly assigned to a watch rotation after passing through the Strait of Gibraltar

During their brief stay in the war zone, most American soldiers would seek out women, as serving in wartime is akin to having one's life on the line, and every additional day lived is considered a gain. Therefore, in such circumstances, few would be inclined to think about making money.

Perhaps some may wonder if these crew members are unaware of the market for cigarettes on the battlefield. Why do they not procure and sell them themselves? In fact, the market for cigarettes primarily exists on the front lines. The crew members of the naval transport fleet generally do not have the time to stay in the war zone, as they are constantly engaged in the back-and-forth transportation of supplies

Fang Lang, under Carlo's suggestion, spent fifty dollars to purchase two Luger P08 pistols from www.hetushu.com. According to Carlo's understanding, the Luger P08 pistols are extremely popular in the American collectibles market, but he could not specify their exact value. After careful consideration, Fang Lang ultimately accepted his suggestion. Not to mention, this opened up a significant avenue for profit.

Captain, after spending the past half month together, you have completely treated me as one of your own, for which I am very grateful. To express my appreciation for the care you have shown me during this time, I have a small business opportunity that might allow everyone to make a little profit. I wonder if you would be interested

In the Western countries of this era, captains do not have to start from the grassroots level like in modern China, progressing step by step from sailor to captain through examinations for each position before finally qualifying for the captain's examination. Most captains directly receive professional maritime education at maritime schools and assume management positions upon boarding. As for Fang Lang, the chief engineer of a modern ocean-going container ship, he holds a captain's qualification certificate and is required to take over duties during the captain's rest.

Originally, based on Fang Lang's understanding of the Victory-class bulk carriers, it would take about ten days to fully load a 7,000-ton Victory vessel. However, Captain Cross informed Fang Lang that their loading and unloading of supplies, as well as ship repairs in New York, only took a mere three days.

Kross looked at the excellent young man, took a gentle puff from his pipe, and nodded, saying: "Of course, Fang, you can come to me anytime if you have something on your mind"