Was twelve million Chinese Yuan a lot of money?
To those who casually considered a hundred million a mere "small target," this sum was undoubtedly insignificant. But for a former small-time salesman, it was genuinely a substantial amount of cash. Damn it! This was also the single largest windfall he had received in his twenty-six years of life.
Unfortunately, he also knew that while this amount was significant—enough to achieve financial freedom in his small hometown county in Hunan—it was woefully insufficient when it came to providing for the food, shelter, and necessities for a minimum of ten thousand people over the next half-year, all while arming them. A mere twelve million was truly not enough.
Thus, after taking his accountant, Zhang Mi, on a tour of various brand-name car dealerships, Michael ended up buying nothing. In the end, the brand-name-clad accountant had to ride back to the company in the same old, beat-up second-hand truck.
For this, Michael could only repeatedly comfort himself: What do those guys know? This truck has powerful performance, excellent visibility, massive space...Fine, the young man couldn't keep up the charade. Mainly, he believed the lack of funds was temporary. Based on the timeline, Old Hawk from the Hawk merchant caravan should be arriving soon. Having enjoyed substantial profits from the "Mayinglong Musk Hemorrhoid Ointment," Old Hawk should bring several dozen jinof gold for this procurement run. By then, there would be ample funds to buy a proper car for maintaining appearances, sparing his well-dressed subordinate the awkwardness of sitting in the shabby passenger seat under the strange stares of passersby.
In truth, he had no idea that the accountant didn't mind this minor inconvenience at all. On the way to the dealerships, Michael had already instructed her to transfer the 360,000 Yuan commission into her own account. With that much money—enough to buy several of the latest designer bags—she wouldn't have minded riding a pedicab back...
When they returned to the company, it was already lunchtime. The spacious office was completely empty. Michael declined the excited accountant's offer to visit her nearby place for a while so she could "make him some noodles." Ahem, having grown accustomed to finer fare, he wasn't much in the mood for noodles anymore.
After asking the accountant to order several portions of takeout for him, Michael returned to his office. First, he called his procurement and operations manager, Zhang Kai, telling him to come to the company right after lunch. With funds secured, it was naturally time to start the buying spree.
Compared to the earlier days when Cinder Town was just a small settlement, requiring limited types and quantities of supplies, the scale of procurement and workload now needed to increase at least tenfold to support his ambitious plans.
Therefore, watching Zhang Kai and a group of employees rush back to the company half an hour later, Michael couldn't help but admire his own foresight in establishing this company. Honestly, looking at the lengthy procurement list he had drafted in the past half hour, he clearly realized one thing: trying to procure hundreds of items weighing hundreds of tons in a short time alone would be impossible. Only with the help of these dozen or so people could it be barely managed.
Of course, Michael also knew that as his trading company's procurement volume grew, it would inevitably attract more and more attention. Keeping a low profile and making a fortune quietly might be possible for a while longer, but it would likely become increasingly difficult over time. However, after deciding to make a big move in the wasteland world, this outcome was probably inevitable. Nevertheless, Michael believed that with about half a year of buffer time in the modern world, even if some things were exposed later, he wouldn't be entirely helpless.
...
In the office, Michael warmly pressed a mineral water bottle filled with medicinal liquor into the hands of his most valued subordinate, Manager Zhang Kai. While handing over the liquor, he didn't forget to admonish him, "Look, Xiao Zhang, I must criticize you! Although the company's tasks are important, you must take good care of your health. Look at your poor complexion and those obvious dark circles—clear signs of physical exhaustion. What a coincidence! I happen to have some very effective medicinal liquor here. Take it back and nourish yourself properly. But remember, this liquor is very potent; you must limit yourself to half a liangper serving."
The reason for this scene was that after handing the long procurement list to Zhang Kai, Michael noticed the man looked quite rough—specifically, listless with severe dark circles. Concerned that if this key employee fell ill, his procurement plans would be derailed, Michael reluctantly gave him one of the two bottles of medicinal liquor he had brought back. It was also a gesture of care for his most important workhorse.
Xiao Dao (Zhang Kai) forced an awkward smile upon receiving the liquor. Then, burdened with tasks and followed by his subordinates, he went to the finance department to withdraw an advance. After hastily dividing the procurement items, everyone headed out separately.
At that moment, Zhang Kai really wanted to shout, "Don't you have any clue why I'm in such bad shape?!" A clue? Michael certainly had one. Just as he knew that to procure a batch of reliable firearms through legitimate channels, he needed to operate under a disguise.
For this, he dialed the number of David from East Malaysia. As soon as the call connected, the young man spoke in a tempting tone, "Mr. David, how about helping me with something right away? As for payment, I can give you five hundred thousand upfront and the same amount afterward—though it's just in RMB, of course."
As soon as the words fell, the black man's timid voice came from the other end, "Michael, things are going crazy near the Third Brother's place lately. I really can't get you a visa there right now."
"Who said I want to go to Third Brother's place? It's so chaotic over there now. Spending money to go to such a troubled place would mean I have a screw loose," Michael retorted casually.
As long as it didn't involve the mess near the Third Brother's place, David immediately perked up at the mention of a handsome reward. "Please tell me, Michael. You know David is always your most loyal friend, willing to help you overcome any difficulty, for just a trivial compensation, of course."
Ignoring the exaggerated tone, Michael stated his plan: "This matter is also about purchasing weapons. The procedure is the same as discussed last time. I'll send you a list shortly. First, help me contact Northern Industrial Corporation to inquire about the prices. Be sure to tell them upfront that payment can be made in advance."
"OK! No problem. That way, shipping might be possible within ten days," David readily agreed, even offering some good news.
Subsequently, Michael switched his phone to a high-priced, unregistered SIM card and sent David a list:
300 Type 81 assault rifles.
30 Type 81 squad light machine guns of the same caliber.
1,200 compatible magazines.
400,000 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.
100,000 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition.
50 RPG-7 type 40mm rocket launchers.
6 Type 89 heavy machine guns.
100,000 rounds of 12.7mm ammunition.
8 Type 63 60mm mortars.
500 corresponding mortar shells.
Oh, and 20 Type 85 sniper rifles (copies of the Soviet SVD). Since their ammunition is interchangeable with the Type 81, no special ammo order is needed.
These items roughly constituted the light infantry equipment for about two companies of the PLA from the 1980s. The specific models and configurations were painstakingly pieced together by Michael from online sources. Undoubtedly, they were all nearly obsolete equipment for the PLA.
But one must not forget that given Michael's current financial resources, purchasing even the above was a significant burden.
David soon replied with a big "OK" emoji. Seeing the message, Michael expertly powered off the phone, removed the SIM card, snapped it in two, and flushed it down the toilet.