Chapter 386 Accident Handling
Europe is still in the middle of the night.
Jingle Bell!
Serge Dassault was startled awake when the phone rang.
He is an old man after all. If you call him suddenly at night, wouldn't you be afraid that he will be frightened and have a heart attack?
Serge was very annoyed, but he was also a very sensible person. Not many people knew his phone number. It was probably something very important to call him at this time.
"Hello."
“Sir Serge, something happened!” A panicked voice came from the other side.
“Don’t worry, kid, the sky won’t fall.”
“The Maersk cargo ship we were transporting Mirage 2000 fighter jets was seized by the Parthian state when it entered the Gulf of Parthia.”
"What?" Serge's face suddenly changed: "How could this happen? Why did they detain it? This is a blatant violation of international law! Aren't they afraid of our retaliation?"
“According to their statement, the Maersk cargo ship rammed and sank a fishing boat in Parthia, causing the death of two fishermen. They have held a press conference and announced it this way.”
“Damn, how could this happen?” Serge felt a thump in his heart.
“What do we do now?”
There is a problem with the goods during transportation, who should I contact? Insurance company! However, such hit-and-run cases are not covered by the compensation.
At this time, Serge was fully awake. He tapped his fingers on the table. After thinking about it, he said: "Prepare a plane for me."
“Are you going to Parthia?”
“Of course not, that cargo ship also transported goods from other countries, so we can let other countries put pressure on the Parthian Kingdom!”
Parthian Kingdom, Bandar Abbas Port.
Karim looked at Qin Tao with admiration: "Mr. Qin, your move is really powerful. We have already investigated and found that there are ten Mirage 2000 fighter jets installed on that cargo ship!"
"Congratulations, you have gained a lot this time. Your aviation force can have ten more modern fighter jets. Of course, if you feel that the operation of these aircraft is inconvenient and there is no source of spare parts, you can also sell them to other countries. "
Since everything has been detained, of course Cross Phantom 2000 cannot continue its original journey.
Karim frowned: "Qin, we are seizing this cargo ship now, taking advantage of the basic international norms. The other party has nothing to say, but if we unload the cargo on the ship for our own use, will this cause any problems? Public dissatisfaction?”
Qin Tao smiled: "Who would be dissatisfied? Do they dare to call out? Karim, you should have gotten the ship's waybill, right? Are there those ten planes on it?"
Karim’s eyes lit up.
Transporting the Phantom 2000, this is a secret mission, so it is not on the shipping list at all!
Therefore, even if the Phantom 2000 is lost, the other party cannot throw **** on Parthia. It is not even on the shipping list of your shipment. You are just spreading rumors. You want to turn off users. Cross Phantom 2000, don’t bring trouble to others!
“Report, the Kaguans are here.” At this moment, a voice came from outside.
“Mr. Qin, I’m going to get busy.” Karim said.
"Well, they must be here to ask for the goods. You might as well take this opportunity to publish the shipping list directly." Qin Tao suggested.
Karim nodded.
The visitor was Ali, the person in charge of the country’s import and export business. After meeting Karim, he immediately gave him a gift.
The box was not big. Karim opened it and saw that it was shining with gold. It was a gold watch!
“Sir Karim, the cargo ship that caused the trouble this time has nothing to do with the cargo on the cargo ship. We want to take away the cargo on the ship. Do you think it’s okay?”
Karim shook his head and put the gold watch back: "I'm sorry, I have no right to make the decision on this matter. We detained the ship just to express our anger, but we will not touch anything on the ship until we wait. After the matter is resolved, the cargo ship can of course continue delivering goods."
“So, how do you plan to resolve this incident?”
"We want to see the attitude of the shipowner behind the Maersk cargo ship. We want to see their sincerity." Karim said: "They sank our fishing boat and wanted to escape. If our helicopter hadn't happened to fly However, they will definitely not admit it afterwards. Such shameless people must be severely punished!"
“Then what are your requirements?”
“Humph, at least a billion ransom must be given to us to repay their crimes. Otherwise, everyone on the ship will be sentenced to life imprisonment, and the goods on the ship will also be publicly auctioned by us to compensate the families of the victims!”
One billion!
Ali was shocked.
“Isn’t this too expensive? Can you make it cheaper?”
"Ali, can you talk like that? Human life is priceless!" Karim's eyes widened: "You are useless here. You should tell the ship owner, face the mistake squarely, and apologize to us. Compensate for our losses!”
“By the way, we will publish all the cargo manifests on the ship. I hope you cargo owners will also be more vigilant. When choosing sea shipping in the future, you must keep your eyes open and don’t choose this kind of fleet without any moral sense!”
Soon, the cargo list on the Maersk cargo ship was also announced. Seeing these cargoes, people can't help but sigh, people in the oil region are so rich!
国.
Serge saw Ali who came back in a hurry, and after hearing what he introduced, he felt extremely annoyed.
“One billion, they are simply robbing!”
"Based on the disclosed goods, the value of all the goods on the entire freighter is indeed worth one billion US dollars. However, if they think they can ask for one billion US dollars, then they are too naive. We would rather re-order than I’ll give them the money.”
Those are all high-value items, including luxury cars, expensive electronic products, and even some of the containers contain toilets made of pure gold!
Ali’s attitude is firm.
Essentially, this conflict is related to the relationship between the Parthian fishermen and the owner of the Maersk cargo ship. The goods on the ship are innocent, but Karim actually said that he would auction the goods. How dare they!
"Now, they are just opening their mouths. It won't be long before they have to lower their profile. In the end, the worst case is that the ship will be detained there for a long time. Anyway, the goods on it will always be ours."
The country of Qatar can wait, but Dassault dare not wait!
If the Parthians discover the Cross Phantom 2000 in the lower deck, they will be in big trouble!
The goods were hidden very well, and the ship was always being watched by reporters, so the other party should not have discovered the Mirage 2000. Otherwise, the other party would surely have proudly announced that they had discovered that the ship was loaded with contraband!
Hurry, it must be dealt with as soon as possible!
But what to do next?
Serge was in a mixed mood. He returned to the hotel, and before he could sit down and think quietly, there was a rapid knock on the door outside.
"Mr. Serge, how could this happen? Has our secret transportation mission been leaked?" Ge Guangle couldn't help shouting after entering the door.
“Hey, calm down, do you want the whole world to know when you yell like this?” Serge glanced at Ge Guangle with dissatisfaction, this little kid!
Actually, Ge Guangle is already in his forties, and he is shrewd and capable. He contacted Dassault and brokered the deal single-handedly. However, in the eyes of Serge, who is in his sixties, he is still a rough guy.
“Okay, what should we do now?” Ge Guangle asked.
"Currently, the other party probably doesn't know that the plane is on top. After all, it is in the lower deck and is wrapped tightly." Serge said: "Now, we need to resolve this conflict as soon as possible and let them release the ship. "
“Well, what exactly should we do? We are all **** shipowners!”
Serge glanced at Ge Guangle with dissatisfaction: "Now is not the time to blame others, now is the time to find a solution to the problem. The shipowner will only lose one ship and its crew at most, but we will lose ten fighter planes!"
“Well, does the other party have any requirements?”
“They have already made a request. As long as one billion US dollars are paid, they will let it go.”
“One billion dollars, this is simply a money grab!” Ge Guangle said angrily.
“Yes, I have already contacted the cargo owners, and their attitudes are almost the same. They would rather the ship be impounded than spend any money.”
“This money should be paid by the shipowner!”
“Mr. Ge, think about it, will the ship owner spend a billion dollars? That ship is worth tens of millions, and together with the people on board, the maximum is 100 million!”
The shipowner is not willing to pay the money, but will others be willing to pay? Even Ge Guangle and the others can't do it.
The Phantom of the Cross 2000 is only worth half the price, and 500 million would be as high as the sky.
At this time, it is impossible for them to spend one billion!
"If someone goes to negotiate and lowers the price to 500 million US dollars, we will still have a chance." Serge said: "You think of a way to raise 300 million, and we will find a way to raise 100 million, plus 100 million from the ship owner." 100 million, collect 500 million and send it to the people of Parthia!"
Three hundred million?
Ge Guangle was a little surprised. Where did he get 300 million US dollars? However, the meaning of what the other party said was clear.
“Mr. Serge, you can’t do this. We have already paid for those fighter planes!”
"Then we spent money on production." Serge said: "No one of us wants to see something like this happen today, but now that it has happened, we have to find a way to solve it! If none of us can Without paying, in the end, the people of Parthia discovered the batch of Mirage 2000 fighter jets, and they can sell them for US$500 million as long as they sell those batch of fighter jets!”
Ge Guangle felt extremely unhappy, but he could roughly imagine the consequences. Now, they have to find a way to solve this problem together!
500 million is only possible. The problem is that the people of Parthia don’t agree. The other side wants a billion dollars!
Unless there is a significant person to act as an intermediary to negotiate peace, this person must be very friendly with the Parthian people.
Ge Guangle thought of a person in his mind.
"Mr. Qin of the Mingzhou Group is engaged in construction here in Parthia. The Abbas Shipyard was built by them. He has a very good relationship with the people of Parthia. As long as we ask him, it should be able to have a certain effect. It's just that , it is not convenient for us to come forward, Mr. Serge, can you come forward?" Ge Guangle asked.
"Mingzhou Group, Mr. Qin?" Serge frowned: "We build aircraft and have little contact with their shipbuilding companies. However, our domestic GTT company has had many contacts with them. We need to hire GTT company Come forward.”
Ge Guangle nodded: “Then let’s collect money.”
Three hundred million is 300 million, which is better than wasting money. For them, it is too difficult to purchase weapons from abroad, so they waste money to eliminate disasters.
The next time you ship, be sure to let them choose the shipowner and drive over directly!
After Ge Guangle left, Serge’s assistant asked: “Do we really want to pay 100 million?”
"Of course not. The cargo owners here are so rich. It is still possible to ask them to raise 100 million. The key now is to ask someone to ask the boss of Mingzhou Group for help and ask them to help reduce the claim amount by half."
Originally, Qin Tao just moved the mazaar to watch the excitement. He would never have thought that he would have a chance to play.
When Qin Tao, who was inspecting the Abbas Shipyard, accidentally heard Mbappe, a senior official of GTT Company, running to him, he was very curious.
At this time, most of the infrastructure of the shipyard has been completed. The newly renovated shipyard office has bright and clean windows, and swaying tree branches can be seen outside.
“Mr. Mbappé, why do you come all the way to see me?” Qin Tao asked knowingly, “Is it about the natural gas tanker?”
Mbappe shook his head: "No, I'm here because of the Maersk cargo ship. Mr. Qin, do you know about this cargo ship?"
Qin Tao shook his head repeatedly. Mbappe thought Qin Tao was deliberately pretending not to know. Who would have thought that Qin Tao was sighing.
“I bumped into a boat and tried to run away, but I was caught and everyone got the stolen goods. Alas, it turns out that the sky net is so sparse that no leaks can be missed!”
“Mr. Qin, I was invited by the ship owner. After all, that ship belongs to France.”
“Your government can come forward to put pressure on them.”
"This, before our government comes forward, we want to resolve it privately. The other party demands one billion U.S. dollars. This number is too high and we cannot afford it. Our psychological bottom price is 500 million U.S. dollars, so we want to ask Qin Always come forward and help negotiate. We know that you have a very good relationship with them, especially this Karim."
Actually let yourself be a lobbyist? Qin Tao felt very interesting.
In fact, this billion US dollars is relatively high, and it is considered a big opening for the lion. This is also to prepare for future negotiations. It is enough to go from one billion to 500 million. If it starts with one or two hundred million, then maybe in the end Just tens of millions.
However, of course, Qin Tao couldn't agree directly. He had a troubled expression on his face: "Mr. Mbappe, you should know that this matter has nothing to do with us! Why should we go into this muddy water?"
There is no benefit, how can I do it?
"Mr. Qin, we are good friends from the beginning. Our company fully supports the brand-new natural gas ship technology you proposed from all over the world," Mbappe said.
Strong support? I don’t know how many times you have scolded me behind your back. Besides, it was originally just an exchange of interests! One code is one code and has nothing to do with this matter.
"Yes, if this happened in our country, then I would definitely be obligated. However, this is Parthia, and you should also know that the people here have backbone. If I go, in case it causes their anger Being disgusted may also cause me to lose everything here."
This has been made very clear.
Our friendship is not so good that I risk offending a business partner, right?
“So, what benefit do you want?”
These words were inappropriate. Qin Tao frowned: "Mbappé, my friend, what do you mean by this? I don't need any benefits. The key is what benefits you want the people of Parthia to get! You guys As long as we give them enough benefits, it will certainly be possible to negotiate this matter."
Mbappe frowned and said, "Qin, I don't quite understand."
Mbappe didn't understand Qin Tao's way of going around in circles. He was a little confused at this time. Wasn't he just giving Qin Tao some benefits?
“For example, you can place an order for a batch of oil from Parthia.”
Mbappe shook his head: "Our oil imports are a long-term strategy and cannot be changed at any time."
“Then, the shipyard here is almost completed, and you can order a ship from here.”
“That’s even more impossible. Shipbuilding orders are market-based. This has just begun. Who dares to order ships from here?”
"Then what's the point of coming to me?" Qin Tao made two suggestions in succession, but they were rejected by the other party. Qin Tao's face became ugly: "What do you want me to do to impress the people of Parthia?"
"You want me to help you negotiate the price. You can cut the price in half, which means you will save 500 million. And then, you won't even pay 20 to 30 million to order a ship?"
These words made Mbappé a little ashamed. Indeed, if they want to rely on Qin Tao's relationship to help reconcile, they must show some sincerity.
“For example, the Maersk cargo ship is currently impounded because of the bad behavior of its crew. Shouldn’t their owner order a ship here to express their apology?”
Shipowner?
Mbappe finally accepted Qin Tao's plan: "Okay, as you said, we will order a ship at the shipyard here."
It's only 20 to 30 million, and there is still a ship to get it. Anyway, it's an order wherever you go, so it can be traded.
Qin Tao nodded: "Then I will go and help with the negotiation. Do you want to come with me?"
Mbappe shook his head. He didn't want to meet those people. They were unreasonable. What if he didn't make it through and was detained in the end?
“Okay, then I’ll go by myself.”
Qin Tao drove to the military port of Abbas and met Karim here.
“Qin, we caught a big fish today, how about eating grilled fish together?” Karim looked excited when he saw Qin Tao.
"Of course, it's a great honor." Qin Tao was also polite: "However, let's talk about business first. We have found a partner of our company over there and asked me to convince you to turn the ransom of one billion US dollars into five hundred million. .”
“Qin, what do you think?” Karim asked Qin Tao, “We listen to you.”
"I think this is a relatively good result. As long as you agree to them, you can get 500 million US dollars." Qin Tao said: "You can invest 500 million US dollars in the project first. The remaining 500 million US dollars will be used when the Phantom It’s not too late to sell it after 2,000 and invest again.”
That Cross Phantom 2000 is also worth 500 million! It's just that it's not convenient to take action and get through the limelight.
“Okay, then I’ll listen to you and I’ll report to my superiors.”
“To show their sincerity, they will also order a ship from Abbas Shipyard. Congratulations, the shipyard is completed and shipbuilding can begin.” Qin Tao said.
“Really? This is really good news!” Karim was also very happy.
The matter was settled in this way. Qin Tao ate grilled fish and did not go back until that evening, and then met Mbappe who was anxiously waiting.
“Mr. Qin, how are you doing?”
“I talked all afternoon, and my throat was filled with smoke.” Qin Tao drank heavily, poured a whole bottle of water into his stomach, and then said, “They finally agreed.”
“Agreed? That’s great!” Mbappe was extremely excited: “When will the deal be made?”
"We have to wait for approval from their superiors, probably tomorrow. You have to prepare the money. Forget about my commission. After all, we are all good friends."
After talking for a long time, Qin Tao's help was not in vain. He, a humble person, also had to ask for a commission.
How could Mbappe not know that Qin Tao could not owe money, otherwise the deal would be ruined if he said anything.
"According to international practice, we will give you a commission of one thousandth. If it is US$500 million, that is US$500,000. Should we pay it to your personal account or the account of Mingzhou Group?"
"How embarrassing is this? We are friends. What kind of commission do we need? However, since you are so sincere, I have to give you face and transfer it to my account at the Moscow International Commercial Bank!"
"OK."
When Mbappe returned to Qatar, it was already late at night. It was an extremely busy night for them. When it was just dawn the next day, Ali came forward again and headed to Bandar Abbas Port.
"The ship is right here. You can get on board and check it first. If there is no problem, then we will hand it over." Karim was very generous.
So Ali asked his men to take the loading list and carefully check the items on the ship.
After this inspection, of course nothing was missing.
“Where are the crew?”
"The crew is on Qeshm Island. They need to kneel before the deceased's grave until noon today. You can sail the ship first and wait at the port of your country, or you can wait for them to sail together."
“Let’s move the boat away first.”
Even if Karim refuses to let him go, Ali doesn't care. What he cares about are the high-end cars, gold toilets and other things that belong to them on the ship.
(End of this chapter)