Chapter 72
Man's romance is in the sky and sea, but Tang Dao quickly dismissed the idea of acquiring warships. Despite being tempted by the thought of cruisers and submarines, the reality of the situation quickly settled in. First, he couldn't afford such purchases, and second, the operational and maintenance costs would be exorbitant.
Tang Dao recalled a historical event where the Soviet Union, unable to pay a debt to Pepsi, had settled by providing the soft drink company with a fleet of 17 submarines, 1 frigate, 1 cruiser, 1 destroyer, and 1 oil tanker. How Pepsi resolved the debt was its own concern. This event had transformed Pepsi into the sixth-largest navy in the world, albeit briefly. However, these decommissioned submarines and old cruisers were eventually sold as scrap metal due to the high operational costs and fuel consumption.
Tang Dao had considered the idea of renting these vessels in the port of Mogadishu, Somalia, to transport weapons from the Gulf of Aden for his operations, but financial constraints rendered this idea impractical.
When Victor on the other end of the line finally spoke up, Tang Dao apologized for his delay and expressed his disinterest in warships. However, when helicopters were mentioned, Tang Dao showed interest and stated his potential purchase of 2 Mi-171 transport helicopters, 3 Hind gunships, and the need for them to be fully equipped with weapons. Victor was enthusiastic and vowed to secure the helicopters for Tang Dao, promising that discussions would commence immediately.
To seal the deal, Tang Dao offered Victor a generous commission of $400,000, along with the opportunity to open an overseas account to keep the transaction discreet from General Medevichuk.
The prospect of such wealth left Victor excited, and he envisioned buying a rare sports car. Tang Dao further enticed him by suggesting a deeper partnership. He proposed that Victor help recruit engineers from institutions like the Iraqi Design Bureau, offering each recruit a substantial salary and settlement allowance, five times that of the Soviet Union. Tang Dao promised Victor $100,000 for each engineer successfully recruited.
Victor was thrilled at the idea of the villa in New York and eagerly agreed to Tang Dao's proposal.
Tang Dao decided to test the waters further by suggesting that they could expand their cooperation. He hinted at the potential for poaching more talent and resources from the Soviet Union as it neared its dissolution.
In the end, Tang Dao assured Victor that he would receive $200,000 in cash the next day, along with instructions to keep their dealings a secret from General Medevichuk.
After the call ended, Victor was overwhelmed with excitement, thinking about the sports car he would soon purchase. He made a mental note to call his friends and brag about his newfound wealth. However, Tang Dao contacted him again, proposing an even deeper partnership. Victor agreed and was thrilled about the potential for personal gain.
As Victor excitedly returned to his room, his father, Medevichuk, questioned him. Victor tried to cover his tracks, claiming he had gone to the bathroom. Satisfied with the answer, Medevichuk went back downstairs.
However, Medevichuk noticed something odd about the sofa in the living room—it had two notches that hadn't fully recovered, suggesting someone had been sitting there recently. Suspicion arose in his mind as he wondered why Victor had been in the living room so late at night.
Meanwhile, Tang Dao was pleased with how things were progressing. He anticipated the establishment of a PMC company once enough helicopters were acquired, aiming to capture the African market alongside EO. Famine and conflict in Africa would only serve to increase demand for their services.
As he considered other potential business ventures, Tang Dao decided against investing in grain, realizing that the scale of the operation would be insufficient to compete with local warlords who controlled essential resources like food. Instead, he would focus on more profitable endeavors like the arms trade.