Chapter 426 425 [Going to the Major]
Liu Xiang Mansion.
Holding a telegram, Zhou Hexuan happily said, "Please read it, Commander Liu!"
Although Liu Xiang is an old man, but after all, he has been studying since he was a child, and there is no problem with knowing how to read. He took a look at the telegram and was dumbfounded: "Why is it all in foreign language?"
"A telegram from the United States," Zhou Hexuan explained, "I asked Mr. Situ Meitang from Hongmen, the United States, to help Commander Liu find equipment for the arsenal and power plant. 276 kilowatts, 3.2 million kilowatts, 448 kilowatts, 720 kilowatts, 856 kilowatts, etc. Mr. Situ asked us which one we want?"
Liu Xiang didn't answer immediately, but instead asked, "How about the price?"
Zhou Hexuan explained: "Due to the worsening economic crisis in the United States, many small and medium-sized power plants have stopped production. The price of a generator set below 500 kilowatts is only less than 30% of what it was two years ago, which is equivalent to half selling and half free, but it belongs to the Americans Used second-hand goods. Units above 500 kilowatts are much more expensive, and you can only get a 40% discount at most. Of course, no matter what kind of power generator, the price can still be negotiated.”
"It's so cheap," Liu Xiangxi was overjoyed, "Then order all over 400 kilowatts, and second-hand ones are also fine, as long as the machines have no problems. Well, let's buy 10 sets of generators first, and I want to build the largest power generation in Sichuan factory!"
Zhou Hexuan also said: "The situation of the machines in the arsenal is similar. The domestic economy of the United States is very bad. Although the sales of pistols have risen instead of falling due to the deterioration of law and order, rifles are slow to sell. Many arsenals in the United States are reducing production. They Willing to sell the line of Springfield rifles. But also second hand, some machines are 20 years old and may break down quite often.”
"Isn't Chuntian a Japanese gun?" Liu Xiang asked.
Zhou Hexuan sweated furiously: "The Japanese ones are Murata rifles."
Liu Xiang asked again: "Why can't we buy new machines for production?"
Zhou Hexuan said: "The rifle production line is a controlled product, and it is impossible to buy machines within ten years. Even these old machines that are about to be eliminated must be shipped out by smuggling."
"I see," Liu Xiang continued to ask, "Where's the machine gun?"
"The machine gun production line cannot be bought, and the Yankees are unwilling to sell it anyway." Zhou Hexuan said.
Liu Xiang wondered, "What about the price?"
Zhou Hexuan said: "The price is very expensive. Even if it is a machine from 20 years ago, Americans still have to sell 50% of the price of the new one. And they don't guarantee the quality. If you buy a machine today, you won't be responsible for it even if it breaks down tomorrow."
"Then buy it, and you can get a 50% discount." Liu Xiang felt very satisfied.
The warlords in Sichuan have suffered enough from weapons and equipment, and they are not ashamed to use second-hand goods. For example, Liu Xiang's planes are all obsolete second-hand goods, and the purchase price is super expensive.
Now that Zhou Hexuan has a way to buy a rifle production line, and the price is still "cheap", Liu Xiang has long been overjoyed.
Zhou Hexuan suggested: "Fan Ha'er went to Shanghai recently, you can let him play for a few more days before coming back. If the situation goes well, I estimate that these machines can be shipped to China within three months. There are checkpoints along the Yangtze River, it is best for Brother Fan to clear them."
"It's a good idea. I will allocate 300,000 yuan to him as operating expenses." Liu Xiang said.
Whether it is an airplane or a rifle production line, they cannot enter the customs, they can only be transported in secretly, and they must spend huge sums of money to buy connections.
Zhou Hexuan was very happy to be able to help Liu Xiang complete these two deals, and he plans to invest in opening a garment factory in Chongqing in the future. At least those Sichuan soldiers, wearing straw sandals and single clothes, carrying rifles that were about to fall apart, could not be allowed to fight the Japanese in the icy and snowy north.
As for the enamel factory, Zhang Mouzhi, the father-in-law, has already started choosing a site. He gave Liu Xiang some shares, and lured Lu Zuofu to invest in the group. The relationship between the officialdom and the shopping malls was all opened up. As long as the factory is completed, it can be put into production soon.
However, due to insufficient electricity, many semi-automatic assembly lines in the enamel factory cannot be used until the new power plant is built. For example, electric driving equipment can only be temporarily put in the warehouse to be covered with dust, and then replaced manually by recruiting more workers, which greatly reduces production efficiency.
After Liu Xiang asked his adjutant to send a telegram back to the United States, he said happily, "Mr. Zhou, it's fortunate that you are here, otherwise the arsenal and power plant will not start working until what year."
"It's just a little effort." Zhou Hexuan said.
Liu Xiang laughed loudly: "I don't want to thank you for your kindness. If there is anything Mr. Zhou needs in the future, please say hello as soon as possible. As long as I, Liu Xiang, can do it, I promise to make it comfortable for you!"
Zhou Hexuan clasped his fists and said, "Then thank you Commander Liu."
"Oh, don't call me Commander Liu, it's easy to see outsiders," Liu Xiang said with a smile on his face, "I was born in the fourteenth year of Guangxu. What year was Mr. Zhou?"
Zhou Hexuan said: "Then you are 10 years older than me."
"Ten years old is nothing, you and I will be called brothers from now on," Liu Xiang clasped his fists and said, "I'm too old, so I won't be polite, and I'll call you Brother Zhou."
Zhou Hexuan laughed and said, "Then I'm not hypocritical, Brother Liu!"
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Liu Xiang laughed again, put his arms around Zhou Hexuan and said, "Let's go, let's have dinner first, and go to Chongqing University in the afternoon!"
Liu Xiang took the initiative to match Zhou Hexuan brothers, not just because he bought some machines. More importantly, Zhou Hexuan is famous enough, and has some contacts with Chang Kaishen and Zhang Xueliang, so he might be able to help someday.
Zhou Hexuan is willing to call Liu Xiang his elder brother, purely because he admires his performance when the national crisis is imminent, and at the same time, it is also beneficial to his early deployment in Sichuan.
The two ate at Liu's mansion at noon, and went to Chongqing University together in the afternoon.
Today's Chongqing University is still located near Caiyuanba, not far from Liu's mansion, and it takes more than half an hour to walk.
No matter where Zhou Hexuan goes, being invited to give a speech is already a routine. Liu Xiang, as the founder and president of Chongqing University, how could he let him go?
In 1931, Chongqing University was only two years old, and the scale was not large. The total number of teachers and students in the school was less than 400.
Perhaps it was due to Liu Xiang's advance arrangement, or perhaps due to the admiration of the teachers and students for Zhou Hexuan, all the teachers and students stood at the school gate in unison, holding banners to welcome Zhou Hexuan to give a speech.
Most of the students are men, and there are almost no girls. I think this has something to do with the old-fashioned atmosphere in Sichuan.
"Brother Zhou, please!" Liu Xiang took the initiative to get out of the car and opened the door for Zhou Hexuan.
Zhou Hexuan laughed and said, "Brother is too polite, please!"
The two walked to the gate of the school hand in hand. The students had been looking forward to it for a long time. Many people standing in the back row were looking around on their feet, wanting to see what Mr. Zhou, who is famous all over the world, looks like.