Chapter 131: Chapter 131: Drawing the Path with the Imperial Sword

Mary Aenola took out a document from the briefcase she was carrying and placed it on the coffee table.Seeing Joe Ga's curious gaze, she said sternly, "From Kenya to Central Africa, a massive drug industry is entrenched, supported by foreign forces that have supplied them with numerous weapons and equipment. These drug lords occupy the jungles year-round. When they need more manpower, they raid towns, kidnap people, and leave behind devastation and corpses after their attacks. The victims are not just Central Africa and Congo, but also Uganda and Kenya along the way. We have repeatedly requested assistance from the African Union; we finally received 200 million US dollars, which can be used to build a force to eradicate these drug lords. As the main victim, Centra Africa has proactively requested to lead the battle, and therefore, we gained control of this money. I understand that this amount of money is not a lot, but you are an arms dealer, so you should know what this document implies, right? Joe Ga took a heavy breath; he certainly knew what it meant. This document meant that Central Africa had essentially gained the African Union's blessing to bypass Europe and America's arms embargo policy. As long as Kenya and Uganda are willing to greenlight, how many weapons cannot be brought in? This is what matters most! For the sake of smooth passage, Central Africa cannot monopolize the 200 million dollars. They must silence the mouths of Congo, Uganda, and Kenya. With their support, there will be an arms transport line from Kenya ashore, through Uganda and Congo. Joe Ga had never imagined that the illegal arms trade could suddenly transform into a quasi-legal transaction. 200 million dollars is a substantial deal for a big company, yet this Minister Mary Aenola did not approach those major companies but came to him, a private arms dealer, which meant she wanted the largest cut for herself. Joe Ga did not know the specifics yet, but he had figured out the key element. Looking at Aenola's smiling face, Joe Ga spread his hands and laughed, "Please tell me directly, what do you want?" Eleanora held up a hand gesture for nine and said seriously, "I want 90 of the armored vehicles you mentioned earlier, 25 for Kenya, 15 for Uganda, and we and Congo get 25 each. But aside from that, I also need 1000 sets of squad weapons—automatic rifles, machine guns, mortars, RPGs. Can you do it?" Joe Ga paused, then chuckled and said, "It seems I quoted too low earlier, you've already figured out my bottom line. I'm a bit hesitant now because although there isn't much risk, it seems I'm not making enough profit." In reality, Joe Ga was talking nonsense; his squad weapons had essentially no cost. 200 million dollars minus 20 million for Chris's commission, and another 20 million for various expenses, averaged to each Lazar Armored Vehicle, still left a unit price of 1.7 million. Joe Ga could still make 750 thousand dollars per vehicle. However, that was the math, but it couldn't be calculated that way; Colonel Ka's arms had no cost, but Joe Ga couldn't let Mary Aenola feel that there was no cost to him. Right now, without counting the squad weapons, Joe Ga's profits were close to 70 million dollars, but once the price of the squad weapons was deducted, the remaining money was too little for a deal of this magnitude. The standard squad equipment wasn't just about issuing rifles; it had to include at least one machine gun, several RPGs per squad, and according to Mary Aenola's plan, an enhanced platoon should have four squads, allowing for additional mortars to be equipped. With ample ammunition for every type, a squad's budget was at least 5000 dollars per person, forty thousand in total. A thousand sets were enough to arm 7000-8000 people, which equated to forty million dollars, and that was just market price. If this price didn't include radios and various high-tech equipment, simply regarding the soldiers' gear, it was already quite reasonable. Unless Joe Ga only planned to make a one-time sale, this wasn't a business he could afford to do; doing it would make him look like a fool. Offering one thousand squad weapon sets along with the armored vehicles was crazier than a Black Friday sale. Faced with Mary Aenola's inscrutable expression, Joe Ga shook his head and said, "Armored vehicles can be done, but not the squad weapons. You must have consulted many people, perhaps even wasting much on intermediary fees. If others' quotes didn't meet your conditions, you wouldn't have come to me. Ms. Aenola, I respect you, but you can't treat me like a common vendor. If the profit is only 10% to 20%, why would I sell arms? I believe there is not a single company capable of supplying 90 armored vehicles that would accept your offer." Mary Aenola listened, yet she showed no signs of anger. Business negotiations are meant to involve bargaining. Had it been a slightly more powerful country, professional representatives would have spearheaded the talks, with a high-ranking official finalizing the deal. Unfortunately, Mary Aenola's team lacked such talents, so she had to step up to the plate herself. In truth, the two hundred million dollars for the anti-bandit fund disbursed by the African Union had already been portioned out, with Central Africa taking the lead in spending and fighting, but the actual benefits had to be shared by all. The convenience Central Africa gained was bypassing the arms embargo, as long as Kenya and Uganda opened their transit routes, nobody could stop Central Africa from dealing with others. Mary Aenola also wanted a large silent share, but her 'big appetite' made most major companies reluctant to engage. Earning too little while also facing some legal risks made it totally unnecessary for those big companies. Though Joe Ga's tone was not harsh, the seasoned Mary Aenola could still discern it. After some contemplation, she said, "We don't have money, but I can personally sign off on granting you an iron mine and a gold mine. These two mines were mapped out by the Belgians thirty years ago, and their current value definitely exceeds 500 million dollars, but they are now located in drug traffickers' territory. If you agree to my terms, then I need you to find a group of mercenaries to fight for us, because our military cannot defeat those entrenched in the jungle in the short term. Sёarch* The ηovёlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. We need a more powerful army to back us up in combat, and if successful, you can dispose of these mines as you wish, but whatever you do, I want 5% of the mining proceeds." The current president is my cousin, he just took office two years ago, and he has a strong chance for reelection, so he still has almost eight years left in his term." Joe Ga listened and counted on his fingers, saying, "You're offering me mining rights worth five hundred million." "That's right." "But it requires me to find someone to help you conquer it since it's the domain of drug traffickers." "That's right." "If I start mining, will I need to employ a large number of local workers? Also, a large import of mining equipment?" "That's right." "It's the main activity area for the drug traffickers. If I choke their throats, will I face long-term harassment?" "Possibly." "Even so, I still have to give you 5% of the profits. If I suffer losses, you won't care about anything." "I will provide the greatest convenience to my partners. You should trust my sincerity. My cousin and I hold great determination and confidence in the development of Central Africa." At this point, Joe Ga fell silent... This was the big business he had previously imagined! But this business deal came too quickly, just this morning he was still fretting over whether it was worth it to take care of ten retired soldiers, and now he was dealing with a nine-figure business. The feeling was utterly surreal! Mary Aenola said those two mining sites were worth five hundred million, but that was just a nominal figure. In the territory of cruel drug traffickers, the mines would be undesirable no matter how cheap, because the mining and maintenance costs were too high. Mary Aenola clearly used the premium to attract investment. As long as Joe Ga could defeat the drug traffickers, whether he mined the sites himself or sold them to others, it would bring many job opportunities to the local area. Supporting thousands of people with a large-scale mine and forming a small economic zone were not pipe dreams. Does this business make money? Done well, it definitely makes money! But was Joe Ga ready? Definitely not—he didn't even have the capability to manage the mines at this moment. However, Joe Ga's dilemma did not last too long. Everything is difficult at the beginning, but if you never start, you will never know whether you can succeed. Backed by Colonel Ka's arsenal, Joe Ga was in an invincible position. Once the first transaction of two hundred million was complete, he would have about one hundred and ten million in cash. Even subtracting twenty million for the commission and twenty million for various expenses, he would still have eighty million left. This money was enough for Joe Ga to hire mercenaries to fight the drug traffickers. When the MI-24 helicopters and even the Big Beak Birds from Colonel Ka's arsenal arrived in Central Africa, Joe Ga did not believe he could not cripple those drug traffickers. Securing those two mining sites, even if he couldn't mine them himself, even if he could only sell them for one hundred million US dollars, he would still make a profit. This matter required experience, and Joe Ga felt that starting his first time under such relaxed conditions, whether he succeeded or not, it would be worth it! Joe Ga looked at Mary Aenola for a moment, extended his hand, and said, "If you can also transfer the land surrounding the mines to me, then we have a deal. I will find someone to draft a legal document and then it will be signed by both parties. I hope we can have a pleasant cooperation!" Mary Aenola was somewhat perplexed by Joe Ga's straightforwardness as she shook his hand. After a few seconds of silence, she said, "The land will definitely not be a problem. I have a premonition that you will be a big shot in Africa in the future!" Joe Ga was taken aback, then shook his head with a laugh and said, "I'm not sure what my future holds, but I do know that one must have goals in life. When I was struggling just to find three meals a day, I decided that I must make something of myself in this lifetime. I could never achieve that in my hometown, but here I can!" Saying this, Joe Ga picked up a juice from the coffee table, clinked glasses with Mary Aenola's wine glass, and smiled, saying, "The first enemy you picked for me is excellent. Explore more at M V L Drug traffickers—I have absolutely no qualms about slaughtering them!" Mary Aenola was well aware that in this transaction, she was the one who benefitted more. She excitedly downed her champagne, stood up, and hugged Joe Ga forcefully, saying, "Trust me, before the drug traffickers are completely wiped out, you will enjoy unprecedented convenience in Kenya, Uganda, Congo, and Central Africa." "If you have any requests, you can tell me now. I will be staying in Tunisia for a few days to help you clear all obstacles." Joe Ga glanced at the crowd nearby, who turned their attention here upon hearing the commotion. He smiled and said, "I need to register a defense company, at the very least an African Union recognized legitimate defense company. Given our trading route, registering the defense company in Kenya is perfectly suitable, as Kenya is not an arms embargo country, and all our goods need to land there." Upon hearing this, Mary Aenola laughed heartily and said, "I've prepared a four-nation banquet, and you can attend it. Registering a company is easy!"