Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 817, Section 802: Finalizing the uranium ore deal and purchasing the Andaman Islands.

Julian, who was on the verge of death, regained his strength after being stimulated by the insertion of silver needles.

Thinking he could survive, he revealed more about Japan's ongoing nuclear research.

"We have also calculated that separating uranium-235 would require one-tenth of the Empire's annual electricity generation and half of the nation's copper production, which is extremely difficult."

"But our scientists believe that neither the United States nor Germany has the industrial capacity to produce an atomic bomb for war in time. As long as we can obtain enough uranium, we still have a chance to take the lead over Germany and the United States."

As he spoke, Julian's breathing weakened, his head tilted to the side, and his hand fell limp.

Gong Xiuneng checked his pulse: "He's dead."

Fang Wen didn't even glance at Julian before turning and leaving.

The bodies were then gathered together and burned.

The next day, Fang Wen took the initiative to come to the mining area.

When he saw Parker, he gestured for Gong Xiuneng to throw a pair of collar insignia on the table.

“Mr. Parker, a very bad incident happened last night. Bandits robbed the Manila Science and Technology Company’s campsite. By the time we found out, it was too late. The robbers had killed everyone there and stolen all the valuables.”

Parker looked at the collar insignia on the table; it was the same insignia worn by the representative of Manila Science and Technology Company yesterday. He had paid special attention to it when he took the money from them.

Unexpectedly, overnight, all those people were dead!

Parker swallowed hard; there were things he knew in his heart, but he couldn't say them aloud.

He even doubted that his own mining area could handle the person in front of him.

But it wasn't without its advantages; at least no one asked him for the money he received yesterday, and he didn't have to do anything about it anymore.

He immediately stated, "Congratulations to Taishan Group for winning this bid. Once headquarters responds, we can proceed with signing the transaction documents."

Upon hearing this, Fang Wen remained calm. This was exactly the result he wanted. The annihilation of the Japanese invaders and the staged robbery scene last night were all to clear obstacles in the bidding process.

"Then I will wait for a call back at the mine today, hoping that we can finalize the purchase contract as soon as possible."

Parker nodded quickly, a fawning smile plastered on his face: "I'll go call headquarters right away, I'm sure a reply will come soon."

After saying that, he hurriedly went out.

After he left, Fang Wen pressed the button on his belt and activated his superpower through his personal device.

With his mechanical perception and X-ray vision combined, he saw that Parker did not take any countermeasures, but went directly to the telegraph room to send a message.

He didn't even mention the "robbery" from the previous night to his subordinates, which shows he was very pragmatic.

Inside the office, Fang Wen was reviewing the list of ore that Parker had sent:

The high-grade ore pile contains 1000 tons of uranium with a uranium content of 65%; the tailings pile (with a uranium content of 20%) contains approximately 300 tons, totaling 1300 tons, far exceeding his initial expectations and sufficient to support China's early nuclear weapons research and development.

But he couldn't consume so much ore at once, so he could only purchase 100 tons first.

Parker then returned and sat somewhat awkwardly opposite Fang Wen, waiting for the result.

About two hours later, the security guard in charge of receiving the telegrams came in and handed them to Parker.

Parker eagerly took the telegram, quickly glanced through it, and his face instantly lit up with ecstasy. He rushed to Fang Wen and handed him the telegram with both hands: "Mr. Fang! Headquarters has replied, fully agreeing to your offer and authorizing me to sign the transaction contract with you!"

The two parties entered the contract negotiation stage.

Fang Wen stated: "The core terms are only three points: First, the unit price of the ore is $30 per pound, and the total price will be settled based on the actual weight; second, the loading and transportation of the ore in Africa shall be the responsibility of your party, ensuring the ore is intact and that transportation information is not disclosed; third, after the transaction is completed, your party shall issue a certificate of transfer of ownership of the ore and shall not have any further disputes with any third party regarding this batch of ore."

“No problem, everything will be done according to Mr. Fang’s requirements!” Parker agreed without hesitation. Headquarters had long regarded this batch of ore as a “hot potato”. It was already an unexpected bonus that it could be sold at a high price. There was no need for him to haggle over the terms.

He immediately had a contract drafted.

Subsequently, the formal terms of the contract were agreed upon for the transportation stage.

Parker's smile grew even warmer: "Mr. Fang, we can arrange for the ore to be loaded onto trucks at any time. But... how do you plan to transport so much ore? In the past, the ore from our mine was transported north through the Lualaba River into the Congo River, then to the river mouths in West Africa, and finally transferred to cargo ships to Europe and the United States. But since you are an Asian buyer, this route may not be very convenient for you."

Fang Wen nodded and said, "Could your mining area transport the ore to ports along the East African coast, and then have it loaded directly onto cargo ships from Taishan Group and transported back to Asia?"

Parker shook his head in distress: "From the mining area eastward to the east coast, it's all barren desert, without even basic roads. The straight-line distance is 1300 kilometers. Whether it's hiring a convoy or transporting by manpower, it's not only extremely costly but also extremely risky, which is simply not realistic."

He paused for a moment, then added, "There are also bandits and local tribes who will rob them. They will steal anything they see from a transport caravan."

Therefore, the idea of ​​transporting the ore directly from the mines to the east coast of Africa is impossible. The journey of 1300 kilometers, without waterways, would take a long time even without encountering robbery. The ore might not even reach the east coast by the time the war ends.

After a moment of silence, Fang Wen spoke: "It seems we have no choice but to follow the existing transport route. So, your company will be responsible for transporting the ore to the Lualaba River port, loading it onto ships, and then heading north into the Congo River, eventually reaching the port of Soyo in West Africa. Taishan Group's cargo ships will sail along the southern coast of the African continent, round the Cape of Good Hope, head to the port of Soyo to load the cargo, and then return along the same route to transport it back to Asia."

Parker's eyes lit up, and he quickly chimed in, "This is the safest way right now! Soyo Port is an important port in West Africa with convenient shipping, and we have a fixed fleet of transport ships that are familiar with the Congo River waterway, which can ensure that the ore is transported to Soyo Port smoothly."

Then, he looked worried and said, “Mr. Fang, this route is also quite dangerous. German submarines are now active in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and often attack Commonwealth ships. There were passenger ships from Australia and New Zealand that were sunk by German submarines when they were rounding the Cape of Good Hope. Your cargo ship will have to be extra careful when it is sailing on this route.”

A hint of seriousness flashed in Fang Wen's eyes; he was well aware of the threat posed by the German submarines.

This batch of uranium ore is crucial to the success or failure of nuclear weapons development, and there can be no mistakes. He is prepared to personally participate in the shipping, and only in this way can the cargo ship be protected from German submarine attacks.

Pushing his thoughts aside, he continued negotiating the contract with Parker.

After careful discussion, both parties reached an agreement and finalized the contract terms.

Both parties signed and sealed the deal, thus finalizing a uranium mine transaction worth nearly $500 million.

The contract was signed, and a 5% deposit was paid.

A month later, Taishan's cargo ship was scheduled to depart for the West African port of Soyo to pick up the goods.

After the handover is completed there, one-third of the payment is made, and the remaining balance is paid in monthly installments.

With that, the matter here is considered closed.

Fang Wen led his men away from the mining area and back to the dock, where everyone returned to the plane.

The aircraft then started up and took off, gliding over the water.

After a 3-day flight, the plane returned to Yangon.

Even Fang Wen felt tired after driving for a long time.

As soon as he disembarked, he announced that the crew members were free to move around today and would meet at headquarters tomorrow.

The special forces soldiers left their weapons on the plane and went out to relax.

Fang Wen returned to his home on the top floor of headquarters, and without even changing his clothes, went straight to bed. The next morning, Fang Wen woke up hungry.

He got up and went to the cafeteria on the third floor of the headquarters building for breakfast. As his hunger subsided, he felt full of energy.

Then, he took Gong Xiuneng to the port's seaplane airport.

There, the special forces soldiers had already returned to their positions and were waiting outside the plane.

"Let's go to the base in northern Myanmar."

He boarded the plane with his entourage and flew to northern Myanmar.

Four hours later, the plane arrived at the base.

Ten special operations team members have returned to their posts.

Fang Wen then took Gong Xiuneng to the Taishan Research Institute.

Inside the Taishan Research Institute, Fang Wen met with Jiang Wenjin, the head of the nuclear program project team, in his office.

"Wenjin, I've secured the ore. In two months, one hundred tons of high-purity pitchblende ore will be shipped to Asia."

"So fast!" Jiang Wenjin was greatly surprised by Fang Wen's efficiency.

Fang Wen nodded: "Now, we have a nuclear test site in the southern Indian Ocean, and the ore has been secured. We've taken this first step. But refining the uranium ore is a big problem!"

As he spoke, the words of the dead Japanese man involuntarily came to mind: the consumption of uranium ore purification is enormous!

However, this is not absolute. The Japanese technology was probably very primitive, which is why they consumed a huge amount of energy but did not produce enough output.

With the help of his special abilities and future knowledge, Taishan shouldn't take so many detours.

Subsequently, Fang Wen and Jiang Wenjin discussed the issue of uranium ore purification.

Uranium-235 can only be used for nuclear weapons research and development if it is separated from ore. However, the purification process is not only extremely technically difficult, but also carries a very high risk of radiation. Therefore, a safe, secluded base far away from populated areas must be found.

The island base in the southern Indian Ocean is small in size and has rudimentary infrastructure. It can only be used for subsequent nuclear tests and is simply unable to accommodate the large purification equipment and research team, let alone cope with possible radiation leakage accidents during the purification process.

The northern Myanmar base is one of the core bases of the Taishan Group, which houses a large number of industries and personnel. If an accident occurs during the purification process, radiation leakage will cause devastating damage to the personnel and industries at the base. It absolutely cannot be located there.

Therefore, a new base must be found specifically for uranium ore refining and nuclear weapons research and development.

The question is, where do we do it?

Jiang Wenjin thought for a moment and said, "Why don't we do it in the country?"

Fang Wen shook his head: "It won't work domestically. In the past two or three decades, the Japanese have sent a large number of spies into the country. It's very difficult for the Japanese to hide anything we do in China. If it gets leaked, we'll be in a very passive position. Just like the black lead factory I attacked last time, we'll be in a very passive position."

Jiang Wenjin agreed: "Then let's not go to China, let's go to Kolkata."

"That won't work either, there are too many people." Fang Wen shook his head in rejection.

We need to find a place with few people and plenty of land to establish a new base, so that we can keep it secret and conduct subsequent research safely.

Fang Wen looked at the map hanging on the wall.

Australia and New Zealand are such great places.

Are there any similar ones in Asia?

Let's turn our attention back to Myanmar and look down.

correct!

Andaman Islands.

Fang Wen's eyes lit up, and he quickly sorted out the advantages of the Andaman Islands in his mind:

Firstly, its geographical location is secluded, situated in the northern Indian Ocean, far from the Indian mainland and Southeast Asian countries, surrounded by the sea, making it difficult to be discovered by the outside world, and very suitable for conducting secret research.

Secondly, the archipelago is vast and has several uninhabited islands. One of the larger islands can be chosen to establish a base independently, thus avoiding the radiation impact on other areas.

Third, the archipelago has natural harbors, which facilitate the docking of cargo ships, and the finished products after the ore is refined can also be quickly transferred.

Fourth, the Andaman Islands are currently under British colonial rule. Britain is deeply mired in World War II and has no time to attend to this remote archipelago, making it convenient for him to secretly take over and establish a secret base.

"I'll choose the Andaman Islands."

Fang Wen had already made up his mind.

Therefore, he needs to find someone to learn about the specific situation in the Andaman Islands.

The person in Myanmar who knows the most about the Andaman Islands is probably the Governor-General of Myanmar.

The following morning, Fang Wen flew back to Yangon in his plane.

He drove Gong Xiuneng to the Governor's Mansion.

The guards at the Governor's Mansion all recognized him and knew that he was driving a Taishan-made car, so they let him pass directly.

The car stopped at the parking lot, and Fang Wen led Gong Xiuneng into the Governor's Mansion to request an audience with the Governor.

His secretary did not treat him like any other visitor, but went directly into the governor's office to report his arrival.

After a while, he came out and said, "Mr. Fang, please come in."

Fang Wen told Gong Xiu to wait outside while he went into the governor's office.

The secretary closed the door.

The governor, who was sitting behind his desk, stood up and walked up to Fang Wen with a smile.

“We haven’t seen you much lately, and people in Hanoi have called to ask about your whereabouts.”

"I have some important things to attend to," Fang Wen replied.

"Then what brings you here?" the governor asked.

"Governor, I have come today to ask you about something. I am planning to select a site near the Indian Ocean to establish a new research base. I have recently learned about the Andaman Islands and would like to ask you for more details about the islands. I would appreciate your kind advice."

Upon hearing the words "Andaman Islands," the governor looked somewhat surprised: "Mr. Fang, the Andaman Islands you mentioned are just a remote and desolate island group. There's nothing worth knowing about them. This archipelago consists of more than two hundred islands of varying sizes, with a total area of ​​just over five thousand square kilometers. Most of the area is covered by dense forests, and the climate is hot and humid with abundant rainfall throughout the year, making it unsuitable for long-term human habitation."

He paused, then added, "The island's population is even more sparse. Apart from a small number of Andamanian natives who have lived there for generations, there are only a small British garrison and prison guards. In the past, it was a place where the British imprisoned political prisoners. The most famous one was the Honeycomb Prison, where the conditions were extremely harsh. As for industry, there is nothing to speak of. Most of the island's natives make a living by fishing and farming. Their productivity is low, and apart from some scarce tropical plants and seafood, they have almost no economic value."

Fang Wen was overjoyed. The governor's words confirmed his judgment of the Andaman Islands. With few people, vast land, and seclusion, it was the perfect condition for establishing a secret purification base.

He pressed on calmly, "Thank you for informing me, Governor. I've heard that the Andaman Islands are a British colony, and with the current tense situation, Britain probably doesn't have much time to attend to this remote archipelago, does it?"

When the war was mentioned, the governor sighed: "Alas, yes. Germany is now unstoppable in Europe, and the North African campaign is also deadlocked. Britain's troops and supplies are concentrated on the main battlefields, so where would they have the energy to deal with remote places like the Andaman Islands?"

"Speaking of which, this archipelago was bought by Britain from Denmark more than seventy years ago. It cost a considerable sum back then, but now it seems to have become a burden."

"Oh?" A glint of light flashed in Fang Wen's eyes. "I see. I didn't know the Andaman Islands had such a past. Governor, to be honest, I have a very high opinion of the Andaman Islands' geographical location and want to establish a base there. In the long run, it could bring some development to the region. I wonder if the British are willing to transfer one of the larger islands to me? I am willing to pay a generous fee and will definitely not let Britain suffer a loss." (End of Chapter)