Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 815 The Uranium Ore Competition: The Fake Philippine Bidder

Fang Wen replied, "Manager Parker, I understand your concerns. However, this batch of ore is crucial to our group. We are willing to offer a price far exceeding the market price, and we will take full responsibility for all transportation and storage matters. You don't need to worry about it."

Parker's eyes lit up.

UMHK has shipped 2000 tons of the highest quality ore to the United States, but it will require significant investment in radiation protection facilities for storage.

The company had long regarded the remaining batch of dangerous ore as a "hot potato" and was unwilling to spend manpower to guard it for a long time. Now that someone is willing to buy it all at a high price, it is undoubtedly a good thing for the company.

He immediately nodded: "Mr. Fang, rest assured, I will send a telegram to the US headquarters explaining the situation in detail. I believe the headquarters will respond soon."

After saying this, Parker got up and left the office to go to another room to send a telegram to the West African telegraph relay point, which would then be sent to the United States.

Two armed security guards stood watch in the room, keeping a close watch on Fang Wen and his group.

Fang Wen sat upright in his chair, seemingly calmly examining the mining map on the office wall. In reality, he had already activated his supernatural ability, quietly sensing the distribution of ore and radiation intensity within the mining area, silently calculating the subsequent transportation and transshipment plans.

After sending the telegram, Parker turned around, a professional smile plastered on his face: "Mr. Fang, the telegram has been sent, and I believe we will receive a reply by tomorrow at the latest. While we wait for the reply, if you are interested, I can take you to see the specific details of the ore, so that you can rest assured."

Fang Wen gently shook his head, stood up and said, "No need, Mr. Parker, I am already very satisfied with the quality of the ore from your mine. Since we need time to wait for a reply, we won't bother you any longer and will come back tomorrow."

He knew that the radiation in the mining area was extremely strong, and the longer he stayed, the greater the damage to his body would be. Moreover, staying on the other side's territory for a long time was not good for his own safety.

Instead of waiting passively here, it's better to return to the dock, which will not only protect us from radiation but also allow us to be prepared for any emergencies.

Seeing this, Parker arranged for security personnel to escort Fang Wen and his party out of the mining area.

After leaving the mining area, Fang Wen and his group boarded heavy-duty bicycles and quickly left the mining area along the path they had come from, heading towards the abandoned dock on the banks of the Lualaba River.

By this time, the sun had gradually disappeared below the horizon, and the light in the forest was growing dimmer.

Strange wild animal calls could be heard from the woods along the way, which was quite eerie.

No one dared to delay, so they sped up their ride. What would normally be a three-hour journey took them just over two hours to reach the abandoned dock.

The five soldiers who remained on the plane at the dock reported to Fang Wen upon seeing everyone return: "General Manager, we did not detect any unusual activity during our stay."

"Thank you for your hard work." Fang Wen nodded slightly and instructed, "Gong Xiu can take a few people to unload the supplies from the plane, find a flat spot on the shore, and start a fire to cook. Remember, only use the drinking water and food we brought. Do not use any water sources here, and do not eat any of the food here."

"Yes!" Gong Xiu replied, and immediately led his men into action.

He led three soldiers to unload supplies.

The other soldiers were also busy.

Some soldiers cleared a flat area on the shore, while others gathered dry branches. Soon, a bonfire was lit on the shore, and the flickering flames dispelled the chill of the night and illuminated everyone's tired faces.

The two soldiers placed their own compressed military rations, canned food, and drinking water next to the campfire, and then filled a portable pot with water and boiled it on the campfire in preparation for cooking a hot meal.

The soldiers sat around the campfire, warming themselves while waiting for dinner. The long flights and cycling trips of the past few days had left everyone exhausted, both physically and mentally.

After a while, when the food still wasn't ready, Gong Xiuneng finally couldn't help but speak up, asking on behalf of the soldiers who had gone to the mining area:

“General Manager, I have a question for you. Now that we have found the mining area and the talks with Manager Parker went relatively smoothly, why don’t we just find a place to stay overnight near the mining area instead of cycling dozens of kilometers back and forth? Although the conditions near the mining area are a bit poor, we can still stay overnight. This back-and-forth trip is not only a waste of time, but also exhausts everyone.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the five soldiers traveling with him nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with a mixture of approval and doubt.

They were all special forces members, unafraid of hardship and fatigue, but they couldn't understand why Fang Wen would go to such lengths, ignoring the shortcut and insisting on traveling back and forth.

Fang Wen stretched out his hand, feeling the warmth of the campfire, lost in thought.

These soldiers, who fought on the battlefield year after year, were unaware of the invisible danger of radiation.

This is understandable. During World War II, apart from a few top nuclear physicists, almost no one in the world understood the dangers of radiation, let alone knew that this invisible substance could cause fatal damage to the human body.

It is necessary to popularize this knowledge.

Therefore, he said, "The reason you find this troublesome is because you don't know that there is something more terrifying and deadly than guns hidden in the mine. This thing is invisible, intangible, and odorless, yet it can silently take our lives."

Upon hearing this, the soldiers immediately straightened up and listened attentively.

Gong Xiuneng frowned and asked in confusion, "General Manager, what are you talking about? When we were in the mining area, we didn't find anything unusual. There were no enemies or traps."

“It’s radiation,” Fang Wen said, enunciating each word clearly. “It’s the stuff emitted from those black ores in the mining area, an invisible ‘poisonous gas,’ but more terrifying than any other poisonous gas. Do you remember, when we were in the mining area, I wouldn’t let you drink the water there or touch anything there?”

The soldiers nodded in agreement. They had all witnessed Fang Wen stopping Gong Xiu from drinking water in Parker's office, but they hadn't thought much of it at the time. Now, after hearing Fang Wen's explanation, they realized that things were not so simple.

Fang Wen continued to explain: "This kind of radiation can penetrate into other substances. Once absorbed by the human body, there will be no obvious reaction in the short term, but over time, symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and weakness will appear. In more serious cases, the skin will ulcerate, organs will fail, and eventually, one will die in agony. Moreover, this damage is irreversible and there is no cure."

Upon hearing this, the soldiers all showed expressions of fear. They were not afraid of charging head-on or fighting bloody battles, but this invisible and intangible danger, which could be deadly without warning, sent a chill down their spines.

Gong Xiuneng suddenly realized, looking terrified: "That's so dangerous! General Manager, don't go tomorrow, I'll go and talk to them in your place."

Fang Wen shook his head: "Short-term exposure is not a big problem. This kind of ore is currently used in Europe to extract a substance called radium, which can be used for medical treatment. In other words, as long as you are not in this kind of high radiation environment for a long time, your body can still withstand it."

At this moment, the meal was ready. Gong Xiuneng stood up and brought the first plate to Fang Wen, and then the other soldiers also got up to get their food.

As everyone ate, they stopped discussing the invisible and colorless 'poison'. After all, the general manager had led them there, and if the general manager wasn't afraid, then no one else was either.

After eating, Gong Xiu arranged shifts for night watch. Those not on duty rested on the plane, while those on duty stood guard around the campfire outside. Fang Wen, like the soldiers, spread a blanket on the ground and went to sleep.

The night passed peacefully.

Fang Wen and his group had breakfast using the water and food they brought with them. As previously arranged, five soldiers were left to guard the plane, while Fang Wen, along with Gong Xiuneng and five other soldiers, rode heavy-duty bicycles and set off again toward the Shinklopwe mining area.

With yesterday's cycling experience and the relatively dry road conditions in the early morning, the group traveled faster and arrived at the entrance of the mining area in two and a half hours.

The guards in the guard post had already received Parker's instructions. Upon seeing Fang Wen and his group, they did not stop them and let them pass directly. Two security guards led them to Parker's office.

Parker, who had received the notification, was already waiting at the office door. Upon seeing Fang Wen, he immediately walked up to him and said, "Good morning, Mr. Fang! I have good news for you. The reply from the US headquarters has arrived, agreeing to your purchase of the ore from our mine!"

Fang Wen was delighted, but remained outwardly calm, replying indifferently, "Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Parker. Now that headquarters has agreed, we can discuss the specific price and shipping details."

To everyone's surprise, Parker waved his hand, a deliberately embarrassed expression on his face: "Mr. Fang, I'm really sorry, although headquarters has agreed to the sale, it's not the whole batch. As you know, this batch of ore is of extremely high grade, and there are other buyers. Headquarters hopes to compare prices from multiple sources to try and get the best possible price."

"Other buyers? Who would buy these ores?" Fang Wen asked, puzzled.

Parker cleared his throat and analyzed with an air of seriousness: "These ores were initially just research materials for scientists, but since German scientists Hahn and Strassmann discovered nuclear fission in December 1938, physicists around the world have realized the military potential of this phenomenon. It is no surprise that soon, countries will increase their investment in this area of ​​research, and at that time, the value of uranium ore will rise and become increasingly scarce."

At this point, he revealed, "Before you arrived, we received a telegram from another buyer. Yesterday they sent another telegram saying they would arrive at the mine soon to discuss the acquisition with me. So, headquarters' idea is to have the two buyers bid against each other, with the highest bidder winning."

After hearing his explanation, Fang Wen's doubts deepened.

He knew that the Belgian government was now in exile in London, the Belgian Congo colony was effectively under American administration, and the United States, which had been imposing a material blockade on Germany, would never allow strategic materials such as high-grade uranium ore to fall into German hands.

If it's not Germany, then who is this mysterious buyer?

Britain was too busy protecting itself to even think about France, which had already been defeated!

The United States has 2000 tons of the best quality ore; they cannot settle for second best.

As for the Soviet Union, the United States would never allow the Soviet Union to purchase uranium ore.

With his mind racing, Fang Wen quickly made a decision: he wanted to see just who this mysterious buyer was.

If it's an ally, that's fine, but if it's an enemy, we absolutely cannot let the uranium ore fall into their hands.

Therefore, Fang Wen smiled and said, "In that case, that's perfect. Fair bidding, the highest bidder wins, and our Taishan Group is willing to participate. I will take my men back to the dock now and wait for their arrival. This is our telegraph communication frequency. Please have Mr. Parker send me a telegram as soon as the new buyer arrives, and we will come to negotiate immediately."

This was exactly what Parker wanted. He was eager for the two buyers to compete so that the price of the ore would rise. He immediately nodded and replied, "No problem, Mr. Fang. Rest assured, I will send you a telegram as soon as the new buyer arrives!"

Without lingering, Fang Wen led his men away from the mining area again, riding bicycles back to the Lualaba River dock, patiently waiting for Parker's telegram.

For the rest of the day, Fang Wen pondered the identity of the mysterious buyer, a vague sense of unease creeping into his heart.

Another night has passed.

On the morning of the third day after arriving in Congo, Fang Wen received a telegram from Manager Parker.

The telegram stated: "The new buyer has arrived. Taishan is requested to proceed to the mining area for bidding negotiations!"

A cold glint flashed in Fang Wen's eyes. He left five men to guard the plane, while the rest followed him to the Shinklopwe mining area once again.

When Parker arrived at the mine office, he found several guests sitting inside talking. Hearing the noise behind him, the guests turned around.

Fang Wen glanced at the scene and his expression immediately turned cold.

The guests were all of Asian descent, dressed in sharp suits, and their eyes held a hint of wariness and scrutiny.

In Asia today, perhaps only Japan has the capability and ambition to travel thousands of miles to the heart of Africa to acquire large quantities of high-grade uranium ore.

It seems that since the idea of ​​using nuclear fission as a weapon has been valued by countries such as Britain, France, Germany, the United States, and the Soviet Union, ambitious Japan is no exception.

Although Japan has never developed nuclear weapons in history.

But what if? What if my time travel altered the course of history and caused some unexpected changes?

If they were to obtain this uranium ore and successfully develop nuclear weapons, the land of China would face an unprecedented catastrophe.

Thinking of this, Fang Wen felt a surge of killing intent. These people absolutely could not be allowed to live; he was determined to have this batch of ore.

At this moment, Parker enthusiastically stood up and introduced the two parties:

"Let me introduce you to each other. These are people from Manila Science and Technology Company in the Philippines, who are also here to discuss the purchase of ore. This is Mr. Fang from Taishan Group."

The man at the head of the group slowly stood up, a fake smile plastered on his face, and said in broken English, "Mr. Fang, hello, I am Julian Langley from Manila Science and Technology Company. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Julian, speaking with the distinct accent of a Japanese person speaking English, was immediately recognizable to Fang Wen.

It's not convenient to do it here.

Fang Wen suppressed his killing intent, looked coldly at the other party, and did not shake hands or exchange pleasantries with him.

This public bidding process is just a show for Parker. Once it's over and these Japanese men leave the mine, it will be their death day. (End of Chapter)