Forty-eight years of Qianlong

Chapter 51 Cargo Ship
Zhao Xin, who rushed to the south in a hurry, called his family again and told his parents that he might not be able to get home until New Year's Eve.

Zhao Xin was already extremely tired from the continuous rushing around, but he couldn't entrust someone else to sign a contract and pay for it.After counting the time, Zhao Xin transferred three flights in a row before arriving at this seaport city at dusk.

It was Ding Guofeng who came to pick him up.When Zhao Xin met, he immediately asked if his cousin Cheng Wen had arrived.

"It will be noon."

"What about people?"

"He, Deng Fei, and the ship owner are all waiting for you at the brokerage company in the port."

Fortunately, the owner was eager to get rid of the boat in exchange for cash, and Zhao Xin kept in touch with Deng Fei during each flight today. Otherwise, who would have the time to work on it during the Chinese New Year, and it would be serious to go home for dinner.

An hour later, the taxi stopped at the entrance of a small two-story building in the port.Deng Fei and Cheng Wei, who had been waiting for a long time, hurried out of the building to meet him.Behind them are the very anxious shipowners who have been waiting for a long time, as well as people from the brokerage company who are looking forward to returning home from get off work early.

After some courtesies and compliments, Zhao Xin took the opportunity to go to the bathroom and privately asked Deng Fei about the ship.

Deng Fei said that the cargo ship just had its annual overhaul two months ago, and the exterior and interior conditions are very good.However, just to be on the safe side, after the new year, we will have to dry-dock to conduct a thorough inspection of the bottom of the boat; now that the weather is cold and the Chinese New Year is approaching, it may be too late to arrange a diving inspection.

"Where's the debt?" Zhao Xin is most worried that the ship has a lease dispute or an accident dispute.

"I haven't found it yet. The brokerage company and the ship owner have guaranteed that there will be no debt disputes." Deng Fei explained.

While washing his hands, Zhao Xin said to Deng Fei: "After the year, you have to find a way to check it carefully. If there is a debt dispute, it will be long-winded."

Deng Fei nodded.The biggest fear when buying a second-hand boat is debt disputes.If you don't understand clearly, the front foot has just been bought, and the rear foot will be impounded when it is opened.

The two returned to the reception room and sat down, and the brokerage company brought the drafted sales contract.Zhao Xin asked Deng Fei and his cousin Cheng Wen if they had read it. Both of them said that after reading it carefully, Zhao Xin skipped a lot of clauses and looked directly at the time limit for payment requirements, ship delivery and document delivery.

Zhao Xin noticed that the contract stated that in addition to paying 10% of the ship price as a security deposit, 20% of the ship price should be paid directly to the ship owner's company account.He recalled carefully the information he had checked at the airport. According to the terms of SALEFORM 2012 (Norwegian Shipbrokers Association format, which is the most widely used format for ship sales contracts in the world), the general down payment is 10% of the ship price. , the remaining amount will be paid after the delivery is completed; moreover, the 10% must also be deposited into the designated joint account, and the ship can be fully transferred after the handover.

The boss of the brokerage company who was waiting on the side saw Zhao Xin's question, and quickly explained that it was precisely because of this condition that many customers who wanted to buy this boat were discouraged.But he assured his credit that there was absolutely nothing wrong with the boat.

Zhao Xinxin said that I don't even know you, and your guarantee is worthless to me.

At this time, the owner of the boat sitting on the side was very embarrassed. He said that he had encountered great difficulties here, otherwise he would not be in a hurry to sell, so I hope Zhao Xin can understand and accommodate this condition.

Zhao Xin looked at Deng Fei, saw him nodding at him, then stopped talking and continued to look down.

Amid the anxious waiting and silence of the crowd, after three or ten minutes, Zhao Xin read the relevant terms and nodded.

The overjoyed boss of the brokerage company hurriedly handed the signature pen in his hand to Zhao Xin. Zhao Xin paused, then signed his name on the last page of the contract and asked Cheng Wen to seal it.

As usual, Zhao Xin also needs to register a single shipping company under his own shipping company as the owner of this cargo ship.But these things have to be left to Cheng Wen to operate after the year.

After the agreement was signed, the owner of the ship was delighted to invite Zhao Xin to have dinner together, expressing his gratitude.

Must be drinking again!Thinking of this, Zhao Xin declined on the grounds that he was very tired and had to catch a plane tomorrow morning.

When several people returned to the hotel, it was already nine o'clock in the evening.Zhao Xin ordered a seafood porridge to deliver to the guest room, and he still had something to talk to Deng Fei.Cheng Wen and Ding Guofeng went out for drinks and supper together.

Zhao Xin asked Deng Fei not to rush into the water after the dry-dock inspection of the cargo ship after the year; after the delivery procedures were completed, the hull should be remodeled.

"Ah?" Deng Fei was taken aback, he quickly asked, "What do you want to change?"

"The bow deck should be thickened, and the hull structure will be strengthened everywhere to prevent damage to the hull due to severe vibrations on the deck. One of the three cargo holds will be fitted with a small lift. We will put things on it."

"What are you going to put?" Deng Fei vaguely guessed something in his heart.

"122 caliber howitzer." Zhao Xin drank his porridge slowly, stopped and said. "I will tell you the specific recoil data in a few days."

Deng Fei rolled his eyes. As a former Marine who has a certain understanding of the history of "cannons on cargo ships", he recalled for a while and said, "I suggest changing it like this..."

As a layman, Zhao Xin originally wanted to weld the cannon chassis on the deck of the ship.But fortunately he didn't say it, otherwise it would be embarrassing.

Through Deng Fei's suggestion, Zhao Xin understood that welding is not possible at all.Otherwise, every time the gun is fired, the recoil force of more than 3000 kilograms will be borne by the deck and the hull; and no matter how strong the welding is, it will not last long. The people behind will be disabled if they don't die.

Deng Fei's suggestion was to solve the problem of the rear seat of the gun body by adding bolts to the deck, then using a few traction wires, and laying sandbags and cork.In this way, as long as the cargo cover is thickened, three 122 howitzers can be erected.

After listening to it, Zhao Xin thought for a while and said: "You still have to set aside two other warehouses, we have to transport the hungry from the island country. Therefore, at most two cannons can be placed on the side of the ship. machine guns."

The reason why Zhao Xin wanted to solve the problem of insufficient firepower was because in the list Andrew submitted to him, the prices of weapons and ammunition were very cheap.So much so that Zhao Xin suspects that Andrew's uncle and nephew are reselling the materials in the arsenal.

"By the way, have you selected a small patrol boat?" Zhao Xin asked with a yawn.

"Just order a maritime patrol boat with an aluminum alloy shell directly. But it will take 150 days to deliver."

"It's too late, it's too late. If you want to buy the spot goods that are about to be completed and put into the water, even if you pay more. We have to set off in more than a month..."

"Okay, then I'll go to the shipyard to ask after the third year of junior high. They don't rest during the New Year." As soon as Deng Fei finished speaking, he heard a slight snoring. He turned his head and saw that Zhao Xin was already leaning against the head of the bed. Fell asleep.

Zhao Xin did not wait until the third year of junior high. Since Deng Fei said that the shipyard would not rest during the New Year, he set off for a city in southern Jiangsu early the next morning.

The shipyard is located in the industrial park of Linjiang. After Zhao Xin arrived, he called according to the contact number given by Deng Fei.The sales manager of the other party originally planned to go home for the New Year, and there is no business at all under this New Year.But Zhao Xin's phone call shocked him, thinking that he was lucky to have not left, or he would have lost such a large order.

After some wrangling, the two new patrol boats that had been launched were bought by Zhao Xin at a price that exceeded one-third of the selling price. Both parties were very happy.

When boarding the flight home, Zhao Xin was too tired to say a word.

(End of this chapter)