I am farming in the real world.

Chapter 304 Africa, Where Minerals Are Everywhere
As soon as the Suez Canal was cleared, the cargo ships lined up on both sides sounded their horns in unison.

Many captains even sent messages of gratitude to the Poseidon via the communication channel.

Because if this canal connecting Eurasia were to be blocked, it would be the biggest loss for these shipping captains.

When goods are delayed in arriving at the port, the shipping companies behind them not only fail to pay salaries but also have to pay fines.

The rescue operation by the Poseidon brought hope and a glimmer of hope to all the sailors, first mates, and captains on the ship.

Of course, Chen Jue replied to each of these international friends' warm greetings.

If the Magic Cube Group wants to sell its products both domestically and internationally in the future, it will be essential to build good relationships with these distributors.

In addition, the head of the canal authority also sent a letter of thanks and even promised to waive the passage fees for the Magic Cube Group's fleet.

It's important to know that each ship passing through the Suez Canal is charged based on its net tonnage.

Most of the ships in the Mofang Group's fleet are refurbished bulk carriers and second-hand fishing vessels, with a total tonnage exceeding 500 million tons.

Based on the current toll standards set by the Suez Canal Authority, an average toll of $12 per ton would generate more than $6000 million in revenue.

Having saved such a large amount of toll expenses, Chen Jue naturally had the Poseidon sound its horn in response.

In addition, videos of the Poseidon demonstrating its prowess in the Suez Canal and easily rescuing a large container ship have also gone viral on the internet.

The Suez Canal is a very special place, not only as a passage for civilian ships, but also as a key choke point for Western warships to enter and exit the waters of the Middle East and Asia.

There are many media reporters who usually stay on both sides of the strait, specifically to capture photos of warships from various countries.

The Poseidon is the world's second million-ton-class mega-ship, and its launch naturally attracted the attention of reporters from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Headlines such as "Chinese engineering vessels shine in the Suez Canal," "A miracle in the engineering ship industry—the Poseidon!" and "The second million-ton displacement giant ship in human history!" are circulating everywhere on foreign websites.

It was even exported and then sold domestically, becoming a hit on the Chinese internet.

"A million tons of displacement? (My goodness!)"

"Boss Jue has pulled off another big move without saying a word! (Awesome!)"

"If the Sewol ferry from South Korea had been rescued by this Poseidon back then, it would have been saved in no time (sigh)."

"China's shipbuilding technology is getting stronger and stronger! I look forward to building a million-ton aircraft carrier someday (laughs)."

"Upstairs, are you trying to say that an aircraft carrier has a displacement of over 10 tons, but actually over 90 tons? (doge)"

"If such a large ship were filled with vertical launch cells, I can't even imagine how powerful it would be (the advantage would be mine)."

"Anyway, we've already taken on an American aircraft carrier once, so we won't lose in terms of battle record (laughs)."

Netizens are buzzing with discussion, especially military enthusiasts who love a good spectacle and are starting to speculate about the structure and massive size of the Poseidon.

Various AI-generated images have been created, including a million-ton 555 super destroyer, the ultimate form of the Soviet arsenal ship, and even a flying aircraft carrier.

In short, the comments section was full of laughter, and coupled with the previous collision incident involving the American aircraft carrier, many military enthusiasts went crazy with joy.

……

Of course, Chen Jue also secretly opened a social media account to peek at the collective frenzy on the domestic internet, treating it as a way to pass the time and have some fun during his trip to Africa.

After the entire Cube Group's fleet successfully passed through the Suez Canal and the Strait of Gibraltar, and after several days of sailing, arrived at its first stop in northwestern Africa—the port of Rabat, Morocco—to refuel, Ji Xian, who had been preparing to meet them for several days in advance, immediately boarded the Poseidon with several well-dressed black men.

“Mr. Jue! These are trade representatives from Liberia, Ghana, and Tanzania. They are very interested in our refurbished and resold second-hand ships,” Ji Xian introduced them one by one.

After returning to China and discussing the sales share of one million tons with Chen Jue, he immediately went to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola to find suitable sellers.

Unexpectedly, word got out along the way, attracting several small African countries with coastal resources.

After all, the total number of second-hand ships in the millions of tons is not something that the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola can easily handle all at once.

So Ji Xian thought about bringing over more local resources from Africa to see if he could sell all of these hundreds of secondhand ships in one go.

Chen Jue naturally welcomed the trade representatives sent by these various small African countries.

Just then, the ship arrived at the port, and Chen Jue transformed into a sales representative, working with Ji Xian, an expert on Africa, to lead the group of black men onto the ship one by one to check its condition.

"Good!"

“Excellent!”

"Mr. Jue, your company's refurbishment technology is truly remarkable. These ships, which are over 15 years old, have been made to look brand new. Once we buy them, they will definitely be able to operate stably for a long time."

One of the Tanzanian trade representatives, 'Jaliva,' had studied in China and spoke fluent Mandarin. His eyes lit up as soon as he boarded the ship.

It's important to know that Tanzania is located on the east coast of Africa, geographically adjacent to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

I came here hoping to get some benefits from my neighbors in the Democratic Republic of Congo and see if I could buy a few cheap second-hand boats to take back with me.

"It's not exactly brand new, but it's definitely 99% new."

"If there are any quality issues within 5 years of purchase, our Cube Group will provide warranty service at any time," Chen Jue said with a smile.

After the group of black men boarded the ship and finished their tour, they began to haggle over the price list.

These small African countries have relatively low GDPs and very limited foreign exchange reserves.

Many countries follow an agricultural development path, with virtually no domestic industry, relying on foreign debt to survive. It's unrealistic for them to come up with genuine US dollars or RMB to buy this large batch of secondhand ships.

As for their local currency, Chen Jue also made it clear that he would not accept it.

So, with Ji Xian's mediation and translation, the trade representatives from several small African countries unanimously brought out some mineral samples.

Judging from their intentions, they want to invite the Magic Cube Group to invest in mining in the area. The resulting trade deficit would not only offset the cost of buying second-hand ships, but also bring some employment and infrastructure development to the local area.

This trade negotiation, which aimed to kill two birds with one stone, immediately piqued Chen Jue's interest.

Especially when Tanzanian trade representative Jaliva opened a briefcase filled with various mineral samples and handed it to Chen Jue.

A glint of light immediately appeared in Chen Jue's eyes!

He picked up a piece of green ore from the briefcase and examined it carefully.

Chrysoprase: A quasi-crystalline mineral found in Tanzania, known as "African jade," and possessing extremely high mining value.

[Friendly reminder: This ore contains a certain amount of 'emerald'.]

(End of this chapter)