American Comic Dimensional Trading Device

If you're going to choose a local gang as a partner, then you have to choose the biggest one.

The largest and most powerful gang in Britain is located in Birmingham.

Why Birmingham and not London?

The reason is simple: there are too many powerful and wealthy people in London.

So London has many small gangs, but none of the big ones.

Do they really think the royal family is a pushover?

Therefore, Britain's biggest gangs have never been in London, but in Birmingham.

Many foreigners may only remember Birmingham as a Championship-level football team, which makes it less famous than the cities of Manchester and Liverpool.

But in fact, Birmingham is the second largest metropolis in the UK.

The gang they were looking for was called the Razor Gang!

Josie and his friends didn't know much about British gangs, but Lyndon, the old fox, had been involved in smuggling and illegal immigration on routes between Europe and America, which is why he knew about this Birmingham stronghold that only many locals would know about.

"Americans? What are you doing here?" The appearance of two US military jeeps was naturally noticed by the people in the tavern. Soon, several people came out and asked Josh and his group with some wariness.

“We are businessmen from the United States, and we have a business deal we would like to discuss with Mr. Thomas Shelby!” Lyndon straightened his coat and stepped forward to speak.

Chapter 70 Negotiation

"So you're the one who said you wanted to do business with me?" About half an hour later, a middle-aged man in a suit, with a scar on his face and a slightly weathered look, walked into the tavern with several men. He went straight to Lyndon Schneider, sat down opposite him, and said to Lyndon.

Yes, that's right, it's Lyndon, not Josie.

At this moment, Josie was standing behind Lyndon as his assistant.

Dealing with gangsters like this is best left to an old hand like Lyndon. Besides, smuggling is ultimately a gray industry, so it's best if Josie doesn't stand in the limelight.

"You're Thomas Shelby?" Lin Deng asked, looking the man up and down.

“That’s right, my friends call me Tommy. Would you like to introduce yourself, sir?” The man smiled as he confirmed his identity, then asked Lyndon.

“I have some goods, a fairly large quantity, so I need a reliable partner!” Linden said, adopting an arrogant and domineering attitude.

“Then you’ve come to the right place. In the whole of Britain, if you have to find someone who can distribute goods all over the country, you won’t find another one besides our Shelby family… But there’s one thing to make clear first: we don’t use powder!” Tommy said with a slight smile. The Razor Gang is what outsiders call them, but their self-designation is still like most gangs, which is based on the surname of their boss.

Tommy paid no attention to Lyndon's arrogance. He was a smart man and understood that the current world situation was already quite clear: the rise of the United States was unstoppable.

After being soundly defeated by Hitler, Britain had long lost the glory of its former imperial power.

The flamboyant American soldiers that can now be seen everywhere in major British cities have proven this point.

“Of course, we don’t get involved in that kind of harmful stuff. In fact, the goods we’re distributing are all legitimate products that the whole of Britain, and even the whole of Europe, urgently need.” Lyndon nodded, then looked at Josie.

Josie also picked up the box at her feet, placed it on the table, and then opened it.

The contents were simple: several cartons of cigarettes of various brands, some loose tobacco, and a few cans of meat in tins.

In fact, Josie had prepared far more than just these kinds of goods, but these were the kinds that weren't suitable for selling openly.

Normally, only cigarettes are unsuitable for open sale; canned meat is fine... but only if it's normal canned meat. But this dinosaur-themed canned meat...

Tommy was quite surprised to see what was in the box. He had thought the Americans had asked him to sell some sensitive goods, but cigarettes and canned meat... this was something he had never expected.

In peacetime, tobacco might be considered a slightly sensitive substance, but in times of war, it's hardly a sensitive issue for Britain, which has long been selling off its possessions.

In the UK right now, any useful goods that you can bring in are legal; there's no such thing as smuggling, and you won't even be taxed.

"I don't quite understand... You could have easily handled these goods through those trading companies. There's absolutely no need to come to us!" Although he was very interested in the deal, Tommy hesitated because he didn't know much about Lyndon and his gang. As a leader who had been in the underworld for decades, he didn't believe in free lunches.

Could there be something wrong with these goods?

“Mr. Shelby, you’re overthinking it… You can all try these goods first. I guarantee that all of them are of the same excellent quality as these samples!” Lyndon sensed the other party’s concerns, smiled slightly, and did not state the conditions directly. Instead, he took out a pack of cigarettes and a can of meat, indicating that Tommy should try them.

Seeing this, Tommy glanced at one of his men, who, without hesitation, picked up the can and used his hands to grab the meat inside and put it in his mouth.

After just one bite, the other person's eyes lit up, and they immediately began to wolf it down.

Seeing this, Lyndon and Josie couldn't help but smile.

Actually, these canned meats are just like the canned meat rations of the US military. The taste is actually quite ordinary, or even terrible. They are not only too salty, but also very greasy. If they are not heated, they are not easy for ordinary people to swallow.

The fact that the other person was eating so happily can only mean one thing: they haven't had any oily food in a long time.

Tommy's face twitched at his subordinate's embarrassing performance, and he secretly kicked the guy.

Over the past few years, the situation across Britain has been terrible, and those involved in organized crime are no better off; going hungry is a common occurrence.

However, it would be quite embarrassing to act in this situation.

Even after being kicked, the person tasting the food didn't put the can down. They emptied the entire one-pound can completely, and then licked the remaining bits and pieces.

Meanwhile, the members of the Razor Gang around them were all swallowing hard.

"Hehe, I'm just a country bumpkin, please excuse my rudeness to our distinguished guest!" Tommy could only offer Linden an awkward but polite smile in response to the situation.

“Mr. Shelby, you flatter me. Britain is only going through its most difficult period right now. With the war situation becoming clearer, I believe all of this will soon be over.” Lyndon also gave him a timely hand and said, “As for Mr. Shelby’s question, it’s actually quite simple. My boss doesn’t want to do a one-off deal, but rather hopes to establish a stable partnership that can continue even after the war ends.”

As soon as Lyndon said that, Shelby immediately understood.

That's right. At this stage, everything sells well in the UK, and you could even say that selling anything is legal.

But once the war ends, the situation will be completely different.

Canned meat will soon become worthless, while tobacco will retain considerable value... but smuggled cigarettes will immediately become a target of official crackdown once the British government recovers.

Therefore, if you want to sell smuggled cigarettes or other illegal goods in the UK and Europe in the long term, then finding a powerful gang as a partner is indeed the most suitable option.

“I’ve acted like a petty person! Our Shelby family is very willing to accept this deal. When can we receive the goods... and the payment…” When it came to the payment, a hint of embarrassment appeared on Shelby’s face.

These days, even landlords don't have surplus grain. Prices in Britain have skyrocketed, so if Josie and her gang have too much stock, even the Razor Shields, Britain's largest gang, would probably have a hard time paying for it all at once.

“That’s simple. We can deliver the goods first, and as for payment, we also accept in-kind payments—gold, jewelry, land, anything is acceptable, as long as it’s clean!” Lyndon said with a smile.

Chapter 71 Cuckold

Two days later, in a warehouse on the outskirts of Liverpool, Thomas Shelby and his men saw the first shipment – ​​a whole warehouse piled high with canned goods and cigarettes.

In addition, there were three hundred guns and ammunition.

This is also something the Shelby family needs in addition to.

Don't assume that just because they are the biggest gang in Britain, they can easily get their hands on guns.

However, in reality, gun control in the UK has always been much stricter than in the US.

During the war, before the arrival of the American forces, the British maintained strict military control on their home soil, which made weapons even more difficult to obtain.

The few firearms the Shelby family currently possesses are leftover stock from before the war, and ammunition is very scarce.

Without weapons, it is impossible to protect the goods effectively.

Josie naturally wouldn't mind such a reasonable request, since he did have some weapons in stock in his system's inventory, and selling some to Shelby wouldn't be a problem.

Looking at the warehouse full of goods, Shelby was filled with emotion. In four years, this was the first time he had ever been so wealthy!

These things wouldn't have meant much to the family before the war, but now, they're a matter of life and death!

However tempting the goods were, Shelby never entertained the idea of ​​double-crossing them.

No, it's not that I don't want to, it's that I don't dare!

Because right outside the warehouse, there was a whole platoon of American soldiers guarding it.

This group of American soldiers was the result of Josh befriending those officers on the plane.

One of the army lieutenants, whose unit was stationed just outside Liverpool, ten kilometers from the warehouse.

With just a few bottles of good wine, this lieutenant arranged for a platoon to go on a "training exercise"!

In this situation, even if Shelby had ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare to double-cross someone.

In terms of soldier quality, American soldiers were just so-so, but in terms of firepower, the United States had become world-renowned in the three years since it entered the war.

Although a platoon only has about thirty men, in addition to the standard Garand and Thompson submachine guns, it is equipped with at least two light machine guns, one heavy machine gun, and three mortars.

This setup is designed to allow a group of thugs to double-cross each other?

Shelby isn't Captain America; he can't take on a hundred people.

Moreover, if any conflict were to occur and a few American soldiers were to be injured or killed, Birmingham would likely be occupied by the US military the very next day... Josie naturally didn't have that much influence, but she couldn't resist the US military's protection of its own!

"Mr. Shelby, these goods are now in your possession. I await your good news in London," Lyndon said arrogantly to Shelby after inspecting the goods.

“Of course, the Shelby family values ​​your friendship very much, and we will do our best to raise the payment within a week!” Shelby nodded and shook hands with Lyndon, but his gaze subtly swept over Josie, who was standing not far behind Lyndon.

Although Lyndon Snyder's performance was impeccable.

But Thomas Shelby still had a hunch that this young assistant's identity was probably not simple.

After handing the goods over to Shelby, Josie and his men withdrew with a platoon of American soldiers.

It has to be said that in this era, it was really exhilarating to run rampant on Allied territory while wearing the coattails of the Americans.

"Boss, he seems to have figured it out!" Lyndon said to Josie beside him, swaying as he sat in the jeep.

"So what if he figured it out? Anyone with a modicum of intelligence would have kept it to himself!" Josie chuckled, seemingly unconcerned.