“20 cases of cigarettes?”
In a pub in Little Italy adjacent to Chinatown, Anastasia examined the guest in front of him.
With a Cuban cigar hanging from his mouth, he asked once again.
“Are you sure this is how much you want?”
“20 cases of cigarettes, maybe more.”
After leaving Courville’s watch shop, carrying several thousand dollars of massive funds, Li Yi’an said directly:
“Mr.
Anastasia, if our cooperation is pleasant, I might need more cigarettes next time.
Of course, you must guarantee supply.”
“Supply is of course not a problem.
In New York, only we can provide enough cigarettes, Lucky Strike, Camel, everything you need!”
Anastasia looked at this guy in disbelief, asking:
“But, are you sure you want this much?”
The reason he asked this was because he knew very well that sailors mostly just smuggled cigarettes, carrying fifty or sixty cartons at most, plus a few dozen pounds of goods like coffee beans.
But this guy asked for twenty cases right from the start.
Five thousand cartons of cigarettes weren’t that much, considering a smuggling boat could transport hundreds of cases.
“Sir, I am very sure.”
“Well, since that’s the case, you need to understand that every case of cigarettes must be bundled with 100 pounds of coffee beans.
This is an industry rule.
If you feel you cannot accept this price, then I can only express my regret…”
Why bundle coffee beans?
Because a month ago, the government lifted the control on coffee beans, which caused the Gambino family, who had just shipped a boatload of Colombian coffee beans from Cuba, to lose a large sum of money.
To dispose of those coffee beans as quickly as possible, they bundled some with every case of cigarettes.
Coffee beans…
are also very scarce in London!
As a businessman, Li Yi’an certainly wouldn’t reject banknotes delivered to his door.
He immediately agreed: “Of course, but regarding the price, we need to talk further!”
Subsequently, Li Yi’an said directly:
“As everyone knows, your cigarettes are transported from Cuba by small boats.
Cigarettes are not controlled there, plus you are making bulk purchases, so the price must be cheaper than in the US.
“Haha, okay, for the sake of long-term cooperation.”
Anastasia said readily.
“I will give them to you according to the market price.
I mean the price in ordinary stores, what do you think?”
Actually no markup!
Hearing this, Li Yi’an naturally felt a burst of joy in his heart, and immediately agreed.
“Trust me, Mr.
Anastasia, this deal is just the beginning of our cooperation.
In the future, we will definitely continue to cooperate, and I absolutely won’t let you regret it.”
“God bless, we can cooperate forever!”
As the hands of the two clasped tightly together, Zhu Yihai, sitting on the side, flashed a strange look on his brow.
He opened his mouth to speak, but the words didn’t come out.
The transaction has already been concluded now.
Anything said now is too late.
After both parties agreed on the delivery method, Li Yi’an left Little Italy.
On the way, seeing Zhu Yihai’s hesitant appearance, Li Yi’an asked:
“From the pub till now, you seem to have something to say?”
“Mr.
Li…”
After hesitating for a moment, Zhu Yihai spilled everything he knew.
“Actually, just now we might have been able to negotiate a lower price.
At the price they gave you, they can earn at least double the profit.”
Through Zhu Yihai’s explanation, Li Yi’an finally understood the source of the cigarettes, which might be Cuba or Mexico, where American cigarettes dominated the tobacco market.
After the outbreak of the war, even though the United States implemented strict rationing controls on tobacco, exports to South American countries did not decrease.
On the one hand, American tobacco companies feared losing their market; on the other hand, it was to win over South American countries—even under a quota system domestically, the US still maintained trade with South American countries.
Hmm, foreign guests have priority, it’s the same in American Imperialism.
And this was exactly what the mafias, who smuggled strong liquor from places like the Bahamas and Cuba during the Prohibition era, saw as an opportunity.
Like during the Prohibition era, they used small boats to transport various supplies, including tobacco, to the United States, thereby earning exorbitant profits.
“…Because there is no tobacco tax, those cigarettes are at least more than half cheaper than in the US.
By giving them to you at market price, their profit is at least double.”
After explaining, Zhu Yihai said very apologetically: This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t remind you before we went, causing you to lose a lot of money.
I’m really sorry.”
Is this business a loss?
Li Yi’an didn’t think so.
According to the system’s rules of “rewards and punishments”, if it was a loss-making business, it would definitely deduct experience points.
But now the system didn’t deduct any, which meant he didn’t suffer a loss.
Moreover, in Li Yi’an’s view, he didn’t suffer a loss either.
“It can’t be considered a loss.”
Li Yi’an smiled.
“Since everyone knows that buying cigarettes from Cuba brings more than double the profit, why does Chinatown still import goods from Little Italy?”
“Knowing it doesn’t matter, we just can’t bring it in.
Smuggling illicit cigarettes is just like smuggling strong liquor during Prohibition.
Not only do you need ships, but you also have to bribe customs, police, and many officials.
We can bribe the police in Chinatown.
As long as we give them money, they will turn a blind eye.
But once outside Chinatown, we don’t even know who to give money to.”
In one sentence, outside Chinatown, there are no connections.
Why did the Irish, Germans, and Italians in the underworld all do smuggling business during Prohibition, but Chinese gangs never touched this business?
Logically, given our countrymen’s nature, they would definitely touch any profitable business.
The reason they didn’t touch it was because…
they had no connections.
Some businesses can’t be done just because you want to.
“So, channels!”
Li Yi’an said with a smile.
“Those Italians can make double the profit because they unblocked that channel, so, they got double the profit.”
Examining Zhu Yihai, although he didn’t see the key behind it clearly, his willingness to speak up to remind him showed that this person was fairly honest.
This business needs to continue in the future, so this person can be utilized.
Checking the time, Li Yi’an said:
“It’s late now, do you have any familiar restaurants to recommend?
I haven’t eaten Chinese food in a long time, the gluttonous worms in my mouth are coming out.”
(END CHAPTER)
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