Chapter 26: Swapping Small Guns for Cannons

The fast boat was small and dilapidated, so the Turkish officials in charge of managing the berth arranged it in a very inconspicuous corner. This suited Zhang Hainuo's plan perfectly. After all, the gold coins they would use to purchase the large ship and supplies were all on board, and parking in such a remote location would not attract attention.

After docking at the berth, it was already completely dark. Uncertain whether a curfew was in effect, Zhang Hainuo decided not to go ashore rashly but waited until the next day to explore the dock area with Otto, Giselle, Arslan, and Elgar to inquire about any ocean-going cargo ships for sale.

Despite the four years of long and brutal war, Istanbul, as the capital and largest port of Turkey, still boasted a forest of masts. The blockade of the British and French fleets during the war caused many ship owners and cargo owners to suffer heavy losses. Some people went bankrupt before the war ended, and their ships became collateral for creditors. Therefore, there were many ships for sale here. Although ship prices began to rise with the end of the war, they were still at a relatively reasonable level. However, like in Antalya, Turkish shipowners tended to ask for slightly higher prices from foreign businessmen.

"Sir, take a look at my ship! Launched in 1908, the machinery is still very new, and it can carry 2000 tons of cargo at 15 knots without any problem. What's that? Ocean-going voyage? Of course, of course, it used to run the India route before the war and even went to Japan! How about it? Would you like to come aboard and take a look, gentlemen? Right this way!"

The thin Turkish man in front of them reminded Zhang Hainuo of a character from a TV drama, but half an hour later, they shook their heads and disembarked again. Giselle, who specialized in power systems, was very disdainful, "With such old boilers and engines, it's a miracle the ship can sail in the Mediterranean!"

"Leaking seawater on a slightly larger ship is inevitable!" Elgar also did not mince words.

This kind of situation was encountered several times by Zhang Hainuo and his team on the first day. The four years of war not only caused these ship owners to lose their business but also left various types of cargo ships docked at the port for years on end. Many ships' anchor chains, handrails, and chimneys were rusty! Fortunately, Istanbul Port was large enough, and there were enough ships moored here. On the morning of their third day here, a suitable target finally caught their eye.

"Hakanberd, built at the Bremen shipyard, launched in 1912, first voyage reached 18 knots! Can carry up to 4200 tons of cargo, powered by two sets of four-cylinder compound steam engines, all German-made! With full fuel tanks, it can sail up to 8000 nautical miles. If additional fuel is carried in the cargo hold, the single voyage range can exceed 10,000 nautical miles!"

Although the shipowner's introduction method was not much different from elsewhere, the peeling paint on the hull of this twin-chimney ocean freighter, like many others, indicated a lack of maintenance over the years. But once they heard it was genuine German-made, Zhang Hainuo and his team became interested.

If the shipowner was German, Zhang Hainuo and his team would have felt more familiar. Unfortunately, the tall and thin man standing in front of them had brownish skin and Europeanized facial features, all clearly indicating he was a pure Turkish man.

Nevertheless, Zhang Hainuo and his team eagerly boarded the ship for a tour. Whether a ship was genuine German-made could be discerned from some small details. The outbreak of war had left it moored here quietly for four years. The former shipowners and crew members had probably already returned to Germany by land, so the cabins clearly hadn't had occupants for a long time, covered in dust everywhere. However, the cabin doors still moved freely, and there was little rust inside the cabin. As for the boiler room and engine room below, wiping away the dust revealed that the machinery looked as if it were waiting for rebirth in the dust.

After being appraised by Giselle and Elgar, the ship's power system was found to be in good condition, requiring only a moderate overhaul before setting sail.

"£1.25 million?"

Upon hearing the offer, Zhang Hainuo deliberately widened his eyes, then shook his head and walked down the gangway.

The shipowner, a tall and thin middle-aged Turkish man, became anxious on the spot.

"Hey, hey, sir, £1.25 million is just the asking price. If you want to buy, it can be cheaper!"

Zhang Hainuo didn't stop, but he called Arslan over and gave some instructions, then continued walking down the dock with Otto and the others. Only the young guide ran back to the shipowner alone and held up three fingers, "£600,000! Payment in gold coins! Not a penny more!"

An hour later, at the Istanbul Ship Exchange, the Turkish shipowner signed happily and collected his money. He also insincerely complimented, "My friend, you're a savvy businessman. If I did these kinds of deals more often, I'd be out of business in no time!"

"Wherever you say! Doing business and making friends, what could be better?"

Zhang Hainuo thought to himself. Even though the war had ended, the price of gold continued to soar, making £600,000 in gold coin settlement an ideal transaction for any Turkish shipowner!

Next, both the buyer and the seller paid transaction taxes and certification fees to the certifying officers present. Because the two parties needed to present relevant documents, the ship was temporarily purchased in Elgar's name. In private conversations, Elgar had already expressed his willingness to follow Zhang Hainuo and the others anywhere, the only condition being to bring his wife and children along. So Zhang Hainuo felt relatively reassured about him.

The former shipowner of the ship, the tall and thin Turkish middle-aged man, carefully put the gold coins he earned from the sale into his briefcase, then took out some banknotes from his person.

"Is it a total of £36,000?"

The Turkish certifying officer in charge was a tall and fat guy, with an exaggeratedly large belly, almost like a pregnant woman's. If it weren't for his uniform, he would surely be mistaken for a country bumpkin who ate a lot but exercised little.

"Transaction tax is five percent of the total amount, certification fee is one percent, so it is £36,000. Please pay in the currency used by the Exchange!"

"Is there such a rule? Well, besides, we just completed the transaction with banknotes, didn't we?" The shipowner pretended not to know, but when Zhang Hainuo saw him discreetly stuffing something into the officer's hand, the "country bumpkin" took a moment to consider before finally allowing his assistant to take the stack of banknotes.

"Yes, you just completed the transaction with banknotes!"

"Thank you!"

The shipowner left with his men, his face beaming.

"Sir, the buyer also needs to pay £36,000 in taxes and certification fees!"

Seeing that Zhang Hainuo and his team were foreigners, the "country bumpkin" was not as arrogant as he was with the shipowner, but he was no slouch when it came to money matters.

Zhang Hainuo sneered and pulled out a stack of banknotes from his pocket. Half of the banknotes Solak gave him were Turkish paper money, which he usually used to purchase diesel, food, and other supplies in Antalya. But it seemed that officials only accepted gold coins when taking bribes.

Seeing this foreigner pulling out banknotes to settle accounts, the "country bumpkin's" face didn't look good, but when he saw Zhang Hainuo reach into another pocket and pull out something golden-yellow, his face immediately regained composure.

"You've worked hard!" Zhang Hainuo said as he handed the gold coins over, while asking Arslan to translate his words to the officer. The officer received the coins satisfactorily.

"Yes, yes! Congratulations on buying such a nice ship! By the way, remember to pay the transaction tax when purchasing cargo, and remember to pay the customs clearance fee when departing!"

"Of course!" Zhang Hainuo felt disdainful in his heart. These corrupt officials, all they cared about was money!

After pocketing all the income, the "country bumpkin" patted his belly proudly, "Then I won't see you off!"

After leaving the ship exchange, Zhang Hainuo and his team returned to the ocean freighter, which now belonged to them. Looking at the plaque still reading "Hakanberd," Zhang Hainuo turned around and asked Elgar:

"Since you're the captain, you can name it!"

Elgar didn't rush to name it but asked, "Can't I bring my fast boat on this voyage?"

"Yes!" Zhang Hainuo replied affirmatively.

"Fast boat, let's call it Fast Boat!"

"Changing the name of the ship also requires payment!" Arslan reminded from the side.

"It doesn't matter, we still have many things to deal with those officials next, so we'll change the ship's name when we have time!" Zhang Hainuo instructed, "Giselle, you're in charge of the major repairs on this ship. Arslan, hire ten experienced repairmen for us, understand?"

Zhang Hainuo counted out 20 banknotes from his hand and handed them to him, "You have two hours, go!"

"All right!"

Although Arslan was small in stature, he was already an adult, so handling these matters was no problem.