Chapter 9: The Road to Wealth

"Turns out you're just a rookie!"

Anderson, who had been wandering the streets for over twenty years, understood everything from the other's bewildered expression.In that moment, Anderson wished he could slap himself.A gold watch, what the hell are you doing with a gold watch?A gold watch is extremely precious!Because of this, things like gold watches on the market can buy everything, including highly coveted "gasoline coupons."Watching the guy's constantly changing expressions, although Li Yian still didn't understand what was going on, he still took the initiative to extend an invitation."Can I buy you a drink?""A drink? There's not much liquor quota."Anderson said uncertainly."Even for diplomats, it's the same.""Are there any bars around here?"Why invite this guy for a drink?Li Yian certainly had his plans. The existence of the black market meant profit, meant wealth. Anyone who has ever bought a vegetable bundle knows that for someone who is considering how to get rich, this is like discovering a new continent.But even a new continent needs someone to inquire about it. The guy in front of him is the best choice. Understanding some market conditions is never wrong."...Gasoline coupons, among all the coupons, gasoline coupons are the most precious, because almost everyone needs gasoline. It even started being regulated earlier than food because of its necessity. So, regulated items like fuel and food end up in the black market, and trading is very active. After all, everyone needs it, and 'gasoline coupons' are 'hard currency' that can be exchanged for anything, food, luxury watches, gold coins..."After two long-awaited whiskeys went down Anderson's throat, he began to speak freely, educating Li Yian about the black market trades in London.This gave him a basic understanding of everything. For some "resourceful" people, scarcity of goods and rationing were great opportunities for illegal profit. Shop owners often got scarce goods and sold them at a markup in private. Black market traders sold everything scarce on certain streets, and buyers knew the goods weren't legitimate."Meat, at the port, hundreds of tons of meat are lost every day. Naturally, the lost meat ends up in the black market, sold at several times the price to those in need, sir."Anderson said earnestly."I know, your diplomatic quotas are far higher than ordinary people's. You even get a weekly allotment of 10 packs of cigarettes. But many times, you don't need them because they deliver food, cigarettes, and liquor cards to the embassy every week. If we cooperate, I guarantee you can make at least ten pounds a week."In Anderson's view, the man standing in line might just be a small fry in the embassy, but that kind of small fry would surely be tempted by ten pounds."Like these food packets you have, you probably spent 2 pounds on them, but I can sell them for 4 or even 5 pounds each.""What sells the best then?""Cigarettes, and sugar."Anderson said bluntly."Cigarettes are primarily supplied to the military, so there's never enough on the market, and you need a cigarette coupon to buy them. And those coupons, you can only buy a few packs per month, so cigarettes sell the best. As for sugar, who doesn't need sugar?"While speaking, Anderson shouted directly at the person behind the counter."Billy, does your wife need sugar?""Do you have any?""You see, every kitchen needs sugar. Although we have sugar coupons, we can never buy enough sugar.""Why not?""According to the newspapers, it's because of the German submarines, sinking merchant ships continuously. But actually? It's because for Downing Street, sugar, milk, meat, including tobacco, are not as important as tanks, airplanes, and cannons. They won't use precious foreign exchange on these things, so they blame everything on the Germans and let ordinary people deal with the so-called difficulties."Anderson took a sip of whiskey and continued."So, everyone relies on the black market, everyone needs the black market, even the guys who operate postal planes to the US. They load crates of cigarettes onto the planes in the US. In the US, a pack of Luckies or Camels costs only ten or twenty cents, but here, they can sell for at least a pound.""Such high profit? So, they must make a lot of money on one trip?"Anderson finally understood. The guy in front of him was completely clueless about the black market."Sir, judging from your appearance, you really don't understand the market situation! Britain has regulations, so does the US, it's just that the regulations aren't as strict as they are here, but there are still quotas. Although those postal pilots can smuggle some, it's only a few, and even then, they can't buy more. Otherwise, those pilots, let alone those ship crews at the ports, would also smuggle crates. You know, a ship is much more spacious than a plane. Even if the pilots want to buy, they might not have enough space. But ships are different, as long as they're willing, they can definitely load a lot, but the problem is not how much they want to buy."Quotas.So even buying cigarettes in the US had quotas! It's not as if you could buy as much as you wanted, which explains why the prices are so high.Having been enlightened about the market information, Li Yian obtained some information from the black market trader."You mean there are planes flying from England to the US?""Postal planes."Anderson explained."Even before the war, there were postal planes shuttling between England and the US, specifically for transporting mail. They fly large planes that can even fly directly from England to the US. But who would have thought, back then, that a pack of cigarettes could earn ten times the profit? It's just a pity they can't buy enough cigarettes; otherwise, they would definitely fill the entire plane."Anderson's sigh made Li Yian's eyes light up. He immediately realized that this might be his opportunity, and quite possibly, this was the new continent.After calculating in his mind, Li Yian poured another whiskey for him, which cost him a full 7 ration coupons. Only after the liquor arrived did he ask."Do you know where these postal planes land?""At the Thames River seaplane dock. Who knows? Compared to those guys, the sailors prefer to buy things from ship crews. You can never imagine what sailors smuggle, cigarettes, sugar, coffee, and so on, everything. But..."After drinking another whiskey, courtesy of Li Yian, Anderson continued his briefing."They won't take pounds, because pounds can't buy anything in the US. They want dollars, which of course, they don't have. But watches, cameras, even antique furniture, those are their favorites. There are shops like that all over the port. Those things sell well in the US, especially watches and cameras. You know, those country bumpkins in the US can't even take good pictures of good watches and cameras. German goods, Swiss goods have always been their favorites, but now because of the war, they can't buy those things."Finally, after two whiskeys, Anderson got to the point."Sir, do you have any gasoline coupons? I can offer a high price..."