"Boom. ”

Ilham placed the dusty cardboard box on the large wooden table, then pulled Sioux City and sat down with a smile.

Opposite him was the commander of the City Defense Command, Ulmovi, a swarthy and capable officer, very young, thirty years old at most.

In Soviet times, he was just a small Soviet major stationed at the border, and thanks to his status as an Azerbaijani and the hundreds of soldiers under his command, after two chaotic years, Urmovi was already a colonel of Azerbaijan, the highest-ranking officer in the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic, and the largest number of men and armor at his disposal.

He was theoretically subordinate to Baku, and his military salaries and supplements also came from Baku, so he could not directly order Urmovi, even though Aliyev was the chairman of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic.

For Aliyev's son, Urmovi naturally does not respect as much as local officials. He sat across from him with a big sting, didn't even look at the ordinary cardboard box, but said a little unhappily: "You want to see me by name, what's the matter?" ”

"That's right. Ilham's smile did not decrease, and he said: "I heard that your army sent people to collect taxes on several passages between Nakhichevan and Iran? The Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic is an enclave, and our land communication with Azerbaijan must pass through Iran, and you know better than me the importance of these checkpoints......

"If you want me to stop collecting taxes, then go without saying. Urmovy stood up lazily and said: "The military salary from Baku has been suspended for three months, and last year's military salary has not been paid in full, and no taxes are collected, what do the brothers eat and drink?"

Su Cheng looked at this young officer from the former Soviet Union with great interest, and secretly laughed: This guy is talking about receiving money. It is no different from the bureaucrats of the Republic of China or the late Qing Dynasty, and it is really an internationally accepted rule.

Ilham seemed to be accustomed to Ulmovi's way of speaking, and said with a smile: "The west is busy with war, and there is not enough money. The Baku side can't help it either. ”

"We can't do anything about it. Ulmovy paused and said, "Even if the chairman comes to make up my military salary, you have to make up my military salary first." ”

As for Aliyev, he was a little more considerate. Back in the sixties and seventies. When Urmovi was a bare-bottomed Azerbaijani of his age, Aliyev was the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan, and Aliyev, who was also a former KGB officer in terms of Soviet-era achievements. Much stronger than Putin.

Ilham was familiar with Ulmovi's style of acting, and said with a smile: "So, as long as you are paid for the army." You're going to stop collecting taxes?"

Ulmovi looked at Ilham suspiciously. laughed dryly twice and said, "Just make up for the previous one, I'm afraid it won't work." Now the situation, everyone sees that without a year or two, the war will not be finished, and Baku's military pay will definitely be less and less. We will now remove the checkpoints. In the future, the military pay is still not settled. ”

In the final analysis, Ulmovi is still reluctant to pay this huge amount of money.

Nakhichevan relied entirely on these channels for communication with the outside world. Therefore, although the land is poor, the money collected from taxes is still very large. It can be said that it is much more than military salaries.

Half a year ago, when the Azerbaijani government still had central authority, Urmovi did not dare to openly set up checkpoints to collect taxes. But now, the war against Armenia is getting bigger and bigger, and the front is retreating again and again, so that he is frantically replacing senior military officials, and until the end of the war, he will not be able to control these small things in the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic.

Urmovi does not take the opportunity to collect taxes, but when.

Ilham knew what he meant, and said unsurprisingly: "How much tax can you collect every month?"

"Four and a half million, dollars. Ulmovi looked up at Ilham. This figure is several times higher than the military salary.

For a new warlord like Ulham, recruiting people is extremely simple, and spending is mainly on arms. Arms from abroad cost money, and the arms left by the former Soviet Union also cost money, and the more equipment and troops, the bigger the officials will do, which is about the law of troubled times.

The current government has stood on the brink of war since it came to power, and Baku has transferred troops to the western front, and the line of fire has promoted a lot, and in order to appease those who remain there, they have also paid more senior officials.

As for such a thing as Houlu, Baku has long been unable to come up with it. An idealistic ruler like Elychbey always does well at first, until it is time to go downhill when the money accumulated by his predecessor is spent, or everything he can borrow.

Urmovi, like other warlords, large and small, can only find their own money to exchange arms and raise soldiers, and at the same time will fight for the justice of the government. The military salary is not very good, but there is a military salary after all.

Ilham was a little surprised by the income of the sentry, and sighed twice, without arguing, and said: "It's really a lot, but fortunately I prepared some more." ”

"Oh?" Ulmovi narrowed.

Ilham also stood up, opened the cardboard box in front of him, pushed it to Ulmovi, and said, "This is $500,000, which is considered a monthly military salary." ”

The green dollar bills were tied up in rolls with string and piled up layer by layer. Fill a cardboard box to the brim, like a plain version of hard-shell toilet paper.

"For me?" Ulmovi was surprised.

He said that he had four and a half million dollars a month, but that was actually the month when he earned the most, and that he received a lot of money from taxes, such as dollars, rubles, Iranian rials, and the local currency of Azerbaijan. Naturally, the dollar is the hardest, but the least in quantity.

It was the first time Ulmovi had seen a full box of dollars.

Ilham nodded and said, "As long as you remove the checkpoint, we will give you $500,000 every month in the future." ”

"What do you want me to do?"

"Just stop collecting taxes. Ilham smiled.

"That's it?"

"That's all. Collecting taxes is the government's business, right?"

For the sake of a box of dollars, Ulmovi nodded "obediently", and then grabbed the box with some disbelief, and poured it on the table in front of Ilham.

A person with a lot of cash is dizzy, and it is also $500,000, which is obviously more attractive than a bond.

"We'll have a lot of opportunities to work together. Ilham and Ulmovi shook hands.

Ulmovi smiled more sincerely, and said with a wink: "I hope so." ”

"Next month's money, we will send someone to deliver it on time. Ilham patted the back of Ulmovi's hand and said, "We won't bother much." There will be a chance to see you again. ”

"Well, there's a chance to see you again, there's a chance to see you again. Ulmovi said it quite sincerely. If he had $500,000 a month, he wouldn't be uncommon.

Ilham winked at Sioux City. The two went out side by side.

Ulmovi sent him far away, and then he reluctantly went back.

Su Cheng looked funny and said to Ilham: "There is a word in China called "Former and Backward Gong", and the more people you come into contact with. The more I feel that the word has a taste. ”

Ilham listened to Sioux City explain the meaning of the former and the latter in English, pouted backwards, and said, "Ulmovi is just a small character, and there is no arrogant money to come." When we get to Baku in the evening, we will see the true colors of these guys. ”

"At night?"

"The plane is ready. ”

"This ...... It's a race against time. ”

"No way, we're already behind. The father was a former Soviet officer. The people who are on stage today. There is nothing to think about. We are going to go all over the country and convince them personally. ”

"In dollars?"

Yilham laughed: "That's right, in dollars. ”

For the next few days, it became a game of skoko.

Sioux City and Ilham, in transport planes loaded with dollars, pounds and gold, rushed to several important towns in Azerbaijan to meet every important person.

It varies according to the importance of the other party. Depending on sexual tastes, Ilham and Sioux City would offer varying amounts of dollars, pounds, gold, or bank bills. Occasionally, there are bigwigs who will ask for money to be transferred to their overseas bank accounts.

Either way, the standard equipment for Sioux City and Ilham is a case.

Sitting on one side of the table, pushing out a box full of gifts with both hands, and inviting the other person to smile is the main job of the two.

In the beginning, there was a thrill in giving money, as some people say, the joy of giving it to others.

However, when the work of giving money is done too much, it becomes purely manual labor.

Every influential and important person must be delivered, and everyone must give it in person, and the important people are often not concentrated in Baku. Just like Aliyev, Azerbaijan has heavyweights in the corner.

These people may not return to the center of power, but even on the margins, they are worth tens or millions of dollars.

Every day at noon, in the afternoon and in the evening, Sioux City and Ilham play a game of Sokoban. And it's getting faster and more frequent.

On the most occasion, the Sioux City duo rolled out 10 boxes full of $5 million in cash and gave it to the Baku police chief - for the gentleman's unique obsession, Ilham spent half a day just exchanging cash.

However, it was Husseinov who received the most money, he was the commander of the National Army, and he had the strongest armored forces in Azerbaijan under his command, and was generally considered to be the strongest army after the Azerbaijani Internal Guard.

Eliqibey's internal guard forces were relatively difficult to penetrate, and Husseinov was naturally the target of Aliyev's great efforts.

In order to win his favor, Ilham took out half of all the funds, $25 million to Husseinov, even if he was the commander of the National Army, this money still shocked Husseinov.

After a round of delivery, the time of a month will be up.

Fortunately, the relationship has been opened, and there are very few places where Sioux City and Ilham need to replenish their runs, and most of the promised funds can be operated through banks.

Lao Wu secretly returned to China and brought out $50 million in various bonds again. These are all saved by Sioux City in the last year or two, and the money in place has stabilized the Aliyev camp at once.

There is no need for him to greet him, and naturally someone will come to him.

Everything is going very well in Azerbaijan, except for the tightening of the mantra in the country.

At the same time, Elychbeyi, who received the news, began to exert pressure recklessly.

At the end of the month, Jiao Guoping was forced to come to Azerbaijan.

……