PS: 435 monthly passes plus updates.

――――

The routine meeting soon came to an end, and at the end of the meeting, Li Lan stopped Mohammadi and Farah.

After everyone left, the door of the conference room closed again, and Li Lan said, "Is there any special situation recently?" ”

"Yes. I was just going to report back to you! It's about Russia. Farah nodded earnestly, and the answer was simple.

Li Lan, who was just asking a routine question, was moved in his heart after hearing Farah's answer, and said, "Tell me in detail." ”

"Here's the thing, someone stayed in our hotel in Bossaso last night,......。"

The Bossaso International Hotel, after the port reopened, continued to operate it as part of the territory's revenue.

Since yesterday, several Russian businessmen have brought in a shipment of ore, claiming that they are going to resupply fuel and fresh water in Bossaso, and they have stayed in the Bossaso International Hotel to rest for a day or two. As a normally open port, the caretaker of the port was released, after all, replenishing fresh water and fuel, as well as docking fees, is also one of the important sources of income for the port.

However, after these people entered the hotel, they were approached by the general manager who managed the hotel and asked some questions. Although Farah is not the owner of the hotel now, he has specially found a person with exquisite faces to manage, but he also walks around in Bossaso from time to time, and he happened to be in Bossaso yesterday, receiving the personnel of the Chinese grain merchant ship in the hotel.

The hotel's general manager was quick to tell Farah about it, and when Farah wanted to find out who the men were, they met. The other party recognized him. It turned out to be quite simple, these Russians were indeed businessmen. But they came on behalf of the Russian government, and the meaning is very simple. It's about buying weapons.

Although Farah was very moved by this matter, because one of the tasks entrusted to him by Li Lan was the operation of arms trading, but after all, this matter involved a country like Russia, and a military power came to Somalia to offer to buy weapons, and Farah did not dare to call the shots. This kind of thing is simple and simple, and complicated is extremely complicated. If anything goes wrong, he can't afford it.

Therefore, after settling those people, Farah hurriedly returned to the territory overnight, and planned to ask Li Lan about his meaning through today's meeting.

After Li Lan heard this, he instantly felt that the matter was extraordinary, and Russia's move was a drunkard's intention not to drink. And whether these people are Russian or not. Is it really Russia in the back? These are all questions. Could it be that the United States is playing tricks behind it, after all, the United States has not played less bombs before this kind of tune.

And even Russia, coming over this time to claim that it wants to buy weapons, it makes Li Lan hard to believe. After all, Russia inherited the defense industry of the USSR there. Jishu is also a skinny camel bigger than a horse, so there is no need to buy weapons from him at all. With all the weapons and equipment exposed by the Army, are the Russians really so interested?

These are all questions that have to be considered. Indeed, China and Russia have helped each other before. Li Lan should admit this feeling. After all, without China and Russia behind the scenes, Li Lan would have been wiped out by European and American countries long ago. There is such a thing as human affection. As long as the friendship continues, Li Lan naturally has to admit it.

However, if Russia really makes this tone now, then Li Lan needs to think carefully about the future relationship with Russia.

Even if China and Russia are in a honeymoon period now, they do not necessarily have to have a honeymoon period with Russia. In short, everything depends on Russia's attitude, and he will not provoke Russia for no reason, and naturally he will not wag his tail and behave. Of course, if Russia really brings sincerity, then it will laugh generously, anyway, it would be an idiot not to take the polar bear's things.

In an instant, Li Lan thought clearly about the various twists and turns in this and the possible consequences of this matter, and immediately had a plan in his heart.

"You just said that these Russians brought ore?" After thinking about this matter, Li Lan thought that Farah had just mentioned ore, and now the word ore has become Li Lan's most sensitive nerve.

"Three ships, according to the port's filing records, are all ore. I asked them, and they claimed to be bringing very pure refined iron ore, as well as some high-purity copper ore from India that was going to be shipped back to China. Farah affirmed.

"Where are these things going to go?"

Li Lan's heart moved, and he knew very well that Russia has always been a big exporter of energy, not only natural gas, but also a large amount of ore exports, and the total annual export value accounts for 20 percent of Russia's economic income, which is a very large amount of exports.

Previously, Li Lan considered importing ore, among which the first choice was Russia, and the second was South American countries, which were not in collusion with the United States, and would not refuse his request to import under normal circumstances. At least in the absence of formal adoption of trade sanctions against him by the UN.

However, considering the problem of funds, Li Lan has not taken action for a long time.

"According to the answer during the small talk, they are going to send it back to China, because this batch of ore is mined from India." Farah didn't know what Li Lan was worried about this batch of ore, but just replied truthfully.

"Good, these people are still in Bossaso?" Li Lan nodded, and began to have some thoughts in her heart.

"Still in the hotel, they want to be able to meet you and discuss the matter in detail, so they haven't left yet, however, they also said that in order not to attract too much attention, the time should be arranged as soon as possible." Farah didn't know what Li Lan's word "very good" meant, but he didn't ask and replied.

"Well, I'll arrange them later, send them to the territory, and I'll meet them personally." Li Lan nodded and said.

"Sir, is there anything else?" Farah nodded, then asked.

"There are a few things, but first I want to know, how is the arms trade going?"

Hearing Li Lan's question, Farah, who was in charge of the matter, said slowly: "The arms trade, which had already begun to take shape, was temporarily interrupted for a while during the fighting more than two months ago. Fortunately, after the fighting subsided, we were able to reconnect with many of our customers.

Previously, our arms sales routes have been Kenya and Ethiopia, and our main customers are from war-torn countries in Central Africa such as Sudan, and some individual organizations are also very interested in our weapons. In the past, the best-selling products were anti-tank rocket launchers, but recently we launched anti-tank missiles and portable anti-aircraft missiles, and the response was very fierce and there were many more orders.

However, we have a problem, and that is the matter of transportation, and some customers need us to ship weapons over. This matter needs to be escorted by our troops, which becomes very troublesome. After all, in Somalia, the transport of weapons is really very unsafe, and without armed escorts, as long as it is a convoy, it will not go far. ”

The arms trade, as a very important monetary income for the territory, has always been of great concern to Li Lan. Especially in the case of base production, the profit of weapons is often tens or hundreds of times.

However, there are advantages and disadvantages to working as an arms dealer in this place, the advantage is that buyers are everywhere, and the disadvantage is security. Li Lan was naturally not afraid of the idea of a few shili to attack his own weapons, but as Farah said, for those buyers who asked to transport weapons to the past, they needed an armed man to escort them. At least it can make many cats and dogs dare not mess around.

And recently it is the time when the territory is developing rapidly, and in this society where everything needs money, whether it is base funds or real money, it needs a large amount to maintain. At the same time, this also requires Li Lan to diversify his monetary income and strive to achieve certain gains in various fields.

However, Li Lan did not feel any difficulty in the concern that Farah said, and delivered it to the door, which is not a problem at all for the strength of the current territory. Can't you mess with NATO, can't you mess with local shili in Africa?

If anyone dares to die, they will directly send a self-exposed truck to keep them comfortably on the hell train.

"It's not a problem, I'll talk to you about it later. As long as our business is prosperous, I can sell tanks. ”

As a matter of fact, from the beginning of the arms trade, the foreign trade products produced by Li Lan have all been weakened. Li Lan specially asked the base to produce a foreign trade version, the so-called foreign trade version is different from the weapons for his own use, the general structure is the same, but the performance and data are completely different.

Especially the type of combat vehicle, the foreign trade version produced by the base, the electronic equipment on it is completely different, and many functions are absent, not to mention any battlefield data link, and the additional sights are weakened by many functions. Of course, the cost of what is produced at the base, whether it is weakened or not, is the same.

"Now that the commander has an idea, I can boldly accept the order. There are really many countries that have taken a fancy to our tanks, and the previous war made Ethiopia lose face at the same time, but also made us prestige, especially our Rhino main battle tank, which can easily defeat the T-80 and T-72, which makes many countries target our tank, and many arms dealers are also asking about the price. It's just that I kept dragging my feet and didn't give a reply. Farah continued.

"Rhino tanks, do these African countries have the money to buy them?" Li Lan couldn't help but ask.

"Sir, don't underestimate these small African countries or shili, many of them control diamonds, and if it weren't for the competition between countries that made it difficult for them to source advanced weapons, we wouldn't be able to do it now. As we all know, our Rhino tank can already be called the more advanced tank in the third generation, they naturally understand the value of the third generation tank, and if they dare to ask, they will naturally have the intention of buying, after all, no one wants the T-72 in their hands to be outdated. (To be continued......)