It is the 26th of the lunar month when I return to Saigon, and the citizens are busy celebrating the New Year, and senior government officials and MPs are busy preparing for the Constituent Assembly after the year.

Li Weimin was going to take a plane to the United States in the afternoon, and he didn't know when he would be able to come back, so Ngo Dinh Yen and Ngo Dinh Yen pushed away everything and closed the door to start a "three-person meeting."

"This is an election year, and it stands to reason that Eisenhower will be re-elected, and no one can say for sure until the last minute. If you don't pay attention to it, you can't pay attention to it, and there is a risk if you pay more attention, and the one in Taiwan was the one who made the wrong bet at that time, and as a result, there was an arms embargo, and there was no aid. ”

Although Eisenhower was unreliable, and even planned to change the people of the Binh Chuan warlord coup d'état, he ultimately supported South Vietnam, and without his help, the current situation would not have been possible.

Wu Tingyan hated Eisenhower's "betrayal" and was worried that someone would not be as good as Eisenhower, so he was silent for a long time, raised his head and said: "We are right for the people, we must pay attention to it, and we must make more preparations." ”

Although the new person of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the ambassador to the United States, he has no connections in the United States, let alone influence, and now he can go to the United States for the government.

Wu Tingyao took a deep breath and said sideways: "For the people, diplomatic matters can only trouble you." ”

Li Weimin took out a stack of documents from his bag, and said with a wry smile helplessly: "It's not an outsider, so I can't really talk about trouble, but this time I may go out for a long time." It is necessary to carry out the second round of investment promotion, to sell the third phase of industrial investment bonds, to organize enterprises in industrial parks to participate in exhibitions in several countries in Europe and the United States, and to understand the operation of those representative offices on the spot. ”

"On the side of the industrial investment company, I can rest assured that the 'people who do the right thing' will not be disturbed. You are in the same thing with not. ”

"I'm relieved to have Mr. Yan's words."

The first few pages of the document are full of approximate schedules. It was lined up until June. Even going to the Middle East and Africa. Wu Tingyan flipped to the last few pages and asked with a puzzled expression: "What is this, is it a mistake?" ”

"That's right."

There is a bulk equipment purchase list and payment method of the infrastructure engineering department of the industrial investment company, and there are foreign exchange applications submitted by enterprises in industrial parks, intending to exchange local currency for foreign exchange to purchase machinery and equipment abroad. For all business or financial matters, the documents are stamped with top secret stamps.

Ngo Dinh Yen was confused, and Ngo Dinh Yen was also unclear.

Li Weimin pointed to the settlement method and date, smiled and said: "From the beginning of this month to the end of this year." The equipment imported by the industrial investment company and the enterprises in the industrial park will be settled in sterling, and the settlement date will be set after November.

Wu Tingyan was confused, put down the document and asked: "What if the machine is waiting to be used, and the other party does not agree to settle in November?" ”

"BEA issued an acceptance draft promising to settle it in full in British pounds in November. For equipment manufacturers or middlemen, it's just the difference between getting paid for the goods earlier or getting paid later. And during this time, they can use the acceptance bill as cash to pay their suppliers of accessories or raw materials. ”

Wu Tingyan doesn't understand finance, and Wu Tingyan doesn't understand either, anyway, there are no outsiders here. Curiously asked, "For the people, the credibility of the Bank of East Asia must be fine." The other party should be able to accept it, but the bill of exchange is issued according to the amount of payment, how can there be ...... How can it be so coincidental that it can be used as cash. ”

"Are you saying what if the other party wants to pay the next family and there is more money on the money order?"

"Hmm."

"This problem is very easy to solve, if there is less money, if there is more money on the bill, you can go to a branch or branch of the Bank of East Asia to open it. Anyway, the foreign exchange to be paid when due remains the same, but it is just a few times to pay in trouble. ”

"Why is it all this trouble?"

"Because I think the pound will depreciate, and paying in this way saves companies and businesses in industrial estates, and it's a lot of money."

Since the end of World War II, Britain's power has continued to decline and its economy has shrunk.

The current Prime Minister Aiden's low approval rating, the appointment of a large number of young Conservatives who will not threaten his position into management, the opposition and Conservative politicians are very dissatisfied, the people are also dissatisfied with the government, strikes are frequent, and social turmoil is frequent.

The French franc is depreciating, and the pound is to be expected.

But if you think about it, people can think of it, and you must take the risks into account when signing the supply contract.

Ngo Tingyan felt that this would not save much money, and Ngo Tingyan thought that the industrial investment company had no money and the Bank of East Asia did not have so much foreign exchange, so he came up with such a troublesome settlement method.

"You two misunderstood, in fact, I was referring to the Suez Canal."

Li Weimin took a small sip of coffee and patiently explained: "We are not the only countries fighting for national independence, Vietnam, but also Middle Eastern countries. Over the past few years, Egypt has been increasingly vocal in its demand for the resumption of the Suez Canal, which has led to a stalemate with Britain, France, and Israel.

Last year, the Egyptian president let off the wind twice, claiming that he would take back the right to operate by force, which directly led to two general mobilizations by Israel, each of which cost more than $10 million. Nasser, who is running for a new president, is more radical and has a very high approval rating, and if he comes to power, he will definitely do something. ”

"Britain has a stake in the Canal Company!"

"Yes, if the Aiden government gives up, the British people will not agree, and if it takes military action with France and Israel, the financial pressure will be even greater, and the economic situation will be worse. Not to mention that as soon as the fight started, the Suez Canal would not be navigable, and British tankers would have to make a detour from the Cape of Good Hope. ”

Oil prices are directly related to the economies of Western countries, and Wu Tingyan reacted and nodded again and again: "If it is depreciated, we can save a lot of foreign exchange." If we don't depreciate, we don't lose either. ”

"Mr. Yan, the industrial park needs development funds, I not only want to reduce expenditure but also plan to open source, in addition to asking the company and enterprises in the industrial park to settle in this way, I also want to gamble in the international foreign exchange market and oil futures market. If I win, in fact, I won't have to worry about what to do with the first phase of the bonds, and the four industrial estates that are being planned can be launched together in advance. ”

There was no doubt that he wanted to take a big gamble.

Wu Tingyan asked worriedly: "What if you lose?" ”

"The British economy has become like that, and the pound can only depreciate and not appreciate. You can't lose anywhere if you lose. At most, the penalty fee is paid. ”

Grow big with a small amount. You can try, after all, he is not for himself, but entirely for the country.

Wu Tingyan weighed it and asked again, "Do you have any specific plans?" ”

Li Weimin said with a smile: "We explain to equipment suppliers and middlemen that although most of BEA's business is in Vietnam, it has a longer history in Hong Kong, so it can use more pounds than US dollars. As for why it was delayed until November, it was entirely some financial arrangements of the bank. ”

The U.S. has indeed raised a lot of U.S. aid. However, there are very few real inflows into Vietnam, most of them purchase machinery and equipment of American companies and some urgently needed goods according to the "commodity import program", Vietnamese Chinese businessmen have close relations with Hong Kong, and the Bank of East Asia has operations in Hong Kong, so it is normal to have pounds.

The National Bank and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange are still in the hands of the French, and the Bank of East Asia is somewhat of a "central bank".

If industrial investment companies and enterprises in industrial parks want to import equipment, they have to apply to the Bank of East Asia for foreign exchange, and the Bank of East Asia has more pounds and Hong Kong dollars than US dollars.

Li Weimin paused. He continued: "How much capital can be a big business, and then I will find ways to borrow money. Mr. Guo and Mr. Liu have coordinated with the UAC. Setting this year's $16 million exchange limit for October gives me an excuse to borrow from one peer to another. ”

If you want to speculate, you must have foreign exchange, and you will definitely not be able to borrow it in Vietnam, Ngo Dinh Yao asked curiously: "Who are you going to borrow?" ”

"On the day of the wedding, Jiang Enkai mentioned to me the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, I don't think they will be satisfied with diplomatic relations at the ministerial level, if Mr. Yan and Mr. Yao agree, I want to use this as a condition to ask them to borrow a short-term loan."

Borrowing one or two million dollars will not make a big difference, and if you want to borrow, you must borrow more, and if you look at the neighboring countries and regions, Taiwan will only be able to borrow money.

Thinking that the brother was not a little stingy, and had provided millions of Piast worth of aid from last year to now, and sent a medical team of 10 people, Ngo Dinh Yen smiled and asked, "Are they willing to borrow it?" ”

"Short-term loans, turn around in a few months, and it's not that they don't pay back, and besides, the emaciated camel is bigger than the horse, and they can still get one or two million dollars."

In front of Taiwan, Ngo Dinh Diem really has a sense of superiority, and Taiwan has always sought to establish diplomatic relations, because as a permanent member of the United Nations, they need to brush up their presence in this way, and they need to demonstrate their "great power status" in this way.

Wu Tingyan weighed it again and said with a smile: "Go and talk to them, as long as you provide an interest-free loan of 20 million US dollars, you will upgrade diplomatic relations at the minister level to the ambassador level." ”

The government has helped, and it cannot be without a little benefit.

Li Weimin looked back at Wu Tingyao, smiled evilly and said: "They don't count interest, I calculate the interest to the government, and if I make money in the future, I will squeeze out a part of it to develop the military industry." ”

The industrial village plan is like a bottomless pit, and no amount of money is thrown into it.

Despite this, Dinh Dieh still supported it with all his heart, because only if the industrial village plan is successful, the government will not be controlled by others everywhere as it is now, he thought about it, lit a cigarette and said: "For the people, I haven't moved the handling fee for applying for passports for overseas nationals. ”

"Thank you."

Wu Tingyan sighed lightly and said solemnly: "Thank you, I'm ashamed to say it, as a president, I can't get money when I am most short of money." ”

He pointed out that he couldn't use the foreign exchange reserves of the State Bank, and it was quite aggrieved to think about it, Li Weimin immediately diverted the topic: "In addition to borrowing money from the Republic of China, I plan to borrow more from Chinese-funded banks in Southeast Asia." Commercial lending always has to have a name, so the next industrial investment company is to set up an airline, make it lively, and make it like that. ”

To set up an airline, you need to buy an airplane, and to buy an airplane requires a lot of money.

How could Wu Tingyan not know what his idea was, he took off his glasses and said with a smile: "I will attend the inauguration ceremony and promise to help you make a lively scene." ”

Money must be borrowed, and airlines must be established, otherwise how to evacuate overseas Chinese in Indonesia in the future.

After the goal was achieved, Li Weimin repeatedly told him to keep this matter secret, so he rushed to the Legation of the Nationalist Government in Saigon non-stop, and used the last bit of time before going to the United States to reunite with his wife, and in an unofficial capacity, he negotiated with Minister Yuan, who had just taken office, on the matter of "financial aid diplomacy." (To be continued.) )