John Wilson Bullock Jr. shook his head as hard as he could, trying to wake himself up from the hangover of two days of happy reunions with his old comrades, who had given him a big party when he was serving in Germany, but he couldn't be happy, because they had told him some bad news along with the big party.

In Europe, the United States seems to be building two more large military bases, but not the US Army, but the Air Force, one in Italy and one in Spain.

This means that no matter how many troops are stationed at those two bases, it has nothing to do with him, a former lieutenant colonel who came out of the army to start a business, because he can only bid, but even if he uses the toilet instead of thinking in the brain, he can understand that the probability of his company getting the business is almost equal to zero, after all, the Air Force has to give priority to taking care of his own family, and there are not a few contractors who are born as air force officers.

What's worse is that the U.S. Army has increased its garrisons in South Korea and Japan, although his company claims to be responsible for all the mail delivery business of the U.S. Army's overseas garrison, but in fact, the company is not his alone, several founders cooperate, each has his own territory, his home field, is Germany, most of his contacts are concentrated here, the other party's business is rising, and his own business is declining, which means that the right to speak in the company will also change with the change of performance.

"USSR, Come on! Why can't you do the 81 exercise again? Thinking of this, he couldn't help but curse in his mouth.

In 81, it was a good year for him, when a Soviet military exercise made all the heads of state in Europe pee their pants in fright, and they wanted to kneel down and beg the Americans to come from their homes to garrison their troops, so as not to wake up to hundreds of Soviet soldiers standing outside the door shouting at themselves.

It was also at that time that he left the army to start a business, relying on his connections in the U.S. Army and his father-in-law's family's background in Germany, he was able to co-found the Knight Express Company with several friends in the military who thought the same thing, and it was logical that the company became a contractor for the U.S. Army, taking over the delivery business of the Army's overseas bases.

At that time, Germany, with more than 100,000 American soldiers, was the most important market for the company, as indispensable as his position in the company.

It's just that who would have thought that the Soviet Union, which frightened the whole world, would decline so quickly.

Germany now has only more than 70,000 American soldiers, and if he does not complete the transformation as soon as possible, it will not be long before the Pentagon's bigwigs with great appetites will be dissatisfied with him because of the shrinking profits, and he will almost be swept away.

"Mr. Bullock, there's a call from a gentleman named Tommy Hawk." Outside the bedroom door, the personal assistant knocked lightly on the door and spoke.

Wilson Bullock thought for a moment, and he thought he should have heard the name, but he didn't have any impression: "Who is he?" ”

"Former president of SSD at Stanford University in California, he said that he happened to meet a girl who claimed to be your daughter Sandra at a film industry party, she was almost taken advantage of by an unscrupulous director in Los Angeles, and he was very surprised to learn that you were Sandra's father, so he called to confirm, if it was Ling's daughter, he would teach that director a lesson, if it wasn't ......"

"Don't you need to call Sandra to confirm this kind of thing?" Wilson frowned, walked over and opened the door, staring at his assistant with disgruntled eyes and asked.

The assistant nodded slightly: "I asked Sandra, she is indeed in Los Angeles, and she is indeed auditioning for an actor in a movie." ”

"Why can't she learn from her sister, go to law school, and become a lawyer? I knew that in the film industry, she would be in trouble sooner or later, just like her mother did when she was younger. Wilson took the phone from the assistant, dialed back the number, and waited for a man over there to say Hello, and then Wilson said with a smile:

"Let me hear, which SSD guy did my daughter a small favor?"

"Sir, Tommy Hawke, Stanford's SSD Class of 1987 alumni are here for you." Tommy was on the phone, introducing himself in a humble tone: "I happened to meet a famous ...... at a party in Hollywood."

Wilson said with some disapproval: "It's my daughter, Tommy, the assistant just told me, thank you, when I have time to go to California, I must thank you in person, speaking of which, Sandra was indeed arrogant and spoiled by her mother, but that is not a reason for her to be provoked by bad people." ”

There are always people looking for opportunities to expand the network of the fraternity, and the young man who calls himself Tommy may have this idea in mind, and Wilson is not averse to this kind of behavior, because he would do the same, but the Stanford-graduated SSD members do not seem to have much in common with the West Point graduate SSD members.

"Of course, I understand, I gave that guy a hard lesson, and he probably won't have to touch a woman again for a week." Tommy said from the computer.

Wilson tugged at the corners of his mouth and smiled: "Just a week? ”

"I understand that it is not enough to quench your anger, sir, but, for the sake of the two hundred million he lent me, and for the sake of my understanding of him, not being able to touch a woman for a week is already very, very serious for him." Tommy explained earnestly on the other end of the phone, "And I guarantee that he has only just had an idea, and he has no chance to act on it." ”

"I want to ...... I remember who you are, Tommy, after all, there aren't many alumni in SSDs who are as young as you and have so much money. Wilson tried to turn his mind when he heard Tommy's words, and understood why he felt like he had heard the name.

The young man's name appeared in the internal magazine, the charity activities of the Veterans Association, as well as some interviews with people, donations within the fraternity, etc., and it seemed that this guy appeared in the internal magazine every once in a while.

"I'm flattered by what you said." Tommy smiled on the other side of the phone and said, "You are a well-known SSD person, my SSD friend at West Point, and said that during his time at school, he would personally wipe the commemorative photos you left in the honor room every day." ”

"I'm past the age I like to be touted, Tommy." Although he knew that the other party was a rich young man, Wilson was still not interested in greeting him, after all, everyone was in different industries.

Tommy paused for a moment on the other side of the phone, then said, "I'm not going to continue to praise you, Mr. Bullock, for the sake of fellow SSD brothers, I would like to remind you in time before ending this call, I am afraid that your business will be in big trouble." ”

"You may lack understanding of me, but I'm never afraid to get in trouble." Wilson was slightly stunned, he didn't expect Tommy to say such a sentence, but his face was calm and he responded lightly.

"Rear Admiral Joseph Smith is planning to leave the Admiralty and prepare for the establishment of an overseas transportation company to provide convenient services to American military personnel overseas, and I understand that some Pentagon bigwigs are very interested in his thinking."

"Stanford's boys like you like to talk about it? You guys at Stanford do a better job of intelligence than we do at West Point? ”

"It's not Stanford, it's the Naval Academy, two young people from the SSD of the Naval Academy who previously helped Mr. Joseph Smith with entrepreneurial ideas, one is called Tony Leon, who is the former president of the SSD Naval Academy Chapter and is now serving on a cruiser, and the other is called Eric Smith, who is the former vice chairman of the SSD Naval Academy Chapter and is currently serving on the USS Kennedy, by the way, the second is named Eric, who is the youngest son of Mr. Smith."

"Why do you know their plans so well?" Hearing Tommy say the detailed names of the people, not like a joke, Wilson frowned and asked suspiciously.

Tommy spoke in a flat voice: "Tony Leon, it was supposed to be called Tony Hawk, he is my brother. ”

"You know what? I like to talk to the young people in the SSD, and it always reminds me of myself when I was younger, I just finished working in Germany and was about to fly back home, I mean, maybe I can thank you in person for saving my daughter. Wilson said as he looked out the window.

Tommy said, "Can I bring a reporter, I mean, when I go to visit, can I have one of my reporters do an interview for you?" I have two television networks, and journalists are greedily collecting all kinds of news and interviews they can find, and you, an expert on the situation in Germany, attract them like honey. ”

"Of course, I also like to talk to people about Germany, after all, I've been here for 20 years."

"Thank you very much, last little question, your daughter has a misunderstanding of me, she doesn't think I saved her, but thinks that I have something to do with you, and deliberately approaches her."

"I'll remember to explain it for you."

When he hung up the phone, he turned to look at his assistant: "Call Washington and let people know that a Rear Admiral named Joseph Smith of the Pentagon's Admiralty is leaving the Admiralty to prepare for the opening of a transportation company?" ”

The assistant went to the living room to make a call, and half an hour later, he walked in and said to Wilson Bullock, who was shaving in the mirror:

"Sir, what I understand suggests that the other side is indeed planning to open a transportation company, and unconfirmed grapevine rumours that two Assistant Chiefs of Operations in the Admiralty may hold shares."

“Shit！ The kid didn't brag and helped me book the fastest flight back home, and I had to go to Washington first...... No, to go to Los Angeles, I have to figure out what kind of transportation business can steal our orders. ”

On the viewing balcony of Paradise Manufacturing Film Company in Los Angeles, when Tommy hung up the phone, Stephen was staring at Tommy with an unkind face and asked:

"So, I'm now the unscrupulous filmmaker who tried to ** his daughter in the eyes of Mr. Wilson-Bullock? And you're going to teach me a hard lesson for him, so that I can't touch a woman for a week? ”

"Yes, I'm going to call Mr. Page and let him teach you a hard lesson." Tommy said with a smile to Stephen.

Stephen clasped his arms: "Good, I'd like to see it." ”

"Mr. Page, call Madame and say I'll help Stephen prepare twenty girls for his little party tonight, and I'll pay the bills, and if the girls can make Stephen's clubs uninteresting to women for a week, I'll pay 20 percent more." Tommy said to Mr. Paige, who was standing not far away.

After listening to Tommy's words, Stephen hesitated for a moment and said to Tommy, "Can I appoint the girl myself?" ”

"No, Mr. Page, pay attention to the other party's offer, if the total price exceeds 60,000 yuan, help Stephen change the color of the roadside, after all, the inflammation of the club can also give him a week of recuperation." Tommy reacted immediately and added to Mr. Paige, who was dialing the number.

Stephen scolded with a smile, and then said curiously to Tommy, "Can't you be civilized?" Can you always say it out loud with a straight mind? Also, just now in the room, you just bragged to the chick named Sandra that you were fooling around with other women, and although Otilia and Diane were talking, I'm sure she should be able to hear it, do you know what I mean? Although Otilia does not have tattoos, she is also an important member of CS. ”

"Don't worry, she knows that I just deliberately bragged and opened my mouth, and I bragged to her last time that I had a leg with Sophia, and she didn't believe it at all." Tommy patted Stephen on the shoulder: "But thank you for the kind reminder." ”

"But everyone in the room except her and Zoe knows you're not bragging, buddy, if...... If the chick you hurt tells Otilia that you're really fooling around, how do you explain it to her? Stephen asked suspiciously, seeing Tommy's disapproving expression.

Tommy is indeed a bastard expression that is unscrupulous, open-mouthed, and likes to brag in front of all women, but in fact, every cow that this guy bragged will slowly come true, if Ottilia really learns that Tommy's words are not casual bragging, but facts......

"She won't believe it, my father-in-law told her that he had arranged for her to have a bunch of private detectives to spy on me for her, and if I betrayed my love, he would immediately let his precious daughter leave me, and Otilia would believe her father even if she didn't believe me." Tommy hesitated for a moment before looking at Stephen and giving the answer:

"But in fact, my father-in-law and I have made a vow that we will never hurt each other, and will always stand up when the other party is in danger, help each other wash away their grievances, and prove each other's innocence, and I have helped him more than once."

"......" Stephen looked at Tommy speechlessly.

He asked himself that he had countless friends around him, but no one could compare to Tommy in terms of shamelessness, and before that, he had never heard of anyone who could establish an offensive and defensive alliance with his future father-in-law on the matter of cheating, and vowed to help each other prove their innocence.

"By the way, you want to try dating this girl named Sandra, right?" As if remembering something, Tommy asked Stephen, "I can help you." ”

Stephen sighed, "You've helped me, Tommy, you've made an absolutely deep impression on that woman's father, and I've taken the initiative to extinguish my thoughts about her in order to avoid him breaking my third leg." ”

"No thanks." Tommy looked at Stephen, "I can continue to help you." ”

After the phone call, the two returned to the studio, Ottilia was still communicating with Diane Lynne about the New York Broadway revue that they were both interested in, and Matt Dillon had already said goodbye and left, he had no psychological pressure, because he didn't need Tommy's approval, he had already been promised by Stephen.

Sandra Bullock had no interest in the movie because of Tommy's previous words, she came over to greet everyone politely, and was about to say goodbye, but as soon as she spoke, she saw the disgusting bastard looking at herself with a smile:

"Miss Bullock, I don't think you need to leave in a hurry, but wait for your father to come tomorrow and leave with him after Zoe's interview."

"You've always been so hasty in asking people for interviews? I haven't had time to prepare the question yet. Zoe was stunned when she heard Tommy's words, although she hadn't officially resigned to help Tommy get started, and there was no need to question Tommy's work arrangement now, but it was clear that Tommy's decision seemed to be too hasty.

"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter what questions you ask him, the questions he asks me are important." Tommy glanced at Zoe: "Anyway, it's just used to fill up the time when the broadcast starts." ”

Sandra thought Tommy was joking, but when she called her father, his assistant told her that they were indeed preparing to return home, not to Washington, but to Los Angeles.

It is impossible that her father cares about her condition, since she insisted on studying performing arts like her mother, her father has completely ignored her, and instead cared about his younger sister who was willing to follow her father's advice and be admitted to law school.

It could only be that this guy named Tommy Hawke has the presence of interest to his father.

This made Sandra feel as if Tommy's nonsense was not a joke, he was not interested in himself, and he didn't need to catch up with his father on his own.

It was already noon the next day when Wilson Bullock met Tommy, and he didn't even want to wait until the evening to have dinner with Tommy, because he had already received the positive news that Joseph Smith was indeed preparing to start a freight company, and that the other partners of his company were all as ignorant as he was.

The connections of these people in the Pentagon are not as good as those of a young man who graduated from Stanford University? Nothing like that could happen in the Arabian Nights.

As for Zoe's interview and camera footage, it took place during the meal, and while eating, Wilson answered Zoe's impromptu questions with a smile.

When the interview was over, and without even Tommy opening his mouth, Wilson offered to help Zoe introduce some of her comrades in Germany, so that she would have the opportunity to interview them up close after she went to Germany.

At the end of the meal, Tommy asked Page to take Zoe and Sandra to the Broadway theater in Los Angeles with Ottilia, while he and Wilson Bullock went back to BT TV's corporate headquarters patio for coffee.

"It's not a good feeling to know that someone is about to rob your business, even if Joseph Smith is my close SSD brother." Wilson-Bullock looked at the San Fernando Valley and said, "But what makes me feel even worse is how did you know about it?" ”

"I wrote that plan." Tommy looked at Wilson Bullock calmly, "My father would have funded 15% of that company on my brother's behalf. ”

"When I think of this, why do you tell me that I deserve more respect than your father?" Wilson smiled.

"I just want to ask Mr. Bullock to help my news network open up the situation in Germany, you have no connections in those military bases in Germany, you even do material business with East Germany, I mean, my news network in East Germany, West Germany wants to gain a foothold, make news interviews into business, you can find the most secure, the most trusted, you are the only one, after all, you mentioned in the internal magazine that there are some trade business in East Germany." Tommy said frankly.

Wilson was amused by Tommy: "So robbing my business is trusting me, and what kind of transportation business is it that makes you sure you can snatch my order?" ”

"Nothing, I just provided an idea, and the details were all conceived by my brother and Mr. Joseph Smith." Tommy said very calmly, as if the ideas he provided were just trivial things that weren't worth mentioning:

"The idea is to do passenger and cargo air transportation business at large military bases overseas in the United States, and each base will open one passenger flight and one cargo flight every week, such as taking off from the US military base in Stewart, Germany, and flying directly to New York or Philadelphia, so as to avoid those American soldiers who protect the world from wasting their precious vacation time on trivial matters such as transferring or rushing to the international airport, so that they can have a few more hours to spend with their families.

Tommy didn't need to say more, just a few words made Wilson Bullock's forehead quietly ooze a layer of sweat.

He is a former officer who came out of the army, and he knows that the Pentagon bigwigs will not be able to reject this idea, not only the bigwigs will not refuse, but the giants in the industry, those large defense contractors will even take the initiative to promote this business and make it happen.

According to the regulations on overseas garrisons, the infrastructure construction fees of the US military's overseas bases are paid by the countries where they are located, and the 1,701 overseas bases in the United States have more than 500 stationed people, and there are at least six or seven hundred of them that are called large-scale, and if they are connected with large-scale passenger transportation, then the airports of the bases must need to be expanded, and those large defense contractors who contract the infrastructure business of the US military will be able to start lobbying work as long as they learn of this idea, and the passenger and cargo business may be disdainful in the eyes of those real giants, but the airport expansion project of six or seven hundred overseas bases, they will definitely hold it in their hands, and together, that's an astronomical amount.

Moreover, this idea has pinched together many contractors, and companies in the industry that have the opportunity to make money will help Joseph to promote it, rather than Joseph himself to force it out.

The big defense contractors with deep backgrounds got the most lucrative infrastructure business, and the people in the Navy Department were the initiators, got the passenger and freight business of the military's overseas bases, and became the proposers of the whole idea, so to speak, if Joseph Smith had opened a company for a few years and helped the bigwigs make a lot of money, maybe he would probably return to the Pentagon at any time, and at that time, maybe he would be assigned a real power position by the bigwigs.

And passenger and cargo need to purchase aircraft, anyway, those countries pay the bills, and the bigwigs of the Air Force and the factories behind them that make planes can also make a windfall.

And then there are the various commanders of the army base, who also have money in their pockets.

In short, everyone has money to make, and it is impossible for the US federal government to refuse this kind of happy thing, because the United States does not need to pay this account, and only needs to let the garrison countries increase their military spending, and they can reap the friendship of those military bigwigs in the Pentagon, and the US federal government has no reason to oppose it at all.

"Those countries may ...... Perhaps they will not be willing to increase the military spending of the garrison, because the Soviet Union cannot hold on and does not need to pay high military spending. Wilson Bullock tried to give a reason for his disapproval, but he felt a little weak.

"It's just that even the Soviet Union can't hold on, so who else do you think would dare to say No to the United States? Our soldiers have guarded those countries for so long, and it is only natural that they will receive some interest. Tommy spoke:

"You can think more boldly, maybe there is no need for real freight business at all, sign the contract order, once the Soviet Union collapses halfway, the order will continue to take effect, and those countries will pay obediently according to the contract, they have no choice, I just want a fair and bright reason, to help everyone in the army earn some pocket money."

Wilson Bullock has nothing to say, and the fact that the other party can generously tell him the general idea shows that Joseph Smith has been preparing for a long time in private, and many links have been opened, even if he returns to Washington now to try to remedy it, I am afraid that he has no power to go back.

"Thank you for helping my news network expand its business in Germany, and I hope my news is timely for you." Tommy took a sip of his coffee and looked ready to end the meeting.

"I think we have different opinions on the word timely." Wilson smiled bitterly and said: "You are really a warm-hearted person, and you help the officers think of a reason to extort military expenses from various countries without asking for anything in return?" ”

"It's not blackmail, it's a win-win cooperation." Tommy corrected that word in Wilson's discourse:

"Those routes are operated by their own airlines, and the air ticket revenue belongs to them, but for the sake of safety, you need to buy an aircraft whose safety is recognized by the US military, after all, there are still some differences between American military personnel and ordinary passengers."

Hearing Tommy's words, Wilson felt that he was really old, just relying on the military background to make some small money, and always worrying, looking at the young people in front of him, it doesn't matter whether the airport is repaired or not, and it doesn't matter whether the route is opened or not, so he directly asked those countries to provide a military expenditure, and there are plenty of reasons, the other party does not dare to refuse, after all, which country dares to refuse, the US military can definitely let the local US garrison break out a little, so that the other party can feel the dissatisfaction of the American soldiers who came from afar to defend the homeland for them.

Tommy continued: "I can't help if it's timely, after all, I just know your daughter, or if my journalist is based in Asia and Europe can get your attention, I don't think you won't have the opportunity to join in a piece of the pie, after all, the preparation of such a large business cannot be completed in a day or two." ”

"What kind of care?" Wilson hesitated when he heard Tommy's words, and then asked.

"If war breaks out in the past two years, my reporters will always get more timely information than other reporters, and if there are other foreign reporters who are not open-minded to steal business, I need your friends in the military to be willing to help me under the pretext of preventing leaks, ask them to find a room to sit and sit down, and wait for us to release the news after we finish publishing it." Tommy said with a smile.

Wilson sighed: "Rely on military bases to grow your news network." ”

"Yes." Tommy didn't deny it.

Wilson sighed again: "How much soup can I get?" ”

Tommy took out a business card that he had prepared a long time ago and gently pushed it in front of Wilson with two fingers along the tabletop:

"This is the phone number of Mr. Joseph Smith's assistant, and if you can help to persuade Germany to pay the protection money, I think it should be a number that will satisfy you."

(End of chapter)