Chapter 72: Weapons and Equipment 1

On the docks of Jinling Port, a dozen cargo ships were moored side by side, and the Stars and Stripes fluttered on the masts, rustling in the river wind. A representative of an American arms dealer stood on the pier, saw Li Yuxuan approaching, immediately greeted him with a beaming smile and handed over a thick list.

"Dear Mr. Li, the weapons and equipment you ordered have all been shipped over!" the representative spoke in stiff Chinese, his tone unable to hide his pride. "Our young master specifically instructed us to gather top‑grade gear from around the world; we guarantee you'll be satisfied."

He pointed to the items on the list and introduced them one by one: "There are 500 French Renault FT‑17 tanks, 700 German Fokker D. VII fighter planes, 10 German U‑35 submarines, and one United States 'Saratoga' aircraft carrier—these are all battle‑tested hard‑core machines!"

Finally, he quoted the total price, his tone tinged with a barely perceptible tension: "All the equipment totals 34 million US dollars; at the current exchange rate, that converts to … dollars."

"Sss—" Li Yuxuan inhaled a cold gasp, almost dropping the list in his hand. Staring at that astronomical figure, his scalp tingled and he thought grimly, "I'm doomed. The Young Master must already have a death wish for me."

Yet he had to keep a smile on his face, forcing a dry laugh twice: "Ha ha, why buy so much? I don't recall ordering this many …"

"Oh, Mr. Li, didn't your letter to the young master mention buying as many tanks and aircraft as possible?" the American representative hurriedly produced a telegram. "Look, this is your own handwritten order intent, which says 'as many as we need.'"

Li Yuxuan stared at his own scrawled signature on the telegram, wishing he could slap himself—he had indeed written in a hurry to equip the Fifth Army, and never expected the other side to actually bring the whole fortune.

"Um… don't rush to unload the cargo yet." He steadied himself, patted the representative's shoulder. "I'll go get the money now; you stay here and make sure no one moves this shipment."

In the President's Office's meeting room, Principal Jiang was sighing over the financial statements, while Qian Dajun stood nearby reporting the port's activity.

"I heard Jingxing's weapons and equipment have arrived?" Principal Jiang massaged his temples, his tone laced with ominous foreboding.

"Yes, Chairman," Qian Dajun nodded, "the United States merchant convoy just docked, saying they brought a lot of heavy equipment."

"Al—" Principal Jiang let out a long sigh, leaning back in his chair. "They'll probably demand a few million more dollars right away; just thinking about it hurts. The treasury only has a little surplus, and I fear it'll be drained again."

Qian Dajun hesitated before suggesting, "Chairman, why not leave the President's Office first and hide out at Tangshan Hot Springs for a few days?"

"Fine, fine." Principal Jiang waved his hand, a resigned expression on his face. "It's probably only a few million dollars; we can bite the bullet. We can't let them pull the equipment back—that would be a total loss of face."

As he spoke, a voice from outside the Adjutant called out, "Report—!"

"Enter."

"Chairman Li requests an audience, saying there's an extremely urgent matter."

Principal Jiang tapped the table and gave Qian Dajun a wry smile: "You see what I mean? He's right here. Let him roll in!"

Before the words finished, Li Yuxuan pushed the door open, a slightly flattering smile on his face. Without waiting for Principal Jiang to speak, he "plopped" down on his knees and clutched the principal's leg tightly.

"Jingxing, what are you doing?!" Principal Jiang jumped, nearly falling off his chair. "How disgraceful! Get up right now!"

"Young Master, you have to save me!" Li Yuxuan clung to his leg, his voice trembling. "Please settle the bill, will you? The Americans are waiting at the dock; if we don't pay, they'll take the equipment away!"

"Did I ever say I wouldn't pay?" Principal Jiang, angry and amused, gave him a hard kick, "Let me go! Show me what you're like!"

"First promise to settle it for me, then I'll let go," Li Yuxuan held on tighter, looking like a spoiled child, "Otherwise I won't get up today!"

"Alright, alright, no matter the amount, I'll pay, okay?" Principal Jiang, unable to shake him, reluctantly agreed, "Get up quickly, so outsiders don't see this scene!"

"Okay, thank you, Young Master!" Li Yuxuan instantly released his grip, sprang up, brushed the dust off his pants, the whimper in his voice vanished, and he put on a flattering smile.

Principal Jiang glared at him, asking irritably, "How much in total? Speak quickly, don't delay my official duties."

Li Yuxuan's smile stiffened, he rubbed his hands, his gaze flickered, "Um… this…"

"Speak up! Why are you stammering?" Principal Jiang urged.

"34 million US dollars." Li Yuxuan lowered his head, his voice as faint as a mosquito.

"How much? What did you say?" Principal Jiang, doubting his hearing, raised his voice sharply, "Say it again!"

"34 million US dollars." Li Yuxuan forced himself to repeat, bracing for a scolding.

Principal Jiang was stunned for a moment, then suddenly remembered something, his fingers trembling with anger as he pointed, "What did you say in the previous sentence?"

"Huh?" Li Yuxuan, confused, thought a moment and said, "First, promise to settle it for me?"

"Nianxipi, not good! Get out!" Principal Jiang finally reacted, grabbed the tea cup on the table and smashed it onto the floor, shards scattering everywhere, "34 million US dollars? Why don't you go rob them!"

"Young Master, can't!" Li Yuxuan hurried forward to block him, "The people are waiting outside to settle the bill! If you don't pay, they'll really take the equipment away, and all the money we spent will be wasted."

"34 million US dollars!" Principal Jiang trembled with anger, pointing at his nose, "Did you buy weapons with gold trim or set with diamonds? For that much, you might as well rob a foreign firm!"

"Even robbing a bank can't get that much money?" Li Yuxuan muttered softly, "Besides, these are all good stuff—500 tanks, 700 aircraft, and an aircraft carrier! With these, our Fifth Army can stride across the land!"

"I'm no longer your Young Master; you're my Young Master!" Principal Jiang pointed at his own nose, so angry he could barely speak, "34 million US dollars—do you think selling me for that is worth it? You're trying to drain me dry!"

Seeing his anger flare, Li Yuxuan quickly adopted a pitiful expression and crouched on the ground: "Please, Young Master. We must have this equipment; otherwise the Fifth Army is just an empty shell. Think about it—once we have an aircraft carrier and so many tanks and planes, who could we fear? By then, not only could we unify the nation, we could even strike beyond our borders!"

As he spoke, he covertly watched Principal Jiang's expression, noticing the anger subside a bit, and added, "Besides, the money isn't wasted; the Americans said we can pay in installments—pay half now and settle the rest gradually…"

Principal Jiang looked at him crouched on the floor, resembling a begging dog, feeling both angry and helpless. He knew Li Yuxuan was right; the equipment was indeed crucial for a strong army, but 34 million US dollars was unbearably hot money.

"Al—" he let out a long sigh, as if he'd aged several years in an instant, "How much cash is left in the treasury?"

Qian Dajun quickly replied, "We can probably scrape together ten million US dollars; the rest might require using the cheating fund…"