Fatal Strike: Mercenary Road of Gunfire Ranger
Chapter 121: Great Undertaking

Chapter 121: Chapter 121: Great Undertaking

Blood Fox asked Mountain Eagle what he wanted to do, Mountain Eagle found it difficult to answer concisely because he wanted a lot!

Mountain Eagle had once climbed a relatively high position through the world’s most convoluted food chain and once believed he had the chance to reach even higher.

But in the past two days, he suddenly realized something, recognized the vastness of the world, and understood that whether it’s above ground or underground, if one could reach the end, the result would be the same.

This realization was very stimulating for Mountain Eagle, and it also acted as a motivation!

He never hoped he could completely clean up his act, but he hoped that one day he could freely reunite with his wife and children.

Initially, he thought about establishing a safe zone, but later he realized he could do much more...

By getting hold of the smugglers and establishing enough credibility and prestige, he would have a chance to monopolize the refined oil market in Kamui through business competition.

The core of the refined oil trade is not about making money by reselling refined oils, but by establishing local consumption habits of refined oils, and to limitedly influence or even guide the movements of both smuggler ships and legitimate ships.

What many people don’t know is that due to tax issues, the export price of refined oils from Hua Country is about 45% lower than the price used by Hua Country people themselves.

Currently, the price of petrol in Thailand fluctuates around 35 Thai Baht per liter, whereas the landing price of exported petrol from Hua Country is approximately 21 Thai Baht per liter.

Due to the ASEAN trade privileges, the cost of imported petrol including taxes will not exceed 23 Thai Baht per liter, with diesel offering even higher profits.

This price is very competitive in Thailand; even purely doing refined oil business is profitable.

However, this business already has players; Mountain Eagle wanting to enter means he needs to create demand and establish a market first, then he could have a chance to compete with those giant companies.

The easiest starting point is obviously the smugglers, as they all are significant fuel consumers.

This type of super heavy asset investment is somewhat like a pipe dream for the current Mountain Eagle, but he knows that any business, if carefully considered, could find a solution.

Mountain Eagle hails from a corporate giant, unlike ordinary people watching the prime-time news, he is willing and able to research and access some insider information, thus understanding some key national strategic messages.

Hua Country has commissioned the construction of a northern oil pipeline in Thailand, expected to be completed in 5-8 years, at which time Giant Petrochemical will occupy a large share of the fuel market in Thailand.

The strategic intention here does not need further discussion; for Mountain Eagle, whether he can leverage this development is key to succeeding in the refined oil trade.

He’s setting up a trade company, not meaning he’s renting ships to drag oil back from Hua Country...

A small 30,000-ton MR oil tanker, the price of one oil shipment is at least 140 million RMB or 20 million US Dollars, and the imported oil would still need storage rental...

Such a level of investment is something Mountain Eagle absolutely cannot afford!

However, just because Mountain Eagle can’t afford it doesn’t mean he can’t leverage the capabilities of Giant Petrochemical...

To coordinate with the northern fuel pipeline that will be completed in a few years, maximizing energy influence and simultaneously maximizing profits...

Giant Petrochemical has already acquired part of the shares of Thailand’s largest ’SUSCO refined oil and aviation fuel sales company’ and will undoubtedly purchase 49% of this company’s shares when the northern pipeline is completed to maximize benefits.

However, Thailand’s laws limit full ownership acquisitions, meaning the SUSCO brand cannot be altered.

In 2014, promoting the brand in Thailand, increasing influence, and maximizing market share are things Giant Petrochemical has always wanted to do, but so far, they haven’t seen much success.

During this period, as long as Mountain Eagle owns 5-10 large gas stations and can create a scalable effect in a small area, he can pull substantial investments from Giant Petrochemical.

Kamui is a famous tourist destination in Thailand. Entering its fuel market and expanding influence there provides much greater returns than the strenuous efforts of Giant Petrochemical in setting up one or two gas stations in Bangkok.

The difficulty of Hua Country enterprises going overseas is hard for ordinary people to imagine; differences in language, living habits, ideologies, and regulatory restrictions make it quite difficult for Hua Country people and enterprises to integrate locally.

Thus, finding local consultants, or simply partnering with local insiders has become a choice for these giants overseas.

And Mountain Eagle is aiming to establish a ’local insider’ persona!

Mountain Eagle doesn’t even need to show up, he just needs a lawyer to contact Giant Petrochemical’s Hong Kong Island branch, telling them he’s willing to give up 49% of the gas station shares while willing to add the Giant Petrochemical brand, they just need to come and verify the gas station really exists, then money is hardly an issue.

Many people think some things are difficult, or even impossible, but in reality, it’s because of professional and informational barriers, blocking ordinary people from venturing into so-called high-end business opportunities.

In the end, all physical businesses are essentially about value exchange, fundamentally not much different from a prostitute selling services.

What one needs to consider is what value they can provide and what they can exchange for it.

How to maximize one’s value is what truly tests a person’s capabilities!

As all the girls in K know, heavy makeup, short skirts are essential, yet many don’t even know how to get along with the boss, eventually feeling unrecognized and then giving up on themselves.

Packaging, publicity, value display, industry complementation, business endorsement...

Whoever can find the most suitable clients and maximize their own value is the top commercial expert.

Mountain Eagle is among the best!

Moreover, he now has a significant advantage, which is building his business entity by understanding the other party’s needs combined with his own.

This simplifies many things!

As long as there is a gas station, fuel will no longer be an issue...

Whether it’s skimming a bit of refined oil exported to Thailand from Giant Petrochemical through the trading company, or directly supplementing it through maritime smuggling, neither is difficult.

Refined oil is so cheap in nearby Malaysia!

The landed cost of domestic exported refined oil is about 4.4 RMB per liter, while the market price at Malaysian gas stations is only 3.5 RMB per liter.

Operating legal companies and using partial illegal smuggling activities to fill the financial gaps caused by initial heavy investments and future business competition.

Using his police status to squeeze fishermen and tourist boats, using the pretext of cracking down on smuggling to squeeze smugglers, he could even sell the fuel a bit cheaper, which over time would create consumer habituation.

Once the quantity is up, profits naturally follow, and with an industrial foundation, subsequent financing for expansion becomes easy.

With the Giant Petrochemical brand in front and protected by Paiso, the success rate for this endeavor is very high!

Moreover, successful operations could generate new business, as gas stations operate on cash. If managed properly, it can create a huge siphoning effect, attracting money to Kamui where there is great room for maneuvers...

As long as he can firmly establish himself in Kamui, he could leverage this foothold to pry open an even larger market.

At that time, it won’t be just about simple trading; Mountain Eagle wants more, much more!

Being a mercenary is not considered a high-end profession in Mountain Eagle’s mind; he is willing to fight for the fire in his heart but is not willing to fight for a pitifully small amount of remuneration.

But everything ultimately boils down to money...

Mountain Eagle must participate in the job in Russia and then use the money, alongside the impact caused by the coup in Thailand, to earn enough startup capital to really get started.

This complex situation can’t be simply explained by Mountain Eagle in a few words. Facing Blood Fox’s confusion, after several minutes of thought, Mountain Eagle said, "I want to establish a business of my own in Kamui. I have already figured out how to start...

What I will do next depends on how the business develops and how much capital I can accumulate."

Saying this, Mountain Eagle looked at the two perplexed old men, thought again, and then said, "Kamui for me is like a place of rebirth, its location is very promising, but it needs money to operate...

You hand over the money to me, and I will use it to the best of my ability to make a profit and then try to fill the gaps in Arctic Fox’s pension fund.

If I fail, I will honestly take over that pension and do what you want me to do."

Blood Fox isn’t very interested in tangible businesses, but he has great confidence in Mountain Eagle.

He actually doesn’t care much about making money, although he understands that the difficulties he faces are due to lack of funds...

But he is even more aware that, given his age and abilities, he is destined not to make the kind of big money that could solve the problems he cares about.

The 5 million commission from Russia, whether a second one could ever be encountered is still in question.

Continuously taking on small tasks to subsidize the pension gap is not only inadequate but also a massive waste of his time and energy.

So from the day he met Mountain Eagle and decided to bring him into the partnership, he regarded Mountain Eagle as his successor.

Connections, experience, money, including the responsibilities brought by the pension.

Blood Fox, a cunning old man, might not have a great business mind, but his judgment of people is very accurate.

Although Mountain Eagle did not nod in agreement to his request, the proposed ’buy-in’ approach has essentially taken on part of the responsibility.

For now, it is enough for Blood Fox, at least until he dies.

And he believes that once he is gone, Mountain Eagle will definitely help continue fulfilling his life’s value.

The problem with Arctic Fox’s pension fund is not really about the amount of money but the fact that some contents in the original contract were unreasonable, making the pension a huge burden...

Even as generations of Arctic Fox members rotated, those currently active on the battlefield also had complaints about the pension.

Because they’ve become cautious, casualties have decreased, but still, 10% of earnings from every operation are to be handed over.

Blood Fox can’t solve this problem because overturning the contract would be denying his own life’s work of the past decades.

But he believes Mountain Eagle can!

The old man rubbed his slightly swollen temples, stood up, and gestured with his hands, "My money is all yours, both deposits and commissions...

I’ll find the accountant, the lawyer, the dealer...

I’m leaving tomorrow, as soon as I arrive in Moscow, the first $2.5 million commission will arrive, and maybe we will have more opportunities to make deals in Moscow.

You stay in Kamui and do your thing, and fly to Moscow a week later. When you arrive, don’t look for me; just coordinate with me and Mi Lu from the periphery..."

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