America 1982

On the third day, Tommy Hawke received a call from Tony from Yarmouth, Canada. It was similar to what Tommy had judged. There was a complete cigarette sales network there, but Tony was a little unhappy. He was very unhappy. willingly.

Because according to Tommy's explanation, Tony first arrived in Portland, across the bay from Yarmouth, Canada, and only revealed the information that his home was in Missouri, the United States, to the local Italian tour guide who paid for him. Some Italians who opened grocery stores in Portland took the initiative to chat with him about the common cigarette business between the United States and Canada.

It's very simple. Missouri is a major tobacco-growing province and has the lowest tobacco tax in the entire United States. Tony said that his family lives in Missouri. In the eyes of these Italians, this already shows that his family is likely to be engaged in cigarette-related business. , either growing tobacco leaves or processing tobacco leaves.

If it is true, then both parties can cooperate to sell cigarettes to Canada.

This kind of cigarette business is so common that even the Canadian government has become numb. After all, even the U.S. government can withstand its strong indignation every year and shamelessly treat the American Tobacco Company's processing ship coming to the high seas near Canada to produce cigarettes for a few months. No, how could they expect Americans under such a powerful government to respect Canadian laws.

Take Marlboro cigarettes as an example. Nearly 30% of the Marlboros smoked by Canadian smokers today are not purchased through formal channels recognized by the Canadian government.

In other words, Canada approves the import of 5 million boxes of Marlboro every year, but statistics show that 6.5 million boxes are sold in the country. Where does the extra 1.5 million boxes without tax come from? It's already obvious.

Canadian smokers are also keen to buy this kind of imported cigarettes of unknown origin. It’s not that Canadian smokers are unpatriotic, it’s just that the money in their pockets is not worthy of their love for Canada.

Canada's tobacco tax is too high. A pack of Marlboros costs less than four dollars for New Yorkers in the United States. Smokers can't help but curse the mayor. However, a pack of Marlboros sold through regular channels in Canada is priced at the equivalent of five dollars. .

If you think the price of American products is too high, you can only buy local Canadian cigarette brands such as Belmont, which have the same taste as Shit.

And in order to prevent Canada from using smokers to support domestic products, American tobacco companies even planned an operation that made the Canadian government swear. A Canadian medical organization received an unknown amount of public relations fees and produced a copy of I don’t know where it came from. The investigation report was widely advertised to the Canadian people, saying that after investigation and comparison, it was found that regular smoking of Belmont cigarettes can easily cause serious and irreversible damage to the heart.

The only thing missing from the entire investigation report is the line "Treasure your own life, please buy American brand cigarettes".

Tony was originally very happy that the Italian compatriots in Portland regarded him as a visitor from Missouri, because he thought that the other party was prepared to negotiate business with him at the price of Marlboro, which was legally sold in Missouri.

For this reason, he, who is not good at mathematics, carefully calculated the profit. The normal price of a pack of Marlboros in Missouri is 2.6 US dollars per pack, but they only get 40 cents from the factory. This means that if the business is finalized, one box of Marlboro will earn Nearly two dollars, one piece earns nearly 20 dollars, one box earns nearly one thousand dollars, two hundred boxes is 180,000 yuan.

But he soon discovered that the idiot was not the Italians, but himself. The local Italians had long been used to this kind of business and knew the ex-factory price of tobacco factories. They just believed that Tony had a stable supply of goods, and were not prepared to do anything like this. It's like a fool rushing into the supermarket on Black Friday and buying as much as he hears the price of two yuan per box.

Especially after hearing that Tony was only willing to trade near the high seas of Yarmouth and not even sail into territorial waters, the other party directly quoted the price of over US$275 per box, which made Tony almost lose control and want to run away on the spot. low price.

"Tommy, a box of Marlboros costs five dollars in Canada, but they only pay us fifty-five cents per box." After hearing that Tommy agreed to cooperate at this price, Tony on the other side of the phone said very reluctantly. : "All the profits were made by those profiteers."

"Tony, you can't go to Canada to sell boxes of them yourself. Cigarette dealers also need profits. Since we have decided to trade in the safest and safest way, we must be prepared to give more profits to those who take risks. Get ready." Tommy Hawke said calmly: "I don't find it strange to trade at this price."

"I asked if we could deliver to the city they designated..." Tony said.

Before Tony could finish speaking, Tommy interrupted him decisively: "No, it's on the high seas. Don't step into it for more than one kilometer."

"And then watch them make hundreds of thousands or more using our goods?" Tony's breathing was heavy on the other side of the phone: "Tommy, as long as..."

Tommy Hawke once again interrupted Tony and said slowly: "Tony, take a deep breath, calm down, and think about it differently. You can earn fifteen thousand yuan just by driving a fishing boat out to sea, deducting From bank interest and expenses, we can get 14,000 yuan. Before that, you only earned 80 yuan a week, and I only earned three yuan every hour through hard work part-time. We earn a lot of money in one day and one night. You may not be able to earn money, but it’s already a lot. Never be too greedy. You have to control money, not be controlled by money, and don’t lose your mind by those numbers.”

"Yes, it's already a lot, don't be greedy." Tony took a few deep breaths on the phone, and then asked with some uncertainty.

Tommy said: "Think about what you once reminded me, don't do something stupid. We want to come back with the money and bring Bethea home, instead of doing something stupid and sending ourselves to a Canadian prison." Thinking of Ashley, thinking of her.”

"OK, you're right, brother." Tommy calmed down: "When I heard those fucking numbers, I felt like I couldn't control myself. Oh my god, you're right. OK, remember the communication station of the other fishing boat. With the intercom channel, I will wait for you on the fishing boat. When are you going to set off?"

Tommy Hawke glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. The hour hand pointed to eleven o'clock at noon: "We will go to sea at three o'clock in the afternoon and we will arrive in the Gulf of Maine at two or three o'clock in the morning. You can go and have a good sleep now." , you will be the one to drive the boat on the return trip."

"Let those bastards make more money, I want... Shit! I forgot another thing, see Tommy then!" Tony suddenly remembered something and hung up the phone in a hurry.

Putting the phone receiver back in place and putting away the contact record he had just made, Tommy Hawke stood up and picked up the suitcase that he had prepared early and filled with clothes and tools to keep out the cold late at night. Before he could take a step, Tommy Hawke entered the master bedroom. The door was already opened, and Melonie came out holding a life jacket in her left hand and a large trolley suitcase in her right hand.

"First of all, you should know that Tony and I know how to drive a fishing boat out to sea since we were fourteen years old. We are more proficient than driving, right?" Tommy glanced at the life jacket in the other's hand: "Secondly, in the sea area we are traveling in, the number of offshore fishing boats is more than Even if there are more fish, I’m afraid that within thirty seconds of falling into the water, you will be crushed to death by countless lifebuoys thrown by passing fishing boats. The way you look now is very hurtful.”

Melonie opened the door of the apartment, stepped out of the house first, and said without looking back: "This is sarcasm, Tommy, you are so smart, can't you see that this is a retaliation for your distrust of me last time?"