America’s Big Hero

Chapter 368: The Battle of Phosphate Mine

Morocco, not Monaco.

One in Africa and one in Europe.

Of course, in the impression that Africa is all black, but North Africa is actually all white...

Morocco is 90% white.

As soon as Sean returned to Newark, he asked someone to bring over information about Morocco, Algeria, and Western Sahara, went through it, and focused on a few key points.

Morocco, in 1986, had a GDP of US$19.462 billion and a per capita GDP of US$840. It is dominated by white people, YSL teaches Sunni, and phosphate is the main resource. Its reserves are 110 billion tons, accounting for 75% of the world's reserves, ranking first in the world. Other mineral resources include iron, lead, zinc, cobalt, manganese, barium, copper, salt, magnetite, anthracite, oil shale, etc., among which oil shale reserves are more than 100 billion tons, containing 6 billion tons of crude oil.

The resources are extremely rich, but the poor are constantly fighting.

Algeria, with a GDP of US$63.692 billion in 1986 and a per capita US$2,756, is also dominated by whites and YSL Sunnis. Its oil reserves are about 1.7 billion tons, accounting for 1% of the world's total reserves, ranking 15th in the world, and its recoverable natural gas reserves 4.58 trillion cubic meters, accounting for 2.37% of the world's total reserves, ranking 10th in the world, iron ore reserves are 3 billion to 5 billion tons, lead-zinc ore reserves are estimated to be 150 million tons, uranium ore 50,000 tons, phosphate 20 billion tons and 73 tons of gold.

The resources are extremely abundant, there is money, and there are constant wars.

Western Sahara, here is more interesting. This is a disputed area with unknown sovereignty. The former Spanish colony, Spain withdrew its troops in 1975, and Mauritania announced its renunciation of territorial sovereignty over Western Sahara in 1979. After that, Morocco has always claimed sovereignty over Western Sahara. The XX Front of the Saharan People doesn’t think so. The two sides have been exchanging fire. At present, Morocco has an absolute advantage (Chuan Bao once announced that he recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara, but before that, the United States was unclear).

The phosphate ore reserves that ADM is concerned about are extremely rich, accounting for about 20% of the world's reserves. The reserves of Bukra alone reach 1.7 billion tons. There are modern phosphate mining fields. After the war in 1976, phosphate production fell into a stalemate. Paused, production resumed in 1979.

In the two countries and one region, conflicts continued. The Moroccans rejected Algeria in the west and invaded Western Sahara in the south.

"It's a werewolf!" This is Sean's evaluation of Morocco.

It is difficult to fight, there are beliefs, and very firm areas are like this, especially YSL, which has always been the most difficult bone to crack.

In addition, the forces are intricate. Spain ruled here, and the French ruled here. Although the colonists have retreated now, their influence is still there and will continue to be.

First, the Strait of Gibraltar, which is the only exit from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, is only 14 kilometers wide. Regardless of whether Morocco has the idea of ​​owning it, the strategic location is too important.

Second, the reserves of phosphate mines are too large and abundant, which is an agricultural necessity, and no major country can turn a blind eye to them.

Of course, this is what Sean saw from the relatively brief information at hand. He has never paid attention to this place, and he doesn't know much about it.

After looking at it, Sean gave up. The information is incomplete. The attitude of the four major grain merchants looking for him is unclear, and the request is unknown. Wait.

...

Sean didn't expect ADM to be in such a hurry, and he arrived in Newark the next day.

The person who came was not the president or vice president of ADM, but a director, Belloc Tony, who was enthusiastic and fiery at the first meeting.

The place where Sean talked about things was arranged at the Peace Hotel. Sean likes to talk about things at the wine table.

Drinking, bragging, Belloc Tony started to boast from the first appearance of the umbrella in HK, the British dare not fart, to the battle with Ah San, playing the glory of the Americans, from Yang Wei in the Straits of Malacca, to Bombed YL with overwhelming power, from Lin Meng's blitz to 1.3 billion to HSBC.

Blow, blow to death!

In Belloc Towne's mouth, Sean is already a hero, a national hero of the United States, and the greatest man of the 20th century.

I feel embarrassed that Sean is so thick-skinned.

However, some information disclosed by Belloc Towne when he was bragging also let Sean know that ADM established a branch in HK in 1983 to enter the Southeast Asian region, and began various acquisitions in the Netherlands and Germany in 1986 to enter the European market.

While whistling, Sean suddenly discovered a problem, he seemed to have made a mistake!

The British "Guardian" once described it in a report: "As long as you are alive, you cannot escape the world's four giants."

In a Cargill brochure, it reads: We are the flour in your bread, the wheat in your noodles, the salt in your chips...the chocolate in your desserts, the sweetener in your soft drinks...we are you The beef, pork, or chicken you eat for dinner is the cotton on your clothes and the manure in your fields.

What a simple, warm sentence.

From farmland to dining table, the four major grain merchants control the entire industrial chain, affecting the daily lives of more than 7 billion people around the world.

But that was over 30 years later!

But it is only 87 years now, and the four major grain merchants are still the six major grain merchants. In addition to ABCD, there are also mainland grains and Cook Industries.

ABCD is not yet the top 500 companies in the world.

Listening to Belloc Towne bragging, Sean suddenly raised his hand and touched his chin. Does ADM have any money now?

If ADM is not as good as yourself, what's the point of listening to him bragging?

Can I, Sean, be comfortable with anyone? !

"What does ADM want the umbrella for?" Sean asked suddenly.

Ga...

Belloc Tony froze in place, I blow so hard, why don't you seem to feel anything?

It took a long time for Belloc Tony to react, coughed lightly and said: "Western Sahara, we have some business over there, but you know, it's too chaotic over there, fighting all day long, Moroccans, the Asahara Front, The law and order is extremely chaotic, and we cannot carry out normal production and trade at all, so we hope to hire an umbrella company to maintain the surrounding law and order.”

"It's very expensive. The businesses before Umbrella are all at the national level, Sri Lanka, Xingcheng, Luni, and the US government." Sean said without expression on his face, "The lowest business is one year. $100 million, so what price is ADM going to offer?"

Belloc Tony licked the corner of his mouth. Sean's asking price was too harsh, and the annual profit of the entire ADM was only so much. "Uh, there is no need to make such a big fuss, and there is no need to dispatch battleships. It is the army, um, 500 people."

"I don't think it's high." Sean chuckled, "Even I don't think 200 million is high!"

"How is it possible? This is too crazy. It's just a region in Western Sahara, a very small city!" Belloc Tony jumped up and said, waving his arms.

Sean watched Belloc Tony not speak, and after a long while, he suddenly smiled and said: "Bukla, 100 kilometers southeast of Laayoune. The reserves are about 2 billion tons. Mining began in 1972, and the ore was transported to Laayoune on the Atlantic coast. Playa, select and ship for export."

"Uh, ha, ha ha ha." Belloc Tony let out a polite yet awkward laugh, "I knew we couldn't hide it from Mr. Sean, yes, our target is Bukla."

"Who owns Bukla now." Sean asked.

"A group of mercenaries."

"Mercenaries from that country?"

"Every country has them, motley crew."

"Where is the registration place?"

Belloc Towne: "..."

"Paris."

"Who is Bukla's ore currently supplied to?"

Belloc Towne: "..."

you know too much!

"Louis Dreyfus."

"It's the French."

"What does Mr. Sean mean?" Belloc Tony looked serious, and he could tell that Sean had other plans.

"It's not interesting. Morocco is a mess. Someone needs to open up the situation here." Sean leaned back tactically, looking at Belloc Tony with his nostrils. To support the agent, or the private company can only open the situation."

"I thought, no one is more suitable than me right now, right?"

Belloc Tony was silent.

"YSL people are not easy to deal with, everyone knows this, troublesome, very troublesome, let me fight with YSL people for a little money, I will not do it, there are still many benefits to be absorbed by the umbrella in Southeast Asia, oil, Natural gas, palm oil, wheat, rubber, coconut products, minerals, a lot of things I can do without too much trouble."

"So, give me a reason to get involved in the Moroccan strife."

Belloc Tony was silent for a while, then looked up at Sean, "What do you want sir?"

Shawn spread his hands, "I have a shipping network in South America, North America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. I have controlled terminals, and I can do it myself from mining to transportation."

"Mr. Sean, don't you think it's too much to snatch business like this!" Belloc Tony's face became more and more ugly. He didn't expect that not only did he fail to reach a cooperation with Sean, but it made Sean feel exclusive. It's so annoying.

"Business is business. It's fine if you want to control the Bukela mining area, but you can't just rely on imagination, you have to have strength." Sean smiled at Belloc Tony, "Well, think again, think more. "

"Okay then, Mr. Sean, I'll take my leave first." Belloc Tony stood up, took a deep breath, and forced a smile.

Sean didn't go there after he arrived at the door of the box. After thinking about it, he picked up the phone and called John William Vesey Jr., chatted for a while, and then got down to business, "I want to buy another Kunz-class missile Destroyers, 2 Keeling-class battleships, 2 troop carriers."

"There are so many, do you want to organize another fleet? Where do you put them?" John William Vesey Jr. did not object directly, but asked rhetorically.

"Africa, I'm interested in the phosphate mining industry in Monaco. 90% of the reserves of this essential agricultural phosphate fertilizer are in this region. It is not only of economic value, but also of high strategic value." Sean expressed his thoughts Said a bit.

"Let's meet and talk." Wei Xi said after thinking about it.

Sean didn't let Weixi come here by himself, but sent his own air palace to pick up people. It seemed solemn to spend some money. Sean always knew how to do things, and always gave others enough face. The Secretary of Defense Weinberg also took over.

Sean needs a group of people with international vision to help him refer, this is really not a simple question of how much money to make.

Simply making money, Sean stared at Silicon Valley faster than anything else.

...

"The situation in Africa is different from that in Southeast Asia. Southeast Asia is an island country with a low strategic depth. The missiles on the warships can cover all areas and have sufficient strategic deterrence." Weixi or Map said: "But Africa is different. If you prepare With a foothold in Africa, then the utilization rate of the army far exceeds that of the navy."

"In addition, there have been wars in Africa for many years. At present, it seems that the civil wars in the next ten years will not be quelled. This kind of wars will be mainly small-scale regional conflicts. The probability of large-scale regional wars is not high. It won't be very wide either."

"So, no matter from the perspective of terrain or combat situation, the African region is more suitable for the development of the army and air force, rather than the navy."

"Yes." Weinberg said: "The development of Europe requires raw materials and low-end labor. There is no better than Africa, so Africa will not develop, so there will be wars, and it will be uninterrupted , war is the best way to interrupt development."

"However, the scale of war must be controlled. Large-scale wars will completely stop production, which cannot be allowed."

"The European region will definitely keep the turmoil in Africa within a controllable range, small-scale and long-term, which is easy to control and easy to absorb nutrients."

The two analyzed the problem to Sean from the perspective of war and economy, and Sean nodded frequently.

"That is to say, I can get a foothold in Morocco. In order to cope with the local situation, it is best to vigorously develop the army, tanks, armored vehicles, artillery, radar, land-based missiles, helicopters and fighter jets." Sean on the map of Morocco A little bit.

"There is no need for fighter jets. We are mainly stationed for defense to deter the surrounding area. The cost of land-based anti-aircraft missiles is lower." Weixi thought for a while and said: "Armor troops and missile troops are enough to cooperate with helicopter formations."

"Then make a batch!" Sean slapped on the map of Morocco, "Expand the army!"

"What about the 2,000 people you expanded last time?" Wei Xi asked, he didn't care much about it.

"He Ni left 1,000 houses in the town, and the other 1,000 went to Qatar. The oil guys are really rich. They are afraid that YL will always harass them."

"How many people are there in the umbrella now?"

"More than 4,000, the labor cost alone is 150 million a year, plus warship maintenance, ammunition consumption, various insurances, daily necessities consumption, and zero and other things will cost about 250 million military expenses a year." Xiao En said He couldn't help grinning for a while. If he hadn't signed several regional defense agreements and asked others to help raise him, he really couldn't afford it himself.

"Tsk tsk." Weixi sighed for a while, "This personal weapon looks good and impressive, but the expense is really not something everyone can afford."

"How many people are going to expand this time?"

"Look, I don't know." Sean's current plan is to move hundreds of people from various places and throw them in Morocco to test the water, and then see how to play according to the demand and the profits that can be generated.

"How did you plan to eat it by yourself?" Weinberg asked Sean after seeing that the two had finished chatting about military matters.

"The phosphate mines are very concentrated. This is a natural advantage. Of course I want to control everything in my hands. Then I will have the power to speak." Sean chuckled.

"It's almost impossible. Although Morocco doesn't have much sense of existence, the government will not allow it, and the people will not allow it," Weinberg said.

Sean shrugged, "So I asked you to discuss what to do."

"We need a mining company no matter what, and then we need a terminal that can guarantee safety and customers who buy these ores."

"How about acquiring a fertilizer production company?" Sean raised his eyebrows.

Weinberg glanced at Sean, how greedy!

"If the interest chain is monopolized, it will definitely be resisted by many people in the entire industry chain." Without Sean asking, Weinberg himself said: "For example, for several major grain merchants, the phosphate fertilizer market has a bright future. Mineral deposits are definitely in Morocco, but it’s not that there are no other countries, it’s just a matter of reserves and mining difficulty, they will definitely not watch you choke their throats, absolutely not.”

"Either, you choose to only do mining and not get involved in production, or you recruit some people to join."

"Then what do you mean?" Sean touched his chin, he wanted to hear the opinion of this strategic expert.

"First take control of the entire Moroccan phosphate mine, and then use this as a bargaining chip to exchange equity for other phosphate mine mining companies, and then penetrate upstream and downstream industries, such as docks, warehousing, transportation, and fertilizer production. The right to speak on phosphate mines, and the entire industrial chain has the right to speak."

As he said that, Weinberg looked up at Sean and said, "It's best to invest in ADM, Bunge, and Cargill. In this way, you will be invincible in the entire industrial chain."

Hard enough!

Sean grinned and gave a thumbs up, "The most I want to do is to manipulate the price of ore to threaten people. Good guy, you want to control the entire industrial chain, you are more ruthless than me!"

Weinberg smiled very reservedly, "I personally think that the food strategy can play a very important role in the future international situation. It is very important to the United States, and it is a force that Congress must win over. At the same time, it can also play an important role in the international arena. manipulation."

"Okay, just do what you want." Sean laughed, "It's just that ADM is going to curse."

If Weinberg spread his hands, it has nothing to do with him. He is no longer the Minister of Defense, and ADM has no ability to check and balance Sean.

...

"We, ADM, want to partner with Mr. Sean to establish a mining development company. What does Mr. Sean think?" Within two days, Belloc Towne approached him again.

"The company." Sean looked Belloc Tony up and down, "So, in this company, what is ADM's core competitiveness?"

Ordinary people do business in partnership because one person lacks funds or shares risks, but at Xiao En's level, the core competitiveness of business cooperation is the focus.

"Production and sales." Belloc Tony said in a deep voice: "Our ADM consumes tens of thousands of tons of fertilizer every year and eats all the products."

Sean shook his head, "What does that have to do with Bukla? There are only so many phosphate mines in the world, and I don't need to get involved in production and sales at all."

"Mr. Sean really wants to do the best!" Belloc Tony's face darkened immediately, he gritted his teeth, it's too late to regret it now, he should have found MPRI sooner!

Now that such a guy who eats people and doesn't spit out his bones is brought out, MPRI will definitely not accept this task in order to avoid conflicts.

You can look at other security companies around the world...

What's the matter, as far as the record of the umbrella is concerned, Belloc Tony himself has no confidence in those small security companies.

"Business is business. ADM can't show its core competitiveness. What does that have to do with me." Sean raised his hand and licked his ears.

"That bank, Mr. Sean, don't want it!" In the end, Belloc Tony could only throw out this, he really had no bargaining chips.

"Yes, of course, one size fits all."

Ha, Belloc Tunney is so pissed off, I've never seen such a brazen person!

"Mr. Xiao En is really ruthless."

"I owe you ADM a favor."

"You already owe one. Obviously, Mr. Xiao En's favor is not worth much."

Sean touched his nose embarrassingly, "Human favors are also divided into big and small, that's it."

Because of the difficulty, Sean said: "The phosphate mine in Monaco, I, Sean, will decide, even Jesus can't stop it!"

"However, I, Sean, am not a person who only wants to eat alone."

"Phosphate mining involves a complete industrial chain. It is not isolated. I can establish a joint venture company with ADM, a company specializing in the production of phosphate fertilizer." Sean looked up at Belloc Towne, "What do you want? It is to ensure that the supply of chemical fertilizers will not be interrupted. It is enough to have this company that specializes in products, and there is no need to intervene in the ore business.”

"To be honest, which of the mining businesses in Africa is not blood-stained? This business has a bad reputation. You are engaged in agriculture, so this is not suitable for you."

Belloc Tony frowned and made it again. Sean's proposal was considered to be seven inches above ADM's. If he didn't cooperate, it would definitely be a loss. He fed the dog with a good news, and nothing was left behind.

Cooperation is not reconciled, what the hell, mining, such a big profit, every shovel is full of dollars!

"From the perspective of your ADM, I think you should agree. ADM has just stepped out of the United States for 3 years. You should feel it. Even if it is backed by the United States, there are some things that the country is not easy to deal with. On the contrary, it is a private company like me. , have no scruples in acting."

"For example, the expansion of ADM in Southeast Asia, the help I can provide will not be lower than that of the United States!"

This last sentence knocked out Belloc Tony's last breath.

"Well, Mr. Sean, personally, you won, but I believe the company will not refuse to cooperate with Umbrella in Southeast Asia."

"Look, that's right. Cooperation is greater than confrontation. As we all know, I am easy to talk." Sean laughed and said, "Then, we can talk about cooperation in Southeast Asia, for example, establishing a joint venture company!"

Belloc Tony stared at Sean in a daze, what the hell is a joint venture company, Sean, is it skinny?