We're building a super chaebol in Hong Kong

If it were two or three hundred thousand tons of crude oil, he could haul it with just one ship. This small business wouldn't be attractive to a big boss like him.

However, he naturally wouldn't voice his inner thoughts, as he was dealing with a business figure of his own caliber.

"If a supertanker is fully loaded, I'd probably need hundreds of them," Su Cheng said with a smile, his tone very relaxed.

"What? Hundreds of ships?" the Shipping Tycoon exclaimed, standing up abruptly.

If hundreds of supertankers were used for transportation, this deal alone would be worth hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars.

"As far as I know, Mr. Su's Tuen Mun oil base is still under development, so why do you want to buy so much crude oil?" the Shipping Tycoon asked curiously.

Saying he was buying crude oil for refining didn't make sense either, because if he bought so much, the refining equipment at the Tuen Mun oil base wasn't installed yet. Moreover, even if crude oil is stored in storage tanks, it usually only lasts for three years. So, the Shipping Tycoon was very curious about what Su Cheng was going to do with so much crude oil.

Direct sunlight and extensive exposure to air can cause the volatile components inside crude oil to evaporate rapidly, eventually leaving only the most difficult-to-use asphalt.

Rainwater intrusion can also cause microorganisms to grow inside the crude oil, leading to complete deterioration. At the same time, it's necessary to maintain a low internal temperature to prevent flash explosions.

Therefore, the simplest requirement for crude oil storage is to keep it as sealed as possible.

Even when using storage tanks, it's generally only stored for about three years.

So, the Shipping Tycoon couldn't figure out what Su Cheng was doing buying crude oil on such a large scale.

"Because I think the crude oil market seems to have signs of a crisis, so I want to take a gamble. Mr. Bao, would you like to hoard some too?" Su Cheng said with a smile.

Anyway, Simon Keswick and others knew the reason why he was buying crude oil, so he didn't mind telling the Shipping Tycoon the reason.

"Well, I'd rather not. I have to focus on competing with Jardine Matheson for Wharf Holdings," the Shipping Tycoon said with a smile, shaking his head.

In fact, he simply didn't believe that an oil crisis would occur.

Because the orders for his crude oil tankers had been relatively stable recently, with no possibility of a crisis at all.

Moreover, having experienced the 1973 oil crisis, he didn't see any signs that were similar to that time.

"That's a pity. I hope Mr. Bao won't spread this news. I only trust someone with Mr. Bao's character enough to tell him," Su Cheng said with a smile.

"Mr. Su, please rest assured, I'm a man of my word!" the Shipping Tycoon said with a hearty laugh.

"I will definitely buy crude oil, but I'm currently facing a problem, which is that I don't know where to buy crude oil. I've initially decided to choose a partner from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Iraq. Does Mr. Bao have any suggestions?" Su Cheng continued to ask.

"Our group's tanker business spans the world, and these four countries are our group's important partners. I wonder what Mr. Su's requirements are?" the Shipping Tycoon asked in return.

"Naturally, the lower the price, the better. I need a partner who can offer the most favorable price," Su Cheng said directly.

"The current international crude oil price is basically stable at $12 to $13 per barrel. For someone with Mr. Su's demand, if you look carefully, you can definitely find a partner with significant discounts. However, I don't recommend Mr. Su to contact these four countries, because they are all OPEC members, and crude oil prices must comply with international oil prices. Countries like Canada, Mexico, and Brunei, which are not OPEC members, have prices that are easier to negotiate," the Shipping Tycoon thought for a while and gave his own suggestion.

He didn't try to persuade Su Cheng not to invest recklessly in crude oil, because Su Cheng was a businessman of his own caliber, not his junior, and everyone had their own considerations.

"Then can they individually gather more than 100 million barrels of crude oil in a short period of time?" Su Cheng asked.

"Basically impossible, Mr. Su. 100 million barrels of crude oil is equivalent to the output of a major oil-producing country for two or three months. If Mr. Su wants to purchase so much oil, he can only buy it from multiple countries," the Shipping Tycoon said directly.

It seemed that buying crude oil in one place was not feasible.

Su Cheng realized that coming to the Shipping Tycoon this time was the right decision.

The Shipping Tycoon's familiarity with oil-producing countries could provide him with a lot of help.

"Then I wonder what Mr. Bao's relationship is with the leaders of these oil-producing countries?" Su Cheng asked.

"If I go to their countries, I will be a guest of honor, and their highest leaders will personally receive me," the Shipping Tycoon said with a smile, as if this was a very ordinary thing.

Su Cheng didn't think the Shipping Tycoon was bragging.

In his previous life, not to mention world's top tycoons like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, even domestic figures like Jack Ma and Pony Ma would receive high-level receptions when they went to some small and medium-sized countries.

And the Shipping Tycoon was the world's number one shipping magnate. Just this title alone could scare many people.

Moreover, he had been in business for many years and had a very high international reputation.

Su Cheng was just a newly rising tycoon recently. He was indeed well-known in Hong Kong, but he didn't have enough fame abroad, so he naturally wouldn't receive such treatment when he went abroad under normal circumstances.

"Shipping Tycoon, I need to trouble you with something," Su Cheng said.

"Mr. Su, please speak. I will definitely help if I can!" the Shipping Tycoon said.

"I hope Mr. Bao can help me pass the message that I'm preparing to purchase a large amount of crude oil to the leaders of various oil-producing countries, whether they are OPEC members or non-OPEC members. After a cooperative partner is negotiated, I will hand over the crude oil transportation business to Mr. Bao," Su Cheng said with a smile.

This was equivalent to a deal: you help me with something, and I'll give you the business.

Cooperation and win-win!

"Okay, since Mr. Su trusts me, then I'll take care of this matter. I've been in the crude oil transportation business for 18 years and have good cooperative relationships with various crude oil producers. For more than 100 million barrels of crude oil, I can help you compile the amount of crude oil available for sale in various places in as little as a week, but the price is up to Mr. Su to negotiate," the Shipping Tycoon said directly.

Helping Su Cheng only required a little effort, and it would give his Global Shipping Group work to do. Why not do it!

You know, the current global shipping industry is already developing towards a crisis. Their Global Shipping Group currently has at least half of its ships not in operation. Otherwise, the Shipping Tycoon wouldn't have started selling his own ships.

And his choice to let Su Cheng negotiate was to avoid Su Cheng thinking that he wanted to be a middleman and take commissions from those oil-producing countries.

"Okay, then thank you for your trouble, Mr. Bao. If the Shipping Tycoon is willing to help, please also help me negotiate the price to the lowest possible level. I hope to buy this batch of crude oil at the lowest price. Once it's negotiated, I will immediately sign a contract with Mr. Bao and hand over the contract to transport the crude oil to you!" Su Cheng said with a smile.

The Shipping Tycoon wanted to avoid suspicion, but Su Cheng didn't care, because the other party had the connections. Even if they really earned some referral fees in the middle, it was normal, and the crude oil price was originally relatively transparent, so they couldn't earn much anyway.

Just like those salesmen, they almost all have gray income, and the boss still turns a blind eye.

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