156: Motorcycle squadron

In July's Hangzhou, the morning sun was already blazing.

Lu Fan sat in his office, a thick list spread out before him.

It detailed various supplies prepared for the upcoming bloody battle of the Shanghai area.

The arms order had been finalized with Wu Xue in Pakistan, and delivery would take at most a week.

But facing a known and extremely brutal war of attrition, weapons and ammunition alone were far from enough.

He picked up the phone and dialed a number: "Manager Yu, this is Lu Fan."

"Good morning, President Lu! At your command!"

On the other end, the voice of Yu Fang, a pharmaceutical procurement middleman, was filled with awe.

The last procurement had completely pulled her out of the quagmire of her life.

"Re-order the previous list," Lu Fan said steadily. "Also, I'm adding a batch of medicines; I'll send you the list later.

Focus on increasing the procurement of plasma substitutes, intravenous saline, glucose, painkillers, and anesthetics.

The budget... add another ten million. These medicines can be delivered in two batches, but the delivery must be fast."

There was silence for several seconds on the other end, only heavy breathing could be heard.

A ten-million-yuan order was an astronomical figure; Yu Fang felt like her heart was about to jump out of her chest.

She tried to steady her voice, but it still trembled. "No... no problem! President Lu! Absolutely no problem!

I... I'll get on it right away! I guarantee the fastest speed and the best goods!"

Having handled the top priority of medicines, Lu Fan rubbed his brow and set his work aside for a moment.

He casually checked his phone; the top three trending topics were all related to him:

#1 Lu Fan Donates Ten Thousand National Treasures for One Yuan#

#2 Who Exactly is the Mysterious Merchant Lu Fan?#

#3 The yongle encyclopedia and Other Rare Books Return to China#

Clicking on the topics, the content detailed how the Cloud Pavilion Culture Group, representing the authorities, had officially received a free donation from Mr. Lu Fan.

This included over a thousand volumes of the yongle encyclopedia and thousands of scrolls of calligraphy and paintings from the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.

As well as over a thousand precious cultural relics, including a large number of bronzewares and ceramics.

The symbolic purchase price was only one RMB.

The report featured photos of some artifacts and footage of experts giving excited commentary.

However, there was very little information about the donor, Lu Fan himself.

Only the vague title of "Patriotic Entrepreneur."

This only added to the sense of mystery.

With such explosive news, the comment section below was in a total uproar.

"My god! One yuan? This aid is a 'billion' bit much!"

"Exactly, this 'billion' is really quite a lot!"

"I'm tearing up! This is the most dignified way for lost artifacts to return!"

"Does the big boss need someone to serve tea and water? The kind with a master's degree!"

"Lu Fan? I've never heard of this guy before! Now this is a true national entrepreneur!"

"How could you not have heard of him? Did you forget the 'AB Goods' scandal that was all over the news a while back?"

"Holy crap, you're right. This company has integrity; they paid out three hundred million just like that. Impressive!"

"Lu Fan's integrity is beyond reproach, but he really did get screwed. The AB Goods scam is unsolvable."

"Damn, such a conscientious company and even they got scammed..."

"Exactly. If Uncle can stand it, Auntie can't! We must support conscientious companies and punish those scammers."

"If apologies worked, why would we need the police? This must be thoroughly investigated to restore justice for conscientious companies."

"Thoroughly investigate the AB Goods scam, restore justice for conscientious companies!"

"Thoroughly investigate the AB Goods scam, restore justice for conscientious companies!"

"Thoroughly investigate the AB Goods scam, restore justice for conscientious companies!"

Soon, the comment sections of the top three trending topics were flooded with this sentence, as a wave of support for Lu Fan swept in.

The light from the phone screen reflected on Lu Fan's face. He raised an eyebrow slightly, a smile flashing in his eyes that was both unexpected yet anticipated.

Xia Yunting's actions were indeed fast enough; in this short time, he had firmly grasped the direction of public opinion.

Now, everything that followed would be done with a legitimate reason.

As expected, the older the ginger, the spicier it is.

Before he knew it, it was noon, and Lu Fan went out for lunch.

He went to a commercial street near the company and walked into a decent-looking barbecue restaurant.

In 1937, everything he ate was natural and original, and the flavor was truly authentic.

But humans are just like that; after eating too much organic food, one starts to miss modern 'science and technology.'

After a full meal, he walked back slowly, picking his teeth with a toothpick.

As he passed a street corner, a shop caught his eye: Weixiang Mountain Off-Road Motorcycle Dealership.

The storefront wasn't large, and eye-catching red banners saying 'Clearance Sale' and 'Bankruptcy Liquidation' were pasted on the glass.

A miserable-looking young man was sitting in the shop scrolling through his phone, looking like business was terrible and he was on the verge of bankruptcy.

Lu Fan looked at those rugged-looking mountain off-road motorcycles with their coarse tires, and a spark of inspiration flashed in his mind.

Cars?

In 1937, except for a few major cities, they weren't suitable for most areas.

During his last crossing, the efficiency of those troop carriers in off-road areas had already given him a major headache.

But these mountain off-road motorcycles were practically tailor-made for the road conditions of that era.

They were fast, highly maneuverable, and could adapt to various complex terrains.

Their fuel consumption was much lower than cars, they were smaller targets, and they were easier to hide or use for surprise attacks.

Whether for communication, rapid squad movement, flanking maneuvers, or reconnaissance patrols, they were an excellent choice.

He hardly hesitated before pushing open the glass door and walking in.

Without any nonsense, he walked straight to an off-road motorcycle and asked, "Is this bike durable? What's the fuel consumption?"

"Boss, this bike's engine technology is mature; it's tough as nails and can handle any abuse. It only uses a bit over two liters per hundred kilometers."

Seeing that this was someone who knew their stuff, Zhang Wei immediately began to introduce it enthusiastically.

Lu Fan nodded and spoke calmly, "I want this many of this model and others with similar performance."

As he spoke, he held up three fingers.

"Thir... thirty?" Zhang Wei asked tentatively.

Lu Fan lit a cigarette, smiled slightly, and shook his head gently.

"Three... three hundred?" Zhang Wei's voice began to tremble. If it were three hundred, he could turn his life around in one go!

Lu Fan shook his head again, his tone still flat. "Three thousand."

"How... how many?!" Zhang Wei felt as if he'd been struck by lightning and froze on the spot.

His eyes bulged like copper bells, his mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg, and his whole body was petrified.

Three thousand?

This was a pace that would wipe out the entire stock of this model in Hangzhou.

If it were not for the boss standing right there in front of him, he would have suspected he was hallucinating.

Lu Fan looked at Zhang Wei meaningfully and asked, "Can you gather them in five days?"

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes! I can do it! I can definitely do it!" Zhang Wei finally snapped out of his extreme shock.

Instantly ecstatic enough to almost jump, his face flushed red as he guaranteed incoherently, "Boss! Boss Lu! Don't you worry!

I would not eat, drink, or sleep to make sure it's handled perfectly for you!

Five days—no! Four days! Three thousand mountain off-road motorcycles, I'll get every single one for you."

"Here's my business card. Go to my company and find our procurement department to sign the contract!" Lu Fan handed over his card.

And thus, the motorcycle brigade that would become famous in the Shanghai area was born.