Virginia is also on the East Coast, and New York is only about 600 kilometers from Virginia. This time, Hardy brought only Henry with him and met with Brigadier General Darrell Williams in his apartment.
Before Hardy arrived, General Williams had someone look into Hardy’s background, and he was quite surprised by what he found.
Hardy retired from the Marines in 1945, and by this year, he already owned several listed companies, including the famous HD Security, HD Films, and Playboy magazines.
Although General Williams is in his fifties, this doesn’t prevent him from being a fan of Playboy magazine.
"Were you in the Marines?" The general extended his hand to shake Hardy’s.
"Yes, General," Hardy replied.
"Being young is great, especially achieving such success at your age. It’s very impressive."
"I owe my growth to the support of veterans like you, General," Hardy said humbly.
The two sat down, and General Williams asked about the old godfather’s health, then said, "I know about your HD security. There were many reports in the newspapers last year. I even took my youngest daughter to the cinema to watch the documentary ’The Great Los Angeles Bank Heist.’"
"Actually, I want to buy a transport plane, part of the reason is because of HD security. Now the security company’s main business is in Los Angeles. In the future, I plan to expand to major cities across the United States. I will need a lot of transport planes for urgent tasks as well as transporting personnel and equipment." Hardy led the topic to the point.
"What model of aircraft do you want, and how many?" the general asked.
"I’m planning to buy C-53s and C-47s. If possible, I’d also like to buy a B-29 transport plane."
The C-53 and C-47 are both manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company. Although the models differ, their fuselages and engines are quite similar. The main difference is that the C-47 has a large cargo door at the rear, mainly for freight.
The C-53 is a personnel transport plane, equipped with dozens of passenger seats, and can be used to transport passengers without modification. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ novｅlfire.net
General Williams said, "Indeed, there are C-53s and C-47s among the models being retired this time. The report indicates 120 C-53s and 200 C-47s are ready for sale. However, many airlines have their eyes on these two models as well."
"And the B-29 Flying Fortress you mentioned has only been in service for three years, and the military has no intention of eliminating them."
"How much does the military plan to sell these planes for?" Hardy was still concerned about this issue since it wouldn’t be meaningful if they were too expensive.
General Williams replied, "The prices haven’t been approved by the military yet, but our logistics department has proposed prices of $38,000 per C-53 and $36,000 per C-47."
Hearing these prices, Hardy was immediately tempted.
A new plane costs nearly $200,000, but the military is selling them for only a fifth of the price. Although they are second hand, these planes are still in excellent condition, especially these propeller planes, which are easy to maintain and can last another twenty or thirty years.
"General Williams, would it be possible for you to help me order a few?" Hardy asked with a smile.
The general thought for a moment and said, "The C-53 and C-47 are very popular. How about I help you order five of each?"
A total of 10 planes.
Actually, Hardy wanted to buy more. This was a rare opportunity to get a bargain. Even if he didn’t use them, he could likely make a profit by reselling them.
Opportunities are usually taken by the big players and rarely reach the market for ordinary people to buy.
Fair competition? No way. Many pieces of information are kept secret.
This is why some people can easily make money while most cannot.
"Thank you so much for your help General. By the way, General, how well do you know Brigadier General Bob Ernst?" Hardy asked with a smile.
General Williams expression darkened slightly at the mention of Bob Ernst. "Why, do you know Bob Ernst?"
Hardy shook his head, "I don’t know Brigadier General Bob Ernst personally, haven’t met him before."
"What do you mean by mentioning him?"
Hardy kept smiling and said, "I heard some news. Someone contacted Brigadier General Bob Ernst. He promised to help him buy 50 planes. Also Brigadier General Bob Ernst’s son in law opened a gallery in New York, and he is going to sell $200,000 worth of oil paintings soon."
Brigadier General Williams eyes suddenly lit up. He looked at Hardy and asked seriously, "Is this information accurate?"
"Very accurate," Hardy replied.
While General Williams investigated Hardy’s background before Hardy arrived, Hardy also had Henry thoroughly investigate the general.
As mentioned in conversations between General Williams and the old godfather, the logistics bureau was in a bit of chaos after World War II, with over 20 departments being streamlined and merged post war.
General Williams hopes to compete for the position of deputy director of the logistics bureau, with his main rival being Brigadier General Bob Ernst. Their rivalry is well known within the logistics bureau.
The New York Mafia’s Barzini family is in contact with Brigadier General Bob Ernst, and their phone calls were intercepted by intelligence personnel.
Such private transactions are not uncommon, with bribery methods being even more varied. "I help you buy cheap planes, and you buy my son in law’s paintings. He makes money and buys a villa or car for his father in law as a token of filial piety."
Such situations are very difficult to investigate unless there is internal information.
Understanding the rivalry, Hardy realized that General Williams, who helped him buy planes, deserved a gift in return.
What could be more enticing than offering a position?
"Hardy, tell me everything you know," General Williams looked at Hardy intently.
Hardy leaned forward and lowered his voice, revealing all the information he knew. The general listened for a while, then took out a small notebook to jot down details, showing his thoroughness.
Hardy glanced at what the general wrote:
* New York Mafia Barzini family head
* Brigadier General Bob Ernst’s son in law’s gallery name
* Transaction details
Closing the notebook, General Williams face showed a victorious smile.