Chapter 42: Buying Tanks
[Lord of War]
In 1991,
even in the former Soviet territories, the weather had warmed up considerably.
Jake had arrived in this world a day earlier. Back then, he was in New York and had to call Yuri to arrange a plane to take him to the old Soviet Union—no, to this former Soviet military base.
He didn't have an ID for this world.
This made him wonder if he could acquire some high-tech AI to help him solve his identity problem in each reality. Otherwise, the time and money spent dealing with his identity would be astronomical.
Fortunately, the gray-market nature of the movie "Lord of War" was a minor concern, especially for Yuri, who was a master at exploiting legal loopholes.
"This is my first time on a plane," Jake said, walking up to Yuri and embracing him.
"How does it feel? The whole world at your feet?" Yuri asked. He hadn't expected this mysterious young man to be flying for the first time—or was he joking? Either way, it would prevent an awkward silence and get the conversation rolling.
"No, I want to jump."
"To be honest, the first time I saw white clouds floating around me, I felt like I could fly too." Yuri raised an eyebrow, but his expression suddenly turned serious. "But if I jumped, you'd probably never see me again." He then burst into laughter.
Jake grinned, forcing a smile. He didn't quite get Yuri's sense of humor; it felt a bit too dark for his taste.
The two chatted as they walked toward the former Soviet military base. "Thank you for the intel, Jake," Yuri said earnestly. "This opportunity has completely turned my life around, so I've worked hard to get what you wanted."
"If you want to thank me, you should give me a discount."
"How can I? I'm a businessman!" Yuri feigned panic, as if a discount would kill him.
"However, although you can enter this base, you can't meet some of the people I deal with. They're not really comfortable meeting outsiders." Yuri's expression became serious.
"I'm not interested in these old-timers anyway," Jake raised an eyebrow, seemingly unconcerned.
"That's good," Yuri laughed heartily, slapping Jake on the shoulder. "Now let's go see your treasures!"
To be honest, every time Jake saw Yuri with Nicolas Cage's face laughing like that, he couldn't help but think of Ghost Rider about to transform, and he'd subconsciously avoid eye contact.
Watching Yuri stride ahead, he found his own thoughts amusing, shook his head, and followed.
Soon, the two stopped in an open area, and Jake saw three low-profile, heavily armored tanks parked there.
"Take a look at your toys," Yuri patted one of the tanks beside him, slapping the hull like it was a concrete wall.
This wasn't just a tank; it was a mobile fortress!
Although Yuri sold arms, he obviously dealt mostly in small firearms; selling tanks seemed to be a first for him. Jake, needless to say, had no clue what he was looking at.
"Speaking of this tank, there's something I have to mention," Yuri suddenly seemed like a different person. "H! E! A! T!" He looked at Jake, enunciating each letter carefully.
"Armor-piercing rounds?"
"Bingo!" Yuri snapped his fingers, wanting to continue the pitch, but Jake waved him off.
He'd seen this sales tactic countless times before—getting customers engaged, building their excitement, and finally getting them to pay several times the original price in a moment of impulse.
While Jake might not be a master psychologist, and he might not have access to information from psychology experts, he could certainly handle basic sales resistance.
"Just cut to the chase, don't give me the sales pitch, Yuri," he said, unconcerned about interrupting.
Yuri hesitated for two seconds, seemingly weighing his options. "Alright," he finally nodded.
He then pulled a neatly folded piece of paper from his suit pocket and handed it to Jake, which contained the tank's specifications.
T-60
Maximum rate of fire: 22 rounds per minute
Maximum speed: 28 mph
Maximum penetration: 92mm
...
...
"Soviet engineers focused more on large-caliber artillery, giving the tank maximum damage output." Seeing Jake finish reading the specs, Yuri continued, explaining details that weren't written down. Clearly, those who didn't understand the numbers wanted a simple, clear understanding of the "toy's" strengths and weaknesses, rather than a bunch of incomprehensible figures.
"Because the tank's smaller size couldn't accommodate thicker armor, they used a sloped armor design to increase the chance of ricochets."
"To adapt to Russia's brutally cold winters, the tank had to use a diesel engine to reduce the chance of fuel freezing. This also created an advantage: the engine's ignition rate is much lower than gasoline-powered systems."
"The only drawback is its pretty lousy accuracy," Yuri shrugged. "However, to compensate for this, their designers increased firepower."
"This is definitely a very interesting toy," Yuri patted the tank again; it was still painted with the Soviet flag.
After listening to the rundown, Jake nodded and climbed into the tank to examine it carefully. Because of the tank's compact design, the interior space was tight; comfortable for one person, but cramped with more.
He bought these three tanks simply to fulfill a childhood dream, same as the aircraft—he didn't have any special requirements, let alone technical expertise.
Afterward, the two went to another location to look at the attack helicopters. The helicopters, painted military green, looked like crouching predators from a distance, waiting for their chance to take flight.
"Change the exterior paint for me," Jake nodded, looking at Yuri who stared at him expectantly. "Black and red will work."
"Of course!" Yuri almost jumped when he heard the deal was sealed.
With one successful transaction, he made hundreds of thousands of dollars without even leaving the base!
Jake didn't care how much profit Yuri made from him; he simply said to Yuri, "I need enough ammunition for my planes and tanks to burn through."
"It's ready." As expected of a competent businessman, he always knew how to seize opportunities.
"I also need some skilled pilots to teach me how to operate them..."
Next, Jake rented a barren tract of land about ten miles from the base to use as his training ground.
He also paid enough gold to purchase his toys.
Seeing that Jake actually paid with gold bars—even gold bars bearing Nazi markings—Yuri became even more enthusiastic. He didn't care whose money it was; he wanted to make bank!
Next, the best helicopter and tank operators in the entire military base were sent to teach Jake how to pilot these two steel beasts. Of course, the lessons weren't free; Jake paid each of them several hundred dollars.
Within a day, Jake could skillfully drive the tanks off-road across rough terrain and even take to the skies at night.
Two days later, his piloting skills were already beyond the reach of several elite soldiers.
However, he requested that one of the tanks be modified, removing the weapon systems and internal ammunition racks, leaving only the steel shell. The interior space became enormous, enough for Jake to fit a large bed, a desk, and a portable air conditioner.
A veritable steel fortress.
As for firearms, Jake also purchased enough weapons and ammunition from Yuri—enough to supply an entire infantry company!
The day after Jake learned to pilot tanks and aircraft, Yuri suddenly remembered he could probably make some extra cash off Jake, since transporting these things wasn't something money could easily arrange.
However, when he arrived at the training ground Jake had rented, he found it deserted; even the massive steel machines and the vast arsenal of weapons had vanished without a trace!
And the reconnaissance personnel responsible for observation and surveillance had found nothing!
[Support Goal: 500 PS → +2 Chapters]
[Support Goal: 10 Reviews → +1 Chapter]
Your review helps the story grow.
P2treon Soulforger (30+ chapters ahead)