Chapter 177: 176, Luck Showdown, Universal Milling Machine And Ability Upgrade
A new gambling match began, the other two tycoons temporarily withdrew, and Fang Wen and Getty sat facing each other at the table.
According to Getty’s proposal, it was still Five-Card Draw, 100,000 chips per person, ending when one side’s chips fell below 5,000.
This requirement was fine, Fang Wen agreed.
Outside Room Number One of the Heaven in the VIP building, it suddenly became lively.
A gambling match involving 15% of Taishan Paradise was underway, the tycoons instantly lost interest in continuing to gamble and all came over wanting to watch.
Their requests were relayed to Room Number One of the Heaven by Zhao Jiu, and after getting Fang Wen and Getty’s agreement, a circle of seats was arranged in the spacious room of Room Number One of the Heaven, the tycoons sat around, watching this luxurious gambling match,
The gambling match began, both sides were very relaxed.
Getty was because his luck tonight was good.
Fang Wen had no sense of gain or loss, winning would be an unexpected surprise, losing was just the expenditure planned anyway.
So, even if he couldn’t use mechanical perception ability at the gambling table, he didn’t mind.
First round, Getty bet 3,000 US dollar chips.
Because no one else was participating, the blind had little meaning, Fang Wen directly skipped the raise stage and also put down 3,000 US dollar chips.
Getty dealt the cards, five cards each.
Fang Wen picked up his own to look.
Hearts 6, clubs 10, diamonds K, hearts 9, spades A
He hadn’t started thinking about how to draw cards yet.
Getty had already bet.
He bet 10,000 US dollar chips.
Clearly wanting to speed up the progress.
Now, to draw cards, he had to call or raise.
Fang Wen was thinking.
How to draw these cards?
Discard hearts 6 and hearts 9, draw J and Q for a straight, or for a pair.
Keep hearts 6 and hearts 9 for a flush.
Fang Wen was thinking.
Not only that, keeping hearts 6, hearts 9, clubs 10, he could also draw 7, 8, 5, 10 for a straight.
The three drawing methods had some probability differences, but whether he could draw them wasn’t determined by probability size.
But by luck.
Thinking of this, Fang Wen felt indifferent.
If it was comparing luck, he felt he wasn’t bad either.
After all, the Khmer Four-faced Buddha, the amber cross suspected to contain holy blood powder, the ancient Indian mysterious bronze ware, these things weren’t something ordinary luck could withstand.
Immediately, he directly kept the two cards hearts 6 and hearts 9, discarding the other three for new cards.
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, the dealer used a wooden stick to pick out 3 cards in front of Fang Wen, and picked out 2 cards in front of Getty.
Getty picked up the two cards, expressionless.
He bet 20,000 chips.
Now, the onlookers didn’t quite understand.
First round, already bet 33,000 chips, how good must the cards be.
Or, Getty drew a bad hand but wanted to bet big to scare off the opponent and steal the pot?
Everyone looked at Fang Wen, wanting to know how Fang Wen would respond.
Fang Wen picked up the three cards, looking stunned.
Hearts 7, diamonds 8, spades 10.
He had discarded the clubs 10, but got back a spades 10, these cards formed a 6-7-8-9-10 straight.
A straight was a big hand, it could beat three of a kind, two pair, one pair, high card, Fang Wen decided to call.
He threw down 30,000 US dollar chips.
The dealer announced: “Betting closed, now show cards.”
He used a flat wooden stick to flip open the cards on both sides, all the watching tycoons stood up.
Getty’s hand wasn’t small, pair of Aces, pair of Queens.
But Fang Wen’s was bigger.
The dealer announced: “Straight wins.” and gathered the chips, pushing them to Fang Wen’s side.
One round ended, chips changed on both sides.
Fang Wen: 133,000.
Getty: 67,000.
This made Fang Wen more interested in how good his luck could be.
Second round, he called the bet, still 3,000 US dollar chips.
After his somewhat unskilled dealing, both sides picked up their hole cards to look.
This time it was clubs J, diamonds J, hearts 5, 6, 7.
This choice was simple, keep pair of Js for three of a kind or two pair, or keep hearts 5,6,7 for straight or flush.
Obviously the latter hand type was better, the former had higher probability.
Fang Wen, believing in his luck, chose to keep hearts 5,6,7 and discard two.
He bet 30,000 chips, this was to press the advantage and defeat Getty.
First round was 30,000, making Getty a bit unsettled, the goddess of luck seemed to have gone to the other side.
Under so many people’s attention, he didn’t want to back down.
Moreover, the cards in his hand weren’t too bad.
Gritting his teeth, he had to see the draw result no matter what.
Thus, he also called 30,000.
The dealer drew cards, Fang Wen 2 cards, Getty 3 cards.
Fang Wen picked them up and saw two sevens.
No straight, no flush, but three sevens.
One rank below straight, could beat two pair, one pair, high card.
From Getty’s performance, the hand probably wasn’t big.
Fang Wen threw out 10,000 chips.
Getty hesitated, undecided.
The tycoons present whispered analyses.
“Getty’s hand must be bad, but he can’t let go of the previous bets, so he shouldn’t have called at the start.”
“But the second round bet is only 10,000, if he folds, the previous 30,000 is gone, if it were me I’d call to see the opponent’s hand.”
“The problem is both sides only have 100,000 chips, lose them all and it’s over, following like this the chips will dwindle.”
Amid the whispers, Getty decided, pushing out a stack of chips. “I call.”
With this stack pushed out, he only had two stacks left.
“Betting closed.” The dealer showed cards.
Fang Wen’s cards didn’t have any bigger than 10, but he had three sevens.
Getty’s cards were all high cards, but only pair of Js and pair of Qs.
“Three of a kind beats two pair.” The dealer announced, gathered the chips, and pushed them to Fang Wen’s side.
Now, Getty only had 24,000 left, while Fang Wen had 176,000.
This made the unwilling-to-lose Getty more cautious.
He only did 3,000 first-round blinds, folding immediately if the cards were bad.
Until his chips were down to 8,000, he finally got a good hand.
But at this point, with only 8,000 total chips, he couldn’t come back.
The gambler’s mentality made him strongly want to win back the lost chips.
He called out: “I request to add chips.”
This was Fang Wen’s turf, agreement or not only needed Fang Wen’s word, everyone looked at Fang Wen.
In response, Fang Wen asked: “How do you want to add?”
“30% refinery shares, or Persian Gulf oil and gas transportation rights.”
Fang Wen pondered.
This cooperation plan was originally Taishan Airlines 40%, Getty Oil 60%, winning 30% refinery shares would make Taishan Airlines 70% shares.
But this wasn’t what Fang Wen wanted, he wanted to bind Getty with the refinery to get long-term technical support, for China, petrochemical technology was more important than one refinery’s interests.
And Persian Gulf oil and gas transportation rights.
The Persian Gulf was a bay jointly owned by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Oman.
All these countries were oil producers.
Almost all exports from the entire Persian Gulf were crude oil.
Fang Wen couldn’t help asking: “What is Persian Gulf oil and gas transportation rights?”
To turn things around, Getty could only patiently explain.
“In 1928, our United States oil enterprise consortium signed the 《Red Thread》 agreement with Anglo-Persian Company, delineating the joint extraction scope of US, British, French, Dutch companies, east of Egypt, west of Persia, all Gulf countries except Kuwait. This agreement determined each country’s oil companies’ extraction rights and transportation rights in the Persian Gulf region. The Persian Gulf oil and gas transportation rights I mean is the rights to transport oil by sea from the Persian Gulf region to South Asia.”
So that’s how it was, Getty was indeed a shrewd businessman, his company’s interests were mainly in the Western United States, the Persian Gulf oil and gas transportation rights to South Asia were actually useless to him because of Myanmar and Indonesia’s oil supply.
But very important to Fang Wen.
With this oil and gas transportation rights, he could transport high-quality crude oil from the Persian Gulf for refining, ensuring future China’s crude oil refining supply channels.
Therefore, Fang Wen was very interested, even if Getty won, he would find a way to buy it later.
Thus, Fang Wen replied: “Fine, I’ll give you another 100,000 US dollar chips.”
Getty happily agreed, asking: “No matter how much you bet, I’ll call, or I can bet.”
“You bet.” Fang Wen agreed.
Getty thought for a moment, but only pushed out 30,000 chips.
From this action, Getty probably had a good hand, even possibly very big.
But afraid of scaring Fang Wen away, he only bet 30,000 to bait.
Fang Wen picked up his cards to look.
Stunned.
Hearts J, hearts Q, hearts 10, hearts A, diamonds 8.
Just one hearts K away from a royal flush.
Or hearts flush.
Almost no other choice, could only discard the diamonds 8 for one card.
This kind of hand was do-or-die, had to draw to decide whether to fold or not.
Thus, Fang Wen decisively called.
Both sides finished betting, the dealer drew cards, Fang Wen 1 card, Getty 2 cards.
Whether to fold or not depended on this card, Fang Wen picked it up.
Hearts K!
But he heard Getty across the table loudly say: “All in.”
He pushed all his remaining 78,000 chips into the pot.
At this moment, Fang Wen was stunned.
His hand was a royal flush, the biggest kind, probably no hand could beat him.
Originally, he should keep raising to lure Getty to put in the rest, but unexpectedly Getty did it first.
He looked at Getty, holding back a smile, and replied.
“I call.”
The dealer took out the corresponding chips into the pot and announced.
“Betting closed, show cards.”
Was this the final result of the gambling match involving 15% Taishan Paradise equity, plus oil and gas transportation rights?
The tycoons stood up, craning their necks.
They first saw Getty’s cards.
AAA, pair of nines.
This was full house, just below four of a kind and straight flush.
Very rare.
No wonder Getty so decisively requested to add bets.
Just as everyone thought Getty had won, the dealer flipped Fang Wen’s cards.
Hearts straight flush 10-J-Q-K-A.
The last Ace was on Fang Wen’s side.
Exclamations and applause sounded together, this gambling match was too exciting!
Getty stood up and shook hands with Fang Wen.
But his face showed no loser’s dejection, instead a smile.
“You won, congratulations. I believe in fate, and am willing to cooperate with lucky people, hoping our cooperation brings more opportunities.”
Fang Wen smiled back: “Your hopes will surely be realized, now let’s discuss the cooperation contract.”
The refinery cooperation investment contract would be drafted by John Harvey.
To ensure rights, the signing entity for this contract was Taishan Casino Company.
After all, Taishan Casino Company was the US-registered enterprise, and in case of contract disputes, it would be protected by local law.
The contract stipulated both parties’ rights and obligations.
Requiring refinery construction to start in the first half of next year.
With Getty Oil providing refining equipment and technicians, Taishan Casino Company providing construction land, various infrastructure, recruiting workers, and local affairs.
According to this contract, the sea vessel loaded with oil refining equipment and technicians wouldn’t depart until January next year.
This couldn’t be rushed, after all, various refining equipment needed manufacturing, and which technicians to send needed Getty Oil to arrange.
Al Capone’s side was already prepared.
Fang Wen specially went to San Francisco.
At the port there, an ocean cargo ship was docked.
Al Capone’s men led Fang Wen aboard to inspect the supplies prepared for transport to South Asia.
Two 1710 engines, bullet production line equipment all there.
The 1710 engines were prepared by Fang Wen for himself, he felt his ability was still improving and wanted to see what better engines could bring.
This 1,000 horsepower engine was his pursuit.
The bullet production line would be placed at Yangon or Xiangxi Airport, depending on which was suitable then.
Once bullets could be mass-produced, they could be supplied to the anti-Japanese army and Red Army.
This also counted as Fang Wen’s contribution to resisting Japan beyond airplane bombing.
After inspecting the supplies, Fang Wen raised a question.
“Where are the bullet production line production process information?”
This was very important too, after all, different bullets had different production technology, just having equipment without knowing how to use it, fumbling from scratch wasn’t what he wanted.
Al Capone’s man handed a suitcase to Fang Wen.
Explained:
“7.92mm Mauser Rifle bullets have been out of production here for a long time. The production technology information has also been lost, inside here is what we got from the Chicago weapon manufacturing factory library, not sure if complete.”
Fang Wen didn’t say anything, the other was just a gang member, of course didn’t know how to make bullets, getting the stuff was already good.
He got off the ship, watching the ship leave port heading to South Asia.
Then returned to Las Vegas, preparing to depart and return to base the next day.
In the last day in Las Vegas, Fang Wen opened the suitcase, looking at the information collected by the gang members.
These guys actually got the complete bullet manufacturing process.
Complete set.
Including:
Cartridge case materials, bullet head materials’ metal components and proportions and alloy smelting knowledge.
Gunpowder formula: smokeless powder formula suitable for 7.92mm caliber bullets, primer formula.
And most importantly.
Main equipment of bullet production line: milling machine manual.
These universal milling machines from World War I made Fang Wen realize that besides producing bullets, they could do many things.
Fang Wen, who hadn’t studied machining, developed a strong interest in it.
As he read deeper, he understood why eighth-level milling masters were so impressive for a long time after founding.
This was the universal processing tool in early machinery and equipment, capable of machining horizontal planes, vertical planes, keyways, T-slots, dovetail slots, gears, splined shafts, sprockets, threads, helical slots, and various curved surfaces.
Could machine almost all current components.
Others mastering universal milling machines might just produce urgently needed repair parts.
But if he mastered universal milling machine technology, it would be different.
With mechanical perception ability, could he make corrections to existing equipment, making the equipment more powerful?
