It only took two hours to fly from Durban to Cape Town. Deng Shiyang’s Kulula Airlines Boeing 737-400 flight landed at Cape Town International Airport at 11 a.m.
Upon arrival, the first task was to contact Johan Schlink. The meeting was set up like something out of an Ian Fleming novel.
As planned, Deng Shiyang arrived at the café in the terminal building. He looked around and soon spotted his contact at a table in the corner, reading a newspaper.
The man handling the meeting was a white male in his early thirties with dark brown curly hair. He wore a white short-sleeved shirt and an airport ground staff ID badge. Two plastic-capped ballpoint pens, one red and one blue, were clipped to his left breast pocket—this was the identifying mark for the meeting.
Deng Shiyang quickly walked to the table, placed his luggage on the chair opposite, and casually said, “Have you been waiting long? Sorry, the flight was delayed.”
The man looked up at him, then quietly replied, “Not too long, but sometimes Mango Airlines really is terrible.”
This was the agreed-upon code. Deng Shiyang smiled slightly and echoed, “Yes, it really is terrible.”
"Who are you really?" The man suddenly stood up and shouted, "What’s your problem? I told you, you’ve got the wrong person!" He threw the newspaper on the table and stormed out of the café.
This commotion immediately made Deng Shiyang the center of attention in the café. Feeling the eyes of the other customers on him, he awkwardly shrugged, sat down at the table, and ordered a cup of coffee.
Once people’s attention shifted away, he picked up the discarded *Cape Times*. In the classified ads section, there was a job posting for the “Fountain Hotel,” and the hotel’s name was circled in blue pen. Next to it, a name was written—“Alden.”
For a meeting, this level of precaution seemed a bit over the top. Even Deng Shiyang thought Schlink was being excessively cautious. But despite his thoughts, he paid for his coffee and left the café, then took a taxi to the city center.
Arriving at the Fountain Hotel in Cape Town’s business district, he went to the front desk and asked, “Is there a message for Mr. Alden?”
The receptionist, a young woman with light chestnut-colored hair, checked the records, then handed him a small envelope. Inside, he found a slip of paper with the number "603" written on it. Deng Shiyang took the elevator to the sixth floor and knocked on the door of room 603.
After a moment, the door opened a crack, revealing half the face of a middle-aged white man.
Before Deng Shiyang could speak, a raspy voice from inside asked, “Is this Mr. Deylek?”
Johan Schlink was a short, balding, overweight man. He had drooping triangular eyes, and his constant fake smile while speaking made him uncomfortable to look at.
Deng Shiyang nodded and handed his passport through the crack in the door. Schlink glanced through a few pages before returning it, then closed the door to undo the chain and opened it fully.
After letting his guest into the room, Schlink apologized, “I’m sorry we have to meet this way, but I hope you understand, in our line of work, we must be cautious, especially during these sensitive times…”
“I understand,” Deng Shiyang waved him off, stopping his rambling. He set his luggage down and sat in the armchair near the window.
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Schlink opened the fridge and took out two bottles of water. He placed one on the small table in front of Deng Shiyang, then sat in the opposite chair, saying, “What can I do for you?”
“You, like me, probably don’t like wasting time,” Deng Shiyang glanced at him, then said, “So let’s get straight to the point.”
“Agreed, you’re right,” Schlink nodded quickly.
“I believe our mutual friend, Jannie Du Preez, has already told you. I need to purchase some weapons,” Deng Shiyang said directly. “That’s why he introduced me to you. While this order may not be large, if the transaction goes smoothly, you’ll receive a significant number of orders in the future.”
Schlink nodded deferentially and asked, “What do you need?”
Deng Shiyang took a folded slip of paper from his wallet’s photo compartment and handed it over.
“This is the list.”
Schlink took the list and read it softly, “100 R5 rifles, 20 Mini-SS light machine guns, 20 SS-77 machine guns, 20 MGL MK-1L grenade launchers, 10 RPG-7 rocket launchers with PGN-1 night vision , 3 81mm mortars…” He paused and glanced up at the man sitting across from him with suspicion.
Deng Shiyang nodded, signaling him to continue.
“200 81mm high-explosive shells, 400 HEAT-FRAG(PG-7VS), 3,000 40×46mm M381 high-explosive grenades(Using the M552 fuze),1,000 40×46mm M680 covering smock grenades, 5,000 M26 hand grenades, 400,000 rounds of .308 rifle ammo, and 500,000 rounds of .223 rifle ammo!” His voice involuntarily rose at the end.
Setting the list down, he jokingly asked, “Are you planning to invade North Korea?”
Raising an eyebrow, Deng Shiyang replied, “Can you get these items?”
“Yes,” Schlink responded eagerly. “I have ongoing business with Denel. I can get this shipment together by this afternoon.” He paused, then nervously asked, “I suppose you don’t have an EUC?”
In most legitimate arms deals, a crucial document is required: the End-User Certificate (EUC). This document guarantees in writing that the buyer is the end-user of the weapons and will not sell them to third parties. It must be issued by a recognized legitimate government.
Of course, EUCs can be forged or bought on the black market. In fact, many Third World government officials sell these documents for extra cash, and sellers often don’t verify their authenticity. For most arms-exporting nations, this document is merely a formality in the name of “preventing weapon proliferation,” but it remains a necessary part of the procedure for both buyers and sellers.
After a moment of thought, Deng Shiyang replied, “I’m afraid not. I hope you can come up with something.”
“No problem,” Schlink said, “I can handle that, but it will take a little more time and, of course, money. Alternatively, I can source another batch of goods that doesn’t require an EUC…”
“That won’t be necessary,” Deng Shiyang interrupted. “I want to avoid trouble, so I hope this deal can proceed through legal channels.”
“Yes, you’re right. That’s definitely safer,” Schlink laughed nervously and added, “In that case, I’ll charge 10% of the total amount as an additional fee for the EUC…”
Deng Shiyang frowned but said nothing.
Noticing his expression, Schlink quickly added, “And then there’s the brokerage fee. According to standard practice, I’ll have to charge another 10%.”
This time, Deng Shiyang nodded and asked, “How do we handle the payment?”
“I’ll give you a detailed price list within two days. You’ll first pay 10% as a down payment for the EUC. Once the EUC is secured, I’ll place the order with the manufacturer on behalf of the buyer, at which point the full payment is required. When the goods are ready for FOB, the remaining fees will be settled. Does that work?”
After thinking for a moment, Deng Shiyang replied, “That’s fine, but the payment must be made through a letter of credit. Upon inspection, 80% will be paid, and the balance will be settled once the goods are loaded for shipping.”
Schlink’s expression changed, but before he could speak, Deng Shiyang cut him off, “This arrangement protects the interests of both parties. I’m sure the manufacturer won’t object.”
Schlink was momentarily at a loss for words but had no choice but to agree, “Yes, you’ve thought this through well.” He paused and asked, “Where do you want the goods delivered?”
“For now, I can only tell you the shipment will be loaded at a South African port,” Deng Shiyang replied, then added, “When can I expect the shipment?”
“Let me think…” Schlink pondered for a moment, then said, “I’ll need to confirm with the manufacturer for an exact date. Since this isn’t a large order, I’d estimate no more than forty days, possibly as soon as a month.”
“Good,” Deng Shiyang stood up, extending his hand, “Let’s leave it at that for now. I’ll wait for your update.”
“Of course, pleasure doing business,” Schlink quickly stood up and shook his hand.
Notes:
*Ian Lancaster Fleming*: British journalist and author, famous for the *James Bond* series.
*Denel*: South African defense contractor, the country’s largest defense equipment manufacturer.
*FOB (Free on Board)*: A trade term indicating that goods have cleared customs and are ready for shipment.