Chapter 76 Sea Survey
Zoe didn't stop her investigation because the New York Times didn't let him serialize her column, because he also knew that if he couldn't really figure out what was going on inside, his article would be absolutely unconvincing.
Fortunately, the New York Times also paid more attention to Zoe's news clues, and they specially arranged for people to track down the export of grain in the United States. Several trainee reporters who had just joined the newspaper were arranged to join this investigation. Zooey would like to see how the food disappeared.
Now the New York Times reporters in the United States already know that the main donor behind the Friendship Africa is the American Farmers Association, and the source of food is mostly old grain reserves in the United States. The whole business process is like this. There is an agreement between the American Farmers Association and the US Department of Agriculture to protect the purchase price of grain. When the price of grain is lower than the protection price, the USDA will purchase and store the grain.
Due to the continuous drop in grain prices, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has been buying and storing grain for several years. The grain reserves have exhausted all the storage capacity of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Go out to store the new grain of the year. And these old grains are the main source of grain exported by the Friendship Africa Charity Foundation.
Naturally, the price of old grain cannot be compared with the new grain of that year. The price of grain purchased and stored for three years is only about one-twelfth of the price of grain on the market. And the price of food for more than three years is even pitifully low. But this kind of food is still misappropriated by some people in the name of charity.
The good news is that investigations in the United States have involved influential organizations and institutions such as the United States Department of Agriculture and the American Farmers Association. The more you investigate the things here, the more intriguing you feel.
Since fraternity Africa does not accept unsolicited volunteers, the New York Times investigation can only start with the shipping company. The intern reporter of the New York Times is now a college student. For college students in the United States, choosing to go to sea on an ocean-going freighter for their graduation trip is a very common thing.
The ocean-going freighter from New York Harbor in the United States started to head east with the intern reporter of the New York Times. The cabin was full of food with the love of the American people. The cargo ship left the American continent against the wind and waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Modern ocean-going cargo ships do not need too many sailors, so there are only about 30 sailors on board besides the reporter.
The food on the freighter is good, and the chef on the ship cooks good steaks. Of course, as an ocean-going freighter, there are also fine wines from various countries privately kept by the sailors on board. The two journalists have separate cabins on the ship. Although it is not as luxurious as the cabins of cruise ships, it is not far from motels in the United States in general.
The biggest difference between the experience of traveling on a freighter and a cruise is that life on a freighter is relatively simple, without the rich and colorful entertainment on a cruise. However, this provided favorable conditions for the investigation activities of the two reporters.
The cargo ship has just sailed to the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, and the two trainee reporters have already found many valuable clues.
After the two reporters got acquainted with the sailors on board, they began to inquire about the sea voyage.
"Brother sailor, what are you pulling on this ship?" A pretty female reporter deliberately sat in front of a young sailor on the ship during dinner and asked coquettishly.
"There are food, agricultural products, building materials, auto parts and other things! There are also things like clothes that your women like?" Sailors on the ship introduced enthusiastically.
"Where will we call at the port? I heard that the biggest advantage of traveling by cargo ship is how many more countries we can go to?" the female reporter asked expectantly.
"It depends on the situation. We will mainly call at ports in France, Italy, and Greece. Of course, if MSC has a new route arrangement, we may also temporarily call at some ports!" The sailor knew everything. He replied that his eyes were not wandering on the chest and thighs of the female reporter. You must know that there are very few opportunities to meet girls at sea. Of course, he must cherish this rare opportunity. If he can develop smoothly on the ship, he might be able to find a hotel to vent his anger after the ship docks.
"Are we going to Africa? I heard that the people there are starving, how pitiful they are?" The female reporter pretended to be innocent, trying to get information from the sailors, and wanted to stay as a reporter in the New York Times Well, it's not enough to just rely on a diploma from a prestigious school, you have to prove that you can really get something that others can't get.
"Are you talking about East Africa? I'm afraid this ship won't go anywhere? Our ship is too big to pass through the Suez Canal. By the way, where are you going?" the sailor asked with some regret.
"We are medical students, and we want to go there as volunteers! Of course, we also want to come out and relax!" The female reporter actually knew that the ship would not go to Somalia, and he just wanted to follow the food on the ship. , to see where it will be unloaded.
"You are so kind. I think we may part ways in some port in Italy or Greece. Can you tell me your contact information, and I will write to you!" Said the sailor still unwilling to give up.
"Of course!" After the female reporter finished speaking, she made up an address and told the other party that he didn't want to date a sailor. Who knows how many countries this kind of person has slept with women!
The cargo ship Goddess Athena was heading towards the Strait of Gibraltar day by day, and several reporters took turns taking clues from the sailors on board. After these days of investigation, they have obtained information from some shipping companies, knowing that after the cargo ship departing from the United States will dock in the Mediterranean Sea, most of the cargo on board will be unloaded and diverted to some small-tonnage ships for the next step. Therefore, the two people estimated that the problem of grain disappearance should appear in this link of logistics re-export.
However, there are not a few large ports in the Mediterranean that have the ability to serve re-exports. According to the information provided by the crew on board, this freighter will at least dock in Spain, France, Italy, and Greece to unload its cargo. Which port will the grain disappear in? ?
Just after the freighter passed through the British-controlled Strait of Gibralto, the answer to the mystery was about to be revealed. The two trainee journalists from the New York Times on board were all in high spirits, waiting for the final answer.
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