50s: Starting with a storage ring

Chapter 457 Procurement
It was already June, and trade across the Pacific was in full swing. Cargo ships on the Pacific were like a string of pearls, connecting the trade routes between the east and west.

A procurement team is about to be assembled in Beijing to negotiate the purchase of a batch of high-tech products.

The main purpose of this inspection team's visit was to investigate what advanced equipment could be imported from Country M.

At this point in time, European countries have already begun to widely adopt fourth-generation fighter jets, and it is definitely too late for us to catch up by relying on independent research and development.

The only way to catch up is to introduce and then absorb new technologies; therefore, purchasing equipment is imperative.

Now, although many restrictions on our purchases have been lifted, some restrictions still exist. For example, they won't sell F-15s and F-16s; we can only buy the second-tier F-16-79.

However, the carrier-based F-14 is available for purchase, and Grumman, the company that developed the F-14, is very sincere in its intention to purchase it.

They are not only willing to provide the Bald Eagle Navy's own version of the F-14, but also do not restrict the technology transfer, which clearly shows that they are determined to win our order.

Unfortunately, we don't have an aircraft carrier yet, so our need for carrier-based aircraft isn't urgent. In addition, due to limited funds, we had no choice but to abandon the F-14 project.

Currently, the biggest obstacle limiting our procurement is funding. We only have $13 billion in cash on hand, so we really need to be very careful with our spending.

The task assigned to Sun Zhiwei this time was to ascertain the details of the advanced technologies currently used in Country M, so as to provide reliable data for procurement negotiations.

Sun Zhiwei is very familiar with the advanced equipment of the United States, but advanced does not mean suitable. Our goal is to introduce and then absorb it, and finally achieve independent research and development.

The imported technology is too advanced, which is not conducive to our absorption and transformation.

Taking too big a step could easily drag down the Party, so the information he provided should not only include the most advanced technology and equipment, but also the most suitable technology and equipment.

As far as fighter jets are concerned, the F-15 is an air superiority fighter, but unfortunately, other countries are unwilling to sell it, not even the cheapest fourth-generation F-16.

The only available model is the F16-79, but it costs a whopping $800 million, making it clearly not cost-effective.

After listing out all the information he remembered, Sun Zhiwei started thinking about how to find detailed information about the equipment.

There are two places where you should have detailed information about these things: one is the equipment development company, and the other is the Pentagon.

This involves a wide variety of equipment, with research and development companies located throughout M, and each of them is a classified unit with tight security.

Although he could dig a tunnel to get in as long as they were still on the ground, it would take too much time.

Therefore, finding information at the Pentagon is the most suitable option, as you can find all the information in one place.

However, there are also problems with going to the Pentagon; last time he went there, he used the pretext of a visit.

The main reason is that it is located right next to the Potomac River, where the water table is very high, and digging the tunnel would result in a cubic meter of mud and water.

Now that we're facing the same problem again, it's unavoidable.

That evening, he took out a large map of Washington, D.C., and began to study the location of the Pentagon carefully.

As can be seen from the map, there are no civilian buildings within 500 meters of the Pentagon; they are all low-rise parking lots and public cemeteries.

However, the groundwater level limits his maximum external cheats, leaving him in a bit of a dilemma.

He traced the map with his finger, finally fixing his gaze on the northeast direction of the Pentagon. The Potomac River was 800 meters away in that direction, but there was a small lake between the building and the river.

Columbia Island in the lake has a marina with hundreds of private yachts moored there.

The edge of this small lake is only about 200 meters from the Pentagon, which is a perfect location. Looks like I should buy a yacht.

He had previously owned a yacht, the 'Hamburger,' which is still moored at a private dock in Newport News.

However, he bought it under the alias George, and it's impossible to get it back now.

Given his current wealth, it would be inappropriate for him not to own a yacht and sports cars, so he contacted a private yacht company in Washington.

Time was of the essence, and there was no time to order a new boat. The only option was to buy an existing one. Fortunately, the economy in Country M had been sluggish in recent years, and many people were selling their yachts.

The yacht company brought a catalog the very next day. It was a thick catalog of secondhand yachts, mostly consigned by customers.

Sun Zhiwei spent a long time browsing and finally chose a 50-foot small yacht, the white 'Windbird'.

Although he was a complete novice when it came to secondhand yachts, he knew that secondhand goods were always prone to problems.

However, he is a member of the M Country Appraisers Association, which has specialized appraisers for second-hand ships.

He made a phone call to the association, asked a senior member to help evaluate the yacht, and then called a lawyer from the association to witness the transaction.

Two days later, he received all the necessary documents for the "Windbird," including registering the vessel's information with the maritime authorities and obtaining the ship ownership certificate, inspection certificate, and nationality certificate.

That's not all, because the 'Windbird' he bought is over 26 feet in size, and if he wants to sail out to sea alone, he will need a captain's license issued by the Coast Guard.

He didn't have time to take the test for the certificate, so he could only ask the yacht company to send someone to help him dock the 'Windbird' at the marina on Columbia Island.

Fortunately, he didn't need to go out to sea for this mission; he could just drive around the small lake a few times without needing a driver's license.

One morning in late June, Sun Zhiwei drove alone to the yacht marina on Columbia Island. He was there to test the boat.

The interior of the 'Windbird' is not luxurious. It is divided into two floors: the upper floor has the bridge and living room, and the lower floor has the warehouse, bedroom and kitchen and bathroom.

What he liked most was the big bed in the bedroom; as long as he had enough supplies, he could stay on the ship for half a month.

In the following days, he came almost every day and drove the 'Windbird' to the small lake for several hours.

In the past few days, he has gathered all the technical data he needs from the Pentagon's archives and completed the report in his hand.

With this information, the procurement process will likely be smoother. However, this is only a temporary measure to fill the gap; further research and development will be necessary.

In reality, the family knew that the other party wasn't genuinely trying to help them, and they had anticipated various hidden restrictions.

Historically, this has been the case; our procurement process has not been smooth. Although the United States gradually relaxed restrictions, many problems still arose in the end.

(End of this chapter)