What the hell is a private enterprise?

Chapter 612 Applying Maximum Pressure
On February 22, Rams did not participate in the negotiations, but instead went to visit the Great Wall, a classic activity for foreign guests.

The lull in the arms sales negotiations immediately reignited, with Harry personally promising the country that all 20 Chinooks would arrive ahead of schedule and guarantee that they would be original models for the Imperial Army's own use!

To prevent any further changes in the agreement, both parties announced the agreement to the public simultaneously.

Twenty Chinooks for Imperial Army use are already being packed and shipped to Tokyo University as an expedited mission!

Honeywell also took advantage of the situation, licensing Gaijin Heavy Industry's T55L11 turboshaft engine technology patent to allow it to be manufactured and sold only in China.

The news shocked the world once again, but no one expected that the reaction would be even more intense than that of India!
In the 80s and 90s, China successively imported Dolphin and Super Frelon helicopters from the United States. The United States, relying on the Atlantic Treaty, made many comments and constantly conducted reviews under the guise of security.

Although they eventually overcame the difficulties, the imperialist country demanded control over the key engine technology, which meant that for a long time, the domestically produced Z-8 and Z-9 helicopters still had to use imported engines, making it very difficult to replicate them independently.

Now, after Geyserg copied the GZ20, the Empire verbally criticized it, but then turned around and rushed over their own Chinooks, even giving them the engine technology!
It's important to know that the Chinook is several levels above the Bumblebee and Dolphin. The latter two took more than ten years to complete their sale, but the Prism Tower was sold in a neat package in just half a month.
So, is the Prism Building's purpose in obstructing us to make it easier for them to sell their goods?
This time, the chicken was really on the verge of collapse. In a fit of rage, it went straight to China and declared that as long as they had the money, the chicken could choose any of its best helicopters and engines, and that it could withstand pressure from the Prism Building!

There are not many taboos about selling equipment. After all, it doesn't matter what you sell, even if it's thousands of miles away. On the contrary, it can annoy the Empire. Military sales can reduce their own research and development costs. The more they sell, the better!

Not to mention helicopters, the Chinese Air Force is developing the "MICA" active radar missile, which is comparable to the AIM-120, and the "Magic 2" air-to-air missile, which has the same performance as the AIM-9M. They can also sell warships and radars!
Such an outrageous act not only shocked the nation but also broke the Prism Building's composure. Kazimirz had no choice but to visit Paris overnight to appease the furious man, explaining that times had changed.

However, the hen, who already felt she had suffered a loss in the Christmas campaign, wouldn't listen to any of this, and her stance was summed up in one word:

Compensation is required!
Either Prism Building gives me benefits, or I have to sell as much equipment as I can to recoup my losses!

The hen's financial acumen is no joke; she knew about the $50 billion bond issuance in China long ago and had been trying to find a way to extract some money from it!

Kazimirz was caught in a dilemma: he couldn't agree, nor could he disagree.

If we don't agree, the empire will break the rules first and there will be no room for argument. Who will listen to us in the future?

If you agree... then the binding force of the technology blockade will be gone.

The situation reached a stalemate, but other European allies also stepped in:
Italy, Spain, Belgium, Britain, Switzerland, and other countries all have good equipment to sell, such as Aspide missiles, engines, artillery shell technology, fighter jets, radar, etc. Spain, in particular, is the most aggrieved:

If the Empire hadn't messed things up back then, they might have sold two aircraft carriers to the domestic market. That would have been a huge sum of money! The maintenance fees alone could have covered it for fifteen years!
Kazimirz, surrounded by his allies crying foul, was like a duck trapped in a nest, constantly chattering and unable to escape, to the point that the commotion in Europe even drowned out the voices of the Indian protesters.

But now the third brother was truly panicked:
When the Empire threatened to sell CH47s, it had already touched a nerve with them. In the blink of an eye, the Empire not only wanted to sell, but also rushed to deliver the goods, even sending out their own top-of-the-line original models!

This incident led them to suspect that Abrams might have also arrived by helicopter, and perhaps even Navy SEALs.
The following day, Paraniapan summoned the imperial envoy and once again solemnly reiterated the Indian Brothers' protest, a routine activity that had been going on for almost half a month.

But this time was different. Instead of spouting nonsense about "Minuteman 3," Paraniapan surprisingly said that he also had his own difficulties and that a great power must have its own dignity.

Although it's not an admission of weakness, it undoubtedly shows that the third brother has regressed from "I won't listen, I want it" to "Listen to my explanation first," and perhaps he will compromise later.

The messenger immediately sent back a message, which finally relieved Rams, who was counting bricks at Badaling:

After being scolded by the president, cursed by the military-industrial complex, criticized by domestic crickets, protested by India, and fiercely criticized by allies, he finally achieved his goal.

The thought that Dongda University achieved its goal with just train cars and food, while he had gone through a roundabout process and was now being condemned by everyone, with Kazimirz still cleaning up his mess in Europe, filled Rams with a sense of self-inflicted rage.

The reason why Prism Building went to such great lengths was not because Tu Sange had changed his mind, but to make him admit his mistakes and pay the price!

The Empire's style has always been to respond to force rather than softness. If the Indians insist on their way out, they might accept it, but once there are signs of compromise, they will definitely push them into a corner and cross the line!

Instead of continuing to obstruct the project, Rams, seemingly resigned to his fate, tried to persuade the Joint Chiefs of Staff to give the 20 Chinooks the green light. He not only had Boeing prepare technical personnel to train the aircraft, but also openly mobilized active-duty airmen from the helicopter squadron to teach Geyser Company employees how to use helicopters!
Armored vehicle manufacturers such as General Motors and Chrysler were also instructed to market airdropped equipment usable by Chinook to the East!

……

"Commander, it seems the Empire is making some moves over in the Amazon."

That night, Zhenhai noticed what was happening in the rainforest.

"I deployed Q97 high-altitude reconnaissance and T6 and T4 drones to take multiple photos. The analysis revealed that the Empire's movements were not quite right. Although they had more personnel, their troop deployment did not seem to be preparing for a general offensive."

Judging from the current situation... it actually looks like a retreat.

"This is impossible."

Tang Wen subconsciously rejected the idea. He hadn't had much energy to focus on the Amazon in recent months, so there was no possibility that the empire would be scared away.

Moreover, they clearly increased the number of personnel several times over. Did they just come to the rainforest, show their faces, and leave?

"So there may be hidden plans that we don't know about, which are simply unknowable with current means, but I also think that this may be preparation for the next bigger attack."

"I don't think there will be any major problems."

Tang Wen pondered repeatedly but did not believe that the empire had any brilliant tricks up its sleeve. The known methods were the same old ones, or perhaps they were going to spray Agent Orange all over the Amazon rainforest?

Don't be ridiculous. Even if you filled the entire empire's chemical production capacity with it, it wouldn't cover two million square kilometers. In fact, even Agent Orange wasn't very effective in Annam back then.

Zhenhai's report, however, reminded him of the next strategic direction for Nanmei. The world is certainly very busy this year:

In the first half of the year, the Indians' desire to grow mushrooms caused quite a stir. In the second half of the year, the desert folks made a big fuss, prompting the Empire to directly pull in allies to launch the Desert Fox. Countless bombers crossed thousands of miles to perform a surgical operation on Uncle Assam, firing more than 500 ground-to-ground missiles alone.

That wasn't all. After dealing with the Desert Fox, the Empire hurriedly redeployed its bombers because something big was happening in Balkans, Europe's infamous powder keg region...

Although the Christmas campaign was large-scale, it only consumed some of the Empire's ammunition and did not fundamentally damage it. Only the British suffered heavy losses in the short term and might back down.

According to Tang Wen's speculation, these historical events may change somewhat, but they will never disappear.

If Nanmei were to betray the Empire during these crucial events, the effect would surely be extremely satisfying.

……

November 25st

With the Empire taking the lead in signing arms deals, most of the technological and equipment blockade imposed on the country for several years was lifted. Prism Building could not afford to keep the deal to itself, so it had to tell its allies that times had changed and that since the University of Tokyo had now joined the WTO, it was a friend, and that as long as the equipment was not too sensitive, it could be reopened.

This reason largely coincides with the historical timeline. In the original world line, after Tokyo University joined the world in 2001, the Empire also lifted some of the blockades, so there was a certain connection between the two.

The huge domestic investment in the navy in the past two years also indicates an increase in willingness to pay, and a group of old Europeans immediately came to the door again with product catalogs to promote their products.

Similarly, many high-end civilian equipment and processing centers have been further opened up, and many good goods that could only be smuggled in before are now available for selection.

"So, we've actually benefited from the Lost Empire?"

Tang Wengang sat down in front of Zhao Hande and heard the latter muttering to himself thoughtfully. After a moment's thought, he replied:

"This is more than just a bonus. Without Lao Xi, how could we sell battleships? How could we break the ice with the Empire? Even many of our technologies are based on Gaishi... cough, let's raise a glass to Lao Xi."

After saying that, he raised his teacup and poured it on the ground under Zhao Hande's strange gaze.

The latter blinked and suddenly said:

“A few days ago, an elderly Han Chinese man in the United States claimed to be Lao Xi and even brought out a lot of old items. I saw the photos and he does look quite similar.”

Tang Wen became highly vigilant. There had always been some speculation in later generations about whether Lao Xi was dead or had secretly escaped, and he couldn't say for sure what the situation was.

However, the Lost Empire didn't say it was related to Laoxi. What if it was founded by descendants of the Habsburgs?
Therefore, Tang Wen only showed some doubt:

"How could this be? It must be a publicity stunt."

"There is indeed a lot of exaggerated news these days."

After the usual rounds of probing, the meeting got down to business with the arrival of one person.

"Long time no see, Mr. Tang."

Zhao Yaohua sat down with a smile on his face and placed a small box on the stone table, then opened it:

"How can a tea party be complete without pastries? Come and try this rice cake. It was made in our cafeteria this morning and it's flown in by air—it's quite precious!"

After saying that, he opened his briefcase and took out two things: the company seal and a pen, and nothing else.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Hande immediately understood his inner thoughts: Hongdu was not resistant to the intelligent selection machine mode.

In fact, after Tang Wen proposed this plan, the Navy took the initiative to report it to its superiors for the sake of the pastoral cat. Soon the proposal was reviewed by the higher-ups, and then they sent someone to privately ask Hong Du for his opinion and planned to have a three-way talk to see if it was feasible.

The results are obvious!
Hongdu is suffering, or rather, who in China isn't suffering except for Shen Laoda?
Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAC) is not yet the free kingdom that has mastered the use of canards. Guizhou Aircraft Industry Group (GAIG) is hoping to borrow from CAC to modify and export the J-7 and earn foreign exchange. As for Hongdu Aviation Industry Group (HUD), it is still struggling with trainer aircraft.

To be honest, the performance of several trainer aircraft is quite good, but the air force of this era simply cannot afford to buy many of them, and the export market is too competitive to compete with. Basically, they just get by on an intermittent basis.

Currently, due to the Navy's aircraft carrier program, Hongdu is researching carrier-based trainer aircraft, but due to limited funding, it can only modify the K-8, and because of the limited market, it is not very proactive.

When the superiors asked Hongdu for their opinion, they only mentioned Gaijin's HiCraft model without specifying which model to start with, but the fact that the company had sufficient funds was enough to make Zhao Yaohua decide to proceed.

After all, there is not much room for improvement in the current situation, and Hongdu does not undertake research and development tasks with high classification levels, nor is it afraid of taking risks.

Moreover, the two sides had already dealt with each other over the modification of the 6J primary training vehicle and the A4. Zhao Yaohua only brought the official seal and pen with him on this trip, in addition to the pastries, just waiting to sign the documents.

Seeing this, Zhao Hande felt a sense of helplessness, as if his arm was siding with someone else. He could only look at Tang Wen, who had just finished eating a piece of rice cake:

"Let Guykin state his requirements first."

Tang Wen: "The operating model will be as agreed. In addition, Gaijin will fund the construction of a new experimental plant, with specifications that are directly comparable to McDonnell Douglas... I will try to invite them to come and provide guidance, and I also have a solution for the equipment."

Hongdu requires that the HiCraft team be managed separately by dedicated personnel, with Gaijin having the authority to decide whether to retain or dismiss them, and being fully responsible for the product from design to production and after-sales service.

These terms are what differentiate OEM manufacturers from HiCraft; Gaikin's control is almost equivalent to that of its own subsidiaries.

Although they were prepared, Zhao Hande and Zhao Yaohua slowed down their actions. Under the current circumstances, it was foreseeable that agreeing to such conditions would encounter considerable resistance.

Zhao Yaohua:
"Could you first tell me the scale of the investment?"

Tang Wen seemed oblivious to the change in atmosphere:

"Right now, McDonnell Douglas's president, Robert, is here. He can help me find a way to mix some military aircraft manufacturing standard equipment into the MD.11 production line. Some of it overlaps with the F-15 production line and is very advanced."

Including team building, dedicated factory buildings, imported equipment, and debugging, the Gaikin plan aims to spend $5 million to $7 million within a year to do this. The development of the new aircraft will first take place at the old site, with $1 million allocated to start preliminary research... Hey, wait a minute, Lao Zhao, what are you doing!"

Tang Wen quickly caught Zhao Yaohua, who was trying to kowtow twice to him, but was immediately grabbed by the latter's arm tightly:
"Enough, Mr. Tang. Let's sign the agreement first, and we can add the details later!"

Zhao Hande, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but reprimand them upon seeing this:

"The higher-ups haven't made a decision yet, what kind of behavior is this?"

"Then you should make a decision quickly. We have no objections at all. I'll take the blame if there's any criticism."

Zhao Hande was speechless for a moment, and could only say:
"You're not the only alternative; Guizhou Aircraft Industry Group is also an option... Why haven't they arrived yet? Their flight should arrive around the same time as yours."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than hurried footsteps echoed from the garden entrance. A middle-aged man, drenched in sweat and carrying a bag, ran alongside, shouting:

"Director Zhao, you have to give me justice! Some bastard punctured the tires of all four cars at the guesthouse and even hired two people to try and steal my taxi!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes turned to Zhao Yaohua, who sat up straight immediately, his eyes fixed straight ahead, but his flustered gaze betrayed him.

Zhao Hande looked left and right, and finally could only facepalm.

(End of this chapter)