What the hell is a private enterprise?

Chapter 669 Breaking Doors and Windows
Robin quickly explained the whole story: it turned out that Eric had become arrogant after eating the pie in the sky painted by Tang Wenhua, and then went to Luo Luo to play the fool and pretend to be weak.

In Luo Luo's eyes, Saab was nothing more than a small spark that Rui had painstakingly supported. Under normal circumstances, Rui would not refuse to buy any technology or cutting-edge equipment, but he did not expect Saab to do any big business.

As expected, Eric was received by a regional manager who, after confirming that Eric wanted to immediately order 500 engines with a unit price of over ten million US dollars, immediately reported it to the top executive. Eric only realized what was going on when he produced the comprehensive cooperation agreement he had reached with Geigin.

That's not surprising. Although Gaijin can't compare to those nouveau riche in the desert, the good thing is that he never hoards money and spends it all as soon as possible. Five or six billion US dollars is really not a big problem for them.

Such a significant transaction could not be decided in a short time and was delivered to Sugar Lane with extremely high efficiency.

But after the initial shock, Air Force Secretary Terren immediately raised questions:
“遄达800是我们最先进的发动机，可他们用不了吧？C919按描述顶多算737级别，推力12到14吨左右就够了。

However, giving it to the MD.11 wouldn't be suitable either. The Trent 800 is 35% heavier and has 40% more thrust, making it impossible to switch. Even if you bought 500 engines, there simply wouldn't be any aircraft that could accommodate them!

"So this agreement is not that simple."

Robin calmly explained:
"The engine purchase agreement with Geely had an additional condition:"

We are transferring the Trent 800 series engine technology, selling a production line at cost price, and providing hands-on training in production.

"Gaijin wants to monopolize the entire aviation industry at Dongda University in one fell swoop."

Teren succinctly drew his conclusion, and Blair and the others immediately pressed for the reasons.

"The reason is simple: the Trent series is designed for use on large twin-engine passenger aircraft like the Boeing 777. It has one less engine than the MD-11, yet it can carry more, fly farther, and consume less fuel, making it the mainstay of the next generation of passenger aircraft."

While Geykin currently lacks the capability to develop its own passenger aircraft, if they have long-term plans, acquiring the Trent series would be enough to completely dominate the Tokyo market in the future and develop their own Boeing 777.
$60 billion is a considerable sum, but it's insignificant compared to the future. Furthermore, the Trent series can be developed for at least another 20 years, spawning various thrust models and gas turbines. In the long run, this deal is not unprofitable.

Blair: "But it's still incredible that a company would spend huge sums of money to buy and stockpile engines before it even has the capability to develop passenger aircraft. That's betting at least ten years of the future. It's hard to believe that a company has such courage."

The others nodded in agreement. Everyone could do the math, but when it came to actually putting themselves in that shoes and betting billions of dollars on a future that wouldn't show results for at least ten years, probably no one would dare to make the decision, and it would be very difficult to carry it out.

"Therefore, this further illustrates that Gaijin has a strong official background, which makes sense."

Terren explained, then couldn't help but sigh:
"The $60 billion deal not only bought out the future of Dongda Civil Aviation, but also aimed to acquire Rolls-Royce's century-long accumulation of civil aviation assets, a rather shrewd calculation."

Bander: "So, doesn't that mean we're at a disadvantage?"

"No, no, no, Rolls-Royce has invested a whopping £9 million (about $15 billion) in the Trent series. This deal will allow them to recoup all their R&D costs and quickly perfect the product."

Think about it, the delivery time for 500 engines is very long. Rolls-Royce can discover more problems as they are being produced. Once this order is completed, the difficulties in mass production of the Trent series will be overcome.

Moreover, the resulting advertising effect is enormous, allowing Trent to gain a foothold in the market.

So, should we sell it or not?

Bender was completely bewildered, and Blair finally spoke up to explain:

“We cannot give up this order. Our aviation industry has declined enough. We have only sold 23 Trent series aircraft. Every day of delay is a risk.”

But Trent 800 is the most advanced technology in the world. Even its sale might be blocked by the Empire under the pretext of an embargo, let alone technology transfer. Even if we were willing to pay Gaikin, we still wouldn't be able to get it.

Besides, they can't even handle the Spey series, so the Trent series would be even more difficult. They might as well stick with the earlier RB211; its lower technological level is actually an advantage for them.

The RB211 is also a three-rotor configuration. To be precise, it can be considered a predecessor of the Trent series, which was deeply optimized by Trent based on the RB211.

However, the RB211 has a very large range. The earliest model was installed in the early 70s with a thrust of only 19 tons, while the latest model in the 90s can reach as high as 27 tons.

Terren's eyes lit up, and his mind raced:
"Yes, the early RB211 was developed not much later than the Spey, so we could find a way to get through the embargo, and it was a previous generation engine so it didn't pose a threat... We could also sell the early version with only 19 tons of thrust, but if Geigin wants to upgrade to the latest 27-ton model, he'll have to pay extra."

Furthermore, RB211 is also compatible with MD.11, making it significantly more reliable than Trent. This is a good protocol for all three parties.

Robin and Bender nodded vigorously. In their view, the idea was perfect because it left room for negotiation without making any absolute statements, and cleverly avoided leaking the cutting-edge technology.

Moreover, the R&D costs for RB211 have long been amortized due to its massive production volume, so selling it results in much higher net profit.

Blair couldn't find anything wrong with it either, but then he suddenly paused, as if struck by a thought:
"Do you think it's possible that Gaikin never intended to get his hands on a Trent 800, and that his real goal was the RB211?"

"..."

Teren broke the silence, delivering another blow:

"Since Gekin has an official background, is it possible that the team that acquired Spey could take over the RB211? Spey's designer, Stanley Hooker, was also deeply involved in the RB211. The two are basically of the same lineage, with highly similar core machines, making it much easier to learn than Trent."

In that case, receiving RB211 technology wouldn't be entirely without a foundation; it would even be equivalent to acquiring a complete lineage of British aviation technology?

"..."

Everyone fell into deep thought.

……

Goose City, Gaijin Power Aviation Power Division (formerly Aviation Machinery Factory)
Changbushi was holding a lively welcome ceremony, and the smiles on his face never stopped.

From today onwards, Gaijin will have a proper and complete aero-engine research team that is young, energetic, and even experienced.

The 31 beneficiaries of the human trafficking transaction stood on the stage, each wearing a big red flower, waiting with some unease but also excitement for Changbus to issue them their employment letters.

Tang Wen had already held a simple ceremony, but Changbushi considered it far too vulgar.

Besides giving out car keys and new house keys, what other tricks do they have? It doesn't look like something an aviation professional should do at all, so after Tang Wen left, he did it again.

As it turns out, the old methods still work well in this era, especially when combined with the new methods.

Yang Chuanzhong couldn't suppress the smile on his face. Although his position was below Changbushi's, his rank and treatment were the same, and the satisfaction he received, both materially and spiritually, exceeded his expectations.

At 42 years old, he is considered a genius in the institute, but he is still in the stage of accumulating experience and it is far from being able to take on important responsibilities. Although the higher-ups attach importance to him, there are no projects available, so he can only put it on hold.

He participated in the Spey Project shortly after joining the institute and even went to the British factory to learn from them. However, the process of imitating Spey was full of twists and turns and was stopped again in the late 80s.

Originally, there was a plan to mass-produce the JH-7A this year and restart the Spey localization process. The institute intended to appoint him as the deputy chief engineer, but in the end, both the navy and the air force agreed to cancel the mass production of the JH-7A.

The reason is somewhat darkly humorous: the purpose of the JH-7 series is to patrol the sea and air and carry out anti-ship missions when the navy is weak, and it is essentially a product of a defensive strategy.

However, with the Navy's frenzied expansion, launching three carrier battle group construction plans simultaneously, the Navy's strategy shifted from a purely defensive approach to an "offensive defense," with the focus shifting from naval aviation to warships. With three aircraft carriers in hand, and the Type 055 guided-missile cruisers already in mass production, and the C301 heavy supersonic missiles used by the Huashan and Taishan ships undergoing intensive testing, the importance of the JH-7 fighter-bomber has been greatly reduced.

Secondly, the military may also have the F-14 and J-11, two long-range heavy fighters in the future, so it is a bit unnecessary to produce the JH-7, and... it would be a waste of budget!

The country has gone to great lengths to maintain the navy's abnormal expansion, cutting projects that are not particularly necessary.

As a result, the JH-7A fighter-bomber, which was originally scheduled to begin mass production and deployment in 98, was aborted, and the Spey project, which was launched in the same year, was also canceled.

Although it's somewhat like giving up halfway, Tang Wen even provided the F110, so focusing on getting the big thruster sorted out is obviously a higher priority.

After Spey lost the repechage, Yang Chuanzhong was temporarily idle again, and then he was "sold off".

Moreover, Tang Wen took more than a dozen Spey prototypes and materials from the imitation process back then under the pretext of "accumulating experience." Institute 606 also sent them over after receiving some archive fees.

Among the 31-person design team, Yang Chuanzhong, the overall deputy chief designer who participated in the "Spey" project, Lin Wanquan, the deputy chief designer of high-altitude testing, and Chen Xingbang, the leader of the core bearing material project team, are all around 40 years old.

Once everyone had arrived, Tang Wen's first task for them was to digest and review the "Spey" technology. If possible, they could try to replicate the "Spey" in Geigin.

This task is neither particularly difficult nor easy; it's just right for integrating a well-rounded team, so no one has any objections.

The new aero-engine design team consists of more than just 31 people. In addition, there are 77 people from the aviation machinery plant with JT3D experience, plus hundreds of peripheral engineers and technicians. There are no longer any shortcomings.

This also relieved a major concern for Changbus. After the new passenger aircraft's code name, C919, was confirmed, he had a basic design concept, but he still had doubts about the power system.

However, once the technical data of the F110 is obtained, a civilian model can be developed simultaneously based on it while imitating the F110, removing the afterburner and replacing it with a single-stage intake fan to increase the bypass ratio—that is, repeating the path of the CFM56.

With the success of the GZ20 as a precedent, Changbus is very confident that the new team can handle the F110.

As for the imitation of Spey, Tang Wen explained to him that since China has the complete set of Spey technology and a considerable number of researchers involved, it is not difficult to master it completely. It was just that the project was not sustainable due to lack of funds and instability. If it is perfected, the design concept and development process of aero-engines will be fully understood.

This is what happened in the original timeline. The successful imitation of Spey enabled China to have a complete aero-engine development system, which greatly accelerated the development of the WS10. It's just that Tang Wen is now using it to promote the F110.

What Changbus didn't know was that Tang Wen never intended to reverse engineer the civilian version of the CFM56 using the F110. Instead, he directly purchased technology and training from Rolls-Royce and pursued a multi-pronged approach, which was far better than repeating the mistakes of the CFM56.

He had high hopes for Yang Chuanzhong. In Tang Wen's memory, this name appeared in the WS15 project, and he was selected without hesitation to take charge of the overall situation.

The lively welcome party also included a banquet. Soon, all the factory workers were enthusiastically at the dinner table, and no one noticed that Tang Wen quietly appeared at the safety entrance and then quietly left.

Seeing that the atmosphere among the newcomers was quite good, he breathed a sigh of relief, as this was crucial to his upcoming grand plan.

Before offering Rolls-Royce a large order, Eric had advised him that the Trent 800 series might not be secured, as it was Boeing and Airbus's next-generation mainstay passenger aircraft and it was almost impossible for it to fall into Geiger's hands; they would definitely do everything in their power to prevent it.

Eric also suggested that he choose the RB211 series, which was more pragmatic. Tang Wen hesitated for a while before reluctantly agreeing to use it as an alternative if the Trent 800 negotiations failed.

Of course, this was his real purpose. Trent's technology was too advanced, even Tang Wen thought it was too ambitious. The RB211 was simple, easy to understand, sufficient, and inexpensive.

But how can he control Dai Ying if he doesn't first announce a groundbreaking plan? He's already mastered the "open the window, dismantle the door" theory; he must first firmly hold onto Chuanda and make a show of it.

However, he didn't fly back from Nansha for the aviation machinery factory; he just happened to pass by and noticed it was quite lively, so he quickly got back on the bus and headed to Guangzhou.

The purpose of this trip is to buy a boat.

……

"Buy a boat?"

When Lu Ran, the general manager of Huayuan Shipping, heard that Tang Wen was visiting, he put aside all his work to receive him, but he was still taken aback when he heard the request.

Everyone knows that although the Gaikin Shipyard is not focused on its main business, it is incredibly fast and produces high-quality ships.

It is said that Hudong Shipyard and Gaijin Shipyard had a bad relationship because the latter maliciously quoted low prices to disrupt the market. Fortunately, Gaijin Shipyard did not mainly engage in merchant ship business except for building some fishing boats and warships, but no one doubted their technical strength.

而现在唐文找到华远海运的请求是购买他们手里的2艘10万吨级油轮，以及5艘6万吨级油轮，一口价3亿美元。

$300 million may not seem like much, but it's just enough to buy seven ships. However, that's the price of new ships. With the shipping market currently sluggish, secondhand tankers are dropping in price by 20% to 40%. Geykin's willingness to buy at the price of new ships shows considerable sincerity.

Tang Wen approached Huayun Shipping because they were currently in a business lull, and the penalties for breach of contract for the few orders were not high, allowing them to quickly obtain ships.

Lu Ran wanted to ask why, but Tang Wen only asked that he pay immediately once they got to Goose City as quickly as possible, otherwise he would ask someone else to buy it.

He didn't understand at all, but he still immediately asked his superiors for their opinion.

He was certainly willing to make the deal; the $3 million could buy a less fuel-consuming and more technologically advanced tanker in the current market, which would be entirely beneficial.

The superior was clearly taken aback and replied that they needed to wait, but Tang Wen, who lacked any sense of martial ethics, grabbed the phone and started counting:
“I’ll add 10% as a premium and penalty, then we’ll decide whether to go through with the deal in ten seconds, ten, nine…”

"Sell!"

A huge deal that should have taken at least a month was agreed upon in an instant.

"All oil tankers must be delivered to the Greater Bay Port within 5 days."

"Okay, but cash on delivery."

"Not only will it be paid in cash, but in US dollars!"

Negotiation is over.

Lu Ran watched in shock as Tang Wen conducted his business as if counting down the time of a ticking time bomb, then took the microphone back:
"Okay...I understand...I'll get on it right away."

After hanging up the phone, he couldn't help but ask:

"However, I still want to ask Geikin why he suddenly needs so many oil tankers? It would be cheaper and more convenient for you to charter them."

Tang Wen had already gotten up to leave, and said meaningfully:

"I plan to modify these ships to run at 30 knots so that we can rush to transport oil during the lulls in the typhoon."

(End of this chapter)