Back in 1978, I was admitted to Northwestern Polytechnical University.

Chapter 112: Not needed? Whether it's needed or not is up to us!

Old Ba's kindness was too much for us to bear, so a large group of people went to Rongleyuan.

"Everyone, now that our differences have been resolved, let's work together sincerely so that all three of us can benefit from the project!" Sabil raised his juice glass: "Come, let me toast you all!"

"No, no, we're just toasting...our boss." Qin Liang almost blurted out "the client."

At the dinner table, the atmosphere was harmonious. Taking advantage of this good opportunity, Sabil continued, "Gentlemen, the engines are ready. Next is the avionics. I wonder if any of you have time to go to Europe so we can take a look at the advanced avionics systems in Western Europe..."

When it came to the engine, Lao Ba planned to take on everything, but after arriving, he found that things were not as he had imagined. He almost offended both his Eastern and European friends. Next, when inspecting avionics, he had to take his Eastern friends with him so that they could discuss their needs on the spot!

"Great!" Qin Liang nodded. Of course he would go abroad for free. No, no, this was to help Lao Ba select advanced avionics!

"So we're leaving tomorrow?"

So fast? Buffett is really keen on our Super 7 project, isn't he?
"Alright, let's get ready and go with you tomorrow!" Old Tu nodded.

"Ahem, well, I have a small request, but I'm not sure if I should say it," Qin Liang said.

"Mr. Qin, please speak!"

“Let’s go back to Chang’an and pick up some of my friends. They’re young, but like me, they’re all very capable.”

Boasting is not a traditional virtue of our East, but this opportunity to go abroad is rare, so I have to take the students of Class 5381 to broaden their horizons. We can put others aside, but those three future chief engineers must be taken along.

"no problem!"

The next day, at Chang'an Airport.

Tang Changhong, Yang Wei, and Zhao Xiaoxia, holding their passports which had been urgently processed by the relevant departments the day before, watched as Old Ba's private plane landed, their faces filled with excitement.

Going abroad! When I received the news yesterday, I don't know how many people looked at me with envy!

These days, going abroad is a big deal that you can brag about for over ten years. Just getting a passport takes at least thirty days! Submitting application materials, verifying identity, visiting workplaces, investigating relatives... you have to write stacks of documents before it can be issued. But these three people were given special treatment and their passports were approved in just one day!

Deng Deng Deng!
The three of them boarded the plane and saw Qin Liang's smiling face: "Welcome, classmates!"

"Brother Liangzi, from now on you're my brother!" Yang Wei came up and gave him a hug.

Tang Changhong walked up to Qin Liang, her face serious: "Qin Liang, don't worry, we won't let you down. Our English is good enough to communicate normally with foreigners. Just assign us any tasks you need!"

Zhao Xiaoxia smiled brightly: "Qin Liang, thank you so much for letting us see just how developed Western countries are. After we see them, we can come back and help build our motherland!"

"Okay. Get on, adjust to a comfortable position, and then take a nap..."

February 10, 1979, London Heathrow Airport.

As a transportation hub in Western Europe, this place has a dense network of flights, with planes taking off and landing almost every minute. All kinds of aircraft, such as Trident, Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, and even occasionally you can see supersonic passenger planes with their noses pointing downwards.

Stepping off the plane, Yang Wei couldn't help but exclaim, "I can walk straight to the terminal without using the gangway!" Most flights at Eastern airports still require passengers to walk or take a car to the tarmac and then use the gangway to board the plane, but Heathrow Airport already has three terminals! The entire wall is made of large glass, allowing a clear view of the planes taking off and landing outside.

This is the modern Western world!
"Yes, the biggest advantage of doing this is that it requires passing through a commercial area, which allows us to do more business," Qin Liang said with a smile, looking at the shopping area ahead.

and many more!

A figure appeared in his field of vision, with long, flowing hair, a pale yellow coat, and tall boots. He looked very elegant, and it seemed like he had seen him somewhere before.

Forget it, I must be seeing things. How could I possibly run into an acquaintance at a British airport?
"Hello everyone, I am Marina, the overseas sales representative of Marconi Company." A middle-aged man in a suit and tie came forward, first shaking hands with Sabil, and then introducing himself to everyone.

"Our company has arranged hotels for everyone. We'll meet tomorrow..."

"It's just past noon, and we hope to begin negotiations immediately." Clearly, Sabil was in a hurry, not even adjusting to the time difference.

"Okay, I'll call and tell the company to make preparations."

Local time, 2 p.m.

The aroma of coffee filled the conference room. Qin Liang took the cup, drank it all in one gulp, and felt refreshed. It was indeed a good way to invigorate himself.

Seeing Qin Liang's expression, Yang Wei also looked up and poured coffee into his mouth. After just the first sip, his face changed. Even the worst-tasting Chinese medicine he had ever drunk didn't taste like this!

But... I can't vomit, I have to maintain my image, so I'll just treat it like drinking Chinese medicine!

Glug glug... Yang Wei also gulped down his coffee. When he put it down, he saw Zhao Xiaoxia pouring something from a white paper packet into it. The powder was shiny.

"Yang Wei, so you like to drink it without sugar? It's so bitter without sugar, how do you manage to drink it?"

Do we need to add sugar?

Yang Wei burped: "That's right, I like it without sugar!"

"You've all worked hard. We knew our Eastern friends were pragmatists." Across from us, Peterman, the head of Marconi Avionics, settled down and began with a cheerful smile: "Our Marconi company has a long history. Our founder, Mr. Guglielmo Marconi, was a pioneer in the field of radio. He accomplished the first transatlantic radio wave transmission, the first use of the SOS emergency signal, and the first public radio broadcast..."

After some small talk, he finally got to the point: "Just tell me what avionics equipment you need."

“Mr. Sabil, please take it,” Old Tu said to him.

"We believe that we need an advanced pulse-Doppler fire control radar, as well as an inertial navigation system..."

“Well,” Peterman said calmly, “we believe that a small aircraft like the Super-7 doesn’t need an inertial navigation system; a radio compass is enough. As for a pulse-Doppler fire control radar… that’s asking too much. With such a small nose… how about we just cram a radar rangefinder in?”

This guy doesn't want to give away any good stuff!
“Mr. Peterman, we’ve come to you to ask for equipment. If you have it, then let’s talk. If you don’t, then we’ll find another company.” Qin Liang said, “As for whether we need it or not, that doesn’t seem to be a question for you to consider, does it?”

　PS: The illustration shows a mechanical inertial navigation device from the 1960s and 70s.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)