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

Chapter 235 You have a mole!
"What do you think of our RD33 engine?" Belyukov asked. "It's brand new! If you don't want it, our ground crew will disassemble it in a week and learn how to maintain and service it."

"Yes, of course I want it! How can I refuse something so good?" Qin Liang nodded. "Now, please follow us to get the money."

Beryukov frowned: "You didn't put the money in the car?"

"I'm very sorry, this is our first time doing business, so we have to be careful. Please forgive our caution. Now... send someone with us to collect the money. Once we have the money, you can reseal the engine and transport it to the port for us. We'll meet there."

Beryukov thought for a moment: "Polynin, you go with them to get the money."

"it is good!"

The Mercedes drove out of the base. Lillian glanced at the rearview mirror and, sure enough, there was a car following behind. But... that didn't stop her.

With the accelerator floored, the engine compartment of this massive luxury sedan roared to life.

In 1972, the fifth-generation W116 Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan was launched. The grille and headlights were integrated into one, making the front of the car appear flatter and less classic, but more modern. Its next generation was the famous "Tiger Head" Mercedes-Benz in the East.

It also added an ABS system, which was a technological revolution.

However, the biggest change is in its engine compartment. Mercedes-Benz engine engineers have crammed in both an inline six-cylinder and a V8 engine. The top-of-the-line model is equipped with a 4.5-liter V8 engine with a power output of 222 horsepower.

It seems that the engineers themselves felt that the power was not enough, so in 1975, they introduced a new 6.9-liter engine, with the European version tuned to 286 horsepower.

Now, as Lillian floored the accelerator, the engine's tachometer shot up rapidly, quickly reaching the redline of 5300 rpm. The gear was still in first gear, but the speed was rapidly increasing: 20, 40, 60! In less than six seconds, it accelerated to 60 miles per hour!

The gearboxes of this era have very few gears, only three forward gears, so one gear is enough to go over 100 km/h!
As the engine approached the redline, the transmission reluctantly shifted into second gear, then seventy, eighty, ninety...

Roads built during Mustang's era are of high quality! The highways built in Germany during the economic crisis were still in operation until the new millennium. Of course, this is also because there are no monsters like the 100-ton king trucks on German roads.

The Gorky sedan behind, no matter how hard it tried, could only see the taillights of the Mercedes gradually disappearing into the distance. It couldn't catch up, it really couldn't catch up!

Inside the Mercedes, Porenin was somewhat flustered.

Why are you driving so fast?

“We’re being followed; we suspect it’s the KGB.” Lillian replied simply, “Sit tight!”

After saying that, she suddenly swerved the steering wheel. The tires screeched against the ground, and the car tilted to the side due to inertia, as if it would flip over at any moment. Porenin exclaimed and gripped the handrail tightly.

The car sped onto a side road!
Even if there are other cars following behind, they can't possibly turn around like this!
Lillian carefully checked the rearview mirror and was finally certain that no car was following her.

Polenin's heart pounded wildly, and countless thoughts raced through his mind. What? Someone was following me? Those were my men, okay? What KGB? I drink with KGB people every day and trade supplies with them. The KGB deserves some credit too!

The car turned at several more intersections and entered a rural road. At this point, Polenin became somewhat worried again.

"Where are we going?"

"Get the money! You don't think we have to go to the bank to withdraw money, do you? The banks aren't even open yet!"

The night breeze carried the scent of earth from the countryside, and the chirping of insects and birds created a harmonious atmosphere, but... Porenin always had a bad feeling.

Finally, the car stopped next to a small house, which was the village's irrigation pump house. During the busy farming season, people would stay here temporarily to irrigate the fields. But now... the crops were about to be harvested, and there was no need for irrigation, so the place was deserted.

"Let's go in and get the money!"

"Oh."

Lillian walked ahead, swaggered to the pump room door, took out her key, easily opened the door, and then... actually took out a briefcase from inside.

Polyn was overjoyed. He was worried that the other party might play tricks, but he didn't expect... that they actually had money!
He strode over and saw Lillian place her briefcase on the nearby water channel platform. He couldn't wait to open the briefcase, and the stacks of green coins inside delighted him. He couldn't resist picking up a stack and kissing it.

"Now, can we make the call?"

"Of course."

The pump room was somewhat dark. There was a bed, a desk, and some tools. On the desk was a red telephone.

“Hey, Mr. Belyukov, I got the money, yes, I checked it, hmm.”

Before Polenin could even turn around after hanging up the phone, he heard a whoosh of wind. He knew something was wrong and quickly ducked, but unfortunately, he couldn't avoid it.

Snapped!
A brick slammed into the back of his head. Before he could even utter a cry of surprise, his eyes rolled back and he fainted.

Qin Liang threw down the brick, glanced at the person lying on the ground, and looked at him with a hint of contempt.

"Lillian, the person keeping an eye on him in the shadows will take care of him, won't they?"

"Yes, are you sure you don't want to leave any survivors?"

"Of course, Polenin was greedy for money and ran away with it, swindling Belyukov. He can't be allowed to live in this world again."

Lillian was filled with emotion. She had heard that Qin Liang was very good at technology and business, but she never expected him to be so ruthless in killing people!

"Let's go."

"Where to go?"

"Those heading to the port, wait!"

You've killed someone's men, and you still want to go to the port? Isn't that just walking into a trap? What if they find out and try to silence you?
Lillian was a little worried, but... she also understood that if they disappeared, the other party would definitely think they had killed someone to cover it up, and they would be out of business in the future. It might even lead to a life-or-death struggle, after all, cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents!

You have to pretend you don't know anything about it.

"This car can't be driven anymore. Let the people following behind handle it."

This isn't about destroying the vehicle; you can just get a new license plate and continue operating it, or you can sell it as smuggled goods. In short, you won't lose money; Qin Liang has never done business that loses money.

On the edge of a nearby farmland, there was a pile of firewood and straw. After clearing it away, you could find a Satellite car, a common sight in East Germany.

It has an adorable appearance, with round headlights that look like big eyes and a wide, narrow grille that looks like a big mouth. It has two doors and four seats, and from the rear it looks like a small potato.

This car was put into production in 1957 and was still in production in 1991. When the Berlin Wall fell, East Germans drove their cars to West Germany, and they were all Sagitar cars.

Opening the car door and sitting on the uncomfortable seat instantly feels like a downgrade in consumption.

Lillian turned the key, and a roar like a motorcycle engine came from the front of the car. The 500cc twin-cylinder air-cooled engine made the sound of an old ox. Lillian shifted gears, stepped on the gas, and the engine hummed and groaned as it set off.

Altenberg Air Base.

Beryukov was overjoyed when he received the call and immediately ordered his men to load the two engines onto the truck. But... just before the truck was about to leave, he remembered something else.

"No need to rush, let's wait for Polenin to return!"

It was past midnight, one o'clock in the morning, two o'clock in the morning... dawn broke, but Porenin still hadn't returned!
Beryukov was envious.

what happened?

Why hasn't Borenin returned yet?
"Damn it, bring Drozdorf here!"

Drozdov, the KGB's second-in-command in East Germany and a good friend of Belyukov, always gave Drozdov a large share of the profits whenever they did business. Now that something unexpected has happened, it's naturally Drozdov's turn to handle it!
This was an obese middle-aged man with a large belly. He got out of the car with a serious expression.

“Last night, my men went out with them, but quickly lost track of them. They searched all night, and then…” “How did it go?”

"Our men found them in Rostock this morning. They were driving a Satellite car and had checked into a hotel. They should be sleeping now."

"Satellite cars? Where are their Mercedes?"

"I don't know, but... I had someone investigate car dealers smuggling cars from Eastern Europe to Moscow. Last night, a high-end Mercedes-Benz S-Class was sold."

Belyukov clenched his fist immediately: "It seems that Polenin is the one who embezzled all the money and sold the car. That damned guy dared to betray us!"

Drozdorf's expression was complicated: "So, what do we do now? Should we kill those two buyers?"

For the KGB, taking out two people from Western Europe was a piece of cake.

“No, of course not!” Belyukov shook his head: “We haven’t finished this deal yet, we haven’t received the money… I need to talk to them!”

Rostock, which has been largely forgotten in later generations, suffered economic collapse after the reunification of Germany. It is a famous historical city in Germany with an important geographical location.

The air was filled with the salty scent of the Baltic Sea. The city's typical Gothic architecture was bathed in the morning sunlight. Seagulls circled in the sky, calling out as they looked down upon the magnificent red city walls and the ancient medieval gates.

Standing at the narrow window of the hotel, Lillian glanced at Qin Liang with some concern, wanting to say something, but the guy was already fast asleep.

Is he really not worried at all?

Qin Liang slept until noon, full of energy. He took Lillian downstairs to eat, and then... he saw Belyukov rushing over.

Inside a Western restaurant.

"Mr. Beliyukov, have the goods been delivered to the port? We've already arranged for a ship to be dispatched tonight..."

Beryukov stared at Qin Liang with a complicated expression for a long time before speaking: "Gentlemen, could you recount what happened last night?"

"whats the matter?"

"So, it was about taking Polenin to withdraw the money?"

"Well... as soon as we came out, Polenin said that there were cars following us and that we had to speed up and shake them off. He even directed me to drive at high speed onto a side road. It was a really dangerous situation..."

Belyukov's face grew increasingly grim. Yes, it was that bastard Polenin!
"Upon reaching our destination and obtaining the money, Polenin then said that he also needed to take the car, as promised to you. As for our plans... he gave us a Satellite sedan, which we assumed was a gift, but now we realize it's actually rented! We have to drive it back to Western Europe, and you'll have to pay the rental fee..."

Beryukov took a deep breath: "Gentlemen, our cooperation has run into some trouble... That Polenin, after getting the money, drove off! He sold the car to a smuggler and took the money with him, no one knows where he went... Damn it, no matter where he goes, we will find him, and I will tear him to pieces with my own hands!"

At this point, Belyukov was already gritting his teeth.

"what?"

After a moment of astonishment, Qin Liang's face turned serious: "Mr. Belyukov, did you fabricate such an excuse just to renege on our goods? Let me tell you, that's impossible! In short, we've paid the money and given you the car. If you don't keep your promise, don't blame us for complaining to Moscow!"

“No, please don’t do this. I came here today to find a solution that we can both accept,” Beryukov said. “If you want the engine, we can still deliver it to you as agreed before, but…”

Anyway, they were just two old AL-21F engines. Those things weren't worth much, so we just gave them away.

The problem is... he hasn't gotten the money yet! Once the other party takes the goods back, they'll definitely find that the engine is wrong. After all, a turbojet and a turbofan are not the same thing!

This is a one-off deal, so we need to get another sum of money from the other party!

As for how to do it... that's really a headache.

"but what?"

"Could we do more of this collaboration? After all, as you know, I haven't received any money yet..."

Qin Liang's eyes darted around: "Well, that's also an option. You mentioned before that technicians from the Klimov Design Bureau would come here to guide the engine maintenance work?"

"That's right!"

"Surely you have a way to arrange a trip for them to West Berlin?"

"You mean... you want to meet these people?"

"Yes, you arrange for them to meet us in West Berlin, and I'll give you a referral fee. What do you think?"

“Okay, no problem!” Belyukov said, “The technical team that came this time is led by Sharkisov, who is also a key member of the Karimov Design Bureau. The introduction fee is at least... 500,000! However, I am only responsible for introducing him. Whether he can reveal relevant technologies to you is not my responsibility.”

Qin Liang nodded: "Okay!"

Although he remained outwardly calm, he was secretly overjoyed.

Others might not know who this Sharkishov is, but Qin Liang does!

The first designer of the Klimov Design Bureau was the famous Klimov. After his death in 1962, Isetov took over. The current RD-33 and the TB3-117 engine used on the Mi-17 were both designed under Isetov's leadership.

And the third designer of the Klimov Design Bureau was this Sharkisov!
Even if Sharkisov wasn't the top leader now, he was still a key figure in the Klimov Design Bureau, having participated in the entire design process of the RD-33 engine. His coming to East Germany was enough to demonstrate the importance placed on East Germany! The air force here was prioritized for equipping itself with the most advanced fighter jets!

Now that he's here, we should extract a lot of secrets from him!

According to the original plan for the partition of East and West Germany, Germany was divided into four parts, with the entire city of Berlin in the Soviet occupation zone! However, as the capital of Germany, it had to be divided and occupied! So, a strange thing happened: half of Berlin in the Soviet occupation zone was separated and given to Western administration.

This half became an enclave, and it really did have to rely on air transport. Historically, Berlin faced three crises that blocked land routes, and the West used airplanes to transport supplies to West Berlin. The crisis was only alleviated with the construction of the Berlin Wall. People entering West Berlin from East Germany had to undergo strict checks.

Qin Liang and Lillian drove their satellite car past the checkpoint, looking at the sentry posts on the high walls, and couldn't help but feel a sense of感慨 (gan3kai3, a feeling of mixed emotions, including nostalgia and reflection).

When it comes to deceiving people, we can never beat the West. Of course, if we can't feed the people, problems will inevitably arise, as this is related to the stability of the country!

Entering West Berlin, the scene changes completely; the crowds are bustling and lively.

Emily Hotel.

Qin Liang was holding the key and was about to open the door to his room when he saw the door to the next room slowly open, revealing a beautiful urban woman standing inside.

She wore a pale yellow suit, a skirt, black stockings, high heels, and light makeup.

"Dodo?"

"Brother Liangzi, what a coincidence!"

What a coincidence! You're clearly doing this on purpose, aren't you? Qin Liang handed the key to Lillian: "You can stay in this room by yourself."

After saying that, Qin Liang went into Yang Duo'er's room. He needed to take a shower first, as he had been up for so long and smelled terrible.

However... just as she entered the bathroom, Yang Duo'er walked in: "Brother Liangzi, come on, let me help you."

Next door, Lillian lay in bed, her mind racing as she considered what to do next. The Soviet engineers wouldn't have brought the engine design blueprints with them, would they? Could just one person recover all the engine data?
They wanted to buy engines from the East German garrison, but almost got scammed. Now they're trying to trick people into coming here. I wonder if they can even get their hands on these engines.
Even if they got their hands on them, how would they proceed with the transaction? Getting the engines out of West Berlin was far more difficult than getting them out of East Germany. After all, officials in East Germany could be bribed with money, but here…

With a mix of complex thoughts, Lillian fell into a deep sleep. She was exhausted from the past two days, especially in the port city. While Qin Liang slept soundly, she hadn't dared to sleep. Although she had someone protecting her in secret, she still had to stay alert at all times.

　PS: The East German Satellite car was very common back then.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)