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

Chapter 446 Backstabbing Lockheed, with a Justified Demeanor!
Eastward, Northwestern Polytechnical University.

"Qin, the reconnaissance plane you repaired for us is really useful!" Nikolai Nikitin's face was full of excitement: "We've been flying for three consecutive nights and have had a great harvest!"

"Yes, maintenance and upkeep must also be up to standard. If the aircraft suffers mechanical failure due to poor maintenance, it would be a huge loss. Your previous rough and clumsy approach is not suitable for maintaining the delicate American-made fighter jets."

"Yes, we know that the KGB poached some American ground crew to maintain the F-15 fighter jets, and they have experience maintaining this aircraft... By the way, we've discovered that recently a group of Europeans have been working at your Northwestern Polytechnical University..."

"That's right, they commissioned us to design a new fighter jet, just like you."

Nikolai Nikitin's eyes widened. He hadn't expected Qin Liang to tell the truth so directly, and... he was powerless to refute this answer.

What could he say? Protest? Relations between the East and the Soviet Union haven't improved yet. If anyone should be protesting, it should be the West protesting the East's help in designing fighter jets for the Soviet Union, not them!
However... Northwestern Polytechnical University's technological strength is too strong. If Europe acquires stealth aircraft, then... the threat to the Soviet Union will be much greater!

"Qin, could you... possibly stop providing aid to Europe?"

"sure."

Is that okay? So decisively?
“The business of designing fighter jets is profitable at $500 million. If we break the contract, we will be compensated three times that amount. If you give us $2 billion, we can terminate our cooperation with Europe.”

Although it's just a facelift now, the project is worth 200 million, and the Europeans have already paid a deposit of 50 million US dollars, but... that doesn't stop Qin Liang from bragging.

Two billion US dollars! The Russians simply can't come up with that!

Even if they took it out, the Russians wouldn't give it to them. Wouldn't that be like being a sucker? The Russians aren't like the Indians who are easily fooled because they're rich and gullible.

and so……

Nikolai Nikitin sighed: "Alas, Qin, we..."

"Please rest assured, Northwestern Polytechnical University keeps its business promises. Once a contract is signed, we will definitely complete the research and development tasks as agreed in the contract, unless we encounter force majeure. So, you should be careful not to be discovered by the Westerners, after all... they have money."

The Russians are unwilling to pay for all the losses suffered by the East, but if the West finds out, they might pay! This could mean the end of the cooperation between the Russians and Northwestern Polytechnical University!

Nikolai Nikitin's expression turned even uglier.

"Comrade Qin Liang, the principal requests your presence in the conference room!"

"Okay, I'll be there right away."

In the conference room.

"President Luo, our relationship with Northwestern Polytechnical University has always been very good. This time, we never expected that Northwestern Polytechnical University would betray us!"

From afar, Qin Liang could hear Ben Richie's angry roar. It seemed that this guy knew about Northwestern Polytechnical University designing fighter jets for the Europeans.

I thought it was because I had angered Lockheed by repairing F-117s for the Russians, but now this is a minor matter!
Should I go next door for a cup of tea first? It's not too late to come back after this guy has finished throwing his tantrum.

“Mr. Ben Richie, is there some misunderstanding?” Principal Luo asked patiently.

"What misunderstanding! It was originally agreed that Lockheed Martin, MIT, and Northwestern Polytechnical University would jointly design a fourth-generation fighter jet for users around the world. Now, you've actually abandoned us and gone it alone!"

Ben Richie's anger is understandable.

Because of the cooperation with the East, it incurred the resentment of some people in China, which led to the loss of the fourth-generation fighter jet bidding project.

Fortunately, there is also a low-end fourth-generation fighter jet development project targeting the international market. They can raise R&D funds internationally and sell to other countries. Their company has internally assessed that if this project is successfully implemented, they could sell more than 500 aircraft in Europe alone!

The U.S. Air Force might also be interested in this aircraft; if it were exported and then sold domestically, sales would definitely reach thousands!

Although Lockheed lost the competition for the fourth-generation fighter jet, it will still appear as a victor in front of its other competitors!
What now?
Northwestern Polytechnical University betrayed us!
“No, no, you misunderstand.” Principal Luo continued to explain patiently: “This cooperation with Europe was not something we actively promoted; it was the Europeans who came to us.”

"Even if they come to us, you shouldn't help them! You should take the opportunity to promote the products we jointly developed!" Ben-Ritchie certainly knew what had happened. Northwestern Polytechnical University should certainly take on business that was offered to them, but couldn't you consider our friendship a little more?

“We have seen the modified aircraft you made for the Europeans. The nose is almost identical to the nose of the aircraft we plan to collaborate on! This constitutes infringement! You cannot sell the results of our collaboration separately without our permission!”

Upon hearing this, Qin Liang knew that Principal Luo could not continue fighting alone, so he pushed open the door and went inside.

“Mr. Ben Richie, my friend, there’s something wrong with what you’re saying!”

Alright, you've finally arrived!

Ben Richie turned to look at Qin Liang, his eyes filled with anger.

Qin Liang was not afraid and met his gaze.

“Mr. Ben Richie, right now, there are only a few styles of fighter jets in the world. In the era of stealth aircraft, the nose layout is even more unique. This can’t be considered plagiarism! If that’s the case, then all the cars in the world are copied from Mercedes-Benz. They’re just four wheels and two sofas!”

Ben Rich's face remained grim.

"As for our nose section, it was your company that saw the design we drew on the blackboard and then began to study it in detail. Although we did not register the patent at the time, we did not grant you full authorization, did we?"

Ben Richie's face was grim; recalling what had happened back then, it seemed that it really was true.

"Besides, the development of military products has always been a matter of whoever develops it has the ability. Claims of infringement are just nonsense. Back when the Russians copied the Tu-4 bomber from the B-29, did you ever pursue any infringement liability? When the Americans copied the Mirage III, what could the French do?"

"Not to mention military aircraft, even among civilian aircraft, the Russian Tu-144, which was a copy of the Concorde, did Britain and France say anything?"

Actually, this is somewhat unfair to the Russians. The Tu-144 and Concorde look the same, but that's only because they have the same technical requirements. Both adopt a tailless double delta wing layout, but the specific airfoils are different, and the Russians developed them all from scratch.

However, the Tu-144 is known worldwide as the Concorde.

Ben Richie was speechless after Qin Liang's words!
"If you've come here just to demand an explanation, then we can solemnly reply to you: our improvements to aircraft for the Europeans are simply normal business cooperation between us and the Europeans. If you want to take legal action, we're ready. However, our friendly relations with Lockheed come to an end here!"

Ben Richie's face flushed red and then turned pale.

Go to court? Europeans will side with Northwestern Polytechnical University. Even if the lawsuit is filed in a US court, the judge will have to take the Europeans' attitude into account, and it's not guaranteed that you'll win.

Moreover, there's really no concept of intellectual property rights in military equipment development; being able to copy it is a skill!
Moreover, if a real fight breaks out, the technology originated from Northwestern Polytechnical University! Lockheed might not even win the lawsuit; it would just be a pointless mess!
and so……

"Qin, we're good friends! Do you know that Lockheed has already lost the fourth-generation fighter jet bid? Now we're counting on the Joint Fighter Jet project. If the Europeans develop a stealth fighter variant, how will we make money from our project?"

Qin Liang revealed a smile that only a shrewd businessman would have.

"Ben Rich, my friend, wouldn't it have been better if you had just said that earlier? You came to Northwestern Polytechnical University for help, of course we should help you, after all, we've been friends for many years. Why play that protest game? That will only create a rift between us!"

Ben Richie was inwardly frustrated, but could only manage a forced smile: "Yes, Qin, you're right. I was just too impatient... Tell me, how can you help us?"

“Ben-Ritchie, my friend, remember this: no matter what, don’t rush. Rushing won’t solve anything and will only cloud your judgment. If you think about it carefully, you’ll realize that our cooperative projects with Europe will not affect our cooperative projects with Lockheed.”

“Tell me about it?” Ben Richie’s eyes lit up.

"Dude, now that you've got our design drawings for the facelift in Europe, you should be able to see the problems with just a facelift!"

Ben Rich pondered for a few minutes, then shook his head: "I don't know."

"The best canards are mounted on enemy aircraft. That's a saying you Americans came up with, and you don't even know it?" Qin Liang rolled his eyes at the other person. "We only helped modify the nose and vertical stabilizer. The most important airfoil design is still retained. As a result, this aircraft's stealth capability is greatly lacking!"

Ben Richie's eyes lit up instantly. "What's more, the planes we resurfaced for the Europeans didn't have internal bomb bays..."

"What? No internal bomb bay?" Ben Rich was stunned.

All they could access was a basic model running on the computer; they could only look at the exterior. When they saw that familiar front end, they got angry, rushed over, and didn't analyze it carefully.

Now that Qin Liang has said it, it turns out that the Europeans' aircraft modifications have many flaws!

"This aircraft is at most a third-and-a-half generation, and can't be considered a pure fourth-generation fighter at all. So, there is still market demand for our cooperative project. However... buddy, don't let the Europeans hear this."

“Yes, I know!” Ben Richie was finally relieved.

"Our cooperative project is still valid. As long as we develop a true fourth-generation fighter jet, those Europeans will still have to buy it. Moreover, because of the failure of this project, their enthusiasm has been severely dampened, and they may even give up on developing their own fighter jet!"

"Well, you're right!"

Ben Richie finally felt relieved!
"After talking for so long, I'm getting hungry. Come on, let me take you to the cafeteria and let you try the delicious food at Northwestern Polytechnical University!"

"it is good."

Just as he stepped onto the road outside, Ben Ritchie's assistant caught up with him: "Mr. Ben Ritchie, an urgent telegram has arrived from home, requesting your immediate return!"

go back?

Ben Rich frowned. "Okay."

The Pentagon, United States.

“Recently, Europe has been frequently harassed by mysterious aircraft. They always fly at night, and occasionally we can find clues in the echoes of phased array radar, but we can’t find them after our fighter jets take off.” Wilbur Creech looked at everyone present: “Gentlemen, what do you think these mysterious aircraft are?”

Having just returned from the East, Ben Richie had a vague sense of foreboding.

“The Soviets hadn’t researched stealth technology. The only thing they had to offer was that crashed F-117. So, they probably repaired that F-117, or even copied it and produced a batch!” Northrop engineer Warwick said.

He would seize any opportunity that could cause trouble for Lockheed without hesitation, because other companies would benefit more if Lockheed were defeated.

“That’s right, I never expected that the stealth aircraft that was supposed to serve our US Air Force would end up in the hands of the Russians!” Grumman’s Pellehark chimed in, “However… repairing that aircraft won’t be easy, since it requires American parts.”

Ben Ritchie's face darkened: "What do you mean? How could Lockheed possibly help the Soviets repair their planes? That would be aiding the enemy!"

"It seems you admit it."

“No, damn it, you bastards!” Ben Richie cursed on the spot.

"How the Soviets repaired their fighter jets is something we don't need to worry about for now, but... Ben Ritchie, since your Lockheed Corporation was the first to develop stealth aircraft, do you have any way to solve the problem of stealth aircraft?"

Ben Rich shook his head: "Of course not, that's not our mission. We build airplanes, and our mission is to build airplanes that can't be detected by the enemy..."

"But the problem now is, we can't detect enemy planes!" Wilbur Creech gritted his teeth. "So, the stealth aircraft we built has now become our own biggest threat, damn it!"

Ben Rich's face darkened: "So you're blaming us?" The Air Force's accusations ignited a nameless anger within him.

When did driving technological progress become the culprit? If you're so capable, then don't develop fourth-generation fighter jets!
"Ben Ritchie, what kind of attitude is this?" Warwick added insult to injury. "Is this how you treat a major customer like the Air Force? Lockheed Martin is getting more and more arrogant!"

“Yeah, so now that you have a cooperative project with the East, you look down on the Air Force’s orders, even if it offends the Air Force?” Pellehak rolled his eyes at him.

Ben Richie felt a surge of heat rushing to his head.

"You shameless bunch!"

"Ben Ritchie, is this how you speak to General Wilbur?"

"I wasn't cursing him!"

Wilbur Creech's face darkened: "Since Lockheed has no suggestions, you don't need to attend this meeting!"

They actually got kicked out!

This departure is practically tantamount to breaking with the U.S. Air Force!

Ben Richie was filled with resentment!

Back at the company, I was met with another barrage of questions.

"Ben Ritchie, how did you get in touch with the Air Force? They have a very bad impression of us!"

"Ben Ritchie, you went to the East. Did you put any pressure on the Easterners to stop modifying planes for Europeans?"

Mentioning this, Ben Rich rubbed his temples: "Easterners modifying planes for Europeans only resulted in half-finished products; they can't really be considered pure fourth-generation fighters..."

Everyone calmed down, and after Ben Richie finished speaking, someone finally spoke up.

“In that case, we can tell the Europeans directly that this is a semi-finished product, and they might as well order our aircraft directly,” said Daniel Horton, the company’s head.

"No, that won't do. We have to make the Europeans suffer a loss first, and at the same time deplete their research and development funds, so that they are unable to develop a new generation of aircraft. Only then will they fall into our arms."

At this moment, Ben Ritchie was still thinking about what Qin Liang had said: how could the Europeans obediently buy fighter jets if they weren't allowed to suffer losses?
This is a necessary step before the joint fighter jet project is launched!
Subconsciously, he still believed in Qin Liang.

“Alright.” Daniel Horton nodded. “Let the Easterners trick them first, and then… the Europeans will trust us more.”

In previous years, Lockheed had a shady history in Europe. They bribed political figures in various European countries to purchase their fighter jets. After the scandal was exposed, many of these figures were forced to resign, and their reputation in Europe suffered afterwards.

If you were to say now that Easterners are digging a hole, Europeans probably wouldn't believe you, and might even think Lockheed is deliberately causing trouble.

Eastward, Northwestern Polytechnical University.

"Liangzi, you told the Americans about us digging a pit for the Europeans. Won't they go and tell the Europeans?" Principal Luo asked with some concern.

"If Lockheed were smart enough, they wouldn't have done that. Modern Europeans are still quite independent and self-reliant; they wouldn't directly buy fighter jets from abroad. If Lockheed tries to fool them, they'll only be kicked out."

Principal Luo nodded: "Oh, that's good. But what if the Americans find out that we helped repair the F-117?"

"How could that be? We're enemies with the Russians! Someone must be framing us!"

Ok!

Jingle Bell……

"Hey, looking for Liangzi? That's right, he's here. What's up? Okay, okay, I'll have him come over!"

After hanging up the phone, Principal Luo looked at Qin Liang excitedly: "Liangzi, the J-9 has completed all its test flight subjects and is about to be finalized. They've invited you to attend the finalization ceremony!"

"So fast?" Qin Liang was very surprised.

(End of this chapter)