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

Chapter 492 Arms as Ransom

North Yemen, the capital.

"Mr. Saleh, please send troops immediately to wipe out this group of pirates. If you do not send troops, then we will have to help you send troops to wipe them out!"

American diplomat Gerald looked at Saleh with a serious expression.

“Mr. Gerald, I am very sorry for what just happened. Please rest assured, we are looking for the pirates’ hideout. Once we find them, we will wipe them all out!”

Seeing Saleh's confident demeanor, Gerrard actually believed him.

One day, two days, three days...

Three days later, Gerrard returned to the door in a rage.

"Mr. Saleh, what about your promise to wipe out the pirates? The cargo ship is still being held, and the sailors are still nowhere to be found."

Saleh looked ashamed.

“Mr. Gerald, I’m sorry, we have already sent troops over, but…”

"But what? Don't tell me you can't beat the pirates!"

"That's right, we can't beat the pirates. When our brave soldiers got there, they found that the pirates were extremely vicious and well-trained. They even had... anti-tank missiles, which destroyed several of our tanks. These pirates are strange!"

It's not unusual to have AK47s and rocket launchers, but what does it mean to have anti-tank missiles?
This is no ordinary pirate group; this is a paramilitary organization!

Gerald's face was extremely grim: "So you're saying that South Yemen orchestrated this whole thing? They deliberately framed you?"

"Well... I'm not sure either. It could be South Yemen, or it could be another organization. In any case, their goal is money. After all, we're really too poor here."

There are many wealthy countries on the Arabian Peninsula; those wearing a cloth over their heads should all be very rich.

However, there are exceptions.

For example, Yemen is very poor, with a per capita GDP of less than one hundred US dollars, making it an extremely poor country!
In fact, Yemen was very prosperous in history. After all, it guarded a strategic passage, and the port of Aden in the south was a world-class port. It could have developed like Singapore.

Unfortunately, Yemen has been in turmoil in modern times.

In 1962, Yemen overthrew the monarchy and established a republic. After that, Shah began to support the Yemeni king in regaining power and supported the royalists. Thus, civil war began in North Yemen.

The civil war ended in 1970, but society remained turbulent, with two presidents assassinated. It wasn't until 1978, when Saleh came to power, that North Yemen finally stabilized.

However, years of war have caused North Yemen's development to lag behind, making it unable to keep up with its other brothers.

In contrast, South Yemen is far more turbulent.

Despite having a world-renowned port like Aden in its hands, South Yemen has been plagued by power struggles since its founding in 1970. In 1986, a high-level infighting occurred, resulting in the assassination of several leaders, which was followed by a large-scale civil war.

Our first evacuation of Chinese citizens from the East was during the civil war in South Yemen.

How can a country like this develop?

To say that this incident was orchestrated by South Yemen and framed by North Yemen would be entirely plausible, given that South Yemen has always been under Soviet control.

So, is this yet another conspiracy under Soviet control?
Gerald's face was incredibly grim, and his body was trembling slightly. If it was the Soviets who did it, then...

Those damn Russian bears!
Saleh finally breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Gerrard leave.

Okay, let's temporarily pin the blame on South Yemen, and we haven't ruled it out yet! If South Yemen denies it, and it turns out the northern tribes were responsible, that's fine too.

“Mr. Saleh, people from the island nation have arrived.”

The Waseda is a container ship from an island nation. This hijacking resulted in losses for the island nation's shipowner, so they also want to exert pressure.
Saleh said, "Let them in."

A short man with an Asian face walked in.

"Mr. Saleh, we strongly protest the piracy incidents that have occurred here on your side, which pose a huge threat to international shipping!"

“I know we are protesting as well.”

Saleh's words left Yuji Yamamoto speechless.

Even the person in question is protesting; how can this conversation continue?
"Mr. Saleh, is there any way... to resolve this pirate incident?"

"Our troops have been driven back; they have anti-tank missiles, and we have suffered heavy losses."

You regular army can't even defeat pirates?
Yuji Yamamoto was speechless again, but... something seemed wrong here, and he sensed a conspiracy.

"Then... what should we do?"

"I do not know either."

"Then... could we find a middleman, pay a ransom, and get our ships released?"

"Well... you'll have to find a middleman yourselves. I don't know where the middleman is."

"it is good."

How else can we look for it? Go to South Yemen!

Two days later.

In a coastal mountain at the border between North Yemen and South Yemen.

From here, you can clearly see the Waseda ship stranded on the beach. High explosives have been planted on the ship. Although they won't destroy the entire ship, they can still damage key parts, such as the engine room, propeller, and keel below the waterline.

If these places are destroyed, the ship won't be able to be towed away, and if it can't be towed away, it will have to stay here!

As for the sailors on the ship, they had long been taken into the mountains. These people had even witnessed the last firefight between the pirates and the government forces. When the anti-tank missiles were launched and destroyed the government tanks, they were all stunned.

Holy crap, they're pirates! This is practically a regular army!
At this moment, Noda Saburo and the others were gnawing on unpalatable flatbreads, watching the pirates eat the canned food they had brought from their ship, their faces looking rather grim.

"Captain, how long will this go on?"

"Yes, Captain, when will we be rescued?"

Everyone was full of anticipation.

Saburo Noda sighed.

The US military cannot directly come here to fight, since the region is inherently anti-American. If the Americans send troops, it will be seen as an invasion of Yemen, a sovereign nation. The best approach is for the US to exert pressure on the Yemeni government to resolve the issue.

But... the government troops were driven away.

So next... there's only one path left.

Hopefully the company will pay the ransom.

Wait, there seems to be some commotion outside.

somebody is coming?

Although the cooperation was initiated by Professor Hussein, he certainly couldn't be allowed to personally handle the actual execution of the tasks.

Now, the leader of these pirates is Hassan-Yahya, one of Professor Hussein's favorite students.

He was in his thirties, tall and robust, with a high nose bridge. He smiled as he looked at the person who came in.

"Hamid, what brings you here?"

"To act as your middleman."

Hamid chuckled and said, "Yamamoto Yuji found me. He wants to ransom these people. How much ransom do you want?"

Being a pirate is incredibly lucrative. If you successfully raid a ship, you can live a life of luxury for the rest of your life!
So, what does Hassan-Yahya want now?
Upon hearing Hamid's question, Hassan-Yahya smiled and replied.

"Ten thousand automatic rifles, one million rounds of ammunition, one thousand rocket launchers, one thousand Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, one thousand anti-tank missiles..."

and many more!

Hamid was dumbfounded.

"Hey buddy, what are you talking about? Ransom, of course it's money, dollars, even gold, what do you want that for?"

"What's the use of dollars and gold? Once you have them, you still have to spend them. Wouldn't it be better to just get what we need most and skip the middlemen?"

"I'm afraid no one will agree to this."

"If they don't agree, then we won't release them."

"Then how do we deliver these supplies to you?" Hamid realized he seemed to have gone mad, actually discussing how to trade with him!

“Through Sha, we’ll have them transport the equipment to the border for us, and then we’ll go and collect it ourselves.”

North and South Yemen are divided based on the location of their capitals. Sana'a in North Yemen is further north than Aden in South Yemen. In terms of land area, South Yemen is larger and shares many borders with Saudi Arabia.

They can easily transport the equipment over to the border area between South and North Yemen without exposing themselves.

With this equipment, they will be able to develop a large army!
They were already tired of petty skirmishes, but they didn't have many weapons and equipment before. Now... with this batch of weapons, they can become the most powerful force in Yemen!
"Okay, I'll go contact them over there. But this request is still too outrageous; they might not agree."

Aden.

Yuji Yamamoto listened to Hamid's words with a gloomy expression, his heart filled with immense anger.

"They want weapons? They really dare to export them. If they have weapons, won't it be easier for them to rob people in the future?" "Mr. Yamamoto, I have repeatedly tried to persuade them to give us money, but... they won't listen." Hamid looked troubled: "They said that even if they take the money, they still have to buy weapons. In that case, we might as well give them the weapons and save the middleman from making a profit."

This……

Yuji Yamamoto's face remained grim: "What if they get the weapons and refuse to release the hostage?"

“If they don’t release him, they’re breaking their promise. Since they’re breaking their promise, I don’t need to keep it a secret from them. Although I was led there blindfolded, I’m familiar with that mountainous area and I roughly know where it is. I’ll tell you the exact location, and then it’s up to you what to do.”

"it is good."

Yuji Yamamoto nodded.

In the East, in Qiongzhou.

Qin Liang and Yang Duo'er are enjoying some alone time together here.

In the 1980s, Qiongzhou was still very pristine. Most of the houses on the streets were single-story, and a three-story building was considered a decent structure. Sanya, in particular, had not been developed for tourism and remained a pristine tropical landscape.

With coconut trees behind me and the sea in front of me, it felt incredibly refreshing.

"Brother Liangzi, is this the first time we've been this relaxed since we got married?"

"Yes, Duoduo, let's go on a trip every year during Chinese New Year."

"This...isn't this a bit inappropriate? This time next year, our baby..."

You're actually looking forward to it?

Qin Liang smiled broadly: "Once we have a baby, we'll leave it to our family to take care of. Anyway, they're the ones who kept urging us to have a child."

This……

Yang Duo'er didn't say anything.

If you don't have children, you'd probably say that. But if you do have children, would you be willing to let your grandparents help take care of them?

"Shall we go to Dongpo Academy tomorrow?" Yang Duo'er suddenly suggested, touching her belly. "It would be good for our child to be exposed to some scholarly atmosphere in advance."

"Okay."

Qin Liang really wanted to say that it was already good enough that it was a big egg, and it hadn't even developed yet, but... he couldn't say that, or his wife would beat him.

Just then, the roar of an engine came from the road in the distance, and a 212 with military license plates came speeding towards them.

Looking at the car, Qin Liang had a bad feeling. It seemed that... he was going to be in trouble again!
Crunch!

The car indeed stopped next to Qin Liang.

"Comrade Qin Liang, the naval leaders would like to invite you over for tea."

Are you only inviting me?

"And of course, your wife."

Qin Liang nodded and looked at the girl beside him: "Duoduo, let's go there."

"it is good."

Sanya, naval air force base.

"Comrade Qin Liang, in recent years, thanks to the help of Northwestern Polytechnical University, the equipment of our naval aviation force has undergone a complete upgrade."

At the airport, there are not only twin-engine Q-6 fighters, but also single-engine J-9 fighters!

This……

The J-9 was developed by the Air Force, but the Navy also took a liking to it?

Navy leader Zhang smiled broadly: "The twin-engine Q-6 is very useful; it's fast, has a long range, and a large payload. However, it's really difficult to maintain. Therefore, we ordered the single-engine J-9 instead. We've used both types of aircraft in combat exercises..."

What was the outcome of the confrontation?

"It's about 50/50. The twin-engine Q-6 has a larger radar size and a longer detection range, but the J-9 has better maneuverability. Even in the horizontal maneuvering range, which is where the twin-engine Q-6 excels, it can't beat the J-9."

The duck-like layout has an extremely strong ability to maneuver!

Upon hearing what Leader Zhang said, Qin Liang smiled and said, "That's the generational gap!"

"Yes, that's the generational gap, which is why our navy has been a bit worried lately."

"worry about what?"

"Now, many countries' fighter jets have entered the era of stealth aircraft, so our domestic air force is not worried. However, our navy still lacks carrier-based stealth aircraft!"

"You guys don't think much of the stealth-modified version of the Twin Engine 6?" Qin Liang asked curiously.

“We can’t compete with conventional fighters, and we can’t compete with stealth fighters either. President Qin, you’re right, it’s a matter of generational difference.” Leader Zhang said, “Variable sweep wing technology is good, but it’s only suitable for second-generation fighters. It’s okay against third-generation fighters, but it’s really no good against fourth-generation fighters.”

This is what the Navy is most worried about right now.

The navy also wants to have carrier-based stealth aircraft.

"As for the projects you developed for the U.S. Navy, there are many problems, and we don't believe they represent the future trend, so..."

Therefore, the Navy wants a stealth carrier-based aircraft!

"Director Zhang, I don't think there's anything to worry about."

"why?"

"Our stealth aircraft technology is already very mature, and we have a large number of stealth aircraft available. For example, the Northern Institute has a medium-sized stealth aircraft, which has a carrier-based variant. We can use this project to improve it without having to develop something entirely new."

"You want us to use export-grade products? We don't want that!" Manager Zhang immediately shook his head.

"Leader Zhang, developing a brand new fighter jet requires a large amount of R&D funding. The Navy... the Navy will make do with what it has for now. After all, the fourth-generation fighter jet is just a transitional measure."

At this moment, everyone had already entered the two-story building next door and entered the conference room. When they heard Qin Liang say this, everyone's eyes widened.

Hey kid, what are you saying?
Currently, third-generation fighter jets have not been fully deployed internationally, and many countries are still using second-generation fighter jets. How can you say that fourth-generation fighter jets are just a transitional technology?
You're really bold!
Leader Zhang looked utterly shocked.

Qin Liang smiled and said, "Everyone, Northwestern Polytechnical University started developing detonation engines several years ago. In recent years, the progress has been smooth. Once the research and development is successful, the aircraft will be hypersonic. As the saying goes, speed is the only way to win in the world of martial arts."

Second-generation fighters pursued high-altitude and high-speed flight, while third-generation fighters have returned to high maneuverability. But is high maneuverability necessarily the right approach?

It's because it's not fast enough!
If you fly at Mach 5 or higher, then you can fly as high as a bird in the sky!

It would be very difficult for any anti-aircraft missile to shoot it down!

Everyone's eyes widened.

"That's all the research we at Northwestern Polytechnical University have on fourth-generation fighters. In the future, we will transition to fifth-generation fighters. The Navy shouldn't be in a hurry. Just be patient for now. After all, we already have enough fighter jets. The key is still warships... By the way, how is the construction of our air defense ships going?"

"President Qin, this is also the reason we came to see you. We originally planned to tell you when you visited Huanglou during the Spring Festival that our air defense destroyer is about to be launched as scheduled, and we wanted to invite you to the launching ceremony."

"When?"

"tomorrow."

Qin Liang thought for a moment: "I won't go."

"why?"

"Because... I'm going to Dongpo Academy with my wife."

Upon hearing Qin Liang's words, everyone present exchanged bewildered glances.

Although Yang Duo'er came with Qin Liang, she did not attend the meeting. Several female colleagues accompanied her as they strolled around the airport.

Leader Zhang's mind raced: "Well then, it's been a long time since we've been to Dongpo Academy. How about we go together today?"

"This……"

On February 22, 1985, the third day of the Lunar New Year, Qin Liang, accompanied by a group of naval officers, visited the famous Dongpo Academy. That evening, he took a special plane arranged by the Navy to Shanghai.

Shanghai is an international metropolis, so I'll spend the rest of my annual leave here.

However, after arriving here and checking into the hotel, Yang Duo'er went to take care of the Pacific Trading Company's affairs early the next morning, while Qin Liang went to the Jiangnan Shipyard.

The shipyard was shrouded in a thin mist in the early morning, making it appear hazy and indistinct.

On the slipway, a brand-new warship stood there, and just one glance from it brought an indescribable feeling of joy.

Beautiful, so beautiful!

Its streamlined shape and converging superstructure give it a minimalist feel.

This design will definitely lead the world trend!

When Qin Liang walked over, an old man was already standing there.

(End of this chapter)