America: My Time

Chapter 958 The Tycoon Comes Knocking
Chapter 928 The Tycoon Comes Knocking

Relying on Hughes Aerospace's own funding would put too much pressure on the company and affect its research and development in other areas. However, if it received funding from Middle Eastern tycoons, then none of this would be a problem. After all, they are not looking for precision, and Hughes Aerospace is not making military products, but civilian ones, at least on the surface! Moreover, although the 'Starlink project' is said to be for communication, it is more about the joint operation of drones. The world knows how important drones are in the war between Russia and Russia.

With increased scrutiny from Middle Eastern capital, John was forced to change his approach and some of his plans. Previously, John had been somewhat restrained in the military industry, refraining from vying for more contracts from the US military or investing more capital. However, things are different now. The targeting by Middle Eastern capital has forced John to make numerous preparations. Therefore, leveraging the funds of Middle Eastern tycoons to complete his research and development is essential; relying solely on the US military is out of the question!

Given the current situation in the United States, it is impossible to expect to obtain more research and development funds from the military. Moreover, the emergence of the "American Navigation Company" has made John even more convinced that if the Donald comes to power, he will directly target him, or even the entire US military industry. It would be too foolish to have any illusions. After all, the Americans are not trustworthy. He needs to have more trump cards, more say, and more influence over the military!
The best approach would naturally be to leverage the funds of Middle Eastern tycoons, using the pretext of developing their products to complete their own military industry layout and preparations, thereby gaining absolute power. Although there are rules in place and the conflicts between conglomerates are within a controllable range, no one can guarantee what the final outcome will be.

Entrusting his life to others is not the outcome John wants, and it's also irresponsible! He has been increasing his investment in Jaguar Security and even accelerating his control over the Oregon National Guard, all for his own safety. The current situation makes John even more vigilant and cautious!
Just as John had thought, how could the Middle Eastern tycoon not react to the appearance of the 'American Navigation Company'? Although the meeting took place in China, it was still impossible to hide it from the American oil capitalists. After all, these guys had been keeping an eye on the Middle Eastern tycoon and John. Even though John was in China, they could still find out the information they wanted!
“Mr. John, you must already know the purpose of our trip, so we don’t need to be so secretive. We want to know how much of a threat 'American Navigation Company' will pose to us if they complete their preparations, and we also want to know how much investment 'Project Starlink' will require and how long it will take to complete!”

John didn't find anything wrong with the Middle Eastern tycoon's direct and to-the-point approach; this was how things should be discussed. He smiled calmly and said, "I don't know how big the threat is; it depends on how much pressure you put on them and how greedy they are. However, I believe you all understand the greed of these oil people. Just look at the situation in Palestine, and you'll have a good idea. So, I don't need to elaborate on the level of threat. As for the investment in the 'Starlink Project,' to be honest, we don't have a definitive answer. This isn't an ordinary investment; it's a long-term one, and our plan is even more ambitious than Motorola's, so the funding is difficult to control! If you're interested in cooperating, you need to act quickly and make your move before the Iridium project begins!"

In short, the funding required for the Starlink project is not fixed, and it will certainly be more than Motorola's Iridium project. However, time is limited, and they must speed things up, or they will be affected.

Was the Iridium project a failure? It was indeed a failure in the early stages, but it turned around and became profitable later. Therefore, John doesn't think there's anything too wrong with the Iridium project. As long as the market positioning is right, although there will be some losses in the early stages, it will still succeed in the future. Moreover, if they can persuade Middle Eastern tycoons to invest, everything will be even less of a problem. At most, it will be like the previous GPS system, where they will share some control with the other party, which will solve their own funding problem.

Hughes Aerospace's Starlink project wasn't as outrageous as later ones. Tens of thousands of satellites are not something we can afford to do now. Even Middle Eastern tycoons wouldn't accept such a proposal. In comparison, a project at a level comparable to, or even slightly higher than, the Iridium project would be more likely to gain their approval.

“Time, Mr. John, what we need is time. The funding issue can be resolved, but we can't wait too long. And since the Iridium project is feasible, your Starlink project should naturally be no problem either. With Hughes Aerospace's capabilities, it can't be slower than Motorola, right? We need an accurate network deployment time, and we hope that our situation can be given priority. I believe this shouldn't be a difficult task for Hughes Aerospace!”

“Alright, Hughes Aerospace can do all of this, and we can prioritize your situation. However, this all requires funding, and our cooperation will be the same as with the previous GPS system: granting you some rights in exchange for sufficient funding. If you are willing, then we must act quickly, otherwise, once the donkey takes office, there will likely be endless resistance. Hughes Aerospace has already completed the initial technology research and development investment for the Starlink project. Now, we only lack the funding for test launches. We have previously invested a huge amount of money in the research and development and manufacturing of low-orbit satellites, and we are now unable to continue!”

At this point, John revealed his trump card: Hughes Aerospace had indeed completed its preliminary preparations, but all of this was thanks to the support of Middle Eastern tycoons, and was accomplished by leveraging their previous investment in the Global Positioning System. However, it was now being portrayed as Hughes Aerospace's own investment!
"If we have sufficient funding, Mr. John should know when Hughes Aerospace can complete the network, right?" "At the slowest, five years; at the fastest, two to three years. This involves the launch and manufacturing of nearly a hundred communication satellites, so it can't be too fast. Even with our substantial technological reserves, it still takes time! If you are in urgent need, we can first complete the deployment in the Middle East!" To gain the approval of the wealthy individuals, John directly pulled out his trump card, promising to complete the deployment in the Middle East first—a truly sincere offer!
Upon hearing John's words, the Middle Eastern tycoon finally smiled. This was the result they wanted. Since they had paid a high price, they wanted the best service. How could they accept it if the setup on their side couldn't be completed immediately? After all, time was of the essence.

"Okay, it's a deal. We'll invest one billion dollars in Hughes Aerospace initially, and we need results within a year. Is that too much to ask?" The Middle Eastern tycoon was indeed generous, offering such a large investment right away!

“It’s not unreasonable. Hughes Aerospace can definitely fulfill your requirements, at least first. However, one billion dollars a year might not be enough. We need to launch at least twenty satellites, so there’s still a gap. Most importantly, twenty satellites are unlikely to meet your needs. For details, you can contact Hughes Aerospace; I believe they will provide you with a preliminary estimate.” John wouldn’t hold back with the Middle Eastern tycoons; he was determined to make a fortune. This was his last chance, and he wouldn’t let himself down if he didn’t seize it. Moreover, this time John didn’t intend to cooperate with other countries; he only targeted the Middle Eastern tycoons, leaving everyone else to the sidelines.

"No problem. We can continue to invest if we don't have enough funds. As long as our requirements can be met, everything is negotiable."

Sure enough, the rich are generous and agreed without hesitation. It seems that not only are the people of the Middle East overly sensitive to security, but the rich in the Middle East are even more so. In that case, John can't let go of this great opportunity!

"I wonder if there are any deeper collaborations among you? While we do collaborate on fighter jet development, does that meet your needs? Gulfstream Aerospace has many more research and development projects, especially for drones. We might be able to collaborate on these, and the Starlink project would also be of great help to all of this!"

When they heard about the Starlink project and its accompanying drone program, it immediately piqued the interest of Middle Eastern tycoons. Moreover, in their cooperation with Gulfstream Aerospace, their efforts and gains were proportional, which satisfied them greatly. Although the price was a bit high, the combat power was also very strong, and these drones had combat experience!
“We are interested, and with Gulfstream Aerospace’s capabilities, we believe there won’t be any problems. Mr. John, could you tell us about some of the plans so we can be mentally prepared?”

"You should all be familiar with the V-22 Osprey project. Gulfstream Aerospace's drone program is related to it; it's about scaling down the drone and completing its development. Compared to manned drones, unmanned drones are easier to develop and can be developed much faster. Given the capabilities of Hughes Helicopters and Sikorsky, I believe you can all agree. As long as there is sufficient research and development funding, this is not a problem for Gulfstream Aerospace. Moreover, this new drone program will have a more powerful combat capability than before, and I believe it will not disappoint you!"

(End of this chapter)