Chapter 286

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Protagonist:

Chen Yi

"Cornell University in the United States?" When academic matters were mentioned, Han He immediately grew excited.

Cornell is one of the eight Ivy League universities, consistently ranked in the world's top 20, with some programs ranking even higher; for a graduate student like Han He, it was practically a dream destination.

In Chen Yi's impression, Emily was a Cornell University student, and the annoying Wang Dong from Jiangning No. 1 High School seemed to have gone there to study as well, so he replied without any feeling at all: "Should be them."

"Let me look, let me look... I haven't checked my mailbox in a long time." Han He excitedly rummaged through the mailroom. The dormitory building's unwritten rule: whoever wants to read their mail goes to the box themselves; the dorm manager doesn't serve that. Han He was naturally even lazier, hadn't seen a letter in ages, and thus went to check even less often.

After a while, he indeed found a bilingual Chinese-English envelope, the addressee being his own name.

After signing the register, Han He impatiently tore it open and immediately saw the invitation letter inside.

"I have one too. I have one too..." Han He naturally knew the meaning of Chen Yi's phone call. His emotions contained a kind of long-awaited happiness, like a woman who had been infertile for years finally conceiving.

"That's good then. Probably because of the paper; you go, I've been a bit busy lately."

Han He didn't know what to say for a moment. In his eyes, going to Cornell University was naturally an supreme honor, an activity for which one could set aside anything...

Chen Yi hung up the phone and began discussing the source and price of the "laser missile" with Liu Xinyu, while Han He clutched the handset listening to the busy tone, his whole body radiating happiness, like a woman who had just given birth.

……

Han He informed his advisor, Professor Lei Gongpo, of the news that he had received a Cornell academic exchange invitation, which in turn drew the school leadership's attention.

Cornell's international ranking far surpasses all universities in China; regardless of whether Chinese people understand or are willing to accept it, for any non-Chinese student simultaneously faced with Cornell University and Jiangning University, the probability of choosing the former can be said to be 100%. In fact, when Chinese universities cannot even compete with Hong Kong University, everyone's status is already crystal clear.

Of course, Chinese universities have one advantage: the probability of producing Chinese government officials is extremely high. Sea turtles can find a good job, but cannot go further in officialdom; this is the secret to the survival of China's excellent universities.

And from the school leadership's perspective, academic achievements are their political achievements. Cornell University's academic exchange is not a simple visit; they first have exchange meetings with achievement reports, and every invited expert scholar must speak — not necessarily a complete paper, but also each person's phased results. Because Cornell University's status is high enough, such an exchange meeting can completely be regarded as a massive advertising platform.

Han He, who had only seen the Principal at enrollment and graduation, received a cordial audience with the Jiangning University Principal, who inquired about life and work matters and issued an important directive: the Cornell University academic exchange activity must be grasped as a political task; the Finance Academy leadership must escort and protect it, making all preparations for Student Han He and Student Chen Yi to go to Cornell University for academic exchange... Right, where is Student Chen Yi?

Student Chen Yi is doing an arms deal in Germany.

He wants missiles to kill monsters, but the difficulty of shipping such dangerous weapons to China is very high, mainly because the time is too long; in view of this, the other party chose a foreign transaction and set it in Germany.

Although East and West Germany are now unified, East Germany's development is severely lagging; among the taxes borne by West German people there is an item called "Aid East Germany Tax," or "Solidarity Surcharge," to be collected until 2019, from which one can see how economically destitute those East Germans who once worked in the socialist camp were. Many connected former East Germans started all kinds of legal, borderline, and illegal businesses. Arms broker Mordor is one of them.

As a former East German "Socialist Unity Party" Party Member, Mordor's youth was quite good; he had his own sedan, worked in a government department, income wasn't extremely rich but social status was very high... but ever since the cold winter of 1989, when the Socialist Unity Party renamed itself the Party of Democratic Socialism, Mordor's life plunged into difficulty. In that era, even the Party's supreme leader was expelled from the Party; the Party members' situation was imaginable. The Party card that once required competition to obtain became a hot potato; in just one year, the PDS Party Members dropped from 2.2 million to 700,000.

Mordor's reaction was a beat slow; he believed the Party's so-called "break with Stalin" would lead to the Bundestag's understanding, but the fact was East Germans simply didn't believe them; by the time Mordor withdrew from the Party, it was already very hard to find a decent job.

Fortunately he knew Russian and French; in the process of doing translation, he met some not-so-upright foreigners, and ultimately relying on his advantage of having worked in a government department, became an East German arms broker, and through connections with the former Soviet Union and Western Europe, got hold of many advanced weapons that Afghans and Iraqis couldn't get. For example, the famous Milan Anti-tank Missile — Chen Yi's target this trip.

The Milan Anti-tank Missile is an advanced old missile; it appeared in weapon atlases in the 70s and began participating in a series of wars, but even in 2004 today it still holds a place in developed countries' arsenals. Of course, what they use is already the Milan 3, with power, range, and guidance performance all improved to a certain degree.

Just for Chen Yi, who is preparing to use it to kill monsters, the power of a 70s anti-tank missile is already enough.

Mordor drove himself to Solnhofen, taking two days, rested one day, and only then brought the equipment and weapons, secretly arriving at the agreed-upon valley.

Aside from being slightly surprised by Chen Yi's age upon meeting, Mordor treated Chen Yi like an old friend not seen for years, laughing and embracing him, and asking: "Is Cassiel well? Didn't expect his business to reach China."

Cassiel is the arms broker Liu Xinyu found; he took a large information fee, then introduced Chen Yi, who wanted missiles, to Mordor. In this respect, he earned an Information Broker's money.

Chen Yi smiled, sizing up this East German from head to toe. Although he is now a developed German, East Germans still seem recognizable from appearance — a somewhat familiar, somewhat strange flavor; speaking from the good side, Mordor's body is healthy, far lacking the big potbellies common among West Germans.

"Beer?" Chen Yi brought a case of food and water; he planned to stay in Solnhofen for a few more days.

Mordor looked in surprise at the white aluminum alloy case on the ground; he had thought money was inside.

"Thanks." He accepted the green Qingdao Beer Beer unceremoniously, took a sip, and laughed: "Got any Red Sausage?"

"How about Braised Meat?" Chen Yi's provisions were very Chinese-flavored.

They spread a tablecloth, and the two sat under the blazing sun, eating half a case of food like a gathering; only then did Chen Yi wipe his mouth and say: "Bring the stuff? I want to test fire."

"No problem." Mordor bounced into the valley and pulled out the Milan Anti-tank Missile case from an inconspicuous green thicket; the camouflage coating needed no explanation to reveal its origin.

"Used it before?" Mordor took out the launcher; inside was only one warhead.

The man-portable launcher is about one meter in height; the left side is the aiming part, the right side the firing part; pure green, a bit simple; its appearance is completely different from the rocket launcher shape Chen Yi imagined. If comparing workmanship, a rocket launcher is like a knockoff phone — usable, but whether it's good to use is another matter.

Chen Yi picked it up, hefted it, and shook his head: "Haven't used it."

"Very simple, I'll teach you. When Milan was designed, simplicity of use was required, yet its power is not small; a 6.7kg missile, penetration depth 690mm — it can be said the vast majority of tanks in the world are your targets... especially unique is its minimum engagement distance of 25 meters, a truly superb urban combat weapon... hehe, the Franco-German geniuses who made it back then were truly talented; that's why it's so easy to use... outstanding effect against static targets and bunkers, can completely be used as powerful direct fire... during the Falklands War, British soldiers' favorite was 75-meter direct fire on hardened bunkers..." Mordor introduced it like he knew it by heart, and explained the sight's various parameters and buttons to him.

"It's precisely because of its performance in the Falklands War that I decided to purchase it." Chen Yi spoke the truth; what he wants to kill are either Knights or cities; besides enormous power, flexible reaction is also very important.

Mordor laughed and nodded, "That's good," while continuing to add weight: "Lebanon, African battlefields, Falklands War, Gulf War — Milan performed well in all; this is perhaps the anti-tank missile that has participated in the most wars; there are also Milan 2 and Milan 3, with even better performance.

"The price is higher too, right?" While speaking, Chen Yi squeezed the trigger; only to see the Milan Anti-tank Missile, like a burning earth-dog, rush toward the gray-yellow rock wall.

A "Boom—" explosion echoed repeatedly in the canyon, taking a long time before the ears cleared. The entire rock wall collapsed, like a quarry blast. Chen Yi estimated that using it to blow down a city wall would be difficult, but blowing open a city gate would be absolutely no problem; the dark forts currently built on the West Continent also cannot withstand the Milan.

"How is it?"

"Pretty good."

"One Milan Anti-tank Missile set costs 14,000 US dollars, but I want 50,000; the launcher I want 100,000. If you agree, I can immediately provide 5 launcher sets and 25 warheads."

"Too few." The moment Chen Yi's words fell, the Inmarsat Satellite Phone he carried rang. He smiled at Mordor and said: "I'll take a call."

"Okay." Mordor deliberately moved some distance away.

"This is Jin Douna." The female voice from the Inmarsat Satellite Phone spoke with slight distortion: "Jiangning University has several calls, including Principal Tan Tianhua..."

Jiangning University's Principal is vice-ministerial level, status quite high; Chen Yi thought and said: "Give him my Inmarsat number."

He finished speaking, put the phone away, and shouted at Mordor not far away: "I want all the missiles; how many more do you have?"

……