Chapter 145

Good, the price we give our Yituo friends must be the same as the domestic Air Force! Using domestically produced avionics, one million US dollars; using improved avionics from Marconi Company, one point five million US dollars! Old Tu, Yituo is our friend, we can't gouge them.

Old Tu blinked: I was talking about renminbi! But…… in the next moment he reacted: 'Um, Comrade Qin Miao, since you've said all this, how could we possibly raise the price? Our Yituo friends and our domestic Air Force should enjoy equal treatment; it's just this transport…'

'We'll solve the transport problem; this price is definitely an FOB price!' Mahedi said.

All the Chengfei people were excited, getting rich, getting rich! Selling at one point five million US dollars each, at an exchange rate of 1.5, that's also 2.25 million renminbi—twice the Air Force's quote!

Yituo was also pleased—cheap, really cheap! Half the price of buying from the Soviet Union; this price, buying more is no problem! After all, war is about consumption.

Both sides were delighted.

Wudai and Kuse might lack experience, but Mahedi and his team are experienced; having them report to Baghdad will definitely be taken seriously!

'Everyone, it's getting late; shouldn't we go eat? Old Tu, what special dishes does Chengdu have? Let our Yituo friends have a taste!'

'Good, we've long been ready—all halal specialties—let's go!'

The talk is about done; next we should eat and drink.

Steamed beef with flour, saliva‑sliced beef, tomato beef soup, husband‑and‑wife lung slices… authentic Chengdu dishes hit the table, instantly widening the eyes of the Yituo folks—even Mahedi and Mustafa from the Capital had never seen such fare.

The East is vast and rich in resources; local customs differ, and so does food culture!

'Honored guests from afar, I offer you all a drink.'

'No, Mr. Tu, we're friends, friends, not guests—come, let's raise our glasses together, thanking you for your warm hospitality.' Wudai said.

Wudai was thrilled; if this aircraft deal went through, it would firmly establish his standing. Later, when inspecting the Air Force, he could point to a line of jets on the tarmac and say, 'See those planes? I bought them back for you!'

Just thinking about it gives him face!

Over the meal, host and guest enjoyed themselves fully; when it was time to wrap up, Mahedi spoke: 'Everyone, this aircraft purchase is of great importance; we still need to report back home, so…'

So we ought to head back tomorrow!

Qin Miao glanced at Old Tu: 'The new model with Marconi avionics is urgently needed by the Air Force right now, so it can't be flown over, but our older J‑7 model shouldn't be that scarce, right? Old Tu, shall we fly one aircraft over to give the Yituo Air Force a demo?'

Tu Lao blinked.

Actually, in international arms procurement, demonstrations are routine; Dassault often flies its aircraft to various countries when selling planes, while we've just begun promoting our jet and domestically few are familiar with it.

Fly the combat aircraft out? That entails many problems to solve.

How to cover the round‑trip cost? How to handle maintenance and upkeep when promoting abroad? Most crucially, what if the flight demonstration crashes—what do we do about people on the ground?

Transporting the aircraft back and forth requires coordination; insuring the flight demonstration also needs coordination… and these will add to the expenses—who will foot the bill…

Tu Lao's head spun a bit.

'Right, we should definitely demo.' Wudai said: 'After the demo, we won't fly it back—I'll buy this first aircraft with my pocket money!'

Wudai previously contributed his pocket money, but that was just for show; later, if his father is pleased, he might give even more.

The older model costs only one million US dollars—his pocket money can afford it!

Kuse also lifted his head: 'Then let's fly two over—I'll also buy one with my pocket money and donate it to the Air Force.'

Even if I can't fly it myself, I still have to donate it to the Air Force—this way I can earn my father's praise!

Tu Lao's heart jumped—business just came like that! First we sold two older models! Two million US dollars in hand! This J‑7 export has thus achieved a breakthrough from zero.

'Good, you're Qin Miao's friends, which makes you my Old Tu's friends too—I'll pick two from the ordinary combat jets I build for the Air Force and send them over! The shipping cost, Chengfei will cover!'

Tu Lao also decided to be generous.

'No way, that's out of the question—how can you pay the shipping? If it's FOB, it's FOB!' Wudai said: 'Shipping by sea is too slow; let's fly them directly! We'll coordinate the needed airfields, fuel stops, etc., along the route.'

Flying directly from the East to Yituo isn't easy, but as long as we route through Lao Ba and some Sha person, we can reach their country.

Tu Lao first blinked, then nodded: 'Good!'

And just like that, the cooperation was settled!

After arranging for everyone to stay in the guesthouse, Tu Lao lingered at Qin Miao's door, wanting to speak but hesitating.

'Comrade Qin Miao, you and Comrade Chu Miaomiao should rest early—I…'

'Old Tu, just say what's on your mind!'

This room is far from the Yituo guests', so talking about secrets wouldn't risk being overheard.

Tu Lao spoke with a complex expression: 'Our engine's lifespan is too short; after flying it over, then doing a flight demonstration…'

The East's aviation industry has long suffered from the big problem of engine heart disease; initially, to boost the thrust of the WS‑7 engine that matches the J‑7, they used hollow‑blade technology, raising the turbine inlet temperature.

Thrust increased, but… they only strengthened the turbine blades to withstand heat, not the turbine discs—so this uprated WS‑7 has a miserable lifespan of just fifty hours!

Exactly—after fifty hours, the turbine disc will develop various issues and must be removed for major overhaul.

Qin Miao smiled: 'You guys know that too!'

The next line surely is: knowing this flaw, why not fix it?

'We Chengfei are the final‑assembly plant; the engine is produced by a sister unit. With state funding low, even if they wanted to improve, they have no money to do so…'

'Now that we have these two million, we ought to be able to make an emergency upgrade, right?' Qin Miao said: 'First raise the lifespan to a hundred hours, later to two hundred; if the relevant units run into trouble, they can come to our Ha Gong Da Materials Department.'

'So for this demo to Yituo…'

'Just say we'll swap the engine before the show for safety; after the demonstration the plane won't be needed, and when the bulk batch arrives we'll fit it with the upgraded engine.'

We can't say that now—if they hear the lifespan is only fifty hours, eight or nine times out of ten they'll walk away! They might even snap, 'Cheap means no good!'