Chapter 182

Zhang Honghong is already married, and she is also squeezed into the staff dormitory for singles, so in this housing allocation she definitely gets a share; it's just a matter of what apartment she will get.

Many people nostalgically remember this era of housing allocation, but actually…… free housing isn't that easy to live in; first, the unit must have housing, otherwise what would you get?

When the unit was just established, housing was sufficient, but as time passed and the number of staff increased, housing would become insufficient; at that point, well, just wait!

After saving up a batch, the unit began to consider building more housing; but once the housing is built, does it become yours? Not necessarily!

The new housing might already be eyed by those who already have housing; they take the new housing, vacate the old ones for those still waiting, and call it "seniority-based allocation"—you have to endure seniority!

In this way, just having a place to live is already good!

You should know, in this era, the per capita housing area is only three or four square meters!

Perhaps later someone will say this area counts only the bedroom, excluding kitchen and bathroom; that's just not understanding the situation back then. The reason it's not counted is because there simply weren't any!

For many people, having a place to sleep is already good; kitchen? Set up a shed at the door and put a pot; bathroom? Go to the public toilet!

All kinds of hassles in housing allocation are countless! Qin Miao doesn't care how others fuss, but that new building—we need a unit each for ourselves and our elder aunt, and we also have to be the first to pick!

Chu Miaomiao was stunned.

Zhang Honghong was also stunned.

"Are we getting housing?"

"Yeah, after the thaw we'll start building; before winter freeze we can get it up. Sis, by then you'll use your identity as secretary to the general manager of our import/export company, and you'll have top priority……"

At that moment, Zhang Honghong had just picked up a piece of pork belly from the stewed pork and sour cabbage with vermicelli with her chopsticks; hearing this, Pa! The meat chunk fell onto the table, her hand actually trembled slightly, and even her heart at that moment kept trembling from excitement.

"Brother San Shui, you did a great job!" Chu Miaomiao smiled with a blossoming face.

Qin Miao also felt somewhat moved; saying all that still doesn't compare to getting a unit! If I had known, when I first came I would have promised that anyone who joins our import/export company gets a unit—then all the teachers at the school would be mine to pick as I pleased……

Zhang Honghong took a deep breath; at this point she should act a bit aloof, after all her sister already spoke for her! Right, she needs to change the subject!

"San Shui, you already knew this year we'd be working on the armed helicopter project, and we still need advanced millimeter-wave radar?"

Qin Miao shook his head: "Of course not, sis; this project was also taken up on a whim by some Sha person; I'm just an ordinary person, not a godman."

"Then when you initially suggested we make an anti-infantry radar, was that just a plain suggestion?"

"Well…… actually, millimeter-wave radar has many uses; later on the battlefield……"

How to put it? In future battlefields, drones are a terrifying enemy, while this anti-infantry radar can simply transform into an anti-drone radar, with broad applications; but…… we can't say that now, or else we'd keep being godmen.

"In some security checks, millimeter waves can replace X‑rays to inspect what special items are inside clothing or on the skin, and can also conduct nondestructive three‑dimensional testing of some materials…… cars can also be probed with millimeter‑wave radar…… in short, the applications are huge……"

On the other side of the earth, France, Paris.

In 1893, Elihu‑Thomson and his colleague Houston founded the Thomson‑Houston Company, which at first mainly produced electricity‑related products; during the WWI‑WWII period its business diversified, covering household appliances, electric lights and telephones, radio broadcasting, etc.; after WWII Thomson became France's largest electrical supplier and a major supplier of defense equipment.

Now, the person in charge of Thomson Company, Dominique, frowns as he listens to Baptiste's report.

"What are you saying? We need to spend thirty million dollars, plus our technology, to exchange with the East for a helicopter‑use millimeter‑wave radar? When did we ever need Eastern technology?"

"Before going to the East I thought the same, but after contacting them my view changed; Ha Gong Da has a first‑rate radar expert, plus those who returned from studying in Europe…… they've been researching the relevant field for years, while we've only just entered this field……"

"Just because we've only just entered the field—Thomson, if we roll up our sleeves and research, we can surely produce a world‑class millimeter‑wave radar for armed helicopters; we don't need to cooperate with the East, I oppose this project!"

In the eyes of most Europeans, the East and Africa are no different—a backward agricultural country without even electric lights; for France to import technology from the East is absolutely a disgrace!

"Mr. Dominique, this technology is truly useful." Tiram, who came back together, said: "We've assessed that adding radar to the rotor top can boost the armed helicopter's combat power fourfold; if we lack this technology, the market could very well be snatched by the East."

"That's your Aeronautics Company's affair; it has nothing to do with our Thomson Company!"

"How is it not related? Take the present: Mitterrand has already defeated his opponents and ascended the throne—a foregone conclusion; you should know what his campaign slogan was, right?"

When the East reformed and opened up, revitalizing through SOE restructuring, Britain was also privatizing many state‑owned enterprises, but France has always gone its own way; Mitterrand wanted to do the opposite: bring large numbers of private enterprises under public ownership!

It sounds unbelievable, but that's the fact—family businesses, century‑long legacies, no exception, all must be brought under state ownership! Even Dassault almost became state‑owned!

Dominique's face changed; he fell silent, thought for a few minutes, then nodded: "Fine! We'll take a loan for this money!"

Want to bring them under public ownership? Then I'll give you a big hole!

Baptiste widened his eyes; he never expected Tiram to view the issue from that angle, and moreover he actually succeeded in convincing Dominique!

Taking a loan isn't scary; he believes in the market prospects of this product—once developed, it will absolutely be a technological revolution!

Tiram also breathed a sigh of relief; for the Thomson Group, even if they don't develop this product, they remain a multinational giant—from 1966 to 1981 Thomson, through technical cooperation and cross‑border acquisitions, became a global enterprise; but France's Aeronautics is unsatisfactory, so they need Thomson to provide similar technology, otherwise…… they'd hardly have to buy from the East, right? That would be even more embarrassing.