Chapter 473

Chapter 473: Bring Out Your F-22 for a Duel!

It was unbelievable that this small company, with less than two years of history, dared to disregard a giant like Sukhoi. This news would likely leave many people in shock.

Finally, Chen Haiqing understood; Lin Mo had indeed caused trouble again, and the other side had no choice but to reluctantly accept it. Anyone in their position would be left feeling helpless.

No wonder Sukhoi found itself in such a predicament, having to bow down in defeat. Chen Haiqing didn’t intend to let this golden opportunity slip away, and he bluntly laid out his terms.

“I want the technology for the AL-41 engine; otherwise, there’s nothing to discuss.”

Chen Haiqing knew that the key to victory in war is not just weapons but people. If his teammate, the Dragon Knight Lin Mo, could fly a P-51 Mustang and perhaps bring down a Su-27 Guardian from the sky, the technology would eventually be acquired; what Russia has, China can have too.

Lin Mo was one of the very few ace pilots in China with no record of being shot down, and he absolutely wouldn’t let the Old Russians take advantage for free.

The AL-41 engine is one of the most advanced fighter jet engines in Russia today, and Sukhoi’s single-seat, twin-engine heavy fifth-generation fighter, the T-50, is equipped with the AL-41F engine. The maximum thrust of the AL-41 can reach 147 kN, with a maximum deflection angle of 15 degrees, making its specifications just slightly below the maximum thrust of 156 kN and deflection angle of 20 degrees found in the F-22’s F119-PW-100 engine.

This condition directly struck at the Old Russians’ weak point.

However, Chen Haiqing didn’t realize that while his demand seemed like an outrageous price, it was not an overestimation of Lin Mo’s worth. Was it really worth only this much for someone who could get six F119-PW-100 vector thrust engines?

If National Defense Star knew Lin Mo had two F119-PW-100 engines in his possession, they probably wouldn’t have even been interested in negotiating with Sukhoi.

“AL-41…” The Old Russian engineer turned pale, realizing as a senior aircraft design engineer how crucial the engine is for an aircraft, especially one that had just been introduced.

Chinese engineers are still struggling to replicate the AL-31FN, stumbling along the way. If the Chinese were to gain the complete technology of the AL-41, it would turn everything upside down; National Defense Star’s asking price was too harsh.

Hearing Chen Haiqing’s conversation with Sergei Sulotov, the faces of the Sukhoi team instantly shifted, and even their gesture of pretending to be friendly froze, staring blankly at Chen Haiqing, wishing they could swallow this ignorant young man whole.

Chen Haiqing had full confidence; with the new metal formula library provided by Lin Mo and the materials department working to reverse engineer the production and processing technologies, they could handle the technical challenges of the AL-41. With one engine in hand, National Defense Star’s position in the domestic aviation industry would be solidified, and even Shenyang and Chengdu would likely come to curry favor.

“No, no, no! Your terms are simply ridiculous! This is completely impossible; your demands are absurd!” Sergei Sulotov shook his head vigorously, fully aware of the significance of the AL-41 for them.

“Don’t rush to reject. You can think about it first,” Chen Haiqing offered Sukhoi a chance to consider the proposal without much pressure.

He wasn’t worried about the Russians hesitating, as the international aerospace exhibition was about to open, and time would put pressure on Sukhoi.

Sergei Sulotov, being a straightforward person, found himself cornered by Chen Haiqing’s conditions, his face flush red. He shook his head, fully aware that the value of the AL-41 was equivalent to an entire series of fighter jet designs. The other side’s demands were simply too extreme; Sukhoi’s only leverage was to offer a simplified version of the Su-27 as a trade, but Chen Haiqing’s request was far beyond their expectations.

What kind of pilot has a value that could match the advanced engine of a fifth-generation fighter jet? It was simply too much—no different from being a bandit.

Chen Haiqing shrugged, signaling that he had said all he wanted to say, appearing nonchalant.

For National Defense Star, there was really no loss in this situation.

Sergei Sulotov’s flushed face turned pale as he looked to Lin Mo with a pleading gaze, hoping he could make some concessions.

“As a member of National Defense Star, I must obey the board’s decision.”

Lin Mo could only express that he was unable to help. Their friendship was superficial; there was no need for him to assist a giant like Sukhoi, especially since National Defense Star had already paid the price to fly to Paris.

If Sukhoi knew about their current predicament, they would likely never allow Lin Mo to board their aircraft, or they might refuse any payment altogether, just to make National Defense Star owe them a favor.

But the previous accounts were settled, and both parties were in competition; National Defense Star certainly wouldn’t offer a big favor to Sukhoi for free.

“Alright, I will report your unreasonable demands.”

Sergei Sulotov completely misunderstood Lin Mo and National Defense Star’s relationship, as the situation exceeded his authority. Reluctantly, he had to declare the negotiation a failure.

In the end, both sides parted on unsatisfactory terms.

The Russians couldn’t retrieve the gifts they had given in a bid to get closer.

They said they would consider it, but the people from Sukhoi never returned to National Defense Star. It seemed that Chen Haiqing’s bold demands thoroughly defeated them, and Sukhoi was destined to swallow this bitter pill.

After watching the Russians leave in disgrace, Chen Haiqing and Lin Mo exchanged a silent smile, only to be interrupted by a loud argument coming from the edge of the exhibition area, with a woman’s fierce voice cutting through the air.

“…”

“What nonsense are you talking? The ‘Raptor’ is so impressive? Our National Defense Star’s ‘Eagle Falcon’ is the complete version, while you Japanese only have the beggar’s version of the ‘Raptor’. If it comes down to a duel, we don’t even know who would win!”

The sharp voice belonged to He Xiangling, the Public Relations Director at National Defense Star, and it was unclear who she had clashed with.

“Let’s go take a look.” Chen Haiqing frowned, finding it never-ending; just as one problem seemed to be settling, another arose. Where did all this trouble come from?

On the other side of National Defense Star’s booth, near the J-14 “Eagle Falcon,” He Xiangling confronted an Asian man, her face flushed with anger. The man had a striking white background with a red circle emblem on his shoulder.

With his peculiar English, there was no doubt about his identity—he was Japanese!

What an annoying guy, Chen Haiqing thought, feeling displeased. Families that held influence in both military and political arenas often had some history with the founding wars, so they had not missed encounters with the Japanese, generally harboring no favorable feelings toward them.

Chen Haiqing raised his voice and asked, “What’s going on? Director He! Why aren’t you preparing for tomorrow’s opening ceremony instead of arguing with someone here?”

“Chairman Chen, Director Lin, you’re just in time to help settle this matter! This Japanese is looking for trouble, claiming our fighters are junk, saying his F-22 can take out ten of ours!”

He Xiangling was both angry and anxious. If this little punk continued to babble nonsense, how could they secure any orders after tomorrow’s ceremony? It seemed likely that he was just some staff member from a competing company who had come to stir trouble.

“Oh?”

Chen Haiqing and Lin Mo raised their eyebrows in unison, glancing at the Japanese man. His words were quite bold—was he looking for a fight?

Chen Haiqing considered calling the French security to deal with the intruder. No matter who it was, he had no intention of being polite to anyone who dared to come here without respect.

However, Lin Mo raised a hand to stop him, saying, “What did the Japanese say? He claims he can take down ten of us?” He glanced with a piercing gaze at the Japanese man; the authority of the Dragon Knight was not to be undermined.

An invisible pressure enveloped the area, as if a chill from the underworld had descended. The Japanese man’s expression went blank, never having encountered someone with such a terrifying gaze—like a massive beast looming over him.

His face drained of color, and he instinctively stumbled backward, stammering, “W-What are you? What do you want?”

Seeing that Lin Mo wanted to intervene, Chen Haiqing did not stop him. Instead, he wanted to see what this Japanese man was up to. To understand the situation better, he asked He Xiangling, “Director He, can you tell us what this is all about?”

Despite his dislike for the Japanese, he decided to adopt a measured approach, at least for Lin Mo’s sake.

“Both Directors, the situation is like this…”

He Xiangling recounted the details clearly.

In truth, the situation was quite simple—this guy had come to create a stir. Initially, he stood on the other side of the barrier, casually observing without any prohibited cameras or equipment. Since the display was meant for the public, the guards allowed him to stay. Then, he struck up a conversation with He Xiangling, praising Chinese fighter jets for their quality, speaking civilly at first.

However, as the conversation went on, the tone shifted. This little punk began belittling the J-14 and bragging about how powerful Japan’s F-22 was, claiming that the J-14 couldn’t keep up.

This was intolerable! He Xiangling, with her fiery personality, snapped at his remarks, leading to a heated argument that escalated quickly.

While the Old Russians were busy trying to connect with Chen Haiqing and others, the argument was muffled. Once the Russians left, the shouting became sharply audible.

“Why waste time with this piece of junk? Just throw him out!”

Chen Haiqing already had little patience for the Japanese, wanting nothing more than to get rid of him instantly.

“It’s like a mad dog biting; do we really need to bite back?” he thought, uninterested in wasting words on the Japanese. He waved his hand, about to call for the guards to remove him when Lin Mo’s cold voice interrupted him.

“Bring out your F-22, and I will use the J-14; let’s have a duel—live rounds or empty loads, it’s your choice. The loser cannot eject!”