Chapter 99

"Old Kong, it's me. ←"

The old soldier, clearly of Russian descent, snatched the phone from the general manager of AVIC and spoke into the receiver in a deep voice.

"The Air Force thanks you for timely reporting the developments here; otherwise, the situation would have been unimaginable."

"Yes, this matter has nothing to do with the Aviation Industry Department, and I know that. Even within AVIC, there are differing opinions, which is why we heard the rumors."

"Of course, I won't escalate the impact, but Old Kong, you should also know—having been to our headquarters, do you remember the air defense map of the Three North Regions behind me?"

"The Backfire nightmare, a sword hanging over our heads at all times, must not be interfered with in terms of introduction and localization!"

"The split of AVIC into AVIC International and AVIC Tech is settled. Rest assured, I guarantee it will end here."

"Alright, then it's settled."

...

Hu Wenhui didn't know that his accidental misidentification in life had caused ripples like a fly caught in a spider's web.

The split of AVIC Tech made Lin Qianjun the happiest. With this, all obstacles to his entry into the F-14 project team were cleared. The Aviation Industry Department had conceded, and the proposal to form a national team with aviation system talents was approved. In terms of funding, with Hu Wenhui's involvement, state investment could be concentrated on research that was not easily convertible to civilian technology.

After the establishment of AVIC International, the agency took control of the import and export of aircraft, making it much easier for the military to introduce and export aircraft and related technologies.

With no shortage of money, people, or authority, the F-14 localization project was ready to go, lacking only the final push.

Speaking of the final push, everyone's attention turned back to Hu Wenhui.

"Seventy billion, we must stick to the seventy-billion line!"

Hu Wenhui slapped the table, glaring at Colonel Bai, who was responsible for negotiating with Iraq.

"That's impossible. The Iraqis are unwilling to accept this price. Seventy billion is clearly a misjudgment!"

Hu Wenhui exhaled in a huff, realizing deep down that he had bitten off more than he could chew. Iraq was wealthy, but also poor. They had plenty of funds to use, but from a national asset perspective, Iraq was already bankrupt.

Iraq was like a gambler who had lost everything and was borrowing high-interest loans to continue gambling. It would be great if they could turn things around with their current chips, but they had to be cautious about borrowing more high-interest loans.

But so what? If Hu Wenhui said seventy billion, then it was seventy billion. If Iraq didn't come up with seventy billion, where would Hu Wenhui's face be?

Hu Wenhui stubbornly insisted, "Iraq can definitely come up with seventy billion. If they are unwilling to pay now, it might be a problem with your negotiation strategy!"

"Is there a problem with our negotiation strategy?" Colonel Bai didn't get angry but instead humbly asked, "Comrade Hu, could you specify what's wrong with our current strategy?"

It was a well-known fact that Hu Wenhui was quite skilled in economics. Even when he was a swindler, his tactics were highly effective.

As a pragmatic negotiator in foreign trade, Colonel Bai was also eager to hear what Hu Wenhui had to say about the current situation.

After all, given his past record, creating a miracle wasn't impossible.

"Hmm, this..." Hu Wenhui was just being stubborn; he didn't really have any specific ideas. He had been spending his days leisurely at the guesthouse and hadn't even participated in the negotiations.

If the negotiations hadn't been nearing the end, he might not have even known that the seventy-billion figure had been rejected by Iraq.

"Price wars are the lowest form of competition. Our products started with this approach, and the Iraqis value Chinese goods for their low prices. However, in the long run, this is not cost-effective. If the prices are too low, it will damage our brand. For example, I don't think the Iraqis lack the money; they just don't think Chinese goods are worth the price, which is why they are hesitant to pay. Yes, that must be it!"

The more Hu Wenhui spoke, the clearer his thoughts became. He realized that the Iraqis might be used to buying cheap Chinese goods, and the sudden increase in price was simply a matter of habit.

"If we lower the price now, it will solidify our reputation for cheap goods, and our future products will not sell at a good price! Therefore, we absolutely cannot budge on the price!"

"Oh, I see, Comrade Hu makes a good point!" Colonel Bai was enlightened. Having dealt with foreigners more often, he understood the concept of branding. Hu Wenhui's words made sense to him.

This information system was unique to China, and no one else would sell such a comprehensive solution to Iraq, which would significantly enhance their defense capabilities.

Without going into other aspects, just the radar network, which seems ordinary to modern people—after all, it's just a network, with switches, network cables, and servers. But only a handful of countries in the world can establish a comprehensive radar warning network.

Moreover, the solution provided by China was tailored to Iraq's existing infrastructure. How much would that cost?

So, whether it was seventy billion, fifty billion, or thirty billion, it didn't matter. Iraq had only two choices: buy or not buy.

If they buy, the combat capability of the Iraqi army will be significantly enhanced.

If they don't buy, the Chinese might turn around and negotiate the F-14 re-export with Iran, making a profit of a few billion.

Do the Iraqis have a choice?

In this situation, if the Chinese side were willing to lower the price, it would be actively damaging their own brand.

Hu Wenhui patted his chest confidently and said, "Let me talk to the Iraqis. I'll give them some sweeteners, but the price must not change!"

"Alright, I'll see what Comrade Hu can do." Colonel Bai smiled, eager to observe how Hu Wenhui conducted business up close.

The next day, the Iraqis and Iranians were no longer negotiating in the same place. With prolonged contact, the Chinese side was concerned about any unexpected incidents—Chinese history is full of stories of envoys harming enemy envoys, often praised as brave and wise heroes.

Fortunately, the Iraqis were not picky. They found a hotel with the necessary qualifications for foreign affairs and set up a meeting room. After all, everyone was too focused on the negotiations to care about the environment.

Hu Wenhui also benefited from Colonel Bai and his team. Everyone knew the standards for foreign affairs receptions, where every detail mattered. The service staff's attitude was worlds apart from what they usually encountered.

Wearing a white cotton shirt and a long skirt, the service staff warmly led Hu Wenhui and the Chinese delegation to the meeting room.

It had snowed in the capital the past two days, and the pines outside the window were covered in rime, a beautiful sight. Hu Wenhui, holding a warm teacup to keep himself warm, happened to see Ahmed leading the Iraqi delegation into the room. The Chinese negotiation team members greeted them warmly, and Ahmed gave Hu Wenhui a friendly hug before both sides sat down amicably.

The Chinese side first inquired if the Iraqis' breakfast was to their liking, then asked about their sleep quality, and then exchanged opinions on the weather. This led to a discussion of the landscapes of various regions in China, and the Chinese team members invited the Iraqis to visit when they had the chance...

This harmonious negotiation atmosphere left Hu Wenhui speechless. He turned to look at Colonel Bai, who clearly had experience in political work, talking non-stop.

Is this a negotiation?

"Colonel Bai, I think we should get to the point," Hu Wenhui leaned over and whispered in Colonel Bai's ear.

"Ah? Oh, right." Colonel Bai clearly wasn't prepared to start the negotiation, so he said straightforwardly, "Today, it's up to Comrade Hu. Go ahead, the country stands behind you!"

Hu Wenhui's face turned black.

"Cough, Mr. Ahmed, about the price—"

"How much are you willing to reduce it? I think seventy billion is too expensive. Forty billion, forty billion is definitely no problem!"

"No, forty billion is absolutely impossible." Hu Wenhui firmly rejected the 100% profit, saying righteously, "Seventy billion is our bottom line. We will not agree to anything lower!"

"Don't be like that. Aren't Iraq and China friends? Helping each other is what friends do in Iraq."

"Oh, we Chinese also have an old saying: 'Friends share wealth.' So, Mr. Ahmed, you shouldn't ask for a discount. Wouldn't it make you feel bad to let your friend lose money?"

"No, we believe that forty billion still leaves you with sufficient profit."

"How can that be? Forty billion would be a loss for us, a loss we can't afford!" Hu Wenhui complained.

"But we have already checked the international market. For example, a Motorola pager system costs only eight million dollars in the U.S., but you are asking for thirty million. Is that fair?"

Hu Wenhui was taken aback, realizing the Iraqis weren't fools. In just a few days, they had found out the price of the Motorola pager system, which explained why Colonel Bai and his team were struggling.

Hu Wenhui nodded solemnly and said boldly, "That's true, it's not fair! The Motorola pager system costs eight million dollars, and we will sell it to you at the same price!"

"Oh, that's right, Iraq and China are indeed good friends!" Ahmed, surprised by Hu Wenhui's easy agreement, was overjoyed, and the Iraqi delegation erupted in cheers.

But then Hu Wenhui added, "Integrating the pager system into the battlefield system will cost twenty-two million dollars!"

The meeting room fell silent.