MMB Chapter 1602 Concessions and Compromises
Chapter 1602 Concessions and Compromises
Chapter 1602 Concessions and Compromises
602 is, of course, a code name; Institute 602 is also known as the Helicopter Design Institute.
Li Xuewu was in charge of the Liaodong Industrial Group. Although he didn't know how to assemble helicopters, he knew a lot of information and data related to helicopters.
For example, Institute 602, and Changhe Machinery Factory.
Hu Ke introduced Liu Gang, the director he knew, saying that the two of them were colleagues and rivals. That was actually true, because the Changhe Machinery Factory was established to produce helicopters, and the Z-6 helicopter died before it could even get off the ground.
Changhe River is not in Changping, but in Gansu Province.
Li Xuewu said that he started paying attention to Changhe Machinery Factory from the news in October last year. Against the backdrop of the Third Front construction, Gansu Province, the main battlefield, allocated 160,000 square meters of building area to support and develop the aviation industry.
Saying it's 16 square meters might not be a very vivid concept, but when converted to mu (a Chinese unit of area), it's 240 mu, roughly the same size as the Liangmahe Industrial Zone.
The project was applied for in August, approved in October, and the Shanxi Provincial Machinery Plant began construction in November. Such speed was only possible in this era.
The construction of the Gan Province Helicopter Factory consisted of two factories: the main engine factory, Changhe Machinery Factory, and the factory site, which was built with the assistance of Weijian Machinery Factory and Binjiang Aviation School. The factory site was located in Jingdezhen City, Gan Province.
Because when applying, Gan Province proposed to utilize the existing factory buildings of Jingdezhen Porcelain Factory and Ceramic Institute, as well as the favorable conditions of two natural caves in Leping County, to build a helicopter factory.
The reason I'm paying attention to this news is because the slogan is catchy, and the annual production capacity is 100-150 sorties.
Another point that caught his attention was the two main entities involved in the construction of Changhe Machinery Plant: Weijian Machinery Plant and Binjiang Aviation School, both of which came from Harbin and belonged to the Harbin Flight Training Corps.
Well, it's not important if your friends don't remember; what's important is not being targeted for revenge.
"Our comrades are highly enthusiastic and undaunted by difficulties, determined to develop a unique aviation industry in the remote mountains."
During the pre-dinner meeting, Liu Gang introduced the construction progress of the machinery factory while praising the selfless dedication of the Third Front builders.
Li Xuewu listened very attentively, his mind racing with alertness, and he had to be extremely vigilant.
How many employees do you have now?
Hu Ke asked with concern, "One thousand? Two thousand? Or..."
“More than three thousand.” Liu Gang smiled and held up three fingers, proudly introducing: “423 employees from the flight school, 499 comrades transferred from the Fujian Air Force, and 174 comrades selected by the local government.”
"In addition, there are 1414 employees from Weijian Machinery Factory who have entered the site, as well as college and vocational school graduates who have not yet been assigned jobs."
He looked meaningfully at Li Xuewu, who was not saying much and had been drinking tea with his head down, and asked, "How many employees does Gangfei have now?"
"Oh—" Li Xuewu paused in his tea-serving motion, looked up and pretended to think for a few seconds before replying, "There are probably more than three thousand people."
"That's about right." Liu Gang nodded confidently and said, "We took Gangfei as our model and reference when we first built the factory."
"Hehe, we can't compare to you guys." Li Xuewu shook his head with a smile and said, "We're just a small-scale tertiary industry."
He glanced at Hu Ke and said, "How can our individual efforts compare to Gan Fei's?"
"Our three thousand men are finished, your three thousand men are just the beginning."
"Hahaha—" Liu Gang, who had a strong Northeastern accent, couldn't help but laugh out loud when he heard this. Clearly, Li Xuewu's high praise suited him very well.
Hu Ke was a smart woman; she glanced at the two of them several times and figured out who was better.
"It's hard to defend the country, but it's even harder to conquer it."
After laughing, Liu Gang started complaining again, mentioning that the infrastructure work that started in February was severely affected by rainy weather.
Li Xuewu dared not let him continue, and turned to ask, "You're going to produce the Z-6 helicopter, right?"
"Uh...yes, it's the Z-6."
Liu Gang's train of thought was interrupted. After a slight pause, he nodded and replied, "After all, we all come from Bingfei."
That's true. Everyone knows where the Z-5 came from. Back when the Steel Aircraft Company was being established, Li Xuewu had already learned about the Z-5.
The reason why Bingfei arranged for people to come to Hongxing Factory to participate in the helicopter production line installation project, and even to participate in the research of KH-4, was to overcome the challenges of the Z-6 development.
The Z-6 is not a new concept or a new model; it is an improvement on the Z-5, specifically an improvement on the engine.
Even from the perspective of that time, the Z-5 was an outdated product; otherwise, the Soviet Union wouldn't have been so generous.
It is undeniable that the Z-5 is indeed an excellent helicopter, but its use of a piston engine has revealed its shortcomings in terms of low power and poor high-altitude performance.
Especially in high-altitude areas, its small payload and slow power response make it difficult to meet the growing mobile assault needs of the troops.
66年7月11日三机部正式向冰飞（代号122厂）下达任务：在直-5的基础上，研制一款能搭载20名全副武装士兵、或一辆吉普车及炮班的新型中型直升机。
To control risks and costs, the new model was required to use mature components from the Z-5 as much as possible.
In the early stages of the project, it was simply referred to as "Z-5 modification".
Bingfei and Factory 120 quickly joined forces and proposed a key breakthrough solution—to equip this "Z-5 modified" with a brand-new "heart": a 792 turboshaft engine designed and manufactured by Factory 120.
The most significant leap forward for this type of helicopter lies in its power system.
It is equipped with the WZ-5 turboshaft engine, which has a rated power of up to 1618 kilowatts (about 2200 horsepower), far exceeding the piston engine of the Z-5 helicopter.
This increases the Z-6's maximum speed to nearly 200 km/h (192 km/h) and its maximum range to 651 km.
Li Xuewu is neither a helicopter designer nor an engineer, and he has no relevant theoretical knowledge or practical experience.
But! He has life experience.
You don't need much. If you put a 60-horsepower gasoline engine on a bicycle, do you know what the result will be?
If you still don't understand this analogy, think about a guy who finds a partner who is much older than him. Do you understand that feeling now?
Li Xuewu brought back turbine engine production technology from East Germany and consulted with the expert group about the differences between it and piston engines.
The advantages are obvious, but the disadvantages are numerous.
Shangguan Qi had once explained to him that piston engines can also experience mechanical failures, which means they can suddenly stop during flight.
However, with the development and innovation of technology, this probability is getting lower and lower, and some people have even jumped out of the cabin mid-flight to repair piston engines.
It sounds thrilling and exciting, but it illustrates that piston engines are relatively mature and reliable, and that dual engines are necessary for safety.
Larger international turbocharged engine manufacturers have relatively advanced technology, and their failure rates are already within a controllable range.
However, it seems somewhat difficult to support such sophisticated industrial production with the current domestic production technology.
Moreover, the key to the problem of a large horse pulling a small cart is not the size of the horse, but the carrying capacity of the small cart.
Either the turbocharged engine stops, or the power loss caused by the single-engine design will inevitably result in a crash and loss of life.
Either the airframe cannot withstand the power, resulting in structural damage, or a serious accident occurs during multiple flight operations.
Neither of these two scenarios is something the Z-6 can afford at this time.
Will Li Xuewu confront Liu Gang and voice his doubts?
Of course not. He didn't want the Z-6 to be delayed, but he also couldn't question this still-experimental aircraft in front of Liu Gang, whose eyes were full of confidence.
Just like you can't say something bad about your son in front of a father.
Therefore, during the pre-meal meeting, Liu Gang did most of the talking, while Li Xuewu remained silent or offered only a few words of response.
Hu Ke could certainly see the problem. He didn't understand helicopter technology, but he was very good at interpersonal relationships.
So even after Lu Qiming arrived late, he did not try to get the two to further discuss cooperation.
Li Xuewu's lack of interest speaks volumes. On one hand, he was the main founder who promoted the groupization of Hongxing Factory, and on the other hand, he was the person in charge of Ganfei, which was under construction. Whom did he trust more?
"Sorry, I have an urgent job to do."
Lu Qiming walked in and first shook hands with Li Xuewu, explaining apologetically, "Deputy Director Zhou is going to Beijing tomorrow, so we had a chat."
"It's okay, good things come to those who wait."
Li Xuewu didn't know why he was explaining that, but he knew he couldn't ask too many questions at this point.
“Of course.” Lu Qiming gave him a deep look, released his hand, turned to Liu Gang, and said with a smile, “Welcome, Comrade Liu Gang.”
"Thank you for your hospitality, Deputy Director Lu." Liu Gang, who clearly knew the other party before, smiled and greeted him with both hands, nodding in response, "It's an honor."
Lu Qiming possesses the demeanor of a scholar-general, exhibiting both decisiveness and refined manners.
He gave the other person only a brief handshake before releasing them, then gestured towards the restaurant, saying, "We're all comrades from the industrial system, so let's treat this as a friendly gathering and chat freely—"
Xiao Zihong originally wanted to sit with Li Xuewu, but seeing that Hu Ke led him to Lu Qiming's side, he could only find a seat at the lower end of the table.
Today's dinner was no ordinary event, and he understood the significance of Li Xuewu bringing him here. He couldn't help but feel nervous.
Speak freely? In this kind of setting?
Hearing Lu Qiming say that, how could he not be nervous? Moreover, Lu Qiming was not only hosting their family today.
"I heard you didn't rest this afternoon either?"
After Lu Qiming sat down, he let the waiter set out his chopsticks and turned to Li Xuewu, asking him warmly, "Are you this busy in Steel City too?"
"I just happened to meet with some friends today, and you saw me like that." Li Xuewu glanced at Hu Ke with a smile and said, "If it weren't for Director Hu, I wouldn't have made such a fool of myself, right?"
"Hahahaha—" Hu Ke didn't pretend at all, and explained with a frank laugh, "I had no choice in the matter—"
He seemed to have a point, turning to Lu Qiming to explain, "What can I do when Linghe Automobile Factory and Siping Automobile Factory come looking for us?"
At this point, he gestured towards Li Xuewu and said, "They all regard steel as their banner, so it's normal for them to gather together."
"Then I should thank you, right?"
Li Xuewu smiled and glanced at the waitress who was pouring him drinks. This girl from Northeast China was really pretty; he wondered what her temperament was like.
"Hahaha—" Hu Ke laughed heartily, "I'm just acting as an intermediary; whether it works out or not is none of my business."
He then looked at Lu Qiming and explained, "I think it's a good thing to select a group of mature automobile manufacturers across the province to actively connect with steel and automobile companies."
"You can learn advanced production experience and exchange ideas on enterprise management. If you can learn even a trick or two, that counts as growth, right?"
"Hehehe—" Lu Qiming chuckled and looked at Li Xuewu, saying, "I just don't know if Secretary-General Li will keep anything to himself."
"Hahaha—" Li Xuewu heard him say that and saw him raise his glass, so he nodded and replied, "I'd love to have more of a chat with him."
"Come on, let's toast to the open-mindedness between our brother units with this first glass of wine." Lu Qiming smiled as he raised the first glass, setting the tone for today's banquet.
Li Xuewu naturally downed his drink in one gulp; his answer was impeccable, and Lu Qiming's words were not without a hint of his own meaning.
However, he was not afraid of the other party and could not unconditionally be a good person just because of the other party's mood or preferences.
Now representing the Honggang Group, he naturally has a decision to make here.
Seeing that the scene today was all about Li Xuewu, Liu Gang couldn't help but take a few more glances, thinking that his side was the host and the guest.
Hu Ke arranged for Liu Gang and Li Xuewu to sit on either side of Lu Qiming. He sat next to Liu Gang, with Xiao Zihong on his right.
These days, people avoid eating large amounts of meat and fish, so the table for five people only had six dishes and a soup, which was quite a generous treat.
"You already know Liu Gang, right?"
After downing a glass of wine, Lu Qiming's face flushed slightly. He gestured with his right hand to Liu Gang beside him and asked Li Xuewu, "Is he from Bingfei?"
"You really know how to treat people." Li Xuewu gave him a meaningful look and said with a smile, "Are you worried that the dinner table won't be lively enough tonight?"
"Hahaha—" Lu Qiming laughed knowingly, then turned to Liu Gang and asked, "You should have heard of him before, right?"
"That's more than that—" Liu Gang, who was good at creating a lively atmosphere, said with a smile, "Secretary-General Li's name is often mentioned by our leaders, so it's impossible not to hear it."
"Hahaha—" Lu Qiming laughed and raised his wine glass, gesturing to the two of them, "Let's drink this second glass to show our friendship, since we're getting to know each other through a fight."
"Hehe." Li Xuewu chuckled and picked up his wine glass, glancing at Liu Gang. Seeing the other man raise his glass in a gesture of greeting, his eyes carrying a hint of provocation, he returned the toast in a hearty gulp, downing his glass of wine in one go.
"Don't take him too seriously," Lu Qiming advised Liu Gang with a double meaning. "He has a nickname, 'The Wine Immortal,' because he's famous for being able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk."
“Really?” Liu Gang glanced at Li Xuewu with a hint of surprise, raised an eyebrow and smiled, “What a coincidence? Then I’ll have to see for myself today.”
Lu Qiming smiled and looked at him, then glanced at Hu Ke.
Hu Ke had already given him a heads-up, and now it was clear that he didn't want to mediate and was obviously looking to watch the show, so of course he wouldn't say much.
Li Xuewu didn't really want to fall for this. He had long since lost his penchant for drinking and was even less willing to let Liaodong Industry benefit from it.
"The doctor said that there is an enzyme in my blood with an abnormally high level that can quickly break down alcohol, so I won't get drunk no matter how much I drink."
Li Xuewu was making things up on the spot. He was convinced that the people at the table did not have medical knowledge and did not believe that they had a doctor as a spouse.
Seeing him fabricate stories, the group was somewhat surprised, even astonished.
"Really?" Lu Qiming, having witnessed Li Xuewu's prowess, looked at him in surprise and asked, "Is it innate?"
"That's what my partner says anyway."
Li Xuewu chuckled and shrugged, saying, "She practically used me as a guinea pig for experiments; she drew several tubes of my blood."
“Secretary-General Li’s wife is a surgeon at the General Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army,” Hu Ke explained for him. “I heard their love story when I was working in Beijing.”
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu wasn't embarrassed and continued to explain with a smile, "She said that although this situation is special, it's nothing."
"For example, some people can drink a lot, easily downing a pound or two, while others get drunk after just half a glass."
He curled his lip and said, "Some people sober up very quickly, while others need a day or two."
"Oh—I see!"
The people at the table suddenly realized what was going on. Having been around drinking parties for a long time, they had certainly seen the situations that Li Xuewu was talking about.
Or perhaps they themselves are one of them, so how could they not understand what he meant?
"Is this the kind of coal in the blood you mentioned?" Liu Gang asked curiously. "What does this kind of coal have to do with the coal we burn?"
"..." Li Xuewu was dumbfounded. He never thought that someone would ask such a stupid question so formally. If he answered it, would he also be stupid?
"Um... how do you explain that?"
After considering it for a moment, he corrected himself without affecting the atmosphere of the day: "The enzyme I'm talking about is the character '酉' plus the character '每' (every day)."
Li Xuewu cracked his knuckles and explained, "You know that steamed buns taste sweet because there's an enzyme in our saliva that breaks down the sugar in the starch of the steamed buns into fructose, which is why we think they taste sweet."
"oh--!"
It's unclear whether they understood or not, but their expressions were all one of bewilderment and awe. They maintained a certain composure, but it was clear they were genuinely surprised.
“I understand.” Hu Ke raised an eyebrow and asked, “Just like an enzyme that can break down steamed buns, is there also an enzyme that can break down alcohol?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean.” Li Xuewu nodded with a smile and looked at him, saying, “Your understanding is completely correct.”
"Wait a minute, I have a question." Hu Ke interrupted him, fidgeting with her fingers, "How can I increase the amount of this enzyme in my blood that breaks down alcohol, like you do? Can you give me some of your blood?"
"..." Li Xuewu twitched the corner of his mouth, looking at him speechlessly. He really wanted to give him a slap to wake him up and make him realize what he had asked.
"Hahaha—" Everyone else at the table was laughing hysterically, partly at Hu Ke's curiosity and partly at Li Xuewu's expression.
"If this really works, then his blood is a treasure."
Lu Qiming hit the nail on the head, and with a smile, he pointed at Hu Ke and said, "Are you sure your blood types are the same if you keep talking like that?"
"Come on, let's toast this third glass to that enzyme."
He then teased Hu Ke with his joke, raising his glass and suggesting, "After we finish these three drinks, let's talk about something interesting."
Li Xuewu didn't know what topics would be interesting, but he really wanted to drink and get everyone drunk.
***
"You don't think Liu Gang has a good chance?" After dinner, Hu Ke invited Li Xuewu to the lounge to rest for a while. After they sat down, she asked him bluntly, "Or you don't think Gan Fei has a good chance?"
"What?" Li Xuewu, reeking of alcohol, looked at the other person, whose eyes were bloodshot, and asked, "Whom do I not think highly of?"
"Stop pretending." Hu Ke had drunk a bit too much. Although he tried his best to restrain himself, Li Xuewu was acting up today, and apart from Lu Qiming, no one could handle him.
“Even Deputy Director Lu could sense your negativity.”
He raised his chin and looked at Li Xuewu, asking, "You don't mind having an extra guest today, do you?"
"You're overthinking it." Li Xuewu waved his hand with a laugh and said, "Do you think I'm such a petty person?"
Hu Ke smiled without saying a word, simply staring at him.
"Yes, we had some misunderstandings with Bingfei," Li Xuewu explained helplessly, "but that's all in the past."
“We don’t have any cooperation now, nor any conflicts or contradictions. I’m not the kind of person who offends people easily.”
"I didn't say you offended anyone."
Hu Ke pointed to the small table between the two of them, raised an eyebrow and said, "But your expression has already betrayed you."
"Do I look that hateful?"
Li Xuewu shook his head with amusement, covering half of his face as he said, "I'm a little skeptical of the Z-6."
Snapped--
Hu Ke clapped her hands, startling the waiter who brought in the tea, who almost dropped the teacup.
He pointed at Li Xuewu and said meaningfully, "I knew you were acting strangely, there must be something wrong."
"Do you think I'm jealous? Or afraid?" Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow at him and asked bluntly, "Or perhaps I'm just worrying unnecessarily?"
"You said it yourself, I didn't." Hu Ke took the teacup without worrying about the heat, took a sip to sober up, and said with a smile, "Go ahead and say it."
"What did I say?" Li Xuewu glanced at him speechlessly and said, "I said I don't think much of the Z-6, but I didn't say that the Steel Aircraft is better than the Z-6."
"You didn't mean that?" Hu Kezhen was quite the conversationalist. He put down his teacup and said with a smile, "Of course, I know what kind of person you are."
"This has nothing to do with a person's character."
Li Xuewu let out a long breath, reached for an apple on the small table, took a bite, and said calmly, "I'm talking about science."
“Science, science.” Hu Ke nodded seriously and said, “Then explain from a scientific point of view why you rejected him today.”
“I didn’t refuse him.” Li Xuewu spread his hands and said, “He said he needed engineering vehicles, and I said okay, I’ll introduce him to the group’s sales team.”
"But what he wants is the production data for the turbine engine."
Hu Ke emphasized, "You refused very directly. What were your thoughts on this? Are you sure it has nothing to do with Bingfei?"
"Heh—" Li Xuewu chuckled and said, "Don't even mention that he came from Bingfei. Even if the leaders of the Third Ministry of Machinery Industry came, they wouldn't give it to him."
"Why?" Hu Ke looked at him, puzzled.
Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and retorted, "On what grounds?"
"What do you mean, 'on what grounds'?" Hu Ke asked again. "We're all brother units, technology sharing is the norm."
"Who said that?" Li Xuewu looked him straight in the eye and asked, "The metallurgical plant needs the production technology for special steel. If I go to the steel city metallurgical plant to ask for it, will they give it to me?"
"..." Hu Ke was stunned, and frowned slightly, saying, "These are two different things, aren't they?"
"It's a completely different story when it happens to you?"
Li Xuewu snorted and said, "Those technologies were bought from East Germany. Why should he give them away for free with just a word?"
"Is that why you rejected him?"
Hu Ke frowned and thought for a moment, then reminded him, "If you don't give it to him now, he might come to ask for it next time, and it might really be the Ministry of Machinery Industry that comes to ask for it."
"Heh—" Li Xuewu said disdainfully, "What if we don't give it to you? Will you just take it by force?"
"There's something wrong with your thinking."
Hu Ke looked at him very seriously and reminded him, "It's fine for us to say these things in private, but we must never say them in front of outsiders."
“I know what you mean.” Li Xuewu finished the apple in a few bites, wiped his hands with a towel, looked him straight in the eye and said, “My thinking is fine; you’ve fallen into some kind of misconception and trap.”
He pointed at the coffee table and emphasized, "Industrial development is definitely not about equal distribution of resources. If that were the case, then what would be the point of distinguishing between the North and the South? The whole country would only need one Shougang Group and one first flight."
"Experience and knowledge can be shared, but technology cannot."
Li Xuewu stated firmly, "We only offer technical cooperation and support solutions, and are willing to share research results, but we refuse to blatantly steal them."
"Hmm." Hu Ke nodded slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with his remarks, and picked up her teacup, frowning as she pondered something.
"So, Honggang Group only focuses on sales and cooperation, and doesn't engage in any contributions, right?"
"Your hat is quite big."
Li Xuewu shook his head slightly with a cold smile and said, "Now you and I don't need to argue about the definition of dedication. Let's stick to the facts. Honggang doesn't owe anyone anything."
“Of course.” Hu Ke gave him a meaningful look and said, “Young people’s ideas are always very radical.”
"You treat me like a young person?"
Li Xuewu smiled knowingly, glanced at him, and stopped arguing. He showed no remorse for his statement tonight.
Hu Ke seemed to sense his temper as well, and after a while she spoke up to explain, "You should know that I'm saying all this for your own good."
"Yes, I understand." Li Xuewu also suppressed his temper and nodded, saying, "I still want to thank you."
"Let's not talk about this anymore." Hu Ke sighed and looked at him, asking, "Do you have any other suggestions regarding Beijing Chemical Industry?"
"Isn't this something we should be considering right now?" Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and asked, "Have you already made a decision?"
“This will take some time.” Hu Ke nodded slowly and explained, “In principle, Deputy Director Lu and I agree, but we need to form a report and report and discuss it with other leaders of the Management Committee.”
"Of course, cooperation is not a one-time thing."
Li Xuewu nodded understandingly and asked him, "So, does Deputy Director Lu still have time tonight?"
"Don't worry, he will definitely see you."
Hu Ke glanced at him and said with some regret, "Do you know why we invited him to dinner tonight?"
"I don't know." Li Xuewu shook his head slightly, picked up his teacup, and asked, "Did you arrange this?"
"Of course, you could say that."
Hu Ke smiled and explained, "I invited you to Fengcheng, so it's my arrangement that he can attend tonight's dinner."
"However, Deputy Director Lu thinks highly of him."
Under Li Xuewu's puzzled gaze, he didn't explain much, but simply reminded him softly, "You should re-evaluate this opportunity."
"You mean—" Li Xuewu narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at Hu Ke and asked, "Whether it's Institute 602 or Ganfei, they want to swallow up Gangfei?"
"Don't get so worked up." Hu Ke waved his hand and said, "Nobody wants to swallow up your Steelfly. I'm talking about cooperation opportunities."
He tapped the coffee table with his finger and emphasized, "You just ended your cooperation with Shen Fei in a situation that no one wanted to see. You can't go it alone, can you?"
"Think about it carefully. With the support of Institute 602 and cooperation with Ganfei, wouldn't your Gangfei have better development opportunities?"
"Deputy Director Lu—"
The secretary standing at the door greeted them, and the two people inside exchanged a glance, stood up together, and looked towards the door.
"Sit down, please sit down." Lu Qiming walked in, waved his hand to signal the two to sit down, and explained, "I just chatted with Liu Gang."
He sat down, took a big gulp of water, and looked at the two of them, asking, "You weren't in a hurry, were you? What were you talking about?"
“Uh—” Hu Ke glanced at Li Xuewu, then turned around and said frankly, “I’m talking about Liu Gang and his Ganzhou Aircraft Factory.”
"Oh?" Lu Qiming put down his teacup, looked at Li Xuewu with little surprise, and asked, "Do you have any opinions or suggestions about him or Gan Fei?"
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu said with a wry smile, "Why do you ask that too?"
"He is not optimistic about the Z-6 helicopter produced by Jiangxi Aircraft Industry Group."
Hu Ke was also looking at him, and explained very frankly: "At the same time, he also does not agree with Liu Gang's attitude regarding turbine engine production technology."
“Is that so—” Lu Qiming nodded knowingly, then looked at Li Xuewu and asked, “Could you tell me in detail?”
"Now?" Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and asked, "Aren't we going to talk about the Beijing Chemical Industry tonight?"
“Of course, that’s definitely the main topic tonight.” Lu Qiming looked at him and asked, “I believe you can explain it clearly soon, right?”
After giving him a serious look, Li Xuewu explained frankly, "I don't know if you heard Director Liu's introduction of the Z-6. I'm not an expert either, but I just feel like a big horse pulling a small cart."
"What do you mean?" Lu Qiming asked, frowning slightly. "Are you saying there's a problem with their helicopter design?"
"There is nothing wrong with the design of the helicopter itself, because it is the Z-5, a mature model that has been in service for many years."
Li Xuewu explained earnestly, "But they replaced the piston engine of the Z-5 with a more powerful turbocharged engine."
Do you know what that means?
"What does that mean?" Lu Qiming asked, frowning. "Fly faster? Have a stronger load-bearing capacity? Fly farther?"
"Of course, that's their goal."
Li Xuewu looked at him and said, "But the premise is that the Z-5's overall architecture, which is adapted to piston engines, can also adapt to more powerful turbo engines."
"Can you imagine the consequences of a small carriage being pulled at breakneck speed by a much larger and stronger horse?"
"Is this a concept?" Lu Qiming seemed unconvinced by his analogy, raising an eyebrow as he asked, "Isn't this just a technological upgrade?"
“It’s like—” he spread his hands as an analogy, “like giving a train a more powerful locomotive.”
"But you should know that there are compatibility requirements between train carriages and locomotives," Li Xuewu reminded him. "Not all carriages can be adapted to locomotives with stronger power."
"Yes, I understand what you mean."
Lu Qiming thought for a moment, then looked at him and asked, "Why didn't you raise these questions during the discussion just now?"
"In front of Director Liu?" Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and asked, "Or do you really think he can listen to my questions?"
"Why? Why can't we?"
Lu Qiming glanced at him and asked, "Do you think Liu Gang is stubborn and can't listen to other people's opinions?"
"Hehe." Li Xuewu smiled helplessly and said, "I've only known him for less than three hours."
“Hmm.” Lu Qiming was still a rational and open-minded person. He could understand the helplessness in Li Xuewu’s words. He turned to Hu Ke and instructed, “Take stock of this opinion and ask the experts what they think.”
He then looked at Li Xuewu and said, "If your doubts are indeed true, I will convey them to Comrade Liu Gang, emphasizing the importance of this opinion, in your name."
After saying this, he looked at Li Xuewu for a few seconds and then said, "If the experts can't give a definite suggestion, I will also pass it on to Yunfei to remind them to pay attention."
The fact that the last sentence did not mention whose name it was written naturally saved Li Xuewu's face and showed that he acted fairly.
Li Xuewu smiled and said nonchalantly, "Thank you."
"Then can we talk about your refusal?"
Lu Qiming looked at him and asked, "Why did you refuse to share the technology? Was it just because of Liu Gang's attitude? Did you not like being so direct?"
From the way he addressed Liu Gang, Li Xuewu could tell that the two had a close relationship, especially with Hu Ke's reminder.
Therefore, Li Xuewu had carefully considered how to answer similar questions long before he came in.
"I'm sure you don't like being asked for things so directly, do you?"
Li Xuewu answered his question with the same question, then smiled and said, "You may have heard that Honggang Group has the style of a miserly Grandet, even in its services, it has to create value."
"Heh—" Lu Qiming just smiled faintly, holding his teacup without responding, waiting for his further explanation.
"As I just mentioned to Director Hu, Honggang Group never rejects cooperation on an equal and mutually beneficial basis, and we share scientific research results with the utmost sincerity."
Li Xuewu emphasized earnestly, "On the path of sharing technology and innovative development, what we hope to gain is respect and understanding."
He didn't say anything more, but the two people in the room could understand the unacceptable situation he hadn't mentioned.
Lu Qiming thought about it seriously for a moment before looking at him and asking, "So you're willing to cooperate with Kunfei, or rather, Institute 602?"
"As long as they don't hold grudges—" Li Xuewu spread his hands and said with a smile, "Director Hu was just lamenting our breakup with Shen Fei."
"This is something I wanted to say today but didn't."
Lu Qiming also had some objections. He pointed at him with his finger, took a deep breath, and pursed his lips for a while before saying, "You're all being a bit impulsive."
"Hmm, maybe." Li Xuewu nodded slightly, saying with a hint of disappointment, "But this is a matter of principle."
“Of course I know.” Lu Qiming looked at him and said in a very serious tone, “When Comrade Hu Ke asked for my opinion, I was thinking that you two might go your separate ways, which would be a loss for both of you.”
"I didn't expect—" He looked at Li Xuewu and shook his head slightly, saying, "You guys really are—"
"This is absolutely not the outcome we wanted. You should believe in our substantial investment." Li Xuewu looked at him and said bluntly, "Do you think Shenfei's actions are normal?"
"Forget it, let's leave it at that." Lu Qiming sighed helplessly; he didn't want to talk about it anymore.
Li Xuewu was helpless, but so was he.
Like Honggang Group, Shenyang Aircraft Corporation retained its vertical management relationship with the Third Ministry of Machinery Industry while being transferred to local jurisdiction.
That's for sure. The Third Ministry of Machine Building only has a few manufacturing plants; how could they possibly relinquish control of them all?
Lu Qiming wanted to intervene, but he sided with Li Xuewu first, making it difficult for him to remain neutral in the subsequent conflicts.
Li Xuewu spread his hands, pursed his lips, and looked at him, saying, "I still want to thank you on behalf of Honggang Group for your support and help. You should know that this is very important to us."
“Hehe—” Lu Qiming turned to look at him and smiled, saying, “You are a person who is very good at handling working relationships.”
After giving his assessment of Li Xuewu, he slowly nodded and asked, "So, let's talk about the Beijing Chemical Industry now?"
“Okay, but regarding Ganfei,” Li Xuewu emphasized, turning his head slightly, “I hope the meeting will be from the perspective of multi-party cooperation.”
Under the surprised gazes of Lu Qiming and the other man, he nodded and explained, "Gangfei is a joint venture. Honggang Group's open attitude is not limited to technical cooperation, but also includes parts supply and production, including engines."
"Can I understand it that way?" Lu Qiming narrowed his eyes slightly and asked him, "Are you willing to cooperate with Ganzhou Aircraft Industry Group to produce turbine engines, or even share the production of all components from the perspective of fair cooperation?"
“Of course, equality and mutual benefit are essential.” Li Xuewu emphasized, “We must be based in Liaodong, since our industrial base is located there.”
Lu Qiming stared at him for a while before turning to Hu Ke and saying, "I have no reason not to stand by his side, don't you think, Director Hu?"
"Hehe—" Hu Ke also laughed and echoed, "We have no reason not to help our own people, and I agree with your point of view."
“To be honest, he’s too arrogant.” At this point, Lu Qiming finally spoke frankly to Li Xuewu, “But we can all understand him, right?”
"After years of unfulfilled potential, I suddenly have the opportunity to take charge..."
He stopped talking, smiled, pointed at Li Xuewu, and said playfully, "I just realized you couldn't possibly understand him, right? Ha!"
"Hehehe—" Li Xuewu covered his face helplessly and said with a wry smile, "How about we talk about the chemical industry in Beijing instead?"
"Ha ha ha ha--"
Lu Qiming and Hu Ke both laughed, with Hu Ke clapping her hands in delight. How could the young Li Xuewu possibly understand Liu Gang's pride?
But while he smiled, he was inwardly impressed. The secretary-general of Honggang Group was truly remarkable; not only was he meticulous in his work, but his methods were also incredibly shrewd.
He couldn't have navigated so skillfully within Deputy Director Lu's organization and set such firm conditions and standards for this cooperation.
It's clear that Deputy Director Lu had no choice but to make concessions and compromises.