Chapter 1283
Turning Waste into Treasure: A Huge Arms Deal, and the Great Arms Dealer Li Aiguo
The comrades from the military industry picked up the phone and contacted Section Chief Xing of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.
"Patriotism? It seems he's gone." Section Chief Xing knew that Project 62 was a key project, and he certainly wouldn't dare to reveal it at this time.
"No matter what he's doing, as long as he's still in Beijing, make him immediately drop everything and come to the Military Industry Committee! This is the commander's order!"
"Yes! I will definitely pass it on!"
Section Chief Xing put down the phone and scratched his head: "Aiguo is really busy."
"Section Chief, shall I go and inform Aiguo?" Yan Jiecheng said.
"Go ahead and tell him that the Military Industry Commission holds a special position, and this is an urgent summons, so it must be something important. Tell him not to delay and to go immediately." Section Chief Xing nodded.
"Alright!" Yan Jiecheng replied, then turned and ran outside.
Not long after, Li Aiguo had just finished explaining a few technical details to Chief Engineer Qi, who was in charge of Project 62, when Yan Jiecheng hurriedly pulled him out.
"Come on, Jiecheng, come with me."
Li Aiguo drove his large SUV, carrying Yan Jiecheng, all the way back to the capital.
The Military Industry Commission compound was heavily guarded.
Armed sentries stopped the vehicle.
Checking documents, verifying license plates, notifying the leader's office by phone, and having security personnel conduct body searches...
After a complicated and rigorous process was completed, the heavy iron gate slowly opened, allowing passage.
The jeep came to a smooth stop in front of the office building.
"Jiecheng, wait in the car."
Li Aiguo straightened his collar, strode into the office building, and knocked on the door of the top leader's office.
"Boss, you wanted to see me?" Li Aiguo had met the high-ranking leader before at a large meeting and recognized him at a glance.
"Comrade Patriot, come and sit down." The big leader was very friendly, took out a pack of cigarettes, and offered one to the leader.
"I heard about what happened in South Asia. You did a great job! Your superiors specifically praised you during the meeting, saying you're a lucky charm!"
"You flatter me, sir. It's all I should do." Li Aiguo took the cigarette with both hands, first took out a match to light the cigarette for the senior leader, and then lit one for himself.
Wisps of smoke rose into the air.
The high-ranking leader, being a former soldier, disliked beating around the bush and, after a few pleasantries, went straight to the point.
"The production capacity of the Type 59 tank is insufficient. It is our most advanced medium tank and it is impossible to export it. However, we do not want to lose this order."
The big boss himself felt a little embarrassed as he spoke.
This is simply setting a difficult problem for people.
You want the horse to run, but you don't want it to eat grass.
However, to his surprise, Li Aiguo did not show any signs of distress after listening to him.
"Sir, I do have an idea. Perhaps... we can persuade the Yi family to abandon the purchase of the Type 59 and instead purchase our T-34."
"What? A T-34?"
The top leader was stunned, wondering if he had misheard.
The T-34 was indeed our main tank, with a number of over 2000.
However, since the Type 59 tank went into mass production, these old relics from World War II have gradually been relegated to second-line, training, and reserve use.
In the mid-1950s, in order to deal with these T-34s, we even provided them to some friendly countries at a loss, almost selling them as scrap metal.
Now, their special envoy, Said, is waving banknotes, wanting to buy the most advanced Type 59 rifles.
But you want to sell these outdated goods to someone else?
Isn't this treating people like fools?
"Can you be sure you can love your country?"
As soon as he said it, he realized he had asked something unnecessary.
This was a last resort, a desperate measure.
Besides Li Aiguo, there's no one else we can count on.
So he changed his tune and said, "Aiguo, do your best. If it really doesn't work... we'll think of another way."
"Don't worry, sir. The T-34 may be a bit old, but if we tell a good story, it might just be able to have a second spring. Leave this to me."
Li Aiguo smiled slightly.
*****
Meanwhile, at the Beijing Friendship Hotel.
The special envoy from the Yi family, Said, was getting dressed with his entourage, preparing to head to the Military Industry Commission again.
Upon learning that negotiations had resumed, he felt both expectant and apprehensive.
"Remember this, everyone: friendship is friendship, and business is business!"
Our goal this time is very clear: the Type 59!
That's capable of defeating the T-62! Don't give in! You know Commander Sa's temper; if we buy back a bunch of junk, we'll all be in deep trouble!
Before setting off, Said solemnly gave instructions to the officials accompanying him.
The men nodded repeatedly.
"Don't worry, Special Envoy, we will absolutely not be fooled!"
"That's right, the Type 59 is incredibly powerful in India, even destroying the Russian T-62. If we could get our hands on it, we'd have a better chance of defeating the Lang family next door!"
Even so, Said still felt that something was wrong.
The feeling of unease reached its peak when the convoy entered the vehicles arranged by the Military Industry Commission, sped towards the suburbs, and finally stopped at a remote tank base.
"Are they really planning something?" Said muttered to himself the whole way, his face grim.
The convoy came to a stop, and Sayyid pushed open the car door with a dark expression.
However, when his gaze swept ahead and he saw the man standing next to a tank, wearing a gray Zhongshan suit and smiling at him, an unbelievable look of ecstasy appeared on his face.
"My dear patriotic comrade! What are you doing here?!"
As soon as Saeed saw Li Aiguo, he quickly walked over.
The accompanying officials were dumbfounded; they had never seen the usually serious envoy Said so out of control.
Only Said himself knew what the man before him meant.
It can be said that Li Aiguo played an indispensable role in Saddam Hussein's rise to the position of President today!
Not to mention that over the years, Li Aiguo has delivered a lot of urgently needed railway equipment and supplies to Xiao Yi's family through various channels. He is a true and loyal friend!
"Brother Said, it's been a long time!" Li Aiguo greeted him with a smile and gave him a firm hug.
The two exchanged pleasantries, and Li Aiguo did not mention the military procurement of Xiao Yi's family, but only inquired about the situation on Lao Sa's side.
Said was a shrewd man; he could easily understand Li Aiguo's purpose in appearing here.
Seeing that Li Aiguo didn't bring it up, he went along with it and didn't ask any questions.
"Commander Sa has always remembered you, Comrade Patriot."
But as you know, the situation in our area is complicated right now, and we can't do without Commander Sa's presence.
"But you, if you have the chance, must visit our place. Commander Sa has prepared fine wine for you."
"Haha, I couldn't be happier! I've heard that the roasted camel meat in your area is delicious, and I've been wanting to try it for a long time."
The two chatted enthusiastically, as if they were old friends who hadn't seen each other for many years, completely forgetting about their business.
A young officer from the Military Industry Commission, watching from the side, grew increasingly anxious and couldn't help but lower his voice to say to his superior, "Sir, weren't we here to discuss tank trade? What is Comrade Aiguo doing? If we keep talking like this, it'll be dark by now!"
"Don't speak, Comrade Patriot has his own plans." The leader quickly stopped him.
Just then, Li Aiguo seemed to have finished his conversation.
Suddenly changing the subject, he pointed to the dusty field not far away and said, "Old Sai, timing is everything. We're having a tank combat exercise here. How about it, interested in giving us some pointers?"
Said's eyes lit up: "Of course! Is it a Type 59 tank?"
"Why don't you go and see for yourself?"
Li Aiguo smiled mysteriously and led Said towards the spectator stands.
When he saw that there were two Type 59 tanks and four T-34 tanks, Said frowned.
How can a piece of junk from World War II like the T-34 be compared to the renowned Type 59? Isn't that like throwing an egg against a rock?
Seeing Li Aiguo's keen interest, Said didn't say anything and sat down with Li Aiguo in the spectator seats.
The exercise was already in place.
Upon seeing the foreign guests take their seats, the staff officer in charge of the exercise suddenly waved a red flag.
The tanks on both sides started moving instantly, and the Type 59 tanks pounced on the weak T-34 like two hungry wolves.
But something strange happened.
Faced with the Type 59's charge, the four T-34s did not engage in a head-on confrontation, but instead suddenly scattered, turning and accelerating nimbly on the sand.
Surprisingly, on this soft sand, the T-34 was even faster than the Type 59!
A Type 59 tank attempted to pursue one of the T-34 tanks, but found that the distance between them was not only not decreasing, but was actually increasing. The heavy tank appeared somewhat clumsy on the sand.
"That's impossible! The Type 59 has a stronger engine, how could it not outrun the T-34? The Type 59 must not be going all out, it's just a performance, right?" said an expert from the Yi family.
Before Li Aiguo could reply, Said turned and scolded, "Shut up! You are insulting our friends!"
Don't you have eyes? This ground is sand!
The Type 59 is a medium tank with thick armor and a weight far exceeding that of the T-34.
Driving on this kind of ground, the pressure is too high, making it easy to get stuck, and naturally, the speed will be slow!
Upon hearing this, Li Aiguo gave a thumbs-up and praised, "Old Sai, your observation is indeed keen!"
"You saw the key point at a glance; no wonder Old Sa is relying on you more and more."
Upon hearing this, Said was somewhat pleased.
Although he did not hold a formal military position in the Yi family, he was Old Sa's true confidant.
The fact that Old Saddam sent him for such a confidential arms procurement matter shows that he valued Saddam's vision and loyalty.
Li Aiguo pressed on, saying, "We have a saying here: 'Every inch has its advantages, and every foot has its disadvantages.'"
The Type 59's firepower and protection do indeed surpass those of the T-34.
However, the T-34 also has its unique advantages.
Its lightweight design and wide tracks allow it to traverse terrains such as deserts and swamps with ease.
Moreover, its diesel engine is highly adaptable to high-heat environments, has a simple structure, is robust and durable, and is easy to repair on the battlefield.
Saeed finally realized that this special exercise was clearly tailor-made to promote the T-34.
After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Patriotism, we're friends, so I'll be frank."
T-34的机动性是不错，但战场上最终还是要靠火力说话。59式的100毫米线膛炮，比T-34的85毫米炮强太多了。”
"Old Sai, we have a saying here, which is 'enough is enough.'"
As far as I know, the main tanks of your neighbor Lang family are still the American-made M4 Sherman, the British-made Churchill infantry tanks, and a small number of M24 Chaffee light tanks.
Forgive my bluntness, but the T-34's 85mm gun, at a range of 1000 meters, would be more than enough to turn them into scrap metal.
"What about defense? The biggest advantage of medium tanks is their good protection. The T-34's armor is too thin," Said pressed.
"The T-34 has sloped armor, which is enough to protect it from those tanks."
Most importantly, the T-34's scope was positioned high, making it easier to spot Lang's tanks in open desert terrain.
Upon hearing this, Said's resolve had already wavered.
The T-34 is definitely much cheaper than the Type 59.
With the same amount of money, buying Type 59 tanks might only allow you to form a regiment, but buying T-34s could potentially allow you to build a division!
For the Ikari family, who desperately needed to expand their military, quantity was itself a form of quality. However...
Said, watching the T-34s being chased and scrambled around the field, was still somewhat unwilling: "Patriot, I understand your reasoning. But we still hope to have something more advanced..."
Said had only spoken half of his sentence when the rest of his voice choked in his throat.
Because the situation on the training ground took a dramatic turn!
The T-34, which seemed to be fleeing in a sorry state, suddenly stopped abruptly and swerved, turning around to face the pursuing Type 59 directly!
Has it gone mad? Is it courting death?
Just as the Type 59 was about to fire.
Suddenly, three other T-34s that had been scattered suddenly appeared like ghosts, flanking from the flanks and rear, instantly forming a four-sided encirclement!
Do not!
It turns out that the escape just now was actually a ploy to lure the enemy deeper into our territory!
The guns of the four T-34s simultaneously locked onto the lone Type 59 tank.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Although it was a practice round, the deafening roar of the cannon still sent chills down one's spine. Yellow smoke, signifying destruction, billowed from the Type 59 tank.
Immediately afterwards, the four T-34s worked in perfect coordination, like a pack of wolves, and quickly turned to another Type 59 tank that was trying to come to the rescue. Using their numerical and maneuver advantages, they once again "strangled" it.
Upon seeing this, Saeed's expression completely changed.
On a chaotic battlefield, commanding multiple tanks to perform such precise tactical coordination is virtually impossible!
Tanks can usually only communicate with each other using flag signals or simple radios, and cannot achieve this kind of coordination as if they were one person's limbs.
unless
A thought suddenly flashed through Sayyid's mind: the battle in which the Type 59 annihilated the T-62s, which had been rumored before.
"Could it be... that you have some kind of magic weapon that allows for precise control of tanks?!"
Said turned sharply to look at Li Aiguo, his eyes filled with shock.
Li Aiguo stood up and smiled faintly: "Old Sai, what I'm going to introduce to you now is not an ordinary T-34, but a T-34 equipped with our latest 'transistor tank radio'!"
"With this communication system, each tank is a node, and the commander can direct the entire convoy as easily as pointing his own fingers. This is our unique 'wolf pack tactic'!"
"I believe that with these tanks, once we start fighting with the Lang family, we can blow up not only their Sherman tanks, but even their triangular baskets!"
"What is a triangular basket?" Said asked, puzzled.
"It's just underwear."
"Uh...that's good, that's good!" Said's lips twitched. You have to admit, that's quite a vivid description.
His gaze immediately became incredibly intense.
This tactical command capability is a godsend for the small Yi family, which lacks highly skilled tank soldiers!
How many of these tanks do you plan to sell?
Li Aiguo wasn't entirely sure either.
The main problem is that it's unclear how many units China plans to phase out.
He looked at the Military Industry Commission representative beside him, who was already dumbfounded.
The representative paused for a moment, then quickly stepped forward, suppressing his excitement, and said, "Currently... after taking inventory, we plan to sell 800 vehicles in the first batch. Of course, it won't be sold all at once; we can do it in batches..."
"800 vehicles..."
Said took a deep breath and suddenly waved his hand.
"Okay! That's the number! I'll report home right away, wait for my news!"
After saying that, Sayed stood up, not even bothering to say goodbye, and quickly walked to the large off-road vehicle parked next to him, and left in a hurry.
This left even the representatives of the Military Industry Commission completely dumbfounded.
That's 800 tanks!
It's not 800 bicycles, nor is it 800 trucks!
It's important to understand that our country is vast and rich in resources, yet we currently only have a total of over two thousand tanks.
Is the Yi family really going to buy 800 cars at once? Will they be able to use them all?
Li Aiguo smiled but did not reply.
Old Saddam is a fighter, and in order to become the top dog in the Middle East, he definitely needs to amass more weapons.
After returning to the Friendship Hotel, Sayed immediately called Saddam and recounted what he had seen on the exercise field, as well as Li Aiguo's analysis of the T-34.
Sadam laughed and said, "Hahahaha! My patriotic brother is indeed my benefactor!"
He's right. The most expensive isn't necessarily the best; the most suitable is! Since the T-34 is so suitable for us, let's buy it! Let's buy 800 first!
"Yes! The commander is wise!"
After hanging up the phone, Saeed immediately contacted the Military Industry Commission.
At this time, the representatives of the Military Industry Commission and those leaders were still discussing whether Xiao Yi's family would change their minds.
Upon receiving this news, the representative of the Military Industry Commission breathed a sigh of relief:
"Yes, I didn't understand the exercise that Comrade Patriot organized at first. I thought it was exposing his own shortcomings."
Looking back now, it seems that this was a patriotic comrade deliberately showing Xiao Yi's family the advantages of the T-34 in a specific environment.
That's called 'playing to your strengths and avoiding your weaknesses'! Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!
"Comrade Aiguo is simply a genius at arms sales."
"I've figured it out now. If you want to sell weapons, you have to be like Comrade Aiguo and figure out what the buyers need!"
"800 T34s, we've really hit the jackpot this time."
After clearing the biggest obstacle.
Said, representing the Yi family, held a second round of substantive talks with the Military Industry Committee.
最终协议确定：小伊家购买800辆加装了晶体管电台的T-34坦克，配套采购120门56式85mm加农炮。
60门60式120mm迫击炮，300挺54式12.7mm高射机枪。
And 10,000 Type 50 assault rifles, plus a large quantity of ammunition and spare parts.
This equipment is enough for the Yi family to arm two fully equipped armored divisions at once!
The total price of this deal is over 80 million US dollars!
In this day and age, this is an astronomical sum.
If converted to gold, it would weigh a full 70 tons!
Of course, even though the Yi family is now incredibly wealthy, they still can't afford to have that much foreign exchange and gold.
After discussions, both parties agreed that part of the payment would be made in gold, and the remainder would be exchanged for 5 million barrels of crude oil, to be delivered over five years at a rate of approximately 600 million barrels per year.
In addition, as a bonus, Xiao Yi's family will also provide a batch of phosphates and sulfur ore that are urgently needed in China.
When the leaders of the Military Industry Commission signed their names on the agreement, their hands trembled with excitement.
This level of arms trade is considered a mega-deal even on the international arms market.
“Mr. Said, please.” Li Aiguo, now playing the role of a major arms dealer, smiled and handed the pen to Said.
Saeed solemnly signed his name on the agreement.
The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause.
The comrades from the Military Industry Commission clapped until their hands were almost red.
I'm so excited!
With this military order, we can not only sell our obsolete weapons and equipment, but also open up the Middle Eastern market.
After the applause subsided, Sayed extended his hand to Li Aiguo: "Comrade Aiguo, thank you very much this time."
Li Aiguo shook his hand and smiled, "It's mutually beneficial, Lao Sai. Happy cooperation!"
According to the agreement, the first batch of weapons will be delivered to Little Yi's home via Hextech's ocean-going fleet in half a month.
Li Aiguo hung up the phone with Yang Jizong and learned that weapons were to be transported to Xiao Yi's house. Yang Jizong was very happy.
"Don't worry, leave this to me."
Ever since the ocean-going fleet dealt with the blackfish from Xiaomei's family, it has become famous far and wide.
Now, not only are pirates avoiding them, but even the ports that used to harass fleets no longer dare to cause trouble.
Crossing the Strait of Hormuz is as easy as going home on ordinary days.
The higher-level leaders were also pleased to learn that the Military Industry Commission and Xiao Yi's family had reached an agreement.
Flipping to the back of the report and seeing that familiar name, the superior was even more pleased: "There's something about Patriotic Comrades in this report too!"
"According to the report from the leaders of the Military Industry Commission, it was Comrade Aiguo who persuaded the representative of Xiao Yi's family," the assistant reported.
"Haha, this Li Aiguo is not only a technical genius, but also a big arms dealer!" The superior slapped the table, in high spirits.
"That kid is quick-witted; he always manages to surprise us."
"Yes, Comrade Aiguo just made a great contribution to India, and he has made another contribution after returning to Beijing."
Upon hearing this, the superior pondered for a moment and then suddenly said, "Bring me the brush and ink. I'm in a good mood today and want to write some large characters."
The assistant quickly took the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and laid out the Xuan paper.
The superior leader picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, thought for a moment, and then wrote four powerful and vigorous characters.
Once the ink had dried slightly, he handed the writing to his assistant: "Send this to Comrade Aiguo! Tell him this is my expectation of him!"
"Yes!"
At this time, Li Aiguo had already returned to the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.
Section Chief Xing walked in carrying a box.
"Patriotism, this is a gift from your superiors, it should be another large calligraphy piece, this is the third one, right?"
Section Chief Xing was genuinely jealous.
This is the calligraphy of our superior!
For most people, obtaining even one of these paintings in their lifetime is considered extremely auspicious, like their ancestors' graves emitting auspicious smoke.
This kid is something else; his house is practically a venue for calligraphy and painting exhibitions.
"Hurry up and open it to see what the leader wrote this time," Section Chief Xing urged.
Li Aiguo asked Zong Xianfeng to hand him a towel, wiped his hands, and carefully opened it.
The four large characters "勇担重任" (bravely shoulder heavy responsibilities) were prominently displayed on the Xuan paper.
Section Chief Xing stared wide-eyed.
These four words may be simple, but they carry immense weight. This is not just praise, but also recognition.
"Patriotism, hurry up and put it away."
"Great!" Li Aiguo also got excited and carefully put the large character away.
It was almost time to leave work, and Li Aiguo, considering that he needed to send the large characters to be framed, decided to leave work early.
Before I even left the office, the phone rang.
The call was from Wang Chengdong of the Pharmaceutical Research Institute.
"Patriotism, it's a success! It's a success! I just successfully synthesized the first batch of samples in the lab using the synthesis method you gave me! Come over here right away!"
Upon hearing this, Li Aiguo also became excited.
Before setting off, he sent over the technical data on ibuprofen and asked Wang Chengdong to start the experiment, originally thinking it would take at least two or three months.
I can't believe it's been so long! The results are out so quickly!
This is ibuprofen!
The future panacea and fever reducer!
In this era of scarce medical resources, its emergence is nothing short of a blessing for countless patients!
"Wait here, I'm coming right away!"
(End of this chapter)