Li Xu's meaning is very clear, whether it is joint R&D with that side or setting up a R&D center there, in the final analysis, it is all to make them pay for Northrop. Pen fun and pavilion www.biquge.info

This is not without precedent, as mentioned earlier, the Pahlavi dynasty not only spent $1 billion for 80 F-14s, but also provided Grumman with a loan of 75 million for turnaround, which is an excellent example.

It's a pity that the Pahlavi dynasty itself was overthrown last year, and the 79 F-14s that Grumman has delivered are cheaper than the current Iranian government.

Even if it is joint research and development, the core technology cannot be obtained there, and the American arms dealers are quite skilled in how to take the money and pit the allies. As for the protests on the northern mainland, that is not a problem, even if the August 17 communiqué appears on time, there are loopholes to exploit.

Anyway, there will be a second-and-a-half-generation x country number in a few years, and GM, Grumman, and Northrop have all provided technical support, so it is better to simply take the initiative to grasp this order in their hands.

First, you can help Northrop, but grandpa still has a directorship position over there, although this is not much help for the F-20; second, you can make Northrop honest and obedient over there, just an Intel production line is not enough, and the arms deal in this era is the top priority; third, when you go to the mainland in the future, this information can also be sold for a good price.

"I'll admit that your lobbying is good, little Edward, but if you do that...... It's too much trouble, it's too much trouble. Mars said at this time.

"The board of directors would prefer to have a VP come in and talk to them first, listen to their requests, and involve them in the development of the new model. Johnson added.

"Oh?" Li Xu raised his eyebrows, this is very meaningful, the words are so clear, just don't give the core technology, wait, do you want to say......

He looked at his grandfather, who took a sip of his teacup and didn't speak.

Well, he got it.

"Nosporo is planning to compete with GM and Grumman for the Air Force order, is that so?" Li Xu suddenly asked.

"Yes. Mars nodded.

"So how much kickback will you give to the Air Force?" Li Xu said bluntly.

"$950,000. It was Johnson who replied, and there was no embarrassment, and so did Mars, which was already a superficial rule.

"Just 200,000 more than the F-16. Li Xu smacked his mouth and shook his head, as if he felt that it was too little.

"The price is right, and if it is more, our profits will suffer. Mars said.

"But Northrop is from the navy, isn't he?" Li Xu immediately asked rhetorically.

The two people in front of him were stunned, and then Johnson shook his head: "You can't count it like this......"

"The F-18 has always been in service with the Navy and is still the main fighter. Li Xu interrupted and said, "Two gentlemen, we know what you want to say, but it doesn't matter whether Northrop is from the Navy or not, what matters is whether the Air Force thinks so, or ...... Someone made the Air Force think so. ”

After a pause, he leaned back a little and leaned back in his chair: "General Curtis Lemay personally said that the Soviet Union is an adversary, but the navy is ...... That's the enemy. ”

Mars and Johnson's faces both became ugly, and the military-industrial complex of this era was not the same 30 years later, slashed to the bloody face by the old men of Capitol Hill brandishing machetes called "budget".

In this era, as long as the arms dealers were in the name of the Cold War, even if they held the design drawings of the transformer tank of "StarCraft", they could cheat money from Capitol Hill, and the competition between various branches of the military was constantly and filthy.

The Army looks down on the Marines, and the 1st Red Division looks down on other armies, but the most acute contradiction is the Army Department of the Army and the Air Force and the Navy Department of the Navy and the Marine Corps.

The relationship between the two sides has been concluded since 1775, and the old men of Capitol Hill have never been soft on cutting military spending, and it is common for different branches of the military to compete for manpower, material and financial resources.

With the advent of the Air Force in World War II and then the Air Force, the situation became even more intense. Knowing that it was impossible to control the Air Force, the Army simply separated it and pushed for a merger. First, they wanted to concentrate all their aircraft, whether they were on land or sea, on the side of the Air Force, and then they wanted to merge the Marines into the Army.

It's just that the ideals are very plump, the reality is very skinny, not to mention anything else, the Marine Corps is the Imperial Forest, the only armed force under the direct control of the president, and it is impossible to hand it over to the army under the command of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on its knees.

In addition, the army is active, and the navy is not idle, and the final result is that the army and navy will no longer retain land-based aircraft, but will retain the carrier-based aviation of aircraft carriers, and at the same time retain the marines, and the establishment of the marines will not be reduced.

Stealing chickens is not a recipe for rice, and it is the US Army that naturally dislikes the Marine Corps more and more, and the Air Force is also unhappy with the Navy's retention of aviation units, so the contradiction between the Army and the Air Force and the Navy and the Marine Corps has been completely formed, and then there is Li Mei's sentence.

Therefore, what Li Xu means is that if Northrop's opponents use this to move the Air Force, let them hate the same enemy, and it is not too easy to do something, and some black spots will be infinitely magnified.

Again, the current military-industrial complex is not a military-industrial complex that can only make do with "fat electricity" in 30 years, and at the peak of this Cold War, no matter how poor it is, it can't be poor in armaments.

With the power of the Air Force, if they are really hostile to Northrop, then they have no chance at all.

Although the F-20 in the previous life had many problems, it was definitely not bad, the short combat radius was the biggest weakness, and the two times it could fall had nothing to do with the aircraft itself, but in the end it was abandoned, and Northrop's investment was also lost.

"In addition, Northrop has been developing fighters for the Navy most of the time, and obviously suddenly wants to cross the line to develop fighters for the Air Force, does he have enough technical reserves?" Li Xu continued to ask in pursuit, "What you rely on is nothing more than that the F-16 cannot obtain an export license at present, and you want to fight a time gap." But what if, before you finish developing, the F-16 is qualified for export, and the new model you develop is not enough to suppress the F-16?"

Mars and Johnson's faces became even more ugly, and then the latter coughed dryly: "It shouldn't be that fast......"

"Can you guarantee it, Mr. Johnson?" Li Xu immediately interrupted unceremoniously.

"No, but business is business...... Mars immediately interjected.

"Business is never just business, Mr. Mars!" Li Xu interrupted again, "Business is business, it is used to gag other people's mouths, not to gag one's own!"

Yes, the so-called "business is business", but like "refined egoism", it is all used to coax those gold collars. If you don't talk about it in a fanciful way, don't let them believe it, how can you let these guys work hard for themselves?

Business is never a simple thing, and the success of business is also a wrestle of many factors, such as Party A's perception of Party B, such as the friendship between the two parties, such as someone cutting off or sabotaging halfway, such as natural disasters and man-made disasters, if the decision-maker of one party is a woman, it is also necessary to consider whether she is within the menstrual period.

It is true that interest is an important factor, but it is only a necessary condition and not a sufficient condition, or it is only one of the sufficient conditions after the necessary conditions, and it cannot absolutely dominate a business.

It's like sleeping with a director or producer and changing roles, and no actress would be so stupid as to roll the sheets and say something like "give me a role" or "please think about me" or something like that.

Because they both know very well that intimacy is just one of the weights, and even relatively small weights are not enough to make this end of the scale lift.

However, at the right time, this small weight can also make the final decision.

Only those who have their heads in water and are fooled into fools will take "business is business" as a motto, such people are not enslaved, who is enslaved?

The person who spits in the sky will only salivate back on his face, just like the election that broke everyone's glasses more than thirty years later.

Mars and Johnson stopped talking, facing Li Xu, who also knew the twists and turns of this, they didn't have too many excuses, and they actually understood that not taking into account the dirtiness between the Navy and the Air Force was their biggest mistake.

"I have only one purpose from beginning to end, and that is to reduce the risk of this project as much as possible," Li Xu continued, "If the Air Force is moved by General Motors and stands on their side, once the F-16 is approved for export, the Air Force will definitely make small moves against Northrop, and hundreds of millions of dollars of investment may be completely smashed into its hands." So, why not find someone to share the risk with in the first place?"

"I think we need to have a serious discussion. Mars said a moment later.

"Yes, it needs to be discussed again. Johnson also smiled wryly, "You hit us in the heart, little Edward." ”

"But what do you want?" asked Mars suddenly, very directly.

"Eddie told me that Intel intends to move its production line to Southeast Asia, and that there is also one of the options. Grandpa finally spoke, "But he doesn't plan to come forward in person, and neither do I." ”

Mars and Johnson suddenly realized, while Li Xu gave a thumbs up in his heart. Obviously, Grandpa told them some of his ideas, such as wanting to go to that island and make a difference, so he wanted to borrow Northrop's momentum and so on.

That's why Johnson said before that Northrop's board of directors was inclined to negotiate with a vice president, and although there was a big deal on that island, it was far less important than the development of a new generation of export fighters, so naturally he was not interested in marrying someone else.

But now that Li Xu has said that he has moved them, grandpa has changed his words again, implying that this is a test for Li Xu by himself and Li Xu's father, so the board of directors of Northrop has to think about it.

In this way, it not only tested Li Xu's preparations, but also pushed him at the right time, he really used his strength to fight, Jiang is really old and spicy.

"So, Pipon has to be treated with enough respect. Grandpa finally said this.

The two in front of him exchanged a few glances and whispered a few more words, and then Mars spoke: "We will relay today's conversation to the board of directors as it is, Mr. Li, please rest assured." ”