Chapter One Hundred and Ten: That's More Like It

Once the explanation had been made, everything became clear. The tycoon realized he had simply lacked experience, and with a laugh he steered the conversation elsewhere.

“What title will your Base 0011 use when dealing with the outside world? At the aircraft plant in your country’s Splendid Official City, the Factory 0132 that works with them is called CD Aircraft Company in public. Shouldn’t you have an external name too?”

He had not expected Crown Prince Sultan to bring this up. Since Yang Hui also saw that Director Yang from the defense science and industry commission was present, he naturally decided to ask him first about the matter of setting up a company.

He hurriedly turned to Director Yang beside him and asked, “Director Yang, I’m not sure what the higher-ups have decided about forming a company. The foreign side is asking about it now.”

Yang Hui had raised the question, but Director Yang really could not give him an answer. Since he had reported both the proposal to form a company and the new cooperative trainer aircraft project after the last visit, there had been no reply from above. Less than a week had passed, so a delay was only natural.

In those days, founding a company was no simple matter, especially when it involved a national-level military industrial base. This was not like the 1980 case, when Factory 0132 cooperated with Britain and merely adopted a more fashionable public name. The company being formed at this base would have real authority; calling it a restructuring would not be an exaggeration at all.

After thinking it over, Director Yang felt he should explain the matter to Yang Hui in more detail. After all, this young man would eventually become his grandson-in-law, and there was no harm in saying a little more.

“The formation of this new company is actually a major undertaking. You can almost count yourselves as one of the first reform pioneers. The companies established before were basically only for foreign trade and had almost no substantial industrial body. Yours is different. Yours will be a company with the nature of a combined factory and research institute, so the higher-ups will definitely need to think it through a bit more. This will have to be done slowly. No need to rush. Wait a little longer.”

Once Director Yang had finished, Yang Hui understood that the matter was still a bit troublesome and could only wait. After taking his leave of Director Yang, he returned to accompany Crown Prince Sultan and the others.

“Your Highness, our base submitted a report to request the establishment of a company as soon as we returned to the country. But as you know, because of the realities of our national situation, the authorities have been very cautious about this matter. Our base has a rather special nature, but that does not affect our cooperation.”

Hearing Yang Hui’s explanation, Crown Prince Sultan found it quite acceptable. He thought to himself that it made sense; with such a large military industrial base, setting up a company would certainly require caution. Had he not heard that they reported it to the higher authorities the moment they returned? That showed how seriously they took it.

“Mm, your reasoning is understandable. There’s no problem with our cooperation. As long as you take our collaboration seriously, everything else can be discussed.”

Hearing how heavily Sultan emphasized the word cooperation, Yang Hui naturally understood what he meant.

Smiling, he nodded to show there was no issue. Now everything was ready; they only needed the right moment.

He replied with equal double meaning, “That’s no problem. This project is something we both care about. Once the funds are in place, we can begin the next steps on our side in accordance with the contract.”

Crown Prince Sultan used the universally understood gesture, nodding to show he had understood what needed to be done.

After that, no one said much. They walked forward in high spirits, preparing to head to the buffet reception already arranged by the Foreign Affairs Department. It had to be said that the Foreign Affairs Department had done a decent job this time; as long as they did not make a mess of things, that was already excellent. Even arranging a buffet reception now gave the whole affair a faint air of unnecessary extravagance, and there was indeed a hint of wasting the people’s hard-earned labor in it, but it was also a necessary formality.

When they arrived and looked around, they saw that all the aviation people from the Shenyang Institute had been left behind. This did not surprise anyone. Victory belonged to the victor, and the loser to the defeated; having failed in their bid to hijack the project, they naturally went back to their own work. If the base had lost, then of course the base would have had to leave, but in that case the aviation department people certainly would not have needed to go anywhere. How could the project of one’s own son possibly be left without funding?

Marshal Nie exchanged a couple of polite, official words with the foreign guest, Crown Prince Sultan, and then naturally prepared to move on to other matters. At this time, domestic buffet receptions were mostly just a veneer of sophistication, and naturally could not compare with their foreign counterparts in function.

Right now, one could clearly see a whole group of rustic bumpkins truly sitting there stuffing themselves. In the end, Yang Hui even heard someone ask, “When are the hot dishes coming?”

After briefly returning to the base group and exchanging a few words, he was urged away by Director Bai.

“Now is the time for you to represent our base and build relations with the foreign side. Remember, when you were assigned duties in the new company, the task was to contact the foreign side and coordinate their views.”

Just as Director Bai finished, Chief Engineer Yu hurried over with another line: “Xiao Yang, work hard. The base needs your stomach.”

The moment that was said, Yang Hui felt sweat starting to run down his back. How frightening was that? They were asking him to devote his stomach to the cause. How was he supposed to manage after that?

Shaking his head, he quickly left the group from the base. As for asking Yang Hui to entertain the foreign guests right now, that was all very well in theory, but where was he supposed to find the chance? The reception was being arranged by the Foreign Affairs Department, so naturally they had their own reasons for doing things this way. Right now, the foreign guests were already surrounded so tightly by the Foreign Affairs people that not even a drop could get through. The comrades from Foreign Affairs were presently sacrificing their own stomachs for the country. Even though the Pakistanis and the Saudis did not drink alcohol, the Foreign Affairs comrades were still more than sincere: we drink, you drink beverages.

Looking at this group of people who were even more amusing than clowns, Yang Hui wisely chose to leave and go to Director Yang instead. Why come here? Because Yang Yue was here, so of course Yang Hui came too.

Seeing Yang Hui approach, Director Yang understood what he ought to do. Smiling, he pointed Yang Yue toward Yang Hui, then drifted off to the side to chat and joke with the others.

When Yang Hui walked up beside Yang Yue, he smiled and lifted his glass. “Yueyue, come on, let’s have a drink. It’s rare to get such a chance.”

Yang Yue had not expected the usually serious Yang Hui to come up and immediately ask to drink with her. She could not make sense of him. They had known each other since they were little kids, so why was he still playing at this kind of thing? Thinking that his behavior was a little odd, the sentimental side of her nature still made her raise her glass naturally. What he said was true, after all; opportunities like this were rare.

Just as they were about to drink, another voice interrupted them.

“Heh, you two really have a bit of style, don’t you? Who would have thought that the little kid back then would be this grown-up now?”

Even though he had not heard that voice in many years, Yang Hui knew who it was. Turning around, he smiled and introduced Yang Yue to the speaker.

“Aunt Li, this is my girlfriend, Yang Yue. We grew up together, and now she works with me at Base 0011.”

That’s right, the person who had come was Nie Li. Yang Hui had seen her many times when he was younger, and Aunt Li had always treated him well. Now that she saw he had a girlfriend, of course she had come over to have a look.

Aunt Li smiled and said to Yang Hui, “I know. I just asked some comrades from the commission. This young lady is called Yang Yue, and she’s Director Yang’s granddaughter, right? Very nice.”

Yang Yue was a little unsure what to make of this suddenly appearing Aunt Li. She only felt that Aunt Li looked somewhat like Marshal Nie, as though she too were one of Grandpa’s colleagues, and that she seemed to have a very good relationship with Yang Hui. Since Yang Hui called her Aunt Li, Yang Yue naturally followed suit.

“Aunt Li, hello. My name is Yang Yue.”

Seeing that the young girl was rather shy, Aunt Li did not say much more. She had already seen them, so it was naturally time to leave and not disturb the young people. There was still plenty to attend to this time, but before leaving she told Yang Hui a few words.

“All right, you two carry on. I just came to take a look. Oh, and your Grandpa Nie wants you to bring Uncle Li with you to see him in a few days when you have time. He should be quite satisfied with your performance this time. He’s already looked through all your materials.”

Yang Hui had not expected Marshal Nie to still think so highly of the little kid he had once been. He was overjoyed. If he could build a line to Marshal Nie, then before the Marshal retired in the coming years, there would still be many things he could do.

Although Yang Hui’s motives were a bit utilitarian, he had no choice now. He needed to stride forward with great leaps and gain a wider stage on which to act; without powerful people above him, that simply would not work.

One Director Yang alone was not enough. In ordinary times, the director of the commission might seem like an important official, but in the capital he was neither here nor there, and being only a deputy made things even harder to handle.