Chapter 137: A Single Finger

“Since that’s the case, we can offer the latest medium-to-long-range ballistic missile, the Dongfeng-3. This missile boasts excellent performance and has been in service for ten years since its standardization, achieving a mission success rate of 94% in multiple launches. The missile is 24 meters long, with a diameter of 2.25 meters, and a launch weight of 64 tons. It uses a single-stage liquid-fueled rocket engine and is road-mobile, giving it exceptional survivability.”

After a brief introduction to the Dongfeng-3, Commander Nie believed that presenting the missile’s specifications would leave little room for debate on the choice of model.

Indeed, as Nie had anticipated, the missile’s capabilities completely captivated the wealthy Saudi prince. Sultan was negotiating alone here, so this initial decision was entirely his prerogative.

“Alright, this missile it is. The medium-to-long-range missile will certainly suffice for our needs. What is its exact range? Is it more medium-range or long-range?”

There were actually two versions of the Dongfeng-3: the basic model and an extended-range variant. The basic model had a range of 2,800 kilometers, while the extended-range version could reach 3,500 kilometers. The extended-range type had only recently entered service in the Republic and naturally was not for sale to Saudi Arabia.

“Understood. The Dongfeng-3 missiles we can offer have a range of 2,800 kilometers—the basic model. This version is technologically reliable and more than adequate for your use.”

That was indeed sufficient; an excessively long range would be wasteful for Saudi Arabia. No matter how wealthy they were, there was no need to spend unnecessarily.

Sultan nodded approvingly. “No problem, that range is just right for us. We are very satisfied, but what about the price of this missile?”

When it came to money, Sultan was confident. Before arriving at the Republic, Saudi Arabia had approved a budget of four million dollars, which should be enough. Besides, acquiring such a powerful missile—even if it exceeded that amount—he believed the kingdom would continue funding to secure it.

“Price is a bit tricky. You see, missiles like this have never been sold internationally before, so there’s no precedent. Therefore, we can offer it for...”

At this point, Commander Nie did not specify an exact figure, recalling what Yang Hui had said about the one hundred million dollars and the ‘one finger’ issue. He slowly raised one finger, looking firmly at Sultan, waiting for his response.

Inwardly, Nie was uneasy. The one hundred million dollar price was vastly disproportionate to the missile’s actual cost; even calling it exorbitant wouldn’t suffice. The entire development cost of the Dongfeng-3 had been roughly that amount.

Yang Hui, witnessing Nie’s timely restraint and the raising of one finger, suddenly felt as if some secret had been revealed to him—a strangely thrilling sensation beyond words.

Sultan immediately understood the gesture and promptly said:

“One hundred million dollars, right? No problem, we’ll take it.”

Hearing Sultan’s straightforward acceptance, Nie was impressed with Yang Hui’s insight. The one hundred million dollar price tag was evidently not impossible.

Further emphasizing, “Yes, one hundred million, and the currency is U.S. dollars.”

Unexpectedly, the Republic’s side actually stated “U.S. dollars” so plainly. Did they think Saudi Arabia used the Riyal outside their country? This young man underestimated the Saudis far too much.

Nie had to clarify immediately to avoid misunderstanding: “Of course it’s U.S. dollars. We Saudis have always used the U.S. dollar abroad, as has been tradition.”

“Tradition,” Sultan said with a laugh, though the dollar had only been the global currency for a few decades. Where was this ‘tradition’ coming from? Did America have ancient history?

Sultan’s frankness thoroughly stunned Nie. It seemed Saudi Arabia didn’t even blink at the hundred million dollar price. Nie realized this was his chance to make a hefty profit; after all, it would be ungrateful not to capitalize on the black gold constantly springing from their lands.

Upon closely examining the Dongfeng-3’s specifics, Nie discovered a snag: the missile used a “mushroom” warhead, which could not be sold to Saudi Arabia. They would need to design a conventional warhead instead.

“Yes, that’s right—one hundred million dollars. You should understand, the Dongfeng-3 uses a mushroom warhead, but that cannot be sold to you. So…”

Without the warhead, this was a problem. Sultan pondered, then suddenly struck the table with a solution: “No problem. We can develop a new conventional warhead ourselves. That should be feasible, yes?”

Good, good—that was exactly the answer Nie wanted. As long as Sultan was willing to develop a new warhead, all would be well.

“That solution should pose no problem. We can assist Saudi Arabia in developing the warhead. As long as it’s not nuclear, there’s no issue with export. But developing a new warhead will require additional funds.”

Money again. Sultan quickly did the math: four million dollars for thirty missiles, leaving a surplus of one billion dollars—developing a conventional warhead should be manageable.

“Alright, we’ll fund the development of a warhead. How about two hundred million dollars? That should cover it.”

Yang Hui was stunned. Watching Nie and Sultan negotiate felt like a theatrical performance, so unlike history. While a conventional warhead had indeed been developed historically, the two hundred million dollar development cost was unprecedented. Suddenly, a new funding source had appeared.

One had to marvel: who said soldiers were straightforward? Nie’s practical actions utterly confounded those who made groundless claims. In Yang Hui’s eyes, Nie was far better than the project leader from the previous era.

No matter how one looked at it, Nie was inwardly delighted. The reputation of the Saudi tycoons was well-earned. If he didn’t seize this opportunity to profit handsomely, who would be more ungrateful than the black gold perpetually emerging from their land?

“Very well. Two hundred million dollars will be sufficient to develop a new warhead. We will equip it with the best explosives to maximize the missile’s destructive power.”

After this, Nie pondered whether there were other projects from which he could extract further funds from Saudi Arabia. The ever-greedy Nie, even in this critical moment, had thought up several more propositions.

“There are a few more matters. Our missile is liquid-fueled, requiring fuel to be loaded before launch, so the fuel isn’t integrated with the missile. Including support vehicles and personnel training, we charge an additional 150 million dollars. This is absolutely cost price. This is our sincerity.”

Upon hearing this, Yang Hui could no longer remain composed. Nie was demanding 150 million dollars just for logistics and support. When did Nie become such a shrewd businessman? His lies were completely believable. As for the 150 million, Yang Hui thought it would be reasonable if converted into Saudi Riyals to avoid appearing overly greedy.

However, Prince Sultan had no doubt about Nie’s words. As Saudi Arabia’s Aviation Minister, he fully understood the importance of aerospace logistics and maintenance.

“No problem. As Aviation Minister, I understand the significance of logistics well. 150 million dollars is not expensive. What I wonder is whether the warhead’s destructive power can be increased, or perhaps its penetration capabilities improved.”

If Yang Hui hadn’t been present, Sultan’s comment would have been in vain. But with Yang Hui there, Saudi Arabia was bound to reap benefits—though undoubtedly at a price. (To be continued.)