Want to Raise the Price? No, Our Cooperation Is Over!

"An ultra-high-thrust aero engine? Are you joking?"

Qin Huaichang, deeply skeptical, decisively pulled out the top sheet.

[Analysis of a New Ultra-High-Thrust Aero Engine Drive System]

[EEC will proportionally command HMU adjustments based on current thrust, reducing current fuel efficiency to]

[The gearbox-driven output power supply operates at a frequency of 415 Hz. To reduce the possibility of damage from N2 rotational speed, a Constant Speed Drive and AC Motor will ensure fixed-speed operation.]

What drew the eye most was not the detailed explanation of the engine's technical design.

It was the prominently marked figure at the bottom: maximum thrust of 520 kN.

"Gasp—520 kN of thrust? The design target is that high?"

Qin Huaichang sucked in a breath, his teeth aching slightly. "No wonder they want to build an ultra-large civilian airliner."

520 kN was an outrageous figure equivalent to 53 tons of thrust. No aircraft other than an ultra-large civilian airliner would have any use for an engine with that much power.

Even if the aircraft's aerodynamic layout were somewhat lacking, describing this engine as brute-forcing its way through with sheer power would not be wrong in the slightest.

"Old Xu, where are the rest of the technical summaries and the complete implementation process? Where did you hide them?" Qin Huaichang flipped through several pages without finding them, asking anxiously.

"The remaining materials are still over at the Great Xia Academy of Sciences." Xu Qianren chuckled.

He had just leisurely intended to pour himself a cup of tea when Qin Huaichang swiftly filled his cup for him.

"When can the Great Xia Academy of Sciences send over the remaining technical materials?" The wrinkles on Qin Huaichang's face seemed to bloom into a flower.

"Once the C919 project resumes, the higher-ups will send the follow-up materials to our Commercial Aircraft Corporation." Xu Qianren drank the tea Qin Huaichang had poured him, bubbling with delight inside.

As old friends of many years, getting to take advantage of him like this was quite rare.

The draft design drawings before them were merely a small portion of the technical summaries Xu Qianren had obtained from the Great Xia Academy of Sciences.

As for the complete technical package, it would gradually be submitted to Great Xia Commercial Aircraft after the C919 project resumed.

After taking two sips, he continued, "Well? Was I lying when I said we could independently develop an ultra-large civilian airliner this time?"

"How confident are you that we can successfully develop it?"

That was the reason he had urgently sought Qin Huaichang for a technical discussion. With Great Xia Commercial Aircraft's R&D capabilities, could they independently develop an ultra-large civilian airliner of this class?

"If the follow-up design drafts are all similar to this engine technology..."

The smile spreading across Qin Huaichang's lips would not fade. "For this C919 ultra-large civilian airliner project, I'm one hundred percent confident that we can successfully develop it ourselves."

Though there were only a few dozen pages of draft material, Qin Huaichang, who had devoted decades to studying the civilian aviation field, had no difficulty judging how genuine it was.

To say nothing else, the level of detail in this ultra-high-thrust engine technology alone was no worse than the Integrated Propulsion Engine system provided by CFM Company.

"Then I can rest easy."

Hearing that resolute assurance, Xu Qianren finally laid one concern to rest.

He suddenly recalled taking a flight back to Modu that morning.

Whether it was the flight he had taken or the various civilian airliners parked at the airport, not a single one had been manufactured or developed by Great Xia.

Xu Qianren murmured inwardly, Just wait, Boeing and Airbus. Great Xia's fully domestically developed large aircraft will be here very soon!

Just like the name COMAC C919 itself.

This was not simply about independently developing a large aircraft. It was Great Xia's will, and the people's expectation.

After sitting in his office chair for a long while, Xu Qianren finally remembered something.

He picked up the phone on his desk. "Arrange a meeting with the representative of CFM Company's Great Xia branch. I have an urgent matter concerning the Integrated Propulsion Engine contract that requires negotiation."

Monday.

It was still the conference room in Great Xia Commercial Aircraft's administrative building.

Although Xu Qianren had arranged to meet the representative from CFM's Great Xia branch on Sunday, they did not arrive until Monday.

They had not even come in the morning. It was only after four in the afternoon, close to the end of the workday, that they finally arrived at the conference room.

"Mr. Borden, the time we agreed upon was clearly in the morning. You are seriously late." Xu Qianren frowned.

Charles Borden was CFM Company's executive general manager for the Great Xia region.

Not only had they arrived late, but their entire team consisted of just three people, one of whom was an interpreter.

This was a high-level contract negotiation. The arrogance behind it was plain to see.

"Xu, is there something that needs to be added to the contract this time?"

Charles Borden wore a polite, almost-smiling expression. "Do you need us to accelerate the R&D deployment of the LEAP-X engine for the Integrated Propulsion System?"

In his view, the most likely reason Great Xia Commercial Aircraft had contacted CFM Company was to speed up development of the LEAP-X engine, the core component of the C919 project.

An interpreter began translating.

Before Xu Qianren could respond, Charles Borden continued, "Xu, if you called us here for that, then I'm sorry, but our R&D personnel are too busy. The current development pace is already the limit."

"You know, CFM does not have only the LEAP-X engine project."

The implication in his words was that if this meeting was about accelerating development, then there was nothing to discuss.

Of course, there was another implication as well: pay more.

What did he mean, their R&D personnel were too busy? That they had projects other than the LEAP-X engine in development?

Judging by the fact that they could delay a negotiation by an entire day, they were not busy at all. It was clearly just an excuse; raising the price was the real point.

"Mr. Borden, you misunderstand. We have no objections regarding your development of the LEAP-X engine."

Xu Qianren did not take it to heart at all and simply shook his head. "And that is not what we need to negotiate this time."

After all, Great Xia Commercial Aircraft was no longer planning to procure the LEAP-X as its Integrated Propulsion System. They could take as long as they liked to develop it.

"Then are there other contract terms that need to be negotiated?" Charles Borden was somewhat confused. Aside from that, what else could CFM International offer?

However, Xu Qianren then said something he could never have believed.

"The matter for negotiation this time..." Xu Qianren suddenly changed his wording. "No, it should be a notification. The cooperation framework previously reached between Great Xia Commercial Aircraft and CFM International can now be canceled."

After all, the contract had not been formally signed. They had only reached a preliminary memorandum of cooperation.

Now that Xu Qianren was formally notifying CFM Company of the cancellation of this cooperation framework, he was already being extremely considerate. Most other companies would simply set it aside and ignore it.

However.

Hearing that, Charles Borden looked utterly incredulous. "WTF? You're canceling the cooperation?"

I only wanted to raise the price. Why are you flipping the table?

(Please keep reading and add it to your favorites. Double monthly votes end today, so please cast yours if you have any.)