Five in the afternoon.
A vehicle bearing the black diplomatic license plate Shi-154 slowly pulled up outside the gates of the Great Xia Academy of Sciences.
Ahmed Hassan stepped out of the car, his face full of confusion, and followed the directions inside.
What did the Great Xia Academy of Sciences want with me? Why had they suddenly summoned me to discuss official matters?
With every step he took, his heart was filled with bewilderment.
He was the ambassador plenipotentiary. Why would the Great Xia Academy of Sciences suddenly want to discuss important matters concerning Persia with him?
It simply made no sense.
Upon arriving at the conference hall.
"Mr. Ahmed Hassan, it is a great honor to invite you to our Great Xia Academy of Sciences." Zhang Yuli stepped forward and shook his hand.
"Mr. Hassan, it has been a long time. Have you been well lately?" Zheng Lixing had met him several times before and spoke with easy familiarity.
"Allah has blessed me. Everything is well." Ahmed Hassan smiled.
The group took their seats, and after the usual exchange of pleasantries.
"Old Mr. Zheng, Dean Zhang, may I ask what matter you invited me here to discuss?"
Ahmed Hassan frowned. "As far as I know, our country does not have any cooperation with the Great Xia Academy of Sciences, does it?"
Surely they had not invited him over just to chat and build rapport? He did not think he had that much personal charm.
Besides, the invitation had come from the highest levels of Great Xia. Even if he had not wanted to come, he could not have refused.
"Mr. Hassan, let us get straight to the point." Zhang Yuli did not bother with further pleasantries.
"I heard from Northern Industrial Group that Persia has recently been preparing to purchase a batch of weapons and equipment?"
"There is such a plan, but what does that have to do with the Great Xia Academy of Sciences..."
Ahmed Hassan hesitated, his forehead practically covered in question marks.
Could it be that they had called him here to sell weapons for Norinco? Since when had the Great Xia Academy of Sciences become Norinco's spokesperson? How had he not known?
Even if they really were selling weapons for Norinco, should they not follow the standard procedure?
Zheng Lixing had fewer reservations and said bluntly, "For the weapons you are planning to supply this time, we believe you could switch to a different kind of equipment."
"Is it really appropriate for us to discuss this? The authority to purchase does not lie with me." Ahmed Hassan wiped away a bead of sweat sliding down his nose, utterly unable to understand what they were after.
These were matters everyone kept secret. They only needed to sell the goods.
"No, this is a civilian product. It cannot be considered a weapon." Zheng Lixing shook his head, then continued, "It will not even possess any lethality. We can sell it entirely as an export product."
"A civilian product? What kind of equipment is it?" Ahmed Hassan's interest was immediately piqued.
That city had been under siege for decades. It had long since become an enclosed city.
Previously, when Persia secretly transported military weapons, they could at most send in light weapons and automatic firearms. Heavy weapons such as artillery were extremely difficult to get through the blockade, making their transport highly risky.
Although transporting raw materials inside was relatively simple, the place had already been battered into fragments. Whenever they painstakingly developed some basic processing industry and prepared to lie low, they would suffer a brutally savage purge every few months.
This inhumane situation had not lasted merely one or two years. It had continued for decades since the previous century, bringing suffering across several generations.
Over the past two years, even basic living supplies, including water, had been cut off, as though they intended to wipe everyone out.
That was precisely why Persia had tried every possible means to transport supplies inside. Of course, the primary method was still the old Yanjing method.
Tunnels!
But if it was a civilian product, at least transporting it would not be so difficult.
"Small drones, combining long-range attack, reconnaissance, and search capabilities..." Zheng Lixing immediately began explaining the concept of small drones and their various applications.
"Moreover, they have an operational range of two to three kilometers and can transmit real-time video data to the operator before launching attacks from an ultra-long distance. They are easy to operate, cheap, highly adaptable, and practically all-purpose products..."
After thinking about it for an entire day, his understanding of drone warfare had deepened even further.
Each sentence set Hassan's heart racing. Was this not exactly the kind of equipment they had dreamed of?
Did they lack light weapons over there? No, what they lacked was reconnaissance, search, and strike capability.
"Do you have a sample? I want to see how powerful it is in practice!" Ahmed Hassan's face flushed red with excitement.
After all, local wars and security conflicts were being fought throughout the entire Middle East.
Simply put, these small drones could play an enormous role there.
Zhang Yuli interjected at that moment. "There are no samples... but in one month, we can experimentally provide actual products."
After all, the technology provided by the Mysterious Organization was a complete package, covering every process from design to production.
They could begin small-scale production within one month, scale up within three months, and Zhang Yuli even dared guarantee clustered production within half a year.
However, they still needed to see how these small drones performed on the battlefield before making further plans.
"No samples?" Ahmed Hassan was dumbfounded again.
They dared put it up for sale without even having a sample? And why did this routine feel so familiar?
Could it be that they had not even started development yet?
No, he was certain that the Great Xia Academy of Sciences had definitely not developed it yet.
"How much is each small drone? We will take them." Ahmed Hassan gritted his teeth. "In one month, provide us with a thousand drones first for preliminary verification. As for payment..."
"Do you want oil? If not, natural gas will work too."
For the sake of their overall Middle Eastern strategy, they had to obtain this new type of weaponry.
"Easy enough. Once they are manufactured, we will give you a very reasonable quote." Zhang Yuli replied readily.
There was the money again.
Even a seemingly poor country like Persia possessed some of the world's largest oil and natural gas reserves. Which country in the Middle East would not need such small drones?
If this business took off, forget B-2 bombers—they could even build H-20s.
"If they work well, we will continue purchasing them on a large scale."
Ahmed Hassan's gaze was resolute. "I hope these drones will not disappoint us."
"Trust Great Xia. You will definitely be satisfied with this equipment."
Zheng Lixing smiled and shook hands with the Persian ambassador.
Although they had not signed any contract, he believed this cooperation would definitely proceed smoothly.
A moment later.
Ahmed Hassan did not exchange any further pleasantries. He left the Great Xia Academy of Sciences in a hurry; he had to report this matter to the supreme leader.
Watching the vehicle leave the Great Xia Academy of Sciences.
Zhang Yuli's smiling face returned to calm. Standing by the window, he gazed at the distant sunset for a long while before sighing. "Old Zheng, do you think they resemble someone?"
"Resemble someone?"
"Yes. They resemble us from back then." Zhang Yuli let out a long sigh.
"Looks like it is time to make some noise too." Zhang Yuli looked at Zheng Lixing.
"How is our J-20 project progressing?"
"The J-20 has completed its initial finalized prototype and is ready for taxi tests." Zheng Lixing's eyes lit up, as though he understood Zhang Yuli's intentions. "You are planning to use this project..."
"That is right. It is time to add some fuel to the fire in this world." Zhang Yuli nodded.
Since things in the Middle East were about to start moving, Great Xia had to lend some support and let Eagle Sauce experience what it meant to be overwhelmed.
More importantly, this could help the Mysterious Organization share the pressure, allowing it to better conceal itself within Eagle Sauce and obtain technology, while Great Xia drew Eagle Sauce's attention.
Of everything currently suitable to reveal, the J-20 project was the most appropriate.
It was time to serve this world a small appetizer.
"Notify Institute 611. Begin test flights for the J-20."
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