Great Power Reclamation

Ye Guigen received the news in London. It wasn't a phone call, but an email from a Greek shipping company.

The email was short but packed with information: the second phase of the expansion project of the Port of Piraeus in Greece is currently under tender, with China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited, PSA International Limited, and DP World Limited among the bidders.

The battle is at a stalemate, with each side having its own resources, and the outcome remains uncertain.

Ye Guigen finished reading the email but didn't reply. He leaned back in his chair and looked out the window at the Thames River.

The river water was grayish and flowed very slowly, with several white water birds circling low over the surface.

He watched the waterbirds fly away and then fly back, casting tiny reflections on the water's surface.

He forwarded the email to Ye Feng, adding a line: "Dad, Piraeus, Greece, are we on this chessboard?"

Ye Feng replied quickly: "Yes. But we can't use the name of the Warrior Group. We must use the investment department of the Brothers Group. We must keep a low profile."

Ye Guigen looked at the words "keep a low profile," put his phone on the table, turned off the screen, and continued looking out the window.

He looked down and opened the "Foundation and Wings" account balance. The amount wasn't large, but it was enough to do something.

He spent several years investing in London, accumulating experience and connections. He quietly got involved, quietly acquired an inconspicuous little port, established himself, and then considered his next move.

His first step was to start at an unassuming port—Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka, where China COSCO Shipping had already secured a 99-year lease. He couldn't get a berth that large, but he could get a nearby supplementary berth.

The news of the official launch of the acquisition plan did not reach Junken City. Yang Chenglong was the first to know; Ye Guigen sent him a message:
"Jackie Chan, I'm working on a port acquisition plan. A global expansion, starting with small ports. What do you think?"

Yang Chenglong stared at the message for a long time before replying: "Do you have money?"

Not much. But enough.

Yang Chenglong thought for a long time before replying with four words: "I'll vote for you."

Ye Guigen looked at those four words but didn't say thank you. There was no need for thanks between them.

Boeing's counterattack has escalated. This time it's not about patent infringement or smear campaigns; it's about market blockade.

A secret memo was sent to U.S. embassies in several countries, instructing them to "remind" the governments of those countries of the "security risks" that the purchase of Junken No. 2 might bring.

The memorandum was politely worded, containing no explicit threats, but everyone could read the underlying meaning—buying Chinese aircraft meant choosing sides. And those who chose sides would bear the consequences.

When the news reached Junken City, Ye Yuze was drinking tea under an apricot tree. Yang Geyong sat opposite him, holding a bowl of milk tea.

Ye Feng called and explained the matter of the memo. After listening, Ye Yuze didn't answer immediately, but simply said, "I understand."

He put down the phone, picked up his teacup and took a sip. The tea had gone cold, but he didn't put it down and took another sip.

Yang Geyong looked at him: "What do you mean?"

Ye Yuze put down his teacup: "They're trying to block things. If they can't block the planes, they try to block the customers. If they can't block the customers, they try to block the government. In the end, they're blocking themselves."

When Ye Guigen received the news in London, he was in a conference call. After listening to the report, he paused the meeting and sent a message to Ye Feng:
"Dad, Boeing is engaging in market blockade."

Ye Feng replied quickly: "I know."

Ye Guigen posted another message: "How should we deal with this?"

Ye Feng replied, "Let them do it. When they're done, the market will speak for itself. Once the market has spoken, nobody will listen to what they say."

Ye Guigen looked at the sentence but didn't ask any further questions. He knew his father never did anything without being sure of success. Saying "the market will speak for itself" meant he was already doing it.

He sat in his office for a while, then re-dialed the conference call to continue discussing the details of the port acquisition.

Boeing's memorandum had an effect in several countries. One potential buyer, who had already signed a letter of intent, began to hesitate, and the procurement process was suspended, with the official reason being "the need for more time for technical evaluation."

Another country that had originally sent a delegation postponed its trip due to a "schedule conflict." Those clients who couldn't withstand the pressure began to back out one by one.

When the news reached the aircraft manufacturing plant, Ye Hai was in the workshop watching the assembly of the sixth prototype.

He received a call from Aygul, listened without saying anything, put his phone back in his pocket, and continued watching the workers.

The worker turned to him and asked, "Mr. Ye, are you alright?"

Ye Hai said, "It's okay. Let's keep going."

The workers continued working, and the assembly line never stopped. But Ye Hai's hands were clenched tightly in his pockets.

Ye Guigen's port acquisition has made progress. An unassuming berth in a small West African country.

It's not a major port, but rather a supplementary berth that can accommodate small and medium-sized cargo ships, significantly shortening transport time from Asia to West Africa and reducing fuel costs per shipment.

Ye Guigen flew there personally to negotiate, which lasted three days, and an agreement was signed. From his room in a small local hotel, he sent Yang Chenglong a message:
"We've taken it. The small port in West Africa."

Yang Chenglong replied: "How big?"

"It's small. But it's enough."

Boeing's market blockade lasted for more than a month. During that month, two customers temporarily withdrew, but not all of them did.

Those countries that continued to pursue their purchasing intentions were actually more determined than before, and their reasons were surprisingly consistent:
"If the Americans think there's something wrong with this plane, they should provide evidence. If they can't, they're just bluffing. And bluffing isn't something to be believed."

Boeing's CEO slammed down the phone again. This time it was his cell phone, because his landline had already been damaged in a previous accident, and he couldn't bear to break the new one.

The phone bounced off the table, fell to the floor, and cracked the screen. The secretary picked it up and examined it; it wasn't broken, just the screen was shattered, but it still worked.

Ye Guigen received a message in London that was neither good nor bad news, but a signal—UA's Transport Secretary publicly responded to Boeing's memo on television:
"UA buys aircraft with the benefit of UA passengers. UA will buy from whichever aircraft is safe, economical, and reliable. A memorandum of understanding cannot guarantee the safety of an aircraft; flight records can. The Junken II has a very good flight record, and we will continue to follow up on the procurement plan."

Ye Guigen forwarded the message to Ye Feng, adding the line: "Dad, UA is still here."

Ye Feng replied with a single word: "Okay."

The apricot blossoms in Junken City have fallen, and the leaves have turned green. Ye Yuze sat under an apricot tree, a chessboard in front of him, and Yang Geyong sitting opposite him.

Neither of the two old men spoke, each gazing at the chess pieces on the board. The sun slowly moved westward, and the shadow of the apricot tree shifted from east to west, casting long, long shadows of the two men.

After Ye Guigen took control of the small port in West Africa, the news spread faster than expected. It wasn't spreading one by one, but rather in bulk.

That afternoon, representatives from three shipping companies contacted him, asking if he wanted to cooperate. They weren't asking if he still had berths available, but if he could help connect them with the same port.

Ye Guigen did not agree directly. He asked his assistant to organize the information of the three companies and then sat in his office to review it.

He looked at the three documents, tapped his fingers twice on the table, and dialed a number. The other end answered quickly, his voice low and tinged with surprise. "Mr. Ye?"

"It's me. Is that dock you mentioned last time still there?"

"Yes. The other party is asking for a high price, and after calculating the costs, we can make a profit. However, the initial investment is substantial, and the risks are also significant."

After listening, Ye Guigen didn't let the other person finish speaking. "It's good that they're still here. Help me arrange a meeting with them. I'll fly over there myself to discuss it."

The phone call ended. Ye Guigen stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the boats on the Thames outside. He suddenly remembered something Ye Feng had said—

"Stand still for now, then think about the next step."

He stood there. The next step awaited him.

Ye Feng sat in his New York office, looking at the screen in front of him, browsing the information about the next target port that Ye Guigen had just sent.

He was silent for a moment, then dialed Ye Guigen's number: "How much does that dock cost?"

Ye Guigen gave a price. After listening, Ye Feng didn't comment on whether the price was high or low, but only asked one question:
"Under what pretext do you plan to use to buy it?"

Ye Guigen said, "Foundation and wings."

Ye Feng said, "Not enough."

Ye Guigen didn't refute, waiting for his father to continue. Ye Feng said:

"Add a shell company. Register it in Singapore. The money will go through the Brothers Group, bypassing Cornerstone and Wings."

He paused, "One goal, one shell. Don't connect them. Connected, they're just a line. A line is easily cut. Separated, they're a net. If the net breaks, it can be repaired."

Ye Guigen said, "I understand."

Boeing's propaganda war has escalated. A new report is circulating online with a sensational headline—

"Frequent accidents during the test flight of Junken No. 2 raise questions about its safety record."

The report claims that the Junken No. 2 experienced "abnormal engine vibration" and "avionics system failure" multiple times during test flights. The evidence is a few blurry so-called "internal photos" and several edited video clips, which are cunning and highly suggestive.

The report had no author, no source, and provided no verifiable data. However, it spread rapidly, garnering over 100,000 shares on social media within hours.

When the news reached Junken City, Ye Hai was in the test hall watching the assembly of the sixth prototype machine.

He received the call, listened for a few minutes, put down the phone, squatted down next to the engine, and remained silent for a long while.

Aygul walked over and gently asked, "What's wrong?"

Ye Hai said, "They are spreading rumors. They are saying that there were problems with the test flight of the Junken No. 2 rocket."

Aygul squatted down next to him: "Is there a problem?"

Ye Hai was silent for a moment. "No problem. If there were a problem, I would know. I was there. Those who wrote the report weren't there. And those who weren't there are saying that those who were there have a problem."

He stood up. "I'll go back and write a statement. I've signed off on every single flight data of the Junken No. 2 aircraft. The signed data isn't just in black and white; I've guaranteed it with my life."

The statement was later posted on the official website of the Military Reclamation City and the bulletin board of the Research Institute. It consisted of only three paragraphs, with the third paragraph containing only one line—

"I, Ye Hai, chief designer of the Tianshan engine, am fully responsible for all flight data of the Junken-2 rocket. Any questions regarding the data are welcome to be directed to the research institute to review the original records. Face-to-face verification is welcome; I am available whenever you call."

The statement was quickly translated into multiple languages ​​and circulated within the aviation industry. Ye Hai didn't read the comments; he was still in the workshop, looking at the sixth prototype.

He doesn't need to read those comments, because an engine doesn't comment on itself. An engine just keeps turning. Turning well is the answer. Turning poorly is useless. His answer is turning.

Ye Guigen's second port negotiation was far more complicated than the first. The other party was a Middle Eastern consortium with deep connections. The consortium's negotiator was a British man in his fifties, dressed in a tailored suit, and spoke with impeccable discretion.

What they were interested in was the exclusive operating rights to a deep-water port in West Africa, with an excellent geographical location, capable of accommodating the largest container ships currently available, and a rare natural deep-water port on that shipping route.

Ye Guigen wanted equity in the dock. Negotiations lasted three days, with three rounds of haggling over the price, neither side willing to budge. On the morning of the fourth day, Ye Guigen sat in the other party's office, remaining silent for several minutes.

He said, "I don't want all the shares. I want a berth, a dedicated berth, with priority loading and unloading rights. The terminal is still yours, but the berth is mine."

"You use yours, I'll use mine. No conflict, no impact, no interference. Your ships dock in your berths, my ships dock in mine. No interference, coexistence and win-win."

The other person looked at him. Ye Guigen didn't continue speaking, but pushed the newly drafted agreement over, letting it slide across the table in a shallow arc.

Three days later, the agreement was signed. A dedicated berth, a 25-year lease. Ye Guigen had his assistant lock the contract in a safe, then sent Ye Feng a message: "Dad, we got it."

Ye Feng's reply consisted of only two words: "Not bad."

Boeing's propaganda war didn't last long. Not because they softened their stance, but because someone couldn't keep up the momentum for them.

Ye Feng used two public relations firms in New York, approaching the issue from the perspectives of reputation management and fact verification.

Three days after the first round of clarification was released, the anonymous report was found to have been fabricated, and one of the fabricated materials was traced back to a public relations firm with a long-term partnership with Boeing.

Once the chain of evidence emerged, the situation naturally reversed. One of the two clients who had initially backed down re-established contact. It wasn't a formal notification, just a phone call, but the tone was as if the conversation had never stopped.

Ye Hai received a phone call in the workshop. After listening, he said "I understand," hung up, and continued working, his wrench never stopping.

When pressed by reporters at an industry forum, UA's Transportation Secretary adjusted his glasses:

"We have commissioned a third-party organization to conduct an independent assessment of the Junken No. 2, and the assessment report concludes that it is safe, reliable, and economical. UA's procurement plan will not be affected by any external factors. Whoever interferes must provide evidence. Whoever has no evidence should shut up."

The video of this speech was repeatedly played online, receiving more than three times the views of Boeing's anonymous report.

One commenter wrote, "This is the first time a Chinese person has stood against Boeing, not only refusing to fall but also forcing Boeing to back down." Another comment was just one word: "Tough."

When the news reached Junken City, Ye Yuze was watering the apricot tree in his yard. He put down the bucket, stood for a while, and looked at the apricot tree. The leaves were shining green in the sunlight, and the green apricots on the branches were already as big as fingernails.

In a few months, they will turn yellow and sweet, falling into the hands of those who wait for them. A breeze blew, and the apricot leaves swayed gently. He turned and went inside. (End of Chapter)