Soldiers Assault: Starting from the 7th Steel Company

Chapter 252 An unexpected surprise
"Another exhibition hall?" Chen Jiang glanced at his assistants, and from their eyes, he understood that they really didn't know either.

“This exhibition hall isn’t very big, but not many people know about it,” Amy explained. “My husband works in a high-level position in South Africa, so he bought a batch of weapons there. That’s how I learned about this channel. Of course, I can’t guarantee that they have what you need there, but you can try your luck.”

Amy added, "If you'd like, I can take you there to have a look?"

Led by Amy's familiarity with the area, Chen Jiang and his group quickly arrived at another exhibition hall. Compared to the main exhibition hall, this one was much smaller, and the weapons on display were extremely limited. Most people were sitting on the sidelines or even standing and chatting.

This made Chen Jiang somewhat puzzled. What did this mean?
The black market?
"Oh, isn't this Miss Amy?" A tall, slender, smiling European man approached. "Are you here shopping with your husband again this time?"

Chen Jiang immediately understood that the other party must be an arms dealer, and a wealthy woman like Amy was naturally a major buyer.

Sure enough, Amy spoke up, "Mr. Yuri, what a coincidence, I didn't expect to run into you again. The military was very satisfied with the weapons and equipment we purchased from you last time, thank you."

"Of course! Our Ukrainian arms are world-renowned. We have everything Russia has, and we even have things they don't! Haha, we'll sell them cheaper than them and make them furious!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Jiang thought, "Ukraine? Oh dear, that's Russia's cousin!" In his mind, this was Russia's second-largest arsenal, so buying things from here was indeed a very good option.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the two countries have almost equally divided the military legacy of this superpower, and many of its national treasures have also been acquired by Ukraine.

However, Ukraine's economic strength is simply insufficient to support the daily maintenance of these weapons, let alone their production, so they are very enthusiastic about the arms trade.

Limited by the so-called "international arms rules" set by major powers such as the United States, they cannot freely buy and sell many weapons and equipment, and can only make a profit through such gray-area channels.

“This time it’s not me buying it, it’s my friend, Mr. Chen Jiang!” Amy introduced Chen Jiang.

Yuri knew immediately upon seeing Chen Jiang that he was a Chinese military officer, and of a high rank.

Although Chinese people have extremely high credit ratings and do not cheat in business, they are heavily restricted by Western countries, which makes Uzbekistan hesitant to do business with them.

"General Chen?" Yuri was unaware of Chen Jiang's rank. Seeing so many stars, he thought he had met a general. "What do you need? Tanks and armored vehicles, or light weapons? Our country has everything that is of high quality and low price."

This wasn't Yuri bragging; they inherited a massive stockpile of weapons from the Soviet Union—tanks and AK rifles used to wage world wars, enough to blot out the sky. Although they were already frantically selling off their stock, there was still far too much left. These things couldn't be eaten or drunk; keeping them was just a waste of money.

"No, I have no interest in these things. I hope to purchase equipment for the aircraft carrier." Chen Jiang's words were somewhat vague, but the general meaning was conveyed.

Upon hearing this, Yuri's expression immediately changed. He glanced nervously to the side for a moment before whispering, "Come with me!"

With that, she left the exhibition hall on her own and strode outside. Chen Jiang, at Amy's prompting, quickly followed.

"Sir, this place..." The two assistants were quite worried about the safety of the increasingly remote location.

"It's alright, I'll send the location to the team. As for safety, with me here, what do you have to be afraid of?" Chen Jiang was a man who had seen a lot, and with his top-notch perception, he really couldn't imagine what kind of dangerous place this place could be.

If the other party has any malicious intentions, he wouldn't mind letting them taste the iron fist of the proletariat.

Besides, this was recommended by Amy, so it's highly likely to be reliable.

Yuri led Chen Jiang and the others through a maze of twists and turns until they arrived at a very quiet little shop far from the exhibition hall, where they found a sofa in a corner and sat down.

"This is my younger brother's restaurant. Don't worry, it's absolutely reliable."

He cautiously gestured for his men to look outside, and only after confirming that no one had been alerted did he lower his voice and say to Chen Jiang:

“General Chen, the ‘aircraft carrier equipment’ you mentioned is indeed a sensitive topic. However, you’ve come to the right person.” Yuri’s face revealed a sly yet confident smile. “Our country, Uzbekistan, may not be able to speak for other things, but we do have some channels to access information about that unfinished aircraft carrier and those ‘good things’ left behind at the Black Sea Shipyard. I just don’t know which aspect you are referring to specifically?”

Chen Jiang's heart began to beat faster involuntarily.

He knew that Ukraine had inherited some of the Soviet Union's aircraft carrier technology, but he didn't expect them to be so direct.

He suppressed his excitement, kept a calm expression, and said in a low voice, "You can get your hands on these things too?"

He was still skeptical of Yuri's abilities; in his mind, arms dealers shouldn't be like that.

"Haha," Yuri laughed awkwardly, "The commander of the Black Sea Fleet is my uncle, do you think I could get my hands on these things?"

Chen Jiang was startled upon hearing this, but quickly came to terms with it.

They're just calling him "uncle," he doesn't necessarily have to be a blood uncle. Besides, as long as the money is enough, it wouldn't be a problem for these speculators to recognize several more "fathers."

Why bother with this?
Anyway, since it's a cash-on-delivery transaction, I won't be easily fooled.

"What we urgently need right now are two things: carrier-based fighter jets suitable for ski-jump takeoff, and reliable carrier-based arresting cables."

“Carrier-based aircraft? Interceptor cables?” Yuri stroked his chin, his eyes gleaming. “SU-33? Or rather, the prototype technical data of the T-10K? And those thick steel cables and its complete set of buffer braking systems?”

“Yes, that’s exactly it,” Chen Jiang confirmed. He noticed that Yuri was using an earlier codename, which made him seem more knowledgeable.

"The SU-33, or rather its prototype, may indeed contain some valuable items scattered in some design bureaus in Nikolayev and Crimea, not just the complete aircraft, but more importantly, the design drawings, wind tunnel data, structural strength calculation sheets, and other 'soft gold'."

Yuri spoke slowly, as if savoring a fine meal, "As for the interceptor cable, I remember a special steel plant in Kharkiv or Dnipropetrovsk that once produced those for the Soviet aircraft carrier. I wonder if the relevant technical standards and process documents are still available."

Chen Jiang understood the unspoken message – they had the goods, or at least the ability to acquire them, but the key issue was the cost.

“Mr. Yuri, we come with the utmost sincerity. As you know, we have always been reliable partners,” Chen Jiang carefully chose his words. “As long as the goods are reliable, the price is negotiable.” Yuri leaned forward slightly, his voice low: “General Chen, I like money, but I value my life even more. These things you want, in your words, are all ‘hot potatoes.’ Getting them out will involve enormous risks. So, listen to me, this will require a large sum of money, you understand? A large sum.”

“We can discuss these details,” Chen Jiang replied calmly. “As long as the product is indeed what we need and the technology is complete and reliable, we can negotiate the price. But the prerequisite is that we must first confirm the authenticity and value of the product.”

“Of course! Fair trade!” Yuri laughed. “I can provide some samples of non-core technical data first, such as fragments of blueprints for certain components, or a portion of a material composition analysis report, for your experts to verify. If you confirm your interest, we can then discuss deeper cooperation. As for the interceptor cable, I need to look for it; if I find it, that would be best, but if I don't, there's nothing I can do to help.”

“Yuri, aren’t you from America? Can’t you get some from there?” Amy asked.

"To hell with America! I'm from Ukraine. I only moved there with my family to make a living. I have no feelings for them whatsoever," Yuri said indignantly.

"Moreover, the United States is very strict about these kinds of core secrets. I can get you small missiles, guns and ammunition, but I don't want to be hunted down by the FBI for the rest of my life."

"Thank you very much, Mr. Yuri. We will organize experts to evaluate the sample you provided as soon as possible. We hope that we can build mutual trust and start cooperating."

“I hope so too, General.” Yuri extended his hand. “Doing business with you is always more pleasant than dealing with those countries that drag their feet and haggle endlessly. Give me a secure way to contact you, and I’ll prepare your ‘appetizer’ as soon as possible.”

After exchanging contact information, Yuri saw them off and then quickly left.

Chen Jiang stood still, took a deep breath, and the dry and scorching air of the Middle East seemed to cool down considerably.

At that moment, two tall, blonde women walked into the exhibition hall.

"Sir, you seem to be looking for a weapon that suits your taste?"

"Uh, who are you?" Chen Jiang glanced at the other party and found that these Europeans were really open-minded.

"It's nothing, we're also looking for a push gun that suits us!"

A blonde woman swayed her body and teased.

Chen Jiang immediately understood; it turned out the other party had asked him to do this.
Hey!
What is this thing called?

He could only refuse in English, and the other person shook their head helplessly.
This handsome Eastern man is so clueless about romance.

Chen Jiang had no time to consider these things. He turned to his two assistants and said, "Contact the domestic authorities immediately and report the situation in encrypted form. We need top-notch shipbuilding and aerospace materials experts on standby to conduct the most rigorous evaluation of the upcoming technical samples."

"Yes, sir!" The two assistants could not hide their excitement.

Amy had been waiting quietly to the side, and then stepped forward with a smile: "Chen, do you not find these blonde beauties from Europe and America appealing?"

"Stop making fun of me, you know I'm a traditional man!"

"Amy, thank you so much this time!" Chen Jiang said sincerely. "The clue you provided may have been a great help to us."

"I'm glad I could help you." Amy's eyes sparkled. "So, dear General Chen, how do you plan to thank me? Perhaps we could have dinner together after the exhibition?"

Chen Jiang paused slightly, then responded politely, "Of course, it's my honor. Please allow me, on behalf of the team, to express our sincere gratitude to you and your husband." He skillfully transformed a personal invitation into a business thank-you speech.

Amy understood his implication and smiled reproachfully, but didn't press the matter: "Alright, it's settled then. Good luck, Chen. If you need me to make further connections, feel free to contact me anytime."

After saying goodbye to Amy, Chen Jiang and his assistant quickly returned to their hotel.

He needed to report the situation in detail immediately and make thorough preparations. He knew that contacting Yuri was only the first step; the subsequent technical verification, arduous negotiations, complex transaction processes, and the crucial assimilation of the technology were all fraught with uncertainty.

He ordered his assistant to activate the highest level of security communication equipment and report the situation in detail to the domestic authorities via an encrypted channel.

On the other end of the phone, although the leader's voice remained as calm as ever, Chen Jiang could hear the suppressed excitement and a hint of solemnity in it.

"Comrade Chen Jiang, you have provided an extremely important lead! Experts will be dispatched from within the country immediately. Once the samples they provide arrive, we must verify and evaluate them as quickly as possible." The leader paused, his tone becoming even more serious. "However, we must pay close attention to safety, including personal and political security. Dealing with these gray-area arms dealers is extremely risky; we must remain vigilant at all times."

"Understood! Rest assured, I guarantee the mission will be completed!" Chen Jiang replied decisively.

Over the next few days, Chen Jiang oversaw the routine communication at the booth while anxiously awaiting news from Yuri.

They reached some military cooperation agreements with some small African countries, so their trip was worthwhile.

At the same time, he hosted a banquet for Amy and her husband in his official capacity, only to learn that Amy and her husband still had considerable influence in South Africa. Now that her father had stepped down from his post, the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo had been completely handed over to the president, and the country's development was more closely linked to China, with the situation looking very promising.

On the night before the defense exhibition closed, Chen Jiang received a call from Yuri, who arranged to meet him at a secluded warehouse.

This time, Chen Jiang only brought one technically proficient expert with him, and followed the complicated route provided by Yuri to their destination.

The warehouse was filled with various containers, and the air was thick with the smell of rust and engine oil.

Yuri was already waiting there, accompanied by several burly men with cold expressions.

“General Chen, you are very punctual.” Yuri smiled and lifted the black briefcase in his right hand. “The ‘appetizer’ is ready. I hope it suits your taste.”

(End of this chapter)