America: My Time

Chapter 1356 The Generosity of a Tycoon

Chapter 1346 The Extravagance of a Tycoon
"Akio Morita also sent you a gift?" John was shocked at this moment. Akio Morita had completely retired and returned to a rural life, but this old man actually sent a congratulatory gift at this time. This was not as simple as it seemed. What were those guys in Japan trying to do? What were they trying to test?
Faced with this situation, John felt a little pressured. He didn't have the time or energy to waste on dealing with these Japanese guys, since none of them were good people. Akio Morita's choice to send a congratulatory gift at this time was definitely suspicious.

Unfortunately, John couldn't refuse. Whatever these guys' schemes were, he had to face them. Besides, he didn't have much time to deal with it at the moment. He could only let Kikuchi Momoko step forward to understand the problem. He needed to communicate with the Middle Eastern prince. The prince had been waiting for him for some time. He couldn't let the old man Sheng Zhaofu's congratulatory gift cause him to miss the communication with the Middle Eastern prince. After all, they had more important things to discuss!
"I'm sorry, they've been a bit busy over there. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting!" John apologized first to the Middle Eastern prince. After all, the prince had been waiting for him for some time, and he couldn't just leave without any response. Even though he was in a position of power, he couldn't be arrogant, or he might create some unforeseen problems for himself!

“I didn’t wait long there either, and I know you’re quite busy. If it were a normal matter, we could easily reschedule to talk, but this matter makes us hesitant to wait any longer. We’re worried about unexpected obstacles, so it’s better to reach a cooperation agreement as soon as possible.”

Upon hearing this, John smiled calmly, naturally understanding what the Middle Eastern prince meant by "unexpected event." He was referring to the situation in the United States and the Middle East. Those guys in Seberang Perai had always been restless, doing many things in secret, so they had to be cautious and even used the wedding as an opportunity!

"I understand your concerns, and I share them. We originally thought we could get the military's support, but unfortunately, these guys are unwilling to invest and just want to wait for the results. This naturally puts pressure on us. Fortunately, Gulfstream Aerospace held the export and cooperation rights, otherwise it would have been troublesome. Our plan is actually not difficult to understand. I don't know if you're familiar with the game StarCraft, but our goal is the Protoss mothership, an airborne carrier. Of course, we've had this idea before, but it's not easy to implement. So we've changed our approach to a new one: a drone airborne carrier. We currently have two An-225s, which can carry the Space Shuttle for takeoff, so they can naturally serve as a mothership for drones. However, many modifications are needed, and all of this requires funding. Given Gulfstream Aerospace's current situation, it cannot support this, so we need to find partners."

John briefly explained everything, making the Middle Eastern prince understand Gulfstream's plan and how powerful it was. Even just a few words were enough to make the Middle Eastern prince understand how crazy Gulfstream's plan was.

"How much funding does Gulfstream Aerospace need for research and modification?" Goodness, Middle Eastern tycoons are no joke. They didn't even ask for details, or they probably wouldn't know even if you told them. They just asked Gulfstream Aerospace how much funding it needed!
"We don't need much in the short term. We need to complete the feasibility study and build a simple prototype, so it won't require much funding. But in the long run, it will be a significant amount. We need funding not only for researching large aircraft but also for developing drones. To be honest, I don't even know how much funding we'll need. This project can be integrated with the Starlink project!"

Upon hearing John's words, the Middle Eastern prince was taken aback, then a hint of joy appeared on his face. If John had given him a number directly, he would have doubted its authenticity. It was normal that John didn't know how much funding was needed, since research and development is not so easy to achieve. Even though Gulfstream Aerospace had already made some progress, it would take time to translate those results into practical applications!

“We can provide the initial R&D funding, but is your large aircraft plan feasible? Developing a new large aircraft is not a simple matter. To be honest, I have some concerns. If it were just about personal connections, I wouldn't be worried, since you have the capability. But developing a large aircraft is not something that can be accomplished overnight.”

Upon hearing this, John smiled. This was exactly what he wanted to see. If the Middle Eastern tycoon had agreed without saying anything, he would have been worried. Now that the tycoon had raised questions, that was a good thing. Only in this way could it be proven that the other party genuinely wanted to participate in this cooperation.

"Large aircraft are not a problem. We have all the data on the An-225, as well as most of the R&D personnel. Ermao doesn't have that much funding to invest in this area, so these personnel have been absorbed by Gulfstream Aerospace. If we have enough funds, we can rebuild a new An-225 at any time. You don't need to worry about safety in this regard. We haven't started any substantial modifications yet. Even if we modify the two An-225s, it will still take time and money. Before we can modify them, we need to complete the development of the drones."

Now those bastards in the military are unwilling to support us. These guys would rather embezzle military funds than support Gulfstream Aerospace's research and development. It can be said that ever since the "last supper" incident involving defense contractors, those guys in the military have been constantly reducing their support for these defense contractors, constantly cutting one project after another. As for the Gulfstream Aerospace project, these guys don't care at all; in fact, they think it's a bit too advanced and unrealistic.

“I understand that we can wait, but is there a specific timetable? After all, we need to do some research and can’t just invest a huge amount of money without knowing anything!”

“I understand, I’ll have someone give you the timetable. However, many things are confidential and cannot be leaked. This time, our plan is more advanced than you knew before. We already have prototype drones, three of them, each with its own capabilities. Now we only lack a platform for them to take off and land. It’s just a pity that this is a product of high technology, and the production cost is a bit too high. If we can’t get into mass production, the cost will be too great!”

"How powerful will it be? Surely Gulfstream Aerospace hasn't overlooked this aspect in this development project?" "That depends on your perspective. You know about wolfpack tactics, right? That's the path we're taking. That's our positioning for drones. However, the development costs will definitely be higher, but I believe you all know its advantages—it's perfect for you all. Right now, we haven't given it much attention, and it hasn't been restricted. After all, it hasn't undergone rigorous battlefield testing. Once it appears on the battlefield, everything will change!"

John didn't believe the Middle Eastern tycoons would refuse his "goodwill." For these guys, the biggest temptation was anything that could enhance their power and keep them unaffected by personnel. John felt that drones were the most suitable option for the Middle Eastern tycoons, which was why he had someone leak this information to them.

“Mr. John, we need to see the actual capabilities first. Don’t you have two An-225s? You can modify one of them first. We can order this mothership and we will cover all the modification costs. There’s no need to build those replacements!”

John was shocked to hear the Middle Eastern tycoon's request. Although he had expected the other party to agree to cooperate, he did not expect them to be so direct. They not only provided research and development funds but also wanted to modify an An-225 to see the real effect.

"This is a considerable expense. Not to mention the price of an An-225, the cost of modifications and drones combined is astronomical. Are you sure you want to make this decision? This is no joke. Once we start, there's no turning back. We need full payment; we can't afford such a loss!"

John's expression turned serious. This was an incredibly valuable collaboration; even just one An-225 would be staggering in value and would cost the wealthy company a fortune. While Gulfstream Aerospace wouldn't overcharge them, they still wanted to make a profit. At the very least, this order would give Gulfstream Aerospace the capability to modify another An-225.
"Don't worry, I'm not joking. This is the result of our discussions. We won't be at ease until we see something tangible. Although we were very satisfied with the use of drones and the numerous collaborations we've had before, this time it's a bit too crazy. Even your military doesn't have high hopes for it, so naturally we have our concerns, which is why we have this request!"

"I understand. As long as the funding is in place, we can complete the modification within a year, equipping it with a powerful drone system for testing. Actually, we've also been interested in modifying one ourselves, but we're not in the same rush as you. What we want to do is get a replacement first for trial and error, rather than directly using such an expensive large aircraft! If you make this decision, our plans will have to change. After all, with the first modification, the second one will be easier. I need to make this clear to avoid unnecessary conflicts between us. Within this entire system, we have different needs and different development directions. If you have time, it would be best to go to Gulfstream Aerospace and have a professional explain it to you, and then decide on the direction you want to modify and the drones you need!"

"It's alright, it's only right. If there are no problems with Gulfstream Aerospace, I'd like to go over and check on them tomorrow!"

“Okay, I have no problem with that. As long as you’re willing, Gulfstream Aerospace is always ready to welcome your visit!” Faced with such a large order, it would be foolish for John to refuse. He’s not afraid of the Middle Eastern tycoons visiting. Once they come and see the simulation, they will surely be amazed, and a flood of orders will take Gulfstream Aerospace even further!
In the early stages, Gulfstream Aerospace did not want to build too many unmanned aircraft carriers, nor did it intend to use the An-225. Instead, it would choose to use its own newly developed next-generation large aircraft as the main body. However, this would take a long time, and even with the help of experts from the United States, completing a new design would not be an easy task.

"Mr. John, I've heard that Gulfstream Aerospace has had to cut more of its research and development projects. I wonder if there's any possibility of cooperation between us?" At this point, the Middle Eastern tycoon began probing John again. There were quite a few projects Gulfstream Aerospace was cutting. The reason was simple: the military no longer supported their continued research and development.

"It's difficult. Even if I agree, the White House won't agree. You don't think that the oilfield capital is just for show, do you? Unlike drones, those are real military investments. They won't let you benefit from them!"

It has to be said that Middle Eastern tycoons have become greedy and have some inappropriate ideas, wanting to get more good stuff and more cooperation from Gulfstream Aerospace. John doesn't believe that the cooperation proposed by these tycoons is merely financial support; they probably want more, even technology!
John wasn't worried about problems with the drone collaboration, as he had made preparations to ensure safety. However, other collaborations might not be able to achieve the same level of success, and he didn't want to contribute too much. Otherwise, how could he continue to get more benefits from the wealthy client in the future? Their collaboration was based on mutual benefit!
"I was overthinking it. I thought it would deepen our cooperation, but I didn't expect it to turn out like this!" The Middle Eastern tycoon didn't care about John's answer at all, and seemed completely nonchalant. But whether he really felt that way was hard to say, after all, no one knew what he was really thinking!
"It's not that I disagree, nor that Gulfstream Aerospace is unwilling to cooperate with you all, but reality forces us to compromise. You know how difficult my situation is right now. Those guys have been watching me closely. Even the drone cooperation can only continue because there's a precedent. And it's based on our right to autonomy; otherwise, such cooperation wouldn't exist. It will anger many people and might lead them to take extreme actions!"

The Middle Eastern prince knew perfectly well who John was referring to. Although he hadn't secured any further cooperation, he was already quite satisfied with the opportunity to visit Gulfstream Aerospace and finalize the cooperation on the drone carrier. Now, he would have to wait and see how the Gulfstream Aerospace trip went before making a final decision!
(End of this chapter)