America: My Time

Chapter 572 A Tacit Agreement

Chapter 562 A Tacit Agreement
“Are you serious? This is no ordinary expense. I’m already dreading the R&D costs. And exporting such high-tech products requires reporting!” Faced with the tycoon’s question, John didn’t give a direct answer. Instead, he asked again. The more he did so, the more these Middle Eastern tycoons wanted to see Gulfstream Aerospace’s capabilities.

"Of course it's true, don't worry. We don't care how high the cost is, we only care about its strength."

“We currently have four such drones, all of which are combat-ready. However, due to funding issues, we have to temporarily halt development. If you would like to hold a demonstration, we can airlift these four drones to Riyadh.” John had made these arrangements long before his trip to the Middle East, ready to act immediately should any interested parties be interested.

A few days later, one large transport plane after another landed in Riyadh, which made many people uneasy. They wondered what kind of deal Gulfstream Aerospace had made with these wealthy people, that even such large transport planes had been deployed.

This is the drone you're supplying. Seeing the drone, several times smaller than a normal fighter jet, these wealthy individuals were somewhat taken aback. They had expected it to be a high-end product, but it turned out to be so unremarkable. They felt cheated; reality was far from their expectations!

"Don't be fooled by its appearance. Because it was designed for combat, many functions were sacrificed, leaving only the most powerful combat capabilities. So it looks a bit unremarkable, but these are all the results of high technology."

Upon hearing his boss's words, Carol Tomei couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Only his boss dared to say such a thing. "Designed for combat, sacrificing other functions"—that was because of incompatibility, something that had to be abandoned. In many people's eyes, this was just a disposable toy, difficult to salvage after a battle. But in his boss's mouth, it became something high-end. His salesmanship was truly formidable.

The demonstration of the drones' capabilities quickly began. In a pre-arranged area, four drones, controlled by experts, rapidly took to the air, putting on a show for the wealthy. Fortunately, the demonstration went smoothly. Although the range was short and the weapons were limited, the drones' functions were powerful, and their attack capabilities were also formidable. However, the biggest problem was also exposed: these were essentially disposable toys; once discovered, they would have little chance of survival on the battlefield.

"Gentlemen, there are no perfect weapons in this world, only weapons that suit your needs. For you, our drones are the best choice. Although their battlefield survivability is not strong enough, their attack power is powerful enough, and that's enough. Moreover, such drones will not cause personnel casualties. Isn't this the most suitable weapon for you? In fact, we have also developed a swarm tactic for this drone, but unfortunately, the cost is too high to support. Imagine if we had one hundred such drones, and when war came, they all attacked the enemy at maximum speed. What would that mean?"

After John's persuasion, the Middle Eastern tycoon was tempted. The biggest problem for them was still people, and drones were the most suitable choice for them. Although they seemed like disposable toys with not many functions, it had to be admitted that their combat capabilities were good. They were perfect for being suicide squads, or even escorts!

After some communication, Gulfstream Aerospace secured an order for 50 aircraft. When signing the contract, Carol Tomé felt a sense of unreality, wondering how the Middle Eastern tycoons could be so easily fooled, accepting such expensive and limited-function "junk".

Indeed, compared to traditional fighter jets, the drone developed by Gulfstream Aerospace is 'crap', but it has won the hearts of Middle Eastern tycoons, and if it can unleash even half of its power, it is still a very good weapon.

"Mr. John, how long will it take Hughes Aerospace to complete the network? This has been a persistent concern for us. Also, we plan to continue leasing Hughes's GPS!" Seeing the results of combining drones with the GPS system greatly satisfied these wealthy individuals, making them hopeful for a faster network rollout. After signing the contract, the issue of satellite networking was brought up again. They had invested a significant amount of money, and now that they saw hope, how could they not be tempted?

"It's not that we're not working hard, but there are always problems. Once the Star Wars program came out, those guys in Japan abandoned Hughes's GPS system, thinking that ours was only for civilian use and not worth continuing to invest in. Although we don't lack funds for the time being, the lack of some help from Japan has still had a certain impact on our research and development. With their experts gone, we need to find replacements, and that takes time."

At this point, John brought up the situation with those guys in Japan. Those bastards had done something terribly wrong. It was fine if you didn't want to participate in the remaining research and development, but you couldn't just withdraw those experts and directly integrate them into the Star Wars program. It was clearly a trap for John and Hughes Space. "Is there anything we can do? If so, don't hesitate, we'll do everything we can to help!"

"There are no major problems for the time being, but this incident will inevitably affect Hughes Aerospace's research and development, and may even lead to a shortage of funds. If such a situation occurs, we will still need your assistance."

For the super-rich, money is no problem. As long as they get what they want, the current testing of the global satellite positioning system will satisfy them. As for the Star Wars program, the super-rich know in their hearts that no matter how good it is, it will never be related to them. In comparison, this civilian global satellite positioning system is more suitable for them.

"Does this seem too surreal? Actually, it's because you haven't put yourself in the shoes of these wealthy people and considered their perspective. Even at its worst, our drone still possesses the capabilities of a fighter jet. In a battlefield, trading two for one, or even four for one, is worthwhile for them because they prioritize personal safety. Safety is paramount. With powerful offensive capabilities and no risk to their lives, why would they refuse? Moreover, with this order, we can continue to improve upon the existing design. However, this isn't just my problem anymore; Gulfstream Aerospace needs to handle the development, and Lockheed Martin can also participate. Now we finally don't have to worry about insufficient production capacity!"

After acquiring Lockheed Aircraft Company, production capacity was greatly improved. As for some small drones, the tycoon was not very interested, as he did not think they were of much use. He only purchased a small batch for his border guards to reduce their workload.

"It's truly unbelievable. They don't care about the price, they only care about the time, and they can even get financial support from them. It's unimaginable." Although the contract has been signed, Carol Tomey still can't believe that something that everyone considers 'junk' has been sold, and for a good price.

However, not only Carole Tomé couldn't believe it, but even the US military-industrial companies couldn't believe that the 'junk' they looked down on could be sold for a high price. After all, such a transaction couldn't be kept secret from them.

"Incredible, truly incredible! How did John manage to do that? Was it a matter of foresight, or was everyone wrong from the start? Something that the military considered 'junk' is now receiving such a huge order from Middle Eastern tycoons! It gives me the feeling that this is like a Bentley, a gift specially prepared for these tycoons!"

"That's definitely the feeling. It's unbelievable that someone we consider so weak can get such orders. Perhaps we should learn from Gulfstream Aerospace and cultivate relationships with these big spenders. We can't let Gulfstream Aerospace reap all the benefits; we should get a share too!"

It has to be said that with the emergence of drone orders, those guys in the US are quite tempted. However, they haven't figured out exactly what's going on, and the information they have is probably not complete, so there must be some gaps. Perhaps the orders are due to those gaps.

While the US was simply envious of Gulfstream Aerospace's gains, some people couldn't sit still. That was fifty drones, and even if their combat capabilities were weak, they would still pose a threat. So they couldn't wait to step forward and stop the deal. Unfortunately, they couldn't stop it. It was a deal, a deal between John and the White House.

The Middle East has undergone significant changes thanks to John's presence. His group controls a large share of many aspects of life, including clothing, food, housing, and transportation. Among the wealthy, Bentleys are the most common cars, and clothing is mostly from brands under the Forever Group. It can be said that the cooperation between John and the Middle Eastern tycoons has now reached a deeper level.

Every year, major corporations receive huge sums of money from Middle Eastern tycoons. It's fair to say that these tycoons played a crucial role in John's rapid growth; otherwise, how could a group like Bentley have sufficient funds for expansion, let alone Gulfstream Aerospace and the apparel industry? This financial onslaught naturally forced John to yield. Making money isn't shameful; not making money is. It's precisely because of the strong support from these Middle Eastern tycoons that John has achieved his current success, thus their relationship is firmly bound together by mutual interests.

(End of this chapter)