Courtyard House: A Major Power's Heavy Industry, Hand-Crafted Nuclear Fusion

Autumn 1989, Connecticut, USA.

The atmosphere in Pratt & Whitney's headquarters conference room was as tense as a volcano about to erupt.

As a world-leading manufacturer of aircraft engines, they have just received a direct order from the Pentagon: they must deliver a new batch of F-100-PW-229 engines within three months to equip the F-15 and F-16 fighter jet fleets that are about to be deployed to the Gulf region.

However, the production line stopped.

"Damn it! Haven't they found a replacement yet?"

The CEO slammed the report on the table. "These are damn magnets! Without them, the engine's fuel pump regulator won't work! Our fighter jets are just a pile of scrap metal!"

"gentlemen……"

The purchasing director wiped away cold sweat, his face filled with despair. "We've searched the whole world. Sumitomo Metal in Japan said their production capacity is already booked for two years. Siemens in Germany said their formula doesn't meet the standards, and its high-temperature resistance is 20% worse."

"What about the original supplier?"

"The original supplier... went bankrupt. The rare earth refinery in California closed down six months ago because of an EPA fine."

The purchasing director swallowed hard, his voice trailing off, "Currently, there is only one supplier in the world that can provide N52-grade high-temperature resistant neodymium iron boron magnets."

"Who?"

"Red Star Rare Earth".

"..."

The conference room was deathly silent.

Red Star. Red Star again.

The name has recently haunted the entire Western industrial sector like a ghost.

"That Chinese company?" the CEO gritted his teeth. "The Pentagon just added them to the 'Entity List'! And... we just voted at that damned COCOM meeting to ban the export of CNC machine tools to them!"

"Yes, sir."

The purchasing director smiled wryly, "The irony is that... we've sanctioned their high technology, but they've strangled us."

"Neck? No, throat."

The chief technology officer added, "It's not just magnets. The lanthanum glass needed in our Tomahawk cruise missile seeker, and the yttrium-based wafers in the Patriot missile radar... Currently, only Red Star can purify them to 99.999%."

"If we can't get the goods within two weeks, the entire U.S. military's equipment replacement program... will be delayed by six months."

……

One week later, in Beijing, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.

Su was sitting on the sofa, leisurely sipping his tea. Across from him sat several Americans with awkward expressions.

Leading the group was the U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce, flanked by representatives from Pratt & Whitney and Raytheon.

"Mr. Su, we have come with sincerity."

The deputy minister forced a smile. "Regarding your company being placed on the Entity List, we believe it's... a misunderstanding. As long as you are willing to resume exports of rare earth magnets and special alloys to the United States, we can consider... a temporary exemption."

This arrogant tone almost made Old Chen, who was standing behind Su Zheng, burst out laughing.

Why act like a big shot when you're asking for a favor?

Su Zheng put down his teacup and gently blew on the floating leaves.

"Mr. Deputy Minister, you may have misunderstood two things."

Su Zheng held up two fingers. "First, it's not that I want to export, it's that you want to buy. Second, the Entity List? That thing is like a piece of waste paper to me."

He pulled a document from his briefcase; it was the latest sanctions order issued by the United States just a few days ago.

"You're banning the export of five-axis machine tools to me? No problem, I've already bought them."

"You're banning the export of lithography machines to me? No problem, I've made them myself."

"And now, you actually have the nerve to come to me to buy magnets?"

Su Zheng shook his head, looking at the other person as if they were an idiot. "Do you all think that Chinese people are saints who will turn the other cheek even if they are slapped on the left?"

What do you want?

The representative from Pratt & Whitney couldn't hold back any longer and interjected, "Raise the price? We can double it! Triple it! As long as we can deliver on time!"

"money?"

Su Zheng laughed, "I'm not short of money. The money I earned in Iraq is enough for me to live on for several lifetimes."

"What do you want?"

Su Zheng stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the planes taking off and landing in the distance.

"I want... a heart."

"What?"

"I want the technology to manufacture single-crystal turbine blades for the F-100 engine."

Su Zheng turned around, his gaze sharp as a knife. "Not only the technology, but also the entire set of directional solidification furnace equipment."

"That's impossible!"

The Pratt & Whitney representative exclaimed, "That's strategic technology! It's absolutely forbidden to export! Even if I agreed, the Pentagon would kill me!"

"Yeah?"

Su Zheng shrugged. "Then there's nothing to discuss. Old Chen, see them out."

"etc!"

The Vice Minister of Commerce stopped Su Zheng, "Mr. Su, do you know what you're saying? If you refuse to supply goods, this will be a trade war! The United States will impose a complete blockade on the Red Star Group! They might even freeze your overseas assets!"

"blockade?"

Su Zheng sneered and slammed his hand on the table.

"Haven't you done enough lockdowns already?!"

"From 1949 to now, forty years! Not a single day has the blockade stopped?!"

"Now, the tables have turned."

Su Zheng pointed at the group of Americans:

"Without my magnets, your F-15s are like ducks that can't fly. Without my lanthanum glass, your Tomahawks are blind."

"You can blockade me, but I guarantee that within six months, the US military will lose all air superiority in the Gulf."

"Go back and tell the Pentagon: either trade them technology, or watch your carrier strike groups rust in port!"

……

Those were three long days.

For the U.S. delegation, these were the most humiliating three days of their careers.

They tried to find alternatives, attempted to exert diplomatic pressure, and even tried to sabotage through the CIA.

But Su Zheng guarded the Hongxing Rare Earth Plant like an iron barrel.

Ye Xinyi even activated the "Skynet" early warning system, and anyone who tried to steal the formula through network infiltration had their hard drive burned.

Ultimately, amidst the Pentagon's roar and political pressure to "go to war on time," the decision was made.

Americans have bowed their heads.

A top-secret technology exchange agreement was signed late at night.

Red Star Group has resumed supplying N52 magnets.

In exchange, Pratt & Whitney transferred a complete set of single-crystal blade casting equipment and process parameters to China under the guise of "civilian gas turbine technology cooperation".

Although this was not the most crucial engine design drawing, it was a godsend for Huaxia Aviation Industry, which was still struggling to develop the "WS-10" (Taihang) engine at the time!

It's like someone who only knows how to knead dough suddenly receiving a fully automatic bread machine.

"It smells so good!"

A week later, when those huge directional solidification furnaces were transported into the aero-engine branch of Base 001, Chief Engineer Zhang hugged the furnace, smelled the engine oil, and closed his eyes in ecstasy.

"Minister Su, your 'strangulation' tactic is truly... brilliant!"

Old Zhang was so excited he danced with joy, "With this, the lifespan of our blades, which has always been substandard, can be increased by at least five times! Our large aircraft finally has hope of being equipped with its own 'Chinese heart'!"

"This is just the beginning."

Su Zheng looked at the equipment with a deep gaze.

"Rare earth elements are our trump card, but we can't play this card forever."

Why?

"Because technology will spread and mineral resources will be depleted."

Su Zheng explained, "The Americans have suffered a loss this time. They will definitely restart their rare earth mines or look for alternative materials when they go back. This window of opportunity will only last five years at most."

"What should we do then?"

"In these five years, we will transform all this 'earth' into 'gold'."

Su Zheng pointed to the equipment, "We'll use their technology to build something even better than theirs. Five years from now, when they've recovered..."

Su Zheng's lips curled into a cold smile:

"They will find that we are already standing... above the stratosphere."

……

The winter of 1989 was a miraculous one for China's military industry.

They traded a pile of rocks (rare earth elements) for the crown jewel of the aviation industry.

They traded a bunch of electronic toys for a precision machine tool.

This kind of "getting something for nothing" stunt has made Red Star Electronics the most dangerous enemy in the eyes of Western intelligence agencies, and also a "god of wealth" in the hearts of countless domestic research institutes.

"Su Zheng, I have some news."

Ye Xinyi walked over with a newly declassified telegram in her hand, her expression somewhat strange.

"What's wrong?"

"Over in Russia... Gorbachev has resigned."

Ye Xinyi whispered, "That behemoth is really going to collapse."

Su Zheng's hand trembled slightly.

Although it was expected, when the moment actually arrived, the weight of history was still overwhelming.

"besides."

Ye Xinyi continued, "Our informant in Moscow said that a design team codenamed 'White Swan' is selling blueprints on the black market because they can't pay their employees. That team is... the team that designed the Tu-160 strategic bomber."

"Tu-160?!"

Su Zheng's pupils suddenly contracted.

It was the most elegant and violent killing machine in human history.

That was the "White Swan" that made the entire NATO air defense network tremble.

If we could acquire its technology, even just a portion of it, it would be incredibly beneficial for China's development of large aircraft and bombers...

"Prepare the plane."

Without further hesitation, Su Zheng grabbed his coat. "Let's leave tonight."

"Where to?"

"Kyiv. No, straight to Moscow."

Su Zheng looked at the overcast sky to the north, his eyes burning with fire:

"We're going to... buy up an entire era at rock-bottom prices."