Xia Yu revealed the true purpose of his trip.
As the world's most produced classic single-engine light fighter jet, the F-16 Fighting Falcon is a bestseller in nearly 30 countries. It is undoubtedly a successful project and one of the more accessible magnesium-based third-generation fighter jets on his collection list.
Similarly, after acquiring it, besides collecting it, you can also use it for work.
Xia Yu enhanced the Spy Ghost's ground attack capabilities through modifications.
Staying in Afika to do odd jobs is suitable, but in the high-intensity Middle East region, even F-15s can be shot down, and reconnaissance and strike drones have become expendable. The F-4K is definitely willing but unable to do so.
To improve low-altitude maneuverability, the only option is to drastically modify the fuselage structure, like the Ultimate Phantom, and leapfrog into the third-generation fighter category.
However, Xia Yu himself only owns one of these fighter jets, and without prior investment in variable-sweep wing technology, he cannot explain how he managed to integrate them, so it is unlikely to be put into service for the next 5 years.
In comparison, the F-16 is ready for immediate combat, especially the upgraded avionics Red Falcon; just thinking about it is exciting!
If you're talking about Soviet aircraft, the best Soviet aircraft aren't with Russia or the United States. So, most of the Soviet aircraft operated by Jihuo Defense are used for the third phase of the museum project, and they are only put into actual combat when the company is facing a life-or-death situation.
The main purpose is still to make small money, and it is used as a training tool for certain subjects. After all, there is only one steam catapult aircraft carrier operated by a private enterprise in the world, so its scarcity is extremely high.
"You have a keen sense of smell. You think the Americans are too expensive, so you've come here to get a bargain."
Now in his fifties, His Majesty the King is a seasoned veteran, and he saw through the situation at a glance. But what difference does it make who he sells these old planes to?
Internationally, Yogi is a well-known middleman in the arms industry, responsible for handling leftover stock from Europe and the United States. Most of the time, Yogi uses the stock for a period of time before selling it to third-party countries.
Going back to the time of the two wars, more recently, they acquired a large number of second-hand F-16s and resold them to Pakistan, which had a high demand for Fighting Falcons.
There are also retired Cheetah helicopters from Heze, Cobra helicopters acquired in large quantities from Lao Mei, and Rainbow helicopters bought from their hometown. Who knows when they will be resold again.
Xia Yu had a feeling that the other party wasn't buying equipment, but rather financial products.
In peacetime, they help other countries dispose of their decommissioned equipment; once the situation becomes turbulent, they sell it at a high price.
Of course, you can use it yourself while holding it, and if there are no major conflicts, you can sell a little at a reasonable price to test the waters.
To be honest, the reason Joan is so good at business is because he's poor.
Although located in the Middle East, it doesn't really have much oil and gas resources, so it's not as carefree as its neighbor, Saqqara, and it needs to rely on this method to subsidize its finances.
Xia Yu didn't take advantage of anyone. The old guys he replaced, despite their lack of fighting power, were high-yield investment products in this era of continuous currency issuance and global economic inflation.
In a few years, the price could double, so buying it would be a sure win.
For mass-produced fighter jets, newer models are always more expensive than older ones. The latest F-16V has an export price of over 100 million, and with some miscellaneous parts, it's actually more expensive than the F-16F.
But the US isn't willing to sell its F-35 to just anyone. Its "old friends" are divided into those close to it and those distant from it. The most distant one is the F-16. Take it or leave it!
If we don't buy the Fighting Falcon, we can only buy the Japanese Rafale, which is even more expensive, with an average price of nearly 200 million.
"Instead of letting the Americans make this money, it would be better for us to benefit each other, Your Majesty, what do you say!"
Xia Yu said with a smile.
“You’re right, but it’s fine to bypass it once, but if you do it too many times, you’ll still have to go back to the source.”
The old king remarked with emotion.
The reason they're selling F-16s in bulk is because these old guys, which have undergone mid-life extension upgrades (MLU), don't have many hours left to live.
While there are still two or three thousand hours left in the single-player mode, you should hurry up and sell them to get a good price. Besides, their combat capabilities are really outdated.
Even if you buy a new phone in a few years, you can't avoid this sudden financial loss.
As for the other option besides the Gust, they are not Pakistani, and they do not have a geographical advantage. Their father is right next to them.
International relations are indeed complex, but as the old king just said, this time it will not be affected.
Name your price. If it's reasonable, I can agree to it right now.
"Take my Tiger II from the museum and trade it for an F-16AM and an F-16BM, both in top condition."
Xia Yu quoted his price.
He still has a Tiger King that he's saving up for and is preparing to film a restored documentary, so it's time to sell the Tiger King and get some productivity tools in return.
Two older F-16s that have undergone mid-life extension have a combined value of nearly ten million US dollars. If the Americans resell them and arm them, they can sell them for twenty million.
The Tiger II tank, a decisive weapon with a total historical production of less than 500 units, was not for sale at the German tank museum (number 233) before the Afica War Museum opened.
If one of the two blue and white porcelain bowls is broken and becomes a unique item, and an extra Tiger II tank is added, then the other tank loses its absolute rarity, not to mention that a third one is coming soon.
Xia Yu has not sold it. Besides not lacking the cash of over ten million, many people came for the Afica just for it. He will not sell it until he has saved up for his third Tiger King.
Now that the conditions are right, exchanging them for two F-16s would be a good deal.
Are you willing to do that?
The old king asked in surprise.
He wanted both Tiger and Tiger King, but knowing it was impossible, he didn't ask. In the end, the other party brought it up himself.
"What's there to be reluctant about? This tank project is just the beginning for our museum; the real highlight is yet to come!"
The spending power of the rich far exceeds that of the middle class. The consumption of tanks and artillery might at most make them buy one less luxury car, but only fighter jets are the real money-consuming weapons.
"Then the deal is done."
The old king extended his hand.
"make a deal!"
The two clasped hands together.
The surrounding guests were only curious about Xia Yu's identity when they saw this scene, but the curators had already guessed most of it.
Oh no, did King John sell this scroll to someone else again? I hope their museum's ranking in the industry will drop again!
That's really true. Only three countries have museums with working Tiger II tanks. Even the British Bovington is outdone. Oslo has quite a few tanks in its museum, but only a few are drivable. Museums in other countries are even less impressive.
"Honey, you bought another plane. I know about WWII piston-engine propeller planes, but do we really need so many modern fighter jets?"
After the preview ended, on the way back to the hotel, Liv and Xia Yu talked about this issue.
She knew about the second and third phases of the museum project, but she had looked up information about the F-16 online and found that it couldn't be ejected!
Do we need to strengthen the airframe structure like we did with the MiG-29s we bought last time?
"Of course it is necessary. Haven't you noticed that conflicts in various regions are escalating and the world order is changing? A third world war is unlikely, but proxy wars will only become more and more frequent."
Xia Yu tutored his wife.
"Only by continuously upgrading our weapons and equipment and maintaining a generational advantage over our targets can we seize the opportunities of the times and make our company bigger and stronger."
"Then there's the need for security. With air defense weapons becoming incredibly cheap, the skies are not safe, especially for transport planes and business jets that have absolutely no self-defense capabilities."
"If we're on the same plane and enemy fighters come up behind us, or ground-based anti-aircraft missiles are chasing us, you won't even have time to parachute. Having fighter escorts means you have the means to counter them."
Yes, sitting in the middle of a private jet, escorted by two F-16s on the left and right, let's not even talk about the sense of security, you have to announce your arrival to anyone who comes, that's what a real man should do.
"Honey, all I want to say right now is what your mother taught me—money is money to burn."
Liv's Chinese is very standard.
Germans are quite frugal, but this was all money Xia Yu earned, so that's all she could say.
Xia Yu protested that he was wronged. He said that the Tiger King tank, including the body and parts, cost more than 500,000 euros in total, and he had already recouped his investment several times over. Trading it for two F-16s would have been a great deal.
Upgrading and modifying the aircraft doesn't cost much. It just costs a little to hire two pilots and their labor costs. As for the most expensive part of fighter jet operating costs, fuel, they already have oil fields, so jet fuel is directly converted into production and transportation costs. What's wrong with treating themselves well?
"Liv, do you know what the 'B' in F-16BM means? It means it's a two-seater. I want to fly it with you, soaring through the blue sky, to see the vast and deep ocean, the boundless grasslands, and the towering mountains, to see the beauty of this world and feel the wonder of life."
Xia Yu started her performance, and no one could resist such an offensive. Liv was immediately captivated.
There are so many two-seater aircraft, any one of them can achieve this level of performance, it doesn't have to be the F-16.
But with the atmosphere built up to this point, who can remain rational?
Of course, this comes at a price; a fierce battle is inevitable, and Xia Yu, having heard the bugle call to charge, is already prepared for it.
Nothing happened overnight. Xia Yu, who got up a little late, still looked normal. However, for lunch, he ordered an extra dish of Japanese oysters.
The main reason is that the Nelia oysters from West Virginia are small, so it's not very satisfying to eat them. Also, oysters are high in zinc, which is an essential trace element for men, unlike the dreaded heavy metals.
Liv, who had just finished washing up, looked radiant and healthy, with a fair complexion and a healthy glow.
Sure enough, it was all a lie. Only I know what's really going on.
After lunch, Xia Yu reviewed a contract that had been drafted overnight, and after revising the delivery date, he signed his name.
The Tiger II tanks at the Afica War Museum will be shipped to Jordan in three months, and the two F-16s promised by Jordan will be legally retired within a month.
Their pilots then flew them to Pakistan, where they were transferred back to their hometowns to complete the avionics upgrades.
The entire process may take half a year. After all, fighter jets are not transport planes, so being a little slow is not a big deal.
The itinerary after signing the contract included attending the opening ceremony of the Royal Tank Museum, and then taking a Black Hawk helicopter belonging to the Joaquin royal family to the ancient city of Petra the following day.
Petra is located on the eastern slopes of Mount Nebo, south of Yogan, 260 kilometers from Amman. Driving there is less convenient than taking a helicopter.
"Knock knock knock"
In front of the museum, amidst the roar of live ammunition from several tanks, the old king stood in the center and cut the ribbon.
Xia Yu, as a special guest, cut off this piece of his to the left.
He deserved the honor of supplying two heavyweight collectibles in a row, and even gave a brief interview to Al Jazeera after the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
"The Royal Tank Museum in Johor uses tanks, a vehicle of war, to tell the story of modern human history..."
While speaking eloquently to the camera, Xia Yu was thinking to himself that this seemed to be the first news story of his that had any real significance.
On the day the Afika War Museum opened, only local television stations came, and its influence couldn't even extend beyond Khonluqa, while the peninsula faced the entire Arab world.
And this is just the beginning; many more people will come to know him.
"Splash splash"
Amidst the noise of propellers, a Black Hawk helicopter kicked up a cloud of yellow sand and landed in an open space.
Xia Yu took his wife's hand and got off the plane. Johnny, Lawrence, and Rob got off the helicopter from the other side and stood guard on either side of the two.
Without the protection of armor, in a non-war-torn country like Joaquin, combat employees would take on the role of security personnel for VIPs, and the boss and his wife would be the VIPs themselves.
They were allowed to carry handguns, and Johnny's briefcase also contained an MP5K submachine gun, so the firepower was only so-so.
However, this is only the apparent need. Xia Yu, who has the system, is not too afraid of being ambushed. It's just that his current wife and future children need security more.
This is also the weakness of most people, and people in his special industry need to pay even more attention to this issue.
"This is the Treasury of the Treasury."
After traversing a long canyon where fighter jets could not even take off, the group finally arrived at the most worthwhile part of Petra.
This is a Roman Corinthian temple, nearly 40 meters high, tall enough to fit an Ultraman by bending over, but below it is the tomb of King Aridas IV.
"The Nabataeans, a people defined as merchants, are still worthy of worship, even though they were conquered by the Romans."
This is why you need more military strength to succeed in business; it took Xia Yu several years to understand this.
This was true in barbaric times, and it is even more true in civilized times. If you can't withstand the iron hooves of your enemies, all the wealth you have is just a number.
Liv followed Xia Yu in bowing and paying her respects. In China, she had worshipped many gods, including Buddha and the Three Pure Ones, mainly for the sake of participation.
"It's still limited by productivity. Like the pyramids, it couldn't be hidden away and eventually became a tourist attraction."
After walking around for a while, Xia Yu discovered that the entire area was a burial ground, and he remarked with emotion.
Only by being buried deep underground can one find a place of rest where one can avoid being disturbed by others. Otherwise, one might easily be dug up, ground into powder, and made into oil paint (mummy brown). That would be fine, but mixing it into red wine and drinking it to treat arthritis, stroke, paralysis, epilepsy, tuberculosis... that would be too terrible.
For well-known reasons, equipment from my hometown can only be described from the side, not directly. The flanking guards are very sensitive to this, so it's better to modify it indirectly.
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