Chapter 150 The Beginning of the Empire
"Xu Cang, what do you mean by this? The hush money was 10 million before, and now I'm asking you to explain the cause of the engine explosion, which is also 10 million. It's just a matter of talking. Is there such a good job in the world?"
Even a greedy businessman like Li Rongxian felt that Xu Cang's eating habits were too ugly. In this round trip, he could get a total of 20 million without even breaking a sweat. This was simply robbing money, and Xu Cang was still not satisfied.
However, Xu Cang clearly saw the weight of what he held in his hand. He did not refute Li Rongxian's question, but smiled calmly and said, "Why don't you ask your boss if the Airbus grounding for one day will result in a loss of 10 million?"
In the domestic market alone, hundreds of Airbus 320s were lying on the tarmac basking in the sun because their airworthiness certificates were suspended. Subsequently, because their type approval certificates were also temporarily used, the new aircraft that were supposed to be delivered could not pass customs at all and were all piled up at Tianjin Airport.
Not to mention the parking fees at the airport. If you wait any longer and miss the delivery time, a large number of orders will be defaulted, and the penalty will be another considerable expense.
Even though the airlines are the ones suffering losses now, and the compensation issue with Airbus seems to be still being argued, all of this is based on the premise that the investigation conclusion of the incident has not come out. Once it is finally proved that it is a problem with the aircraft itself, Airbus will undoubtedly lose miserably in the arbitration.
Although the investigation is currently hampered, the authority has retrieved all the previous maintenance records of the aircraft. The records show that there were no problems with the maintenance procedures during the period when the aircraft was in service with National Airlines and the short period when it was in service with Shandong Airlines.
Of course, the records are written by people, and the possibility of human falsification cannot be ruled out. But after all, it is related to aircraft safety, and few airlines will tamper with aircraft maintenance. If something goes wrong, they will have to pay a heavy price.
Therefore, from the document records, no maintenance problems have been found for the time being, so we have to consider that there are defects in the aircraft itself. And according to the inference of the technical department of Airbus headquarters after learning some details of the incident, they also tend to believe that the explosion of the No. 1 engine is not a maintenance problem, but may really be a problem with the engine itself.
This possibility exists, and the probability is not low, which makes Airbus headquarters very uncomfortable. Now the losses derived from the grounding of each Airbus 320 may eventually be borne by Airbus itself.
If this really happened, then the loss of 10 million a day that Xu Cang mentioned just now might still be a conservative estimate.
Li Rongxian clenched his teeth and looked at Xu Cang's face carefully. Based on his experience in judging people, unless Xu Cang was really the kind of veteran who was worldly-wise and extremely proficient in controlling his emotions, then judging from the expression and tone Xu Cang showed at the moment, it was very likely that what Xu Cang said was true.
He actually knew why the engine exploded!
"How do you know the cause of the accident? You obviously didn't participate in the investigation. Just based on a sound that you thought the engine drive shaft was breaking?"
Although judging from his intuition, he felt that Xu Cang should not be a liar. After witnessing Xu Cang's shocking methods on the sea dam, Li Rongxian no longer had any psychological advantage in front of Xu Cang. He himself didn't know why, even if he said a few words, his momentum would be a little weaker.
However, Xu Cang was too lazy to explain to Li Rongxian, and just said jokingly: "If you don't want to do this, we can wait later. Anyway, I have plenty of time to wait, and see who can outlast the other. However, there is another thing I want to ask you."
Li Rongxian was very alert. At this moment, the sunlight cast a shadow on Xu Cang's face. Xu Cang looked like a prey, which made him feel uncomfortable.
However, Li Rongxian still asked: "What do you want to know?"
Xu Cang's smile became brighter, just like the warm sun shining above his head. He tsked his lips and moved closer with some anticipation: "Does your Airbus headquarters have a good relationship with EASA?"
"Hmm?" Li Rongxian didn't quite understand Xu Cang's intention in asking this question, but he answered it quite quickly because it was not a secret worth hiding: "Not bad. One of the main tasks of the Joint Aviation Administration (JAA), the predecessor of EASA, is to coordinate the research and development of aircraft among various countries, that is, our Airbus..."
"I know. I don't mean the part about aircraft development, but personnel management, such as the qualifications of flight crews..."
EASA is a very large organization, whose responsibilities include drafting relevant aviation regulations, issuing operating certificates for aircraft, and also including the formulation of civil aviation operator operating specifications and flight personnel license standards. Of course, it also coordinates the relationship between countries in aircraft development, and Airbus is an important target of its services.
Therefore, it is natural that Airbus has close contacts with certain departments of EASA. However, Xu Cang is not concerned about EASA's aircraft development department, but is more concerned about the personnel management department.
Li Rongxian was getting more and more confused: "Why are you asking this? You don't have an EASA license either. What does that mean?"
To be honest, Li Rongxian really couldn't guess what was going on in Xu Cang's mind. It seemed as if his imagination was running wild and unrestrained.
"Don't worry about why I'm asking you. Just tell me if it involves granting or reviewing personnel qualifications. Do you have any influence over such departments?"
"That's... hard to say." Li Rongxian did not hide the fact that he said, "We don't have much contact with the management departments of operators and flight crews."
Xu Cang hurriedly asked: "British Airways and Air France have a strong say in those departments of EASA, right?"
"That's right." Li Rongxian looked at Xu Cang with increasing confusion: "Xu Cang, what on earth do you want to do?"
"I want to apply for the qualification of ICAO commissioner. I heard that this year EASA will review the personnel recommended by CAAC. Therefore, I hope to ensure that everything is foolproof and eliminate all risks of EASA's review."
Li Rongxian finally understood Xu Cang's idea: "It seems like you are determined to win."
Then, Li Rongxian said with a hint of temptation: "Xu Cang, if you are willing to tell us the cause of the engine explosion, in addition to the 10 million reward, we will also help you with the ICAO commissioner's affairs, how about that?"
"Hahahaha!" Hearing this, Xu Cang laughed so hard that he fell backwards. He opened his arms and put his hands on the back of the chair, looking very relaxed: "Li Rongxian, I just find it troublesome. Without you, I can still obtain the qualification of ICAO Commissioner. Are you qualified to threaten me with this thing?"
Li Rongxian knew he had made a wrong calculation when he saw Xu Cang's sarcastic expression, so he could only laugh dryly and said, "British Airways and Air France do have a strong say in EASA. If these two airlines give their approval, EASA's review will not be difficult."
"Your Airbus headquarters should have a good relationship with Air France, right?" Xu Cang asked casually, "But the relationship with British Airways is not that good?"
Li Rongxian nodded: "That's right!"
There are some geographical reasons and some historical reasons. Airbus is held by EADS, the European Aeronautic Defense Group, which is almost a wholly-owned subsidiary. EADS is a joint venture between French Aerospace, German DASA and Spanish aerospace manufacturing company CASA. DASA is Daimler Aerospace, and its civilian industry involves the commercial vehicle field, namely the famous Mercedes-Benz brand.
It can be seen that EADS is led by France, Germany and Spain, and has nothing to do with the UK. Although the UK also participated later, it was a latecomer after all. Therefore, Airbus's headquarters is located in Toulouse, France, which means that France actually has stronger control over Airbus.
Another thing is that the relationship between Britain and France has always been average. Except for the last few decades, the rest of the time they have either been fighting each other or on the way to fighting each other, and both the official and the public are disgusted with each other.
Without a little effort, it is not easy to get British Airways and Air France to work together on the same thing. Just like the Concorde, a joint British-French aircraft, the two countries argued for a long time over whether its name should be written as Concorde according to French custom or Concord according to English custom. This shows the complexity of the relationship between the two countries.
This is consistent with Xu Cang's initial understanding. Air France is easier to deal with, but British Airlines will have to be dealt with by himself.
"Mr. Xu, if it is just for the review of the ICAO commissioner, we can help Mr. Xu to talk to Air France, free of charge. But if it is British Airways, even we will have to put in a lot of effort, and we can't agree to it casually." At this time, Li Rongxian also gave up the idea of making a deal with Xu Cang on this matter.
The qualification of an ICAO commissioner can only be regarded as a gift in this transaction. However, this is limited to affecting Air France, and any efforts related to British Airways can definitely not be defined as a gift.
Xu Cang laughed at Li Rongxian's nervous and serious expression. Airbus could indeed exert influence on Air France relatively easily, but its influence was minimal when it extended to the other side of the English Channel.
"I understand! I'll take care of British Airways."
It seemed that he really had to solve the British Airways disaster. Logically speaking, since he had risked his life to solve a disaster, it was reasonable for British Airways to be grateful to him.
Of course, all this is based on the premise that Xu Cang knows the cause of the Great Britain Air Crash. It is not that all air crashes can find a clear cause, but the cause of the Great Britain Air Crash is relatively clear and relatively easy to deal with. If Xu Cang solves it, the risk he bears is relatively small.
Although he didn't know what connections Xu Cang had that could influence British Airways' decision, Li Rongxian had no desire to find out. Instead, he was concerned about another thing: "Mr. Xu, if you are not satisfied with the 10 million reward, what is your ideal condition? If possible, you might as well tell me so that I can discuss it with the higher-ups when I go back."
"Is that so?" Xu Cang straightened up and finally got to the point: "You are the head of Airbus Asia Pacific, so you should know about the project of Airbus Assembly Plant in Tianjin, right?"
"Tianjin Airbus Assembly Plant?" Li Rongxian racked his brains and finally remembered the name of the project from the corner of his memory: "Mr. Xu, why do you mention this shelved project?"
Xu Cang's eyes suddenly became serious: "Tell me the truth, how long do you plan to delay this project?"
Li Rongxian was shocked by Xu Cang's sudden change in temperament. He said in a panic: "Wait until your domestic market share grows to the top three among our customers. Only then will you be qualified enough to undertake our assembly business. Xu Cang, you also know that this project is a high-quality project even in some developed countries. Without sufficient benefits, we can't give it to you. This is the reality."
Li Rongxian had explained it in a rather tactful way, but it was still quite harsh to Xu Cang's ears. However, Xu Cang was no longer a brave man. Western countries had been blocking their own technology for a long time, and they were very cautious even in the transfer of relatively low-end assembly technology in the aircraft manufacturing industry.
Because they know that the country on the land beneath their feet has only been dormant for the past hundred years, but the lion will not sleep forever, and he will eventually regain his former status.
It is not uncommon for a master to starve to death after teaching his apprentice. Especially when the master teaches a former king, they will never agree to transfer technology without huge profits.
Only when it develops into one of the top three markets in the world will the profits generated be sufficient to make technology transfer possible.
Xu Cang understood this internal logic, and his emotions did not change much. He just asked: "According to your estimation, how long will this time be?"
"If we follow previous estimates, it will take at least ten years. However, your country plans to relax civil aviation controls in the near future. We expect your civil aviation to experience explosive growth, probably in five to six years."
Hearing this, Xu Cang's eyelids jumped. Although the relaxation of domestic civil aviation control was not a top secret, it was only circulated in a relatively small circle. Why did it seem that Airbus knew everything about it?
As for Airbus's estimate, it was quite accurate, and it was consistent with Xu Cang's memory and the time estimate obtained by Chen Jinwu.
"Five or six years." Xu Cang laughed, but his smile was full of sinisterness: "Three years, complete the project within three years, this is my condition!"
Li Rongxian was shocked: "Xu Cang, you... do you know what you are talking about? You want to promote a huge project with just one sentence, do you think it's possible?"
"So I didn't ask you to complete it immediately, but to give you a three-year buffer period." Xu Cang's smile faded, and he looked extremely indifferent: "I know you can't make the decision, so report it to your superiors. You don't have to answer me right away, we have plenty of time to waste."
Li Rongxian was so angry that he couldn't stop shaking: "Your conditions are too exaggerated. Even if I submit them, they will definitely not agree to them."
Xu Cang shook his head: "After a month, you will reconsider this issue. Of course, you can also pray that the cause of the accident can be found as soon as possible. However, as a reward for your willingness to help with Air France, I will give you a tip. Don't have any illusions and be prepared to lose money!"
Li Rongxian took a deep breath. Xu Cang's words clearly showed that he was certain that the cause of the 9451 incident was a problem with the aircraft itself. Li Rongxian couldn't figure out how Xu Cang knew such a secret matter. It was clear that the technical staff of CAAC and Airbus still had no clue.
"By the way, there is something that may be good news for you."
Li Rongxian was startled: "What?"
Xu Cangyi shrugged: "There should be another company that will share the compensation with you."
"How is this possible?" Li Rongxian thought what Xu Cang said was unbelievable, but he still asked casually: "Who is it?"
Xu Cang raised his eyebrows: "Of course it is CFM, one of your Airbus engine suppliers."
…
A week later, a small conference room at the Civil Aviation Administration of China in Hanjing was packed with people, all of whom were representatives of airlines that owned Airbus 320 and were affected by the ban.
Almost half a month has passed since the General Administration issued the ban on the Airbus 320. During this half month, hundreds of Airbus 320s have really had enough sun. Moreover, in the foreseeable future, these aircraft's "leisurely" time in the sun will continue.
Sheng Gaoliang, who hosted the meeting, didn't even need to ask about the latest developments of the various airlines. He could tell what the situation was just by looking at their faces which were as dark as the bottom of a pot.
"Hey everyone, although I know you are in a bad mood, there is no need to give me the cold shoulder." Sheng Gaoliang is an interesting person. When he speaks, he doesn't sound like a director at all.
"You issued the flight ban, and we paid the money. Do you think we should smile at you?" Representatives of other airlines did not dare to say anything, but Ma Cheng of Muhua Airlines did not care much. Not only did he dare to say it, but his words were also quite aggressive.
However, although Ma Cheng was speaking to Sheng Gaoliang, his eyes were looking at Leo, the Airbus representative sitting next to Sheng Gaoliang.
With Ma Cheng's opening remarks, the other airline representatives were less concerned. The representative of Chengdu Airlines, which suffered the most losses, almost burst into tears: "Director Sheng, you should also know that our Chengdu Airlines now operates all Airbus aircraft, more than 70% of which are 320s. Now the 320s can't fly. Our company has only outflows and no income. We have burned through the previous quarter's profits in just half a month. If this continues, we really can't hold on."
"Yes, Director Sheng, it's a pity that the plane is lying outside every day."
After Chengdu Airlines took the lead, representatives of other airlines followed suit, all of which were nothing more than playing the victim. However, it was no wonder that these airline representatives were almost overwhelmed.
Among these people, only one person remained calm, and that was Shandong Airlines representative Deng Wenjia. Since National Airlines had already promised to provide compensation for Shandong Airlines, Shandong Airlines naturally did not have that much pressure.
Sheng Gaoliang looked around at the crowd, and when the noise gradually died down, he lowered his hand and said, "The reason why I called you all here this time is naturally to discuss the issue of the Airbus 320 flight ban. The Airbus 320 issue is still under investigation, and the flight ban cannot be lifted. This is to be responsible to the general public. However, during this period, the losses incurred by various airlines and possible derivative losses can be submitted to us regularly. We will collect them and hand them over to Airbus, and then they will..."
As soon as Sheng Gaoliang said this, Airbus representative Leo's face changed and he hurriedly stopped him: "Director Sheng, we at Airbus just want to count the losses of each department, that's all."
Sheng Gaoliang's words just now seemed to imply that Airbus was willing to bear the losses of the airline. Leo had to make this clear.
Ma Cheng slammed the table and said, "Leo, we have also met in France. Just give me a definite answer. What is the attitude of Airbus headquarters towards our losses?"
In recent years, Muhua Airlines has been a major customer of Airbus. Ma Cheng had met Leo when negotiating the order, so Ma Cheng spoke very frankly.
"Mr. Ma, I also know that this flight ban has caused huge losses to Muhua, but the results of the investigation into the incident have not yet come out. We cannot bear such a huge compensation liability for an incident that has not yet been determined." Leo said: "Please believe that there is no problem with our Airbus aircraft."
Ma Cheng snorted coldly: "If there is no problem with your plane, then there is something wrong with us."
If the final result is that there is no problem with the Airbus 320 itself, then the airline will basically have to bear these losses. Therefore, Ma Cheng would rather the Airbus 320 itself has problems, so that at least he can get compensation later.
After Ma Cheng's rebuke, Leo was so embarrassed that he couldn't get off the stage. Now the situation is really difficult to back down.
If there is a problem with the Airbus 320, Airbus will be responsible for compensation. This means that the amount of compensation will continue to increase with each passing day. Even if Airbus is rich, it cannot turn a blind eye to such a huge and increasing amount of compensation.
However, if there is no problem with the Airbus 320 itself, Airbus does not have to bear the liability for compensation, and it seems that Airbus has no losses. In fact, this concept is quite wrong.
Once these airlines suffer such a huge loss on Airbus aircraft, it will be a huge blow to their confidence in introducing Airbus aircraft in the future. In the long run, Airbus will still lose a huge number of orders.
Therefore, whether there is a problem with the Airbus 320 or not is not important. This matter is a dead end, and the only solution that satisfies both parties is to end it as soon as possible.
As long as the speed is fast enough, even if there is a problem with the Airbus 320 aircraft itself, the amount of compensation will not accumulate to the point where Airbus feels troubled. If there is no problem with the Airbus 320, then so far, the airlines are just resentful, which is a tolerable level.
In this way, this deadlock was untied!
But the question is how to end this investigation as soon as possible?
"Director Sheng, what is the progress of the investigation now? Is it really as the outside world says, there is no progress?" One of the airline representatives asked.
When asked this question, all the airline representatives, including Deng Wenjia who had been doing nothing, pricked up their ears.
"Ahem." Sheng Gaoliang looked a little unhappy. "I believe everyone knows that the main body of the plane was salvaged a long time ago, but there are still many aircraft parts, especially the part of the problematic No. 1 engine, which remains in the sea. Therefore, it is very difficult to analyze the cause of the engine explosion. The progress may be slow."
Although they had some preparation, when Sheng Gaoliang said it himself, the representatives of the airlines were still gloomy. Among them, Ma Cheng of Muhua Airlines reacted most violently, and his face was almost gloomy to the extreme.
"I can't compensate you, and I can't speed up the progress. I don't know what the point is." Ma Cheng was so angry that he became unscrupulous in his words.
He was the most irritable of all the airline representatives in the room. There was no other way because Muhua Airlines had lost the most money. Looking at the reports submitted by the marketing and finance departments every day, Ma Cheng's blood pressure was rising day by day. It would be strange if he didn't get angry.
Sheng Gaoliang: "As for the impact of this flight ban, we will try our best to coordinate the wet lease business between airlines to minimize the losses."
The authority’s meaning is very simple. Now only the Airbus 320 model cannot fly. Boeing aircraft are not affected, and neither are other Airbus models.
Then the remaining capacity of Boeing-based airlines can be wet-leased to airlines that are more affected by the ban. However, this is only limited to airlines that already have Boeing systems. Airlines that have completely become Airbus-based, such as Chengdu Airlines, cannot do this.
So this measure can only alleviate the problem slightly, and cannot completely solve the problem. But the authority cannot take the risk of allowing the Airbus 320 to resume flying. At least Sheng Gaoliang does not have the courage to issue a resumption order before the investigation results come out.
At this time, the representative of Chengdu Airlines spoke up: "But, we, Chengdu Airlines, no longer operate Boeing aircraft. If we want to wet lease, we will wet lease Airbus 319. However, basically all 319s in China are owned by our company. We can't rent 319s even if we want to. We can't just place an order with an aircraft leasing company, can we?"
Generally speaking, wet leases only need to be for more than half a year. However, this time the authority has stepped in to coordinate, so it seems that wet leases can be more flexible. However, Chengdu Airlines can only accept Airbus 319, and there are not many 319 aircraft in China, so the only choice is to place a lease order with an aircraft leasing company.
However, aircraft leasing companies are not fools. Short-term leases of a few months are simply impossible. They are basically leased for several years or more. But Chengdu Airlines does not need so many aircraft. When the Airbus 320 ban is lifted, these newly leased 319 aircraft will lose their value. Chengdu Airlines does not have enough routes to support them, so they will gradually become money-losing aircraft.
Anyway, no matter how you look at it, Chengdu Airlines, one of the few fully Airbus airlines in China, is the most troublesome.
Sheng Gaoliang also knew that Rongcheng Airlines and Muhua Airlines were in the biggest trouble in this incident. To be honest, Muhua Airlines might be a little better off, after all, it had a strong financial foundation and a full range of aircraft models, and could use other aircraft models to make up for the routes that the Airbus 320 had lost. However, he really didn't know how to help Rongcheng Airlines.
Seeing Sheng Gaoliang's look, the representative of Rongcheng Airlines could only sigh helplessly, full of sadness.
An hour later, this extremely depressing meeting finally ended. Airbus representative Leo fled from the meeting room as if he was escaping for his life. He felt that if he stayed in there any longer, those uncontrollable airline representatives might tear him into pieces.
Not long after he came out, he ran into Li Rongxian head-on. Li Rongxian asked with a worried look on his face: "How much is the loss calculated?"
This meeting was also proposed by Airbus, with the aim of calculating the losses of various airlines so far so that Airbus headquarters can have a psychological expectation.
"Forget it, you'd better not know about it. You'll have sleepless nights tonight after hearing this." Leo said helplessly, "Although Xu Cang has received hush money, we can't take it lightly. You should pay more attention to the public opinion issues in the future to avoid any problems."
"I know that." Li Rongxian hesitated. "The longer this matter is delayed, the more trouble it will cause. Is it necessary to consider the matter of the Jinmen assembly plant that I told you about earlier?"
"Impossible!" Leo directly rejected Li Rongxian's proposal.
Li Rongxian was getting anxious now: "But if we keep dragging it out like this, it won't benefit anyone. This will be the largest market in the entire Asia-Pacific region. We can't lose it because of this, right? Xu Cang knows the cause of the explosion. We can at least talk to him about it..."
Li Rongxian is the head of the Asia-Pacific region. If he loses this market, his weight as the head of the Asia-Pacific region will be greatly reduced. Even from his own interests, Li Rongxian is unwilling to continue to be in a stalemate.
Just as Leo was thinking, they heard a surprised voice behind him: "Who do you think knows the cause of the engine explosion?"
Li Rongxian turned around and found that Ma Cheng and the representatives of Rongcheng Airlines were looking at them in disbelief.
…
On the grass at the head of the runway at Erhai Airport, Xu Cang and Qin Xin stood side by side. The strong wind made their clothes rustle, and their eyes were shining brightly.
After planning for a long time, Xu Cang was excited when he actually stepped on the land of Erhai Airport. This time he came to Erhai from Qizhou to take a look at the starting point of his future aviation empire.
Erhai Airport was built by leveling a hill. The runway today is almost a cliff. Qin Xin pointed to a vacant lot not far below and said, "That's the place approved for us to build a base in the future."
"Even the foundation has been approved. Is it that easy?" Xu Cang asked in surprise.
Qin Xin explained, "How could the Erhai Municipal Government grant us a piece of land? It was originally intended to be used as an airport office area. But later on, as you know, the routes at Erhai Airport were not developed, so the land was naturally abandoned, so it was easier for us to get the approval."
Xu Cang smiled and said, "Can it be bigger?"
"Well, what do you mean? You think it's not big enough? That piece of land is definitely enough to build a base!" Qin Xin asked puzzled.
"No matter if it's enough or not, we'll ask the city government later if they're willing to give us all of it, and we'll just pay enough money." Xu Cang's mouth was almost crooked with laughter. Coming from the future, he was born with such an unusual obsession with buying land, almost engraved in his genes. Anyway, the land price is very cheap now, the more the better, and when it develops later, it will be a huge profit.
Qin Xin didn't quite understand what Xu Cang meant, but didn't ask any more questions. She just kept this matter in mind.
Facing the wind, Xu Cang felt refreshed. This would be where he would work hard for a long time to come.
Suddenly, the phone in his trouser pocket rang. Xu Cang saw that it was Ma Cheng's number. He was slightly moved and answered the call: "What's the matter?"
"Xu Cang, do you know the reason why the No. 1 engine of 9451 exploded?" Ma Cheng asked impatiently.
Xu Cang didn't hide it at all: "Yes, I know."
"Why don't you tell me!" Ma Cheng almost yelled, "Do you know how much money we have lost recently?"
"What does it have to do with me?" Xu Cang asked back.
"What did you say?" Ma Cheng was stunned for a moment: "Do you know what you are saying?"
"I know!" Xu Cang laughed. "Didn't you think I was just a pilot at best and couldn't make any big waves? Do you still think so now? Let me put it this way. Do you want to know the reason? Then exchange it for a spot in Southwest Airlines to set up an airline!"
