Ten thousand meters above the Atlantic Ocean, a huge steel structure was flying in the void under the huge thrust of four GE CF6-80C2B engines. At this moment, the outside world was already pitch black, and most of the lights in the cabin of this Boeing 747 had been turned off. Many of the passengers had begun to rest, and only a few lights were still flickering in the slightly empty first-class cabin.
For long-distance flights across continents, the price of first-class seats is extremely expensive. Therefore, in many cases, the first-class seats on such flights are not too full. In this case, the first-class seats were less than one-third full, which may have something to do with the time of this flight.
About three hours later, the plane will land in Berlin, Germany, which is about 2:00 a.m. in the late night of Germany. This time is not a good time. Those rich people who can afford the high price of first-class seats, if it is not a particularly urgent matter, who would be willing to accept such a bad flight time?
However, due to the poor occupancy rate of the first-class cabin, the first-class area always maintained a relatively quiet environment, which was undoubtedly the only thing to be thankful for for the irritable Pratt & Whitney Power President Clark Lorenz.
From the moment he hurriedly boarded the plane, his troubled mood had been disturbing his brain. The news from Europe that the PW4000-112 engine of British Airways Flight 531 had a serious problem was like a sharp nail piercing his bones, and if he couldn't get a moment of peace on the plane, he felt like he was going crazy.
Perhaps the good days of Pratt & Whitney are really over. The PW8000 project has made the entire Pratt & Whitney hesitant, and a large amount of money is consumed every day to maintain the project. The PW4000 engine originally planned to be supplied to the Boeing 787 has encountered such a major problem shortly after Boeing announced the preliminary selection of the 787 power system. It is normal for Clark to have such emotions.
As one of the few passengers in the cabin with the reading light on, Clark dared not rest. As soon as he closed his eyes, he could not help but think of the criticism of Pratt & Whitney after the British Airways Flight 531 incident was made public. No matter what industry, doing business requires reputation, and the PW4000-112 engine is likely to destroy Pratt & Whitney's reputation.
Clark supported his head with one hand and closed his eyes slightly, but he was not sleepy at all. He was still thinking about how to meet with Xu Cang after landing in Berlin and transferring to Munich.
To be honest, Clark still doesn't know how to deal with the British Airways Flight 531 incident, but there is one thing he is sure of, that is, Xu Cang cannot speak.
As a witness to the incident and a person who solved the special situation, Xu Cang has an unparalleled say in this matter. His words and deeds will greatly affect the outside world's perception of Pratt & Whitney engines. Therefore, the key to solving the British Airways 531 incident may not lie with Xu Cang, but the key to controlling the escalation of the incident lies with Xu Cang.
As long as Xu Cang keeps silent, or even says that he can defend the Pratt & Whitney engine, Pratt & Whitney and Boeing can work together to minimize the impact of British Airways Flight 531 in the public opinion field.
But why didn't Xu Cang say anything?
The broken wing meant Xu Cang would die if it happened to any other pilot. Clark was almost certain that even Xu Cang had a narrow escape from death. In this case, could Xu Cang tolerate the culprit who put him in such danger?
Clark and Xu Cang didn't have much personal relationship, but he could almost tell from his feelings that Xu Cang was not someone who could be easily fooled. How to make Xu Cang remain neutral was almost the only purpose of Clark's trip to Europe.
However, when he was boarding the plane, he received another piece of news. Xu Cang decided to launch a rescue operation in the Alps at dawn in Germany. Clark certainly knew what happened in the Alps, but the news that the international rescue team had gone all out but returned empty-handed was also very clear.
At this moment, the intensity of wind and snow in the Alps has reached its peak. Xu Cang wants to land in the Alps at this time?
If it were someone else, Clark might think he was crazy, gambling his life for money. But for Xu Cang, everything was different. After all, he was a god who survived the rupture of the wing.
If he dares to do this, he will definitely succeed!
There were a large number of European civil aviation elites trapped in the Alps. If Xu Cang rescued them, he would surely win their favor. If Xu Cang said anything disgusting about Pratt & Whitney's engines again, these people would have some reaction, even if it was just out of superficial support for their savior.
These people will have a real impact on the European market, and the capacity of the European market is even larger than that of the American market. If this becomes turbulent, Pratt & Whitney will be in great trouble.
Just as Clark was daydreaming, a man's voice suddenly came from the seat next to him.
"Are you sure?" The person was none other than Clark's secretary: "Okay, I'll pass it on."
The secretary hung up the satellite phone. Ordinary mobile phones had no signal here, so only satellite phones could be used. Moreover, such things also required the permission of the airline. At least at that time, the saying that the phone would affect the aircraft's communication system was still popular.
However, as the president of Pratt & Whitney, there are some privileges, such as bringing a satellite phone on board and using it.
Under the slightly surprised gazes of the other first-class passengers, the secretary leaned over and approached Clark: "News came from the European branch that Xu Cang has determined the model of aircraft for the rescue operation in the Alps."
"Huh?" Clark noticed the secretary's expression and was slightly surprised: "Not Airbus 319?"
"No!" The secretary shook his head.
Clark was even more surprised: "Those European guys actually gave up such a good publicity opportunity?"
What better opportunity to make a stunning appearance than in the snow in the Alps?
"Which model is it?" Clark was a little confused for a moment. There was no aircraft more suitable than the A319 for this rescue flight.
The secretary's expression was a little strange: "Perhaps this is good news for us."
"Um?"
The secretary paused for a moment and said, "It is a CS300. He chose the CS300 as his own aircraft. The European branch confirmed that a CS300 originally belonging to Lufthansa has been transferred from Berlin to Munich. A thorough pre-flight inspection will be carried out at Munich Airport."
"CS300?" Clark was stunned: "CS300, then... PW6000..."
"Yes, if Xu Cang succeeds, it will be very good news for the PW6000 engine. Our PW6000 has just been put into commercial use and also lacks a good publicity message. Moreover, it can offset the negative impact brought by the PW4000 to a large extent."
The power system of the CS300 aircraft is the PW6000. Therefore, the secretary mentioned earlier that Xu Cang's choice of the CS300 to carry out this rescue operation is a good thing for Pratt & Whitney.
"Yes, yes." Clark breathed a sigh of relief. Ever since he learned the news about the PW4000 engine, he has been immersed in anxiety. Now he finally got some comforting news.
"I think we can ask the PR department to prepare in advance, for example..." Before the secretary finished speaking, the satellite phone rang again. He looked down at the number and did not answer it immediately. Instead, he looked at Clark: "It's from the secretary's office."
Clark frowned. He was a little frightened at this moment. He couldn't help feeling a little uneasy when his secretary called him.
He adjusted his mood and said, "Take it."
The secretary licked his dry lips and pressed the connect button. Soon, a sweet female voice came from the other end of the phone: "Mr. Holstein, are you with Mr. Lorenz?"
The secretary's name is Karl Holstein. He is the chief secretary of the secretariat and the entire secretariat is his subordinate.
"Yes, what's wrong?" Secretary Carl was also a little nervous, fearing that his subordinates would give him bad news in the next second.
As a result, the female subordinate said: "Bombardier's chief legal counsel wants to speak to Mr. Lorenz. If possible, I can transfer his call to you."
"Bombardier's chief legal counsel?" Secretary Carl really didn't expect that it was Bombardier's legal counsel who wanted to talk to Clark. He immediately covered the microphone and whispered to Clark: "Bombardier's chief legal counsel wants to talk to you. Do you want to transfer it to me?"
"Bombardier's?" Clark thought for a moment and said, "Give it to me."
Clark took the satellite phone from Secretary Carl and said into the receiver, "Transfer his call to me."
"OK."
Soon, accompanied by a few beeps, a man's thick and deep voice sounded: "Mr. Clark Lorenz?"
"It's me!"
"Hello, I'm the chief legal counsel of Bombardier Group." There was a hint of smile in the man's voice: "I'm sorry to bother you, but there is something I need to remind you of."
Clark didn't like the mocking voice, but he still said patiently: "What?"
"Not long ago, our company signed an agreement with Mr. Xu Cang, and Mr. Xu Cang's subsequent rescue operations in the Alps will use the CS300 aircraft provided by our company."
Clark's relaxed mood suddenly became tense. He smelled something bad: "So?"
"Since this is an agreement signed between our company and Mr. Xu, all the results of the rescue operation will belong to our company, including text, images, etc." Bombardier's legal advisor finally became serious: "In other words, if Mr. Xu Cang succeeds, your company may not use this as promotional material for the PW6000 engine. If your company violates this agreement directly or indirectly, we will definitely pursue your legal liability."
Clark had already felt that Bombardier had no good intentions in calling him, and now he was furious: "The CS300 aircraft uses our PW6000 engine, why can't I use it to promote it?"
"We cannot prohibit spontaneous public discussion. However, if your company deliberately promotes public opinion, it will be illegally gaining benefits from the agreement between our company and Mr. Xu. We can certainly hold your company legally responsible for this."
This sentence is actually easier to understand.
Bombardier certainly cannot organize spontaneous discussions among the public, but if there is no active promotion, many public opinions cannot form a scale. But if Pratt & Whitney deliberately promotes public opinion, it will undoubtedly benefit from it. However, this matter itself is an agreement between Bombardier and Xu Cang. Both paid a price, but Pratt & Whitney did not pay a penny, which is completely free.
Of course, this kind of thing is generally not easy to investigate, after all, it is a common behavior to take advantage of the hot spots. But if Bombardier insists on it, Pratt & Whitney will not dare to act too recklessly.
It is almost certain that the fact that Bombardier's legal department dared to call him proves that if Pratt & Whitney dares to cross the line in the future, Bombardier will have a way to deal with them.
Clark was so angry that he almost vomited blood on the spot: "Did you do this on purpose?"
This kind of thing originally belongs to a gray area, but Bombardier obviously took it too seriously. It is absolutely impossible that there is no personal grudge involved.
"Intentional?" Bombardier's legal advisor smiled, then his voice turned cold: "Isn't it obvious? Of course we did it on purpose. If there was no ban on the sale of PW6000, we would be willing to do you this favor to eliminate the negative public opinion brought about by the PW4000 engine. But now... you are still worried about how to deal with the British Airways Flight 531 incident."
"Damn it, this will only bring greater retaliation." Clark said hatefully.
"Is there anything worse than the current situation?" Bombardier's legal advisor said, "Unless you lift the ban on sales to us, or reach a third-party agreement with Mr. Xu."
Clark's eyelids were twitching wildly. He had a feeling that he was being led by the nose by Bombardier and Xu Cang.
"Cancel the ban?" Clark hesitated for a moment. "That's impossible. You should know why we banned sales to you. Being inconsistent in front of Airbus is also very damaging to us."
Clark had nothing to hide about something that everyone knew.
In fact, it would have been fine if he had rejected Airbus at the beginning. But now he was in a dilemma. He couldn't accept it first and then go back on his word. Wouldn't that be playing tricks on Airbus?
No one wants to offend Airbus, at least Pratt & Whitney Power doesn't want to.
There was silence on the other end of the conversation for several seconds, and then another man's deep voice came: "Then you can talk directly to Mr. Xu Cang's people."
After saying that, Bombardier hung up the phone.
Not long after, the phone went busy, and then there was a beep for the call to be transferred.
About five or six seconds later, a very young voice rang from the other end of the line: "Mr. Clark Lorenz?"
The owner of this voice does not seem to be a native English speaker. There is a slight accent, but it is extremely faint.
Thinking of what Bombardier's people had said before, Clark asked tentatively: "Xu Cang's people?"
"Yes, I am talking to you on behalf of Xu Cang. My name is Yi Feng." Yi Feng said with a smile: "I am Xu Cang's full representative. The guarantee I made to you represents Xu Cang."
"Yi Feng?" Clark clenched his right fist: "Xu Cang, what do you want to tell me?"
"I'm afraid Mr. Lorenz has made a mistake." Yi Feng acted very relaxed: "I think Mr. Lorenz has something to say to Xu Cang."
Clark's facial muscles twitched when he heard this: "Why are you teaming up with Bombardier? What benefit can you get by going against us?"
"No, no, no, Mr. Lorenz misunderstood. We never wanted to go against Pratt & Whitney. In fact, we wanted to give Pratt & Whitney a big gift."
"Oh?" Clark's expression eased a little: "What?"
"An order for 100 PW6000 engines." Yi Feng said, "Since the PW6000 was fully commercialized, this should be the first big order, right? Is this considered a big gift?"
"An order for 100 PW6000 engines?" Clark was moved when he heard this. This was undoubtedly a big order, and it had a strong demonstration effect. It was not an exaggeration to say that it was a great gift. However, Clark also had a little doubt in his heart: "You should know how much these 100 PW6000s will cost. I don't want this to be just an intention order that cannot be realized."
It's not that Clark looked down on Xu Cang, but based on Clark's understanding of Xu Cang, it is unlikely that Xu Cang would come up with the money to buy one hundred PW6000 engines, unless Xu Cang obtained a considerable amount of financing from the outside world.
"We will pay the deposit according to the process." Yi Feng said with a smile: "However, as the first large order of PW6000, can Mr. Lorenz give us a good discount?"
"This is negotiable." Clark's tone softened slightly.
Anyway, as a businessman, no one will refuse a big order, and no one will impose certain bad emotions on their buyers.
However, Yi Feng obviously wanted more than just a “negotiable” discount, but a clearer and bigger commitment: “Mr. Lorenz, I mean the most favored treatment.”
"Most..." Clark was obviously stunned. After a brief shock, he even laughed out of anger: "Mr. Yi, only those who have cooperated with us for more than ten years can get the most favorable treatment. If I remember correctly, this is your first cooperation with us. Is it inappropriate to ask for the most favorable treatment for the first cooperation?"
In fact, Clark was already quite restrained. If the other party was not Xu Cang's spokesperson, he would have directly called this person shameless. He dared to make such an impolite request, and he really didn't know his own limitations.
"Mr. Lorenz, perhaps the conversation you had with Bombardier just now has not been deeply imprinted in your mind, but I can remind you. If you agree to give us the most favorable treatment, you will not be held accountable by Bombardier. You can promote the performance of the PW6000 in the Alps as much as you want, and you don't have to be afraid of Xu Cang's heartfelt words on the British Airways Flight 531 incident. He will remain silent, as if he didn't hear the sound of the low-pressure fan blades of the PW4000-112 engine scraping against the inner wall."
After hearing the second half of Yi Feng's words, Clark couldn't hold it anymore. This meant that Xu Cang not only knew that the source of the British Airways Flight 531 incident was the Pratt & Whitney engine, but he even had some guesses about the cause of the incident. This was simply a blow to Clark's sore spot.
"Damn it, you are simply getting something for nothing." Clark's heart was bleeding: "I admit that your order has indeed given PW6000 a good start. However, we are confident that PW6000 will not have trouble selling. Your order of 100 PW6000s was obtained at the most favorable price, and we have saved at least 200 million US dollars. I will invest this money in public relations, and Xu Cang doesn't have to remain silent. I don't believe that 200 million US dollars in public relations fees can't stop this matter. What's more, Boeing is helping in this matter. What you pay is not at the same level as what we pay."
Money can’t solve many problems, but in many cases it’s not because money is limited, it’s simply because money is not enough. Two hundred million dollars in public relations fees can basically turn black into white in public opinion. Especially in civil aviation, which is relatively uncommon and relatively easy to deal with.
In fact, even if Clark really had to spend 200 million US dollars on public relations, he would not be able to bear it. He said this simply because he felt that Yi Feng's request was too outrageous, and it was no longer something that could be described as exorbitant.
He admitted that Xu Cang's attitude was important now, but he couldn't take advantage of him like that. It was a bit too much.
Perhaps noticing this, Yi Feng suddenly asked, "What if we add the matter of the PW8000 engine?"
"What?" Clark was obviously stunned for a moment. He immediately thought of the previous reply from Spring Airlines and asked excitedly, "Xu Cang agreed to participate in the flight test of PW8000?"
"That's right, but you must at least build a prototype that is suitable enough. Otherwise, without the minimum safety guarantee, Xu Cang can't gamble his life on an uncertain future."
Due to Pratt & Whitney's doubts about the future of variable speed engines, the PW8000 engine project has been stalled, and even the prototype has not been built. Xu Cang can tolerate certain risks, but this risk cannot be infinite. With the prototype, at least it means that this engine has undergone some safety tests, thus eliminating some extremely low-level failures.
At least, Xu Cang could not tolerate the situation that during a test flight, the outer wall of the engine fell off, just like British Airways Flight 531, and then the engine failure spread to the wing.
Just because he could survive once in perfect condition doesn't mean he can survive next time. If Xu Cang had any rationality, he would never choose to do it again.
Therefore, Xu Cang can participate in the flight test of PW8000, but Pratt & Whitney must ensure basic safety.
This was definitely not an excessive request, and Clark didn't even think about it: "Okay, we will let Xu Cang come for flight tests after we have completed sufficient ground tests."
"What about the order for PW6000 engines?" Yi Feng asked.
"If Xu Cang agrees to participate in the test flight of PW8000, this deal can be reached." There is no doubt that this is not an easy deal, but a big profit. Whether it is Xu Cang's technology or the successful precedents of Boeing 777 and Trent 1000 that he participated in before, this deal is undoubtedly worth it.
However, Yi Feng did not end the conversation because of this: "Mr. Lorenz, if this condition is added, we will become the party that pays more on the scale."
Clark paused for a moment. He felt uneasy about Yi Feng's fussy style. "What other conditions do you have?"
At this moment, Pratt & Whitney has paid enough, at least that's what Clark thinks. However, if Yi Feng doesn't think so, the deal can't be done. He was afraid that Yi Feng would put forward some unacceptable conditions. After all, in this deal, Pratt & Whitney was the more urgent one.
"It's just a trivial condition." Yi Feng smiled and said, "As far as I know, your parent company United Technologies Group has a good relationship with AMR Group?"
"Hmm?" Clark was a little confused by Yi Feng's words: "To be precise, our aviation system department has close cooperation with AMR's SABRE Group. What do you mean? Why are you asking this?"
"If I remember correctly, AMR also manages American Airlines, right?"
Clark became more and more confused as he listened: "What exactly do you want to say?"
"If I can, I hope Pratt & Whitney can convince American Airlines of one thing through the relationship between United Technologies and AMR."
"American Airlines?" Clark was stunned: "What's the matter?"
Yi Feng smiled: "Regarding the selection of partners for international routes between the United States and Japan."
…
Soon, in the conference room of Spring Airlines' Erhai headquarters, Yi Feng hung up the phone. Qin Xin and Lu Jinghua were standing beside him. As soon as Yi Feng hung up the phone, Qin Xin asked anxiously, "What did Pratt & Whitney say?"
"It's OK." Yi Feng threw the phone on the table: "It went well."
Hearing this, Qin Xin and Lu Jinghua couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
However, Lu Jinghua soon became puzzled: "Xu Cang asked the trapped people to hand over one-tenth of their wealth and gave them a three-year deadline. Isn't this condition too generous? At this critical moment of life and death, even if they were asked to give half of their wealth, they would probably be willing."
Lu Jinghua's idea was normal and feasible. As a result, Xu Cang only asked them to hand over one-tenth of their assets and gave them three years, which was extremely lenient. You know, Xu Cang took a huge risk to save them, and such conditions were obviously unreasonable.
But Yi Feng had a different opinion. He shook his head and said, "No, Xu Cang never wanted a one-time deal. One-tenth of his wealth is enough. This way, Xu Cang can get enough return without causing resentment from those people. Once they are all rescued, we can use this as a bond in the future to gain more long-term benefits."
Many of those people in the Alps have considerable power in the civil aviation industry. Having good relations with them will help us compete for the European market in the future. Moreover, we should not be too extreme in everything. The price of half of our fortune is too exaggerated. Even if they agree, they may unite to retaliate against Xu Cang after they get out of trouble.
Therefore, the price proposed by Xu Cang cannot be too harsh, but it must also bring him considerable benefits. One-tenth is the standard he has considered carefully.
"Longer term interests? Do we have to enter Europe in the future?" Lu Jinghua curled his lips, obviously not agreeing with the feasibility of this idea.
Of course, Lu Jinghua’s vision couldn’t see that far, and Yi Feng didn’t explain too much.
"Yi Feng, the deposit for the order of 100 PW6000s is also a large sum. AVIC does not want to get involved, and our finance department cannot give so much money..." Qin Xin said.
"It's okay. When Xu Cang rescues those trapped in the Alps, even if it's only one-tenth of the money, the amount of money will be huge, which can be used to pay for 100 PW6000 engines." Yi Feng said, "Such a large order cannot be settled in one go, and it is reasonable to extend it to three years, which coincides with the payment period Xu Cang gave to the trapped people. We don't need to continue to allocate additional funds."
Just like buying an airplane, it is impossible to pay the full amount of such a high-value commodity that costs tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of dollars at once. Just like ordinary people buying houses, many people will pay in installments. However, it is not necessary to pay in ten years as Xu Cang and Li Rongcheng proposed before. A three-year installment period is still more common.
Therefore, Xu Cang's additional three-year grace period was based on this consideration. This made Xu Cang appear more generous, and it would not delay the payment of PW6000.
One tenth of one's wealth may not seem like much, but in fact, many people's wealth is in fixed assets, and if they are asked to take out one tenth of their wealth in cash all at once, they may not be able to do so. However, if the time is extended to three years, it will be much easier.
Lu Jinghua was right, Xu Cang's conditions were indeed extremely generous.
"What about the issue with the US route?" Lu Jinghua snorted. "What has been said about Xu Cang in Japan? ANA has not come out to speak for Xu Cang. He is just a coward. Even so, Xu Cang still wants to help ANA solve the issue of the US-Japan route?"
Yi Feng smiled and said, "ANA's US routes can give us a lot of profit sharing, which is easy money. Moreover, Xu Cang has other plans, and ANA must focus on international routes. If ANA suffers another setback on the US-Japan route, they may completely abandon international routes and choose to retreat. This is not a good thing, so we must give them hope so that they can continue to do what they did before."
At this point, Lu Jinghua was a little confused: "ANA shifting its focus to international routes...what good will that do us?"
"Um... this... is a bit complicated." Yi Feng was not able to explain Xu Cang's plan to Lu Jinghua: "This involves many aspects, such as NUS Airlines, All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, Jiasu Airlines and JCAB."
"Alright, alright!" After hearing this, Lu Jinghua felt overwhelmed: "I will just take good care of Spring Airlines, and you don't have to explain to me. Just think about these things."
Lu Jinghua was relatively aware of the limits of his abilities. Just from Yi Feng's few words, he knew that this was simply beyond his control.
Compared to Lu Jinghua's business problems, Qin Xin expressed extreme concern about Xu Cang's decision to go to the Alps. She knew what the Alps were like just from watching TV, but Xu Cang wanted to fly deep into them.
"Yi Feng, regarding Xu Cang's plan to go to the Alps..." Qin Xin asked in a low voice: "Can we stop him?"
Yi Feng shook his head very directly: "I'm afraid not. Xu Cang needs to complete some things for this matter, which not only involves Bombardier and Pratt & Whitney, but also Rolls-Royce."
"Luo Luo?" Qin Xin was a little confused: "Hasn't Xu Cang's agreement with Luo Luo been fulfilled? That Trent 1000, right?"
"No, there is another new one." Yi Feng said, "It is about the longer-term distribution rights of the Trent engine in Asia Pacific and the cooperation with Rolls-Royce's engine maintenance factory in China."
Qin Xin recalled briefly: "I haven't heard Xu Cang mention this."
"This is a temporary addition." Yi Feng said with a smile: "Don't worry, this matter seems troublesome, but according to Xu Cang, it is just a piece of cake and free money."
"Is that so?" To be honest, Qin Xin also felt a little helpless.
At this juncture, Lu Jinghua was no longer useful in many matters, and Qin Xin was actually incapable of doing anything. Only Yi Feng could understand and execute Xu Cang's instructions with ease, which was also an important reason why Xu Cang "asked" Yi Feng from Guoda Airlines.
At this moment, the door of the conference room was pushed open, and Lu Yao, the legal advisor of Spring Airlines, came in. He was supposed to be in Jeju Island, South Korea, but he had recently dealt with most of the things there and temporarily returned to China to help.
After entering, Lu Yao nodded to Qin Xin first, then turned to Yi Feng and said, "Boss Yi, the news from Asiana Airlines is that Korean Airlines has officially made an offer to acquire Asiana Airlines."
"Oh?" Yi Feng smiled and said, "Did Park Seok-won send it?"
"Yes." Lu Yao nodded. "Not long ago, Daehan made a private offer to Asiana Airlines. Now that it has been made public, it should be that the top management of both sides have reached a preliminary agreement."
Yi Feng pursed his lips and said, "Then this time we are going to do it for real. We have finally come to this point."
As he spoke, Yi Feng looked at Lu Yao and said, "Is the matter on Jeju Island almost done?"
"Well, the process of registering the company went smoothly, and there are only some unimportant things left. Mr. Yi, do you need me to go back and keep an eye on it?"
"No need." Yi Feng shook his head: "It's good that you're back. There's something I need you to do down there."
Lu Yao hurriedly said, "Yi Feng, please give me your orders."
"Go to the archives of the Ministry of Justice. There are files about the Minzhuang air crash. You will take over the case in the future and file a class action lawsuit against Korean Air."
"Minzhuang air crash?" Lu Yao thought for a moment and said, "But the key to this matter lies in the Korean Civil Aviation Administration's characterization of the incident. The Korean Civil Aviation Administration has not yet determined the nature of the incident, so the lawsuit is likely to fall into a situation of wrangling."
"Don't worry, the Korean Civil Aviation Administration will make a decision soon, and it will be the result you want." Yi Feng smiled and said, "Just prepare, the legal department of Muhua Airlines will provide support, and the bigger the momentum, the better. If you need funds, you can directly write a budget list, and the finance department will allocate it to you as soon as possible after reviewing it."
Lu Yao was from the legal department of Muhua Airlines. He certainly knew how powerful the legal department of Muhua Airlines was. However, this kind of thing was not something that lawyers could influence. Even if it became a big deal, it would not actually help much in the judgment. Without the final conclusion of the accident by the Korean Civil Aviation Administration, Korean Air would not be able to win the lawsuit. It would be a problem for it to keep dragging it out.
"Boss Yi, the current situation is..."
Lu Yao wanted to explain his thoughts, but Yi Feng raised his hand to stop him: "Xu Cang has thought of everything you have thought of. He has also thought of everything you have not thought of. So, don't question it, just do it."
Lu Yao was startled, but in the end he didn't say anything else, just nodded: "I understand, I will do it."
After saying that, Lu Yao prepared to leave.
Just as he walked to the door, Yi Feng suddenly called him: "I almost forgot something."
Lu Yao stopped and said, "Boss Yi, what's wrong?"
"Next to the files on the Minzhuang air crash, there is another document. You can take it out and study it together."
"Hmm?" Lu Yao frowned: "What file?"
Yi Feng smiled and said, "Very interesting document, about...Air Seoul."
…
On the sloping grass in front of the Munich Hotel in Germany, even though the sky was full of stars, Xu Cang did not feel sleepy at all. He just sat on the grass bored, looking up at the night that seemed to remain unchanged forever.
Suddenly, Xu Cang smiled: "You rushed here from England in such a hurry, just to watch the stars with me?"
"Why not watch the stars with a legendary figure who is destined to go down in the history of civil aviation?" Behind Xu Cang, Rolls-Royce's chief engineer Jonathan stood with his hands behind his back and a hint of fatigue on his face.
Since Xu Cang decided to use the CS300 aircraft to enter the Alps, he flew directly from the Rolls-Royce headquarters on a business jet. It was normal for him to be tired after the long journey.
"Then you are really very elegant." Xu Cang leaned back, supporting himself with his hands, looking extremely relaxed.
Jonathan couldn't help but be surprised when he saw Xu Cang's expression. This was totally not the state of a person who had survived a disaster and was about to face a life-and-death flight.
"Are you really not afraid at all?" Jonathan asked suddenly.
"Do you mean before or after?"
"Both!" Jonathan took a deep breath. "Whether it was the wing failure of British Airways Flight 531 or the possible trip to the Alps in the near future, shouldn't you be afraid?"
Xu Cang did not answer immediately, but bent his right leg and put his right arm on his knee: "You are not me, so I can't explain to you my current state. Tell me, you came all the way from England, not just to see the stars."
Jonathan looked at Xu Cang, who didn't even turn his head, with mixed feelings: "There is a Rolls-Royce engine workshop at Munich Airport in Germany."
"Well, I saw it." Xu Cang said: "So, what do you want to say?"
"Give us three hours, and we can adapt the Trent 1000 to the CS300." Jonathan said solemnly: "When Bombardier was looking for a power system for the CS300 aircraft, it also came to us. We have relevant data on the CS300 power system interface. According to our calculations, the Trent 1000 is very compatible with the CS300, so we can..."
"Does Bombardier know about this?" Xu Cang suddenly interrupted Jonathan: "The Trent 1000 is very compatible with the CS300?"
Jonathan's face froze. "Well... Of course, the adaptability of the Trent 1000 is certainly not as good as the PW6000. After all, the power system interface of the CS300 is specially designed for the PW6000. But such minor flaws can be ignored."
"We are not going there for fun, Mr. Jonathan." Xu Cang sighed, "I know that the choice of power system for the 787 project was a big blow to you, so you are eager to prove the superiority of the Trent 1000 so that Boeing can change its mind. However, Boeing dared to make an official announcement at the press conference, which shows that this decision is not so easy to change."
"What's impossible?" Jonathan suddenly said excitedly, "In British Airways Flight 531, the outer wall of the PW4000-112 engine fell off. This will undoubtedly deduct a lot of points from Boeing. This is obviously an opportunity for us."
"Is this really an opportunity?" Xu Cang turned around and said, "The intake problem of your Trent 700 was also quite serious. Did it affect the subsequent sales of the Trent 700? An engine failure is serious, but it is definitely not fatal."
Xu Cang's words left Jonathan speechless. The problem with the Trent 700 intake mentioned by Xu Cang was indeed true. This problem directly caused the outer wall of a running engine to be punctured, which was no different from the outer wall of the engine falling off on British Airways Flight 531 not long ago.
Therefore, Rolls-Royce may not be qualified to make fun of Pratt & Whitney, they are all the same.
However, even with such a big problem, the sales of the Trent 700 engine only experienced a short-term slump, and soon recovered. This is the foundation of the aviation engine giant. Everyone is willing to believe that this kind of thing is just an accident, not a quality problem of the engine itself.
Is the British Airways Flight 531 incident serious to Pratt & Whitney? Of course it is serious.
However, it is obviously a bit delusional to cancel the PW4000-112's position in the 787 project simply because of this incident.
However, at least it gave Luo Luo a chance to take advantage of the situation.
On the one hand, the PW4000-112 engine is extremely poor, while on the other hand, the Trent 1000 has excellent performance. In this comparison, it is possible that Boeing will really change its mind, but even this possibility is relatively small.
Although Jonathan realized this, he still felt a little at a loss when Xu Cang pointed it out directly.
"I won't allow some unexpected possibilities to occur in a winning situation just for a low-probability event." Xu Cang confirmed.
Jonathan didn't actually hold out much hope, but after hearing what Xu Cang said, he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. However, he understood Xu Cang's character. Once he made a decision, he would not change it easily. If he said more, it would only make Xu Cang dislike him.
"I see." Jonathan was a little dejected. "I brought the lawyer of British Airways President Ashiris with me. The vice president there, Jerry Parikh, is very ambitious. I was worried that he would deliberately make things difficult for Ashiris' lawyer, so I... brought him here."
After Jonathan finished speaking, he scratched his head and prepared to leave.
At this moment, Xu Cang stood up and said, "Jonathan, I can't guarantee you that Boeing will choose the Trent 1000 for the 787. But if you want Boeing to give up the PW4000-112, I think I can do it."
Jonathan froze halfway through his turn. “Are you sure?”
"Do you still remember the previous agreement?" Xu Cang suddenly smiled: "Extending the Asia-Pacific distribution rights of the Trent series engines for ten years and the cooperation project at the Rolls-Royce engine maintenance factory?"
Jonathan's eyes lit up: "But, you said it was impossible at the time."
"It's possible now." Xu Cang asked, "Is the agreement still valid?"
"It works, it works!" Jonathan was extremely excited: "As long as we can bring down Pratt & Whitney, we are confident that we can replace PW4000-112."
Xu Cang stretched out his right hand: "Then...is it a deal?"
Jonathan was stunned for a moment and also stretched out his right hand.
The two men shook hands, but Jonathan didn't understand one thing: "Xu Cang, I'm curious about what you can do to make Boeing give up the PW4000-112."
Xu Cang retracted his right hand and looked towards the endless night sky: "Given Pratt & Whitney's status, Boeing will give it great respect and patience, so the British Airways 531 incident is unlikely to destroy Boeing's trust in Pratt & Whitney. But if it doesn't work once, then let's try a second time!"
Xu Cang felt the night breeze blowing, and the coolness that penetrated his heart calmed his surging heart a little: "The wind is blowing, let's get started!"