Chapter 385: Repaying a favor! Buying a top-notch manor in the Alps for one dollar!
"Did you think of this when you decided to build the second Jianchuan airport?"
"Jianchuan Airport itself has many problems. A second airport is inevitable. Jianchuan Urban Investment Group is responsible for airport construction, and they are the ones bearing the pressure." Xu Cang said, "I am sure that Jianchuan Urban Investment Group has absolutely no money to build a second airport now."
Yi Feng whispered, "I always thought you wanted to invest in the second airport in order to completely occupy it in the early stage."
"This actually doesn't make sense." Xu Cang said, "We already have absolute initiative in Jianchuan. Why should we invest more than 10 billion to build a new airport just to consolidate this initiative? The effort and return are not equal in themselves."
"So, from the very beginning, you wanted Jianchuan City Investment to mediate the issue of the electronic payment license?"
"That's right." Xu Cang admitted: "Moreover, the site selection problem of Jianchuan Airport itself has become more and more obvious recently. Jianchuan Urban Investment will seriously consider my opinion. In addition, in this matter, I can also remove some unpleasant little flies by the way."
"Little fly, who?"
Xu Cang smiled and said, "Nothing, I should get the news soon. Have you booked the plane ticket for me?"
"Well, it's ready. The Southwest flight will be on the evening of September 11th, local time in Japan." Yi Feng said, "However, there are no direct flights to the United States that day, so we need to stop in Guam. The flight departs from Tokyo on a 737, and after landing in Guam, it will stop at the Guam airport for two and a half hours, and then we will take another 747 to San Francisco."
"We have to make a stop." Xu Cang took a breath. This made him unhappy. After all, the trans-Pacific flight was already tiring, and with a stop in Guam, the total time would probably be more than fifteen hours. It was really unbearable.
"There's nothing we can do. Pratt & Whitney is pushing us so hard. We have no choice but to do this on September 11. Forget about direct flights. Even if it's a stopover, there's only one early flight. But don't you have to attend a hearing in the morning? You'll definitely miss it." Yi Feng actually felt uncomfortable with Pratt & Whitney's decision: "Pratt & Whitney is pushing us like they're rushing us to reincarnate. You have to attend a hearing in the morning. If you take a short break, you'll have to fly to the United States in the evening. You won't have any time to rest..."
"The Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 is hanging over our heads. How can their PW4000-112 engine compare to the Trent 1000? It would not be surprising if Boeing decided to change the power option of the 787 to the Trent 1000. The 787 project is still under development, and Pratt & Whitney still has a little time. If they can make a major breakthrough in the new engine in a short period of time, the 787 project should still be saved."
"But didn't you say that the PW8000 engine would never succeed?"
"At this stage, Pratt & Whitney's accumulated technology is not enough to solve the surge problem caused by the speed change of the low-pressure fan , unless they can immediately obtain the three-rotor technology to fundamentally solve the surge problem." Xu Cang smiled and said, "Of course, maybe in seven or eight years, they will have accumulated enough technology, and even with dual rotors, they can still solve it."
"Then why are you still going to participate in the test flight?" Yi Feng asked anxiously: "Aren't you just asking for danger?"
"That's fine. If we don't give it a try, how can we convince Pratt & Whitney that variable-speed engines are simply not going to work at this stage? Otherwise, how can we convince Pratt & Whitney to sell its variable-speed planetary gear technology?"
Pratt & Whitney still has high expectations for variable-speed engines, so even without the instigation of GM's CEO, it is highly unlikely that it would easily sell the planetary gear technology. This time, Xu Cang played with Pratt & Whitney to let Pratt & Whitney recognize the current prospects of variable-speed engines. Once Pratt & Whitney found that variable-speed engines had no future, it would be a natural thing to sell the planetary gear technology.
In fact, the first flight of a real variable speed engine will not take place until ten years later. It is too early for Pratt & Whitney to start this project at this point in time. If it were not for Xu Cang, Pratt & Whitney would not have the confidence to put this project on hold. It would be perfect to wait for several years until time and technology have accumulated before restarting this project.
Why did Xu Cang take the initiative to help Pratt & Whitney test the PW8000? It was to let Pratt & Whitney start this project at a missed opportunity when it obviously did not have enough technology accumulation. As long as the project failed, Pratt & Whitney would fall into great confusion and doubt. At this time, it would be much easier to acquire planetary gear technology at a relatively high price.
Yi Feng understood the truth, but in the final analysis, it still comes down to that sentence: "Xu Cang, no matter what, you still have to pay attention to safety."
"That's natural." This time he was just playing around with Pratt & Whitney, not risking his life. It was completely different from the last cooperation with Rolls-Royce. During the test flight, if he found anything wrong, Xu Cang would naturally stop at the right time: "By the way, maybe you have to buy me another plane ticket."
"Huh? Where are you going? Like you, to America." Yi Feng asked curiously, "Who?"
"Xia Shuyue, she's going to the United States with me." Xu Cang explained, "I just received the ground test documents for the PW8000. This engine has obvious engine vibration. Although I have obtained the test flight certificate, I am still worried. I am not worried about the engine vibration, but I am worried that the engine vibration will extend to the fuselage. You know, the incident in Europe left me with a shadow of the fuselage fracture , but there is no instrument to test the integrity of the fuselage, so I need Xia Shuyue to go with me."
Yi Feng was a little confused: "How can Xia Shuyue know when the body is about to break?"
"That's what I mean."
"No..." Yi Feng was full of question marks: "What's the principle behind this?"
"She has very good hearing." Xu Cang said, "In the special situations I experienced with her several times before, she could hear the tiny sounds of the machine's distortion earlier and more clearly than I could."
Yi Feng fell silent for a moment. It seemed a little strange to judge that the fuselage was broken by hearing, but it seemed much more believable coming from Xu Cang's mouth.
However, Xu Cang would never talk nonsense. The most direct example was the emergency landing at Tianshan a long time ago. Due to the wrong operation of the captain on duty, the plane was under a huge load and on the verge of disintegration. It was Xia Shuyue, a trainee flight attendant at the time, who first heard the twisting of the fuselage and reported it to the cockpit.
For this, Xia Shuyue was commended afterwards.
Not only during the emergency landing at Tianshan, but also in the 1566 incident, Xia Shuyue's reaction to the rupture of the machine was earlier than Xu Cang's.
As Xu Cang said before, he was not risking his life this time, and he would definitely prioritize safety. If there were other aircraft failures, Xu Cang was confident that he could solve them, but if the fuselage broke, Xu Cang felt it was extremely dangerous. At least, Xu Cang didn't want to experience the same thing as the wing breaking in Europe.
"Is that so? Does that mean Xia Shuyue will also participate in the test flight?"
"Yes, she doesn't have to do anything else but guard against the possibility of the fuselage breaking."
Yi Feng nodded: "I understand, I will get it done for her, have you contacted her?"
"She hasn't said it yet, but she should agree. You can just go and get it done, as well as her visa and stuff." Xu Cang thought of something: "By the way, what time did you book the flight for me?"
"What time? Hiss, it seems to be around ten o'clock at night?" Yi Feng scratched his head: "I can't remember clearly, Southwest flight 3102. If you want to know, I can go and confirm it again."
"Ten o'clock, no thanks, this is indeed a good time."
"Why? Is this a good time? Why do I feel so bad?"
"Nothing, that's all, hanging up."
The voice fell, and the phone was hung up. Yi Feng muttered: "What's good about this time at ten o'clock in the evening?"
However, Xu Cang's train of thought has always been very peculiar. If he doesn't take a few detours, it's impossible to understand him. Fortunately, it's just a matter of a plane ticket, and Yi Feng feels that there shouldn't be anything worth thinking about.
"Alas, this person is really cunning." Putting away his phone, Yi Feng looked at Lu Jinghua who looked strange in front of him: "What's wrong?"
"Xu Cang?"
"Yes." Yi Feng drank the rest of the coffee in one gulp: "Let's go, there's no point in staying here. Boss Qin's plan will continue to move forward, and that's still Xu Cang's decision."
Lu Jinghua's face was much calmer now: "Xu Cang's words, then I have no objection. Okay, I will communicate with the General Administration and try to carry out the process in the most peaceful way possible."
Lu Jinghua was quite convinced of Xu Cang. As long as Xu Cang thought it was okay, no matter how outrageous it was, Lu Jinghua would only think that he was outrageous instead of thinking that Xu Cang was wrong.
Yi Feng found a trash can to throw away the paper cup. In a blink of an eye, Lu Jinghua had left. Yi Feng smacked his lips and let out a sigh of relief. He still had to go to Xianchi later. Even Yi Feng was not willing to face Gong Yue.
Gong Yue is one generation older than me, so the conversation in the near future will probably not be pleasant.
However, since I brought a big gift with me, I thought Gong Yue would give me a little face.
Feeling a little uneasy, Yi Feng slowly left the lounge. Just as he walked out, he received a call from the guard room saying that a European was looking for Xu Cang.
Now that Xu Cang is not here and Qin Xin is temporarily away from the headquarters due to some matters, it is natural for them to look for the third person, Yi Feng.
"What's his name?"
"I think his name is Byron Warwick." The person in the reception room outside the door said, "He said he met Mr. Xu in Europe."
"Have you met in Europe?" Yi Feng pondered: "The time with Luo Luo?"
However, Yi Feng felt like he had heard the name Byron Warwick somewhere.
"Did he say what he wanted to do with Xu Cang?"
"Giving a gift." The guard said, "He said he wanted to give Mr. Xu a big gift. However, I didn't see him carrying anything, and there was no one following him. Mr. Yi, he is in the reception room now, do you want to let him in?"
Yi Feng thought for a moment and said, "Let him in. Take him directly to my office."
After saying that, Yi Feng wondered whether he should call Xu Cang again. After hesitating for a moment, he dialed the number anyway. However, the call was terminated as soon as it rang.
"Hang up on me?" Yi Feng was stunned and did not call again. He guessed that Xu Cang had something to do and was not convenient to answer the phone.
But it doesn’t matter. Let’s first hear what big gift this Byron Warwick has brought.
About five minutes later, at the door of Yi Feng's office, the guard led a white man into the room. The man was straight-built, wearing a plaid suit, with neatly combed hair and a pair of black-framed glasses. He looked like a typical elite.
However, after seeing this Byron Warwick, Yi Feng could be sure that he did not know this uninvited guest.
However, proper courtesy is still necessary. After Byron Warwick arrived, Yi Feng stood up to greet him and extended his hand: "Hello, Mr. Warwick, I am Yi Feng."
"Mr. Yi, nice to meet you." Byron Warwick responded in Chinese and shook hands with Yi Feng. He glanced around the office and asked, "I heard that Mr. Xu Cang is not here?"
Yi Feng nodded: "Xu Cang is in Japan now."
"Japan?" Byron Warwick frowned. "I wonder if he will be back soon?"
"If nothing unexpected happens, no! He will be in Japan for the next few days. Even after the matter in Japan is over, he will go to the United States immediately and will not return to China in the short term." Yi Feng smiled in a standard way: "I wonder what Mr. Warwick wants to talk to Xu Cang about?"
When Byron Warwick heard that Xu Cang would not be returning to China in the short term, he immediately showed a hint of disappointment: "Then I came at a very unfortunate time."
Yi Feng looked at Byron Warwick and suddenly exclaimed, as if he had thought of something: "Mr. Warwick, I know there is a very famous human rights lawyer in Europe, and I think his name is Byron Warwick. I wonder..."
"Hahaha, that's exactly me. It's just some small fame, not worth mentioning." Byron Warwick laughed.
Yi Feng took a deep breath, this reputation was not insignificant. Byron Warwick was almost the most popular lawyer in Europe, and the legal departments of many top giant companies were drooling over him.
However, Byron Warwick was not very interested in making money, but was extremely keen on protecting the human rights of the middle and lower classes, so he had a great reputation among the European people.
Yi Feng didn't know much about the legal world, but even so, he knew Byron Warwick. However, he never expected that this great lawyer would come here, so he didn't contact him at the first time.
"Mr. Warwick, hearing about him is worse than meeting him in person. I have long admired him."
Yi Feng still has great respect for this top lawyer, not only for Byron Warwick's charitable behavior on human rights issues, but also for practical interests.
A big lawyer really has the ability to turn black into white. In modern society, this ability is extremely terrifying.
If Byron Warwick could work at Spring Airlines, it would basically be Pizza Hut, at least in legal terms.
However, this kind of thing is just thinking about it, and it is completely " fantasy time".
Byron Warwick waved his hand and said, "Mr. Yi, you are too polite. I have something to ask Mr. Xu Cang. I wonder where he is in Japan now. I can go find him."
"Mr. Warwick, Xu Cang has important things to do in Japan now. I think it's better not to disturb him." Yi Feng said seriously: "I heard from the guard that Mr. Warwick met Xu Cang in Europe. I wonder when?"
"Mr. Xu landed a Boeing 777 with a broken wing in Europe. Unfortunately, my brother was on that plane."
"Oh, so that's how it is." Yi Feng suddenly realized: "Then why is Mr. Warwick coming here this time?"
"I also said when I came here just now, of course it's a gift, a big gift." As he said this, Byron Warwick had a smile on his face: "I wonder if Mr. Yi knows about the Obiero Manor in the Alps."
"Obilo Manor, the top manor in the ski resort?" Yi Feng frowned and thought of something: "If I remember correctly, after Xu Cang dealt with the broken wing in Europe, he also carried out an aerial rescue. The destination was Obilo Manor, right?"
"Yes, it is the Obiro Manor." Byron Warwick nodded: "The gift this time is that manor. If possible, I hope Mr. Xu Cang can accept the Obiro Manor."
"This..." Yi Feng was stunned, his brain went blank for a short time: "Obiro Manor, that is a world-famous top manor, we... have no plan to acquire it for the time being."
Obiero Manor occupies the largest flat land on the hillside of the Alps. It has an extremely excellent location and is adjacent to a huge private ski resort. Not only does it have excellent scenery, but it is also the ski resort of choice for many wealthy people. It is an asset that makes money without doing anything.
Such a manor is priced out of the market, and it may not be sold even if you pay. Moreover, even if they are willing to sell it, it will definitely be a sky-high price. Although Xu Cang has a lot of assets and a lot of income now, he makes a lot of money and spends even more, so he doesn't have the money to buy Obiro Manor.
However, this proposal also made Yi Feng very envious.
If we can take over Obiero Manor, we will make a lot of money.
"Is it because of... money?" Byron Warwick laughed.
"Ahem." Yi Feng cleared his throat and said, "I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Mr. Warwick. I'm really short of money."
Byron Warwick laughed and said, "It's okay. It won't cost a lot of money."
"No, no, no, it still costs some money." Yi Feng wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"It really won't cost much." Byron Warwick said with a smile, "When we were in Europe, Mr. Xu accepted a dollar bill from me as a reward for his rescue. I don't know if Mr. Xu Cang still has that dollar bill."
Yi Feng frowned: "Mr. Warwick, why do you bring this up?"
Byron Warwick held up a finger. "That one dollar bill is all we need to buy Obiero."
