Chapter 173: Deciding To Purchase A Fleet Of P40 Fighter Jets
“30,000 US dollars for one P40 fighter jet? At such an expensive price, I can’t decide right away. Wait for me a moment. I’ll report to the Military Committee side right now and see what their response is.”
After Commander Zhou and Zhou Wenhua talked on the telephone in the communication room, he was also shocked by Zhou Wenhua’s high price for purchasing fighter jets.
So he quickly transferred the decision-making to others.
“Alright! Have them give me a response within one hour. 30,000 US dollars for one from me, including half a year of ammunition supply, free maintenance for the whole year, and instructors for training. These are the United States’ latest fighter jets. Once you have them, you can resist the Japanese aircraft group’s attacks!”
“Moreover, this is the main fighter jet of the United States’ active air force. You might not even be able to buy it if you want to, and even if you have money, you might not get it!”
“Even if you can buy it, there will be many restrictive conditions, such as not including maintenance, not including free dispatch of training officers, and many other conditions you might not anticipate, but the price will definitely be twice as expensive as mine, at least starting at 40,000 US dollars. So discuss it carefully among yourselves!”
“I don’t lack buyers, and I believe the Japanese Army side will also be very interested in this new fighter jet. So if you don’t want me to find another buyer, you’d better give me a satisfactory response!”
Zhou Wenhua continued to negotiate the price and conditions.
“.”
Commander Zhou.
After hearing Zhou Wenhua’s words, the joy he had just felt from suddenly obtaining 12 P40 fighter jets vanished instantly.
Instead, he realized that Zhou Wenhua and those arms dealers from foreign powers were also equally fond of money and interests.
Although not as black-hearted as the arms dealers from foreign powers, it was not much better.
“Alright! I’ll report it up immediately!”
“Wait for me a moment!”
However, Commander Zhou still quickly agreed.
Because he clearly knew that if their side could obtain a P40 fighter jet group, it would be very helpful for them in dealing with the Japanese aircraft group.
But he absolutely did not want these new fighter jet groups to be purchased and owned by the Japanese Army side.
Otherwise, their future air supremacy would truly be doomed.
They were already behind the Japanese Army in building and constructing the air force.
Moreover, they did not have aircraft manufacturing factories or industrial foundations like the Japanese Army to research and develop and produce their own airplanes, so he was determined not to let the Japanese Army’s air force become even stronger.
“Good! I’ll wait for your good news!”
Regarding Commander Zhou’s polite response,
Zhou Wenhua also responded indifferently without care.
Then, they hung up the telephone on each other.
And Commander Zhou also quickly called Chairman Chang’s mansion to urgently report on the transaction of the P40 fighter jet group.
He also reported together the news that 12 P40 fighter jets were already parked at their Lanqiao Airport.
“What! 30,000 US dollars for one P40 fighter jet? The United States’ latest active fighter jet?”
“What is the other party’s background? Hmm? Are they those merchant channels that have helped us shoot down Japanese aircraft groups multiple times?”
“What? 12 P40 fighter jets have already landed at our Lanqiao Airport, waiting for a response on whether to purchase them to counter the Japanese Army’s air force?”
“Damn it! If we don’t buy them, they might sell to the Japanese Army? Outrageous!”
“This is simply bullying too much. We absolutely cannot let them sell to the Japanese Army!”
“We’ll buy them. Purchase all 12 latest P40 fighter jets parked at Lanqiao Airport!”
“I’ll hold a meeting right now to raise the money. You immediately reply to that guy that we agree to buy, but they must guarantee they absolutely will not sell to the Japanese Army side. Additionally, they must guarantee their promise of free supply of aircraft ammunition for half a year and free maintenance for one year!”
“And dispatch pilot instructors to teach our pilots how to operate this new fighter jet group!”
After Chairman Chang heard Commander Zhou’s report,
originally he was angrily unwilling to purchase them all at once.
Because he himself did not have that much money, and even if he did, they would put it in the bank to earn interest.
They would not spend it so easily. Otherwise, the National Revolutionary Army Air Force would not be in such a terrible state now, all outdated and eliminated old airplanes that were ripped off by foreigners.
You know, there were quite a few people who donated money to buy airplanes for them.
But the money was never used effectively, which is why they failed to form an air force capable of confronting the Japanese invaders’ air force.
This also led to the situation in the later Anti-Japanese War where the first batch of the most elite pilots suffered annihilation, and they lost air supremacy.
But when Chairman Chang heard that if they did not purchase now, they would be sold to the Japanese Army air force,
he immediately could not sit still, because the Shanghai War had now erupted and was about to enter the final operational stage.
He and all National Revolutionary Army soldiers had deeply experienced the terror and difficulty of lacking air supremacy.
After losing air supremacy, not only did the frontline combat troops suffer air strike bombing from the Japanese aircraft group, but they also suffered relentless bombardment from the Japanese Army fleet’s naval guns.
And they were utterly powerless to fight back, only able to passively take the bombing and suffer heavy casualties.
So after his outburst of rage, Chairman Chang unhesitatingly made the decision to immediately purchase these 12 P40 fighter jets, even if it meant bankrupting himself. At the very least, he could not let such advanced fighter jet groups fall into the Japanese Army’s hands. Otherwise, how could they fight future battles?
Moreover, Chairman Chang suddenly had a flash of insight, feeling that since this mysterious merchant channel could get them such advanced fighter jet groups, they might have other weaponry as well. He felt that behind Zhou Wenhua there must be support from foreign powers. Otherwise, how could they have the United States’ active air force’s latest fighter jet groups for sale?
So after figuring these things out,
Chairman Chang’s bad mood after deciding to purchase the P40 fighter jet group at a high price immediately relaxed, and his mood gradually became joyful.
He even instructed Commander Zhou to communicate well, politely and respectfully, with Zhou Wenhua.
Be sure to build a good cooperative relationship.
After obtaining Chairman Chang’s decision to purchase the P40 fighter jet group, Commander Zhou also showed an excited, elated smile, then hurriedly acted on orders to quickly build a cooperative relationship with Zhou Wenhua.
Thus, that evening, all of Lanqiao was brightly lit, all pilots were emotionally excited, constantly studying and heatedly discussing around those 12 new P40 fighter jet groups.
They could not wait to immediately pilot these new fighter jet groups to launch attack operations, annihilate and shoot down all incoming Japanese aircraft groups, to defend the country and avenge the fallen pilots.
As for Zhou Wenhua, he also satisfactorily obtained the money he wanted.
It could be said to be a win-win for all.
The intelligence that the National Revolutionary Army Air Force had obtained 12 new P40 fighter jet groups also reached the Japanese Army’s intelligence agency that same evening.
It shocked the entire Japanese Army intelligence agency at once, and they hurriedly notified the Imperial General Headquarters, as well as the Japanese Army’s dispatched army commander Iwane Matsui.
