Chapter 352: Throwing Away All Face
## Corrected Full English Text (Numbered Lines – NO CHINESE CHARACTERS):
“Mary, I don’t want the damn report. Didn’t I make it clear to you last time? I want you to draw up a proposal. I want an acquisition proposal, then you go negotiate and execute it.
I didn’t ask you to provide me with decision-making suggestions. What you need is execution!
Your performance makes me very suspicious that Morgan Stanley’s business in Hong Kong is not going smoothly, not because of the broader environment, but because Hong Kong’s employees are ineffective, not even passing the most basic English listening and speaking abilities.”
On the other end of the phone, a relentless barrage of criticism from the Wolf of Washington came crashing down.
Although Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley Asia are not the same company, and Jonathan Hale is not Li Minyi’s direct leader.
But the other party wields immense power within Morgan Stanley, and a single directive could lead to a change in executives at Morgan Stanley Asia.
If executives are replaced, can someone at her mid-level position expect a good outcome?
In Hong Kong, there aren’t many positions better than mid-level at Morgan Stanley. On what basis does Li Minyi think she can snatch a position from someone else?
She is very self-aware, knowing this is currently the best job opportunity she can have. Li Minyi hurriedly added: “Boss, I’ll get right on it. Give me one day. In one day, I will negotiate a round with every property owner, confirming the sale conditions from every property rights holder.”
“I expect your performance.”
Jonathan’s voice was so cold. After a few simple words, the phone was hung up.
Li Yiqing felt he was truly suffering an undeserved calamity. He thought his report was written very well and comprehensively, but it was criticized as utter nonsense, without even specifying what was wrong.
Li Minyi just assigned the tasks downward. Every employee in the entire investment banking department has assigned tasks, needing to communicate with every property unit owner on their assigned floors.
Even Li Yiqing, as an intern, was assigned two floors.
Pete had it even worse, assigned a full four floors.
All to be completed within one day.
On the way to Chengxing Commercial Building, Pete, sitting in the driver’s seat, said lightly: “Mary is just like that. When the leader criticizes her, she transfers the pressure to her subordinates.
Even if it’s her own problem, she never self-destructs. Get used to it. Treat her criticism as wind passing by your ears; it blows over and is gone.”
Morgan Stanley in Hong Kong is working on acquiring the properties specified by Lin Ran, while Young John Morgan from the mainland visited Lin Ran again three days later.
“Professor, I think the conditions you proposed are very reasonable.
We can fully accept them.”
Young John Morgan said, his attitude having done a complete 180-degree turn.
Why?
After consulting his father, Young John Morgan found that the other party believed this transaction could proceed.
John Morgan’s exact words were:
“Why can’t we publicly state that our technology comes from China? Will this affect General Aerospace?
On the contrary, it proves that we have established an unbreakable cooperative relationship with the world’s finest commercial aerospace agency.
Apollo Technology’s Saturn V, Lunar Module, Fuel Tank—these can all be transferred to our General Aerospace. Even the latest Burning One Modified can be transferred. The professor himself is willing to personally command our moon landing.
Public opinion may have some temporary negative impact, but in the capital market, this is tremendous good news.
It not only proves we now have sufficient technical strength but also that our future potential is limitless.
Tesla can build a Gigafactory in Shanghai; why can’t we import aerospace technology from China?
Apple’s production lines are also built in China. Intel, Microsoft, Google all have R&D centers in China. Will anyone accuse them?
John, let me put it this way: stronger individuals are not accused. Rules are not meant to restrict the strong.
So, cooperating with the professor is all upside and no downside for us.
On the contrary, it ties him tightly to General Aerospace’s bandwagon.
Now that General Aerospace can buy Apollo Technology’s technology, in the future, we can still buy Apollo Technology’s technology.
The commercial aerospace field is different from other businesses; it’s a highly fragmented market. There is no direct competitive relationship between us and Apollo Technology.
This ensures they will continue transferring technology to us, and we will be their best partners.
The ones who should be anxious are SpaceX and Blue Origin. How can we refuse?
The only thing you need to discuss with the professor is legal regulation. You must go with sincerity.
Explain clearly why we can’t publicly admit that the F-1 and J-2 engines come from China—because of legal provisions. Besides going yourself, bring a lawyer to explain it to the professor point by point.
Within the scope of the law, we acknowledge it. Outside the legal scope, we handle it technically.”
After John Morgan hung up, he thought to himself: Why didn’t I encounter a figure like the professor back in my day? If I had, I wouldn’t have amounted to nothing my whole life and had to retire early.
Young John Morgan had it figured out: If he had to choose between money and fame, he’d definitely choose money.
Besides, he wasn’t choosing between just those two; he was choosing between money, power, and fame. He’d definitely choose money and power.
“Good.” Lin Ran said.
Immediately after, Young John Morgan handed over a stack of documents, saying: “Professor, this is the details of the commercial real estate you mentioned. Because the property rights are dispersed among many people.
So our team is still in close negotiations, expected to complete the acquisition this month.
Right after completing the acquisition, you can delegate someone to go to Hong Kong to handle the specific handover.”
“Didn’t I say one floor?” Lin Ran glanced at the documents.
“One floor isn’t enough to express our sincerity. Even one building feels somewhat too modest. This property has a good location, but that’s about it.” Young John Morgan said politely.
Lin Ran glanced at the photos, feeling a sense of vicissitudes of life and death. He had been there; when he went, this building was one of the best office buildings on Hong Kong Island, brand new. Now it was decrepit and aged.
“Good, thoughtful. This one it is. I don’t like the others.
In the future, if Apollo Technology or Deep Red wants to expand into Hong Kong, using this as our office building is just right.” Lin Ran said.
A common operation among big shots: buy an office building themselves, then have their listed companies rent it back at above-market rent.
This effectively turns company revenue into personal income indirectly.
Seeing the satisfied smile on the other’s face, Young John Morgan knew this step was the right one.
“Professor, regarding the specific public statement, I have some small requests.” Young John Morgan said.
Lin Ran nodded: “Go ahead.”
“It’s like this: We all have to frame it as technology transfer.
I’m not sure which of Apollo Technology’s technologies are willing to be transferred and which can be transferred.”
After thinking for a moment, Lin Ran said: “Everything except the Saturn V engines can be transferred.
Including the Lunar Module and Command Module.
Of course, what we’re transferring is the Apollo Moon Landing’s navigation system, not our latest improved version capable of landing at the Lunar South Pole.”
When Young John Morgan heard the beginning, as an American, he felt a pang of heartache.
What does it mean ‘everything except the Saturn V engines’? This is clearly American technology!
American companies buying technology from Chinese companies that originally belonged to America—what has the world come to?
Young John Morgan felt grief welling up uncontrollably, but on the surface, he had to force a smile and pretend to be very happy.
Having received an elite education, doesn’t Young John Morgan know that doing this is digging America’s own grave?
Doesn’t he know that buying technology from China is eating SpaceX’s cake? If SpaceX collapses and he can’t successfully reverse-engineer it, America’s entire aerospace industry will become a dumping ground for China Aerospace?
Of course he knows.
After I die, why care about the deluge? The same logic: Even if there’s only a slim chance of success, he has to grasp it firmly. Can America’s interests outweigh his personal interests?
Here, both sides are playing cards close to open.
Lin Ran refuses to transfer key technology precisely to keep you stuck, able to choke you at any time.
Choking isn’t anyone’s exclusive patent.
Young John Morgan gladly agreed, relying on the fact that Saturn V is American technology. Having obtained plenty of engines from China, there will surely be a day when they can crack it.
If American native engineers can’t crack it, I can poach people from China to crack it, right?
White engineers and Indian engineers aren’t reliable; if I poach native Chinese engineers from China, give them green cards, surely we can crack it?
Young John Morgan’s experience is similar to Old John Morgan’s—or more accurately, to the Old John Morgan in the spacetime altered by Lin Ran: both started in finance, then jumped from finance to aerospace.
The difference is that Old John Morgan’s situation is far better than Young John Morgan’s.
They are all from the Morgan family; money has always just been numbers. It was true sixty years ago, and it’s still true sixty years later.
But recruiting industrial workers is worlds apart. You don’t know until you try, and once you do, it’s shocking. Young John Morgan found that recruiting a native white worker is as difficult as recruiting a PhD graduate from a top university.
His requirements are very high—can aerospace requirements not be high?
Young John Morgan isn’t saying you have to be excellent right now when I hire you. He hopes you have outstanding basic qualities; he can train you slowly—three years if not five, five if not ten.
With time and projects, he can always train you into a qualified aerospace industry worker.
But he found that even the basic qualities don’t qualify. Few haven’t smoked America’s native specialty, and even fewer are willing to deep-dive into aerospace industry.
The easiest to recruit are Indian descendants. He doesn’t dare recruit Chinese on a large scale. The limited spots for Chinese engineers must be reserved for first-generation immigrants from China. First-generation immigrants are top workhorses; second-generation have picked up some of the native whites’ bad habits.
So Indian descendants it is. Their basic qualities, patience, and willingness to deep-dive are all stronger than native whites.
Young John Morgan finally understands why Boeing is slowly phasing out whites, with the proportion of Indian descendants rising year by year—because Indian descendants are indeed useful, while native whites are increasingly useless.
Old John Morgan never faced such troubles.
Not to mention the tens of thousands of industrial workers a company needs—even two hundred thousand, Old John could grit his teeth and pull them from Houston, Huntsville, Florida, and such places.
“Professor, can the latest navigation system be sold?” Young John Morgan asked.
This thing is truly valuable. Sell it to NASA for a ten-year, twenty-billion-dollar contract, and NASA wouldn’t refuse.
Lin Ran waved his hand: “Not for now. We’ll talk slowly after our base is built.
The Pacific Ocean is vast, and the Lunar South Pole is vast too. We’ll occupy at most one or two craters. After we develop them, America can come develop later.”
Surrounding lunar ownership and China’s development activities at the Lunar South Pole, Apollo Technology launching rockets at a frequency of once a month, casually dropping infrastructure materials to the Lunar South Pole—this has sparked widespread dissatisfaction among many countries.
Except for China, all other countries are dissatisfied.
The Moon belongs to all humanity; how can China start massive infrastructure ahead of time?
India is the loudest in opposition. America thinks it can get there sooner or later—what restrictive clauses should it push? Never mind the permanent member’s veto power; even if passed, won’t it restrict itself in the future? Just like the Paris climate agreement.
But India is different, self-proclaimed leader of the Southern countries. We Southern countries may not reach the Moon in our lifetime anyway. India’s 2035 moon landing plan—honestly, India doesn’t believe it itself.
So it’s constantly clamoring at the United Nations, calling meetings to discuss excessive lunar development, China not complying with the Outer Space Treaty, nitpicking.
Chinese netizens and Indian netizens have argued plenty on Twitter about this.
Hearing the expected answer, Young John Morgan sighed inwardly, while a surge of ambition rose: We’re all young people; I’m even a few years older than the professor. He can do it, so can I!
Time entered July, and the technology transfer terms were finalized one by one. Even some clauses violating regulations, Young John Morgan obtained special exemption ordinances personally signed by the President from the White House.
General Electric spinning off the aerospace giant—this was old news. Both the event itself and Young John Morgan’s identity drew intense media attention, with the matter continuously tracked by the media.
Including General Aerospace relocating from General Electric’s headquarters in Boston to cities around Cape Canaveral on Florida’s East Coast, General Aerospace aggressively poaching from aerospace giants.
All this was under the spotlight of America’s national media and aerospace media.
But this time was starkly different from the past.
Young John Morgan held a press conference in General Aerospace’s suburban factory in Florida, with a massive rocket standing behind him. From its shape, it was clearly a Saturn V.
“We have signed a long-term cooperation agreement named Sky Synergy with China’s Apollo Technology, covering joint research, manufacturing, and technology transfer.
As you can see, the Saturn V standing behind me was assisted in construction by China’s Apollo Technology and will lead Americans back to the Moon this year.
We have also obtained cutting-edge rocket technology transferred from Apollo Technology, including Saturn V, Burning One Modified, and others, as well as advanced vertical takeoff and landing systems, precise attitude control algorithms, and efficient liquid oxygen methane engine designs.
These technologies stem from Apollo Technology’s breakthroughs in rocket technology.”
The reporters from across America below the stage erupted in an uproar.
Everyone originally thought that General Aerospace, valued at up to 120 billion US dollars, would enter the commercial aerospace field with a strong posture, aiming to challenge pioneers like SpaceX and Blue Origin, relying on General Electric’s legacy in jet engines and propulsion systems.
But now you’re telling us our greatest reliance is technology from China?
A few veteran reporters present had experienced the past golden age—the 80s and 90s when NASA called the shots, and global aerospace was America’s alone. Though no more moon landings, NASA’s achievements came one after another.
And now General Aerospace—you’re General—actually importing technology from China.
The reporters below the stage couldn’t believe it.
After Young John Morgan finished, reporters’ hands shot up; everyone had too many questions.
Everyone wanted to know what price General Aerospace had paid.
Some reporters also covering finance news keenly realized that, regardless of whether this was shameful, from a capital operations perspective, the 120 billion US dollar valuation would at least double.
Bezos spent far more than 120 billion US dollars and still hasn’t built such rich technical assets.
“In addition, we have recruited five retired astronauts from NASA. They are already undergoing pre-moon landing simulation training, personally led by Mr. Aldrin as their training instructor.”
Aldrin ultimately returned to America. After learning of General Aerospace’s cooperation with Apollo Technology, he hoped to spend the last years of his life in America while contributing his final efforts to America’s version of the moon landing.
Morgan could protect him.
Young John Morgan continued: “At the same time, the American version of the Apollo Moon Landing, scheduled for the end of this year, will have Randolph Lin serving as moon landing commander, providing ground command.
We have absolute confidence in this moon landing; it will be America’s brand-new beginning in pioneering the Moon in the 21st century.”
The veteran reporters below the stage only had one thought flashing in their minds: They’ve lost all face.
