Chapter 53: The Middle Eastern Tycoon

The afternoon downpour fell like silver needles, scattering delicate ripples across the puddles. Seeking shelter from the rain, crowds surged into the indoor pavilions, the humid air thick with the clatter of hurried footsteps. Lao Jia followed the throng into Pavilion 13, his gaze burning as it swept over the aerospace engine exhibits. He picked up one document after another, his fingertips tracing the technical specifications, his brow gradually furrowing—the glaring gap in domestic general aviation engines lay entirely in the absence of models above 300 horsepower.

“Motor factories switching to aviation engines? Just a small-scale affair,” Lao Jia murmured hoarsely, his voice like sandpaper. The booth technician rattled on about “industrial upgrading,” but Lao Jia fixed his eyes on the power ratings in the materials, tapping his knuckles against the display board. “These power levels are only enough for FPV suicide drones and cruise missiles from the Russia-Ukraine battlefield.”

At present, the domestic general aviation engine industry remains largely a blank slate, with this market sector firmly monopolized by a few major foreign companies holding this technological high ground.

Standing before one exhibit, Lao Jia’s brow was deeply knitted, a trace of concern flickering in his eyes. He pondered silently, “This market gap is both an opportunity and a challenge for us. If we can make a breakthrough here, it would be a tremendous advantage. But developing a suitable engine is no easy feat—technical hurdles, financial investment, time costs... each stands as a formidable obstacle. Yet, opportunity always favors the prepared. Maybe this airshow is the key step for us to find partners and break the deadlock.”

The rain gradually ceased, and a shaft of sunlight pierced through the gloomy clouds, casting a golden sheen on the aircraft outside, as if draping these steel giants in a shimmering cloak of gold. Lao Jia followed the crowd out of the indoor exhibition hall, continuing to observe visitors’ comments on the drones. At that moment, Dr. Yu Ying returned to the booth, engaged in conversation with Long Wuyang and others.

A middle-aged man in a light blue suit, leaning on a long-handled umbrella, casually slipped behind the Bifang drone display. He circled the drone several times before Lao Jia realized he was a foreigner. The man’s skin was dark, resembling a Tibetan’s; his build was athletic and standard, his hair streaked with gray; his eyes gleamed with the keen, cunning sharpness of a hawk.

The foreigner addressed Dr. Yu Ying: “This aircraft—can it be mass-produced now?” His English was somewhat stiff, tinged with an Arabic accent, yet his tone carried a certain commanding hauteur.

Dr. Yu Ying, excited at the arrival of an international visitor, responded fluently in English: “This is a prototype of ours. It has already received the Type Certificate and is preparing to apply for the Production Certificate to begin mass production.”

The man’s eyes lit up, and he nodded slightly, evidently pleased with the answer. Then, with a hint of curiosity, he asked, “Oh, that sounds quite promising. Did your team design the entire aircraft yourselves? Also, where does the engine come from?”

Yu Ying fixed his gaze on the foreigner, listening intently, not wanting to miss a single detail. Slightly uneasy, he replied, “Our team independently developed and designed this aircraft—from the aerodynamic profile and overall structure to the flight control system. Both the materials and avionics are domestically produced. The engine is a Lycoming turboshaft from the United States, rated at 1,100 horsepower. Currently, there is no equivalent engine domestically in China.”

The foreigner frowned, seeming somewhat disappointed by the answer. After a pause, he slowly said, “Oh, that’s a shame. How can you ensure the procurement volume for that engine? From what I know, American production capacity is always unreliable.” His Middle Eastern-accented English sounded as awkward as a Chinese person’s hesitant speech.

Dr. Yu Ying gave a wry smile. “That’s our concern as well, but we have no choice. We have to use this engine. That’s what they call being ‘choked at the neck.’” He laughed self-deprecatingly.

The foreigner laughed helplessly too, a faint trace of sympathy hidden in his tone. Extending his hand in a friendly gesture, he introduced himself: “I’m Bahman, an international aircraft trader from the Arab World. I’ve traveled extensively, attending many airshows to source various types of aircraft for my clients. I’ve already reviewed your performance specs—they’re on the documents you gave me, and they meet my needs fairly well. After I return, I’ll recommend this aircraft to my clients. What I’m most interested in now is your production capacity. If you mass-produce this aircraft, how many units can you manufacture annually?”

“Production capacity?” The question made Yu Ying’s heart race; his palms began to sweat nervously. He bit down hard, nails digging into his palm. “Fifty units per year on a single production line! If the engines are available, scaling up production would take just minutes!”

“The oil magnates of the Arab World...” Lao Jia squinted from nearby, secretly delighted. “Maybe we’ve hooked a big fish this time. This airshow won’t have been in vain.” He recalled something Director Huang of the Civil Aviation Administration had said: “You aircraft makers have to rely on airshows to sell your planes.”

Bahman nodded, seemingly calculating something silently. Then, with a slightly excited tone, he said, “That’s excellent! I think we should find a chance to talk seriously about cooperation. Of course, there’s probably no time today—I still want to see other booths. Let’s exchange WeChat contacts.”

Yu Ying hurriedly took out his phone and opened WeChat, surprised: “Mr. Bahman, I didn’t expect you to use WeChat.”

Bahman smiled. “I’m well-versed in China. I have close ties with many Chinese aircraft manufacturers. I hope to become a friend to you all and to deepen our cooperation.” His smile brimmed with confident determination, as if already envisioning the immense benefits their partnership would bring.

Yu Ying’s heart bloomed with joy, nearly jumping with excitement, though he kept his composure. “Of course, no problem at all.” Then, gratefully, he added, “We very much hope to work closely with you, Mr. Bahman. With your help, we aim to quickly break into the international market with our aircraft.”

Bahman unabashedly reveled in his triumph and continued boasting, “If your aircraft performs as well as the specs say, I believe demand in my country alone could easily exceed 100 units.”

“Ah! One hundred units!” Long Wuyang and Cui Yinuo exclaimed in surprise, exchanging astonished glances as if happiness had arrived too swiftly.

Bahman grinned proudly, then added, “Of course, we’re even more interested in your Chinese engines. Do you have plans to develop a domestically produced engine for this aircraft in the future?”

Dr. Yu Ying replied, “This airshow is precisely why we’re here—to seek cooperation on engine localization.” He pointed to Pavilion 13 beside them. “There are many Chinese engine manufacturers here. We’re negotiating with them to jointly develop a cost-effective engine around 1,500 horsepower. These companies are very interested. Naturally, meeting international airworthiness standards for domestic engines will still take considerable time.”

Bahman nodded in understanding, then gestured toward Long Wuyang and Cui Yinuo. “Are these your team members?”

“Yes, they are all our R&D engineers and operators,” Yu Ying answered.

Bahman dramatically waved his arms in admiration toward Long and Cui. “Oh, incredible—you’re so young and already accomplishing such astonishing things. Building aircraft is far more thrilling than camel racing, isn’t it?”

Long Wuyang stammered, “Y-yes, thank you,” while Cui Yinuo, staring at the foreigner’s rain-spattered shoes, muttered softly, “There’s something off about this guy.”

“Well, it’s been a pleasure meeting you all. I still want to see other aircraft. I hope we can soon set a date for a factory visit. Let’s keep in touch on WeChat.” Bahman bid them farewell, then vanished swiftly into the crowd like a ghost.

Once the pale blue figure disappeared, Lao Jia approached Dr. Yu Ying and said meaningfully, “He’s not just looking at the aircraft—he’s watching the engines. Middle Easterners are clever; they flatter you while holding ten abacuses in their hands.”

Dr. Yu Ying stared at Bahman’s golden camel avatar on WeChat and smiled wryly, “But our planes have to fly out there somehow…”

The post-rain breeze swept across the exhibition grounds, stirring discarded aircraft brochures. A large drone circled low, demonstrating its flight capabilities; its engine’s mighty roar sounded like a proud, grating advertisement for foreign engine manufacturers.