CHAPTER 495: CHAPTER 244 PURCHASING A WARTHOG

After visiting Green Field Manor for an entire day, setting up a simple development strategy, and leaving two Beggar Gang Disciples in charge of supervising and caretaking, as well as greeting Old Karl to also take care of the ranch, Allen Zhang was ready to head back to the city.

Dominic sent a message to the General Sect Leader. Allen Zhang glanced at it.

Dominic: A client wants to sell two General Electric TF34-GE-100 Turbofan Engines. Needs to visit the suburban storage warehouse to check the merchandise. The client seems quite eager to sell.

Allen Zhang: ok, I’m heading back now.

After putting away his phone, Allen Zhang drove the Jeep, accompanied by Sieg and Beggar Gang Disciples, back to Los Angeles.

It took some time to reach the city. On the way, he asked Sieg to lead people off the vehicle, then he switched to a truck, called up the professional ground crew captain Qibatu, and drove to the Alfred Waste Recycling Station to pick up Dominic.

Dominic got into the vehicle and sat in the passenger seat, explaining, "The client seems to work at the airplane graveyard as a ground crew member. Due to some accidents at home, he wants to sell the two turbofan engines."

Qibatu also expressed interest, saying, "A-10 Warthog Attack Plane? This aircraft has been around for over forty years, a relic of the last century, yet it still serves in the Air Force. It’s currently the Air Force’s only aircraft dedicated to providing intensive support to ground troops, including attacking enemy tanks, armed vehicles, and key ground targets, with no suitable replacement available. Even F15s and F16s cannot replace its role, and ’ground pounding’ describes it best!"

"However, this attack plane is only suitable against small countries without air defenses. It has virtually no place in modern warfare. It’s usually deployed after stealth fighters have breached the lines and cleared air defenses, followed by the Warthogs to precision-strike enemy positions and ground armaments as well as arsenals, indiscriminately sweeping with its 30mm nose cannon!"

"The market price of an A-10 Warthog Attack Plane is generally around 11 million US dollars, which is the export price. Its internal cost is just a few million dollars. If it’s an old model that has been in service for a long time and been modified, you can buy it through the underground arms market for two to three million dollars."

With the right connections, even a Black Hawk Helicopter can be secured for 700,000 US dollars and then resold for five million.

The Warthog Attack Plane has significant limitations; against countries with strong air defense forces, it’s completely outmatched, ’bullying the weak and fearing the strong’ is an apt description for it.

After all, it is indeed a relic of the last century.

But it remains ’old but vigorous,’ capable of overpowering the air forces of 99% of the countries in the world!

"If I gave you a bunch of Warthog parts, could you assemble it into a complete entity?" Allen Zhang inquired.

"If I have the professional equipment, of course, I can. I’ve maintained this old timer before, I know the circuit layout like the back of my hand, it’s no big problem for me," Qibatu replied without hesitation.

"ok." Allen Zhang nodded with satisfaction and drove towards the client’s given location.

After about forty minutes, they arrived at a suburban factory building and saw a lean and elderly man with graying hair and wearing sunglasses waiting by the road, with a Ford pickup truck parked beside him.

"Hey, hello! We’re from the Alfred Waste Recycling Station. Are you the one selling the turbofan engines?" Allen Zhang parked the truck by the road, and Dominic got out to greet him.

"That’s right, it’s me. I’ve been waiting here for quite a while," the old man said.

"My name’s Dominic, this is our staff Hanberger, Qibatu. What’s your name?" Dominic asked.

"Just call me Marusen," the old man nodded slightly. "I’ve explained the situation to you already. I’m selling two A-10 Warthog’s General Electric TF34-GE-100 Turbofan Engines. I had it appraised before, but the price they offered wasn’t ideal."

"How much were they willing to offer?" Allen Zhang smiled and asked, "Buddy. This is an engine for a military attack plane. How did you get hold of it? Were you a ground crew member working at the airplane graveyard?"

Out of options, Marusen said, "Just like you’re thinking, I indeed worked at the airplane graveyard. It was a gold mine, the pay and benefits were good, but due to some reasons, after retirement I messed up my life, and my wife even wants to divorce me."

"The people I found before, many of whom are in the arms trade and even have contacts with the local military district, only offered 50,000 US dollars per engine. My god, this is an engine for an attack plane! Although it’s a slightly worn engine, taken off decommissioned aircraft, the general public can’t even buy it. When did it become so cheap?" Marusen complained.

Could it be precisely because it’s too intact that most people would not consider buying it?

"After all, they are relics from the last century. Just two engines, besides collecting them, buyers don’t have much value for them. Even a retired Warthog in perfect condition can be purchased in the market for a lowest price of three to five million dollars!"

Allen Zhang spoke candidly, then half-jokingly added, "Unless you can provide other Warthog parts for buyers to assemble on their own, what else can just two engines do? Installing them on private planes would be overkill in performance, and it’s somewhat a pity to just store them as a collection."